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Image: Kaisu Jansson / Yle Five Cuban volleyball players are facing jail sentences for their parts in a gang rape that took place at a Tampere hotel in early July. Pirkanmaa District Court announced the verdicts in the case on Tuesday, saying that five were guilty of aggravated rape while one was cleared of involvement. The players were in Tampere for several World League matches before the Rio Olympics. Four of them now face five-year jail terms for aggravated rape, while the fifth has been sentenced to three years and six months behind bars. Finnish police originally arrested eight players, but released two of them soon afterwards. A sixth was released in August. Cuba decided to compete in the Rio Olympics without the players, and having sacked two of the squad's coaches, but lost all five games in the Olympic tournament.[SEP]A Finnish court has convicted five members of Cuba's national volleyball team of aggravated rape and sentenced four of them to five years in prison. A fifth man was sentenced to 3½ years in prison. The District Court of Pirkanmaa on Tuesday acquitted a sixth man, who had been held in police custody in the southern city of Tampere. Eight members of the Cuban volleyball team were initially arrested in early July following allegations that a woman was raped at a hotel where the team was staying in Tampere, 170 kilometers (105 miles) north of the capital, Helsinki. Two were released without charge. The arrests were during the Volleyball World League in the southern Finnish city.[SEP]Five Cuban volleyball players have been convicted for the rape of a Finnish woman during a tournament. The attack took place at the Volleyball World League in Tampere, southern Finland. Team captain, Rolando Cepeda Abreu, 27, was given a five year sentence for aggravated rape at the District Court of Pirkanmaa, along with team mates Abrahan Alfonso Gavilan, 21, Ricardo Calvo Manzano, 19, and Osmany Uriarte Mestre, 21. Another defendant, Luis Sosa Sierra, 21, was jailed for three years and six months. Eight members of the team were initially arrested in early July following allegations that a woman was raped at a hotel where the team was staying in Tampere, 105 miles north of the capital, Helsinki. Two were released without charge. The defendants had denied the charge and insisted the woman had consented to sex. Other team members denied knowledge of the incident. Despite the arrests and consequent loss of players, the Cuban team entered the Rio 2016 games but lost every match.[SEP]Five members of the Cuban national volleyball team have been jailed for gang-raping a woman during a tournament. Four players, including 27-year-old team captain Rolando Cepeda Abreu, Abrahan Alfonso Gavilan, 21, Ricardo Calvo Manzano, 19, and Osmany Uriarte Mestre, 21, were handed five-year prison sentences for aggravated rape. They were due to take part in the Rio Olympics, but were suspended after allegations of the rape surfaced, which took place during a Volleyball World League event in Finland in July. The Pirkanmaa district court said the Finnish woman, whose identity was not disclosed, was attacked on the night of July 2 in a hotel where the Cuban team was staying during the championship in the southern town of Tampere. Few details of the events were disclosed to the media and public, and the trial was held behind closed doors to protect the victim. According to the charge sheet, the players 'had together and in mutual understanding forced the victim to several acts of sexual intercourse by means of violence and by taking advantage of her fear and state of helplessness.' Court documents reveal the victim first agreed to have sex with Uriarte Mestre, but after sleeping with her, he invited his team-mates to join in without her consent. Then they forced her to have sex with them in 'several ways' and 'several times'. A fifth player, Luis Sosa Sierra, 21, received a shorter sentence of three years and six months. The rest of the Cuban national team finished last in their group at the Olympic Games in Rio, with five straight defeats. The court said it had acquitted Dariel Albo Miranda, 24, after the victim and his teammates confirmed his claim that he had not participated in the rape.[SEP]Five volleyball players from the Cuban national team were found guilty on Tuesday of aggravated rape of a woman while they were in Finland in July for a World League tournament prior to the Rio Olympics. The Finnish district court charged six men with the crime, which took place at the hotel where the team was staying in the city of Tampere. One was found not guilty. The court sentenced four of the men to five years in prison, and the fifth to three and a half years. All the men denied the charge, either disputing any sexual intercourse with the woman, or by saying it had happened by mutual understanding. The players, aged between 19 and 27, had asked for mitigated punishments, arguing they had lost contracts due to the publicity of the case. The court denied that request. “The defendants are found guilty of a serious sexual crime during a match tour… Considering the crime in question, losing player contracts has been a foreseeable consequence,” the court said. The Cuban Volleyball Federation was not immediately available for a comment. It condemned the players’ acts in July. The Cuban team decided to compete in the Rio Olympics despite the detention of the players, but lost all their five games.[SEP]HELSINKI, (Reuters) – Five volleyball players from the Cuban national team were found guilty today of aggravated rape while they were in the country in July for a World League tournament prior to the Rio Olympics. Finnish district court charged six men with the crime, which took place in the city of Tampere, at the hotel where the team was staying. One was found not guilty. The court sentenced four of the men to five years in prison, and the fifth to three and a half years. All the men denied the charge.[SEP]HELSINKI (AP) — A Finnish court on Tuesday convicted five members of Cuba's national volleyball team of aggravated rape and ordered them to pay a total of 24,000 euros ($27,000) in compensation to the victim. Four of the men were sentenced to five years in prison, while a fifth man got 3½ years. The District Court of Pirkanmaa acquitted a sixth man, who had been held in police custody with the five others in the southern city of Tampere. The trial was held behind closed doors. The men had denied the charges, saying they were innocent. It wasn't immediately clear if the five who were convicted would appeal. Some said they had sexual intercourse with the Finnish victim but denied rape. Five-year sentences were given to Osmany Santiago Uriarte Mestre, 21, Ricardo Norberto Calvo Manzano, 19, Abrahan Alfonso Gavilan, 21, and Rolando Cepeda Abreu, 27. Luis Tomas Sosa Sierra, 21, got 3½ years. Eight members of the Cuban volleyball team were initially arrested in early July following allegations that a woman was raped at a hotel where the team was staying in Tampere, 170 kilometers (105 miles) north of the capital, Helsinki. Two were released without charge. The arrests were made during Volleyball World League. During the investigation, the Cuban Volleyball Association acknowledged the arrests, saying the investigation seemed to indicate acts by the players that were "totally removed from discipline, the sense of honor and respect that govern our sport and society."[SEP]FIVE members of Cuba’s national volleyball team have been convicted of raping a Finnish woman during a World League tournament in Tampere.Four of the men, including the captain, were given five-year jail sentences while a fifth is facing a prison term of three and a half years. They were detained in the southern Finnish city on July 2 after a woman said she had been raped at a hotel. Eight men were originally held. Two were released soon afterwards. Another of the players was released from detention at the end of August and acquitted by the court in Tampere. The men given the longer sentences included 27-year-old captain Rolando Cepeda Abreu, Alfonso Gavilan, 21, Ricardo Calvo Manzano, 19, and Osmany Uriarte Mestre, who is also 21. Luis Sosa Sierra, 21, was given a shorter sentence. The team had been taking part in a tournament ahead of the Rio Olympics when the rape took place at the hotel in which the players were staying. LENGTHY ORDEAL The court heard that two of the players had met the woman in a nightclub in the hotel basement. She later went to the room of one of the men, Uriarte Mestre, and consented to sex. However, Uriarte Mestre was then said to have texted the other men without the woman’s knowledge. They entered the room and subjected the woman to a lengthy ordeal and held her by the hair to prevent her leaving. When she was eventually allowed to leave, she complained to the hotel receptionist who called police. The men had denied the accusation, insisting the woman had given consent. However, the court ruled they were guilty of aggravated rape and ordered the men to pay €24 000 (£20 500; $27 000) in compensation to the victim. As the allegations emerged, two of the team coaches were sacked. Despite its depleted squad, Cuba fielded a team in Rio and lost all five of their matches. (BBC Sport)[SEP]Four of the players, Rolando Cepeda Abreu, Abraham Alfonso Gavilán, Ricardo Norberto Calvo Manzano and Osmany Santiago Uriarte Mestre, were sentenced to five years in prison, the Cuban government website Cubadebate said A fifth player, Luis Tomás Sierra, was sentenced to 3½ years, according to Cubadebate. The court also ordered the men to pay 24,000 euros in restitution to the woman they were convicted of attacking, Cubadebate said. The players were arrested in July in Tampere, Finland after arriving there to play in the World Volleyball League before competing in the Rio Olympics. According to Finnish and Cuban media reports, the men were accused of sexually assaulting a Finnish woman in their hotel room. The incident proved highly embarrassing for Cuba's government, which controls all professional athletics in the island nation and portrays Cuban athletes as examples of revolutionary discipline and virtue. "Preliminary information implicates them to acts totally alien to the sense of honor and respect that govern our society and sport," the Cuban Volleyball Federation said in a statement in July following the men's arrests.[SEP]Five members of Cuba’s national volleyball team have been convicted of raping a Finnish woman during a World League tournament in Tampere. Four of the men, including the captain, were given five-year jail sentences while a fifth is facing a prison term of three and a half years. They were detained in the southern Finnish city on July 2 after a woman said she had been raped at a hotel. Eight men were originally held. Two were released soon afterwards. Another of the players was released from detention at the end of August and acquitted by the court in Tampere. The men given the longer sentences included 27-year-old captain Rolando Cepeda Abreu, Alfonso Gavilan, 21, Ricardo Calvo Manzano, 19, and Osmany Uriarte Mestre, who is also 21. Luis Sosa Sierra, 21, was given a shorter sentence. The court heard that two of the players had met the woman in a nightclub in the hotel basement. She later went to the room of one of the men, Uriarte Mestre, and consented to sex. However, Uriarte Mestre was then said to have texted the other men without the woman’s knowledge. They entered the room and subjected the woman to a lengthy ordeal and held her by the hair to prevent her leaving.

A court sentences five members of the Cuba men's national volleyball team to prison for a gang rape of a Finnish woman that took place in Tampere, Finland, in July 2016 during the FIVB Volleyball World League.

The United States believes two Russian aircraft attacked an aid convoy near Aleppo in a strike that shattered a one-week truce, US officials said on Tuesday. Despite the military blame game over Monday’s attack, diplomats struggled to save the US-Russian ceasefire agreement that took effect on September 12th. The incident, in which 18 trucks from a 31-vehicle convoy were destroyed, looked likely to deal a death blow to diplomatic efforts to halt a civil war now in its sixth year. Two Russian Sukhoi SU-24 warplanes were in the skies above the aid convoy at the exact time it was struck late on Monday, two US officials told Reuters, citing US intelligence that led them to conclude Russia was to blame. Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman denied the assertion, telling reporters at the United Nations the US administration “has no facts” to support the claim, adding: “We have nothing to do with this situation.” Ben Rhodes, a deputy US national security adviser, said the White House held Russia responsible for what he called an “enormous humanitarian tragedy” but he did not address whether the attack was carried out by Russian aircraft. Earlier Russia, which denied its aircraft or those of its Syrian government allies were involved, had said it believed the convoy was not struck from the air at all but had caught fire because of some incident on the ground. The Syrian Red Crescent said the head of one of its local offices and “around 20 civilians” had been killed, although other death tolls differed. The attack prompted the United Nations to suspend all aid shipments into Syria. Senior officials from 23 nations emerged from a one-hour meeting on Syria at a New York luxury hotel with little more than an agreement to meet again, on Friday, about how to end a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and driven millions from their homes. They also differed on the chances of renewing the ceasefire. “The ceasefire is not dead,” US Secretary of State John Kerry said after the meeting, which he hosted with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.[SEP]This image provided by the Syrian anti-government group Aleppo 24 news, shows a vest of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent hanging on a damaged vehicle, in Aleppo, Syria, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016. A U.N. humanitarian aid convoy in Syria was hit by airstrikes Monday as the Syrian military declared that a U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire had failed, and U.N. officials reported many dead and seriously wounded. Aleppo 24 news via AP BEIRUT — The U.N. humanitarian aid agency suspended all convoys in Syria on Tuesday following deadly airstrikes on aid trucks the previous night that activists said killed at least 12 people, mostly truck drivers and Red Crescent workers. The attack plunged Syria's U.S.-Russia-brokered cease-fire further into doubt. The Syrian military, just hours earlier, had declared the week-long truce had failed. The United States said it was prepared to extend the truce deal and Russia — after blaming rebels for the violations — suggested it could still be salvaged. In Geneva, spokesman Jens Laerke of OCHA said further aid delivery would hold pending a review of the security situation in Syria in the aftermath of the airstrike. Laerke called it "a very, very dark day... for humanitarians across the world." The U.N. aid coordinator said the Syria government had granted needed authorizations in recent days to allow for aid convoys to proceed inside Syria. Humanitarian U.N. aid deliveries had stalled in recent weeks amid continued fighting, and the truce had not paved the way for expanded convoys as initially expected. It was not clear who was behind the attack late on Monday, which sent a red fireball into the sky in the dead of night over a rural area in Aleppo province. Both Syrian and Russian aircraft operate over Syria, as well as the U.S.-led coalition that is targeting the Islamic State group. Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the civil war, and Aleppo-based activist Bahaa al-Halaby both said the attack killed 12 people. Among the victims was Omar Barakat who headed the Red Crescent in the town where the attack occurred, they said. The Syrian Civil Defense, the volunteer first responder group also known as the White Helmets, confirmed that casualty figure. The convoy, part of a routine interagency dispatch operated by the Syrian Red Crescent, was hit in rural western Aleppo province. The White Helmets first responder group posted images of a number of vehicles on fire and a video of the attack showed huge balls of fire in a pitch black area, as ambulances arrive on the scene. U.N. officials said the U.N. and Red Crescent convoy was delivering assistance for 78,000 people in the town of Uram al-Kubra, west of the city of Aleppo. Initial estimates indicate that about 18 of the 31 trucks in the convoy were hit, as well as the Red Crescent warehouse in the area. When asked who was behind the airstrikes, Abdurrahman said Syrian President Bashar Assad's "regime does not have the capabilities to carry out such airstrikes within two hours." He said the airstrikes on Aleppo province, including the ones that hit the convoy, were part of some 40 air raids that lasted about two hours — starting at about 7:30 p.m. Monday — and that "it was mostly Russian warplanes who carried out the air raid." Al-Halaby said that rebels in Aleppo province also claimed Russian aircraft were behind the attack. The Local Coordination Committees, another activist group in Syria, said Russia's air forces and government warplanes dropped 25 bombs damaging some 20 trucks and destroying the Red Crescent warehouse in Uram al-Kubra. Abdurrahman said the convoy of about 30 trucks had crossed earlier from a government-controlled area and were hit from the air hours after they reached the Red Crescent warehouse. He said that some of the trucks were already emptied when the attack occurred and that in all, 20 trucks were destroyed or damaged. A paramedic, speaking in a video released by Aleppo 24 News, a media collective, blamed Russian and government warplanes as well as Syrian army helicopter gunships that he said dropped barrel bombs. Piles of white bags filled with flour were seen near one of the trucks. Photos posted by Aleppo 24 News showed what appears to be an SUV riddled with shrapnel, its windshield blown out. Another one shows damaged trucks filled with bags parked in front what appeared to be a building. Others show three damaged trucks parked on the road. Jan Egeland, humanitarian aid coordinator in the office of the U.N. envoy for Syria, told The Associated Press in a text message that the convoy was "bombarded." Egeland added, "It is outrageous that it was hit while offloading at warehouses." U. N. Humanitarian Chief Stephen O'Brien called on "all parties to the conflict, once again, to take all necessary measures to protect humanitarian actors, civilians, and civilian infrastructure as required by international humanitarian law." A Red Crescent official in Syria confirmed the attack, but said no further information was available. Also Tuesday, the Observatory said government forces launched an offensive in the Handarat area, just north of the city of Aleppo, in what appears to be an attempt to tighten the siege on rebel-held parts of Syria's largest city. Apart from the 12 killed in the convoy attack, 22 civilians died in attacks Monday across the province, according to the Observatory and Aleppo 24 News. Keaten reported from Geneva. Associated Press writer Philip Issa in Beirut contributed to this report.[SEP]The Latest on developments in Syria, where a cease-fire is faltering further after airstrikes hit an aid convoy overnight (all times local): The U.N. humanitarian aid agency says it has temporarily suspended all convoys in Syria following a deadly airstrike on aid trucks the previous night. Spokesman Jens Laerke of OCHA says the temporary suspension of the aid deliveries would hold pending a review of the security situation in Syria. Laerke said on Tuesday that the U.N. aid coordinator had received needed authorizations from the Syrian government in recent days to allow for aid convoys to proceed within Syria. He said it's "a very, very dark day ... for humanitarians across the world." The attack late on Monday came just hours after the Syrian military declared the week-long U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire had failed. The United States said it was prepared to extend the truce deal and Russia — after blaming rebels for the violations — suggested it could still be salvaged. Syria's cease-fire has faltered further after an aid convoy was hit by airstrikes, with activists saying at least 12 people were killed in the attack, mostly truck drivers and Red Crescent workers. It was not clear who was behind the attack, which sent a red fireball into the sky in the dead of night over a rural area in Aleppo province. Both Syrian and Russian aircraft operate over Syria, as well as the U.S.-led coalition that is targeting the Islamic State group. U.N. officials said the U.N. and Red Crescent convoy was delivering assistance for 78,000 people in the town of Uram al-Kubra, west of the northern city of Aleppo. Initial estimates indicate that about 18 of the 31 trucks in the convoy were hit, as well as the Red Crescent warehouse in the area. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group that tracks the civil war, said at least 12 were killed in the attack, mostly truck drivers and Red Crescent workers.[SEP]MOSCOW, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russia's military was checking media reports of air strikes on a humanitarian aid convoy near Aleppo in Syria the previous day and was expected to say something about the matter later in the day. Syrian or Russian aircraft struck an aid convoy near Aleppo on Monday and killed 12 people, according to a war monitor. U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement on Monday that Washington was "outraged" and would be raising the matter directly with Russia at a time when a shaky ceasefire in Syria has all but unravelled. "The situation in Syria is a source of great concern," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call. "Unfortunately, we can state ... that our American colleagues have failed to separate terrorists from the so-called moderate opposition." Peskov said there was little hope for a renewal of the ceasefire in Syria. (Reporting by Dmitry Solovyov/Maria Kiselyova; Editing by Andrew Osborn)[SEP]Aid convoys for four Syrian towns will be postponed as staff reassess security after a deadly attack on relief trucks and intensified violence, a senior official from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Tuesday. Syrian or Russian aircraft struck an aid convoy near Aleppo, killing 12 people on Monday, a war monitor reported, as the Syrian military declared a one-week truce over. “This is very worrying. We see a resumption of violence, an intensification of fighting in many locations,” Robert Mardini, ICRC director for the Middle East and North Africa, told Reuters in Geneva. “We had something planned in the four towns, but for now it is put on hold to reassess the security conditions,” he said, referring to rebel-besieged Foua and Kefraya in Idlib and government-blockaded Madaya and Zabadani near the Lebanese border. At least 18 of 31 trucks in a U.N. and Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) convoy were hit on Monday along with an SARC warehouse, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in New York. The convoy was delivering aid for 78,000 people in the hard-to-reach town of Urm al-Kubra in Aleppo Governorate, he said. SARC’s director in Urem al-Kubra, Omar Barakat, was among the dead, Mardini said. “The team is in shock.” “Omar was badly injured and rescue team could not reach him for two hours. When he was evacuated he could not survive his wounds,” he said. A separate SARC/ICRC convoy to Talbiseh in Homs province made its first delivery since July on Monday, carrying supplies for more than 80,000 people. The team stayed there overnight due to intensified fighting, Mardini said. “Inshallah, they will be on their way back to Homs this morning,” he added. “It is difficult to read the environment in coming hours because you have a mixture of intensification of fighting and politicization of humanitarian aid … It is high time to de-link humanitarian work from politics,” Mardini said.[SEP]The US has blamed Russia for an overnight attack on an aid convoy that killed 20 civilians, as the United Nations announced it was suspending overland deliveries in Syria, jeopardising food and medical security for millions of besieged and hard-to-reach civilians. Confusion continued about who struck the convoy, but the White House insisted it was either Russia or Syria. White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said either way the US held Russia responsible because it was Russia's job under the week-old ceasefire to prevent Syria's air force from striking in areas where humanitarian aid was being transported. "All of our information indicates clearly that this was an airstrike," he said, rejecting the claim by Russia's Defence Ministry that a cargo fire caused the damage. Both Russia and Syria have denied carrying out the bombing. Within one minute of the strike, the US tracked a Russian-made Su-24 directly over the region of the attack, officials said. Even that revelation failed to definitively implicate Russia because both the Russian and Syrian air forces fly the Su-24, although the US officials said there were strong indications that the jet was flown by the Russian military. Witnesses described Monday's attack on a Syrian Arab Red Crescent warehouse and convoy in the rebel-held town of Uram al-Kubra in Aleppo province as prolonged and intense, saying the aerial bombardment continued as rescue workers rushed to pull the wounded from the flaming wreckage and rubble. The convoy was part of a routine dispatch operated by the Syrian Red Crescent, which UN officials said was delivering assistance to 78,000 people in Uram al-Kubra, west of Aleppo city. It was carrying food, medicines, emergency health kits, IV fluids, and other essentials supplied by the UN and the World Health Organisation. Paramedic and media activist Mohammad Rasoul, who was among the first to arrive at the scene, said more than 100 tons of food, medicine, and baby formula had gone up in flames. He said 18 of the convoy's 31 lorries were destroyed. The attack "erased the convoy from the face of the earth", he said. "I've never seen anything like this attack. If this had been a military position it wouldn't have been targeted with such intensity." He said the attack began around 20 minutes after sunset on Monday and continued for two hours. Pointing to the fact that Syria's rebels do not possess an air force, the White House said process of elimination indicated that either Syria's military or Russia's launched the attack. Both Syrian and Russian aircraft operate over the province, while the U.S.-led coalition targets the Islamic State group in other parts of the country. At the same time the attack took place on Uram al-Kubra, presumed Syrian or Russian jets launched a wave of attacks in and around the nearby city of Aleppo, minutes after Syria's military announced a week-long ceasefire had expired. A cargo fire would not explain the footage filmed by rescuers of torn flesh being picked from the wreckage, or the witness accounts of a sustained, two-hour barrage of missiles, rockets, and barrel bombs - crude, unguided weapons that the Syrian government drops from helicopters. Hussein Badawi, the head of the town's Syrian Civil Defence search and rescue group - also known as the White Helmets - said that on the night of the attack he heard the sounds of overhead ballistic missiles, helicopters and fighter jets. He and other witnesses reported seeing a reconnaissance aircraft observing the convoy before the attack. "There were reconnaissance flights before the air strikes," said Mr Badawi. "They filmed and combed the area, and they knew there was a Red Crescent (facility). The target was the Red Crescent, central and direct." Russia's Defence Ministry confirmed that a drone had followed the convoy from a warehouse in the government side of Aleppo to its destination in Uram al-Kubra. The International Committee of the Red Cross said 20 civilians were killed in the attack, many of them killed as they were unloading the trucks. Syrian activists and paramedics had said earlier that the air strikes killed 12. Witnesses said some of the remains were charred beyond recognition. Among those killed was Omar Barakat, 38, the local director for the Red Crescent and a father of nine. His brother, Ali Barakat, who was also present at the attack, said it took him three hours to reach Omar, who was trapped in his vehicle. "I stayed with my face on the floor for about an hour because of the intensity of the strikes," said Mr Barakat. Omar died in an ambulance on the way to hospital. UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon called it a "sickening, savage and apparently deliberate attack" in his address to world leaders at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. "Just when we think it cannot get any worse, the bar of depravity sinks lower," he said, describing the bombers as "cowards" and those delivering aid as "heroes". The UN's humanitarian agency OCHA announced earlier in the day it had suspended relief convoys in Syria pending a review of the security situation. OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke called it "a very, very dark day for humanitarians across the world".[SEP]The Latest on developments in Syria, where a cease-fire is faltering further after airstrikes hit an aid convoy overnight (all times local): The U.N. humanitarian aid agency says it has temporarily suspended all convoys in Syria following a deadly airstrike on aid trucks the previous night. Spokesman Jens Laerke of OCHA says the temporary suspension of the aid deliveries would hold pending a review of the security situation in Syria. Laerke said on Tuesday that the U.N. aid coordinator had received needed authorizations from the Syrian government in recent days to allow for aid convoys to proceed within Syria. He said it's "a very, very dark day ... for humanitarians across the world." The attack late on Monday came just hours after the Syrian military declared the week-long U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire had failed. The United States said it was prepared to extend the truce deal and Russia — after blaming rebels for the violations — suggested it could still be salvaged. Syria's cease-fire has faltered further after an aid convoy was hit by airstrikes, with activists saying at least 12 people were killed in the attack, mostly truck drivers and Red Crescent workers. It was not clear who was behind the attack, which sent a red fireball into the sky in the dead of night over a rural area in Aleppo province. Both Syrian and Russian aircraft operate over Syria, as well as the U.S.-led coalition that is targeting the Islamic State group. U.N. officials said the U.N. and Red Crescent convoy was delivering assistance for 78,000 people in the town of Uram al-Kubra, west of the northern city of Aleppo. Initial estimates indicate that about 18 of the 31 trucks in the convoy were hit, as well as the Red Crescent warehouse in the area. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group that tracks the civil war, said at least 12 were killed in the attack, mostly truck drivers and Red Crescent workers.[SEP]Syria aid convoy attack appears to be air strike -U.S. WASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - An attack on a convoy carrying humanitarian supplies in the Aleppo area of Syria appeared to be an air strike but it was not carried out by coalition jets, U.S. Central Command spokesman Colonel John Thomas said on Tuesday. "It was certainly not the coalition who struck from the air. It does look like an air strike," Thomas told reporters during a telephone briefing. "The only other entities that fly in Syria are Russia and Syria," he said. The incident could deal a powerful blow to the ceasefire, the latest attempt to halt a war in its sixth year. The Syrian Red Crescent said the head of one of its local offices and "around 20 civilians" were killed in Monday's strike, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights blamed on Russian or Syrian aircraft. Russia, which is allied with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad's government, denied that either its air force or the Syrian armed forces was responsible. The Syrian army also denied that it was involved in the attack. The United Nations suspended aid shipments into Syria on Tuesday. Thomas said the ceasefire in Syria was in jeopardy because of increased violence. "This is not the vision that I think was put in place more than seven days ago, to try to get humanitarian assistance flowing into the area and try to decrease the level of violence," Thomas said. On Saturday, Russia said that U.S. jets had killed more than 60 Syrian soldiers. The strike triggered a war of words between Washington and Moscow and further strained the cessation of hostilities. Thomas said a brigadier general would be appointed to investigate the incident. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Diane Craft)[SEP]The Latest on developments in Syria, where a cease-fire is faltering further after airstrikes hit an aid convoy overnight (all times local): The U.N. humanitarian aid agency says it has temporarily suspended all convoys in Syria following a deadly airstrike on aid trucks the previous night. Spokesman Jens Laerke of OCHA says the temporary suspension of the aid deliveries would hold pending a review of the security situation in Syria. Laerke said on Tuesday that the U.N. aid coordinator had received needed authorizations from the Syrian government in recent days to allow for aid convoys to proceed within Syria. He said it's "a very, very dark day ... for humanitarians across the world." The attack late on Monday came just hours after the Syrian military declared the week-long U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire had failed. The United States said it was prepared to extend the truce deal and Russia — after blaming rebels for the violations — suggested it could still be salvaged. Syria's cease-fire has faltered further after an aid convoy was hit by airstrikes, with activists saying at least 12 people were killed in the attack, mostly truck drivers and Red Crescent workers. It was not clear who was behind the attack, which sent a red fireball into the sky in the dead of night over a rural area in Aleppo province. Both Syrian and Russian aircraft operate over Syria, as well as the U.S.-led coalition that is targeting the Islamic State group. U.N. officials said the U.N. and Red Crescent convoy was delivering assistance for 78,000 people in the town of Uram al-Kubra, west of the northern city of Aleppo. Initial estimates indicate that about 18 of the 31 trucks in the convoy were hit, as well as the Red Crescent warehouse in the area. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group that tracks the civil war, said at least 12 were killed in the attack, mostly truck drivers and Red Crescent workers.[SEP]Washington (CNN) The United States has reached the preliminary conclusion that Russian warplanes bombed an aid convoy and warehouse belonging to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, two US officials told CNN. "All the evidence we have points to that conclusion," one of the officials said. The White House position is that Russia is responsible, whether it was Russian planes -- or the Syrian regime's -- that carried out Monday night's attack. The aid convoy was hit in the area of Urum al-Kubra, west of Aleppo, prompting the United Nations to halt its aid operations in Syria. It is not clear who was responsible for the strike, which the International Committee of the Red Cross said killed about 20 people as well as the director of the Red Crescent's Urum al-Kubra branch, Omar Barakat. "All of our information indicates clearly that this was an airstrike. That means there only could have been two entities responsible," deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Tuesday night, referring to Russia and Syria. He didn't specify which country's planes carried out the strike. "We hold the Russian government responsible for airstrikes in this airspace given their commitment under the cessation of hostilities was to ground air operations where humanitarian assistance was flowing," Rhodes said, referring to the terms of a recent ceasefire brokered between the United States and Russia. Russia denies it was responsible and says that terrorists carried out the attack. Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Tuesday that analysis of video footage from drones of the strike show that militants were following the convoy, according to the Russian state news site Tass. "It is clearly seen in the video that a terrorists' pickup truck with a towed large-caliber mortar is moving along with the convoy," he said. Syria has also strongly its forces were behind the attack. "Just when we think it cannot get any worse, the power of depravity sinks lower," Ban told world leaders convening Tuesday at the UN General Assembly annual meeting. Eighteen of the convoy's 31 trucks were hit, the United Nations said. The convoy was due to deliver food and medical aid for some 78,000 people in eastern Aleppo, where an estimated 250,000 civilians are facing severe shortages as a result of a government siege. Rebels, locked in a vicious civil war with the Syrian government, reportedly hold the area where the convoy was struck. Russia has been helping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the fight, though it has said its efforts are focused on attacking terror groups such as ISIS that have flourished during the conflict. The US military has been reviewing classified radar, signals and aerial surveillance intelligence. Based on that intelligence and reports from the ground, it has concluded that only Russian warplanes were in a position to attack this location at the time, the official said. For now, no intelligence indicates Syrian aircraft or helicopters were in the area, though that type of information could come to light later, the official said. The official added that reports from the ground appear accurate about at least two waves of airstrikes -- a common Russian military practice. Trucks inside as well as outside the compound on the road were hit. But the Obama administration has not yet fully decided how much information it wants to reveal, concerned that it will expose sensitive military intelligence capabilities to the Russians. What about the the ceasefire? Monday night's attack came just hours after Syrian authorities declared an end to the fragile ceasefire, which began September 12. Soon afterward, Syrian warplanes resumed airstrikes in Aleppo, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and deadly violence returned across parts of the country. The events have left the hard-fought ceasefire brokered by Russia and the US in tatters, although US officials said they believe the ceasefire agreement is still in place. Rhodes, the deputy national security adviser, said the US preference is to continue with the ceasefire effort, paving the way for more cooperation between the Russian and US militaries in Syria, but that Moscow's actions could prevent further coordination. "We have not seen good faith. This was an outrageous action," Rhodes told CNN's Michelle Kosinski. "It raises serious questions about whether or not this agreement moves forward." He added, "In conflicts like this I think we have an obligation to continue to pursue whether there are diplomatic openings. If we can't, we walk away." US Secretary of State John Kerry said before the convoy was struck Monday that any decisions about the ceasefire would be made between Washington and Moscow. "The Syrians didn't make the deal," he said, "the Russians made the agreement."

The Obama administration claims that Russia was responsible for the bombing of a United Nations aid convoy near Aleppo on September 19. Russia denies its involvement. In the aftermath of the attack, the United Nations suspends all aid convoys in Syria.

BEIRUT — An airstrike on a medical facility in northern Syria has killed at least five staff members, the medical relief organization that runs the facility said today. The Paris-based International Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, known by its French initials UOSSM, said the attack Tuesday night leveled a medical triage point it operates in rebel-held territory outside the contested city of Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said at least 13 people were killed in the attack, including nine militants, some of them belonging to the al-Qaida-linked Fatah al-Sham Front. The U.S. office of UOSSM said two nurses and two ambulance drivers were killed and one nurse remained in a critical condition following the attack on the medical facility in Khan Touman. UOSSM said the nurse later died of her injuries. It said two of its ambulances, which are run by UOSSM and the World Health Organization, were destroyed and the three-story building collapsed. "This is a deplorable act against health care workers and medical facilities," said Dr. Khaula Sawah, the head of UOSSM USA. There were no reports on who was behind the strike. The medical facility attack follows a Monday night airstrike on a Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid convoy that prompted international condemnation and recrimination over attacks targeting humanitarian facilities and workers. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the convoy strike as a "sickening, savage and apparently deliberate attack." The convoy was carrying aid materials from the U.N. The incident exposed rising tensions between the two architects of Syria's cease-fire deal, Russia and the U.S. The U.S. said it believed Russian or Syrian government jets were behind the attack that killed 20 civilians, and that either way it held Russia responsible because under the truce deal Moscow was charged with preventing airstrikes on humanitarian deliveries. Syria's rebels do not operate an air force. In New York on Tuesday, Russian and U.S. diplomats insisted that the Syrian cease-fire, which went into effect nine days ago, was not dead, despite indications of soaring violence. The Syrian military declared Monday night the truce had expired, shortly before presumed Russian or Syrian government jets launched a sustained aerial attack on Aleppo's opposition-held neighborhoods. The cease-fire was intended in part to allow humanitarian convoys to reach besieged and hard-to-reach areas throughout Syria. Yet following the convoy attack, the U.N. suspended overland aid operations to hard-to-reach areas in Syria. Syrians living in opposition areas will be disproportionately affected because the U.N.'s major warehouses are located in government-held areas. The U.N. estimates 6 million Syrians live in besieged and hard-to-reach areas.[SEP]An air strike in northern Syria that killed five members of medical staff hit a mobile emergency unit and not a medical facility, a relief organisation said. The mobile medical team was hit while responding to an earlier air strike targeting militants from the al Qaeda-linked Fatah al-Sham Front, Dr Oubaida Al Moufti, vice-president of the International Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations said. The organisation, known by its French initials UOSSM, had initially said the Tuesday night strike levelled a medical triage point it operates in rebel-held territory outside the contested city of Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said at least 13 people were killed in the attack, including nine militants, some of them belonging to the Fatah al-Sham Front. Three nurses and two ambulance drivers died of their injuries, UOSSM said. There were no reports on who was behind the strike. The strike follows a Monday night air strike on a Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid convoy that prompted international condemnation and recrimination over attacks targeting humanitarian facilities and workers. UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon described the convoy strike as a “sickening, savage and apparently deliberate attack”. The convoy was carrying aid materials from the UN. The incident exposed rising tensions between the two architects of Syria’s ceasefire deal, Russia and the US. The US said it believed Russian or Syrian government jets were behind the attack that killed 20 civilians, and that either way it held Russia responsible because under the truce deal Moscow was charged with preventing air strikes on humanitarian deliveries. Syria’s rebels do not operate an air force. In New York on Tuesday, Russian and US diplomats insisted that the Syrian ceasefire, which went into effect nine days ago, was not dead, despite indications of soaring violence. The Syrian military declared Monday night the truce had expired, shortly before presumed Russian or Syrian government jets launched a sustained aerial attack on Aleppo’s opposition-held neighbourhoods. The ceasefire was intended in part to allow humanitarian convoys to reach besieged and hard-to-reach areas throughout Syria. Yet following the convoy attack, the UN suspended overland aid operations to hard-to-reach areas in Syria. Syrians living in opposition areas will be disproportionately affected because the UN’s major warehouses are located in government-held areas. The UN estimates six million Syrians live in besieged and hard-to-reach areas.[SEP]BEIRUT — A medical relief organization says four of its staff have been killed in an attack on a medical facility in Syria. The International Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations says an airstrike Tuesday night in northern Syria leveled a medical triage point in rebel-held territory outside the contested city of Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group puts the toll at 13 dead, among them four nurses and paramedics and nine rebel fighters, some of them belonging to the al-Qaida-linked Fatah al-Sham Front. It says the triage point was located in the rebel-held town of Khan Touman, south of Aleppo. There were no reports on who was behind the strike.[SEP]BEIRUT (AP) - An airstrike on a medical facility in northern Syria has killed at least five staff members, the medical relief organization that runs the facility said Wednesday. The Paris-based International Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, known by its French initials UOSSM, said the attack Tuesday night leveled a medical triage point it operates in rebel-held territory outside the contested city of Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said at least 13 people were killed in the attack, including nine terrorists, some of them belonging to the al-Qaida-linked Fatah al-Sham Front. The U.S. office of UOSSM said two nurses and two ambulance drivers were killed and one nurse remained in a critical condition following the attack on the medical facility in Khan Touman. UOSSM said the nurse later died of her injuries. It said two of its ambulances, which are run by UOSSM and the World Health Organization, were destroyed and the three-story building collapsed. “This is a deplorable act against health care workers and medical facilities,” said Dr. Khaula Sawah, the head of UOSSM USA. There were no reports on who was behind the strike. The medical facility attack follows a Monday night airstrike on a Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid convoy that prompted international condemnation and recrimination over attacks targeting humanitarian facilities and workers. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the convoy strike as a “sickening, savage and apparently deliberate attack.” The convoy was carrying aid materials from the U.N. The incident exposed rising tensions between the two architects of Syria’s ceasefire deal, Russia and the U.S. The U.S. said it believed Russian or Syrian government jets were behind the attack that killed 20 civilians, and that either way it held Russia responsible because under the truce deal Moscow was charged with preventing airstrikes on humanitarian deliveries. Syria’s rebels do not operate an air force. In New York on Tuesday, Russian and U.S. diplomats insisted that the Syrian ceasefire, which went into effect nine days ago, was not dead, despite indications of soaring violence. The Syrian military declared Monday night the truce had expired, shortly before presumed Russian or Syrian government jets launched a sustained aerial attack on Aleppo’s opposition-held neighborhoods. The ceasefire was intended in part to allow humanitarian convoys to reach besieged and hard-to-reach areas throughout Syria. Yet following the convoy attack, the U.N. suspended overland aid operations to hard-to-reach areas in Syria. Syrians living in opposition areas will be disproportionately affected because the U.N.’s major warehouses are located in government-held areas. The U.N. estimates 6 million Syrians live in besieged and hard-to-reach areas.[SEP]BEIRUT (AP) — A medical relief organization says four of its staff have been killed in an attack on a medical facility in Syria. The International Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations says an airstrike Tuesday night in northern Syria leveled a medical triage point in rebel-held territory outside the contested city of Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group puts the toll at 13 dead, among them four nurses and paramedics and nine rebel fighters, some of them belonging to the al-Qaida-linked Fatah al-Sham Front. It says the triage point was located in the rebel-held town of Khan Touman, south of Aleppo. There were no reports on who was behind the strike.[SEP]An air strike on a medical facility in northern Syria has killed at least five staff members, the medical relief organisation that runs the facility has said. The Paris-based International Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations, known by its French initials UOSSM, said the attack Tuesday night levelled a medical triage point it operates in rebel-held territory outside the contested city of Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said at least 13 people were killed in the attack, including nine militants, some of them belonging to the Jabhat al-Nusra group. The US office of UOSSM said two nurses and two ambulance drivers were killed and one nurse remained in a critical condition following the attack on the medical facility in Khan Touman. UOSSM said the nurse later died of her injuries. It said two of its ambulances, which are run by UOSSM and the World Health Organization, were destroyed and the three-story building collapsed. “This is a deplorable act against health care workers and medical facilities,” said Dr Khaula Sawah, the head of UOSSM USA. There were no reports on who was behind the strike. The medical facility attack follows a Monday night airstrike on a Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid convoy that prompted international condemnation and recrimination over attacks targeting humanitarian facilities and workers. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the convoy strike as a “sickening, savage and apparently deliberate attack.” The convoy was carrying aid materials from the UN The incident exposed rising tensions between the two architects of Syria's cease-fire deal, Russia and the US The US said it believed Russian or Syrian government jets were behind the attack that killed 20 civilians, and that either way it held Russia responsible because under the truce deal Moscow was charged with preventing airstrikes on humanitarian deliveries. Syria's rebels do not operate an air force. In New York on Tuesday, Russian and US diplomats insisted that the Syrian ceasefire, which went into effect nine days ago, was not dead, despite indications of soaring violence. The Syrian military declared Monday night the truce had expired, shortly before presumed Russian or Syrian government jets launched a sustained aerial attack on Aleppo's opposition-held neighborhoods. The cease-fire was intended in part to allow humanitarian convoys to reach besieged and hard-to-reach areas throughout Syria. Yet following the convoy attack, the UN suspended overland aid operations to hard-to-reach areas in Syria. Syrians living in opposition areas will be disproportionately affected because the UN's major warehouses are located in government-held areas. The UN estimates 6 million Syrians live in besieged and hard-to-reach areas.[SEP]Image copyright AFP Image caption The air strike came a day after an attack on an aid convoy in nearby Urum al-Kubra An air strike on a medical facility near the Syrian city of Aleppo has killed five employees of an international aid agency, the group says, including nurses. There have been heavy air raids in and around Aleppo as the United Nations prepares to discuss the failed Syrian ceasefire. The attack came a day after an aid convoy was targeted in a nearby raid. Twenty people were killed in that attack, which the US blames on Russia. The assault, on Monday, destroyed 18 lorries and has been described as a possible war crime. Russia has strongly denied involvement of its own or Syrian planes, and said the incident was caused by fire on the ground and not by an air strike. The Paris-based Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM) said Tuesday's strike on its facility near Aleppo appeared to be targeted. At least nine rebel fighters were also killed, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. The two successive attacks were "not a coincidence," UOSSM's Dr Zaydoun al Zoubi told the BBC. "Somebody is trying to tell us humanitarian workers are not welcome in Syria, that we are a target, that we will be killed," he said. He called for the truce to be restored. Separately, a Syrian warplane has crashed north of Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says. The so-called Islamic State group said the plane had been bombing its positions but did not claim they shot it down. Buried under rubble It is unclear who carried out the attack on the medical centre in the rebel-held town of Khan Touman late on Tuesday night local time. The Syrian Observatory said either Syrian or Russian warplanes were responsible, Reuters news agency reports. The strike hit a medical triage point, and killed two ambulance drivers and two nurses who had arrived to transport wounded patients to a more advanced medical facility, UOSSM said in a statement (in French). A fifth medic is thought to have died later of their wounds. The triage centre was completely destroyed. More victims are feared buried under the rubble. The rebels killed were from Jaish al-Fatah, an Islamist group not officially part of the Western-backed alliance but one that works alongside the Free Syrian Army, the BBC's James Longman in Beirut reports. Image copyright EPA Image caption The convoy had been unloading aid at a warehouse when it was attacked Blame game Speaking about Monday's attack on the aid convoy, unnamed US officials said the strike was too sophisticated to have been carried out by the Syrian army. Later, White House spokesman Ben Rhodes said: "There only could have been two entities responsible, either the Syrian regime or the Russian government. "In any event, we hold the Russian government responsible for airstrikes in this space." Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman said the US government had "no facts" to support its claim. "There are no craters and the exterior of the vehicles do not have the kind of damage consistent with blasts caused by bombs dropped from the air," a statement from the defence ministry said. However photographs show at least one crater, in a warehouse. The UN had earlier said it was "not in a position to determine whether these were in fact air strikes". Image copyright AFP Image caption Pictures from Monday's attack site appears to show a crater, contradicting Russian claims that there are none Monday's attack prompted the UN to suspend all aid convoys in Syria. The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, denounced it as a "flagrant violation of international humanitarian law" and said it could amount to a war crime. It occurred hours after the Syrian military declared the end of a week-long truce agreed by the US and Russia. The UN Security Council is due to discuss efforts to salvage the truce later on Wednesday. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Syrian activist: 'Helicopter dropped bombs on aid convoy'[SEP]An airstrike on a medical facility in northern Syria has left at least four staff dead, the medical relief organization that runs the facility said Wednesday. The Paris-based International Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, known by its French initials UOSSM, said the attack Tuesday night levelled a medical triage point it operates in rebel-held territory outside the contested city of Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said at least 13 people were killed in the attack, including nine militants, some of them belonging to the al-Qaida-linked Fatah al-Sham Front. The U.S. office of UOSSM said two nurses and two ambulance drivers were killed and one nurse remained in a critical condition following the attack on the medical facility in Khan Touman. It said two of its ambulances, which are run by UOSSM and the World Health Organization, were destroyed and the three-story building collapsed. “This is a deplorable act against health care workers and medical facilities,” said Dr. Khaula Sawah, the head of UOSSM USA. There were no reports on who was behind the strike. The medical facility attack follows a Monday night airstrike on a Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid convoy that prompted international condemnation and recrimination over attacks targeting humanitarian facilities and workers. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the convoy strike as a “sickening, savage and apparently deliberate attack.” The convoy was carrying aid materials from the U.N. The incident exposed rising tensions between the two architects of Syria’s cease-fire deal, Russia and the U.S. The U.S. said it believed Russian or Syrian government jets were behind the attack that killed 20 civilians, and that either way it held Russia responsible because under the truce deal Moscow was charged with preventing airstrikes on humanitarian deliveries. Syria’s rebels do not operate an air force. In New York on Tuesday, Russian and U.S. diplomats insisted that the Syrian cease-fire, which went into effect nine days ago, was not dead, despite indications of soaring violence. The Syrian military declared Monday night the truce had expired, shortly before presumed Russian or Syrian government jets launched a sustained aerial attack on Aleppo’s opposition-held neighbourhoods. The cease-fire was intended in part to allow humanitarian convoys to reach besieged and hard-to-reach areas throughout Syria. Yet following the convoy attack, the U.N. suspended overland aid operations to hard-to-reach areas in Syria. Syrians living in opposition areas will be disproportionately affected because the U.N.’s major warehouses are located in government-held areas. The U.N. estimates 6 million Syrians live in besieged and hard-to-reach areas.[SEP]The Paris-based International Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, known by its French initials UOSSM, said the attack Tuesday night leveled a medical triage point it operates in rebel-held territory outside the contested city of Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said at least 13 people were killed in the attack, including nine militants, some of them belonging to the al-Qaida-linked Fatah al-Sham Front. The U.S. office of UOSSM said two nurses and two ambulance drivers were killed and one nurse remained in a critical condition following the attack on the medical facility in Khan Touman. It said two of its ambulances, which are run by UOSSM and the World Health Organization, were destroyed and the three-story building collapsed. “This is a deplorable act against health care workers and medical facilities,” said Dr. Khaula Sawah, the head of UOSSM USA. There were no reports on who was behind the strike. The medical facility attack follows a Monday night airstrike on a Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid convoy that prompted international condemnation and recrimination over attacks targeting humanitarian facilities and workers. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the convoy strike as a “sickening, savage and apparently deliberate attack.” The convoy was carrying aid materials from the U.N. The incident exposed rising tensions between the two architects of Syria’s cease-fire deal, Russia and the U.S. The U.S. said it believed Russian or Syrian government jets were behind the attack that killed 20 civilians, and that either way it held Russia responsible because under the truce deal Moscow was charged with preventing airstrikes on humanitarian deliveries. Syria’s rebels do not operate an air force. In New York on Tuesday, Russian and U.S. diplomats insisted that the Syrian cease-fire, which went into effect nine days ago, was not dead, despite indications of soaring violence. The Syrian military declared Monday night the truce had expired, shortly before presumed Russian or Syrian government jets launched a sustained aerial attack on Aleppo’s opposition-held neighborhoods. The cease-fire was intended in part to allow humanitarian convoys to reach besieged and hard-to-reach areas throughout Syria. Yet following the convoy attack, the U.N. suspended overland aid operations to hard-to-reach areas in Syria. Syrians living in opposition areas will be disproportionately affected because the U.N.‘s major warehouses are located in government-held areas. The U.N. estimates 6 million Syrians live in besieged and hard-to-reach areas.[SEP]An airstrike on a medical facility in northern Syria has left at least four staff dead, the medical relief organization that runs the facility said Wednesday. The Paris-based International Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, known by its French initials UOSSM, said the attack Tuesday night levelled a medical triage point it operates in rebel-held territory outside the contested city of Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said at least 13 people were killed in the attack, including nine militants, some of them belonging to the al-Qaida-linked Fatah al-Sham Front. The U.S. office of UOSSM said two nurses and two ambulance drivers were killed and one nurse remained in a critical condition following the attack on the medical facility in Khan Touman. It said two of its ambulances, which are run by UOSSM and the World Health Organization, were destroyed and the three-story building collapsed. “This is a deplorable act against health care workers and medical facilities,” said Dr. Khaula Sawah, the head of UOSSM USA. There were no reports on who was behind the strike. The medical facility attack follows a Monday night airstrike on a Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid convoy that prompted international condemnation and recrimination over attacks targeting humanitarian facilities and workers. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the convoy strike as a “sickening, savage and apparently deliberate attack.” The convoy was carrying aid materials from the U.N. The incident exposed rising tensions between the two architects of Syria’s cease-fire deal, Russia and the U.S. The U.S. said it believed Russian or Syrian government jets were behind the attack that killed 20 civilians, and that either way it held Russia responsible because under the truce deal Moscow was charged with preventing airstrikes on humanitarian deliveries. Syria’s rebels do not operate an air force. In New York on Tuesday, Russian and U.S. diplomats insisted that the Syrian cease-fire, which went into effect nine days ago, was not dead, despite indications of soaring violence. The Syrian military declared Monday night the truce had expired, shortly before presumed Russian or Syrian government jets launched a sustained aerial attack on Aleppo’s opposition-held neighbourhoods. The cease-fire was intended in part to allow humanitarian convoys to reach besieged and hard-to-reach areas throughout Syria. Yet following the convoy attack, the U.N. suspended overland aid operations to hard-to-reach areas in Syria. Syrians living in opposition areas will be disproportionately affected because the U.N.’s major warehouses are located in government-held areas. The U.N. estimates 6 million Syrians live in besieged and hard-to-reach areas.

An airstrike yesterday on a medical facility near Aleppo kills five French medical charity workers.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday called on Russia and Syria to cease flying over Aleppo, just days after a convoy carrying human-aid supplies to civilians in the besieged city was attacked by warplanes. “I believe we must move forward and try to immediately ground all aircraft flying in those key areas in order to de-escalate the situation and give a chance for humanitarian assistance to flow unimpeded,” Kerry said Wednesday at the U.N. Security Council. “If that happens there’s a chance of giving credibility back to this (cease-fire) process.” The American and Russian brokered cease-fire that went into effect nine days ago appears all but dead, following the Monday night attack on the humanitarian convoy just southwest of Aleppo that killed at least 20 people. U.S. officials have blamed Russia or Syria for the attack, while the Russians have denied either party was involved. On Wednesday, Russia claimed a U.S. military drone was in the area during the two-hour attack, implying the American military was responsible for the attack. It was at least the fourth differing account the Russians have provided of the incident, Kerry said as he asked other Security Council members to use common sense and realize “only two countries have airplanes that fly in that particular area – Russia and Syria.” A senior Pentagon official on Wednesday denied any coalition aircraft were anywhere near the site of the attack. He added the coalition does not fly near Aleppo because there are no Islamic State group targets in the area. “We did not have any aircraft flying in that area at that time,” said the defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. But the Pentagon would welcome the grounding of Syrian and Russian aircraft over Aleppo, the official said. It would be a first step toward shifting the direction of the cease-fire, which originally called for the U.S. and Russian militaries to begin working together to target the Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front in Syria. The Americans had taken the necessary steps to begin preparing the proposed joint command center with the Russians, Air Force Col. John Thomas, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said Tuesday. A location for the operations center had been chosen and face-to-face meetings were set to begin soon. But after the convoy attack, he said, the United States was no longer “anticipating any great progress anytime soon.” It leaves the U.S. military sitting and waiting on word from the State Department and the United Nations that the cease-fire has either officially been terminated or that the Syrian and Russian militaries have taken the appropriate steps to move forward with the deal initially struck. That original deal included the grounding of all Syrian warplanes in areas controlled by opposition groups. It did not initially call for Russian planes to cease flying in any specific areas, but after the aid convoy attack, Kerry said there are few options remaining for them to prove they are committed to ending the violence in the country and allowing civilians to get much-needed humanitarian assistance. The top American diplomat said though the original cease-fire plan was not perfect, he remained committed to seeing it through. But that is only possible if the Russians and Syrians do their parts, Kerry said. “It will take significant and immediate steps now to try to get things back on track,” he said. “… The United States continues to believe there is a way forward that -- although rocky and difficult and uncertain -- can provide the most viable path out of the carnage. Our shared task here (with Russia) is to find the way to use the tools of diplomacy to make that happen.”[SEP]US secretary of state John Kerry demanded on Tuesday that Russia and the Syrian government immediately halt flights over Syrian battle zones, in what he called a last chance to salvage a collapsing ceasefire and find a way “out of the carnage”. An impassioned Kerry faced off with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the UN Security Council in New York, in an unusually heated televised showdown, saying the bombing of an aid convoy in Syria raised “profound doubt whether Russia and the Assad regime can or will live up to” ceasefire obligations. Listening to Lavrov made him feel like he was living in a “parallel universe”, Kerry said. On the ground, rebels battled the forces of the government of President Bashar al-Assad on major frontlines near Aleppo and Hama, and air strikes reportedly killed a dozen people including four medical workers. “I emphasise this to Russia. The United States continues to believe there is a way forward that, although rocky and difficult and uncertain, can provide the most viable path out of the carnage,” Kerry said. “If we allow spoilers to choose the path for us, the path of escalation ... then make no mistake my friends: the next time we convene here we’re going to be facing a Middle East with even more refugees, with more dead, with more displaced, with more extremists and more suffering on an even greater scale.” He mocked what he described as absurd Russian explanations for an attack on an aid convoy on Monday that Washington says was carried out by Russian warplanes. A Russian statement said the trucks had “caught fire”, which Kerry called tantamount to blaming “spontaneous combustion”. “To restore credibility to the process, we must move forward to try to immediately ground all aircraft flying in those key areas in order to de-escalate the situation and give a chance for humanitarian assistance to flow unimpeded,” he said. Lavrov, for his part, called for an independent investigation into the convoy attack, and said all parties needed to take simultaneous steps to stop the war. The ceasefire which took effect last week is probably the last hope for a settlement on Syria before the administration of President Barack Obama leaves office, and has been Kerry’s main focus for months. But it has so far followed the path of all previous peace efforts: abandoned by the warring parties even as diplomats far away debate it. Kerry said it was a moment of truth for the opposition, which he said must do more to distance itself from the Nusra Front, long al Qaeda’s Syrian wing, which changed its name and disavowed al Qaeda two months ago. Nusra is still characterised by both the West and Moscow as a terrorist group excluded from the ceasefire. Other rebels say Moscow and Damascus use this to justify broader attacks. Overnight fighting was focused in areas that control access to Aleppo city, where the rebel-held east has been besieged by Russian and Iranian-backed pro-government forces and completely encircled for all but a few weeks since July. Syrian state media said the army had recaptured a fertiliser factory in the Ramousah area to the southwest of the city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring body, confirmed the advance and said government forces had pressed forward near an apartment complex nearby. A rebel fighter in the Aleppo area said warplanes had been bombing all night in preparation for an attack. But “the regime’s attempts to advance failed,” said the rebel, speaking to Reuters from the Aleppo area via the internet. A Syrian military source said insurgent groups were mobilising to the south and west of Aleppo and in the northern Hama area. “We will certainly target all these gatherings and mobilisations they are conducting.” The army reported carrying out air strikes on seven areas near Aleppo. The Observatory said one air strike killed four medical workers and at least nine rebel fighters in the insurgent-held town of Khan Touman south of Aleppo. The medical staff killed were working for the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM), it said. UOSSM confirmed in a statement that at least four of its staff had been killed. Syrian government forces also launched a major advance in Hama province in the West of the country. “It is a very intense attack, for which Russian jets paved the way, but it was repelled by the brothers, praise God,” Abu al-Baraa al-Hamawi, a rebel commander fighting as part of the Islamist Jaish al-Fatah alliance, told Reuters. He said rebels had destroyed four tanks and inflicted heavy losses. Syrian state TV said government forces had killed a number of insurgents and destroyed their vehicles. Rebel sources also reported an attempt by pro-government forces to advance in the Handarat area to the north of Aleppo, saying this too had been repelled. Pro-government media made no mention of that attack. The Observatory reported that a Syrian jet had crashed near Damascus, saying the cause of the crash and fate of the pilot were unknown. Islamic State said it had been shot down. The truce brokered by the United States and Russia took effect on September 12th as part of a deal meant to facilitate aid access to besieged areas. Washington and Moscow, which back opposing sides in the war between Assad’s government and insurgents, agreed to jointly target jihadists that are their common enemy. But such unprecedented co-operation, at a time when trust between the Cold War-era foes is at its lowest for decades, was always a risky gamble. Kerry hammered out the deal over months of shuttle diplomacy despite scepticism among other senior US administration figures. Tensions between the United States and Russia escalated over a September 17th attack by the US-led coalition against Islamic State that killed dozens of Syrian soldiers in the eastern Deir al-Zor province. Washington said that strike was carried out by mistake with the intent of hitting Islamic State. Monday’s attack on the aid convoy, which the Syrian Red Crescent says killed the head of its local office and around 20 other people, brought furious international condemnation. The United Nations suspended aid shipments. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon used his farewell speech to the General Assembly in New York to denounce the “cowards” behind it. “Just when you think it cannot get any worse, the bar of depravity sinks lower,” Ban said. The United Nations initially described the attack as an air strike but later rowed back, saying it could not be sure what had happened. But Washington says it is all but certain the trucks were hit by the air, which could only have been carried out by Russian or Syrian planes, and it suspects Moscow. Two US officials told Reuters on Tuesday that two Russian Sukhoi SU-24 warplanes were in the skies above the aid convoy at the time it was struck. Moscow says the convoy was not hit from the air and has implied rebels were to blame, saying only rescue workers affiliated to the opposition knew what had happened. – Reuters[SEP](CNN) Secretary of State John Kerry launched a blistering attack on Russia Wednesday for its actions in Syria, pointing to the bombing of a UN aid convoy that left more than 20 dead and its inability to stop continued Syrian air attacks. Kerry spoke immediately after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York about the five-year Syrian war. "I listened to my colleague from Russia and I sort of felt like we're in a parallel universe here," Kerry said of their differing accounts of the conflict. He called for all planes in key areas of Syria to be immediately grounded and for countries to stop supporting those who sabotage ceasefire efforts. Kerry also questioned how the US-supported opposition can engage in political talks to resolve the conflict when the Syrian regime, backed by Russia, doesn't halt its attacks. Russia was tasked with restraining Syria during this latest attempt at a ceasefire, undertaken last week. "How can people go sit at a table with a regime that bombs hospitals and drops chlorine gas again and again and again and again and again and acts with impunity," Kerry asked. "You're supposed to sit there and have happy talk in Geneva while the regime drops bombs?" The diplomatic clashing of swords highlights just how hard it has been to take even the first steps toward calming the Syrian conflict enough to begin political talks. The ongoing civil war has given terror groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda fertile recruiting ground, has sucked in regional powers seeking influence over the outcome and has sent ripples through Europe and its allies. As diplomats sparred at the Security Council, Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu said that Moscow was sending an aircraft cruiser to the Mediterranean to strengthen its capabilities there. The Russians have denied that they were behind the attack on the UN convoy and instead have offered a series of explanations that Kerry detailed at the Security Council meeting.. Russia initially said that the strike was a necessary response to an alleged offensive by an al-Qaeda-linked terror group, Kerry said. Then Russia claimed they were bombing elsewhere, then that the aid convoy had been followed by militants with mortars, and then that the trucks caught fire. "The trucks and the food and the medicine just spontaneously combusted," Kerry said. "Anybody here believe that?" he asked. The bombing attacks on hospitals and children are "flagrant violations of international law," he added. And attacks on civilians and humanitarian workers continue, Kerry noted. He cited separate air strikes on Monday that killed four aid workers near Aleppo. "There are only two countries that have planes that are flying during the night or flying in that particular area at all," Kerry said. "They are Russia and Syria." At the Security Council Wednesday, Lavrov said Russia always put as a top priority the resumption of the inter-Syrian political dialogue without any preconditions. And he called for a "thorough and impartial" investigation into Monday's bombing, which left the convoy of trucks in a twisted wreck of smoking metal. And he urged his counterparts at the meeting to "refrain from emotional comments." US officials have fingered Russia as the perpetrator of the attack based on intelligence and reports from the ground. Kerry cited eyewitnesses who said that "all of a sudden, the place became hell and the fighter jets were in the sky." The White House said publicly Tuesday night that it held Russians responsible, regardless of whether it or the Syrian government had launched the strikes, since they have responsibility for the airspace. "We have not seen good faith. This was an outrageous action," said Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes. Syrian Ambassador to the UN Bashaar Jaafari hit back, saying it was "laughable" for Kerry to cite eyewitness accounts when, he claimed, "thousands of people" in the area hadn't seen any jets. He also took the US to task for an airstrike on Satruday that killed 62 Syrian soldiers, calling it a "deliberate and unacceptable aggression." The US has said it was an accident. Kerry's scathing 28-minute speech to the Security Council also pressed the need to return to a 2012 plan to create a political transition in Syria. He pointed to repeated Syrian attacks on civilians, detailed shifting Russian explanations about the aid convoy attack and ridiculed Moscow's argument that political talks shouldn't be burdened with preconditions. The US has said that Russia bears responsibility for the attack on the convoy because they were the only two countries flying planes over the area at that time and Russia had pledged to restrain Syria. "The primary question is no longer what do we know," Kerry said. "The primary question is, collectively, what are we going to do about it? In other words, this is a moment of truth." Lavrov needled the US over opposition groups during his address. Washington and Moscow have clashed over Russian targeting of moderate Syrian opposition groups backed by the US. The Russians have claimed that some of these groups are not particularly moderate and have accused opposition groups of violating the ceasefire. On Wednesday, Lavrov called for all members of the International Syrian Support Group to ensure that the opposition groups over which they have influence will comply with the cessation of hostilities. Otherwise, he added, "We can't preserve Syria as a single, united state." And he alluded to "geopolitical engineering," a reference to Russian concerns about US attempts at "regime change." Syria's Jaafari echoed the argument, telling the meeting that the International Syrian Support Group was "formed outside international legitimacy" and was "reminiscent of other destructive coalitions that only brought disasters to countries like Iraq and Libya and Yemen." The only success the US has managed to achieve, Jaafari said, is to level "false accusations" about the "suffering of Syrians to demonize the Syrian government and its allies." Kerry had left the meeting before the Syrian ambassador spoke, but when Jaafari had finished speaking, Ambassador Michele Sison, the US deputy representative to the UN, asked to address the council. "My colleagues are entitled to their own opinions but not to their own facts," Sison said. "Let's just keep in mind just who is prolonging the suffering of the people of Syria." Jaafari's remarks had been "so full of untruths that I feel no need to say anything further," she said. For his part, earlier in the meeting, Kerry mocked Lavrov's argument that there should be no preconditions before political negotiations start. Citing four international-level agreements calling for a cessation of hostilities that could then lead to peace talks, Kerry said, "that's not a precondition. That's an international agreement, four times arrived at." "Four times, it's been shredded by independent actors," Kerry said, "by spoilers who don't want a cease-fire." Half of Syria's population has been uprooted, many of them fleeing to Europe, and well over 300,000 men, women and children have been killed, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the meeting. "Those who believe the crisis in Syria cannot become even worse are dead wrong," Kerry said, "as are those who believe there's a military solution."[SEP]An air strike in northern Syria killed five medics responding to an earlier bombing raid, a relief group said, a day after an air strike on a humanitarian convoy prompted the UN to suspend desperately needed aid deliveries. The team had just arrived at the scene of the first air strike in the rebel-held town of Khan Touman when planes circled around and struck the area again, D Oubaida Al Moufti, vice-president of the International Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations, said. Syrian government forces have been accused of carrying out “double tap” attacks throughout the five-and-a-half-year war, placing paramedics and rescue workers in peril. The organisation, known by its French initials UOSSM, had initially said that the Tuesday night strike levelled a medical triage point it operates in rebel-held territory outside the contested city of Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 13 people were killed in the attack, including nine militants, some of them belonging to the Fatah al-Sham Front, an al Qaida-linked group previously known as the Nusra Front. Three nurses and two ambulance drivers died of their injuries, UOSSM said. It was not immediately clear who carried out the strike. Aircraft from Syria, Russia and the US-led coalition are targeting the Fatah al-Sham Front, which along with the Islamic State group was excluded from a week-long ceasefire. An air strike on a Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid convoy on Monday night prompted international condemnation over attacks targeting humanitarian facilities and workers. UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon described the convoy strike as a “sickening, savage and apparently deliberate attack”. The convoy was carrying UN aid. The incident fuelled tensions between the two architects of Syria’s ceasefire, Russia and the United States. The US said it believed Russian or Syrian government jets were behind the attack that killed 20 civilians, and that either way it held Russia responsible because under the truce deal Moscow was charged with preventing air strikes on humanitarian deliveries. Syria’s rebels do not have aircraft. US Secretary of State John Kerry called for aircraft over humanitarian routes in northern Syria grounded in order to facilitate aid deliveries.[SEP]Initial estimates indicate that about 18 of the 31 trucks in the convoy were hit, as well as the Red Crescent warehouse in the area. Syria’s ceasefire has faltered further after an aid convoy was hit by airstrikes, with activists saying at least 12 people were killed in the attack, mostly truck drivers and Red Crescent workers. The strikes late on Monday came just hours after the Syrian military declared the week-long U.S.-Russian brokered ceasefire had failed. The United States said it was prepared to extend the truce deal and Russia after blaming rebels for the violations suggested it could still be salvaged. It was not clear who was behind the attack, which sent a red fireball into the sky in the dead of night over a rural area in Aleppo province. Both Syrian and Russian aircraft operate over Syria, as well as the U.S.-led coalition that is targeting the Islamic State group. U.N. officials said the U.N. and Red Crescent convoy was delivering assistance for 78,000 people in the town of Uram al-Kubra, west of the northern city of Aleppo. Initial estimates indicate that about 18 of the 31 trucks in the convoy were hit, as well as the Red Crescent warehouse in the area. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group that tracks the civil war, said at least 12 were killed in the attack, mostly truck drivers and Red Crescent workers. The Syrian Civil Defense, the volunteer first responder group also known as the White Helmets, confirmed that casualty figure. Jan Egeland, humanitarian aid coordinator in the office of the U.N. envoy for Syria, told The Associated Press in a text message that the convoy was “bombarded.” Egeland added, “It is outrageous that it was hit while offloading at warehouses.” The U. N. Humanitarian Chief Stephen O’Brien called on “all parties to the conflict, once again, to take all necessary measures to protect humanitarian actors, civilians, and civilian infrastructure as required by international humanitarian law.” The convoy, part of a routine inter agency dispatch operated by the Syrian Red Crescent, was hit in rural western Aleppo province. The White Helmets first responder group posted images of a number of vehicles on fire and a video of the attack showed huge balls of fire in a pitch black area, as ambulances arrive on the scene. A Red Crescent official in Syria confirmed the attack, but said no further information was available. Elsewhere on Monday, at least 20 civilians, including a 1-year-old girl, were killed in fresh airstrikes on rebel-held Aleppo city and the surrounding areas, according to the Observatory. And Russia said government positions in southwestern Aleppo came under attack from militant groups, including a massive barrage of rockets. With the week-old ceasefire under threat, both Moscow and Washington indicated a desire to try and salvage the agreement that had brought a brief respite to at least some parts the war-torn country. In the wake of the Syrian military declaration, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged that the first stage of the truce which called for a week of calm and the delivery of humanitarian aid to several besieged communities had never really come to fruition. Earlier in the day, Mr. Kerry told reporters on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly that the truce was “holding but fragile.” The State Department said that it was ready to work with Russia to strengthen the terms of the agreement and expand deliveries of humanitarian aid. Spokesman John Kirby said Russia, which is responsible for ensuring Syria’s compliance, should clarify the Syrian position. A Russian Foreign Ministry statement late Monday night appeared to signal that the deal could still be salvaged, saying that the failure by the rebels in Syria to respect the ceasefire threatens to thwart the agreement. The ceasefire came into effect on Sept. 12. Under terms of the agreement, the successful completion of seven days of calm and humanitarian aid deliveries would be followed by an ambitious second-stage plan to set up a joint U.S.-Russian coordination centre to plan military strikes against the Islamic State group and a powerful al-Qaeda-linked militant faction. But from the start, the truce has been beset by difficulties and mutual accusations of violations. Aid deliveries to the besieged eastern districts of Aleppo have not reached their destination. The U.N. accused the government of obstructing the delivery while Russian officials said rebels opened fire at the delivery roads. Rebel forces and activists say government planes have bombed areas that are under the truce agreement, including rebel-held parts of Aleppo. At least 22 civilians were killed in government bombings over the last week, according to the Observatory, an opposition activist group. It said four civilians were killed in government-held areas. There were no independent reports of deaths of civilians on the government-side since the ceasefire came into effect.[SEP]WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday called on Russia and Syria to cease flying over Aleppo, just days after a convoy carrying human-aid supplies to civilians in the besieged city was attacked by warplanes. “I believe we must move forward and try to immediately ground all aircraft flying in those key areas in order to de-escalate the situation and give a chance for humanitarian assistance to flow unimpeded,” Kerry said Wednesday at the U.N. Security Council. “If that happens there’s a chance of giving credibility back to this (cease-fire) process.” The American and Russian brokered cease-fire that went into effect nine days ago appears all but dead, following the Monday night attack on the humanitarian convoy just southwest of Aleppo that killed at least 20 people. U.S. officials have blamed Russia or Syria for the attack, while the Russians have denied either party was involved. On Wednesday, Russia claimed a U.S. military drone was in the area during the two-hour attack, implying the American military was responsible for the attack. It was at least the fourth differing account the Russians have provided of the incident, Kerry said as he asked other Security Council members to use common sense and realize “only two countries have airplanes that fly in that particular area – Russia and Syria.” A senior Pentagon official on Wednesday denied any coalition aircraft were anywhere near the site of the attack. He added the coalition does not fly near Aleppo because there are no Islamic State group targets in the area. “We did not have any aircraft flying in that area at that time,” said the defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. But the Pentagon would welcome the grounding of Syrian and Russian aircraft over Aleppo, the official said. It would be a first step toward shifting the direction of the cease-fire, which originally called for the U.S. and Russian militaries to begin working together to target the Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front in Syria. The Americans had taken the necessary steps to begin preparing the proposed joint command center with the Russians, Air Force Col. John Thomas, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said Tuesday. A location for the operations center had been chosen and face-to-face meetings were set to begin soon. But after the convoy attack, he said, the United States was no longer “anticipating any great progress anytime soon.” It leaves the U.S. military sitting and waiting on word from the State Department and the United Nations that the cease-fire has either officially been terminated or that the Syrian and Russian militaries have taken the appropriate steps to move forward with the deal initially struck. That original deal included the grounding of all Syrian warplanes in areas controlled by opposition groups. It did not initially call for Russian planes to cease flying in any specific areas, but after the aid convoy attack, Kerry said there are few options remaining for them to prove they are committed to ending the violence in the country and allowing civilians to get much-needed humanitarian assistance. The top American diplomat said though the original cease-fire plan was not perfect, he remained committed to seeing it through. But that is only possible if the Russians and Syrians do their parts, Kerry said. “It will take significant and immediate steps now to try to get things back on track,” he said. “… The United States continues to believe there is a way forward that -- although rocky and difficult and uncertain -- can provide the most viable path out of the carnage. Our shared task here (with Russia) is to find the way to use the tools of diplomacy to make that happen.”[SEP]The US believes Russian warplanes were responsible for an attack on a UN aid convoy operated by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, officials have told CNN. At least a dozen aid workers are thought to have been killed by the air strike, which occurred near Aleppo on Monday, hours after the breakdown of a ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has described the incident as "sickening, savage and apparently deliberate." Mr Ban said the UN had suspended its aid convoys following the attack. Speaking to world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York, he said: "The humanitarians delivering life-saving aid were heroes. Those who bombed them were cowards.“ The bombing was initially blamed on either Russia or Syria's Assad regime. Both have denied that their planes carried out the strike, but the US has reportedly reached the "preliminary conclusion" that two Russian Su-24 jets were responsible, based on the timing and location of the attack. The strike hit at least 18 of the 31 trucks in the convoy, which was bringing food relief from UN stores to the town of Urm al-Kubra, west of Aleppo, in an area controlled by rebel groups. The attack came amid a resumption of hostilities following the fragile, week-long ceasefire, which it was hoped would mark the beginning of the end of Syria's bloody five-year civil war. The Russian Defence Ministry said its intelligence services had studied drone footage from the incident, and did not see evidence of munitions hitting the convoy. The damage inficted on the trucks was "the direct result of the cargo catching fire, which mysteriously began at the same time as a large scale rebel attack on Aleppo,” Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said. A section of the Russian footage was also released, which Mr Konashenkov said "clearly shows" rebels driving a pick-up truck and a mortar, using the convoy as cover. The US had already made it clear on Monday night that it held Moscow responsible for the deaths, regardless of whose planes carried out the strike. “We don’t know at this point whether it was the Russians or the regime. In either case, the Russians have the responsibility certainly to... refrain from taking such action themselves, but they also have the responsibility to keep the regime from doing it,” a US State Department statement said. US Secretary of State John Kerry – who personally negotiated the truce during months of intensive diplomacy with Russia – spoke about the crumbling ceasefire after emerging alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov from a meeting of foreign ministers of 20 countries, gathered to discuss Syria in New York on Tuesday. Mr Kerry insisted the ceasefire was "not dead" despite the attack, in which a Red Crescent warehouse and health clinic were also seriously damaged, and aid supplies for thousands of people were destroyed.[SEP]A Syrian man carries a baby after removing him from the rubble of a destroyed building following a reported air strike in the Qatarji neighbourhood of the northern city of Aleppo on Wednesday (AFP photo) UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUT — US Secretary of State John Kerry demanded on Wednesday that Russia and the Syrian government immediately halt flights over Syrian battle zones, in what he called a last chance to salvage a collapsing ceasefire and find a way "out of the carnage". An impassioned Kerry faced off with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the UN Security Council in New York, in an unusually heated televised showdown, saying the bombing of an aid convoy in Syria raised "profound doubt whether Russia and the Assad regime can or will live up to “ceasefire obligations”. Listening to Lavrov made him feel like he was living in a "parallel universe", Kerry said. On the ground, rebels battled the forces of the government of President Bashar Assad on major frontlines near Aleppo and Hama, and air strikes reportedly killed a dozen people including four medical workers. “I emphasise this to Russia. The United States continues to believe there is a way forward that, although rocky and difficult and uncertain, can provide the most viable path out of the carnage,” Kerry said. “If we allow spoilers to choose the path for us, the path of escalation ... then make no mistake my friends: the next time we convene here we’re going to be facing a Middle East with even more refugees, with more dead, with more displaced, with more extremists and more suffering on an even greater scale.” He mocked what he described as absurd Russian explanations for an attack on an aid convoy on Monday that Washington says was carried out by Russian warplanes. A Russian statement said the trucks had “caught fire”, which Kerry called tantamount to blaming “spontaneous combustion”. “To restore credibility to the process, we must move forward to try to immediately ground all aircraft flying in those key areas in order to de-escalate the situation, and give a chance for humanitarian assistance to flow unimpeded,” he said. Lavrov, for his part, called for an independent investigation into the convoy attack, and said all parties needed to take simultaneous steps to stop the war. The ceasefire which took effect last week is probably the last hope for a settlement on Syria before the administration of President Barack Obama leaves office, and has been Kerry’s main focus for months. But it has so far followed the path of all previous peace efforts: abandoned by the warring parties even as diplomats far away debate it. Kerry said it was a moment of truth for the opposition, which he said must do more to distance itself from Al Nusra Front, long Al Qaeda’s Syrian wing, which changed its name and disavowed Al Qaeda two months ago. Al Nusra is still characterised by both the West and Moscow as a terrorist group excluded from the ceasefire. Other rebels say Moscow and Damascus use this to justify broader attacks. Overnight fighting was focused in areas that control access to Aleppo city, where the rebel-held east has been besieged by Russian and Iranian-backed pro-government forces and completely encircled for all but a few weeks since July. Syrian state media said the army had recaptured a fertiliser factory in the Ramousah area to the southwest of the city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring body, confirmed the advance and said government forces had pressed forward near an apartment complex nearby. A rebel fighter in the Aleppo area said warplanes had been bombing all night in preparation for an attack. But “the regime’s attempts to advance failed”, said the rebel, speaking to Reuters from the Aleppo area via the internet. A Syrian military source said insurgent groups were mobilising to the south and west of Aleppo and in the northern Hama area. “We will certainly target all these gatherings and mobilisations they are conducting.” The army reported carrying out air strikes on seven areas near Aleppo. The observatory said one air strike killed four medical workers and at least nine rebel fighters in the insurgent-held town of Khan Touman south of Aleppo. The medical staff killed were working for the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations (UOSSM), it said. UOSSM confirmed in a statement that at least four of its staff had been killed. Syrian government forces also launched a major advance in Hama province in the West of the country. “It is a very intense attack, for which Russian jets paved the way, but it was repelled by the brothers, praise God,” Abu Al Baraa Al Hamawi, a rebel commander fighting as part of the Islamist Jaish Al Fatah alliance, told Reuters. He said rebels had destroyed four tanks and inflicted heavy losses. Syrian state TV said government forces had killed a number of insurgents and destroyed their vehicles. Rebel sources also reported an attempt by pro-government forces to advance in the Handarat area to the north of Aleppo, saying this too had been repelled. Pro-government media made no mention of that attack. The observatory reported that a Syrian jet had crashed near Damascus, saying the cause of the crash and fate of the pilot were unknown. Daesh said it had been shot down. The truce brokered by the United States and Russia took effect on September 12 as part of a deal meant to facilitate aid access to besieged areas. Washington and Moscow, which back opposing sides in the war between Assad’s government and insurgents, agreed to jointly target militants that are their common enemy. But such unprecedented cooperation, at a time when trust between the Cold War-era foes is at its lowest for decades, was always a risky gamble. Kerry hammered out the deal over months of shuttle diplomacy despite scepticism among other senior US administration figures. Tensions between the United States and Russia escalated over a September 17 attack by the US-led coalition against Daesh that killed dozens of Syrian soldiers in the eastern Deir Ezzor province. Washington said that strike was carried out by mistake with the intent of hitting Daesh. Monday’s attack on the aid convoy, which the Syrian Red Crescent says killed the head of its local office and around 20 other people, brought furious international condemnation. The United Nations suspended aid shipments. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon used his farewell speech to the General Assembly in New York to denounce the “cowards” behind it. “Just when you think it cannot get any worse, the bar of depravity sinks lower,” Ban said. The United Nations initially described the attack as an air strike but later rowed back, saying it could not be sure what had happened. But Washington says it is all but certain the trucks were hit by the air, which could only have been carried out by Russian or Syrian planes, and it suspects Moscow. Two US officials told Reuters on Tuesday that two Russian Sukhoi SU-24 warplanes were in the skies above the aid convoy at the time it was struck. Moscow says the convoy was not hit from the air and has implied rebels were to blame, saying only rescue workers affiliated to the opposition knew what had happened.[SEP]UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUT, Sept 21 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry demanded on Wednesday that Russia and the Syrian government immediately halt flights over Syrian battle zones, in what he called a last chance to salvage a collapsing ceasefire and find a way "out of the carnage". An impassioned Kerry faced off with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the U.N. Security Council in New York, during a tense televised showdown, saying the bombing of an aid convoy in Syria raised "profound doubt whether Russia and the Assad regime can or will live up to" ceasefire obligations. Speaking before Kerry, Lavrov told the 15-member Security Council: "One needs to refrain from emotional instincts, from rushing to the microphone immediately to comment on something; a probe should be conducted (into the aid convoy attack)." Listening to Lavrov made him feel like he was living in a "parallel universe", Kerry said. "To restore credibility to the process we must move forward to try to immediately ground all aircraft flying in those key areas in order to de-escalate the situation and give a chance for humanitarian assistance to flow unimpeded," Kerry said. The key areas are places where humanitarian aid needs to be delivered and where Syrian government forces have been accused of targeting civilians. The aim of the ceasefire deal between the United States and Russia, which took effect on Sept. 12, is to facilitate aid access to besieged areas and allow the pair to jointly target Islamic State jihadists. More than 300,000 people have been killed and half of Syria's 22 million people have been uprooted since a crackdown by President Bashar al-Assad on pro-democracy protesters in 2011 sparked a civil war. Islamic State militants used the chaos to seize territory. The United Nations suspended aid deliveries after the convoy attack two days ago, which the Syrian Red Crescent says killed some 20 people, but the world body said on Wednesday it was gearing up to resume deliveries. On the ground, rebels battled the forces of the Assad government on major frontlines near Aleppo and Hama, and air strikes reportedly killed a dozen people including four medical workers. "I emphasise this to Russia. The United States continues to believe there is a way forward that, although rocky and difficult and uncertain, can provide the most viable path out of the carnage," Kerry said. U.S. officials believe Russian aircraft are responsible for the attack near Aleppo, but Moscow has denied involvement and the Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday a U.S. Predator drone was in the area when the convoy was attacked. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault distributed a document on Wednesday to the U.N. Security Council outlining a new mechanism for monitoring the truce that it wants major powers to discuss later this week. The ceasefire is probably the last hope for a settlement on Syria before President Barack Obama leaves office in January, and has been Kerry's main focus for months. But it has become a repeat of previous peace efforts: abandoned by the warring parties even as diplomats far away debate it. "I call on every country to cease providing support of any kind to any party that is trying to sabotage this plan," Kerry said. The Syrian army is backed by Moscow, Iran, Shi'ite militias and fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah, while the rebels are supported by countries including the United States, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani dismissed Kerry's demand on Wednesday, telling NBC News that such a move would only benefit Islamic State and jihadists Nusra Front. Kerry said it was a moment of truth for the opposition, which he said must do more to distance itself from the Nusra Front, long al Qaeda's Syrian wing but which changed its name and disavowed al Qaeda two months ago. Nusra is still characterised by both the West and Moscow as a terrorist group excluded from the ceasefire. Other rebels say Moscow and Damascus use this to justify broader attacks. Tensions between the United States and Russia escalated over a Sept. 17 attack by the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State that killed dozens of Syrian soldiers in the eastern Deir al-Zor province. Washington said that strike was carried out by mistake with the intent of hitting Islamic State militants. Overnight fighting was focused in areas that control access to Aleppo city, where the rebel-held east has been besieged by Russian and Iranian-backed pro-government forces and completely encircled for all but a few weeks since July. Syrian state media said the army had recaptured a fertiliser factory in the Ramousah area to the southwest of the city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring body, confirmed the advance and said government forces had pressed forward near an apartment complex nearby. A rebel fighter in the Aleppo area said warplanes had been bombing all night in preparation for an attack. But "the regime's attempts to advance failed," said the rebel, speaking to Reuters from the Aleppo area via the internet. A Syrian military source said insurgent groups were mobilising to the south and west of Aleppo and in the northern Hama area. "We will certainly target all these gatherings and mobilisations they are conducting." The army reported carrying out air strikes on seven areas near Aleppo. The Observatory said one air strike killed four medical workers and at least nine rebel fighters in the insurgent-held town of Khan Touman south of Aleppo. The medical staff killed were working for the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM), it said. UOSSM confirmed in a statement that at least four of its staff had been killed. Syrian government forces also launched a major advance in Hama province in the West of the country. (Additional reporting by John Davison in Beirut and Yara Bayoumy, John Irish and Denis Dyomokin at the United Nations; writing by Peter Graff and Tom Perry, editing by Peter Millership and Howard Goller)[SEP]An air strike in northern Syria killed five medics responding to an earlier bombing raid, a relief group said, a day after an air strike on a humanitarian convoy prompted the UN to suspend desperately needed aid deliveries. The team had just arrived at the scene of the first air strike in the rebel-held town of Khan Touman when planes circled around and struck the area again, D Oubaida Al Moufti, vice-president of the International Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations, said. Syrian government forces have been accused of carrying out “double tap” attacks throughout the five-and-a-half-year war, placing paramedics and rescue workers in peril. The organisation, known by its French initials UOSSM, had initially said that the Tuesday night strike levelled a medical triage point it operates in rebel-held territory outside the contested city of Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 13 people were killed in the attack, including nine militants, some of them belonging to the Fatah al-Sham Front, an al Qaida-linked group previously known as the Nusra Front. Three nurses and two ambulance drivers died of their injuries, UOSSM said. It was not immediately clear who carried out the strike. Aircraft from Syria, Russia and the US-led coalition are targeting the Fatah al-Sham Front, which along with the Islamic State group was excluded from a week-long ceasefire. An air strike on a Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid convoy on Monday night prompted international condemnation over attacks targeting humanitarian facilities and workers. UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon described the convoy strike as a “sickening, savage and apparently deliberate attack”. The convoy was carrying UN aid. The incident fuelled tensions between the two architects of Syria’s ceasefire, Russia and the United States. The US said it believed Russian or Syrian government jets were behind the attack that killed 20 civilians, and that either way it held Russia responsible because under the truce deal Moscow was charged with preventing air strikes on humanitarian deliveries. Syria’s rebels do not have aircraft. US Secretary of State John Kerry called for aircraft over humanitarian routes in northern Syria grounded in order to facilitate aid deliveries.

The United States Secretary of State John Kerry calls for a no-fly zone over northern Syria, in response to the recent airstrikes on an aid convoy and medical facility in the Aleppo Governorate.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military is testing to see if a chemical agent may have been used in a rocket attack in Iraq by Islamic State that came within hundreds of yards (meters) of U.S. forces but injured no one, a U.S. military official said on Wednesday. The rocket fell on Tuesday in an unpopulated area near the Qayyara West base, where hundreds of U.S. forces are working to prepare an airfield ahead of Iraq’s offensive to retake the city of Mosul from the radical group Islamic State, said the official, who spoke with Pentagon reporters on condition of anonymity. A group of U.S. forces inspected the fragments afterwards and took a small sample of a suspicious “tar-like, black, oily” substance, which initially tested positive for mustard agent but then tested negative in a subsequent examination, the official said. Further tests were underway. The incident was first reported by CNN. As a precaution, they underwent routine decontamination procedures, including showers, but did not display symptoms that would typically show up within 12 hours of exposure. “It’s been more than 24 hours and we haven’t seen anyone who has any indication of blistering or anything like that,” the official said. “There are absolutely no injuries. Nobody has been off their typical work schedule. It hasn’t impacted the mission in any way.” The U.S. military has used air strikes to repeatedly hit Islamic State’s chemical weapons stores, and experts have warned that the militant group might use the agents during the upcoming Mosul offensive. The United States has also observed repeated Islamic State attacks over the past year or so against Iraqi troops, Kurdish forces and Syrian soldiers, a second U.S. official said. But the official stressed there had not been such attacks against the U.S. forces in Iraq, who number at least 4,400. “I don’t know of a case like this where it was proximate to U.S. forces like this before,” the second official said. The first U.S. official described the group’s technical skills as crude when it came to mounting a chemical weapon attack and appeared to play down any growing concerns about a threat to U.S. forces. “We have a moderate level of concern ... on a day to day basis and our concern isn’t much greater after seeing this, because it falls into the expected realm,” the official said. The security protocols at the base have not changed as a result of the attack, the official said.[SEP]Islamic State may have used chemical weapon on U.S., Iraqi troops -CNN WASHINGTON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Islamic State forces fired a shell that may have contained a chemical agent onto a military base in northern Iraq on Tuesday while U.S. and Iraqi troops were present, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing several U.S. officials. No U.S. troops were hurt in shelling at the base, which is being used to prepare an attack to retake Mosul from Islamic State, CNN said. The first test came back positive for a mustard agent but the second test was negative, it said. (Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by David Alexander)[SEP]Islamic State rocket attack on US forces might have contained mustard agent WASHINGTON – The Islamic State group has attacked U.S. and Iraqi troops using a rocket that initially tested positive for mustard agent, the Pentagon said Wednesday. The attack took place midday Tuesday at Qayyarah West Air Base in northern Iraq where U.S. and Iraqi forces are building up an operations hub to retake Mosul, Islamic State group’s stronghold in that country. The attack on Mosul is planned for October, officials have said. No U.S. troops were hurt in Tuesday’s rocket attack. However, a U.S. explosive ordinance team went through decontamination after a shell fragment from the rocket initially tested positive for mustard agent, the Pentagon said Wednesday. After the rocket exploded in the base, the explosive ordinance team responded to assess the munition. The team noticed a residue on the shell remnants and an initial test showed the substance to be mustard agent, said a senior defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. A second test on the substance turned up negative, the official said. However, the Islamic State group has used a crude form of mustard agent against Iraqi or Kurdish forces in other attacks. The poor quality of the chemical agent could give a negative test result. The fragment will undergo further testing to determine whether mustard agent was used, the official said. None of the U.S. forces that came into contact with the shell have shown any signs of injury or contamination, such as blistering, the defense official said. Hundreds of U.S. forces are deployed to Qayyarah West Air Base, the official said. The base is regularly targeted with indirect fire, the official said. However, he said this was the first time mustard agent has been used against U.S. forces.[SEP]Chemical agent possibly found on rocket fired at US troops in Iraq A rocket fired by Islamic State jihadists at US forces in Iraq may have carried a chemical agent, a US defense official said Wednesday. No one was injured in Tuesday's blast near an airfield by the northern town of Qayyarah and no one showed any immediate signs of exposure to the suspected mustard agent, the official said. Several hundred US troops are working with Iraqi partners to strengthen the airfield ahead of a push on the IS stronghold of Mosul. The defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said an incoming round had exploded within the base perimeter during an "indirect fire" attack. A small team of US troops later inspected the fragmented ordinance and found one bit with a suspicious, tar-like black oily substance that they tested in the field. That initial test was positive for a "mustard agent." A second test was negative, and a third sample has been sent to a proper laboratory for definitive analysis. The official downplayed the seriousness of the incident, saying the shell would have been "militarily ineffective." "Our concern is not much greater after seeing this," he said. Still, the troops who handled the fragments went through a standard decontamination procedure. US-led coalition warplanes last week destroyed a factory near Mosul suspected of being used by IS to make chemical weapons. Observers have repeatedly alleged IS has used chemical weapons, and the Pentagon has confirmed the jihadists have deployed chlorine and sulfur mustard devices. Iraqi security forces, backed by coalition air power, are in the final weeks of "shaping" operations ahead of an assault to recapture Mosul, which IS seized in 2014 and which remains the jihadists' last main stronghold in Iraq.[SEP]Islamic State forces fired a shell that may have contained a chemical agent onto a military base in northern Iraq on Tuesday while U.S. and Iraqi troops were present, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing several U.S. officials. No U.S. troops were hurt in shelling at the base, which is being used to prepare an attack to retake Mosul from Islamic State, CNN said. The first test came back positive for a mustard agent but the second test was negative, it said.[SEP]U.S. tests for mustard agent after rocket attack near Iraq base WASHINGTON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. military is carrying out tests to see if a chemical agent may have been used in a rocket attack in Iraq by Islamic State that came within hundreds of yards (meters) of U.S. forces but injured no one, a U.S. official said on Wednesday. The military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the first of two initial tests showed the presence of a mustard agent but the second did not. None of the U.S. forces who inspected the shell fragments have displayed symptoms of exposure to a mustard agent, the official added. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by James Dalgleish)[SEP]Islamic State may have used chemical weapon on U.S., Iraqi troops -CNN WASHINGTON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Islamic State forces on Tuesday fired a shell that may have contained a mustard agent onto a military base in northern Iraq used by U.S. and Iraqi troops, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing several U.S. officials. No U.S. troops were hurt or have displayed symptoms of exposure to a mustard agent, CNN said. One official said the agent had "low purity" and was "poorly weaponized," CNN reported. A second official called it "ineffective," the network said. A U.S. defense official said troops had gone out to look at the shell after it landed on the base, which is being used to prepare an attack to retake Mosul from Islamic State, CNN reported. Two field tests were conducted after the troops saw what they thought was a suspect substance. The first test came back positive but the second test was negative, the network said. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Writing by Eric Beech; Editing by David Alexander and James Dalgleish)[SEP]IS rocket fired in Iraq may have contained mustard agent WASHINGTON (AP) — A small rocket that landed on a military base in northern Iraq where hundreds of U.S. troops are working with Iraqi troops may have contained a mustard agent, a U.S. military official said Wednesday. No one was hurt and U.S. officials are still testing a residue found on a metal fragment from the rocket. The U.S. official, who discussed details of the incident on condition that he not be identified by name, told reporters at the Pentagon that the attack happened Tuesday at Qayara West air base. The base is a staging area for Iraqi forces preparing for an assault on Mosul, the city that has been the Islamic State's main stronghold in Iraq since 2014. U.S. officials have been reluctant to say how many U.S. troops are advising and assisting Iraqi troops at Qayara West. The U.S. official who described Tuesday's rocket attack said "hundreds" of U.S. troops are there, but he would not be more precise. The official said the attack was militarily insignificant. He said a small group of U.S. soldiers who inspected remnants of the rocket after it exploded found a black, oily substance on a fragment of metal. An initial test of the suspicious substance showed it contained residue of mustard agent, but a second test was negative. The fragment has been sent to a laboratory for further testing, the official said. Mustard agent in sufficient quantities and concentration can maim or kill by damaging skin, eyes and airways. Earlier this month, a U.S. general said American warplanes had eliminated a "significant chemical threat" to Iraqi civilians by bombing a complex of buildings near Mosul that Islamic State militants had converted from pharmaceutical manufacturing to chemical weapons production. Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian told reporters on Sept. 13 that the target was an Islamic State headquarters also used to produce lethal chemicals, possibly including chlorine and mustard gas. He provided no details on the chemical production.[SEP]The U.S. military says a rocket that landed within several hundred yards of U.S. troops at a base in northern Iraq may have contained mustard agent. No one was hurt in the attack on Qayara West air base, according to a U.S. military official who discussed details on condition that he not be identified. Several hundred U.S. troops are on the base. The official says the attack Tuesday was militarily insignificant. He says a small group of U.S. soldiers who inspected remnants of the rocket found a black, oily substance on a fragment of metal. An initial test of the substance showed it contained residue of mustard agent, but a second test was negative. The fragment has been sent to a laboratory for further testing. Israeli military says Palestinian teenager killed after trying to stab soldier Iraqi forces being trained to recapture Mosul will be ready next month, Joint Chiefs chairman says Kerry lashes out at Russia, calls for grounding of all aircraft over humanitarian routes in Syria

The U.S. military investigates yesterday's Islamic State rocket strike near the Qayyarah Airfield West to ascertain if a chemical agent was used.

Image copyright PA Volkswagen is facing €8.2bn ($9.1bn; £7bn) in damages claims from 1,400 German investors over its emissions scandal, a state court has said. The regional court in Braunschweig near VW's Wolfsburg headquarters said it received 750 lawsuits on Monday alone. A year ago, an investigation in the US found that VW had cheated emissions tests for diesel cars by using special software. VW faces a flood of actions and has set aside €16.2bn to cover the lawsuits. The court said it brought in extra staff to process the claims submitted by shareholders, who were concerned that 18 September, the day VW's manipulations were uncovered a year ago, may be the deadline to file. It said most of the cases were bundled actions containing claims from multiple plaintiffs, in many cases private investors. Shareholder claims The scandal broke after an investigation found that many Volkswagen cars being sold in America had software in diesel engines that could detect when they were being tested. The so-called "defeat device" changed the performance of the engines accordingly to improve results. The German car giant admitted cheating emissions tests in the US and this summer agreed to pay $10.2bn to settle some of its US claims. Image copyright AFP Earlier this month, Australia launched legal action against the carmaker and last week asset manager Blackrock and a group of institutional shareholders said they would sue VW for €2bn. The German states of Hesse and Baden-Wuerttemberg have said they will also take legal action. The claims relate to the drop in Volkswagen's share price after the scandal broke. Between September and October 2015, Volkswagen AG preference shares lost about 45% of their value, and are still down by about 28% Hesse finance minister Thomas Schaefer said the fall in VW's share price had cost the state about €3.9m. Criminal probe Earlier this month, a VW engineer pleaded guilty to involvement in the scandal. James Liang, a German national, pleaded guilty to violation of the clean air act, a wire fraud count and a consumer fraud count and became the first to be charged as part of the US Justice Department's year-long criminal probe into the firm's rigging of federal air-pollution tests. He could face five years in prison, although by co-operating with the US federal government he could reduce his jail time. His trial will be held in January.[SEP]Volkswagen faces 8.2 billion euros ($9.14 billion U.S.) in damage claims from investors over its emissions scandal in the legal district where the carmaker is based, a German court said. A total of about 1,400 lawsuits have been lodged at the regional court in Braunschweig near Volkswagen’s (VW) Wolfsburg headquarters, the court said on Wednesday. The Braunschweig court said it received some 750 lawsuits on Monday alone, which marked the first business day after the one-year anniversary of VW’s diesel emissions test-rigging scandal. It said it brought in extra staff to process the suits submitted by shareholders concerned that Sept. 18, the day VW’s manipulations were uncovered a year ago, may be the deadline to file.[SEP]FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — A German court says it has added staff and storage space to handle the flood of investor lawsuits against Volkswagen. The regional court in Braunschweig said Wednesday it has received 1,400 lawsuits seeking 8.2 billion euros ($9.2 billion). On Monday alone, 750 lawsuits arrived from a single law office as a possible one-year deadline to file approached. Institutional and individual investors claim Volkswagen did not disclose in a timely way that it faced costly action from U.S. regulators over cars with software that enabled them to cheat on diesel emissions tests. They say the information could have enabled them to decide whether to sell their shares, which fell sharply after the U.S Environmental Protection Agency announced the case on Sept. 18, 2015. Volkswagen says it met all its disclosure duties.[SEP]HANOVER, Germany, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The head of Volkswagen's luxury car division Audi has been questioned by investigators looking into the company's emissions scandal, VW Chief Executive Matthias Mueller said on Tuesday. Mueller told reporters at an event in Hanover that Audi boss Rupert Stadler had been questioned but declined to give details. Earlier, Spiegel magazine reported that experts from U.S. law firm Jones Day, which was tasked by Audi last year to investigate the scandal, would question Stadler about when he found out about the use of cheat software. Earlier this week, Bild am Sonntag reported that Audi's head of development Stefan Knirsch would be suspended as part of the investigation into the emissions scandal. Audi has admitted its 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine was fitted with emissions-control software, deemed as illegal in the United States where the scandal has engulfed the German carmaker. Knirsch, Audi's former head of engine development, replaced Ulrich Hackenberg, the top engineer at Audi and the VW group, last year. Hackenberg quit after being suspended together with two other executives closely associated with the development of the VW engine at the centre of the scandal, codenamed EA 189. (Reporting by Jan C. Schwartz in Hanover; writing by Emma Thomasson; editing by David Clarke)[SEP]BERLIN, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Volkswagen faces 8.2 billion euros ($9.1 billion) in damages claims from investors over its emissions scandal in the legal district where the carmaker is based, a German court said on Wednesday. About 1,400 lawsuits have been lodged at the regional court in Braunschweig near Volkswagen's (VW) Wolfsburg headquarters, the court said. The Braunschweig court said it received some 750 lawsuits on Monday alone, which marked the first business day after the anniversary of VW's diesel emissions test-rigging scandal. It said it brought in extra staff to process suits submitted by shareholders concerned Sept. 18 - the day VW's manipulations were disclosed a year ago - could be the deadline to file. Plaintiffs say the German carmaker didn't inform shareholders quickly enough over its cheating software, which was installed in up to around 11 million vehicles wordwide. VW, which faces lawsuits and investigations across the world, has consistently said it did not break capital markets regulations in the disclosure of its cheating. The biggest claim at the Braunschweig court, totalling 3.3 billion euros, was filed by lawyer Andreas Tulip on behalf of institutional investors around half a year ago. The court detailed additional complaints on Wednesday, saying they included a filing by institutional investors for 30 million euros in damages, two investor groups demanding 1.5 billion and 550 million euros respectively and an investment company that sued the carmaker for 45 million euros. It would take about four weeks to fully process the additional claims, the court said. Complaints have also been filed by German state pension funds. VW has so far set aside about $18 billion to cover the cost of vehicle refits and a settlement with U.S. authorities, but analysts think the bill could rise much further as a result of lawsuits and regulatory penalties.[SEP]Here is a timeline of the emissions scandal that has dogged automaker Volkswagen for the past year. Sept. 18: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says Volkswagen installed software on more than 475,000 cars that enabled them to cheat on emissions tests. The software reduced nitrogen oxide emissions when the cars were placed on a test machine but allowed higher emissions and improved engine performance during normal driving. The EPA was alerted to the discrepancy in a report from the International Council on Clean Transportation. Sept. 22: Volkswagen says about 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide were fitted with the deceptive software. It sets aside 6.5 billion euros ($7.3 billion) to deal with the costs of the scandal, including expected recalls. Sept. 23: Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigns. He takes responsibility for "irregularities" found by U.S. inspectors, but insists he personally did nothing wrong. Sept. 25: Volkswagen appoints Matthias Mueller, the head of the group's Porsche unit, as the new CEO. Sept. 29: Volkswagen says it has commissioned an external investigation by U.S. law firm Jones Day. Oct. 1: Volkswagen names Hans Dieter Poetsch, its chief financial officer, as the new board chairman. The move had been planned since before the crisis but raises concerns about the ability of longtime insiders to get to the bottom of the matter. Oct. 8: Volkswagen's top U.S. executive, Michael Horn, testifies before Congress. He apologizes for the scandal and blames it on "a couple of software engineers." Oct. 15: Germany orders recall of all Volkswagen cars with the test-cheating software. By European Union rules, Germany's move means that all 8 million such cars are obliged to be recalled across the 28-country bloc. Oct. 28: Volkswagen reports a loss of $1.83 billion in the third quarter after booking a charge of $7.5 billion to cover the costs of recalls connected to the scandal. Nov. 2: The EPA and the California Air Resources Board say Volkswagen also installed the cheating software on thousands of Audi, Porsche and VW cars with 3.0-liter, six-cylinder diesel engines. The previous revelations of cheating involved four-cylinder diesels in smaller cars. Volkswagen initially rejects the new allegation, then admits the 3.0-liter engines have had illegal "defeat devices" since 2009. Dec. 31: The Volkswagen brand's U.S. sales fall 5 percent for the year. Jan. 4: The U.S. Justice Department sues Volkswagen over emissions-cheating software found in nearly 600,000 vehicles sold in the U.S. with 2.0-liter and 3.0-liter diesel engines, potentially exposing the company to billions in fines for violations of the Clean Air Act. March 29: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission sues Volkswagen, charging the company made false claims in commercials promoting its "Clean Diesel" vehicles as environmentally friendly. April 21: U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer says U.S. Volkswagen owners with 2.0-liter diesels will be able to sell them back to the company or have them fixed. Says further details will be released in June. April 22: Volkswagen takes an $18.2 billion charge to cover the cost of the diesel scandal and delays the results of its internal probe until the fourth quarter. It reports a full-year loss of $1.53 billion. June 1: U.S. sales of the Volkswagen brand are down 13 percent in the first five months of the year. Global sales of Volkswagen cars are down 2 percent. June 28: Volkswagen agrees to settlements that could total as much as $15.3 billion to resolve environmental and consumer claims arising from the scandal. July 28: Volkswagen says its second quarter net earnings more than halved to 1.2 billion euros. Its global sales, however, held up. They rose 5.1 percent in June as European and Chinese demand offset a 11.7 percent slump in the U.S. Aug. 25: Volkswagen reaches tentative deal with 650 U.S. dealers to compensate them for losses. The value of the settlement was not disclosed. Sept. 9: Volkswagen engineer James Robert Liang pleads guilty to one count of conspiracy defraud the government in the U.S. Justice Department's ongoing investigation. He says he will cooperate in the probe. Sept. 21: German court says it has received a total of 1,400 investor lawsuits against Volkswagen seeking damages worth 8.2 billion euros ($9.2 billion).[SEP]FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — A German court says it has added staff and storage space to handle a flood of 1,400 investor lawsuits against Volkswagen seeking damages worth 8.2 billion euros ($9.2 billion). The regional court in Braunschweig said Wednesday that on Monday alone, 750 lawsuits arrived from a single law office as a possible one-year deadline to file approached. Institutional and individual investors claim Volkswagen did not disclose in a timely way that it faced costly action from U.S. regulators over cars with software that enabled them to cheat on diesel emissions tests. They say the information could have enabled them to decide whether to sell their shares, which fell sharply after the U.S Environmental Protection Agency announced the case on Sept. 18, 2015. Lawyers have said the courts may eventually find that investors had one year to file suit after the EPA announcement; the anniversary fell on a Sunday, leaving Monday as the possible deadline and leading some plaintiffs to file in order to be on the safe side. Volkswagen says it met all its disclosure duties. The company says that ahead of the EPA announcement it still appeared as if the diesel violation could be resolved by working with authorities and paying a relatively modest fine in the area of $100 million or less. Instead, the company has wound up setting aside more than 18 billion euros ($20 billion) thus far to cover fines and consumer claims.[SEP]Volkswagen AG faces Germany’s biggest investor lawsuit as attorneys filed complaints totaling 8.2 billion euros ($9.2 billion) related to the diesel emissions scandal that wiped out a third of the company’s market value. About 1,400 lawsuits are currently pending at a court in Braunschweig, about 20 miles from Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg headquarters, a judicial spokeswoman said Wednesday. Investors say they lost money on VW shares because the company was slow in disclosing the emissions-cheating issue. Investors have lined up to sue in Germany, where VW shares plunged in the first two trading days after the Sept. 18 disclosure of the emissions scandal by U.S. regulators. Monday was the first business day after the anniversary of the scandal and investors had feared they needed to sue within a year of the company’s admission that it had equipped about 11 million diesel vehicles with software to cheat on pollution tests. The amount is less than the 10.7 billion euros that had been expected based on lawyers’ statements last week, but more suits could still trickle in because of uncertainty about when the deadline expires. The court may need about four weeks to register all the complaints, it said. The U.S. government, which is investigating the company for possible criminal charges and hasn’t approved a fix for the tainted vehicles, is also among the investors suing and its case was valued at 30 million euros. Volkswagen, in a statement, reiterated its view that it complied with capital-market rules and that the claims are unfounded. Volkswagen shares rose less than 1 percent to 119.10 euros at the close of trading in Frankfurt. They’re still down 11 percent this year. “The number isn’t surprising. We’ve already seen some of the cases,” said Arndt Ellinghorst, an analyst at Evercore ISI, with a “buy” rating on the stock. “It will be difficult for the plaintiffs to prove that VW acted intentionally here.” Volkswagen has set aside about 18 billion euros to cover the costs of the scandal, but the lawsuits won’t likely add to the tally in the near future. Porsche Automobil Holding SE has been fighting damage claims related to its aborted effort to fully takeover Volkswagen since 2011, and there’s no end in sight to those legal battles. The Braunschweig cases will probably take years, but over the next several months: Volkswagen will get a chance to respond to the complaints The judges will decide whether to delay the litigation pending the result of a “model case” under a procedure that centralizes the evidence phase in large-scale shareholder litigation The model-case proceedings are currently pending at the Braunschweig Appeals Court. That tribunal will have to choose one of the plaintiff lawyers to become lead counsel, which could happen by the end of the year The Braunschweig Appeals Court will then work on a list of issues to be resolved as the plaintiffs are seeking answers to hundreds of questions of law and fact New cases could be filed as lawyers argue that for most plaintiffs the deadline to bring the suits expires at the end of 2018. While the investor lawsuits pile up in Braunschweig, consumers affected by the scandal are focusing their efforts on Brussels. Currently, the company is only offering repairs to European customers whereas Americans got packages worth thousands of dollars. European Union Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova met with VW’s Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz Wednesday, and said the company pledged to carry out an EU-wide action plan to address the most urgent issue of informing EU consumers and repairing the affected cars. In July, Jourova said she would work with consumer groups and regulators to pressure the company to give payouts. The imposition of fines and extra compensation aren’t part of the European Commission’s role, but rather the responsibility of national courts and enforcement authorities, an EU official said after the meeting in Brussels. A law firm separately sued Porsche Holding and VW in a court in Stuttgart on behalf of 263 investors seeking a combined 547 million euros over the diesel-disclosure issue. Porsche Holding, which is controlled by the Porsche-Piech family, owns a majority of Volkswagen’s voting stock and is effectively its parent company. In a interim ruling in some of the cases filed earlier in Porsche’s hometown, the court has said it will review whether to set aside secrecy rules that the two companies were invoking as part of their defense, Andreas Tilp, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said in an e-mailed statement. Porsche Holding spokesman Albrecht Bamler said the court’s interim ruling didn’t contradict any of the company’s arguments. Porsche, which has said the claims are unfounded, will submit its arguments to the tribunal in the respective proceedings, he said.[SEP]Volkswagen investors are demanding more than $9 billion in damages for the losses they sustained as a result of the automaker's huge diesel emissions scandal. Around 1,400 lawsuits have been filed against Volkswagen (VLKAF) in Germany. The investors want payments totaling 8.2 billion euros ($9.1 billion), according to a statement from a court in Volkswagen's home state of Lower Saxony. About 40% of the company's market value was wiped out when the scandal broke a year ago. Volkswagen admitted fitting as many as 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide with software that could cheat nitrogen oxide emissions tests. But it only came forward after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency alerted the world to the issue. Investors say Volkswagen failed to provide accurate and timely information about its cheating on emissions tests. Prosecutors are investigating whether former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn and another top executive should have come cleaner sooner about the possible financial costs of the scandal. In April, the company recorded a loss of 5.5 billion euros ($6.2 billion) for 2015, after taking a 16.2 billion euro charge. The German court said it has been swamped with lawsuits, and has even had to increase its storage capacity. It said the number of claims against Volkswagen is equivalent to half its normal annual workload. Two of the lawsuits, worth 2 billion euros, were filed by institutional investors, and the rest by private investors. Norway's state pension fund, Volkswagen's biggest independent shareholder, said in May it would sue the car maker for the losses it suffered. Blackrock (BLK), another top investor, is also reported to be suing the company. Volkswagen has already agreed to pay $15.3 billion in civil penalties to compensate owners of its U.S. diesel cars, including an agreement to fix or buy back the cars.[SEP]Mueller told reporters at an event in Hanover that Audi boss Rupert Stadler had been questioned but declined to give details. Earlier, Spiegel magazine reported that experts from U.S. law firm Jones Day, which was tasked by Audi last year to investigate the scandal, would question Stadler about when he found out about the use of cheat software. Earlier this week, Bild am Sonntag reported that Audi's head of development Stefan Knirsch would be suspended as part of the investigation into the emissions scandal. Audi has admitted its 3.0 liter V6 diesel engine was fitted with emissions-control software, deemed as illegal in the United States where the scandal has engulfed the German carmaker. Knirsch, Audi's former head of engine development, replaced Ulrich Hackenberg, the top engineer at Audi and the VW group, last year. Hackenberg quit after being suspended together with two other executives closely associated with the development of the VW engine at the center of the scandal, code named EA 189.

Litigants file a new wave of lawsuits against Volkswagen regarding its emissions scandal.

Villagers carry a motorcycle across a river overflowing with raging floodwaters following heavy rains in Lumajang near the Semeru volcano in East Java on May 8 2011. Floods and landslides are common in Indonesia, which is prone to frequent bursts of heavy rain. JAKARTA - Ten people have been killed in flash flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an official said Wednesday, with a search ongoing for three others still missing in the disasters on Java island. Torrential downpours triggered flash flooding in Garut in West Java early Wednesday, which quickly rose to around 2 metres (6.5 feet), national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement. He said preliminary data from the local disaster agency in Garut showed "eight people died and one person is still missing" after a river burst its banks. Thirty others were injured in the district, four seriously, while hundreds were forced to abandon their homes as the water rose, he added. Emergency shelters and temporary kitchens have been set up to assist those made homeless by the disaster. Elsewhere in West Java heavy downpours caused landslides in Sumedang regency, killing two people and burying a suspected two others under an avalanche of mud and rock. "The search for them continues," Sutopo said. Landslides and flooding are common in Indonesia, a vast tropical archipelago prone to natural disasters and torrential downpours. The country's disaster agency has warned people to be alert for disasters this wet season as a La Nina weather phenomenon threatens unseasonably heavy rain. In June nearly 50 people died when heavy downpours sent torrents of water, mud and rock surging into villages in Central Java, another densely-populated province on Indonesia's main island.[SEP]JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Torrential rains have triggered floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Java, killing at least 19 villagers. National Disaster Management Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says several people are still missing in West Java's Garut and Sumedang districts. The worst hit was Garut district, where 16 people were found dead and eight others are still missing after two rivers overflowed Tuesday night. Nugroho said Wednesday that about 1,000 villagers were evacuated to army barracks and other temporary shelters. He said three villagers were killed in Sumedang and one person was still missing after landslides that buried two houses. Rains frequently caused landslides and widespread flooding across much of Indonesia.[SEP]JAKARTA: The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Indonesia has risen to 26, an official said on Thursday, with hopes fading for 19 others still missing. Aid has begun pouring into Garut in the west of Indonesia’s main island of Java, where 23 people died and 18 remain missing after torrential rain and fast-rising floods swept through the region, the national disaster agency said. Receding flood waters revealed scenes of destruction, with houses reduced to rubble and upturned cars and debris strewn throughout muddy streets. Among the dead or missing are more than a dozen children under 12 years of age, though several have yet to be formally identified, the agency said. Relief teams and army personnel have moved into Garut to search for those still missing, while drones are assessing the scale of destruction from the air, disaster agency head Willem Rampangilei said in a statement. “There is plenty of food and clean water available. The community is also helping out,” Rampangilei said, adding that a disaster report had been sent to President Joko Widodo. Temporary shelters and makeshift kitchens have been established to assist the estimated 430 people left homeless, with blankets and clothing being trucked in by emergency crews. Elsewhere in West Java, emergency crews were still searching for one person missing in the wake of a massive landslide in Sumedang district that killed three others, disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told AFP. An avalanche of mud, rock and water tore through a village in Sumedang late Tuesday without warning, flattening homes and a mosque and burying people beneath rubble. Landslides and flooding are common in Indonesia, a vast tropical archipelago prone to natural disasters and torrential downpours. The country’s disaster agency has warned people to be alert for disasters this wet season as a La Nina weather phenomenon threatens unseasonably heavy rain. In June nearly 50 people died when heavy downpours sent torrents of water, mud and rock surging into villages in Central Java, another densely-populated province on Indonesia’s main island. -AFP[SEP]JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Torrential rains triggered floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Java, killing at least 19 villagers, an official said Wednesday. Nine people are still missing in West Java’s Garut and Sumedang districts, said National Disaster Management Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. The worst-hit district was Garut, where 16 people were found dead and eight others are still missing after two rivers overflowed Tuesday night. A list from the agency shows the dead in Garut include an 8-month-old baby, five other children and seven women. Nugroho said about 1,000 villagers were evacuated to army barracks and other temporary shelters. He said three villagers were killed in Sumedang and one person was still missing after landslides buried two houses and destroyed a mosque. About 100 villagers were evacuated. A total of more than 30 villagers were injured in both districts, Nugroho said. Rains frequently caused landslides and widespread flooding across much of Indonesia, an archipelago where millions of people live in mountainous areas or on flood plains near rivers.

Heavy rainfall, flooding, and landslides in the Indonesian province of West Java kill at least ten people and leave three others missing.

Image copyright AP Image caption Aid agencies say that increasing numbers of migrants are trying to cross the Mediterranean from north Africa At least 42 people have drowned after a migrant boat capsized off the Egyptian coast, officials say. The boat was carrying about 600 passengers, of whom about 150 have been rescued, state media reported. It capsized off the coast of Kafr al-Sheikh. Wednesday's incident comes after the head of the EU's border agency warned that increasing numbers of Europe-bound migrants are using Egypt as a departure point. The boat was transporting Egyptian, Syrian, Sudanese, Eritrean and Somali migrants, security officials told Reuters. Health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said the number of bodies recovered had reached 42 after local officials earlier told Reuters that the bodies of 20 men, 10 women and one child had been retrieved. Sudanese and "other African nationalities" are among the dead, AFP news agency reports. It is not clear where the planned final destination was, although officials said the boat was probably heading for Italy. Human rights researchers warned last month of a "devastating" lack of information for families of migrants thought to have drowned in the Mediterranean. Image copyright AP Image caption Many of those trying to reach Europe from North Africa are children They say more than 6,600 refugees drowned in the Mediterranean in 2015 and the first half of this year. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) released figures in July suggesting that 2016 could become the worst year to date for migrant deaths. It said that about 3,000 migrants and refugees had lost their lives so far this year trying to cross the Mediterranean. But a report by UK academics warned that most bodies remain unidentified and their families are left not knowing if missing relatives are dead or alive. The EU border agency Frontex said in August that more than 12,000 migrants arrived in Italy from Egypt between January and September, compared with 7,000 over the same period in 2015. It says that Egypt is the "new hotspot" for people smugglers, with concerns that its population of about 80 million people may pose a major problem should it descend into chaos. Frontex director Fabrice Leggeri said that work was being done to determine whether there was a link between the drop in numbers departing from Turkey - where only about 50 people a day try to make the journey to reach Greece compared to thousands this time last year - and the increase in numbers from Egypt. The [Egyptian] route is growing," Mr Leggeri said. "The crossing is extremely dangerous [and can often] take longer than 10 days." Other aid agencies have also warned about an increase in numbers from Egypt, especially after a migrant swap deal was agreed between the EU and Turkey in March. "If you think that you have had a migrant crisis up until now, that will be a game changer," said Catherine Woollard, secretary general of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), a Brussels-based network of NGOs. Ms Woollard said that some conflict and crisis experts are looking "at Egypt in terms of potential collapse". The Egypt office of the IOM say high birth rates and few job opportunities are pushing young Egyptians into taking the risk. However, officials say Libya still remains the biggest departure point with flows at around the same level this year as last year.[SEP]Migrant boat carrying 600 capsizes off Egypt coast killing at least 29 -local officials CAIRO, Sept 21 (Reuters) - A boat carrying around 600 migrants has capsized off the Egyptian coast, killing at least 29 people, security sources and local officials told Reuters on Wednesday. "An illegal migration boat has capsized off the coast of Kafr al-Sheiklh carrying 600 migrants in the largest illegal migration operation through the Kafr al-Sheikh coast so far," state news agency MENA quoted a local official as saying. Rescue workers have saved 150 people, MENA said. The boat was carrying Egyptian, Syrian, and African migrants, security sources told Reuters. (Reporting by Mohamed Abdellah, Omar Fahmy, and Ahmed Mohamed Hassan; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Lin Noueihed)[SEP]A boat carrying around 600 migrants has capsized off the Egyptian coast, killing at least 29 people, security sources and local officials told Reuters on Wednesday. “An illegal migration boat has capsized off the coast of Kafr al-Sheikh carrying 600 migrants in the largest illegal migration operation through the Kafr al-Sheikh coast so far,” state news agency MENA quoted a local official as saying. Rescue workers have saved 150 people, MENA said. The boat was carrying Egyptian, Syrian, and African migrants, security sources told Reuters. It was not immediately clear where the boat that sank on Wednesday was headed, though some security sources said they believed it was going to Italy. More and more people have been trying to cross to Italy from the African coastline in recent months as the weather improves, particularly from Libya, where people-traffickers operate with relative impunity, but also from Egypt. Some 320 migrants and refugees drowned off the Greek island of Crete in June. Migrants who survived had told authorities their boat set sail from Egypt Some 206,400 migrants and refugees have crossed the Mediterranean this year, according to the International Organisation for Migration. More than 2,800 deaths have been recorded between January and June this year, against 1,838 during the period last year.[SEP]Migrant boat carrying 600 capsizes off Egypt, at least 29 dead CAIRO, Sept 21 (Reuters) - A boat carrying around 600 people capsized off Egypt's coast, killing at least 29, officials said on Wednesday, in the latest disaster to befall migrants attempting to make the crossing to Europe. The boat sank in the Mediterranean Sea off Burg Rashid, a village in the northern Beheira province. Of the 29 bodies found so far, 18 were men, 10 were women and one was a child, local officials said. "Initial information indicates that the boat sank because it was carrying more people than its limit. The boat tilted and the migrants fell into the water," a senior security official in Beheira told Reuters. Rescue workers have so far saved 150 people, officials said. The boat was carrying Egyptian, Syrian, and African migrants, they added. It was not immediately clear where the boat was headed, though officials said they believed it was going to Italy. More and more people have been trying to cross to Italy from the African coastline over the summer months, particularly from Libya, where people-traffickers operate with relative impunity, but also from Egypt. Some 320 migrants and refugees drowned off the Greek island of Crete in June. Migrants who survived told authorities their boat set sail from Egypt Some 206,400 migrants and refugees have crossed the Mediterranean this year, according to the International Organization for Migration. More than 2,800 deaths were recorded between January and June, versus 1,838 during the same period last year. World leaders, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, gathered in New York this week at the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the migrant crisis. (Reporting by Mohamed Abdellah, Omar Fahmy, and Ahmed Mohamed Hassan; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Lin Noueihed and Mark Trevelyan)[SEP]A refugee boat carrying 600 people bound for Europe has capsized off the coast of Egypt, killing at least 29 people. Local officials said 150 of the 600 had been rescued, describing it as one of the largest operation off Egypt's coast in the Mediterranean refugee crisis so far. "An illegal migration boat has capsized off the coast of Kafr al-Sheiklh carrying 600 migrants in the largest illegal migration operation through the Kafr al-Sheikh coast so far," state news agency MENA quoted a local official as saying. The boat was carrying Egyptian, Syrian, and African migrants, security sources told the Reuters news agency. The sinking came as world leaders met for a special summit on the refugee crisis in New York. US President Barack Obama, who called the Leaders Summit on Refugees, said the crisis was "one of the most urgent tests of ourt time". "This crisis is a test of our common humanity -- whether we give in to suspicion and fear and build walls, or whether we see ourselves in another," he said. "Those girls being trafficked and tortured, they could be our daughters. That little boy on the beach could be our son or our grandson. We cannot avert our eyes or turn our backs."[SEP]Migrant boat capsizes off Egypt, killing at least 29 CAIRO (AP) — A boat carrying African migrants headed to Europe capsized off the Mediterranean coast near the Egyptian city of Alexandria on Wednesday, killing at least 29 people, Egyptian authorities said. Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said that the total number of dead was still unknown. Local official Alaa Osman from Beheira province said the migrants were from several African countries. He said 155 people have been rescued so far but that bodies are still being pulled from the water. Egypt's official news agency MENA said the boat was carrying 600 people. Thousands of illegal migrants have made the dangerous sea voyage across the Mediterranean in recent years fleeing war and poverty, mostly via lawless Libya. Thousands have drowned. The number of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Egypt to Europe has increased significantly in the past year, EU border agency Frontex said earlier this month. More than 12,000 migrants arrived in Italy from Egypt between January and September, compared to 7,000 in the same period last year, it said. Experts say smugglers in Egypt mostly use old fishing vessels, stuffed way beyond capacity both below and above deck.[SEP]CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian authorities say a boat carrying African migrants headed to Europe has capsized off the Mediterranean coast near the city of Alexandria, killing at least 20 people. Health Ministry official Alaa Osman from Beheira province says that 155 people have been rescued, but that bodies are still being found in the area. He says the migrants were from several African countries. Egypt’s official news agency MENA said the boat had been carrying 600 people. Thousands of illegal migrants have made the dangerous sea voyage across the Mediterranean in recent years fleeing war and poverty, mostly via lawless Libya. Thousands have drowned.[SEP]Migrant boat capsizes off Egypt, killing at least 30 A boat carrying migrants capsized Wednesday in the Mediterranean off Egypt's north coast, killing 30 people and triggering an operation in which another 150 were rescued, officials said. The vessel overturned off the port city of Rosetta, police and health officials said, with the total number of people on board not immediately clear. The tragedy comes months after the EU's border agency Frontex warned growing numbers of migrants bound for Europe were turning to Egypt as a departure point for the perilous sea journey. Smugglers often overload the boats, some of them scarcely seaworthy, with passengers who have paid for the journey. "Thirty bodies have been recovered," said health ministry official Adel Khalifa, updating an earlier toll. Emergency workers had rescued 150 passengers, Khalifa and two police officials said. The health ministry said earlier in a statement that 29 people had drowned "when a boat carrying illegal migrants capsized off the coast of Rosetta". Hospitals were being prepared to receive more casualties, it added. More than 10,000 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean for Europe since 2014, according to the United Nations. Asylum-seekers have been seeking other ways to reach Europe since March, when Balkan countries closed the popular overland route and the EU agreed a deal with Turkey to halt departures. "Egypt is starting to become a departure country," Frontex chief Fabrice Leggeri said in an interview with the Funke group of German regional newspapers in June. "The number of boat crossings from Egypt to Italy has reached 1,000 (so far) this year," he said. More than 300,000 migrants who have crossed the Mediterranean so far this year from various points of departure, the UN said this week. The number is down from 520,000 in the first nine months of 2015. Despite the lower numbers attempting the dangerous sea crossing, fatality rates had risen, with 2016 on track to be "the deadliest year on record in the Mediterranean Sea," said the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). In June, a boat capsized near Sicily, drowning at least 169 migrants. Earlier that month, a boat carrying hundreds of migrants sank off the Greek island of Crete and the bodies 104 migrants washed up on a beach in Libya. Different patterns have emerged in the two European countries, Greece and Italy, which receive the vast majority of migrants. Arrivals in Italy this year stood at 130,411, on a par with the 132,000 people who landed over the same period in 2015, said the UNHCR. But Greece has seen 165,750 migrants and refugees land on its shores this year, a 57 percent drop against 2015 figures. Arrivals began falling after a March deal between the European Union and Turkey on curbing migrant flows across the Mediterranean. The European Union launched "Operation Sophia" last year to destroy smuggler boats that could be used to ferry migrants across the sea. An EU official told AFP this month that almost 300 smuggler boats had been put out of commission in the past year. The official, who did not want to be identified by name, said the migrants on the seized vessels were all transferred to the nearest safe ports and will be considered for asylum as refugees.[SEP]People gather along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea during a search for victims after a migrant boat capsized in Al Beheira, Egypt, Wednesday (Reuters photo) BURG RASHID, Egypt — A boat carrying almost 600 people capsized off Egypt's coast on Wednesday, killing at least 43, in the latest disaster among migrants trying to reach Europe. The boat sank in the Mediterranean Sea off Burg Rashid, a village in the northern Beheira province. Officials said 31 bodies had been found, 20 men, 10 women and one child. A Reuters correspondent later saw a fishing boat bring in 12 more bodies, bringing the total so far to 43. Rescue workers have so far saved 154 people, officials said, meaning about 400 could still be missing. "Initial information indicates that the boat sank because it was carrying more people than its limit. The boat tilted and the migrants fell into the water," a senior security official in Beheira told Reuters. The boat had been carrying Egyptian, Sudanese, Eritrean, and Somali migrants, officials said. At a coastguard checkpoint in Burg Rashid, where the Mediterranean meets the Nile, dozens gathered, anxiously waiting for news of missing relatives. "I am not going to leave until I see Mohamed," Ratiba Ghonim wailed. Her 16-year-old brother had left an impoverished village nearby in search of a better life. "It is his destiny to leave yesterday and come back dead today. They still haven't pulled his body out of the water." Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said all resources possible would be directed into the rescue mission and that those responsible had to be brought to justice. It was not immediately clear where the boat had been heading. Officials said they believed it was going to Italy. More and more people have been trying to cross to Italy from the African coast over the summer months, particularly from Libya, where people-traffickers operate with relative impunity, but also from Egypt. Some 320 migrants and refugees drowned off the Greek island of Crete in June. Migrants who survived told authorities their boat had set sail from Egypt. Some 206,400 migrants and refugees have crossed the Mediterranean this year, according to the International Organisation for Migration. More than 2,800 deaths were recorded between January and June, compared with 1,838 during the same period last year. World leaders, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, gathered in New York this week at the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the migrant crisis. Some 1.3 million migrants reached Europe's shores last year fleeing war and economic hardship, prompting bitter rows among states over how to share responsibility. If they survive the perilous maritime journey, migrants this year face stronger EU border controls. Mohamed Nasrawy, an Egyptian fisherman, said he knew seven people on the shipwrecked vessel, two of whom were still missing. He made an abortive effort to travel to Greece a year ago. "Look how this incident has shocked people, but tonight more people are going to set sail," he told Reuters. "The poverty that they are living in is what is pushing them. Although we are not Europeans, they take good care of people, while our country doesn't."[SEP]A boat carrying migrants capsized Wednesday off the coast of Egypt, killing at least 29 people and sparking an operation in which another 150 were rescued, officials said. Search and rescue teams were looking for more survivors following the tragedy which took place off the Mediterranean port city of Rosetta, two police officials said. It comes months after the EU's border agency Frontex warned growing numbers of migrants bound for Europe were turning to Egypt as a departure point for the perilous sea journey. Smugglers often overload the boats, some of them scarcely seaworthy, with passengers who have paid for the journey. "Twenty-nine people have died and five were injured when a boat carrying illegal migrants capsized off the coast of Rosetta," the health ministry said in a statement. The total number of people who were on board the boat was not immediately clear. The health ministry said hospitals were being prepared to receive more casualties. More than 10,000 people have died crossing the Mediterranean to Europe since 2014, according to the United Nations. With the closure of the Balkans route popular with migrants seeking to reach northern European countries, as well as an EU deal with Turkey to halt departures, asylum seekers have been turning to other options. "Egypt is starting to become a departure country," Frontex chief Fabrice Leggeri said in an interview with the Funke group of German regional newspapers in June. "The number of boat crossings from Egypt to Italy has reached 1,000 (so far) this year," he said. More than 300,000 migrants who have crossed the Mediterranean so far this year from various points of departure, the UN said this week. The number is down from 520,000 in the first nine months of 2015. Despite the lower numbers attempting the dangerous sea crossing, fatality rates had risen, with 2016 on track to be "the deadliest year on record in the Mediterranean Sea," said the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). In June, a boat capsized near Sicily, drowning at least 169 migrants. Earlier that month, a boat carrying hundreds of migrants sank off the Greek island of Crete and the bodies 104 migrants washed up on a beach in Libya. Different patterns have emerged in the two European countries, Greece and Italy, which receive the vast majority of migrants. Arrivals in Italy this year stood at 130,411, on a par with the 132,000 people who landed over the same period in 2015, said the UNHCR. But Greece has seen 165,750 migrants and refugees land on its shores this year, a 57 percent drop against 2015 figures. Arrivals began falling after a March deal between the European Union and Turkey on curbing migrant flows across the Mediterranean.

A migrant boat carrying some 600 passengers capsizes off the coast of Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt, killing at least 52 people, with hundreds more missing.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Blackout left parts of San Juan in the dark A big fire at a power plant has left 1.5 million people without electricity in the US territory of Puerto Rico. The fire affected two transmission lines and caused the collapse of the electricity system across the island, officials say. Supply is expected to be restored to most areas on Thursday. Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority has been undergoing restructuring and is seeking funds to update what it says is outdated equipment. The fire department said it had extinguished the blaze at the power plant in the south of the island, which serves most of the island's 3.5 million people. The cause of the fire is still unclear. Image copyright Reuters Image copyright Reuters There was traffic chaos as the outage forced schools and businesses to close earlier, reports say. The blackout also caused 15 fires across Puerto Rico as a result of malfunctioning generators.[SEP]Fire at plant knocks out power across most of Puerto Rico SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A fire at a major electric plant in Puerto Rico has knocked out power in almost all of the U.S. territory. A spokeswoman for the Electric Power Authority said Wednesday that officials are trying to determine what happened. The firefighting department said on Twitter that crews were on their way to put out a large fire at an electric plant in southern Puerto Rico that serves a majority of clients on the island of 3.5 million people. Heavy storms are affecting the area where the plant is located. The widespread outage is snarling traffic as people prepare to leave work. It is unclear when power would be restored. The heavily indebted power company is undergoing a restructuring and seeking funds to update what it says is outdated equipment.[SEP]A huge blackout hit Puerto Rico on Wednesday, leaving millions of citizens without power, as investigators look into fixing of the outage. The Electric Power Authority, which provides electricity for the entire island, say they expect power to be restored by Thursday. The blackout was caused by a fire started by energy switches at a major facility in Aguirre which damaged power lines. That facility serves a majority of island residents. Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said the fire began in a switch and destroyed a system that provides 30 percent of Puerto Rico’s overall power, according to the Sentinel. The power company said two transmission lines of 230 thousand volts have been damaged. The blackout began at about 2:30 p.m., Univision reported. The company said in a press release that no injuries had been reported and the fire was controlled. The power company’s executive director said during a press conference that power lines are being inspected and they have activated a plan to restore service. Each unit at the facility will be energized “sequentially” in order to jumpstart available electricity generation. Restoring service to hospitals, airports, police stations and Aqueducts and Sewers Authority plants will be the priority, according to a press release. “We are working hard to achieve recovery [of the] system and restore service to our customers,” said Javier Quintana Mendez. “We ask the public to remain calm in this situation and our colleagues remind you the most important thing is the safety of everyone.” According to the AEMEAD, an emergency and disaster agency in Puerto Rico, the fire was brought under control around 5 p.m. El Nuevo Dia newspaper first reported that a failure in transmission at the Aguirre site caused a “total collapse of the system” which led to loss of power. An energy switch at the facility which distributes energy seemed to be the cause, according to El Nuevo Dia. The power outage angered many Puerto Ricans who on average, pay power bills that are twice as costly as bills on the U.S. mainland, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The Electric Power Authority has faced numerous allegations of corruption, according to the Sentinel. They are facing a $9 billion debt and officials say they are seeking more revenue to update what they say is old equipment.[SEP]SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Repair crews worked through the night trying to restore electricity to Puerto Rico’s 3.5 million people early Thursday after a fire at a power plant blacked out the entire U.S. territory. Officials said they hoped to restore service by morning, but some schools canceled classes for the day as a precaution. The island’s largest public hospital canceled elective surgeries and non-urgent appointments, while government officials and private groups put off dozens of scheduled events. The Electric Power Authority said investigators were trying to determine what caused the fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon at a power plant in southern Puerto Rico that serves a majority of customers on the island. The fire began at a switch and caused two transmission lines of 230,000 volts each to fail. “This is a very serious event,” Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said. “The system is not designed to withstand a failure of this magnitude.” The outage was the latest hit for an island mired in a decade-long economic crisis and whose government has warned it is running out of money as it seeks to restructure nearly $70 billion in public debt. Javier Quintana, the power company’s executive director, said he expected most power to be restored by morning. He said airports, hospitals, police stations and water pumping stations would get priority. Many Puerto Ricans expressed doubts that power would be restored quickly, saying the economic slump has affected basic government services. Hundreds of people took to social media to criticize the Electric Power Authority, noting that they already pay bills on average twice that of the U.S. mainland. It was unclear how much damage the fire caused or where the power company would obtain the money to repair or buy new equipment. The utility is struggling with a $9 billion debt that it hopes to restructure as it faces numerous corruption allegations. Company officials have said they are seeking more revenue to update what they say is outdated equipment. The governor, however, said that no amount of money or maintenance would have prevented the fire. He said the switch where the fire began had received proper maintenance. Authorities said Wednesday’s outage caused 15 fires across Puerto Rico as a result of malfunctioning generators, including at the upscale Vanderbilt hotel in the popular tourist area of Condado and at the mayor’s office in the northern coastal town of Catano. All those fires were extinguished and no one was injured, officials said. The blackout knocked out traffic lights, snarling the island’s roads. Businesses, universities and government offices closed early, putting even more cars on chaotic roads. Some people opted to not go home and hotels in the capital of San Juan quickly filled up. As the sun set, people crowded into restaurants running on generators. Others chatted with neighbors while standing or sitting at opened doors and windows trying to beat the hot night.[SEP]A power outage on the island has left nearly 1.5 million people without power, according to a statement from the government-run electric company AEE. The blackout is affecting most of the country, causing traffic jams and forcing business closures. But telecommunications services are working normally and the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport continues to operate, Alejandro García Padilla, the governor of Puerto Rico, said at a news conference. Padilla said the outage will last for hours, though some areas may get electricity back in two to four hours. AEE said the blackout begun after a fire at its Aguierre power plant, but it is under control. No injuries have been reported. At the moment, the government does not believe that the outage was the result of any kind of sabotage to the electric power company, but that will need to be investigated, Padilla said.[SEP]A big fire erupted at an electricity plant that powers most of Puerto Rico on Wednesday, and a blackout swept across the U.S. territory of 3.5 million people. The Electric Power Authority said two transmission lines of 230,000 volts each failed for reasons still being investigated. Spokeswoman Yohari Molina said in a phone interview that it was unclear when power would be restored. The island's fire department said it extinguished a blaze at the power plant in southern Puerto Rico that serves a majority of customers on the island. Heavy storms were affecting the area where the plant is. Authorities said the outage caused 15 fires across Puerto Rico as a result of malfunctioning generators, including at the upscale Vanderbilt hotel in the popular tourist area of Condado and at the mayor's office in the northern coastal town of Catano. All those fires were put out and no one was injured, officials said. The blackout snarled road traffic across the island and the government had to cancel train service in the capital of San Juan and close a busy traffic tunnel in the island's southern region. Businesses, universities and government offices closed early, creating even more chaos on roads. "I call on people to cooperate and respect drivers and government officials ... to avoid any regrettable incidents," Transportation Secretary Miguel Torres said. The outage angered many Puerto Ricans who are struggling with power bills that are on average twice that of the U.S. mainland. People took to social media to demand where exactly their money is going. The power company has faced numerous allegations of corruption and is struggling with a $9-billion debt that it hopes to restructure. Company officials have said they are seeking more revenue to update what they say is outdated equipment. 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Alejandro Garcia Padilla told reporters the fire began in a switch and initially destroyed a system that provides 30 percent of Puerto Rico's overall power. "This is a very serious event," he said. "The system is not designed to withstand a failure of this magnitude." He did not directly answer a question about whether the power company has any kind of backup should another similar situation occur, or if the island was hit by a major hurricane. "I assume complete responsibility," Garcia said of the outage. "Everyone knows that the company's maintenance problems began decades ago." The power company is struggling with a $9 billion debt that it hopes to restructure as it faces numerous corruption allegations. Company officials have said they are seeking more revenue to update what they say is outdated equipment. Garcia, however, said that no amount of money or maintenance would have prevented the fire. Authorities said the outage caused 15 fires across Puerto Rico as a result of malfunctioning generators, including at the upscale Vanderbilt hotel in the popular tourist area of Condado and at the mayor's office in the northern coastal town of Catano. All those fires were put out and no one was injured, officials said. . The outage also affected water service across the island, with officials urging customers to be prudent in their usage. The blackout snarled road traffic and the government had to cancel train service in the capital of San Juan and close a busy traffic tunnel in the south. Businesses, universities and government offices shuttered early, creating even more chaos on roads. A police officer directing traffic was hit and taken to the hospital. "I call on people to cooperate and respect drivers and government officials ... to avoid any regrettable incidents," Transportation Secretary Miguel Torres said. The outage angered many Puerto Ricans who are struggling with power bills that are on average twice that of the U.S. mainland. People took to social media to demand where exactly their money is going. Puerto Rico is mired in a decade-long economic slump, and a newly created federal control board is working to restructure nearly $70 billion in public debt that the governor has said is unpayable.[SEP]Britain's first new gas plant in 3 years starts power production LONDON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Britain's first new large gas plant in three years began electricity generation this week, the owner of the Carrington plant near Manchester said. The plant, with a capacity of 880 megawatts, can generate enough electricity to power around 1 million homes. "Carrington Power Station is the first large-scale gas-fired power plant to come online in Great Britain since 2013," Irish utility ESB, the plant's owner, said in an emailed statement, adding that first commercial operations began on Monday. "As well as providing 880MW of reliable baseload electricity, Carrington Power Station will be one of the most flexible plants providing fast back-up to intermittent wind and solar generation when it is needed most," ESB said. The plant has already secured a contract for the winter of 2019/20 under the government's new capacity market scheme, which pays owners of power plants to provide back-up electricity at short notice. The scheme will kick in when supply is too low to meet demand, for instance when renewable energy sources fail to produce enough power or when thermal power plants close or have failures. Britain, which last week gave the go-ahead for EDF to build its 18 billion pound ($23.32 billion) Hinkley C nuclear project, needs several new power plants to be built over the next decade to replace its ageing power fleet. All but one of Britain's existing nuclear plants, which produce around a fifth of the country's electricity, are set to close by 2030 as the plants come to the end of their operational lifespan. Coal-fired power plants provided around a quarter of the country's electricity last year, but the government plans to close these by 2025 as a part of its efforts to meet climate targets. ($1 = 0.7718 pounds) (Reporting by Susanna Twidale; Editing by Adrian Croft)[SEP]Kenya Power has agreed to renegotiate terms of an electricity buying contract signed with Mumias Sugar Company in a move expected to ease the burden of the miller which has been making losses on co-generation. Kenya Power managing director Ben Chumo said the two entities need to balance the agreements for mutual benefit. Mumias has been pushing for the review of the contract, saying its terms are not friendly as Kenya Power has retained low rates for a long time. The losses are mainly attributed to low feed-in tariffs and penalties that Kenya Power levies the sugar miller for interrupted supplies. The power utility firm has been slapping the miller with a penalty in the event that it does not supply power to the national grid as a result of stoppages occasioned by operation challenges. “The agreement should be balanced to make both parties work together amicably. My team has already assured them (Mumias) of my support and commitment to have the past be lessons and move forward powered by mutual positive interest,” Mr Chumo said on phone. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett, speaking to the Business Daily, noted that the current terms are not friendly to the miller. “In developing the power agreement between the two organisations, one power was cleverer than the other. There is need to review the contract,” said Mr Bett. The firm is grappling with shortage of sugarcane, which has in turn affected production of power for its own consumption and feeding the national grid. The firm uses bagasse to make electricity and the shortage of raw material implies that it cannot generate power. In the six months to December 2015, the energy generation unit at Mumias recorded zero revenue as the miller did not sell any electricity to Kenya Power. The shortage of cane has seen the Nairobi Exchange listed company crush cane for only two days in a week. The miller blames competitors for the shortage, claiming that they are poaching sugarcane from its contracted farmers. Diversification into other revenue streams is one of the conditions put in place by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) before the sugar market is liberalised to allow imports to come in the country without restrictions.

A fire at a power plant at Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority causes a blackout which leaves 1.5 million people without electricity.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Police cars attacked in Charlotte protests Twelve police officers have been injured during protests sparked by the police shooting of a black man in Charlotte, North Carolina. Demonstrators destroyed marked police cars around the block of flats where the shooting took place, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department tweeted. One officer was hit in the face with a rock, it said. Earlier on Tuesday, Keith Lamont Scott, 43, was shot by a black officer and died in hospital. Police say he was carrying a gun and posed an "imminent deadly threat", but relatives told local media he was not holding a weapon but a book. "He didn't have no gun," a woman identifying herself as his sister told local television. "He wasn't messing with nobody." Image copyright Reuters Image caption Protesters took to the streets after Keith Lamont Scott was shot in a car park outside a block of flats Protesters outraged over the incident blocked streets and police used tear gas, local media reported. Mayor Jennifer Roberts appealed for calm, and said the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott would be looked into. "The community deserves answers and full investigation will ensue," she tweeted. "Will be reaching out to community leaders to work together." The unrest came a day after police in the city of Tulsa, in Oklahoma, said a black man they had killed on Friday was unarmed. Hundreds of people have been protesting outside police headquarters there. Terence Crutcher was walking away with his hands in the air when he was shot by police, his family said. Video footage showed him walking with his arms raised to the door of his vehicle, but a lawyer for the officer who shot Mr Crutcher said he had ignored officers' commands. The footage at the moment of the shooting is not clear. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Tulsa shooting: 'Police didn't give my brother a chance' In Charlotte, officers had been looking for a different suspect at a block of flats when Mr Scott was killed, police spokesman Keith Trietley said. They saw Mr Scott get out of a car carrying a gun before getting back in, he said. When the officers approached, Mr Scott got out of the car with the gun again and police opened fire after deeming him a threat. He was not the suspect police were originally looking for, Mr Trietley confirmed. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Protesters in Charlotte chanted "stop killing us" Brentley Vinson, the officer who shot Mr Scott, has been placed on administrative leave as part of police protocol. A woman claiming to be Mr Scott's daughter has contested the police department's account in a Facebook video, the Charlotte Observer reports. She says Mr Scott was unarmed and reading while he was waiting for his son's school bus and was tasered before being shot four times. She also said he was disabled. Police have not responded to the claims but say they recovered a gun at the scene. Have you been at the protests or been witness to any of the events in Charlotte? You can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a telephone number if you are happy to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: WhatsApp: +44 7525 900971 Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 Read the terms and conditions.[SEP]Charlotte, North Carolina (CNN) One person was shot Wednesday during a second night of protests over a deadly police shooting in Charlotte, city officials said. The person, who was not identified, is in critical condition and on life support, the city tweeted. Earlier, the city had tweeted that the person had died. The person was shot by another civilian, the city said. One police officer was injured, according to a city tweet. The officer was transported to a hospital with undisclosed injuries. The riot and protests came on a day in which the city's police chief gave more details on the shooting that took the life of Keith Lamont Scott. Chief Kerr Putney addressed the Scott family's claim that he was reading a book in his vehicle when police officers approached and shot him. Putney said Scott, an African-American, was armed and no book was found at the scene. He was shot by an African-American officer after refusing repeated demands to put down a gun, which was recovered from the scene, Putney said. Wednesday night, scores of protesters gathered in two locations in Charlotte. Mayor Jennifer Roberts, who spoke by phone with CNN's Don Lemon, called on demonstrators to heed calls from Scott's family and the NAACP to remain peaceful. "Go home and tell everyone violence is not the answer. The investigation is ongoing, it will be transparent," she said. A protest in a park was peaceful, the mayor said, and the rioting downtown was from a small group of agitators, the mayor said. Gov. Pat McCrory said the state is sending more troopers from the highway patrol to Charlotte. "Any violence directed toward our citizens or police officers or destruction of property should not be tolerated," he said in a statement. Many rioters and protesters dispersed after police fired tear gas before 11 p.m. ET. Some apparently turned over trash cans and set the contents on fire. A few windows in at least one store were broken and one had "black lives matters" spray-painted on it. Differing stories on shooting Scott's family said he was unarmed and sitting in his car reading a book on Tuesday, waiting for his son to come home from school. Putney said Scott exited his car with a gun, not a book. He said officers couldn't find a book at the scene. Keith Lamont Scott, shown with his wife, Rakeyia Scott. "It's time for the voiceless majority to stand up and be heard," said the police chief, who is black. "It's time to change the narrative because I can tell you from the facts that the story's a little bit different as to how it's been portrayed so far, especially through social media." Putney said evidence and witnesses support the officers' claim that Scott was armed. Officers repeatedly told Scott to drop his handgun, the chief said, but he didn't. Officer Brentley Vinson, who is black, then shot him. JUST WATCHED Chief: We found a gun, not a book Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Chief: We found a gun, not a book 00:55 The chief said he was not certain whether Scott pointed his gun at officers. Vinson, who was in plain clothes and wearing a CMPD vest, did not have a body camera. Three uniformed officers were wearing cameras, there is also dash cam recordings, and investigators are reviewing the footage, Putney said. The mayor said she will be watching video from the incident on Thursday. A person doesn't have to point a weapon directly at police to prompt deadly force, CNN law enforcement analyst Art Roderick said. "You don't have to actually wait until a handgun is pointed at you because you're talking milliseconds of a decision as to whether you're going to pull your trigger, or that individual is going to pull their trigger," Roderick said. Who is the officer? Officer Brentley Vinson Vinson has worked for Charlotte-Mecklenburg police for two years. He played football at Liberty University from 2009-2012 and majored in criminal justice, according to his biography on Liberty University's website. Former teammate Austin Marsh told CNN that Vinson was a "standup guy." "It breaks my heart to see something like this happen, and I have a really hard time believing that Brent shot a man in his car while waiting for his (son) for no reason," Marsh said. "Brent has always been a great guy founded on good morals. I find it very hard to believe that he would gun down an innocent man." CNN briefly spoke to Vinson's father, Alex Vinson, on the phone. He asked for privacy and said no one in the family would be speaking to the media. The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave, Mayor Jennifer Roberts said. Daughter streams video on Facebook Live JUST WATCHED Daughter learns of father's death while on Facebook Live Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Daughter learns of father's death while on Facebook Live 00:54 Moments after her father was shot, Lyric Scott started recording on Facebook Live, livid and screaming at officers on the scene. "They shot my daddy 'cause he's black," she said. "He was sitting in his car reading a mother******* book. So they shot him. That's what happened." Lyric, who keeps the camera on officers through most of the 31-minute video, said her father often goes outside to read a book. About halfway through the video, Lyric apparently learns from a news report that her father has died. She starts screaming and crying hysterically. "My daddy's dead! My daddy's dead!" she screams. "Where's the cop that shot my daddy?" On Wednesday, Keith Scott's wife released a statement saying her family is devastated and she called for protesters to remain calm. "Keith was a loving husband, father, brother and friend who will be deeply missed every day," Rakeyia Scott said. "As a family, we respect the rights of those who wish to protest, but we ask that people protest peacefully. Please do not hurt people or members of law enforcement, damage property or take things that do not belong to you in the name of protesting." Another controversial police shooting The Charlotte case is the latest in a series of controversial shootings of black men by police. Protesters have been demanding justice and an end to police brutality for months. JUST WATCHED Chief: Scott was told to drop his gun Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Chief: Scott was told to drop his gun 02:14 Last week's fatal shooting of Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man in Tulsa, Oklahoma, sparked protests after video of the killing was aired Monday. Crutcher's father, the Rev. Joey Crutcher, said the overnight protests in Charlotte are "just a continuation of the same thing over and over and over again." "And it's perpetuated against people of color more than anything else," he said. "If it would have been in the reverse, if it would have been a Caucasian, it would have been totally different." JUST WATCHED Video shows protesters attack police car Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Video shows protesters attack police car 01:10 "They have once again highlighted -- in the most vivid and painful terms -- the real divisions that still persist in this nation between law enforcement and communities of color," Lynch said. She denounced the violence that erupted in Charlotte. "Protest is protected by our Constitution and is a vital instrument for raising issues and creating change. But when it turns violent, it undermines the very justice that it seeks to achieve."[SEP]Ugly scenes emerged from Wednesday night’s rioting in Charlotte, including Twitter video of a white man being beaten and dragged by a mob, and the brother of the black man whose death in a police shooting touched off protests telling media that all white people are “devils.” Charlotte officials appealed for calm on Thursday, two days after 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott was killed and just hours after violent riots stemming from Scott's death. The unrest resulted in one man being shot and killed, while several several police officers and civilians were injured. Police made 44 arrests. Images and language in this video may be disturbing to some viewers: “Just know that all white people are f****** devils, all white cops are f******* devils and white people," said a man identified as Scott's brother. The police officer who shot Scott was African-American. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency at 12:30 a.m. and called in the National Guard after Charlotte’s police chief said he needed the help. "The events that we saw last night are not the Charlotte I know and love," Mayor Jennifer Roberts said during a Thursday morning news conference. "They are not reflective of our community, of the deep-seated traditions we have of collaboration and peace." Roberts called for a "full, transparent investigation" of the police shooting on Tuesday of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott, however, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney would not commit to releasing video of the incident to the public. Putney said Scott's family had asked to see the video and authorities were trying to "accomodate" that request. What started out on Wednesday evening as a prayer vigil after Scott's shooting turned into an angry march and then a night of violence. The unidentified civilian was shot as protesters charged police in riot gear trying to protect an upscale hotel. Video obtained and verified by The Associated Press, which was recorded right after the shooting, shows someone lying in a pool of blood as people scream and a voice yells for someone to call for help. People are then told to back up from the scene. The chaos resulted in two police officers receiving treatment for eye injuries and three others for heat-related issues, Putney said. Nine civilians were also hurt. Those arrested were charged with varying crimes, including failure to disperse, assault and breaking and entering. Demonstrators shouted "black lives matter" and "hands up; don't shoot" while cursing at officers with bicycles blocking intersections. As the protesters approached the Omni hotel, officers in riot gear lined up outside arm in arm and a few marchers threw bottles and clods of dirt. Immediately after the Omni shooting, police began firing flash grenades and protesters threw fireworks. Police then fired tear gas, and the crowd of hundreds dispersed. But not all the marchers left. Police in riot gear then began marching arm in arm through downtown Charlotte intersections, shooting tear gas at people who charged them. At least one protester knocked down a CNN reporter during a live shot. Putney defended his officers' actions in an interview with Fox News' Megyn Kelly on "The Kelly File" Wednesday. "We're trying to disperse the crowd," Putney said. "We've been very patient, but now they've become very violent." The Associated Press contributed to this report.[SEP]CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Reuters) - One person was shot and gravely wounded on Wednesday in a second night of unrest in Charlotte, North Carolina, officials said, as riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse unruly protesters after the fatal police shooting of a black man. North Carolina’s mayor later declared a state of emergency amid the unrest and said the National Guard and state highway patrol troopers would be sent to help police in Charlotte. Charlotte Police Chief Kerr Putney initially reported that a person shot during the protest had died, but city officials later posted a Twitter message saying the individual had been hospitalized in critical condition on life support. The city also said the gunshot was fired by one civilian at another, not by police. A police officer was also being treated for injuries suffered during the protests, the city said. Putney told Fox News: “We’re trying to disperse the crowd. We’ve been very patient, but now they’ve become very aggressive, throwing bottles and so forth, at my officers, so it’s time for us now to restore order.” The flashpoint for Charlotte’s unrest was Tuesday’s fatal police shooting of Keith Scott, 43, who according to police was armed with a handgun and refused officers’ orders to drop the weapon. His family and a witness to the shooting said Scott was holding a book, not a firearm. Governor Pat McCrory said he was sending officers from the state Highway Patrol to assist local law enforcement at the request of Charlotte’s police chief. “Any violence directed toward our citizens or police officers or destruction of property should not be tolerated,” McCrory said in a statement. Authorities have not released any video of the incident but the city’s mayor said they planned to do so and the mayor said she would view the footage on Thursday. The latest trouble began with a peaceful rally that turned violent after several hundred demonstrators, chanting, “Black lives matter” and “No justice, no peace,” marched through downtown with brief stops at a black church, police headquarters and a large entertainment venue called the EpiCentre. As they approached downtown Charlotte’s central intersection, protesters confronted a column of patrol cars and officers in front of the Omni Charlotte Hotel and began to surround groups of police and their vehicles. Police then unleashed volleys of rubber bullets, tear gas and flash-bang grenades to disperse the protesters, who began hurling fireworks and debris at officers outside the hotel. The confrontation grew more intense as a phalanx of helmeted police carrying shields advanced down a street, pushing back a crowd of demonstrators who scurried for cover as officers fired more tear gas. Protesters were also seen looting a convenience store after smashing its windows and a shop that sells athletic wear for fans of Charlotte’s National Basketball League team, the Hornets. Others set fire to trash cans. A Charlotte resident, who gave his name only as Howard, told Reuters that the man shot Wednesday night was standing directly in front of him. “My first thought was it was non-lethal because police were shooting rubber bullets,” he said. However, the man lay on the ground motionless for a couple of minutes before someone rolled him over and blood was coming from his head, the witness said. Some protesters expressed anger at the lawlessness exhibited by fellow demonstrators. One woman was heard shouting, “Stop – that’s not what this is about,” as young women broke bottles in the street. “We are tired of people, especially police, killing our black men,” Blanche Penn, a longtime community activist, said at Wednesday evening’s rally, where the mood had begun as resolute but peaceful. “Charlotte has always been quiet. But now it’s time to be loud.” Scott’s wife, Rakeyia, issued a statement describing her family as “devastated” and appealing for calm. “We have more questions than answers about Keith’s death,” the statement said. Sixteen officers were injured late on Tuesday and early Wednesday as police in riot gear clashed with demonstrators who hurled stones, set fires and briefly blocked an interstate highway. Tuesday’s disturbances in Charlotte unfolded as demonstrators in Tulsa, Oklahoma, demanded the arrest of a police officer seen in a video last week fatally shooting an unarmed black man who had his hands in clear view at the time. The deaths were the latest incidents to raise questions of racial bias in U.S. law enforcement, and they stoked a national debate on policing ahead of the presidential election in November. President Barack Obama spoke by telephone on Wednesday with the mayors of Charlotte and Tulsa, a White House official said.[SEP]CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Authorities used tear gas to disperse protesters, officers were injured and a highway was shut down during protests in Charlotte, North Carolina, over the fatal shooting of a black man by police who said he was armed and posed a threat. The protests broke out Tuesday after 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott was fatally shot at an apartment complex on the city’s northeast side. They continued into early Wednesday morning, when TV footage showed dozens of protesters on Interstate 85 facing a line of law enforcement officers. At one point a fire flared up. Neither the North Carolina Highway Patrol nor Charlotte police could immediately be reached for comment. The North Carolina Department of Transportation website showed a portion of I-85 near UNC Charlotte was closed in both directions. The website said the closure is due to police activity. Earlier in the night, a larger group of demonstrators gathered near the scene of the shooting. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department tweeted that demonstrators were destroying marked police vehicles and that approximately 12 officers had been injured, including one who was hit in the face with a rock. Photos and TV video showed police firing tear gas to break up the crowd. Some officers were in riot gear. The unrest in Charlotte came just hours after another demonstration in Tulsa, Oklahoma, over the shooting there of an unarmed black man by police. Charlotte police officers went to the complex about 4 p.m. looking for a suspect with an outstanding warrant when they saw Scott — who was not the suspect they were looking for — inside a car, department spokesman Keith Trietley said in a statement. Officers saw Scott get out of the car with a gun and then get back in, Trietley said. When officers approached, the man exited the car with the gun again. At that point, officers deemed the man a threat and at least one fired a weapon, he said. Scott was taken to Carolinas Medical Center and pronounced dead. Officer Brentley Vinson, who shot Scott, has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in such cases. Vinson has been with the department for two years. Detectives recovered a gun at the scene and were interviewing witnesses, Trietley said. Police blocked access to the area, which is about a mile from the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, as protesters gathered after the shooting. Video from WCCB-TV in Charlotte showed police in riot gear stretched across a two-lane road confronting protesters at the apartment complex later in the night. Some of the officers flanked the main line on one side of the road. Some protesters were heard yelling “Black lives matter,” and “Hands up, don’t shoot!” One person held up a sign saying “Stop Killing Us.” Other footage showed protesters lingering around a police vehicle after shattering its windows. One television news crew retreated from the scene after demonstrators began rocking their remote van, which was parked near the apartment complex where the shooting occurred. Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts appealed for calm and tweeted that “the community deserves answers.” In Tulsa, hundreds of people rallied outside police headquarters calling for the firing of police officer Betty Shelby, who shot 40-year-old Terence Crutcher on Friday during a confrontation in the middle of a road that was captured on police dashcam and helicopter video. Shelby’s attorney has said Crutcher was not following the officers’ commands and that Shelby was concerned because he kept reaching for his pocket as if he was carrying a weapon. An attorney representing Crutcher’s family says Crutcher committed no crime and gave officers no reason to shoot him. Local and federal investigations into that shooting are ongoing.[SEP]Officers did not find a book where Keith Lamont Scott was shot Tuesday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said Wednesday. Scott's family had said he was reading a book in his car when he was shot. Putney also said that while witnesses and evidence indicate Scott had a handgun when he was shot, Putney could not say for certain Wednesday whether Scott was pointing the gun at officers. He said the officer who shot Scott, Brentley Vinson, was not wearing a body camera. [Breaking news update at 9:41 a.m. ET] Based on witnesses and evidence found, Keith Lamont Scott, the man killed by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Tuesday, exited his car with a handgun before he was shot, Police Chief Kerr Putney said Wednesday. [Previous story, published at 8:26 a.m. ET] Violent protests erupted overnight in Charlotte, North Carolina, after a police officer fatally shot a black man while trying to serve a warrant for a different man at an apartment complex. Police said the man killed, Keith Lamont Scott, had a gun. But his family members said he was carrying a book. Several hundred people gathered outside the complex Tuesday night, chanting "no justice, no peace!" and carrying signs reading "Black Lives Matter." The officer who killed Scott, Brentley Vinson, is also black, the mayor's office said Wednesday. The Charlotte case is the latest shooting involving an officer, and racial tensions are high nationwide following a spate of others. In Charlotte, police went to serve a warrant Tuesday and shot and killed a man in the parking lot of The Village at College Downs apartment complex in the University City neighborhood. Scott was not the person authorities were looking for, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said. Scott died at Carolinas Medical Center. A gun he was holding was found at the scene, police said. Family told CNN that Scott was a father of seven and was sitting in the car reading a book when officers arrived on the scene. The Tuesday afternoon shooting set off an angry crowd, which grew as the hours passed. Some threw bottles and rocks at officers working to control the protesters, but others implored them to stop. "That's when things really started to pick up. I would say not long before 11 p.m., police deployed tear gas ... as they tried to clear the streets," said Adam Rhew, associate editor for Charlotte magazine. After a brief lull, a crowd regrouped early Wednesday and blocked Interstate 85, one of two major expressways running through Charlotte. Some started a fire at the center of the highway, forcing vehicles and tractor-trailers to stall as far as the eye could see. Other protesters removed boxes from the back of semitrailers and set the items on fire. Police in riot gear formed a line and forced crowds away from the highway. Shortly after, the highway partially opened, but some protesters remained and continued chanting. Others jumped on top of a police van and stomped on it, breaking the windshield and other windows. At least 12 officers were injured, the police department tweeted. It did not provide details on the nature and severity of the injuries but said one officer was hit in the face with a rock. It's unclear why authorities were serving the warrant. While they were looking for the individual to serve, officers saw a man get out of a car with a gun, then get back into the vehicle, the police statement said. "The subject got back out of the vehicle armed with a firearm and posed an imminent deadly threat to the officers who subsequently fired their weapon striking the subject," police said. Police Chief Kerr Putney said at least one officer shot the man. Two investigative branches of the department are looking into the shooting, he said. Vinson, the officer involved in the shooting, has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Mayor Jennifer Roberts. He has worked for the department for two years. 'When will our lives truly matter?' "They said they want to question him. So because you wanted to question him, does his life mean more than our black men across the nation? It doesn't make any sense." Corine Mack, who attended the protests, said the community is frustrated. "When will our lives truly matter? A black father is dead. There are children tonight who will never see their father again," said Mack, who is president of the Charlotte chapter of the NAACP. "It clearly appears as if our lives don't matter. We need to change policies. We need to change procedure. We need to hold police accountable. It's a modern-day lynching. Charlotte is not a good place right now; we're in the throes of this problem." The mayor called for a full investigation into the shooting, saying she'll work with authorities on the case. "The community deserves answers and full investigation will ensue. Will be reaching out to community leaders to work together," the mayor tweeted.[SEP]CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on police shooting and protests in Charlotte, North Carolina (all times local): The streets in Charlotte, North Carolina, are quite Wednesday morning after angry protests over the fatal police shooting of a black man left officers injured and shut down an interstate. Police fire tear gas into the crowd of protesters on Old Concord Road late Tuesday night, Sept. 20, 2016, in Charlotte, N.C. A black police officer shot an armed black man at an apartment complex Tuesday, authorities said, prompting angry street protests late into the night. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department tweeted that demonstrators were destroying marked police vehicles and that approximately 12 officers had been injured, including one who was hit in the face with a rock. (Ely Portillo/The Charlotte Observer via AP) Traffic is flowing again on Interstate 85, hours after protesters blocked the highway and television footage showed some apparently looting semi-trucks and setting their contents on fire. No protesters could be seen around 5 a.m. but broken glass and rocks littered the ground where a police car had been vandalized during protests earlier. Less than 5 miles away, wooden pallets barricaded the entrance to a Wal-Mart that had apparently been looted. The protests broke out Tuesday after 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott was fatally shot by a black officer at an apartment complex on the city's northeast side. Demonstrators protesting the fatal shooting of a black man by a police officer in Charlotte, North Carolina, have shut down a small section of Interstate 85. TV footage early Wednesday showed dozens of protesters on the highway facing a line of law enforcement officers. At one point a fire flared up. The North Carolina Department of Transportation website shows a portion of the highway near UNC Charlotte is closed in both directions. The website says the closure is due to police activity. Neither the North Carolina Highway Patrol nor Charlotte police could immediately be reached for comment. The protest comes after police on Tuesday fatally shot 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott. Demonstrators had gathered earlier near the scene of the shooting before a smaller group moved to the highway.[SEP]Protests erupted for a second night in Charlotte, North Carolina, after a police officer shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott, a father of seven, on Tuesday.[SEP]CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The latest on police shooting and protests in Charlotte, North Carolina (all times local): Officials: Man shot during Charlotte protests has died, was not wounded by police officer. The emergency medical service in Charlotte says a person has been taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries from an apparent gunshot wound. Charlotte Medic tweeted that the person was injured Wednesday night but didn’t give details. The service says it has taken eight patients — seven law-enforcement officers and one civilian — to area hospitals during protests over the police shooting of a black man. Protesters have rushed police in riot gear at a downtown Charlotte hotel and officers have fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. At least one person was injured in the confrontation, though it wasn’t immediately clear how. Firefighters rushed in to pull the man to a waiting ambulance. Officers on bicycles surrounded a pool of blood on the ground and a few people threw bottles and clods of dirt at police. The tense standoff continued as police fired small canisters of tear gas into the protesters. Groups of college students are descending on the condominium complex parking lot where a black man was shot and killed by a black Charlotte police officer. One group of students came from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, about 80 miles away. Others came from Guilford College, also in Greensboro. Meanwhile, students and faculty from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte canvassed the neighborhood, some of them offering words of comfort while others passed out water. Before nightfall, a memorial was set up at the site where Scott was shot. People prayed and held candles, and flowers were placed beneath a table. A prayer vigil over the fatal police shooting of a black man in Charlotte has turned into a protest march through downtown. Several hundred marchers have been angry but peaceful Wednesday night as they shouted slogans like “Hands up; don’t shoot” and “Black lives matter” outside downtown landmarks. Police blocked off streets, and some protesters yelled and pointed at them, but officers did not react. The scene was in contrast to Tuesday’s protest, which turned violent with protesters threw rocks and damaged police vehicles. The White House says President Barack Obama has called the mayors of Charlotte and Tulsa to get an update on protests after fatal shootings involving police officers and a black victim. Obama made calls to mayors Jennifer Roberts of Charlotte and Dewey Bartlett of Tulsa. The White House says Obama expressed his condolences to both mayors and affirmed the administration’s commitment to provide assistance as needed. Obama and the mayors reiterated that protests should be conducted in a peaceful manner and that local law enforcement should find ways to calmly engage those protesting. The White House says Obama will continue to get updates on the situations from Attorney General Loretta Lynch and White House adviser Valerie Jarrett. The mother of a man shot to death by Charlotte police says he was a family man. Keith Lamont Scott’s mother, Vernita Walker of Charleston, South Carolina, told The Charlotte Observer that her son had seven children. She told the newspaper: “He was a family man . And he was a likable person. And he loved his wife and his children.” Scott has a criminal record in three states, including Texas, South Carolina and North Carolina. Texas records show that he was convicted of evading arrest with a vehicle in 2005, and several months later of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In 1992 in South Carolina, records show Scott pleaded guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Court records also show a misdemeanor assault conviction in North Carolina from 2004. About 100 students gathered at the student union at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to protest the shooting death of a black man by a police officer about a mile from campus. The students first gathered on a patio behind the student union and were led in prayer. They walked back into the union and held a “lay-in” by lying on the green-carpeted floor in the rotunda. Some students wore T-shirts reading “Black Lives Matter.” Eventually, they began singing “This Little Light of Mine.” The school’s chancellor was scheduled to speak later Wednesday afternoon. Police say Keith Lamont Scott refused repeated demands to drop a handgun and was shot. Neighborhood residents say Scott was unarmed when he was shot to death. Court records indicate that the man shot to death by Charlotte police had a criminal record including an assault conviction. Mecklenburg County records matching Keith Lamont Scott’s name and birth date show Scott was charged in April 2004 with multiple counts, including felony assault with a deadly weapon. Records show that most of the charges were dismissed, and he pleaded guilty to a single charge of misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon. Records from nearby Gaston County show that Scott pleaded guilty to driving while impaired in 2015. A woman who identified herself as an advocate for Scott’s family, Annette Albright, said at a news conference that he shouldn’t be “re-victimized” because of things he did in the past. She told reporters: “What he was doing at the time of the shooting is what’s relevant.” A woman who identified herself as the mother of a black man who was shot to death by Charlotte police says her son was raised in the Charleston, South Carolina, area. Vernita Walker told The Post and Courier (http://bit.ly/2dbsqY1) that her son Keith Lamont Scott attended James Island Charter School, but she refused to comment further to the newspaper. A woman who identified herself as Scott’s mother answered a cellphone listed for Scott’s sister and told The Associated Press the family was not commenting. At the Walker residence in a neighborhood of modest ranch homes near Charleston, a man standing in the driveway, who would not give his name, said the family had no comment. He said a statement might be issued on Thursday. The North Carolina chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union urged Charlotte police to release any footage from body or dashboard cameras of a fatal shooting this week. The ACLU noted that a new North Carolina law restricting release of such footage doesn’t take effect until Oct. 1. That new law says footage from police body or dashboard cameras can’t be released publicly without a court order. Karen Anderson, executive director of the ACLU of North Carolina, issued a statement that said the Charlotte police department should release any footage in the interest of transparency. Charlotte’s police chief has said the officer who shot Keith Lamont Scott was not wearing a body camera, but chief Kerr Putney also says he cannot release body camera and dashboard camera video from other officers because of the ongoing investigation. Attorney General Loretta Lynch says the police shooting deaths in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Charlotte, North Carolina, are highlighting the most vivid and painful divisions that persist between law enforcement and communities of color. Lynch made her comments at the beginning of her address to the International Bar Association Conference in Washington. She says the Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the death of Terrence Crutcher in Tulsa and the agency is in regular contact with Charlotte authorities as the investigation begins there. Charlotte’s police chief says 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott refused multiple warnings to drop a handgun before a black officer fatally shot the black man. A woman claiming to be Scott’s daughter posted a video to Facebook soon after the shooting, saying that her father had an unspecified disability and was unarmed when he was shot. An outspoken leader of the Nation of Islam is calling for an economic boycott of Charlotte after a police officer shot a man to death. B.J. Murphy called for the boycott Wednesday at a news conference of black leaders, saying if black lives don’t matter, black money shouldn’t matter. Murphy and others were reacting to the police shooting of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott, a black man who was killed Tuesday. Authorities say he had a gun and refused officers’ commands to drop it. The officer who fired the fatal shot is also black. A woman claiming to be Scott’s daughter said in a video posted on Facebook that her father was unarmed and had a book, not a gun. Police say they did not find a book at the scene. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney says officers recovered a gun that they say a man had when he was shot and killed by an officer. Putney said at a news conference Wednesday that 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott had a gun, but no book when officers searched him and his vehicle. A woman claiming to be Scott’s daughter said in a video posted on Facebook that her father was unarmed and had a book, not a gun. The woman’s claims could not be verified by The Associated Press. Putney also says several police vehicles were damaged in the protests that followed Wednesday afternoon’s shooting. Putney says the officer who shot Scott, Brently Vinson, was not wearing a body camera. Putney says he cannot release body camera and dashboard camera video from other officers because of the ongoing investigation. The Charlotte police chief says officers gave 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott multiple warnings to drop a handgun before fatally shooting him. Police Chief Kerr Putney said during a news conference Wednesday morning that officers were searching for a suspect Tuesday when they saw Scott exit a vehicle with a handgun. He says the officers told him to drop the gun and that he got out of the vehicle a second time still carrying the gun. He says the man was shot because he posed a threat. He says officers requested medical help and performed CPR on the black man. The black officer who shot Scott has been placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated. The chief said 16 officers sustained minor injuries during protests Tuesday night and that one person has been arrested. A civil rights activist says he has a powerful witness to the shooting of a black man by a black Charlotte police officer at an apartment complex. John Barnett said Wednesday morning that the witness did not see 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott make any threatening gestures toward officers before he was shot Tuesday afternoon. Scott died at the scene of the shooting. Barnett did not immediately name the witness. Protests lasted throughout the night, damaging police cars, causing minor injuries to about a dozen officers and closing down a part of Interstate 85 not far from the shooting scene. Charlotte’s mayor and police chief also plan to make statements about the shooting Wednesday morning. Charlotte officials plan to release a statement on the latest in their investigation of the shooting of a black man by a black police officer Tuesday afternoon. The statement was to be released at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if a city spokesman would take questions on the investigation. Streets in Charlotte were clear Wednesday morning after angry motorists protested over the shooting Tuesday night. Forty-three-year-old Keith Lamont Scott was shot to death by an officer who has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation into the shooting. Scott’s family was expected to meet with reporters at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. The streets in Charlotte, North Carolina, are quiet Wednesday morning after angry protests over the fatal police shooting of a black man left officers injured and shut down an interstate. Traffic is flowing again on Interstate 85, hours after protesters blocked the highway and television footage showed some apparently looting semi-trucks and setting their contents on fire. No protesters could be seen around 5 a.m. but broken glass and rocks littered the ground where a police car had been vandalized during protests earlier. Less than 5 miles away, wooden pallets barricaded the entrance to a Wal-Mart that had apparently been looted. The protests broke out Tuesday after 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott was fatally shot by a black officer at an apartment complex on the city’s northeast side. Demonstrators protesting the fatal shooting of a black man by a police officer in Charlotte, North Carolina, have shut down a small section of Interstate 85. TV footage early Wednesday showed dozens of protesters on the highway facing a line of law enforcement officers. At one point a fire flared up. The North Carolina Department of Transportation website shows a portion of the highway near UNC Charlotte is closed in both directions. The website says the closure is due to police activity. Neither the North Carolina Highway Patrol nor Charlotte police could immediately be reached for comment. The protest comes after police on Tuesday fatally shot 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott. Demonstrators had gathered earlier near the scene of the shooting before a smaller group moved to the highway.[SEP]The Latest on police shooting and protests in Charlotte, North Carolina (all times local): The streets in Charlotte, North Carolina, are quiet Wednesday morning after angry protests over the fatal police shooting of a black man left officers injured and shut down an interstate. Traffic is flowing again on Interstate 85, hours after protesters blocked the highway and television footage showed some apparently looting semi-trucks and setting their contents on fire. No protesters could be seen around 5 a.m. but broken glass and rocks littered the ground where a police car had been vandalized during protests earlier. Less than 5 miles away, wooden pallets barricaded the entrance to a Wal-Mart that had apparently been looted. The protests broke out Tuesday after 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott was fatally shot by a black officer at an apartment complex on the city's northeast side. Demonstrators protesting the fatal shooting of a black man by a police officer in Charlotte, North Carolina, have shut down a small section of Interstate 85. TV footage early Wednesday showed dozens of protesters on the highway facing a line of law enforcement officers. At one point a fire flared up. The North Carolina Department of Transportation website shows a portion of the highway near UNC Charlotte is closed in both directions. The website says the closure is due to police activity. Neither the North Carolina Highway Patrol nor Charlotte police could immediately be reached for comment. The protest comes after police on Tuesday fatally shot 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott. Demonstrators had gathered earlier near the scene of the shooting before a smaller group moved to the highway.

Protesters of the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott yesterday injure twelve Charlotte, North Carolina police officers. Riots continue into a second night with North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory declaring a state of emergency.

Former Phoenix Suns guard and current Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson assaulted a protester after he was hit in the face with a pie Wednesday. Nick Miller of eastbayexpress.com wrote "multiple sources have confirmed" that Johnson "tackled and assaulted the protester in a 'bloody' brawl" during a dinner event in Sacramento. According to eastbayexpress.com, a witness reported the protester charged Johnson and threw a store-bought pie in his face. Another witness said the pie had a whipped-cream topping. The protester then reportedly had some words for Johnson, prompting the mayor to punch the protester in the face at least "half a dozen" times. "One witness described it as a 'bloody pulp,'" Miller wrote, adding Sacramento Police arrested 32-year-old Sean Thompson for felony assault of a public official. Thompson's mugshot can be found here. Johnson played for the Suns for 12 seasons after being acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1987. He was a three-time NBA All-Star and helped lead the Suns to the 1993 NBA Finals. The 50-year-old Johnson is a Sacramento native and played collegiately at Cal-Berkeley. In March, several women came forward to accuse Johnson of sexual abuse that allegedly occurred when they were in their teens.[SEP]Multiple sources have confirmed that Sacramento Mayor, former NBA star, and UC Berkeley standout was hit in the face with a pie tonight at a dinner event — then he tackled and assaulted the protester in a "bloody" brawl.Sources in attendance have told thethat, during the meal, a protester ran at the mayor and threw a store-bought pie in his face.After this, the protester reportedly said something to Johnson. This prompted him to allegedly tackle the protester and punch him in the face "repeatedly," more than half a dozen times, landing "five to 10."One witness described it as a "bloody pulp."Ambulances and fire department arrived at the scene.The event was in celebration of Sacramento's Farm-to-Fork week, and was held at the Edible Garden at Johnson's high-school alma mater, Sacramento High School, a charter school under the St. HOPE umbrella. Alice Waters of Chez Panisse has helped with projects at this garden in the past.There were nearly 200 in attendance at the dinner, including a few dozen high-school students, according to sources. This major event was also attended by the city's top restaurateurs.After the incident, sources say Johnson was given a change of clothes and afterward addressed the audience at the podium, apologizing, and receiving applause.Johnson even brought UFC fighter Urijah Faber, who was in attendance, up to the podium and joked about the assault.Protesters occasionally have dogged Johnson on the heels of sexual-misconduct allegations that resurfaced last year . He was booed at a Hillary Clinton event at Sacramento City College, for instance.Thereached out to the mayor's chief of staff and the Sacramento Police Department to discuss the incident.More information soon.

Sacramento mayor and former basketball star Kevin Johnson beats protester Sean Thompson's face to a "bloody pulp" after being hit in the face with a whipped cream pie at a charity dinner. Authorities arrest Thompson for felony assault of a public official.

China’s first space station will meet a fiery end next year when the 8.5-tonne module comes crashing down to Earth, amid concerns authorities have lost control of the craft. The Tiangong-1 space station was launched in September 2011 and currently orbits Earth at an altitude of 230 miles (370km). But in July, amateur astronomers suggested China had “lost control” of the satellite, after Chinese media reported the country’s space agency had struggled to get in contact with it. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. Officials have now confirmed that after four and a half years in orbit, Tiangong-1 (meaning Heavenly Palace) is expected to plummet to Earth in late 2017. Speaking at a satellite launch for the space station’s successor in the Gobi Desert in northern China, officials from China’s manned space programme said the craft had ended its service in March this year having “comprehensively fulfilled its historical mission”. Wu Ping, deputy director of the manned space engineering office said: “Based on our calculation and analysis, most parts of the space lab will burn up during falling.” According to Space.com the less than precise landing time indicates the operators had lost control of the unit, as if they were still able to communicate with it, they could steer it to “a guided re-entry over an empty stretch of ocean at a specified time”. Like other lost satellites, it’s likely that the freefalling station will burn up on its way back into Earth and come back down in smaller chunks of molten metal rather than with a big crash. However, some denser engine parts are unlikely to burn up completely and could potentially cause problems on the ground. Harvard astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell told the Guardian the announcement suggested the doomed craft would now re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere naturally, making it near impossible to predict where any debris will fall. Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Enter your email address Continue Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. Log in to update your newsletter preferences Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive morning headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts by email Update newsletter preferences “You really can’t steer these things,” he said. “Even a couple of days before it re-enters we probably won’t know better than six or seven hours, plus or minus, when it’s going to come down. Not knowing when it’s going to come down translates as not knowing where it’s going to come down.” “There will be lumps of about 100kg or so, still enough to give you a nasty wallop if it hit you,” he added. He said that even small changes in atmospheric conditions would be enough to nudge the craft “from one continent to the next”. But according to Chinese news agency Xinhua, Ms Wu said the space station’s re-entry was “unlikely to affect aviation activities or cause damage to the ground”. “China has always highly valued the management of space debris, conducting research and tests on space debris mitigation and cleaning,” Wu said. Shape Created with Sketch. The most incredible space images of Earth Show all 30 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. The most incredible space images of Earth 1/30 Striking Africa Explore ESA astronaut Tim Peake's stunning photos of Earth, taken from the International Space Station during his six month mission (captions by Tom Peake) "The striking colour and texture of Africa Illizi, Algeria" 2/30 Favourite Reef "Every day spent living in space is a great day, but today was particularly special. I got to speak with one of my inspirational heroes Prof Stephen Hawking and his amazing daughter Lucy, who developed the Principia Space Diary to engage children with STEM subjects. As well as talking about dark matter, quantum entanglement, alien life and light beam powered nanocraft we also got to see an amazing pass over the Bahamas and this - my favourite reef smile emoticon" 3/30 Russia's north-east coast "Sunrise approaching Russia's frozen north-east coast" 4/30 Hello London "Hello London! Fancy a run? :) #LondonMarathon" 5/30 Bahamas "50 shades of blue: Bahamas" 6/30 Yinchuan "Snow on the mountains next to Yinchuan in China" 7/30 Rocket flames in Africa "Is it just me or do I see some rocket flames down there? These strange land features are in the Erg Iguidi desert, with its yellow stripes of sand stretching from Algeria to northern Mauritania in the Sahara" 8/30 Stunning colours "Sunlight reflecting the stunning colours of this Himalayan lake" 9/30 The real Everest "The real thing: found Everest! Last picture turned out to be third-tallest mountain Kanchengjunga" 10/30 Go Exomars "Go #Exomars – have a great mission. Earth has more in common with Mars than you might think… #AfricaArt" 11/30 Tenerife "Amazingly clear view of Tenerife" 12/30 Midday winter sun "Some midday winter sun glinting off Greenland’s snow-capped peaks" 13/30 Sand dunes "Great texture in these huge sand dunes, Saudi Arabia" 14/30 Dragon Dam "The dam makes this river look like a dragon’s tail. Oahe Dam north of Pierre, South Dakota in the United States. (North is to the right)" 15/30 Smoking volcano "Spotted volcano smoking away on Russia’s far east coast this morning – heat has melted snow around top" 16/30 New Zealand "New Zealand looking stunning in the sunshine. Mt Cook centre left with the Grand Plateau to the front and Mt Tasman (3,497m) to the right of the Grand Plateau. Fox Glacier in the middle then Franz Josef curving right. Tasman Lake (largest at front) is at the foot of the Tasman glacier which runs along the front of them. The Hooker Glacier flows out behind Mt Cook coming down to meet the Mueller Glacier on the left of the photo. The Murchison Glacier is at the front of the photo running parallel with the Tasman Glacier" 17/30 Plankton bloom "Another great pass over Patagonia and a swirling plankton bloom off the coast" 18/30 Alaska "We don’t often get such clear views of Alaska" 19/30 Lights along the Nile "Lights along the Nile stretching into the distance from Cairo" 20/30 Kamchatka "The Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ clear to see amongst the volcanoes of Kamchatka, Russia" 21/30 Cumulonimbus "I’m guessing there was an impressive storm going on under that cumulonimbus cloud" 22/30 Night Sahara "Night-time Sahara – you can really see how thin the Earth’s atmosphere is in this picture" 23/30 Japan "Tokyo and Japanese coast. This image shows most of Japan with the largest mass of light corresponding to Tokyo. The white lights on the left are fishing boats" 24/30 Morning sun volcanoes "Morning sun striking active volcanoes in Guatemala" 25/30 Tapajos River "The vast waters of the Tapajos river, Amazonia" 26/30 Patagonia "Beautiful glacial river water flowing from this Patagonian ice field Lake Viedma, West is up" 27/30 Dubai Palms "Minus the #Dragon photobomb this time..." 28/30 Sediment in Ethiopia "Sediment spilling into this mountain lake, Ethiopia" 29/30 Italy "We have phases of ‘short nights’ on the International Space Station – sunlight is nearly always visible right now. No prizes for guessing where this is…" 30/30 Panama Canal "From one mighty ocean to another – ships passing through the Panama canal" 1/30 Striking Africa Explore ESA astronaut Tim Peake's stunning photos of Earth, taken from the International Space Station during his six month mission (captions by Tom Peake) "The striking colour and texture of Africa Illizi, Algeria" 2/30 Favourite Reef "Every day spent living in space is a great day, but today was particularly special. I got to speak with one of my inspirational heroes Prof Stephen Hawking and his amazing daughter Lucy, who developed the Principia Space Diary to engage children with STEM subjects. As well as talking about dark matter, quantum entanglement, alien life and light beam powered nanocraft we also got to see an amazing pass over the Bahamas and this - my favourite reef smile emoticon" 3/30 Russia's north-east coast "Sunrise approaching Russia's frozen north-east coast" 4/30 Hello London "Hello London! Fancy a run? :) #LondonMarathon" 5/30 Bahamas "50 shades of blue: Bahamas" 6/30 Yinchuan "Snow on the mountains next to Yinchuan in China" 7/30 Rocket flames in Africa "Is it just me or do I see some rocket flames down there? These strange land features are in the Erg Iguidi desert, with its yellow stripes of sand stretching from Algeria to northern Mauritania in the Sahara" 8/30 Stunning colours "Sunlight reflecting the stunning colours of this Himalayan lake" 9/30 The real Everest "The real thing: found Everest! Last picture turned out to be third-tallest mountain Kanchengjunga" 10/30 Go Exomars "Go #Exomars – have a great mission. Earth has more in common with Mars than you might think… #AfricaArt" 11/30 Tenerife "Amazingly clear view of Tenerife" 12/30 Midday winter sun "Some midday winter sun glinting off Greenland’s snow-capped peaks" 13/30 Sand dunes "Great texture in these huge sand dunes, Saudi Arabia" 14/30 Dragon Dam "The dam makes this river look like a dragon’s tail. Oahe Dam north of Pierre, South Dakota in the United States. (North is to the right)" 15/30 Smoking volcano "Spotted volcano smoking away on Russia’s far east coast this morning – heat has melted snow around top" 16/30 New Zealand "New Zealand looking stunning in the sunshine. Mt Cook centre left with the Grand Plateau to the front and Mt Tasman (3,497m) to the right of the Grand Plateau. Fox Glacier in the middle then Franz Josef curving right. Tasman Lake (largest at front) is at the foot of the Tasman glacier which runs along the front of them. The Hooker Glacier flows out behind Mt Cook coming down to meet the Mueller Glacier on the left of the photo. The Murchison Glacier is at the front of the photo running parallel with the Tasman Glacier" 17/30 Plankton bloom "Another great pass over Patagonia and a swirling plankton bloom off the coast" 18/30 Alaska "We don’t often get such clear views of Alaska" 19/30 Lights along the Nile "Lights along the Nile stretching into the distance from Cairo" 20/30 Kamchatka "The Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ clear to see amongst the volcanoes of Kamchatka, Russia" 21/30 Cumulonimbus "I’m guessing there was an impressive storm going on under that cumulonimbus cloud" 22/30 Night Sahara "Night-time Sahara – you can really see how thin the Earth’s atmosphere is in this picture" 23/30 Japan "Tokyo and Japanese coast. This image shows most of Japan with the largest mass of light corresponding to Tokyo. The white lights on the left are fishing boats" 24/30 Morning sun volcanoes "Morning sun striking active volcanoes in Guatemala" 25/30 Tapajos River "The vast waters of the Tapajos river, Amazonia" 26/30 Patagonia "Beautiful glacial river water flowing from this Patagonian ice field Lake Viedma, West is up" 27/30 Dubai Palms "Minus the #Dragon photobomb this time..." 28/30 Sediment in Ethiopia "Sediment spilling into this mountain lake, Ethiopia" 29/30 Italy "We have phases of ‘short nights’ on the International Space Station – sunlight is nearly always visible right now. No prizes for guessing where this is…" 30/30 Panama Canal "From one mighty ocean to another – ships passing through the Panama canal" Tiangong-2, China’s replacement for the space lab, was successfully launched aboard a Long March 2F rocket on 15 September from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in north west China.[SEP]China’s first space station is expected to come crashing down to Earth next year, fuelling concerns that Chinese space authorities have lost control of the 8.5-tonne module. The Tiangong-1 or “Heavenly Palace” lab was described as a “potent political symbol” of China’s growing power when it was launched in 2011 as part of an ambitious scientific push to turn China into a space superpower. However, speaking at a satellite launch centre in the Gobi Desert last week officials said the unmanned module had now “comprehensively fulfilled its historical mission” and was set to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere at some point in the second half of 2017. “Based on our calculation and analysis, most parts of the space lab will burn up during falling,” the deputy director of China’s manned space engineering office, Wu Ping, was quoted as saying by official news agency Xinhua. The announcement appeared to confirm months of speculation that China had lost control of the 10.4m-long module after it suffered some kind of technical or mechanical failure. Jonathan McDowell, renowned Harvard astrophysicist and space industry enthusiast, said the announcement suggested China had lost control of the station and that it would re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere “naturally.” If this is the case, it would be impossible to predict where the debris from the space station will land. “You really can’t steer these things,” he said. “Even a couple of days before it re-enters we probably won’t know better than six or seven hours, plus or minus, when it’s going to come down. Not knowing when it’s going to come down translates as not knowing where its going to come down.” McDowell said a slight change in atmospheric conditions could nudge the landing site “from one continent to the next”. While most of the eight tonnes of space station would melt as it passes through the atmosphere, McDowell said some parts, such as the rocket engines, were so dense that they wouldn’t burn up completely. “There will be lumps of about 100kg or so, still enough to give you a nasty wallop if it hit you,” he said. “Yes there’s a chance it will do damage, it might take out someone’s car, there will be a rain of a few pieces of metal, it might go through someone’s roof, like if a flap fell off a plane, but it is not widespread damage.” Wu Ping, the space official, told reporters the lab – which was launched into space amid great fanfare in September 2011 – had made “important contributions to China’s manned space cause” during its four and a half years of service. She claimed its return to earth was “unlikely to affect aviation activities or cause damage to the ground”. “China has always highly valued the management of space debris, conducting research and tests on space debris mitigation and cleaning,” Wu said, according to Xinhua. Wu said Tiangong-1 was “currently intact” and that authorities would “continue to monitor [it] and strengthen early warning for possible collision with objects.” “If necessary, China will release a forecast of its falling and report it internationally,” she added. Space enthusiasts who have been monitoring Tiangong-1, and attempting to draw attention to its plight, fear there is a risk – albeit small – that pieces of the falling lab could cause damage back on earth. “It could be a real bad day if pieces of this came down in a populated area,” Thomas Dorman, an amateur astronomer who has been attempting to track the missing lab, was quoted as saying by the space.com website in June. China’s first space lab was most likely to land in the ocean or in an uninhabited area, Dorman admitted. “But remember – sometimes, the odds just do not work out, so this may bear watching.”[SEP]China has confirmed rumours that its Tiangong-1 space station is out of control and will crash back to Earth in 2017. A senior official with the country's crewed space programme confirmed the news at a recent press conference, reports Xinhua. The Tiangong-1 space station module was launched in 2011 and was expected to be deorbited at the end of its life to crash into the ocean or burn up in the atmosphere. Chinese officials have now confirmed that it will head towards Earth in the latter half of 2017 - but no one knows where the debris will land. Returning a spacecraft to Earth is tricky business, mostly due to the intense heat produced if the re-entry is uncontrolled. 'Based on our calculation and analysis, most parts of the space lab will burn up during falling, said Wu Ping, deputy director of the manned space engineering office, reports Xinhua. The Chinese space agency will continue to monitor Tiangong-1 and has vowed to issue warnings if there are any potential collisions imminent. The news confirms earlier reports from satellite trackers who have been watching the movement of Tiangong as it orbits the Earth. They suggested that China may have lost control of the unmanned 8 ton (7.3 tonnes) vehicle, a theory that has now been confirmed. Thomas Dorman, an amateur satellite tracker, told Space.com: 'If I am right, China will wait until the last minute to let the world know it has a problem with their space station. 'It could be a real bad day if pieces of this came down in a populated area, but odds are it will land in the ocean or in an unpopulated area.' The news comes days after China launched it second space station - Tiangong 2 - on a Long March 7 rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northern China. Two astronauts are scheduled to launch to the new space station on the Shenzhou 11 spacecraft in October, and are due to remain on board for a month. The orbiting lab is considered to be a stepping stone in a mission to Mars by the end of the decade. Tiangong-1, which means 'Heavenly Palace', was launched in September 2011 with the hope of creating a larger space complex that China wants to be operational in Earth orbit around 2020. The module has performed a series of docking exercises, including the uncrewed Shenzhou-8 mission in 2011 and the crewed Shenzhou-10 mission in 2012. According to the China Manned Space Engineering (CMSE) office, Tiangong-1 also contains Earth observation instrumentation and space environment detectors. In a statement in 2014, officials from CMSE, said: 'Tiangong-1 has obtained a great deal of application and science data, which is valuable in mineral resources investigation, ocean and forest application, hydrologic and ecological environment monitoring, land use, urban thermal environment monitoring and emergency disaster control.' While Tiangong-1 has collected huge amounts of data, earlier this year, state-run news agencies in China reported that the CMSE had terminated Tiangong-1's data-gathering activities. Additionally, CMSE officials explained that the telemetry connection to the space lab had failed, which suggests that the vehicle will make an uncontrolled re-entry to Earth in the future. However, other experts have reassured that such speculation does not mean that Tiangong-1 is definitely out of control. Dr Thomas Kelso, a Senior Research Astrodynamicist at the Centre for Space Standards & Innovation, has plotted the altitude of the space station throughout its time in orbit, and says that it was re-boosted relatively recently. While Dr Kelso does not have a way to measure the space station's stability, he told Space.com: 'We might expect to see the rate of decrease in altitude - the slope between re-boosts - increase if it was tumbling, since the station would have higher drag. 'Instead, we see the slowest decrease in altitude in recent years - consistent with the lower drag at a higher altitude.' This would suggest that Tiangong-1 is dormant but stable. Dr Kelso added: 'That might be why the Chinese aren't responding - they probably don't understand why they would need to.'[SEP]Tiangong 1, China's first space laboratory, will come to a fiery end in late 2017. The average decommissioned satellite either burns up over a specific ocean region, or is ejected to a far-off orbital graveyard. But Tiangong 1's demise is shaping up to be something different. Chinese officials appeared to admit that they had lost control of the station during a September 14 news conference in Jiuquan. "Based on our calculation and analysis, most parts of the space lab will burn up during falling," said Wu Ping, a director at China's space engineering office, during the conference. A day later China launched Tiangong 2, the lab's successor, aboard a Long March 7 rocket. READ MORE: * International Space station to pass over New Zealand * Nasa wants to bring enterprise to the International Space Station * Alien hunters excited by signal from space picked up by Russia Wu added that China is monitoring the space station for collisions with other objects. And Xinhua, China's government-run news agency, reported that the Chinese space agency may need to release an international forecast for where Tiangong will land at a later date - an uncertainty that seems to indicate the descent is uncontrolled. For the moment Tiangong 1 remains whole, currently orbiting the planet more than 200 miles above Earth's surface. China launched Tiangong 1, which translates to "Heavenly Palace," in 2011. (Strangely, as the rocket carrying the station blasted into space five years ago, China's state-run TV station played America the Beautiful.) It served as China's base of space experiments for roughly four-and-a-half years, two years longer than originally anticipated. The last crewed mission was in 2013, though the station continued to autonomously operate until it was decommissioned in March 2016. Soon after, rumours surfaced that China no longer had control of the spacecraft. In June, amateur satellite tracker Thomas Dorman, from El Paso, warned Space.com that, based on his observations, the 8-ton space lab was out of control. "If I am right," Dorman said at the time, "China will wait until the last minute to let the world know it has a problem with their space station." Harvard University astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell agreed that China's announcement indicated the spacecraft will fall where it may. "You really can't steer these things," McDowell told The Guardian. "Even a couple of days before it re-enters we probably won't know better than six or seven hours, plus or minus, when it's going to come down. Not knowing when it's going to come down translates as not knowing where it's going to come down." Most satellites are not laid to rest this way. Many smaller craft incinerate completely in the upper atmosphere. For larger spacecraft destined for re-entry, the usual method is a planned descent. The wreckage that survives re-entry splashes down far from human habitation. Some 2,500 miles to the east of New Zealand, for instance, is a patch of the Pacific Ocean informally known as the spacecraft cemetery. Remains of the Mir station and more than a hundred other Russian, European and Japanese satellites sit in this area. Though much of Tiangong 1 will disintegrate, McDowell predicted that 200-pound pieces - the tougher remnants of, say, rocket engines - could withstand the trauma of re-entry. Even though China may not be able to steer Tiangong 1's flaming corpse into a specific spot, humans will likely be unharmed. The odds are very low it will fall in an inhabited area: Roughly speaking, half of the world's population lives on just 10 per cent of the land, which translates to only 2.9 per cent of Earth's surface. (By way of context, going back the last 1,000 years, no meteorite has killed a person.) This would not be the first uncontrolled landing, either. President Jimmy Carter issued an apology to Australia in 1979, after the 77-ton Skylab fell to Earth. The wreckage landed near a remote Australian town. Though no one was injured, the Australian town fined the United States $400 for littering. A California radio DJ finally paid the fine in 2009.[SEP]It’s not looking good for China’s first space station, Tiangong-1. It’s expected to crash to Earth in the latter half of 2017 as space authorities have reportedly lost control of the floating laboratory. Launched in September 2011 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Tiangong-1 is a prototype space station. It serves both as a manned lab and an experimental hub to test docking capabilities and orbital rendezvous. The space station’s name translates to “Heavenly Palace 1.” Wu Ping, deputy director of China’s Manned Space Engineering office, said that most of the station is likely to blow up in pieces in the atmosphere and will pose no threat to people on the ground, Newsweek reports. In its five years in space, Tiangong-1 has conducted observations of ongoing phenomena on Earth, such as the Australian bush fires and Yuyao floods in China. It kicked off China’s space program, successfully docking Shenzhou-8 in 2011 – another first for the country. It has been in service for over two years more than its original lifespan intended. His announcement came just a few months after speculations that China had lost control of the station due to a mechanical or technical failure of sorts and that there has been no recent communication with Tiangong-1. Some observers have pointed out that the space station appears to be rolling in its orbit and flipping around, as if uncontrolled, Mashable reports. China says it will monitor Tiangong-1’s re-entry and alert international bodies should any falling debris become a major safety threat. Tiangong-2 succeeds Tiangong-1, launched last week and will make way for Tiangong-3. China said it hopes to eventually send its own man on the moon and in the near future, carry out a mission to Mars.[SEP]China’s first space station will meet a fiery end next year when the 8.5-tonne module comes crashing down to Earth, amid concerns authorities have lost control of the craft. The Tiangong-1 space station was launched in September 2011 and currently orbits Earth at an altitude of 230 miles (370km). But in July, amateur astronomers suggested China had “lost control” of the satellite, after Chinese media reported the country’s space agency had struggled to get in contact with it. Officials have now confirmed that after four and a half years in orbit, Tiangong-1 (meaning Heavenly Palace) is expected to plummet to Earth in late 2017. Speaking at a satellite launch for the space station’s successor in the Gobi Desert in northern China, officials from China’s manned space programme said the craft had ended its service in March this year having “comprehensively fulfilled its historical mission”. Wu Ping, deputy director of the manned space engineering office said: “Based on our calculation and analysis, most parts of the space lab will burn up during falling.” According to Space.com the less than precise landing time indicates the operators had lost control of the unit, as if they were still able to communicate with it, they could steer it to “a guided re-entry over an empty stretch of ocean at a specified time”. Like other lost satellites, it’s likely that the freefalling station will burn up on its way back into Earth and come back down in smaller chunks of molten metal rather than with a big crash. However, some denser engine parts are unlikely to burn up completely and could potentially cause problems on the ground. Harvard astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell told the Guardian the announcement suggested the doomed craft would now re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere naturally, making it near impossible to predict where any debris will fall. “You really can’t steer these things,” he said. “Even a couple of days before it re-enters we probably won’t know better than six or seven hours, plus or minus, when it’s going to come down. Not knowing when it’s going to come down translates as not knowing where it’s going to come down.” “There will be lumps of about 100kg or so, still enough to give you a nasty wallop if it hit you,” he added. He said that even small changes in atmospheric conditions would be enough to nudge the craft “from one continent to the next”. But according to Chinese news agency Xinhua, Ms Wu said the space station’s re-entry was “unlikely to affect aviation activities or cause damage to the ground”. “China has always highly valued the management of space debris, conducting research and tests on space debris mitigation and cleaning,” Wu said. Tiangong-2, China’s replacement for the space lab, was successfully launched aboard a Long March 2F rocket on 15 September from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in north west China.[SEP]China launched its second space station, Tiangong-2, on Thursday, according to state media reports, paving the way for a permanent space station that the country plans to build around 2022. The launch of the new satellite comes five years after the country launched its first space station, Tiangong-1, in September 2011. The space station Tiangong-2 is China’s first real space lab. A brain-computer interaction test system, developed by Tianjin University, has been installed in the lab and it is set to conduct a series of experiments in space, People’s Daily reported. According to Ming Dong, the leader of the research team in charge of the brain-computer test system, the brain-computer interaction will eventually be the highest form of human-machine communication. Regarding the use of such brain-computer interaction technology in space, the leader of the research team suggested that it could also help Tiangong-2 astronauts to more easily accomplish their assigned tasks. For example, the brain-computer interaction can transmit the astronauts’ thoughts into operations, while at the same time observing their neurological functions. The Tiangong-2, whose name means “Heavenly Palace,” will be used to test space technology and conduct medical and space experiments. According to the military expert, in the future, a third module is planned for launch, in which a crew of 3 people will be able to stay in orbit for up to 40 days. The refueling technology of the orbiter is also planned to be developed in this module. Thus, it is hoped that with the advent of the private Chinese space station, China will establish a permanent presence in space and will begin to experiment with long-term human experiments required for flights to other planets.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirms its Tiangong-1 prototype space station, launched in September 2011, is "out of control", and will re-enter and burn up in the atmosphere in late 2017.

August 2016 world’s hottest on record By AG Staff Writer | AUGUST 2016 WAS the 16th consecutive month to set a global temperature record for that particular month. It was the hottest August since records began 136 years ago, breaking the previous August record set just last year. August 2016 also tied with July 2016 as the hottest month ever recorded on Earth. According to a State of the Climate report issued by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today, August 2016 was 0.92°C above the 20th-century average. 2016 is now almost certainly on track to beat 2015 as the Earth’s hottest year on record. “We’ve now seen record-breaking heat across the globe for the past 16 consecutive months. Six to twelve months ago, the strong El Niño played a part in driving high global temperatures, but that effect has now waned or completely disappeared by August,” said Professor Will Steffen, an Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University in Canberra and a Climate Councillor at the Climate Council of Australia. “The influence of climate change in driving these continuous monthly records is now coming through loud and clear,” he said. Temperature anomaly in °C (difference from 1980-2015 annual mean). (Credit: Joshua Stevens, based on data from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies)[SEP]The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday said August’s temperature of 61.74 degrees (16.52 Celsius) was .09 degrees (.05 Celsius) warmer than the old August record set last year, and was the 16th consecutive month of record-breaking heat. NOAA monitoring chief Deke Arndt said it was also the hottest summer, with 2016 on pace to smash last year’s record for the hottest year. August 2016 was also 1.66 degrees (0.92 Celsius) warmer than the 20th-century average. It was the fifth-hottest month of any kind recorded, going back to 1880. Six of the 17 hottest months on record have been the summer months of 2015 and 2016. The June-through-August summer was 2.18 degrees (1.21 Celsius) warmer than the 20th-century average and beat the old summer heat record, set last year, by one-fifth of a degree (0.11 Celsius), NOAA said. “The needle has been shoved all the way over into the red by greenhouse gases,” Arndt said. NOAA’s announcement came on a day when 375 members of the National Academy of Sciences, including Stephen Hawking and 30 Nobel laureates, released an open letter urging American leaders not to pull out of an international agreement to curb global warming. Organizer and MIT climate scientist Kerry Emanuel said the scientists wrote the letter in response to the Republican party platform that rejects the Paris climate agreement reached last December. The letter said presidential nominee Donald Trump’s advocacy of withdrawing from that agreement would “send a clear signal to the rest of the world: The United States does not care about the global problem of human-caused climate change.” Pulling out of the Paris accord, Emanuel said, “will accelerate our head-long plunge into a riskier and riskier climate.” “Everywhere we look we see signs that the climate really is changing,” Emanuel said. “We’re getting wake-up calls more frequently and we really have to do something about this.” The summer of 2016 has meanwhile lurched from one extreme weather disaster to another at great cost in lives and damages. Here are just some of the worst and weirdest, according to insurance statistics and meteorologists: — Flooding in China’s Yangtze Basin from May through August killed at least 475 people and caused $28 billion in losses. — A drought in India that started earlier in the year and stretched through June caused about $5 billion in damage. — Flooding in West Virginia and the mid-Atlantic in June killed 23 people and damaged more than 5,500 buildings. — Typhoon Nepartak hit the Phillipines, Taiwan and China in July, killing 111 people and causing at least $1.5 billion in damage. — Flooding in northeast China in July killed 289 people and caused about $5 billion in damage. — Temperatures reached 129 degrees (54 degrees Celsius) in Kuwait and Iraq in July. — Flooding in Louisiana in August killed 13 people and caused around $15 billion in damage. — Flooding in Sudan and South Sudan in July and August killed 129 people and damaged more than 41,000 buildings. — A long heat wave coupled with high humidity afflicted the U.S. South and East. Savannah, Georgia, had 69 straight days when the temperature hit 90 or higher. — Typhoon Lionrock hit Japan, China and Korea in August and killed 77 people while damaging more than 20,000 buildings. — Spain set a record for the hottest September temperature recorded in Europe, with marks of 114 and 115 degrees. — Localities in the United States broke nearly 15,000 daily records for hot nighttime minimum temperatures from May into September.[SEP]Earth smashes yet another heat record; 16th month in a row The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday said August's temperature of 61.74 degrees (16.52 Celsius) was .09 degrees (.05 Celsius) warmer than the old August record set last year, and was the 16th consecutive month of record-breaking heat. NOAA monitoring chief Deke Arndt said it was also the hottest summer, with 2016 on pace to smash last year's record for the hottest year. August 2016 was also 1.66 degrees (0.92 Celsius) warmer than the 20th-century average. It was the fifth hottest month of any kind recorded, going back to 1880. Six of the 17 hottest months on record have been the summer months of 2015 and 2016. FILE - In this Dec. 16, 2015 file photo, professor Stephen Hawking listens to a news conference in London. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, said that August¿s temperature of 61.74 degrees (16.52 Celsius) was the 16th month in a row that Earth set a record for the hottest month. NOAA monitoring chief Deke Arndt said it was also the hottest summer, with 2016 on pace to smash last year¿s record for the hottest year. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File) The June-through-August summer was 2.18 degrees (1.21 Celsius) warmer than the 20th-century average and beat the old summer heat record, set last year, by one-fifth of a degree (0.11 Celsius), NOAA said. "The needle has been shoved all the way over into the red by greenhouse gases," Arndt said. NOAA's announcement came on a day when 375 members of the National Academy of Sciences, including Stephen Hawking and 30 Nobel laureates, released an open letter urging American leaders not to pull out of an international agreement to curb global warming. Organizer and MIT climate scientist Kerry Emanuel said the scientists wrote the letter in response to the Republican party platform that rejects the Paris climate agreement reached last December. The letter said presidential nominee Donald Trump's advocacy of withdrawing from that agreement would "send a clear signal to the rest of the world: The United States does not care about the global problem of human-caused climate change." Pulling out of the Paris accord, Emanuel said, "will accelerate our head-long plunge into a riskier and riskier climate." "Everywhere we look we see signs that the climate really is changing," Emanuel said. "We're getting wake-up calls more frequently and we really have to do something about this."[SEP]The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday said August’s temperature of 61.74 degrees was .09 degrees warmer than the old August record set last year, and was the 16th consecutive month of record-breaking heat. NOAA monitoring chief Deke Arndt said it was also the hottest summer, with 2016 on pace to smash last year’s record for the hottest year. August 2016 was also 1.66 degrees warmer than the 20th-century average. It was the fifth hottest month of any kind recorded, going back to 1880. Six of the 17 hottest months on record have been the summer months of 2015 and 2016. The June-through-August summer was 2.18 degrees (1.21 Celsius) warmer than the 20th-century average and beat the old summer heat record, set last year, by one-fifth of a degree (0.11 Celsius), NOAA said. “The needle has been shoved all the way over into the red by greenhouse gases,” Arndt said. NOAA’s announcement came on a day when 375 members of the National Academy of Sciences, including Stephen Hawking and 30 Nobel laureates, released an open letter urging American leaders not to pull out of an international agreement to curb global warming. Organizer and MIT climate scientist Kerry Emanuel said the scientists wrote the letter in response to the Republican party platform that rejects the Paris climate agreement reached last December. The letter said presidential nominee Donald Trump’s advocacy of withdrawing from that agreement would “send a clear signal to the rest of the world: The United States does not care about the global problem of human-caused climate change.” Pulling out of the Paris accord, Emanuel said, “will accelerate our head-long plunge into a riskier and riskier climate.” “Everywhere we look we see signs that the climate really is changing,” Emanuel said. “We’re getting wake-up calls more frequently and we really have to do something about this.”

August 2016 becomes the world's hottest on record (since records began 136 years ago) and 16th 'hottest on record' month in a row.

SANAA (Reuters) - The United Nations has condemned airstrikes by an Arab coalition that killed 26 people in Western Yemen on Wednesday and said attacks on civilian facilities in the Arab World’s poorest country have increased since July. Warplanes of the Saudi-led alliance launched missiles at a residential neighborhood in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Wednesday where Houthi leaders were staying, a resident and medics in the Houthi-controled area told Reuters. The raid hit a house in a neighborhood populated by workers. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a statement condemning the attack, said dozens of people, including children and women, had been killed and injured. Wednesday’s raid, which the Arab alliance said it was investigating reports on, was the latest in a series of strikes that have hit schools, hospitals, markets and private homes. In August at least 41 attacks hit civilian facilities and killed 180 civilians, a 40 percent increase in casualties since July, said a U.N. human rights spokeswoman. “We note with deep concern the sharp increase in civilian casualties since the suspension of peace talks,” said Cecile Pouilly in a statement. “We reiterate our call for the setting up of an international and independent investigative body.” The coalition, which began operations in Yemen in March last year to try to reverse the rise to power of the Iran-allied Houthi group, has repeatedly said it does not target civilians. In a statement, the coalition said it was aware of reports alleging civilian casualties in Hodeidah city. “As with any allegation we receive, the information about the incident will be reviewed, and once it is found supporting the allegation based on credible evidence we will then move to a next step of investigations,” the statement said. The deputy governor of Hodeidah province, Hashim Azazi said late on Wednesday rescue workers were still pulling victims out of the rubble. Slideshow (7 Images) A Houthi leader, Ali al-Amad, said in a Tweet he had survived a raid on the presidential palace. U.N.-sponsored talks to try to end the fighting that has killed more than 10,000 people collapsed in failure last month and the Houthi movement and allied forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh resumed shelling into neighboring Saudi Arabia. Nearly half of Yemen’s 22 provinces are on the verge of famine, according to the U.N. World Food Program, as a result of the war that has drawn in regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.[SEP]Saudi-led coalition air strike kills at least 6 in Yemen - residents SANAA, Sept 21 (Reuters) - At least 6 civilians were killed on Wednesday when a Saudi-led coalition air strike hit a house in western Yemen, residents and medics said. Fighter jets of an Arab alliance launched missiles on Wednesday at a presidential palace in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah occupied by leaders of the Iran-allied Houthi militia, a resident told Reuters. A raid hit a house adjacent to the palace killing six civilians and wounding 12 according to a medic who said rescue workers were searching for victims among the rubble. It was not immediately clear if any Houthi leaders had been killed or injured in the attack. "The scene was awful. Body parts were mixed up with the remains of the house and blood filled the place," said a resident who declined to have his name published out of fear for his safety. The Saudi-led coalition was formed early last year to fight the Houthis after they took over the capital Sanaa, made gains in other provinces and forced Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government to flee into exile. U.N.-sponsored talks to try to end the fighting that has killed more than 10,000 people collapsed in failure last month and the Houthi movement and allied forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh resumed shelling into neighboring Saudi Arabia. Wednesday's attacks were the latest in a series of strikes that have hit schools, hospitals, markets and private homes. A coalition spokesperson was not immediately available to comment. Saudi officials say aircraft of the Arab alliance only target military facilities in Yemen. Nearly half of Yemen's 22 provinces are on the verge of famine, according to the U.N. World Food Programme, as a result of the war that has drawn in regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia. (Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Tom Finn; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

The death toll from a Saudi-led Arab coalition airstrike which hit a house in a residential area in western Yemen has risen to 26 people.

Updated 6:30 a.m. A standoff in Anchorage lasting more than 36 hours came to an end Friday morning. The Anchorage Police Department says 69-year-old Robert Musser, who was barricaded in his home, is confirmed to be deceased. APD says an investigation and autopsy will determine the cause and nature of Musser’s death. Updated 4:30 p.m. Police say a barricaded standoff in Midtown Anchorage is over. According to a release from the Anchorage Police Department, 29-year-old Joseph Szajkowski surrendered shortly after 3 p.m. once officers had entered the barricaded home. Szajkowski is being held on charges of kidnapping and assault at the Anchorage Jail. LISTEN NOW A separate standoff at Ginami Street on the Anchorage Hillside is on-going. Jennifer Castro, a spokersperson for APD, identified the suspect as 69-year-old Robert Musser, who’s been charged with felony assault and wrecklessly firing a weapon. Updated 2:00 p.m Two officers have been wounded by gunshots by a barricaded suspect in an on-going standoff in South Anchorage. “One officer was transported to a local hospital for treatment where he is expected to survive,” wrote APD spokesperson Jennifer Castro in a release sent to the public at 12:48 p.m. “The other officer’s injuries were treated at the scene.” The suspect in the Ginami Street residence is not in custody in a standoff that’s lasted for over a day. “I’m not aware of a standoff lasting this long,” Castro said by phone from the Ginami Street location. Shots were fired on officers around 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to APD, as police were preparing to use gas. “The environment that we’re dealing with here is a little different from a lot of the ones that we traditionally respond to as far as barricaded subjects,” Castro said. “We have a much larger residence with a lot more things spread out.” Though charges were announced, Castro said the department doesn’t identify suspects until they’ve been taken into custody. Castro declined to specify what kind of firearm was used against the two officers. This is one of two barricaded standoffs happening right now in the municipality, and the third since the start of the week. On Misty Springs Court, not far from the University of Alaska Anchorage campus, officers have been on the scene since early this morning after getting reports of an assault. The suspect is believed to be armed, and APD said in a release, it has issued charges for assault and kidnapping. Castro said about a dozen people from APD were responding to the Misty Springs Court residence, and getting assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “A lot of our SWAT resources are dedicated over here,” Castro said, referring to the South Anchorage incident. She estimated dozens of officers had rotated through during the course of the last 24 hours, and said personnel from the Alaska State Troopers are on-scene assisting. Asked why there’s been such an intense cluster of standoffs in the last few days, Castro responded, “We have no idea.” Original Post Anchorage police are still working to bring a man into custody suspected of shooting at workers trimming trees Wednesday on a utility easement. Police initially responded to a call just before 9:30 a.m. Wednesday that a man confronted employees of Carlos Tree Service, who were trimming trees for Chugach Electric near his hillside residence. According to an APD press release, the man yelled at the workers, then brandished a firearm and fired shots at the two employees. The workers were not injured. APD says the man fired shots again just after 4 p.m. Wednesday, when officers attempted to make contact with the man, who has barricaded himself in his home. Officers eventually made verbal contact. Efforts to resolve the situation, including the deployment of gas into the man’s home, have been unsuccessful, so far. The situation is ongoing.[SEP]A young black bear led police on a two-hour chase through the streets of downtown Anchorage, Alaska - scurrying down sidewalks and across lanes of traffic and even ducking behind a Pizza Hut along the way. The Anchorage Police Department said they first received a call about the four-legged suspect around 6pm Thursday. Police followed the bear until after 8pm, when the State Department of Fish and Game ended the animal's city tour. During its rampage the bear approached the Aviator Hotel and was seen by manager Eddie Parker peering in through the lobby door. 'He looked into the doors of the two exits, then took off across the parking lot towards the pool,' Parker said. 'He eventually made his way to 4th and A Street.' Despite unnerving Anchorage residents, Parker who was alerted to the situation by hotel staff, said the bear didn't have a threatening demeanor. 'He was pretty mellow, just minding his business,' Parker told KTUU. 'A few people were unaware as he drew close to them… but it all turned out okay.' Video of the bear's exploits posted on Facebook by Anchorage police had been viewed more than 1 million times. Above the video was a note that read 'Sometimes it can be extremely difficult to catch an eluding suspect... especially when they are wild, unpredictable and have four feet.' No one was hurt during the bear's escapades. Police said wildlife officials removed the beast from the populated area and placed it back into its habitat. The city has a population of just under 300,000 and black bears have been known to attack and kill humans when provoked or when they have interpreted them as a threat. Anchorage is home to some 300 bears, but police say encounters like this are rare.[SEP]ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A young black bear led police on a two-hour chase through the streets of downtown Anchorage, Alaska — scurrying down sidewalks and across lanes of traffic and even ducking behind a Pizza Hut along the way. The Anchorage Police Department said they first received a call about the four-legged suspect around 6 p.m. Thursday. Police followed the bear until after 8 p.m., when the state Department of Fish and Game ended the animal's city tour. Video of the bear's exploits posted on Facebook by Anchorage police had been viewed more than 1 million times. No one was hurt during the bear's escapades. Police said wildlife officials relocated the furry tourist. Anchorage is home to some 300 bears, but police say encounters like this are rare.

In a standoff which has continued for two days, an exchange of gunfire with a barricaded suspect in Anchorage, Alaska, injures two police officers. The standoff is one of two occurring in the Alaskan city.

Get the biggest daily news stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email An explosive believed to be a firebomb has been thrown into a car - allegedly while the driver was still sitting inside. It is also believed that the victim alleged the suspect shouted 'There you go, Muslim', before throwing the device into the vehicle. The car has been almost completely destroyed by the suspected bomb after it set on fire . It has been reported that the incident took place in North Philadelphia this morning at approximately 5am. The video was recorded by a witness, going under the username @FeministaJones, who said: "Heard a huge explosion. Didn't know what it was. Then heard a man yelling saying his skin was burning. (Image: Twitter/@TimJRadio) "Heard him say he was in his car and someone drove by and threw something in it while he was in it. "Then kept hearing loud pops so I went to the door. Neighbours were helping the man because his skin was burning. He lost some of it. "Went to the corner and saw the whole car on fire. After firetrucks come, he talks to them and then talks to us. "He describes a car pulling up and someone inside saying 'There you go, Muslim' before throwing something into his car. (Image: ABC) "Most of us know him too because he is always on the block working on his car and other things. This is wild. "So I don't know if what was said was true or not but he said that's what he told the firemen. His face, arm, hands, legs all burned." It is believed the man has been rushed to hospital after the incident. Police have yet to comment.[SEP]Bundaberg detectives are investigating an incident at Gin Gin that left a man with serious injuries. A 65-YEAR-OLD Gin Gin man is in a serious condition in hospital after an altercation on Sunday. Bundaberg Criminal Investigation Branch detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident which left the man with serious injuries. It's understood the injured man was in a fight with another man at a Gin Gin property. The man first presented to Bundaberg Hospital on Sunday evening but was discharged. Feeling unwell, the man re-presented at hospital on Wednesday night after his condition deteriorated. Police are continuing their investigations and anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.[SEP]KUCHING: A man had the shock of his life when he saw a crocodile hooked to his fishing line after eating the bait he put up at Tasik Medan in Betong Division on Monday evening. Upon seeing the incident which took place at around 6.40pm, he immediately alerted the police because he was concerned for the safety of other members of the public who frequented the place for recreation. Civil Defence Force (APM) officer Azamshah Appearal told reporters that they received a distress call from Betong police that a man had caught a crocodile in the lake. “He thought it was a fish but when he pulled the rod, he saw a crocodile eating the bait,” he said. The APM deployed three personnel to the scene and caught the five-foot-long reptile with a net and brought it back to their headquarters for further action. It is understood that the crocodile could have made its way to the lake during the tide.[SEP]Known for his high energy performances and his love of Shakespeare, actor-director Michael Hurst brings the two together in his work, No Holds Bard, at Artworks Theatre this week. Created by Michael and writing team Natalie Medlock and Dan Musgrove, No Holds Bard is a one-man show in which an ageing actor is driven to the brink by his wife’s infidelity, and a lack of acting opportunities. The tragicomic figure confronts his demons in what he hopes will be a final dark night of the soul. The problem is, his demons are as crazy as he is. The deranged and self-destructive character at the centre of the devised work is visited by four of the Elizabethan playwright’s most tragic characters – a foul-mouthed Macbeth, a confused Hamlet, a know-it-all Othello, and a really hungry King Lear. Tragic figures they may be but Michael set himself a brief to work to. “The work had to be Shakespeare-based, my thespian character wears tights and it had to be funny and crazy,” he says. Since launching the play four years ago, Michael has tweaked it in response to audience reaction and the polished one-man show (with mental visitations) is coming to the island. But wait, there’s more. Michael will talk with the audience for half an hour after the show. No Holds Bard starring Michael Hurst plays at Artworks Theatre on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 September at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from www.artworkstheatre.org.nz. General admission is $30 online or $35 at the door. Seniors / students are $20 online or $25 at the door • Mark Peters[SEP]PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Authorities say a man who was robbed at gunpoint after withdrawing money from a drive-up ATM in Philadelphia later struck the alleged perpetrator with his car. Philly.com (http://bit.ly/2d4fSl0 ) reports that police say the suspect approached the vehicle with a gun Monday, grabbed the cash and took off. Police say the driver sped off. He later realized his card was still in the machine, so he returned to look for it. Investigators say that's when the robber popped up again with a knife. Police say the driver hit the thief with his car, tossing him onto the street. They say the driver went through the man's pockets, found his money and drove home. The man who was struck was hospitalized and faces robbery charges. Police Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum says he doesn't expect charges against the driver.[SEP]A MAN in his early sixties has been bitten by a crocodile in Bloomsbury. A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesperson said the incident had occurred at a wildlife farm in the area, with the call coming in at around 12.04pm. The man has a severe injury to his lower left arm, and a deep laceration and puncture wounds around his thigh region. The man will be transported to a nearby airfield for transfer to hospital.

A man in Philadelphia firebombs a man's car, referring to the injured burned man as being Muslim.

Aleppo (Syria) (AFP) - UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Saturday he was "appalled by the chilling military escalation" in Syria's battleground city of Aleppo where residents cowered indoors as air strikes toppled buildings and killed at least 45 civilians. The Security Council was set to meet Sunday to discuss the upsurge in violence since the Syrian army announced an offensive to retake the rebel-held east of the devastated city. Nearly two million civilians were left without water in Aleppo after regime bombardment damaged a pumping station and rebels shut down another in retaliation, the UN said. Ban warned the use of bunker buster bombs and other advanced munitions against civilians may amount to war crimes, after the army Thursday launched the offensive backed by Russian air raids that has cost around 100 lives. Top EU officials said that the attacks on civilians amount to a "breach of international humanitarian law," and called for intensified peace efforts. Washington and leading European powers said Saturday that "the burden is on Russia... to salvage diplomatic efforts to restore a cessation of hostilities." A week-long ceasefire agreed between the United States and Russia ended on Monday and efforts to revive the truce failed. That same day, an aid convoy was hit by an air strike that US officials have said was carried out by Russian planes, although Moscow has denied responsibility. - 'Cease bombing women and children' - US Secretary of State John Kerry, who failed in talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to revive the ceasefire, earlier said: "What is happening in Aleppo today is unacceptable. It is beyond the pale." "If people are serious about wanting a peaceful outcome... they should cease and desist bombing innocent women and children, cease cutting off water and laying siege in mediaeval terms to an entire community," he said. Kerry had harsh words for Moscow's involvement in the conflict, in comments at a meeting with his European counterparts. "Russia needs to set an example, not a precedent -– an unacceptable precedent, I might add, for the entire world," he said. Story continues Syria's regime said it was confident of victory, with Foreign Minister Walid Muallem telling the UN General Assembly that the army and its allies were making "great strides" in the conflict. He said a US-led coalition air strike that killed at least 62 Syrian soldiers on September 17 was intentional "and not an error, even if the United States claims otherwise". Rebel-held eastern districts of Aleppo came under intense air and artillery fire for a fifth night on Friday ahead of an anticipated ground offensive by the army to recapture the whole of the divided city. Muallem told the UN: "Our belief in victory is even greater now that the Syrian Arab Army is making great strides in its war against terrorism, with the support of the true friends of the Syrian people," singling out Russia, Iran and Lebanon's Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Saturday's death toll of 45 in Aleppo city was expected to rise because people remained trapped in the rubble, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group. It said another seven people were killed elsewhere in Aleppo province on Saturday. "We were home when a missile crashed into our road," said one resident of the Bab al-Nayrab district who gave his name as Nizar. "Half of the building just caved in and our baby was hit on the head. He died on the spot," Nizar said, the body of his son on the ground wrapped in a blanket. - Massive destruction - Seven people were killed in a strike as they queued to buy yoghurt at a market in the Bustan al-Qasr district on the front line dividing the government-held west from the rebel-held east of the city. The attack left a pool of blood and body parts strewn across the site, said an AFP correspondent on the scene. Medics said they were carrying out many amputations to try to save the wounded, while supplies of blood and IV drips were running out. On Friday, at least 47 people were killed in heavy bombing, among them seven children, the Observatory said. There was massive destruction in several neighbourhoods, including Al-Kalasseh and Bustan al-Qasr, where some streets were almost erased by the bombardment. Residents and activists said one type of bomb had produced earthquake-like tremors upon impact, razing buildings right down to their basements where many residents desperately seek safety during attacks. Further south in the central city of Homs, a convoy of 36 aid trucks reached the rebel-held district of Waer, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The denial of access to food, water and medicines has been used repeatedly as a weapon by all sides in the five-year war which has cost more than 300,000 lives and displaced over half the population. The approximately 250,000 people in east Aleppo have been under near-continuous siege since government troops encircled the area in mid-July.[SEP](CNN) Syrian forces pounded rebel-held eastern Aleppo on Sunday, killing at least 85 people and wounding more than 300 others, an activist group reported. The bombardment destroyed residential centers, overwhelmed hospitals and angered diplomats meeting at the United Nations. "Everyone in Aleppo is depressed," an activist on the ground told CNN. Can Russia and US reach common ground on Syria? Can Russia and US reach common ground on Syria? 01:53 Can Russia and US reach common ground on Syria? "They don't know what they have done to become targets for warplanes. Fear is clear in the eyes of anyone you see walking the streets of Aleppo. Yesterday I saw a woman walking on the street and crying , no clear reason, just crying." Hundreds of airstrikes have pummeled the city, home to more than 250,000 people, since the Syrian government, backed by Russia, announced a renewed, "comprehensive" offensive Thursday following the collapse of a short-lived ceasefire. Sunday's death toll marked an increase in casualties, according to the Aleppo Media Center (AMC), an opposition-affiliated group of activists that works to document the conflict. Activists say rescue operations are difficult in Aleppo because of the constant presence of jets in the sky, and that hospitals are facing severe shortages of medicine, blood and supplies. The activist who recounted Aleppo residents' fears said that in one hospital, where a fellow activist was being treated, 40 people lay strewn on the floor because there were no beds. Wounded people are dying because health services are overstretched and providers don't have the ability or capacity to treat them, the activist said. Due to a lack of supplies, hospitals are performing amputations to keep some people alive. Only 20 doctors remain in eastern Aleppo, the activist added. The renewed attacks, which include barrel bombs, come as the U.N. Security Council held a crisis meeting Sunday to discuss the Syrian government's offensive on Aleppo. At the meeting, diplomats exchanged fiery words, The US Ambassador to the United Nations accused Russia of engaging in barbarism in Syria. "What Russia is sponsoring and doing is not counterterrorism, it is barbarism," Samantha Power told the Security Council. "Instead of pursuing peace, Russia and Assad make war. Instead of helping get life-saving aid to civilians, Russia and Assad are bombing the humanitarian convoys, hospitals and first responders who are trying desperately to keep people alive," Power said. Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said the US-led coalition's support for rebels was hampering humanitarian efforts. "The humanitarian situation in Aleppo could have been normalized in August but that was not done, it was not allowed because the armed groups prevented that," he said. The United States, Britain and France requested the session in the wake of the regime's military push to retake rebel-held parts of eastern Aleppo. Syria's ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, told the Security Council that his government plans to retake all of the territory lost to rebels, including the city of Aleppo. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Sunday that Russia is guilty of protracting the Syrian war and making it "far more hideous." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also said that the Syrian government's use of airstrikes, incendiary weapons and bunker-buster bombs in densely populated areas may amount to war crimes. Syrian government troops and supporting militia on Saturday made their first major ground advance of the assault on Aleppo, seizing control of the Handarat Palestinian refugee camp on the city's northeastern outskirts, while warplanes bombarded the east, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency. Rebels then launched a counter offensive to try to retake the area, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syria's military declared the ceasefire over on Monday, after a strike by US-led coalition warplanes on a Syrian army post killed dozens of troops. The US military did not dispute the strike, but characterized it as "unintentional" and relayed its "regret" to Syria through Russia, saying the intended target had been ISIS. Shortly after the ceasefire ended, a UN-Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid convoy was hit in an airstrike, killing about 20 people. US officials blamed Russia, while Moscow denied that Russian or Syrian warplanes were responsible.[SEP](CNN) Syrian forces pounded rebel-held eastern Aleppo on Sunday, killing at least 85 people and wounding more than 300 others, an activist group reported. The bombardment destroyed residential centers, overwhelmed hospitals and angered diplomats meeting at the United Nations. "Everyone in Aleppo is depressed," an activist on the ground told CNN. Can Russia and US reach common ground on Syria? Can Russia and US reach common ground on Syria? 01:53 Can Russia and US reach common ground on Syria? "They don't know what they have done to become targets for warplanes. Fear is clear in the eyes of anyone you see walking the streets of Aleppo. Yesterday I saw a woman walking on the street and crying , no clear reason, just crying." Hundreds of airstrikes have pummeled the city, home to more than 250,000 people, since the Syrian government, backed by Russia, announced a renewed, "comprehensive" offensive Thursday following the collapse of a short-lived ceasefire. Sunday's death toll marked an increase in casualties, according to the Aleppo Media Center (AMC), an opposition-affiliated group of activists that works to document the conflict. Activists say rescue operations are difficult in Aleppo because of the constant presence of jets in the sky, and that hospitals are facing severe shortages of medicine, blood and supplies. The activist who recounted Aleppo residents' fears said that in one hospital, where a fellow activist was being treated, 40 people lay strewn on the floor because there were no beds. Wounded people are dying because health services are overstretched and providers don't have the ability or capacity to treat them, the activist said. Due to a lack of supplies, hospitals are performing amputations to keep some people alive. Only 20 doctors remain in eastern Aleppo, the activist added. The renewed attacks, which include barrel bombs, come as the U.N. Security Council held a crisis meeting Sunday to discuss the Syrian government's offensive on Aleppo. At the meeting, diplomats exchanged fiery words, The US Ambassador to the United Nations accused Russia of engaging in barbarism in Syria. "What Russia is sponsoring and doing is not counterterrorism, it is barbarism," Samantha Power told the Security Council. "Instead of pursuing peace, Russia and Assad make war. Instead of helping get life-saving aid to civilians, Russia and Assad are bombing the humanitarian convoys, hospitals and first responders who are trying desperately to keep people alive," Power said. Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said the US-led coalition's support for rebels was hampering humanitarian efforts. "The humanitarian situation in Aleppo could have been normalized in August but that was not done, it was not allowed because the armed groups prevented that," he said. The United States, Britain and France requested the session in the wake of the regime's military push to retake rebel-held parts of eastern Aleppo. Syria's ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, told the Security Council that his government plans to retake all of the territory lost to rebels, including the city of Aleppo. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Sunday that Russia is guilty of protracting the Syrian war and making it "far more hideous." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also said that the Syrian government's use of airstrikes, incendiary weapons and bunker-buster bombs in densely populated areas may amount to war crimes. Syrian government troops and supporting militia on Saturday made their first major ground advance of the assault on Aleppo, seizing control of the Handarat Palestinian refugee camp on the city's northeastern outskirts, while warplanes bombarded the east, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency. Rebels then launched a counter offensive to try to retake the area, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syria's military declared the ceasefire over on Monday, after a strike by US-led coalition warplanes on a Syrian army post killed dozens of troops. The US military did not dispute the strike, but characterized it as "unintentional" and relayed its "regret" to Syria through Russia, saying the intended target had been ISIS. Shortly after the ceasefire ended, a UN-Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid convoy was hit in an airstrike, killing about 20 people. US officials blamed Russia, while Moscow denied that Russian or Syrian warplanes were responsible.[SEP]Russia accused of ‘barbarism’ at emergency UNSC meet for aiding Damascus in air strikes Residents of Syria’s battered city of Aleppo faced worsening food and medical shortages on Monday as Syrian and Russian war-planes again pounded rebel-held areas in defiance of international concern. A fresh wave of intensive air strikes hit the city’s opposition-controlled east from dawn on Monday, an AFP correspondent in the city said, on the morning after Moscow and Damascus were repeatedly accused of war crimes at the UN Security Council. The emergency council meeting, called by Britain, France and the United States, saw Russia accused of “barbarism” over the worsening carnage in Aleppo. Yet, the worst violence to hit the divided city in years continued on Monday and residents warned that stores of food and vital medical supplies were dwindling to nothing. The strikes from dawn on Monday were particularly heavy on two rebel-held districts, Al-Mashhad and Sayf al-Dawla, and sparked large fires, the AFP correspondent said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said “dozens of raids” had hit districts of east Aleppo after midnight on Sunday, with many wounded and at least two civilians killed. It was the fourth day of intense air raids on the city since a defiant Syrian regime launched a new assault vowing to retake all of Aleppo following the collapse early last week of a short-lived ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States. The Observatory said Monday that at least 128 people, nearly all civilians, had been killed in Syrian and Russian raids on eastern Aleppo since late Thursday. A Syrian military source told AFP regime forces had no intention of letting up on rebel-held areas. “The air force will bomb any terrorist movements, this is an irreversible decision,” the source said, reiterating that the regime’s goal was to “recapture all regions of Syria” outside its control. With Aleppo back under siege since regime forces again fully surrounded the city in early September, residents were having to deal with food shortages and sky-rocketing prices as well as intensifying violence. Several charity kitchens that had distributed food in eastern districts were no longer operating due to the danger of air strikes. Water supplies also remained cut off to many areas after pumping stations were damaged at the weekend. At the Security Council meeting, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power voiced strong criticism of Russia’s support for President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime. “What Russia is sponsoring and doing is not counter-terrorism. It is barbarism,” she said. Russia launched air strikes in support of Mr. Assad last September, helping regime forces to regain ground lost to a wide range of opposition forces. UN envoys raised deep concern over the use of arms including bunker-busting bombs in the Aleppo strikes. ”It is difficult to deny that Russia is partnering with the Syrian regime to carry out war crimes,” said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has also warned the use of advanced weaponry against civilians could amount to war crimes.[SEP](CNN) Syrian forces pounded rebel-held eastern Aleppo on Sunday, killing at least 85 people and wounding more than 300 others, an activist group reported. The bombardment destroyed residential centers, overwhelmed hospitals and angered diplomats meeting at the United Nations. "Everyone in Aleppo is depressed," an activist on the ground told CNN. Can Russia and US reach common ground on Syria? Can Russia and US reach common ground on Syria? 01:53 Can Russia and US reach common ground on Syria? "They don't know what they have done to become targets for warplanes. Fear is clear in the eyes of anyone you see walking the streets of Aleppo. Yesterday I saw a woman walking on the street and crying , no clear reason, just crying." Hundreds of airstrikes have pummeled the city, home to more than 250,000 people, since the Syrian government, backed by Russia, announced a renewed, "comprehensive" offensive Thursday following the collapse of a short-lived ceasefire. Sunday's death toll marked an increase in casualties, according to the Aleppo Media Center (AMC), an opposition-affiliated group of activists that works to document the conflict. Activists say rescue operations are difficult in Aleppo because of the constant presence of jets in the sky, and that hospitals are facing severe shortages of medicine, blood and supplies. The activist who recounted Aleppo residents' fears said that in one hospital, where a fellow activist was being treated, 40 people lay strewn on the floor because there were no beds. Wounded people are dying because health services are overstretched and providers don't have the ability or capacity to treat them, the activist said. Due to a lack of supplies, hospitals are performing amputations to keep some people alive. Only 20 doctors remain in eastern Aleppo, the activist added. The renewed attacks, which include barrel bombs, come as the U.N. Security Council held a crisis meeting Sunday to discuss the Syrian government's offensive on Aleppo. At the meeting, diplomats exchanged fiery words, The US Ambassador to the United Nations accused Russia of engaging in barbarism in Syria. "What Russia is sponsoring and doing is not counterterrorism, it is barbarism," Samantha Power told the Security Council. "Instead of pursuing peace, Russia and Assad make war. Instead of helping get life-saving aid to civilians, Russia and Assad are bombing the humanitarian convoys, hospitals and first responders who are trying desperately to keep people alive," Power said. Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said the US-led coalition's support for rebels was hampering humanitarian efforts. "The humanitarian situation in Aleppo could have been normalized in August but that was not done, it was not allowed because the armed groups prevented that," he said. The United States, Britain and France requested the session in the wake of the regime's military push to retake rebel-held parts of eastern Aleppo. Syria's ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, told the Security Council that his government plans to retake all of the territory lost to rebels, including the city of Aleppo. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Sunday that Russia is guilty of protracting the Syrian war and making it "far more hideous." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also said that the Syrian government's use of airstrikes, incendiary weapons and bunker-buster bombs in densely populated areas may amount to war crimes. Syrian government troops and supporting militia on Saturday made their first major ground advance of the assault on Aleppo, seizing control of the Handarat Palestinian refugee camp on the city's northeastern outskirts, while warplanes bombarded the east, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency. Rebels then launched a counter offensive to try to retake the area, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syria's military declared the ceasefire over on Monday, after a strike by US-led coalition warplanes on a Syrian army post killed dozens of troops. The US military did not dispute the strike, but characterized it as "unintentional" and relayed its "regret" to Syria through Russia, saying the intended target had been ISIS. Shortly after the ceasefire ended, a UN-Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid convoy was hit in an airstrike, killing about 20 people. US officials blamed Russia, while Moscow denied that Russian or Syrian warplanes were responsible.[SEP]Beirut (AP) — At least 26 civilians were killed in fresh government airstrikes on the contested city of Aleppo, Syrian activists said Sunday, as the United Nations Security Council convened an emergency meeting on the spiraling violence in Syria. At the start of that meeting the U.N.’s top envoy to Syria accused the government of unleashing “unprecedented military violence” against civilians in Aleppo. Staffan de Mistura said Syria’s declaration of a military offensive to retake rebel-held eastern Aleppo has led to one of the worst weeks of the 5 1/2-year war with dozens of airstrikes against residential areas and buildings causing scores of civilian deaths. He said the offensive targeting civilians with sophisticated weapons including incendiary devices may amount to war crimes. Medical workers and local officials reported airstrikes on neighborhoods throughout Aleppo’s rebel-held eastern districts as an announced government offensive entered its fourth day. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 26 civilians had been killed by 7:30 p.m. and said it expects the toll to rise. Ibrahim Alhaj of the Syrian Civil Defense search and rescue outfit said hospitals and rescuers have documented the deaths of 43 people so far. Hospitals are overwhelmed with casualties and medical workers are expecting many of the wounded to die from a lack of treatment, according to Mohammad Zein Khandaqani, a member of the Medical Council, which oversees medical affairs in the city’s opposition quarters. “I’ve never seen so many people dying in once place,” he said from a hospital in the city. “It’s terrifying today. In less than one hour the Russian planes have killed more than 50 people and injured more than 200.” The Observatory, which relies on a network of contacts inside Syria, said earlier in the day that 213 civilians have been killed by airstrikes and shelling on opposition areas in and around Aleppo since a U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire collapsed Monday evening. De Mistura, at the Security Council meeting, warned that if the Syrian government is intent on taking Aleppo, it is going to be “a grinding” a street-by-street fight where all the infrastructure in the city will be destroyed, but it won’t lead to victory. “A so-called military solution is impossible, including in Aleppo,” he stressed. He urged the United States and Russia to go “that extra mile” and save the Sept. 9 cessation of hostilities agreement “at the 11th hour.” On the sidelines of the meeting, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the Security Council to force a halt to the hostilities in Aleppo, and he condemned Russia and the Syrian government’s alleged use of bunker busting bombs, which are designed to penetrate underground facilities. “Let us remember: The fighting has forced hospitals and schools to operate in basements. These bombs are not busting bunkers, they are demolishing ordinary people looking for any last refuge of safety,” Ban said. “International law is clear: The systematic use of indiscriminate weapons in densely populated areas is a war crime,” he said. Prior to the start of the U.N. meeting, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Russia should be investigated for war crimes following a Monday attack on a Syrian aid convoy that claimed 20 lives. Johnson said that Russia’s air force may have deliberately targeted the civilian convoy on Sept. 19. Russia denies involvement and instead suggests Syrian rebels or a U.S. drone were responsible. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Russia and Iran will be guilty of war crimes if they don’t pressure Syrian President Bashar Assad to stop escalating violence. Ayrault said the emergency Security Council meeting Sunday is a “moment of truth” for the U.N. The meeting was requested by the United States, Britain, and France, as pro-government forces extend their bombardment of the contested city of Aleppo. They are widely believed to be accompanied by Russian air strikes. Rebels meanwhile shelled Masyaf, a government stronghold near the central city of Hama, for the second day in a row, according to the Observatory. Masyaf is home to a large number of Alawites, members of President Bashar Assad’s sect. Assad has rallied Syria’s minorities behind his government behind fears of the Sunni-dominated rebellion. The U.S., Britain, and France are aligned on the Security Council against Russia and China, which back Assad in the country’s protracted war, now in its sixth year. But a broad coalition of Syrian rebels denounced international negotiations for peace as “meaningless,” earlier Sunday. The statement released jointly by 33 factions called on the government and Russian forces to halt airstrikes and lift sieges on opposition areas. The U.N. estimates 600,000 Syrians are trapped in various sieges enforced by the government, rebels, and the Islamic State group across the country. “Negotiations under the present conditions are no longer useful and are meaningless,” the statement said. The factions said they would not accept to have Russia mediate any negotiations, calling it a “partner to the regime in the crimes against our people.” The statement was signed by some of the largest factions from across Syria but did not include the powerful, ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham nor the al-Qaida-linked Fatah Sham Front. Efforts to revive the truce have floundered. An airstrike destroyed a U.N.-backed humanitarian convoy Monday inside opposition territory shortly after the Syrian military announced the agreement had expired. The U.N. says the attack could amount to a war crime if proven deliberate, though it has not assigned responsibility yet. The U.S. says it believes Russian jets were behind the strikes. Meanwhile, a set of four towns, two besieged by government forces and two by rebels, were reached by aid convoys for the first time in nearly six months, the International Committee for the Red Cross announced. The organization said Sunday it had reached 60,000 residents trapped in the towns of Madaya, Zabadani, Foua, and Kafraya. Government forces and rebels have so far blocked the U.N. from establishing regular aid access to besieged areas in Syria. The U.N. estimates 600,000 Syrians are trapped in different sieges.[SEP]At least 26 civilians were killed in fresh government airstrikes on the contested city of Aleppo, Syrian activists said Sunday, as the United Nations Security Council convened an emergency meeting on the spiraling violence in Syria but failed to take any action because of deep divisions between Russia and the Western powers. The United States, Britain and France, who called the emergency meeting, heaped blame on Moscow for supporting the Syrian offensive which U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura called one of the worst of the 5 1/2-year war. When Syria's U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari was called to speak in the council, the ambassadors of the three Western powers walked out in protest. They had demanded a halt to the Aleppo offensive and immediate council action, and their walkout demonstrated anger and frustration not only at Damascus but at Russia for backing close ally Bashar Assad's military campaign while talking about reviving a cessation of hostilities. "What Russia is sponsoring and doing is not counter-terrorism, it's barbarism," said U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power. "It's apocalyptic what is being done in eastern Aleppo." As the government offensive entered its fourth day on Sunday, medical workers and local officials reported airstrikes on neighborhoods throughout Aleppo's rebel-held eastern districts. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 26 civilians had been killed by 7:30 p.m. and said it expects the toll to rise. Ibrahim Alhaj of the Syrian Civil Defense search and rescue outfit gave a higher toll, saying hospitals and rescuers had documented the deaths of 43 people so far on Sunday.[SEP]The U.S. accused Moscow of “barbarism” over the worsening carnage in Aleppo, as Syrian and Russian warplanes pounded the city in one of the heaviest bombing raids of the five-year war. At an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to demand Russia rein in its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and halt intense airstrikes, Moscow and Damascus were repeatedly accused of war crimes. “What Russia is sponsoring and doing is not counterterrorism. It is barbarism,” U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said at the Sunday session. Some 124 people, mostly civilians, have died since bunker-busting bombs and sophisticated weaponry were unleashed on residential areas in rebel-held eastern Aleppo after the army Thursday launched an operation to take it. “It is difficult to deny that Russia is partnering with the Syrian regime to carry out war crimes,” said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, adding that the high-tech weaponry had inflicted “a new hell” on war-weary Syrians. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has also warned the use of advanced weaponry against civilians could amount to war crimes, and French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the atrocities must not go unpunished. Britain, France and the United States had called for the urgent talks after days of intense diplomatic efforts to salvage a U.S.-Russian cease-fire deal ended in failure at the weekend. Ban called on world powers to “work harder for an end to the nightmare” in Syria that has left more than 300,000 people dead and driven millions from their homes. To protest the attacks in Aleppo, the US, French and British ambassadors walked out of the Security Council chamber as the Syrian ambassador delivered his remarks. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin conceded that the surge in violence over the past days meant that “bringing a peace is almost an impossible task now.” Churkin again laid blame for the failed diplomacy with the United States, accusing Washington of being unable to convince armed opposition groups that it backs on the ground to distance themselves from the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and abide by the cease-fire. A U.S.-Russian cease-fire deal that would have charted a way forward towards peace talks was broken by the “sabotage by the moderate opposition,” he asserted. Churkin however said that reviving the cease-fire was still a goal that Moscow could pursue if it was part of a “collective” effort on all sides. Despite the recriminations, U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura said a “tiny window of opportunity … still exists” for Russia and the United States to help Syria. He appealed for renewed efforts to allow Syria to “step away from the brink of more years of bloody conflict which risks to become even worse.” Residents said cluster bombs rained down on Saturday night on eastern parts of the city, where an estimated 250,000 people are living under a government siege. At least 19 children were among those killed in the assault, which has included missile strikes, barrel bomb attacks and artillery fire, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. “All night long they were dropping cluster bombs. I couldn’t sleep until four in the morning,” said 62-year-old Ahmed Hajar, who was out looking for bread in the al-Kalasseh neighborhood. In the nearby neighborhood of Bab al-Nayrab, 30-year-old Imad Habush was baking bread in a small wood-burning oven outside his house. “None of the bakeries are open any more because of the bombing and the shortages of fuel and flour, so people have started making their own bread,” he said. “I don’t know why the regime is bombing us in this barbaric way. We’re civilians here. We’re not carrying weapons, and we’re besieged. We have no way to escape.” Air strikes were continuing on the eastern neighborhoods on Sunday, the Observatory said, with at least 25 civilians, including two children, killed since dawn. Once Syria’s economic powerhouse, Aleppo has been ravaged by war and roughly divided since mid-2012 between government control in the west and rebel control in the east. The eastern portion of the city has been under near-continuous siege since mid-July, causing food and fuel shortages. Syria’s foreign minister said Saturday that his government was confident of “victory” with support from “true friends” including Russia, Iran, and Lebanon’s Shiite militant group Hezbollah. U.S. military chief Joe Dunford said last week that Washington was considering arming Syrian Kurdish forces ahead of an offensive to retake the Islamic State group’s stronghold of Raqa. Turkey’s foreign minister told France24 Sunday that the plan was “unacceptable.” Ankara, a NATO member and member of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group, launched an unprecedented ground operation in Syria last month, sending dozens of tanks to back pro-Turkish rebels fighting Kurdish militias as well as jihadists.

The United States, United Kingdom, and France seek a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the declining security situation in Aleppo.

Story highlights Nahed Hattar shared a cartoon mocking jihadists' view of heaven The cartoon prompted an outcry from some Muslim groups (CNN) A prominent Jordanian writer facing charges for sharing a "blasphemous" anti-ISIS cartoon that outraged Muslim groups was fatally shot in Amman on Sunday, state news agency Petra reported. Nahed Hattar, a member of the country's Christian minority, was shot three times outside a courthouse in the capital where charges against him were being heard. Public Security Department personnel, who were near the scene of the attack, rushed Hattar to a nearby hospital, but he died from his injuries, Petra reported. The security forces arrested the attacker and an investigation is underway, Petra reported. Cartoon 'abusive to the divine entity' Read More[SEP]Nahed Hattar, a member of the country's Christian minority, was shot three times outside a courthouse in the capital where charges against him were being heard. Public Security Department personnel, who were near the scene of the attack, rushed Hattar to a nearby hospital, but he died from his injuries, Petra reported. The security forces arrested the attacker and an investigation is underway, Petra reported. Hattar, a political commentator and columnist, was remanded in custody last month after sharing a controversial cartoon on Facebook that sparked anger from Muslim groups. Amman Governor Khaled Abu Zeid ordered that the writer be held for the "blasphemous" Facebook post, Petra reported. Hattar was charged with the crimes of insulting religion, and inciting "sectarian strife and racism," for having posted the image, which was deemed as "abusive to the divine entity," Petra reported at the time. The cartoon, which Hattar said was intended to ridicule ISIS beliefs, depicted a bearded man in bed with two women in heaven as he instructs God to serve him wine and food. Hours after sharing the cartoon, Hattar explained on social media that it was aimed at criticizing the twisted view of paradise held by ISIS, according to Randa Habib, Amnesty International's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. "No one listened," she tweeted after his killing Sunday. The slain writer, who was released on bail earlier this month, had been "a controversial figure because of his blunt positions and passionate ideas. His killing is a low criminal act," Habib wrote. Hattar had also attracted controversy for writing articles in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. #NahedHattar was a controversial figure because of his blunt positions and passionate ideas. His killing is a low criminal act #RIP — Randa HABIB (@RandaHabib) September 25, 2016 A gag order issued by Jordan's attorney general in August prevented coverage of the case. The Prime Minister's office in Jordan denounced the killing on its official Twitter page Sunday. Government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said he was confident the person responsible for "this ignominious crime" would receive "just punishment." Jordan is a leading Arab member of the US-led coalition fighting ISIS in neighboring Syria and Iraq, carrying out airstrikes against the terror group and hosting coalition troops on its soil.[SEP]Call for justice: A protester with a picture of Jordanian writer Nahed Hattar, during a sit-in on Monday. Jordan’s judiciary on Monday slapped a media blackout on the murder of a Christian writer who was gunned down outside an Amman court where he faced charges over an anti-Islam cartoon. The information ministry said the aim was to preserve “the secrecy of the investigation” and that the blackout applied to both social and traditional media. Nahed Hattar was hit by three bullets before the alleged assassin was arrested at the scene of Sunday’s shooting in Amman’s central Abdali district, official media said. The gunman, identified as a 49-year-old Jordanian, gave himself up to police, a security source said. A judicial source said on Sunday that the assailant was remanded for 15 days and charged with premeditated murder, meaning that he could face the death penalty if convicted. The suspect had acted alone and was not linked to any “terrorist” group, a source close to his interrogation said, asking not to be named. Hattar faced charges over a cartoon posted on his Facebook page Also, protesters called on Monday for Jordan’s government to resign over its failure to prevent the murder. Hattar’s family has so far refused to collect his body for burial, charging that authorities were warned of threats to his life and had failed to act.[SEP]Hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the Prime Minister's office after writer Nahed Hattar was shot by a former Muslim preacher on the steps of the palace of justice on Sunday. The assailant gave himself up to the police near the scene. "No to extremism, no to violence," and "Down with the government," shouted protesters carrying pictures of the slain writer, known for his support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and extremist nationalist views. His death has shaken a country unaccustomed to such killings and raised fears of tensions between Muslims and the minority Christians who wield political and economic influence. Hattar was arrested last month after sharing on social media a cartoon image of a bearded man in heaven smoking in bed with women and asking God to bring him wine and clear away his dishes. The writer was released on bail but charged with contempt of religion and inflaming religious tension under the country's strict blasphemy laws. Family members said the government failed to provide Hattar him with protection after he was released on bail, even after he had received death threats. They have so far refused to collect his body for burial. "We demand at the very least the dismissal of the prime minister," Khaled Hattar, the writer's brother, told Reuters at the protest. A source familiar with the case said the gunman had told interrogators that he acted on his own. Jordanians have condemned the killing, although the cartoon had angered many people in a majority Muslim country where Hattar was accused of disseminating hatred and mocking Islam. Hattar was a controversial figure whose calls for depriving Jordanians of Palestinian descent their political rights had won him many enemies in a country with a large Palestinian population. His killing, however, has worried many liberal Muslims and Christians who now fear radical Islamists may feel emboldened to take violent action against their opponents. UK-based rights group Amnesty International on Monday said the killing "was a deplorable attack on freedom of expression", saying strict blasphemy laws should be revoked. It called on the authorities to investigate the murder. "Jordanian authorities must make it clear that attacks against people who peacefully express their views, however unpopular, will not be tolerated," said Philip Luther, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International in a release on Monday.

A Muslim preacher from a local mosque shoots and kills Jordanian writer and cartoonist Nahed Hattar in front of a courthouse in the capital Amman. Authorities take the gunman into custody.

Marlins president David Samson reflects on the team's affection for the late Jose Fernandez, his family and how his path to America will live on. (1:10) Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez was killed in a boating accident in Florida early Sunday morning. Spokesman Lorenzo Veloz of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a news conference Sunday that Fernandez, 24, was one of three men killed in the accident. The families of the two men killed along with Jose Fernandez in a boat crash off Miami Beach are suing his estate. WPLG The Coast Guard arrived on the scene around 3 a.m. to find a 32-foot boat upside down on a jetty off Miami Beach. Two of the victims were found dead under the vessel. One was found dead in the water. None of the deceased was wearing a life vest. Fernandez died from trauma -- not drowning, Veloz said. The names of the other two individuals initially were withheld pending notification of relatives, the Coast Guard said. On Monday, the Miami-Dade medical examiner confirmed to ESPN that the names of the others were Emilio Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25. No further details could be provided on their connection to Fernandez because the case remains under investigation. However, the next of kin have been notified, the spokesperson said. Speed is suspected to be a factor in the accident because of the impact with the jetty, Veloz said. There was no evidence of alcohol or illegal drug use. "It does appear that speed was involved due to the impact and the severity of it,'' Veloz said. "It does appear to be that they were coming at full speed when they encountered the jetty and the accident happened.'' Veloz said Sunday the boat was owned by a friend of Fernandez's, but on Monday the FWC said in a statement that the registered owner of the vessel was Fernandez. The Marlins announced that Sunday's game at home against the Atlanta Braves was canceled. A 16 -- Fernandez's uniform number -- was painted on the mound at Marlins Park on Sunday morning, and flowers rested on the rubber. Major League Baseball announced that there would be a league-wide moment of silence before each of Sunday's games. A somber scene at Marlins Park, where signs honor Jose Fernandez and announce the cancelling of Sunday's game. [Credit: James Walker/ESPN] pic.twitter.com/FvHxALVQxs — ESPN (@espn) September 25, 2016 "Sadly, the brightest lights are often the ones that extinguish the fastest,'' Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said in a statement. "Jose left us far too soon, but his memory will endure in all of us. At this difficult time, our prayers are with his mother, grandmother, family and friends.'' Marlins president David Samson said in a news conference that Monday's game against the New York Mets will be played as scheduled. He said Fernandez will be a member of the Marlins "all time." "The way he played this game, the way he was on the field, that's a way how these guys can honor him," Samson said. Manager Don Mattingly and some Marlins players broke down during Sunday's news conference. Mattingly said Fernandez played with the "joy" of a "little boy." Slugger Giancarlo Stanton didn't speak but later posted a tribute on Instagram. Following the news conference, buses took Marlins players and executives to Fernandez's mother's home so they could offer her support and condolences. "That smile I'm not going to see anymore. That personality and that love of the game, the love of everything, really. He was so accessible too," Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said at Marlins Park after Sunday's game was canceled. "The Marlins were done with batting practice [Saturday], but he was still out here talking to everybody and having a great time." The Tampa Bay Rays canceled a scheduled pregame ceremony to recognize retiring Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, per his wishes, after Sunday's tragedy. Ortiz was seen in tears during the moment of silence before Sunday's game in Tampa, Florida. "I don't have the words to describe the pain I feel,'' Ortiz said. The Miami Dolphins held a moment of silence for Fernandez before their game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Fernandez announced on Instagram last week that his girlfriend is pregnant. The Marlins announced during Sunday's news conference that the baby is a girl. "All of Baseball is shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Miami Marlins pitcher José Fernández," Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "He was one of our game's great young stars who made a dramatic impact on and off the field since his debut in 2013. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, the Miami Marlins organization and all of the people he touched in his life." MLBPA executive director Tony Clark also released a statement Sunday morning: "We are devastated by the news that Jose Fernandez has tragically passed. Jose was a remarkable young man and a tremendously gifted athlete, who at just 24, established himself as one of the game's biggest and brightest stars. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jose's family, friends, teammates, Miami Marlins organization and legions of fans in the United States and Latin America." Fernandez's next start had been pushed from Sunday to Monday to make room for Adam Conley's return from the disabled list. Fernandez immigrated to the United States from Cuba in 2008, after three failed defection attempts, and settled in Tampa, Florida. He became a United States citizen last year. He was a 2011 first-round pick, taken 14th overall by the Marlins, out of Tampa's Alonso High School. At Citi Field in New York, fellow Cuban Yoenis Cespedes and the Mets hung a team jersey with Fernandez's name and No. 16 on the back in the dugout. Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, who is also Cuban, hung a Dodgers jersey with Fernandez's name and No. 16 in Los Angeles' dugout. Chicago Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler played with Fernandez when the two were growing up in Cuba. They traveled together to Venezuela for a youth tournament, and Soler said Fernandez's ability was obvious, right from the start. "Since he was a child, since we were kids, I knew he had something," Soler said through a translator. "He had a talent. It was very impressive." Fernandez was 16-8 with a 2.86 ERA this season, earning his second appearance in the All-Star Game. Fernandez, who was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2013, was 38-17 with a 2.58 ERA in 76 career starts for the Marlins. Third baseman Martin Prado said Sunday that Fernandez told one of his Marlins teammates that his last start against the Washington Nationals "was his best ever, and now he's gone." In that start, Fernandez pitched eight innings and struck out 12 as he allowed just three hits in a 1-0 Marlins victory. Fernandez joins a long list of active baseball players to die in accidents. Cleveland Indians pitchers Tim Crews, 31, and Steve Olin, 27, were killed in a boating accident in Clermont, Florida, on March 22, 1993. Indians pitcher Bobby Ojeda was also on the boat and lost four pints of blood, but he survived. ESPN staff writer James Walker and The Associated Press contributed to this report.[SEP]MIAMI (AP) — Jose Fernandez escaped from Cuba by boat on his fourth try as a teenager, and when his mother fell into the Yucatan Channel during the journey, he jumped in and pulled her out. Fernandez's heroic backstory made his death early Sunday that much more heart-wrenching. The charismatic Miami Marlins ace was killed in a boating accident at age 24. Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez walks in the dugout before a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, July 23, 2016, in Miami. The Marlins defeated the Mets 7-2. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Fernandez and two other people died when their 32-foot vessel slammed into a jetty off Miami Beach, authorities said. Authorities didn't know the time of the crash. The capsized boat was found shortly after 3 a.m. "All I can do is scream in disbelief," said Hall of Famer Tony Perez, a Marlins executive and native of Cuba. "Jose won the love of all. I feel as if I had lost a son." Major League Baseball released a statement saying it was "stunned and devastated." "He was one of our game's great young stars who made a dramatic impact on and off the field since his debut in 2013," Commissioner Rob Manfred said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, the Miami Marlins organization and all of the people he touched in his life." The Marlins' game Sunday at home against the Atlanta Braves was canceled. The Braves, along with several other teams, quickly offered condolences. "Hands down one of my favorite guys to watch pitch! He brought nothing but intensity and passion," Boston Red Sox pitcher David Price tweeted. Within hours after the news broke, Marlins players gathered at the ballpark to grieve together. "A lot of words were said — meaningful words and emotion and prayer," team president David Samson said. "Jose is a member of this family for all time." David P. Samson, center, president of the Miami Marlins, covers his face during press conference to announce the death of Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez. Fernandez, the ace right-hander for the Miami Marlins who escaped Cuba to become one of baseball's brightest stars, was killed in a boating accident early Sunday morning. Fernandez was 24. (AP Photo/Gaston De Cardenas) Samson spoke at a news conference while surrounded by every player on the Marlins, except their ace. The players wore team jerseys — black ones. Pitcher David Phelps stared at the floor and shook his head, while outfielder Christian Yelich took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Their eyes were red. Manager Don Mattingly and president of baseball operations Michael Hill flanked Samson and unsuccessfully fought back tears. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton didn't speak but later posted a tribute on Instagram. "I'm still waiting to wake up from this nightmare," Stanton said. "I lost my brother today and can't quite comprehend it. The shock is overwhelming. What he meant to me, our team, the city of Miami, Cuba & everyone else in the world that his enthusiasm/heart has touched can never be replaced. I can't fathom what his family is going through because We, as his extended Family are a wreck." Fernandez was on a vessel that hit a jetty near a harbor entrance, said Lorenzo Veloz of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The overturned boat remained in the water for several hours, its engines partially submerged as its nose pointed skyward, as debris from the crash was scattered over some of the large jagged rocks. Veloz described the condition of the boat as "horrible." Investigators look at a boat overturned on a jetty, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, off Miami Beach, Fla. Authorities said that Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez was one of three people killed in the boat crash early Sunday morning. Fernandez was 24. (AP Photo/Gaston De Cardenas) City of Miami Fire-Rescue workers were seen carrying bodies, draped and on stretchers, at the Coast Guard station after sunrise. They were taken to the medical examiner's office. Two bodies were found under the vessel and a third was found on the jetty. The names of the other two individuals were withheld pending notification of relatives, the Coast Guard said. "It does appear that speed was involved due to the impact and the severity of it," Veloz said. "It does appear to be that they were coming at full speed when they encountered the jetty, and the accident happened." Fernandez died from trauma and not drowning, Veloz said, who added there was no immediate indication that alcohol or drugs were a cause in the crash. He said none of the three victims wore a life jacket. The boat was owned by a friend of Fernandez. "It does pertain to a friend of Jose who is very well connected with several Marlins players, and I have stopped that boat before for safety inspections with other Marlins players on board," Veloz said. "We know that this boat knows the area. We just can't answer why this happened." Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria was out of town but planned to fly to Miami. "Sadly, the brightest lights are often the ones that extinguish the fastest," Loria said in a statement. "Jose left us far too soon, but his memory will endure in all of us. At this difficult time, our prayers are with his mother, grandmother, family and friends." A native of Santa Clara, Cuba, Fernandez was unsuccessful in his first three attempts to defect, and spent several months in prison. At 15, he and his mother finally made it to Mexico, and were reunited in Tampa, Florida, with his father, who had escaped from Cuba two years earlier. The Marlins drafted him in 2011 and Fernandez was in the majors two years later at 20. He went 38-17 in his four seasons with Miami, winning the NL's Rookie of the Year award in 2013, and was twice an All-Star. Last week Fernandez posted a photo of his girlfriend sporting a "baby bump" on his Instagram page, announcing that the couple was expecting its first child. "I'm so glad you came into my life," Fernandez wrote in that post. "I'm ready for where this journey is gonna take us together." Fernandez became a U.S. citizen last year and was enormously popular in Miami thanks to his success and exuberant flair. When he wasn't pitching, he would hang over the dugout railing as the team's lead cheerleader. FILE - In this Friday, April 24, 2015, file photo, Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez smiles after becoming a U.S. citizen during a naturalization ceremony in Miami. The Marlins announced Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, that ace right-hander Fernandez has died. The U.S. Coast Guard says Fernandez was one of three people killed in a boat crash off Miami Beach early Sunday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter, File) "When I think about Josie, it's going to be thinking about a little kid," said Mattingly, pausing repeatedly to compose himself. "I see such a little boy in him ... the way he played. ... Kids play Little League, that's the joy Jose played with." Mattingly then wiped away tears, and he wasn't alone. Red Sox star David Ortiz asked the Tampa Bay Rays to cancel a pregame tribute they scheduled in his honor before his final game in their ballpark Sunday. "I don't have the words to describe the pain I feel," Ortiz said. The New York Mets, in the thick of a playoff chase, will begin a series in Miami on Monday. Fernandez's debut game in 2013 was against the Mets, and he was scheduled to face them Monday after having his start pushed back a day. "When the first pitch left his hand, the first thought is, 'Oh, wow, this is something special,'" said Mets manager Terry Collins, who picked Fernandez for this year's All-Star Game. "This was not only one of the greatest pitchers in the modern game but one of the finest young men you'd ever meet, who played the game with passion and fun and enjoyed being out there." The game Monday will be played as scheduled, the Marlins said. "Deep in our hearts there is a lot of pain," Miami third baseman Martin Prado said. "Somehow we've got to overcome that." Miami Marlins player Dee Gordon stands in front of a memorial on the pitcher's mound at Marlins Park for Marlins pitcher Jose Fernanedez, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Miami. Fernandez, the ace right-hander for the Miami Marlins who escaped Cuba to become one of baseball's brightest stars, was killed in a boating accident early Sunday morning. The game between the Marlins and the Atlanta Braves was cancelled. (AP Photo/Gaston De Cardenas) Fernandez's death immediately brought memories of past baseball tragedies, such as the deaths of Thurman Munson and Roberto Clemente — stars who died in plane crashes in the 1970s. Cleveland teammates Steve Olin and Tim Crews were killed in a boating accident in Florida in 1993, and the game also reeled from the sudden deaths of major leaguers Darryl Kile, Nick Adenhart, Lyman Bostock and Cory Lidle in recent years. Video boards at Marlins Park on Sunday morning showed a large "16" — Fernandez's uniform number — over his name. The number was also painted on the mound, and flowers rested on the rubber. A few dozen fans milled about in the ballpark plaza, some wearing Fernandez jerseys. There were pregame tributes and moments of silence for Fernandez across the majors. His jersey hung in the Mets' dugout as they played Philadelphia at Citi Field. Fernandez's 76th and final game was Tuesday, when he pitched eight shutout innings, struck out 12 and beat the Washington Nationals 1-0. "He told one of his teammates that the last game he pitched, against the Nationals, was the best game he ever pitched," Prado said, his voice breaking. "Now he's gone, and it's hard." AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York and AP freelancers Ian Harrison in Toronto, Mark Didtler in St. Petersburg and Jason Dearen in Gainesville contributed to this report.[SEP]Hang on for a minute...we're trying to find some more stories you might like. Close Miami was hit hard this morning as news that Marlins ace pitcher José Fernández died in a boating accident early on September 25. The coast guard found a boat in which Fernández was a passenger turned over after hitting rocks at full speed. The accident claimed Fernández and two others in the devastating crash. Fernández passed at the young age of 24 and was deemed as one of the brightest stars in the MLB. Fernández was the 14th overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Florida Marlins. In his career he was 38-17 with a 2.58 ERA in 76 starts. This season Fernández is second in strikeouts in the MLB with 253 this. In his career he had 589 total strikeouts. The Miami Marlins cancelled Sunday’s game in respect for Fernández and they have placed he cap on the mound with his number. The Marlins will honor their ace, teammate and friend for the remainder of the season. Teammate Dee Gordon was seen at the mound mourning the loss of Fernández as he will be greatly missed by not only his teammates, but other players and fans as well.[SEP]Investigators looking into the crash that killed Miami Marlins pitcher José Fernández and two friends changed course Monday and said the vessel in which they were riding belonged to the superstar pitcher. Authorities said Sunday during a news conference that the boat involved in the fatal Sunday morning crash belonged to “a friend of José’s who is very well connected to several Marlins players.” Investigators say the boat, Kaught Looking, was heading south around 3:15 a.m. at full speed when it struck the north Government Cut jetty, flipped and killed all three men on board, But in a news release Monday, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission said Fernández was indeed the registered owner. They also confirmed that Emilio Jesus Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25, died alongside the pitcher. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office has completed the physical autopsies of the three victims but pathologists are awaiting the results of toxicology tests, according to an office spokesman. FWC Officer Rob Klepper said the cause of death for the three men has not yet been established. “The exact time of the accident is still under investigation and the operator of the vessel at the time of the accident is undetermined at this time,” Klepper said in a statement. Klepper declined to provide new information to the Miami Herald when reached earlier Monday. But TMZ.com reported that Fernández was seen at American Social, a Brickell bar on the Miami River. And Will Bernal, a friend of Rivero’s, posted a string of texts on Instagram that suggested Fernández was indeed on the Miami River Sunday night and may have been upset about something. “Try to keep him close to shore if you go out,” Bernal texted. “Trust me it’s not my time yet,” Rivero responded. “I know but try to keep Jose cool, tell him what I said,” Bernal wrote back. Rivero then posted a picture of his phone’s map application, showing the area of the Miami River around American Social. An American Social manager released the following statement: “José Fernández was a guest at American Social. We would like to extend our sincerest condolences, thoughts and prayers to the families and friends who share in the loss of the three victims involved in this tragic boating accident and to the Miami Marlins organization.”[SEP]Below are some of the FYIs in this week’s edition. The entire content of this week’s FYIs and Insider sections is available by subscription only. To subscribe click here. COAST TO COAST: Either Californians think Miami would be a great new place to live or they’re checking out the competition: in October, Californians made more real estate searches on the Miami Association of Realtors’ website than persons from any other state, the association says. They’re followed, in order, by home searchers from Texas, New York, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Michigan. A year earlier the leaders in Miami home searchers were New Yorkers, followed by Californians and Texans. WE’RE TOPS FOR SPAIN: While South Florida appears on the list of the top-five US real estate targets for 12 of the 20 nations that most searched for US realty buys in October, surprisingly Miami or Miami Beach was the top choice in hunts for only one nation: Spain. Miami was second for Brazil and Israel, and Miami Beach was second for searchers from Italy, according to the Miami Association of Realtors. ALL TOLLED, A GOOD YEAR: Miami-Dade Expressway Authority saw its debt rating raised by Fitch Ratings, raised from A- to A while the outlook remained stable, because performance was sharply ahead of expectation over the prior year with a doubling of both tolling locations and effect toll rates on its five roadways, Fitch reported in a review of US toll road operations. Fitch took only four positive rating actions on toll facilities during the year. KEY FINANCIAL ROLE: Richard Lampen, president and CEO of Miami-based Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services, has been named vice chair of the Financial Services Institute’s board of directors for 2016, rising to chair in 2017. The institute is an advocacy organization of independent broker-dealers and financial advisors. GAS PRICES FALLING: Miami’s average gasoline prices were $2.13 cents a gallon as of Sunday, above most gas prices elsewhere but down significantly from the recent past, GasBuddy price-tracking service reported. Both GasBuddy and AAA said the national average was a flat $2 per gallon. Nearby, Sarasota averaged $1.96, Naples $2.07 and Cape Coral $1.98. “Gasoline could get even cheaper in the coming weeks, as some of the lowest prices of the year typically arrive in January,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins. Miami gas prices are now 34.9 cents a gallon less than a year ago and 6.6 cents less than a month ago, GasBuddy said.[SEP]I'm so glad you came into my life. I'm ready for where this journey is gonna take us together. #familyfirst Miami Marlins' pitcher Jose Fernández was killed along with at least two other people in an early Sunday morning boating crash off Miami Beach.Thereports the Marlins' star player was one of three bodies found near a boat up against the jetties. The 24-year-old, who immigrated from Cuba to Tampa as a teenager, was the National League rookie of the year in 2013 and considered one of the best in the league."The Miami Marlins organization is devastated by the tragic loss of Jose Fernández," according to a statement from the Marlins. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time."Last week, Fernández posted a picture of his pregnant girlfriend on Instagram.[SEP]Ross Graham, the founder of Miami Cocktail Co., jokes that his college drinking days led him to a career in the alcohol and beverage industry, but it was his ability to gauge a gap in the market that led him to start his business. “If you walk up to anyone on the street and ask them to name a brand of tequila or gin, they’ll probably have a top of mind name. Same with wine, and it goes down the list. But if you turn to those same people and ask them to name a ready-to-serve cocktail brand, most times you get a blank face looking back at you,” Graham says. The all-natural, organic bottled-cocktail company rebranded in March. With headquarters in the core of Wynwood, the company launched with two wine-based flavors — sangria and mimosa — and distributed online and in five local Miami Whole Foods Markets. The company imports organic wine from Spain and blood orange and tangerine juices from Sicily, and received organic certification. Currently, eight flavors are offered, and its newest flavor, Organic Copper Pot Margarita, is scheduled to debut before the end of the year. Graham says the brand has been successful because people are shifting to products with real ingredients. Whole Foods recently increased Miami Cocktail Co.'s distribution by expanding it statewide. On weekends, Miami Cocktail Co.’s team can be found at various stores offering samples to shoppers. Graham says it’s the best way for people to learn about the company. “People want transparency, they want something that’s authentic, and they want a real cocktail experience. And our mindset is just to make some real, authentic cocktails and bottle them up,” Graham says. “Being in a Whole Foods gives us the opportunity to do those consumer tastings which are so important. When people try it, they love it." Each bottle contains about four to five cocktails at 9 percent alcohol and retails for $14.99.The recipes are created in Wynwood, and batches are made at the company's Missouri-based organic winery partner, where the ingredients are shipped and the bottling process is finalized. When orders are shipped, FedEx takes on the legal responsibility to verify that the person who purchased is the same as the receiver and is of drinking age. The next step for Miami Cocktail Co. is to expand the retail brand to local brunch menus, eateries, and bars around South Florida, as well as New York and California. Graham also plans to pour during Art Basel Miami Beach and says he welcomes partnerships and collaboration. He hopes to see Miami Cocktail Co. at all the hip brunch spots in town. “We’re proud to be Miami Cocktail Co., and we’re excited about it, but our name obviously is a big name, and we want to represent it and rep it proudly. To do it justice, we have to make sure that we do it with quality and that it's hand-crafted. We launched here in Miami, and we’re going to make sure to be a part of this community. Good things are on the way.”[SEP]Brace yourselves, Miamians — the debates are coming. In what is bound to be a circus, with Lester Holt as the ringmaster, tonight’s first presidential debate will take us all on a helter-skelter carousel of madness and, let's hope, enlightenment. It seems the only way to endure the merriment is to drown your political woes in a stiff drink. But the silver lining is there are plenty of Miami venues where you can do just that. Here are the local debate watch parties where you can relish in the chaos and forget your legitimate concerns for a few moments. Standard Votes The Standard Spa in Miami Beach will host a live viewing along with a red-versus-blue Standard Brauhaus Beer Pong Tournament. From 8:30 to 11 p.m. in the hotel lobby, the red and blue battle will play out with the rousing debate as background music. Once you arrive, you can purchase a Standard Brauhaus Beer kit, which includes 12 cups, two balls, and one six-pack of the new Standard Beer, made at Brooklyn’s Sixpoint Brewery. The candidates come free. Free entry, $30 for the beer pong kit. The Standard Spa Miami Beach, 40 Island Ave., Miami Beach Churchill’s Pub It’s only fitting that Churchill’s Pub is getting in on the debate, broadcasting the battle on a large movie screen for your viewing pleasure. Not only can you grab a drink with happy-hour specials in effect while you watch the Trump/Clinton debacle, but you'll also be able to register to vote. And in case you’re too amped up to go home after the debate, Churchill's weekly Miami Jazz Jam will begin at 9 p.m. Free entry. Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami. One for the Canes The University of Miami will host a special debate party for students at the Convocation Center Fieldhouse beginning at 8:30 p.m. Join Bendixen & Amandi International, El Nuevo Herald, and the Miami Herald while NewsRadio 610 WIOD broadcasts live. Cast your vote in a live audience poll, and grab some bites and beverages before you sit back, relax, and watch the candidates duke it out. You might even catch a few special surprise guests and VIP appearances. Student RSVP. University of Miami Convocation Center, 1245 Dauer Dr., Coral Gables. Monty’s Raw Bar The Clinton campaign will host a watch party at Monty’s in Coconut Grove, so if the debate isn’t enough of a draw, the seafood surely will. Mix and mingle with South Florida’s Clintonites by the waterside. Free entry. Monty’s Raw Bar, 2550 S. Bayshore Dr., Coconut Grove.[SEP]These film permits were issued last week by the Miami-Dade County Department of Regulatory & Economic Resources’ Office of Film and Entertainment, (305) 375-3288; the Miami Mayor’s Office of Film, Arts & Entertainment, (305) 860-3823; and the Miami Beach Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment-Film and Print Division, (305) 673-7070. Raw TV. London. Someone Like Me. Florida City, Tamiami Park. PR Design Co. Inc. New York. Parke & Ronen. Countywide.[SEP]Fernandez, who as a teenager survived harrowing conditions at sea as he fled Cuba to start a new life in the United States, was one of three men killed when a 32-foot boat collided with a rocky jetty off Miami Beach, the Coast Guard said. The team, which drafted the pitcher in the first round of the 2011 draft, canceled its Sunday home game against the Atlanta Braves but dozens of mourners still gathered at a makeshift memorial set up for Fernandez near the entrance to Marlins Park. Many wore his No. 16 jersey and brought flowers, teddy bears and pictures of themselves with the All Star pitcher. ""He was one of our game's young stars who made a dramatic impact on and off the field," Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. Emergency crews responded to reports of a boat overturned on a jetty near the Government Cut shipping channel and South Pointe Park at about 3:30 a.m. (0730 GMT), the Coast Guard said. Fernandez, who was born and raised in Cuba, tried three times to defect to the United States before arriving in the country at age 15 with his mother. Cuba's state-controlled media made no mention of Fernandez's death on Sunday, a standard practice for those who left the island-nation surreptitiously, even though its communist government restored diplomatic relations with the United States last year. Tony Diaz, a spokesman for the Cuban Baseball Federation, said the pitcher's death was "a big loss for global baseball. An already famous youth, he had a promising future.” The right-hander, who made his major league debut in April 2013, was a two-time All-Star selection and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Fernandez compiled a 16-8 record this season for the Marlins and was second in strikeouts in the National League. Known for his overpowering fastball, he had already had a franchise season record for strikeouts with 253 this season, and his 12.49 strikeouts per nine innings was the best in both the National and American leagues, according to the MLB.com. At least two fellow Cuban-born baseball players, Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Yoenis Cespedes of the New York Mets, paid tribute to Fernandez by hanging his team jersey in their dugouts before Sunday games. Fernandez, with his good looks and on-field charisma, was in many ways a hero to Miami's sprawling Cuban community. "His story was our story," said Miguel Garay, 78, who came to Miami from Cuba's Pinar del Rio. "There's such a great tradition of baseball in Cuba and he embodied it better than anyone." Havana-born Rene Nodarse, 55, said Fernandez stood out from other Cuban baseball players in Major League Baseball because of his clean-cut image. "He had so much passion and joy," he said. "Today it feels like our whole community has died." The bodies of Fernandez and the other two men, who were between the ages of 24 and 27, were found on and underneath the boat, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Lorenzo Veloz said at a news conference. The agency is investigating the cause of the incident. The identities of the two other victims were not released. The speed at which the boat was traveling was believed to have played a role in the crash but alcohol and drugs were not considered to be a factor, Veloz said.

A boating accident near Miami Beach, Florida, kills Miami Marlins pitcher José Fernández and two others.

Members of the Los Angeles Dodgers, including Dave Roberts, explain what it meant to send Vin Scully, in his last home game, off with a walk-off win to clinch the NL West title. (1:01) LOS ANGELES -- After 67 years, Los Angeles wasn't ready to say goodbye to Vin Scully. With the Colorado Rockies holding a 3-2 lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Corey Seager, the Los Angeles Dodgers' 22-year-old shortstop, hit a home run to right field to tie the game and extend the final home game for the 88-year-old announcer one more inning. Sunday was the final game Scully will broadcast from Dodger Stadium as he nears the end of a 67-year career that began in 1950, when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn, and spanned nearly seven decades. "And wouldn't you know we'd go extra innings," Scully said after Seager's home run. "Of course, you didn't have anything better to do, anyway." With two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, Charlie Culberson homered on a fly ball to left field to give the Dodgers a 4-3 victory and their fourth straight National League West title, a franchise first, in Scully's final game behind the microphone at Dodger Stadium. "The Dodgers have clinched the division," Scully said on the call. "And will celebrate on schedule." It was a storybook moment in a storybook career for Scully, who was given a standing ovation after the game from the crowd and the players, who took off their championship hats and waved them at a smiling Scully up in the broadcast booth. "Vin, we love," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on the field after the game as he looked up at Scully. "This is for you, my friend." Scully will retire after finishing a three-game series in San Francisco next weekend. During Sunday's game, Dodgers players tipped their helmets toward Scully before stepping into the batter's box -- an idea that was hatched by Adrian Gonzalez and Justin Turner while the two were texting the night before the game. After Roberts' on-field interview, Scully got on the microphone and addressed the crowd from the press box named after him. "I'm terribly embarrassed," he said, standing up from his chair with his wife, Sandra, seated behind him. "I was hoping the team would win the game 10 to nothing, and there would be no tension, and it would be a nice, easy day because I have a very, very small, modest contribution on my last day. I have always felt you folks in the stands have been far, far more important to me. You have given me enthusiasm. You have given me young at heart. "Believe me when I tell you I've needed you far more than you've needed me. Anyway, I wanted to try and express my appreciation to all the players. God bless them, and to all you folks at the ballpark. It's a very, very modest thing, but I sang this for my wife -- it was a loving gesture. You know the song, the 'Wind Beneath My Wings,' and that's what you are. You are the wind beneath the team's wings, and you are the wind beneath my wings. I know it's modest, I know it's an amateur, but do you mind listening?" With that, Scully sat down as the players on the field and the crowd erupted in applause while a recording of Scully singing "Wind Beneath My Wings" played at Dodger Stadium. When the song had finished, the players began jumping and celebrating their win in the division on the field before heading to the clubhouse. Meanwhile, Scully said goodbye to his friends in the broadcast booth before exiting the Vin Scully Press Box for the final time. "Thank you," Scully said as he walked out. "Thank you so very much."[SEP]Sprayed champagne and beer flooded the blue carpet in the Dodgers clubhouse. The stench of alcohol hung in the damp air. Wives, kids and a puppy were in on the party with music blaring. The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated clinching their fourth straight NL West title with the kind of storybook ending this city was built on: winning the crown in Vin Scully’s final home game when Charlie Culberson homered with two outs in the 10th inning to beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Sunday. “It hasn’t really sunk in,” said Culberson, who made the opening day roster only to flip-flop between the majors and minors during the season. Scully eluded the clubhouse chaos and the throng of fans waiting outside the press box named for him, having quietly exited after broadcasting his last game at Dodger Stadium. The 88-year-old Hall of Famer who has just three games left, at San Francisco next weekend, before ending his 67-year career, bid a public farewell to the team and its 51,962 fans at the end of the game. “I was hoping the team would win the game 10-0 and there would be no tension, and it would be a nice easy day,” Scully said, looking out at the sea of faces turned toward his booth. “Believe me when I tell you, I’ve needed you far more than you’ve needed me.” At that, he asked the crowd to indulge what he called “a loving gesture” and listen to him singing “Wind Beneath My Wings” which he recorded for his wife, Sandi. As the song played, the couple stood with their arms around each other. “A lot of history this weekend,” ace Clayton Kershaw said. Under Dave Roberts, the Dodgers became the first NL West team to win four straight division titles, also a first in franchise history. Roberts joined Tommy Lasorda (1977) as the only rookie managers to lead the club to a division title. “It was a work in progress all year,” said Roberts, his eyes burning from champagne. “We’re going to enjoy it.” Culberson’s first homer of the season and just sixth of his career landed in the lower left-field seats, touching off wild cheers and a raucous celebration at home plate. The Dodgers charged out of their dugout and surrounded Culberson, jumping up and down. They donned championship T-shirts and hats from carts wheeled on the field. “I wanted to see how they did it because everybody on this team believes and thinks that we’re going to do that next year,” Colorado starter Tyler Anderson said after his team’s 83rd defeat. The Dodgers took off their caps, turned toward the broadcast booth and held them in a salute to Scully, nattily attired in his usual long-sleeved shirt and tie despite the 35-degree heat. He began with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950 and is the longest-tenured broadcaster with a single team in professional sports. “What a special day,” third baseman Justin Turner said. “It’s an incredible feeling.” Catcher Yasmani Grandal partied with his puppy, Taz, after the players jogged around the warning track exchanging high-fives with fans. In the end, the Dodgers provided plenty of drama for Scully to describe. “Yeah, Vin has a lot of pull,” Colorado manager Walt Weiss said. In San Diego, rookie Manuel Margot tripled in the seventh inning and scored the go-ahead run on Wil Myers’ single as the Padres dropped San Francisco to a game behind the New York Mets in the NL wild-card race. In Chicago, David Ross homered and teamed with Jon Lester for another scoreless performance, and the Cubs hurt St. Louis’ wild-card chances. The Cardinals remain a half-game back of San Francisco for the second NL wild card. In New York, Asdrubal Cabrera hit a grand slam, Jose Reyes drove in four runs and the Mets got the largest shutout victory in team history to maintain their NL wild-card lead. In Milwaukee, Brandon Finnegan pitched five scoreless innings in his final start of the season. In Pittsburgh, Nationals star Bryce Harper injured his left thumb making an awkward slide to avoid a pretend tag by Pittsburgh third baseman Kang Jung-ho, and the teams later cleared the benches in Washington’s win. In Baltimore, Kim Hyun-soo hit his fifth home run, a two-run shot in the second inning. Baltimore leads Detroit by 1½ games for the second AL wild card and trails Toronto by 1½ games for the top spot. In Cleveland, Carlos Rodon struck out a career-high 11 over eight dominant innings and Chicago kept the Indians from winning the AL Central title. In Toronto, Ezequiel Carrera drove in the tying run with a squeeze bunt in the ninth, Edwin Encarnacion hit a winning single and Toronto kept its AL wild-card lead. In Detroit, Salvador Perez homered to cap a cycle by Kansas City’s first four batters. Dustin Pedroia used nifty baserunning to score from first base on David Ortiz’s double in the 10th inning. In Houston, Joe Musgrove pitched seven strong innings, while Evan Gattis, Tony Kemp and Tyler White homered. In Minneapolis, Nelson Cruz homered twice before leaving with left wrist soreness, Jesus Sucre homered for the first time in 14 months and Seattle beat Minnesota. In Oakland, Jharel Cotton pitched seven crisp innings and the Athletics avoided a series sweep.[SEP]LOS ANGELES | David Dahl’s go-ahead home run in the ninth gave the Rockies hope. The Dodgers took it away in the bottom of the inning, with a tying homer by Corey Seager. Then former Rockies second baseman Charlie Culberson homered with two outs in the 10th inning, giving Los Angeles a 4-3 victory Sunday that clinched its fourth straight NL West title. “I’m looking like I’m not going to give up a run and then a homer and then another homer to clinch the division and everything,” Colorado reliever Adam Ottavino said. “It’s just kind of amazing.” The Rockies notched their 83rd defeat, having been swept in the four-game series. The finished 7-12 against the Dodgers this season. “Tough loss any way you look at it,” manager Walt Weiss said. Culberson’s first homer of the season and just sixth of his career landed in the lower left-field seats, touching off wild cheers and a raucous celebration at home plate. The Dodgers charged out of their dugout and surrounded Culberson, jumping up and down. “I wanted to see how they did it because everybody on this team believes and thinks that we’re going to do that next year,” Rockies starter Tyler Anderson said. “I want them to enjoy it. They worked hard and earned it, but hope’s not too (far off).” Anderson allowed two runs and 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander struck out one and walked two. “A lot of the balls that were hits were groundballs that got through or balls that snuck down the line,” he said. Colorado’s DJ LeMahieu recorded his NL-leading 59th multi-hit game with a pair of singles. The Dodgers took off their caps, turned toward Vin Scully’s broadcasting booth and held them in a salute to the 88-year-old Hall of Famer, who has just three games at San Francisco next weekend before ending his 67-year career. Under first-year manager Dave Roberts, the Dodgers became the first NL West team to win four straight division titles. Scully began with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950 and is the longest-tenured broadcaster with a single team in professional sports. He was nattily attired in his usual long-sleeved shirt and tie despite the 95-degree heat. Joe Blanton (7-2) pitched the 10th to get the victory. Boone Logan (2-5) took the loss in relief. The Dodgers provided plenty of drama for Scully to describe. Seager homered with two outs in the ninth off Adam Ottavino, tying the game 3-all. It was the rookie’s 190th hit of the season to go with a single in the first and triple in the seventh. Dahl’s two-out homer snapped a 2-all tie in the ninth off closer Kenley Jansen. Seager’s triple rolled into the right-field corner, tying the game 2-all and chasing Anderson. The Dodgers trailed 2-1 after Yasiel Puig’s sacrifice fly in the third. Colorado took a 2-0 lead in the third on Dustin Garneau’s RBI double in the right field corner and Charlie Blackmon’s sacrifice fly. Brandon McCarthy came off the disabled list (right hip stiffness) earlier in the day to make his first start for the Dodgers since Aug. 13. He replaced Rich Hill, who skipped his scheduled start for precautionary reasons because of a recurrence of blisters on the index finger of his left pitching hand. McCarthy gave up two runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings, struck out six and walked one. He hasn’t won since July 9 against San Diego. There was a moment of silence for Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez before the game. He was killed in a boating accident early Sunday in Miami. Fellow Cuban Yasiel Puig used pieces of white athletic tape to secure Fernandez’s jersey to the wall of the Dodgers’ dugout. The flags in center field were lowered to half-staff. The announced attendance of 51,962 brought the Dodgers’ season total to 3,703,312, their fourth consecutive year leading the major leagues. Rockies: They’re off Monday before opening a three-game series at San Francisco. RHP German Marquez (1-0, 3.48 ERA) makes his first major league start on the road, where he has a 6.23 ERA. He has yet to allow a homer. Dodgers: After an off day Monday, RHP Jose De Leon (2-0, 5.52) starts the series opener at San Diego. He beat the Padres 7-4 in his major league debut on Sept. 4, allowing four runs (three earned) and five hits in six innings. He had nine strikeouts and no walks.[SEP]One of the greatest baseball play-by-play announcers of all-time, Vin Scully, 88, will be calling his final games at Dodger Stadium this week. Scully has been broadcasting Dodger games since 1950, when he joined another legend, Red Barber, along with Connie Desmond, behind the microphone. In those days the Dodgers played in Brooklyn, not Los Angeles. The Dodgers moved to California in 1958. Scully's final regular season game broadcast from Dodger Stadium is set for September 25. His final game is expected to be broadcast from San Francisco's AT&T Park on October 2, 2016.

Vin Scully, broadcaster for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers since 1950, calls his final Dodgers home game.

The right man at the right time, Arnold Palmer transformed an entire sport and, along the way, became an American legend. Palmer, one of the most famous athletes on the planet and a friend to presidents, kings, and movie stars, died Sunday at the age of 87. Palmer, the son of a Pennsylvania country club greenskeeper, learned the sport of golf as a youth and perfected his game while at Wake Forest. He turned pro in 1955, winning a tournament in his first year as a professional, and three years later won the Masters. Scroll to continue with content Ad [RELATED: A visit to Palmer’s home office in Pennsylvania] Six of Palmer’s seven major wins came in a short period, from 1960 to 1964, but that happened to be the exact moment when televised sports first became a national obsession. Palmer’s good looks, humble origins, cheerful demeanor and on-course success combined to make him an early favorite of viewing audiences, and “Arnie’s Army” turned out in force wherever he played. Palmer’s battles with Jack Nicklaus were instant legend, a rivalry that blossomed into a friendship lasting more than half a century. Along with Gary Player, the men created the foundation for modern golf, and remained connected, visible and vibrant long after their playing days were done. Palmer was one of the first sports figures to create a vibrant off-course empire. In addition to the products he endorsed – everything from tractors to the famous “Arnold Palmer” drink – Palmer oversaw a thriving course design business and helped found The Golf Channel. Generations of golfers, from world-class pros to weekend hackers, owe Palmer a debt of gratitude. He was a singular force in American sports, and he’ll be deeply missed. Podcast: Remembering Arnold Palmer Subscribe to Grandstanding • iTunes • Stitcher • Soundcloud Story continues ____ Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.[SEP]Arnold Palmer, a seven-time major winner who brought golf to the masses and became the most beloved figure in the game, died Sunday in Pittsburgh from heart complications. He was 87. Palmer, a native of Latrobe, Pa., had been admitted to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he was scheduled to have heart surgery Monday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Reaction poured in from “Arnie’s Army” of admirers in the world of golf. “We loved him with a mythic American joy,” said Palmer biographer James Dodson. “He represented everything that is great about golf. The friendship, the fellowship, the laughter, the impossibility of golf, the sudden rapture moment that brings you back, a moment that you never forget, that’s Arnold Palmer in spades. He’s the defining figure in golf.” Related Arnold Palmer captivated audiences for decades No one did more to popularize the sport than Palmer. His dashing presence singlehandedly took golf out of the country clubs and into the mainstream. Quite simply, he made golf cool. “I used to hear cheers go up from the crowd around Palmer,” Lee Trevino said. “And I never knew whether he’d made a birdie or just hitched up his pants.” Golfweek subscriber Bob Conn of Guilford, Conn., in a letter to the editor, captured the loyalty and devotion that the public felt for Palmer. “If Arnold Palmer sent me a personal letter asking me to join the cleanup crew at Bay Hill, I would buy a green jumpsuit, stick a nail in a broom handle, grab some Hefty garbage bags and shake his hand when I arrived.” It wasn’t just the fans. His fellow competitors revered him, and the next generation and the generation after that worshipped him. When reporters at the 1954 U.S. Amateur asked Gene Littler to identify the golfer as slender as wire and as strong as cable cracking balls on the practice tee, Littler said: “That’s Arnold Palmer. He’s going to be a great player some day. When he hits the ball, the earth shakes.” Palmer attended Wake Forest on a golf scholarship. At age 24, he was selling paint and living in Cleveland, just seven months removed from a three-year stint in the Coast Guard, when he entered the national sporting consciousness by winning the 1954 U.S. Amateur at the Country Club of Detroit. “That victory was the turning point in my life,” he said. “It gave me confidence I could compete at the highest level of the game.” Palmer’s victory set in motion a chain of events. Instead of returning to selling paint, Palmer played the next week in the Waite Memorial in Shawnee-on-Delaware, Pa., where he met Winifred Walzer, who would become his wife of 45 years until her death in 1999. On Nov. 17, 1954, Palmer announced his intentions to turn pro, and golf would never be the same. In his heyday, Palmer famously swung as if he were coming out of his shoes. “What other people find in poetry, I find in the flight of a good drive,” Palmer said. He unleashed his corkscrew-swing motion, which produced a piercing draw, with the ferocity of a summer squall. In his inimitable swashbuckling style, Palmer succeeded with both power and putter. In a career that spanned more than six decades, he won 62 PGA Tour titles from 1955 to 1973, placing him fifth on the Tour’s all-time victory list. He collected seven major titles in a six-plus-year explosion, from the 1958 Masters to the 1964 Masters. Palmer didn’t lay up or leave putts short. His go-for-broke style meant he played out of the woods and ditches with equal abandon, and resulted in a string of memorable charges. At the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills near Denver, Palmer drove the first green and with his trademark knock-kneed, pigeon-toed putting stance went out and birdied six of the first seven holes en route to shooting 65 and winning the title in a furious comeback. “Palmer on a golf course was Jack Dempsey with his man on the ropes, Henry Aaron with a three-and-two fastball, Rod Laver at set point, Joe Montana with a minute to play, A.J. Foyt with a lap to go and a car to catch,” wrote Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray. Even Palmer’s setbacks were epic. He double-bogeyed the 18th hole at Augusta in the 1961 Masters after accepting congratulations from a spectator whom he knew in the gallery. Palmer lost playoffs in three U.S. Opens, the first to Jack Nicklaus in 1962; the second to Julius Boros in 1963; and the third to Billy Casper in 1966 in heart-breaking fashion. Palmer blew a seven-stroke lead with nine holes to go in regulation at Olympic Club and lost to Casper in an 18-hole playoff the next day. Arnold Daniel Palmer, born Sept. 10, 1929, grew up in the working-class mill town of Latrobe, in a two-story frame house off the sixth tee of Latrobe Country Club, where his father, Milfred “Deacon” Palmer, was the greenskeeper and professional. Though for decades Palmer made his winter home in Orlando, Fla., he never lost touch with his western Pennsylvania roots in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains. “Of all the places I’ve been, there isn’t any place that I’m more comfortable than I am right here,” he told Golfweek in 2009 in Latrobe ahead of his 80th birthday. Palmer was 3 years old when his father wrapped his hands around a cut-down women’s golf club in the classic overlapping Vardon grip, and instructed him to, “Hit it hard, boy. Go find it and hit it hard again.” Palmer’s combination of matinee-idol looks, charisma and blue-collar background made him a superstar just as golf ushered in the television era. He became Madison Avenue’s favorite pitchman, accepting an array of endorsement deals that generated millions of dollars in income on everything from licensed sportswear to tractors to motor oil and even Japanese tearooms. Credit goes to agent Mark McCormack, who sold the Palmer personality and the values he represented rather than his status as a tournament winner. Palmer’s business empire grew to include a course-design company, a chain of dry cleaners, car dealerships, as well as ownership of Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando. He even bought Latrobe Country Club, which his father helped build with his own hands and where as a youth Palmer was permitted only before the members arrived in the morning or after they had gone home in the evening. Palmer designed more than 300 golf courses in 37 states, 25 countries and five continents (all except Africa and Antarctica), including the first modern course built in China, in 1988. Palmer led the PGA Tour money list four times, and was the first player to win more than $100,000 in a season. He played on six Ryder Cup teams, and was the winning captain twice. He is credited with conceiving the modern Grand Slam of the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship during a conversation with golf writer Bob Drum on a flight to Ireland for the 1960 Canada Cup. Palmer won the Masters four times, the British Open twice and the U.S. Open once. It was Palmer who convinced his colleagues that they could never consider themselves champions unless they had won the Claret Jug. Nick Faldo, during Palmer’s farewell at St. Andrews in 1995, may have put it best when he said, “If Arnold hadn’t come here in 1960, we’d probably all be in a shed on the beach.” Mark O’Meara went a step further. “He made it possible for all of us to make a living in this game,” he said. In 1974, Palmer was one of the original inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame. As he grew older, Palmer was let down by a shaky putter, but his popularity never waned. The nascent Senior PGA Tour hitched its star to golf’s first telegenic personality when Palmer turned 50. He relished winning again and became a regular on the senior circuit, remaining active until 2006. Palmer maintained a high profile in the game, presiding over the Arnold Palmer Invitational every March, the only living player with his name attached to a PGA Tour event. He also served as the longtime national spokesperson for the USGA’s member program, and was an original investor and frequent guest on Golf Channel. To countless others, he became known for his eponymous drink consisting of equal parts iced tea and lemonade. On Sept. 12, 2012, Palmer was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. He became just the sixth athlete to receive the honor. Coupled with the Presidential Medal of Freedom that he was awarded in 2004, Palmer held both of the highest honors that the U.S. can give to a civilian. Palmer, who gave up his pilot’s license in 2011, had been in deteriorating health since late 2015. A ceremonial tee shot at the 2015 British Open was his last public golf shot. Palmer looked increasingly frail in public appearances at the API in March and as an onlooker instead of an active participant during the opening tee shot at the 2016 Masters in April. “Winnie once said to me, ‘When Arnold Palmer gives up flying his airplane and his ability to hit a golf ball, he won’t be with us long,’ ” said Dodson, the biographer. Palmer is survived by his second wife, Kit, daughters Amy Saunders and Peggy Wears, six grandchildren, including Sam Saunders, who plays on the PGA Tour, and nine great-grandchildren. As a measure of his popularity, Palmer, like Elvis Presley before him, was known simply as “The King.” But in a life bursting from the seams with success, Palmer never lost his common touch. He was a man of the people, willing to sign every autograph, shake every hand, and tried to look every person in his gallery in the eye.[SEP]That Masters title was his last victory in a major, but he won on the PGA Tour as late as 1973, at the Bob Hope Desert Classic. After he turned 50 in 1979, his mere presence on the Senior PGA Tour, then just formed, helped popularize it while lifting his total prize money on both tours to more than $3.5 million. Even when he struggled on the Senior PGA Tour after surgery for prostate cancer in 1998, his galleries were often the largest, just as they had been four decades earlier. “I feel the strength of the gallery, especially on a critical shot,” he said in his prime. “Silence is louder than any noise on a golf course — the deathly silence that I sometimes feel and hear when I’m out there. That will tell you how powerful the galleries really are. They have an appreciation of what you’re going through, of what’s happening, and they understand.” He had a shelf full of honors, and then some. He won the Vardon Trophy for lowest average score on the PGA Tour in 1961, 1962, 1964 and 1967. He was a member of six United States Ryder Cup teams; he was twice the captain, in 1963 and 1975. He was the Presidents Cup team captain in 1996. He was on six victorious World Cup teams, four with Nicklaus as his partner and two with Snead. Palmer is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Fla.; the P.G.A. of America Hall of Fame; and the American Golf Hall of Fame. He also won 10 Senior PGA Tour events, including the 1981 United States Senior Open and two Senior P.G.A. Championships. President George W. Bush presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a White House ceremony in 2004. But perhaps no pro golfer enjoyed the simple pleasure of playing the game as much as Palmer did. Including friendly matches and tournaments, he estimated at age 70 that he had played 260 rounds a year. And even though he was hardly the Arnold Palmer who won those seven majors over seven seasons, he still identified with the galleries. “I did that naturally,” he once said, “because my father told me, ‘Those people in the gallery are all the same as you.’”[SEP]Arnold Palmer brought a country club sport to the masses with a hard-charging style, charisma and a commoner’s touch. At ease with both presidents and the golfing public, and on a first-name basis with both, “The King” died Sunday in Pittsburgh. He was 87. Alastair Johnston, CEO of Arnold Palmer Enterprises, confirmed that Palmer died Sunday afternoon of complications from heart problems. Johnston said Palmer was admitted to the UPMC Hospital on Thursday for some cardiovascular work and weakened over the last few days. “Today marks the passing of an era,” said Johnston, Palmer’s longtime agent at IMG. “Arnold Palmer’s influence, profile and achievements spread far beyond the game of golf. He was an iconic American who treated people with respect and warmth, and built a unique legacy through his ability to engage with fans.” Palmer ranked among the most important figures in golf history, and it went well beyond his seven major championships and 62 PGA Tour wins. His good looks, devilish grin and go-for-broke manner made the elite sport appealing to one and all. And it helped that he arrived about the same time as television moved into most households, a perfect fit that sent golf to unprecedented popularity. “If it wasn’t for Arnold, golf wouldn’t be as popular as it is now,” Tiger Woods said in 2004 when Palmer played in his last Masters. “He’s the one who basically brought it to the forefront on TV. If it wasn’t for him and his excitement, his flair, the way he played, golf probably would not have had that type of excitement. Beyond his golf, Palmer was a pioneer in sports marketing, paving the way for scores of other athletes to reap in millions from endorsements. Some four decades after his last PGA Tour win, he ranked among the highest-earners in golf. “Thanks Arnold for your friendship, counsel and a lot of laughs,” Woods tweeted Sunday night. “Your philanthropy and humility are part of your legend. It’s hard to imagine golf without you or anyone more important to the game than the King.” On the golf course, Palmer was an icon not for how often he won, but the way he did it. He would hitch up his pants, drop a cigarette and attack the flags. With powerful hands wrapped around the golf club, Palmer would slash at the ball with all of his might, then twist that muscular neck and squint to see where it went. “When he hits the ball, the earth shakes,” Gene Littler once said. Palmer rallied from seven shots behind to win a U.S. Open. He blew a seven-shot lead on the back nine to lose a U.S. Open. He was never dull. “I’m pleased that I was able to do what I did from a golfing standpoint,” Palmer said in 2008, two years after he played in his last official tournament. “I would like to think that I left them more than just that.” He left behind a gallery known as “Arnie’s Army,” which began at Augusta National with a small group of soldiers from nearby Fort Gordon, and grew to include a legion of fans from every corner of the globe. Palmer stopped playing the Masters in 2004 and hit the ceremonial tee shot every year until 2016, when age began to take a toll and he struggled with his balance. It was Palmer who gave golf the modern version of the Grand Slam — winning all four professional majors in one year. He came up with the idea after winning the Masters and U.S. Open in 1960. Palmer was runner-up at the British Open, later calling it one of the biggest disappointments of his career. But his appearance alone invigorated the British Open, which Americans had been ignoring for years. Palmer never won the PGA Championship, one major short of capturing a career Grand Slam. But then, standard he set went beyond trophies. It was the way he treated people, looking everyone in the eye with a smile and a wink. He signed every autograph, making sure it was legible. He made every fan feel like an old friend. Palmer never like being referred to as “The King,” but the name stuck. “It was back in the early ’60s. I was playing pretty good, winning a lot of tournaments, and someone gave a speech and referred to me as ‘The King,’” Palmer said in a November 2011 interview with The Associated Press. “I don’t bask in it. I don’t relish it. I tried for a long time to stop that and,” he said, pausing to shrug, “there was no point.” Palmer played at least one PGA Tour event every season for 52 consecutive years, ending with the 2004 Masters. He spearheaded the growth of the 50-and-older Champions Tour, winning 10 times and drawing some of the biggest crowds. He was equally successful off with golf course design, a wine collection, and apparel that included his famous logo of an umbrella. He bought the Bay Hill Club & Lodge upon making his winter home in Orlando, Florida, and in 2007 the PGA Tour changed the name of the tournament to the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The combination of iced tea and lemonade is known as an “Arnold Palmer.” Padraig Harrington recalls eating in an Italian restaurant in Miami when he heard a customer order one. “Think about it,” Harrington said. “You don’t go up there and order a ‘Tiger Woods’ at the bar. You can go up there and order an ‘Arnold Palmer’ in this country and the barman — he was a young man — knew what the drink was. That’s in a league of your own.” Only four other players won more PGA Tour events than Palmer — Sam Snead, Nicklaus and Woods.[SEP]LOS ANGELES -- Golfer Arnold Palmer, whose skill and swashbuckling style made him one of the biggest stars in the sport and helped him became a beloved figure to the general public, died Sunday. He was 87. The United States Golf Association tweeted the news on Sunday, after Golf Digest first reported Palmer's death. His longtime assistant told the Washington Post that Palmer died at a Pittsburgh hospital ahead of a planned heart surgery. "We are deeply saddened by the death of Arnold Palmer, golf's greatest ambassador, at age 87," wrote the USGA. A talented athlete who garnered generations of fans, becoming a star just as TV was able to document it, Palmer remained involved in the golf world up until his death. Along with winning seven majors and playing the Masters for 50 consecutive years, Palmer also co-founded the Golf Channel, the first cable network devoted a single sport. Palmer was notably the first client of Mark McCormack's sports management firm IMG. The Latrobe, Pa., native remains regarded as one of the greatest athletes in professional golf history. Between 1958 and 1962 alone, Palmer took the Masters four times, the British Open twice and the U.S. Open once. He also racked up 62 wins on the PGA tour. Though he never won the PGA Championship, he finished as runner-up three times. All in all, the Wake Forest alum nabbed 95 professional golf titles over his long career, and was inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. A friend to fellow athletes and presidents alike, he received a Congressional Gold Medal in 2009, after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 from President George W. Bush. He appeared at the Masters for his 50th time, his last, in 2004, and retired from professional golf two years later. Aside from his athlete prowess, Palmer, with his charm and style, became a businessman and million-dollar brand name. Many will remember him for the eponymous drink, a mixture of tea and lemonade. Palmer is survived by two daughters, as well as a grandson, Sam Saunders, who plays on the PGA tour.[SEP]Arnold Palmer The King Of Golf Dies At 87 This morning British golf fans woke up to the very sad news of the passing of one its true greats, Arnold Palmer, ‘The King’. At the age of 87, the man from Pensylvannia, who alongside Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player transformed golf into the global game we know today, died in hospital near his home in Pennsylvania. The tributes have already come flooding in – notably from Nicklaus himself who said, “He was one of my best friends, closest friends and he was for a long, long time. I will miss him greatly. Arnold transcended the game of golf. He was more than a golfer or even a great golfer. He was an icon.” A look at his list of achievements only tells part of the story. Palmer won seven major Championships, four of them at Augusta National. He also won two Open Championships where his commitment to the event during a time when many top Americans refused to travel to the UK, prevented the importance of the Claret Jug from waning. Arnold Palmer however was about far more than the results on the scorecard. He arrived in the winner’s circle at just the right time, winning his first Masters in 1958. Before this, golf’s major super power was Ben Hogan but his last If the game was to grow it needed a new spearhead, a character capable of engaging people from different backgrounds and with different interests. Palmer, with his swashbuckling brand of golf, was that man. Aggressive and exciting, Palmer played golf on a knife-edge, carefully tip-toeing his way between triumph and disaster. Indeed his fallibility, his capacity for mistakes when some the biggest moments arrived allowed the golfing public to connect with Palmer. He wasn’t perfect and the public loved him for it. Throw in his flowing swing and movie star good looks and you had a talisman for the game, the likes of which we have rarely seen since. Of course the press responded too and Palmer appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated 12 times and became one of the few sportsmen to make it onto the front cover of Time Magazine. That his passing should come on the final day of the Fed-Ex Cup play-offs, when today’s greats fight for a $10 million bonus prize, is in many ways rather fitting. Palmer forged a rivalry with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player that captivated the world. ‘The Big Three’ as they were known travelled the world having signed up for a sports agent by the name of Mark McCormack. The founder of IMG, marketed golf’s three biggest stars in an age when television had the ability to connect them with the audience. This was golf’s version of the Beatles. All of us working in golf, but particularly those earning millions competing on the world stage owe a huge debt of gratitude to ‘The King’. His unique brand of ‘go-for-it’ golf and willingness to travel, opened the game to a new audience, revealing a glamorous, high octane side to the game. It is quite possible that nobody will ever do more for the game than Arnold Palmer.[SEP]AT the peak of his awesome powers, Arnold Palmer was more than the greatest in golf. He WAS golf. He was global sport’s first modern superstar and remains golf’s best-loved champion, even though his heyday was more than half a century ago. Palmer, who has died aged 87, transformed golf with the thrilling power and daring of his game, saving The Open Championship along the way. And the humble hero from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, charmed millions with his twinkling smile, homespun charisma, sportsmanship and kindness. Golf has always been a people’s game in Scotland. Palmer brought it out of the country clubs and made it a people’s game around the world. He was far too modest ever to like his nickname, The King. But he deserved it. Jack Nicklaus, his great friend and former rival, said: “Arnold transcended golf. He was more than a golfer or even a great golfer. He was an icon, he was a legend, a pioneer in his sport. “He was the king of our sport – and always will be.” Palmer passed away in his home state but his loss was felt just as deeply in the home of golf. Scotland’s Ryder Cup hero Colin Montgomerie said: “Every other golfer was respected but Arnold Palmer was loved.” Open and Masters champion Sandy Lyle added: “RIP Mr Palmer. You were a true gentle-man, fierce competitor, a legend and a friend.” Former Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance wrote: “What a life, what a hero, what a legend. RIP to The King.” And Open champ Paul Lawrie told Palmer: “Golf was lucky to have you.” Palmer was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 1929, of Irish-German farming stock. Dad Deacon was a greenkeeper and club pro. Palmer believed that steering a steel-wheeled tractor and pushing heavy mowers when he was six gave him his legendary strength. Little Arnold was swinging cut-down clubs by the age of three, and was still a boy when he properly lost his temper over golf for the first and last time. His father told him that if he ever did it again, he would never play again. Palmer was the biggest star for miles around in his teens, easily beating grown men in the top local tournaments. But he didn’t have the smooth path to stardom of today’s best young players. He served three years in the US Coast Guard and worked as a travelling paint salesman before he turned pro in 1954 after winning the US Amateur title. Palmer went on to win 73 tournaments including 62 on the PGA Tour in America – a mark bettered only by Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, Nicklaus and Ben Hogan. But all seven of his Major championships came in a glittering seven-year spell from 1958 to 1964. He won four Masters titles, one US Open and two Opens, but he did more for The Open than it ever did for him. At the start of the 1960s, golf’s original Major was fading and failing to attract the greatest US stars. Palmer, true student of the game that he was, changed all that. He believed he had to win The Open to be a truly great champion. So he came over to St Andrews in 1960 and thrilled the crowds in the hellish weather – which he loved. Palmer came second to Kel Nagle that year but he won at Birkdale in 1961 and Troon in 1962. He led the way back to The Open and his countrymen followed, returning the championship to its rightful place at the pinnacle of golf. R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said yesterday: “His contribution to The Open was, and remains, immeasurable.” Palmer’s fearsome, power-packed swing was no thing of beauty, more brute force than elegance. The purists turned up their noses at it. But he hit the ball hard and far. He attacked every flag. He got into trouble often and escaped it in amazing ways. “Trouble is bad to get into,” he once said. “But it’s fun to get out of.” Golf was often derided back then as a stuffy sport for fuddy-duddies, but Palmer made it exciting. His inspired “charges” – seemingly impossible runs of birdies to snatch victory in the biggest events – won him an adoring legion of fans dubbed Arnie’s Army. His charge to the top also coincided with the advent of golf on TV, making him an even bigger star. He was such a hero that the young Nicklaus was hated for daring to challenge his dominance. Palmer’s reign at the very top was relatively short, thanks largely to Nicklaus. But his legend and earning power continued to grow. He was the first top athlete ever to hire an agent and he chose a visionary, Mark McCormack. Before their partnership, even the best golfers often had to take second jobs. Palmer and McCormack led them into a different world. Arnie endorsed everything from Cadillac cars to Callaway golf clubs and the cash flooded in. He was the first golfer ever to make $1million from the sport, and many more millions followed. In 2011, almost 40 years after he last won on the PGA tour, Palmer was still the third-highest earner in golf. He raked in almost £28million that year – only Woods and Phil Mickelson made more. As well as his many endorsements, Palmer designed 300 courses and put his name to ranges of clothing and wine. He also ran his own PGA tournament at Bay Hill, one of the two country clubs he owned, and gave many millions to charity. Today’s top pros have a lot to thank him for, and they know it. But they revere him far more for the man he was than for what he did for their bank balances. Woods paid tribute with the message: “Thanks Arnold for your friendship, counsel and a lot of laughs. Your philanthropy and humility are part of your legend.” Rory McIlroy tweeted: “Remembering the special times I spent with Mr Palmer at Bay Hill. A true pioneer for our sport. Forever remembered.” Palmer played on for decades after he stopped being competitive in the Majors. He loved golf, and playing mattered far more to him than winning. He teed off in his last Open, at his beloved St Andrews, in 1995. He played in the Masters for 50 straight years and hit the ceremonial first tee shot at Augusta until 2015. His health failed him for this year’s event. Palmer spent much of his latter years drinking Rolling Rock beer with his buddies and sitting in his den tinkering with old clubs, using the skills Deacon taught him as a boy. He died on Sunday at the UPMC Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh, of complications from heart problems. Palmer’s first wife Winnie died of cancer in 1999 after a 45-year marriage. He is survived by wife Kit, his daughters Peggy and Amy and his grandchildren.[SEP]Beloved Orlando celebrity Arnold Palmer, known as "The King," died Sunday while awaiting cardiac surgery at a Pittsburgh hospital. He was 87.An influential sports figure, Palmer brought golf to the masses, and in his lifetime, he won more than 90 golf tournaments, including the Masters four times and the U.S. Open in 1960. Dedicated to philanthropy, he raised funds to open the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in downtown Orlando. Palmer also became the namesake for his iconic drink mixture of iced tea with a splash of lemonade. Palmer was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2012.After his death on Sunday, friends, fans and golf icons eulogized him online. With Great Sadness, We Honor Our Beloved ~ Arnold Palmer (1929-2016) from Arnold Palmer on Vimeo. Palmer is survived by his wife, two daughters, six grandchildren and multiple great-grandchildren.[SEP]Golf legend Arnold Palmer, known as “The King” of the sport, died Sunday in Pittsburgh, according to multiple reports. Palmer became a superstar in the 1950s, when golf was first being shown on television. He developed a rivalry with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, but still finished with 62 wins on the PGA Tour. He added 10 more wins on the senior tour. Palmer’s record included wins at the Masters in 1958, ’60, ’62 and ’64. He also won the U.S. Open in 1960 and the British Open in 1961 and ’62. “We are deeply saddened by the death of Arnold Palmer, golf's greatest ambassador, at age 87,” the United States Golf Associated said on its Twitter page.[SEP]FILE--This 2004 file photo shows former Masters champion Arnold Palmer as he sits on clubhouse railing at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) FILE--This 2004 file photo shows former Masters champion Arnold Palmer as he sits on clubhouse railing at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) File-This jan. 28, 1962, file photo shows Arnold Palmer concentrating on his next move during the Lucky International Open at San Francisco's Harding Park. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File) File-This jan. 28, 1962, file photo shows Arnold Palmer concentrating on his next move during the Lucky International Open at San Francisco's Harding Park. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File) FILE - In this April 12, 1964 file photo, Arnold Palmer swings his putter after he rolled in a long birdie putt on 18 to win his fourth Masters golf tournament, in Augusta, Ga. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) FILE - In this April 12, 1964 file photo, Arnold Palmer swings his putter after he rolled in a long birdie putt on 18 to win his fourth Masters golf tournament, in Augusta, Ga. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) File-This March 18, 2001, file photo shows Tiger Woods, left, being helped into his jacket for winning the Bay Hill Invitational by tournament host Arnold Palmer in Orlando, Fla. Woods Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Scott Audette, File) File-This March 18, 2001, file photo shows Tiger Woods, left, being helped into his jacket for winning the Bay Hill Invitational by tournament host Arnold Palmer in Orlando, Fla. Woods Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Scott Audette, File) File-This April 29, 1962, file photo shows Arnold Palmer, lifting an iron shot from No. 5 fairway in the final round of the Texas Open in San Antonio. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Ted Powers) File-This April 29, 1962, file photo shows Arnold Palmer, lifting an iron shot from No. 5 fairway in the final round of the Texas Open in San Antonio. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Ted Powers) File-This Sept. 9, 1960, file photo shows President Dwight Eisenhower, right, enjoying a laugh with Arnold Palmer, just before they played a round of golf together in a foursome at the Gettysburg Country Club, Gettysburg, Penn. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis, File) File-This Sept. 9, 1960, file photo shows President Dwight Eisenhower, right, enjoying a laugh with Arnold Palmer, just before they played a round of golf together in a foursome at the Gettysburg Country Club, Gettysburg, Penn. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis, File) File-This July 31, 1972, file photo shows Jack Nicklaus kneeling as partner Arnold Palmer looks over his shoulder while they study a putt on 18th green at Laurel Valley Golf Club at the PGA National Team Championship in Ligonier, Pa. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File) File-This July 31, 1972, file photo shows Jack Nicklaus kneeling as partner Arnold Palmer looks over his shoulder while they study a putt on 18th green at Laurel Valley Golf Club at the PGA National Team Championship in Ligonier, Pa. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File) File-This Dec. 8, 1980, file photo shows Arnold Palmer accepting a victory cup for the 42nd PGA Seniors Championship in north Miami. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Randy Taylor, File) File-This Dec. 8, 1980, file photo shows Arnold Palmer accepting a victory cup for the 42nd PGA Seniors Championship in north Miami. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Randy Taylor, File) File-This May 14, 1962, file photo shows Arnold Palmer holding the trophy cup after he defeated Johnny Pott, 69-73, in an 180-hole playoff match at the Colonial National Invitation golf tournament at Fort Worth, Texas. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Ferd Kaufman, File) File-This May 14, 1962, file photo shows Arnold Palmer holding the trophy cup after he defeated Johnny Pott, 69-73, in an 180-hole playoff match at the Colonial National Invitation golf tournament at Fort Worth, Texas. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Ferd Kaufman, File) File-This June 19, 1966, file photo shows Arnold Palmer in action during the U.S.Open Golf Championship at Olympic Country Club, San Francisco, Calif. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File) File-This June 19, 1966, file photo shows Arnold Palmer in action during the U.S.Open Golf Championship at Olympic Country Club, San Francisco, Calif. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File) FILE - This June 19, 1960, file photo shows Arnold Palmer pointing to his name on the press tent scoreboard showing his four-under-par total, for 72 holes, during the National Open golf tournament at the Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colo. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) FILE - This June 19, 1960, file photo shows Arnold Palmer pointing to his name on the press tent scoreboard showing his four-under-par total, for 72 holes, during the National Open golf tournament at the Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colo. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) File-This July 16, 1976, file photo shows Arnold Palmer finishing his follow through as he drove from the 11th tee during the first day of competition in the Westchester Classic at the Westchester Country Club in Harrison, N.Y. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/RC, File) File-This July 16, 1976, file photo shows Arnold Palmer finishing his follow through as he drove from the 11th tee during the first day of competition in the Westchester Classic at the Westchester Country Club in Harrison, N.Y. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/RC, File) File-This July 25, 1970, file photo shows Jack Nicklaus, left, and Arnold Palmer, next to him, at the National Four Ball Championships in Ligonier, Pa. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) File-This July 25, 1970, file photo shows Jack Nicklaus, left, and Arnold Palmer, next to him, at the National Four Ball Championships in Ligonier, Pa. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) File-This Feb. 19, 1976, file photo shows Arnold Palmer for the start of Glenn Cambell Los Angeles Open. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/JLR, File) File-This Feb. 19, 1976, file photo shows Arnold Palmer for the start of Glenn Cambell Los Angeles Open. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/JLR, File) File-This April 4, 1973, file photo shows golfing greats Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus on the course of Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) File-This April 4, 1973, file photo shows golfing greats Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus on the course of Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) File-This April 16, 1960, file photo shows a grinning Arnold Palmer surrounded by applauding citizens of his native Latrobe,Pa., shaking hands with a couple of enthusiastic boys. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) File-This April 16, 1960, file photo shows a grinning Arnold Palmer surrounded by applauding citizens of his native Latrobe,Pa., shaking hands with a couple of enthusiastic boys. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) FILE - In this April 12, 1964 file photo, Arnold Palmer, right, slips into his green jacket with help from Jack Nicklaus after winning the Masters golf championship, in Augusta, Ga. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) FILE - In this April 12, 1964 file photo, Arnold Palmer, right, slips into his green jacket with help from Jack Nicklaus after winning the Masters golf championship, in Augusta, Ga. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) File-This July 15, 1961, file photo shows Arnold Palmer smiling with his trophy and medal after winning the British Open Golf Championship by a single stroke at Royal Birkdale course in Birkdale, Lancashire, England. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File) File-This July 15, 1961, file photo shows Arnold Palmer smiling with his trophy and medal after winning the British Open Golf Championship by a single stroke at Royal Birkdale course in Birkdale, Lancashire, England. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File)

Arnold Palmer, winner of seven major championships, member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, and widely credited with helping bring golf into its modern era, dies at the age of 87.

ATLANTA -- Rory McIlroy holed two shots on the 16th hole at East Lake that made him a most unlikely FedEx Cup champion on Sunday. The first one he didn't even see go in. Three shots behind with three holes to play at the Tour Championship, McIlroy holed a pitching wedge from 137 yards for eagle that gave him the spark he needed to close with a 6-under 64 and join a three-way playoff with the FedEx Cup title riding on the outcome. "I knew I was right back in the golf tournament," he said. Four playoff holes later on the 16th, after Ryan Moore made a par putt from just outside 15 feet, McIlroy knocked in his 15-foot birdie putt to win two trophies that he desperately wanted -- the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup. "Just to see that ball drop, and everything that's come together for me this year ... to pull it off was really special," McIlroy said, his voice still hoarse from screaming over so many quality shots, so many clutch moments over the final two hours at East Lake. McIlroy picked up $11.53 million in one day -- the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus and $1.53 million for the Tour Championship, his second victory in three weeks, making him the first player to win four FedEx Cup playoff events. His only hope was to win the Tour Championship and have Dustin Johnson finish worse than second alone. Johnson closed with a 73 and tied for sixth. In its 10th year, the FedEx Cup never had a finish like this. Moore, who got the last captain's pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup team later Sunday, missed an 8-foot birdie putt by the slimmest of margins on the par-5 18th hole in regulation for a 64. In the playoff, he holed a 10-foot birdie putt with McIlroy facing a 6-foot eagle putt for the victory. McIlroy missed. Even on the final hole, Moore gave McIlroy everything he had. His chip over a ridge raced well past the hole, and it looked as though McIlroy would have to only two-putt for the victory. Instead, Moore holed another big putt. "I just wanted to make him earn it for that much money at least," Moore said. "I wanted him to make the putt. It was nice to get up and make it, but you give a great player like him that many opportunities, and he's going to make one eventually." Kevin Chappell had a two-shot lead with two holes to play when he made bogey on the 17th hole -- only his third of the week at East Lake -- and Moore birdied it in the group ahead of him. Chappell was woefully short on a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th for the win, and he was eliminated with a par on the first playoff hole when he made par. Rory McIlroy was three shots behind with three holes to play Sunday, but he came back to win at East Lake in the longest playoff in the 30-year history of the Tour Championship. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images They finished at 12-under 268. Johnson surprisingly was never a factor, and he hit too many errant shots on the front nine and never recovered. He still would have won the FedEx Cup had either Moore or Chappell won the tournament, which he said "would have been really cool." "It didn't feel right because I didn't win the Tour Championship,'' Johnson said. "That's why I was here to win. I knew I controlled my own destiny." Johnson was second in the FedEx Cup and received a $3 million bonus. McIlroy had control of this all along once he got into the playoff, except for one nervous moment. He looked to put the perfect finish onto his big day when he hit out of the rough and over the water to 6 feet for an eagle putt on the par-5 18th in the first playoff hole. McIlroy was ready to pump his fist until his eagle putt slid by, and he removed his cap in disbelief. Returning to the 18th, McIlroy missed an 18-foot birdie putt for the win. On the third extra hole, the par-3 15th over the water from 201 yards, McIlroy had to make a 7-foot par putt just to stay in the game. Nothing was bigger than that birdie at the end. McIlroy stiffened his back, clutched both arms and shouted above the raucous cheers at East Lake. "I've made it no secret that it's one of the last things I feel like I had left on my golf CV, and I made it a big goal of mine to win it," McIlroy said. "To be here and to win the FedEx Cup ... to play the way I have in the last few weeks to get it done, is very special." It was the longest playoff in the 30-year history of the Tour Championship. Moore had to wait two hours to see if his performance -- a 66-64 weekend at East Lake -- was worthy of a captain's pick. Davis Love III was to announce his decision during halftime of the Sunday night NFL game. Chappell headed into a month off trying to figure out what he has to do to win. He was runner-up for the fourth time this season -- twice to Jason Day, the No. 1 player in the world, and once to McIlroy. In those final rounds, Chappell's scores were 67, 69, 69 and 66. "I'm proud of the way I fought," he said. "It just wasn't enough."[SEP]ATLANTA—Rory McIlroy checked off two more big boxes on his list of career achievements Sunday when he won the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The native of Northern Ireland birdied the fourth extra hole to beat Ryan Moore and survive a three-man playoff at East Lake Golf Club. McIlroy hit a 328-yard drive on the par-4 16th hole, the fourth in the playoff, and landed his approach within 14 feet. He made the winning putt moments after Moore knocked in a par-saving putt. McIlroy, a four-time major champion, received $1.53 million for winning the tournament and the $10 million bonus for winning the FedEx Cup. "It means an awful lot," McIlroy said. "I've made it no secret that it's one of the last things I feel like I had left on my golfing CV, and I made it a big goal of mine especially after the summer had gone, to win it." It is the second victory this season for McIlroy. He won the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second FedEx Cup playoff event. He lacks only the Masters to win the career Grand Slam. "So to be here and to win the FedEx Cup, especially where I came in in the mid-30s somewhere, to play the way I have in the last few weeks to get it done is very special," McIlroy said. McIlroy was almost an afterthought after a second-round 70 left him five shots behind leader Dustin Johnson. But he had a productive session on the range after Friday's round, fixed a flaw and finished with rounds of 66-64. McIlroy, Moore and third-round co-leader Kevin Chappell were tied at 12-under 268 after 72 holes. McIlroy had a chance to win on the first playoff hole. He hit his second shot on the par-5 18th hole within six feet but rimmed out his eagle putt a moment after Moore calmly rolled in an eight-foot birdie putt. Chappell, in search for his first PGA Tour victory, was eliminated on the first extra hole after he hit a poor drive and made par. McIlroy missed a 16-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole, also the 18th hole, that would have given him the win. Moore made a three-foot par putt to continue the playoff. On the third playoff hole, the par-3 15th, both players exchanged pars. "I did everything I could," Moore said. "I hit every golf shot as good as I possibly could today. I put 100 percent effort into everything out there. Unfortunately today, it wasn't enough." Johnson, who began the final round tied with Chappell for the lead, staggered to a 73—the highest score posted on Sunday—and tied for sixth. He would have won the FedEx Cup had Moore or Chappell prevailed in the playoff. "I didn't roll it that good today," Johnson said. "I felt like I hit some good putts. I just didn't make anything. I missed quite a few short ones on the front nine, and then on the back nine had a lot of good looks for birdie and didn't make any of them." Chappell had a two-shot lead entering the 17th hole when his found the rough with his drive and made just his third bogey of the week. He drove into the rough off the 18th tee and opted to lay up on the part-5 closing hole. He two-putted for par and a 66. "I can't be negative even if I want to be," Chappell said. "I made three bogeys all week. Made two today, but three all week, four rounds in the 60s at East Lake. Finished wherever I finished in the FedEx Cup. It was a good year. That's the way I'm going to look at it." Moore missed an eight-footer on the final hole that might have won him the tournament in regulation and shot a 64. McIlroy also shot 64. He holed a 138-yard shot from the fairway for an eagle at No. 16 and birdied the final hole after a brilliant sand shot left him a foot away. Paul Casey's closing 64 was enough to push the Englishman into fourth place at 271. In three appearances at the Tour Championship, Casey has never finished worse than fifth. Hideki Matsuyama shot 69 to finish fifth at 274. Rookie Justin Thomas shot 67 and tied with Johnson for sixth at 275. Sharing eighth at 276 were Jason Dufner and Adam Scott, who finished with a 65. Defending champion Jordan Spieth tied for 17th at even par.[SEP]World No3 Rory McIlroy insists he ticked off another career goal by scooping the $10m FedEx Cup with his dramatic victory at the Tour Championship on Sunday night. McIlroy beat Americans Ryan Moore and Kevin Chappell in a play-off to win at East Lake – a result that saw him overtake Dustin Johnson at the top of the FedEx Cup standings and bank golf’s biggest prize. “It means an awful lot,” said the Northern Irishman, who has won three of the four Majors and topped the money lists on both the PGA and European Tours. Read more: Meeting Arnold Palmer gave me goosebumps the size of eggs “I’ve made it no secret that it’s one of the last things I feel like I had left on my golfing CV, and I made it a big goal of mine especially after the summer had gone, to win it. “So to be here and to win the FedEx Cup – especially when I came in in the mid-30s [of the standings] – to play the way I have in the last few weeks to get it done is very special.” McIlroy’s overall FedEx Cup success owed in part to his triumph at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the first tournament in the four-event play-offs, earlier this month. Moore, meanwhile, had the consolation of forcing American Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III to pick him as his final wildcard selection instead of Bubba Watson.[SEP]Rory McIlroy was on the brink of falling out of contention at the Tour Championship at East Lake, standing in the 16th fairway three shots off the lead. But he produced a moment of magic, holing out with pitching wedge from 137 yards for an eagle two to keep his hopes very much alive. McIlroy closed with a birdie on the 18th to post a four-round total of 12-under-par and that was matched by his playing partner Ryan Moore. Kevin Chappell had been at 13-under until a bogey at the 17th, but he had a chance to win the tournament outright with a birdie on the par-5 last. He couldn’t do it however, and that meant a three-way playoff for the title. Dustin Johnson had been in charge of the destiny of the FedEx Cup until the final round. He led the standings going into the Tour Championship after his victory in the BMW, and he took the lead into day four at East Lake. With victory he would have secured the $10 million bonus prize and most felt he was favourite to do so. But he struggled through the final round after a mis-hit shot on the 5th. He wound up finishing in a tie for sixth place, and that opened the door for McIlroy. Of the playoff protagonists at East Lake, only Rory could take the FedEx Cup; he needed to win to do so. If either Chappell or Moore were victorious, DJ would be FedEx Cup champion. McIlroy looked to have it sewn up on the first extra hole when he hit a superb second to the par-5 18th, setting up an eight-foot putt for eagle. Chappell couldn’t make birdie and his race was run. Moore, though, holed his tricky birdie effort to keep the pressure on McIlroy. The Northern Irishman thought he had made his eagle putt but it defied gravity and the playoff went on. It took three more holes for the Tour Championship to be decided and McIlroy eventually sealed it with a superb birdie at the 16th. 1 – By winning the event and the FedEx Cup, Rory McIlroy earned $11.53 million: $1.53 million for the Tour Championship and $10 million for the FedEx Cup. “I’ve made it no secret that it’s one of the last things I feel like I had left on my golf CV, and I made it a big goal of mine to win it,” McIlroy said. “To be here and to win the FedExCup … to play the way I have in the last few weeks to get it done, is very special.” 2 – Ryan Moore produced a superb final round and playoff display but came up just shy of an inspired McIlroy. The American putted incredibly and did enough to convince U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III that he should be the final wildcard pick for the Ryder Cup. “Ryan fits so well with what we have in place,” Love said. “He’s an easy-going, thoughtful guy, but don’t be fooled, Ryan’s a great match-play player with an incredible match-play record. He has guts and determination, and everyone saw that today. We are thrilled to have him with us.” Moore’s selection means World Number 7 Bubba Watson will not be in the U.S. side for Hazeltine. 3 – Dustin Johnson was accepting of defeat on Sunday at East Lake. “I knew I controlled my own destiny and it just didn’t happen today,” Johnson said. “Everything was just a little bit off… It wouldn’t have felt right if Ryan would have won and I still won the FedExCup. I would have liked it but it wouldn’t have felt as good as if I’d won the championship.”[SEP]ATLANTA — Rory McIlroy finally won the FedEx Cup when he least expected it. McIlroy was three shots behind with three holes to play Sunday in the Tour Championship. Nearly two hours later, he holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the fourth extra hole to win the tournament and claim the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus. “I took advantage of my opportunities today and yeah, here we are,” McIlroy said, his voice hoarse from screaming over so many quality shots and big moments. In its 10th year, the FedEx Cup never had a finish like this. McIlroy fittingly won on the 16th hole, where his remarkable rally began in regulation when he holed out from 137 yards for eagle, and then made birdie on the final hole for a 6-under 64 to join a three-man playoff with Ryan Moore (64) and Kevin Chappell (66). Moore had an 8-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win and it caught the lip and spun out. Chappell had a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole to win and left it short. Dustin Johnson surprisingly was never a factor and he hit too many errant shots on the front nine and never recovered, closing with a 73. Johnson, however, still would have won the FedEx Cup if either Moore or Chappell had won the tournament. McIlroy had control of this all along. He looked to put the perfect finish onto his big day when he hit over the water to 6 feet for an eagle putt on the par-5 18th in the first playoff hole. Moore, however, holed a 10-footer for birdie. McIlroy was ready to pump his fist until his eagle putt slid by, and he removed his cap in disbelief. Returning to the 18th, McIlroy missed an 18-foot birdie putt for the win. On the third extra hole, the par-3 15th over the water from 201 yards, McIlroy had to make a 7-foot par putt just to stay in the game. Nothing was bigger than that birdie at the end. McIlroy stiffened his back, clutched both arms and shouted above the raucous cheers at East Lake. He earned a total of $11.53 million on Sunday, including $1.53 million for the Tour Championship. It was the 13th victory[SEP]The NBA pulled the All-Star Game from Charlotte, while the NCAA said it would not hold the first and second rounds of the men’s basketball tournament in North Carolina and the ACC relocated all its championships from the state. The Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte has been around since 2003, while the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro dates to 1938. Finchem said Tuesday that the PGA Tour supports the NBA, NCAA and ACC over its public stand against the legislation. “We are not, however, inclined to join that group by pulling our tournament,” he said. “And the reason for that is quite simply, that tournament raises about $1.5 million right now for the Teach for America program in the inner city of Charlotte. Nobody else is going to put that money up.” Finchem said the three pieces of the PGA Tour mission is to benefit the professional game and the players; building the communities where they play and helping to grow the game golf. “We’ll be vocal about the legislation,” he said. “But we’re not going to interrupt a unique program that’s doing the great work it’s doing in the city of Charlotte.” The Wells Fargo Championship will be played next year in Wilmington because Quail Hollow is being used for the PGA Championship. WORST CASE SCENARIO: Jim Furyk and Paul Casey share a peculiar distinction in the FedEx Cup. They are the only players to twice be a Top 5 seed going into the Tour Championship without having won that year. Casey was the No. 5 seed in 2010 on the strength of his runner-up finish at the BMW Championship. He earned the No. 5 seed this time with successive runner-up finishes in the Deutsche Bank Championship and the BMW Championship. It means the PGA Tour can only hope for the one scenario that would put a serious dent in the credibility of the FedEx Cup. Casey has a mathematical chance - and the way he’s been playing, it’s not a stretch - to win the $10 million bonus without winning on the PGA Tour. For that to happen, he would have to be runner-up and hope that none of the players ahead of him - Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Adam Scott and Jason Day - play well. Johnson as the top seed, for example, would have to finish fifth or worse. Casey tied for fourth in 2010, when Jim Furyk won the Tour Championship to capture the cup. Fury was the No. 3 seed going into the 2009 Tour Champion and had an ever better chance to win the FedEx Cup without any other trophy that year. He tied for seventh. Furyk also was the No. 4 seed in 2008, but the points system was different that year and no one had a chance of beating Vijay Singh. Odds are still against Casey. In the previous nine years, only two players have won the Tour Championship without winning the $10 million bonus <0x2014> Phil Mickelson in 2009 and Camilo Villegas in 2008. HOLIDAY BONUS: Russell Knox headed to South Africa at the end of last year to play the Nedbank Challenge. He probably won’t have to go as far this year, even with Nedbank moving up a month into the European Tour schedule. The Tour Championship is the final event before the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas goes to the world ranking to fill its 18-man field. Knox is at No. 19 and is certain to get in because of the number of players who won’t be there, such as Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia. Scott lives at Albany, but he’ll be Down Under for the Australian Open, World Cup and Australian PGA Championship. A year ago, the field went into the mid-20s in the world ranking. Among those in need of a good week at East Lake if they want to play - last place pays $100,000 <0x2014> are Emiliano Grillo, Kevin Kisner and Justin Thomas. The tournament is allowed two exemptions, provided they are among the top 50 in the world. There also is a provision for an exemption to go to the tournament host <0x2014> Tiger Woods. KOEPKA POWER: Brooks Koepka, the only rookie (so far) on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, says he is most looking forward to being part of a team. He doesn’t count his college days at Florida State because that was essentially individual players adding up their scores. He’d have to go back to his days playing baseball, which Koepka described as his passion. He gave up baseball for golf, and the reason was mildly surprising. “I couldn’t hit for power, believe it or not,” said Koepka, in the top tier of big hitters on the PGA Tour. “I was a decent pitcher, a good shortstop, I just didn’t have a bat. I couldn’t hit the ball out of the park. And if you can’t hit ... oh, well.” It worked out well for him in the end. MAJOR AWARD: Lydia Ko has won the Rolex Annika Major Award, which is based on points earned at the LPGA Tour major championships. Players must win a major, and then have the most points from finishing in the top 10. The 19-year-old from New Zealand joins Michelle Wie (2014) and Inbee Park (2015) as winners of the award. Ko won the ANA Inspiration, the first major of the year when Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand faded over the closing holes at Mission Hills. That proved to be the difference, as Ko wound up winning the award by six points. While the race was close, there was little movement in the final major at the Evian Championship. Ko tied for 43rd, while the Thai tied for ninth.[SEP]Dustin Johnson had a reasonable lie in the rough and only a few pine tree branches blocking his path to the 17th green. Neither seemed like a problem until he played the wrong shot, clipped the tree and wound up with a double bogey Saturday in the Tour Championship. It was an example of how one hole can change everything at East Lake. And it’s why the final round of the PGA Tour season suddenly has more scenarios than Johnson cares to consider. Johnson recovered with a birdie from the bunker on the par-5 18th for a 1-under 69, giving him a share of the lead with Kevin Chappell (68) going into the last round that will determine who wins the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup. For the first time since 2009, there’s a chance it might not be the same player. “There’s a lot of scenarios that could happen,” Johnson said. “But yeah, I’m still going to go out and try to shoot as low a score as possible.” Johnson only has to win or finish second alone to claim the $10 million bonus as the FedEx Cup champion. Rory McIlroy, who has gone 28 holes without a bogey at East Lake, had three birdies over his last six holes for a 66 and was two shots behind. If he were to win the Tour Championship and Johnson finished in a two-way tie for second or worse, McIlroy would claim the FedEx Cup. “It would just be great to try to win the Tour Championship, and if the chips fall my way, then so be it,” McIlroy said. The winner of the Tour Championship has won the FedEx Cup every year since 2009, when Phil Mickelson won the tournament and Tiger Woods won the FedEx Cup. Johnson led by as many as four shots when he ran off three straight birdies on the front nine, and he really didn’t do much wrong to give up the size of that lead. He had a three-putt from 70 feet on No. 13, and missed the fairway by a few feet on the next hole, enough that his ball was buried so deep that even Johnson and his power couldn’t advance more than about 135 yards. It was the 17th hole that reshaped the tournament. Johnson tried to play a fade from a flyer lie in the rough, and the ball came out high and hit a branch, leaving him in more rough about 60 yards short of the green. He put that in the bunker, blasted out to 6 feet and missed the putt to make double bogey. Chappell rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt for a three-shot swing on the hole and suddenly had the lead, only for Johnson to catch him with the final birdie.[SEP]It was an example of how one hole can change everything at East Lake. And it’s why the final round of the PGA Tour season suddenly has more scenarios than Johnson cares to consider. Johnson recovered with a birdie from the bunker on the par-5 18th for 1-under-par 69, giving him a share of the lead with Kevin Chappell (68) going into the last round that will determine who wins the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup. For the first time since 2009, there’s a chance it might not be the same player. “There’s a lot of scenarios that could happen,” Johnson said. “But yeah, I’m still going to go out and try to shoot as low a score as possible.” Johnson only has to win or finish second alone to claim the $10 million bonus as the FedEx Cup champion. Rory McIlroy, who has gone 28 holes without a bogey at East Lake, had three birdies over his last six holes for 66 and was two shots behind. If he were to win the Tour Championship and Johnson finished in a two-way tie for second or worse, McIlroy would claim the FedEx Cup. “It would just be great to try to win the Tour Championship, and if the chips fall my way, then so be it,” McIlroy said. The winner of the Tour Championship has won the FedEx Cup every year since 2009, when Phil Mickelson won the tournament and Tiger Woods won the FedEx Cup. Johnson led by as many as four shots when he ran off three consecutive birdies on the front nine. It was the 17th hole that reshaped the tournament. Chappell rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt for a three-shot swing on the hole and suddenly had the lead, only for Johnson to catch him with the final birdie. They were at 8-under 202. Chappell, a runner-up three times this season who has never won on the PGA Tour, has made only one bogey in 54 holes this week, a show of consistency, discipline and a few good breaks when he does miss the fairway. His next chance at a breakthrough victory is to face golf’s best player at the moment (Johnson), with McIlroy and Ryan Moore (66) two shots behind. “I’ve always kind of been the underdog, so it’s a role I’m comfortable in,” Chappell said. Moore went out in 31 until he was slowed by a pair of bogeys, though very much in the mix just two shots out of the lead. The mystery is whether anything he does on Sunday <0x2014> even if that means a victory <0x2014> is enough for Davis Love III to use his last captain’s pick on Moore for the Ryder Cup. “I came here this week to win a golf tournament, and I’m 100 percent focused on that,” Moore said, adding that the Ryder Cup is “completely out of my control.” And that’s how the last day is shaping up for everyone <0x2014> post a score and see where it leads. Johnson, for a moment, looked as though he might take all the drama out of the season-ender when he made a 15-foot par putt early in his round and then ran off three straight birdies on the front nine to go four shots clear. The putter cooled off, however, and Chappell stayed in range. Chappell chipped in on No. 12 to match birdies and stay three shots behind, and then he quickly closed the gap when Johnson made back-to-back bogeys, only to respond with a 4-iron over the water to a peninsula green on the par-3 15th to 15 feet for birdie. “I thought about just trying to hit it in the front bunker, which I probably should have done <0x2014> probably would have made 4 if I’d have done that,” Johnson said. “But it is what it is. I came back and birdied the last hole, tied for the lead going into tomorrow. I like my position.” And he doesn’t need a degree in math to figure out the easiest scenario <0x2014> just win.[SEP]► Alexander Levy wins the European Open ► Rory McIlroy wins the FedEx Cup ► And the Ryder Cup begins this week Make sure you look out for a extra special addition of Season Pass coming this Saturday lunchtime where we’ll be announcing an incredible Ryder Cup competition.[SEP](CNN) Rory McIlroy beat Americans Ryan Moore and Kevin Chappell in a sudden death playoff to win the Tour Championship and wrap up the FedEx Cup on a dramatic final day at East Lake. The stunning victory is worth $11.53 million to former world No. 1 McIlroy, who conjured up a series of magical shots in a thrilling finale to the PGA Tour season. It was clinched with a birdie putt on the 16th, the fourth hole of the playoff to finally see off the challenge of Moore, with Chappell having dropped out at the first extra hole. Both Moore and McIlroy parred the next two playoff holes before the Northern Irishman sealed his double triumph. A win for Moore would have given US Open champion Dustin Johnson the FedEx Cup series and the $10 million bonus on offer at Atlanta's East Lake course. Johnson, in the joint lead overnight, slipped to a final-round 73 to leave his fate in the hands of others as he tied for sixth and eventually second place in the FedEx standings, and a $3 million prize. Four-time major champion McIlroy also looked to have fallen short in his last-round challenge until he spectacularly holed his second shot to the 16th for an eagle to move to within one of the lead. A birdie on the par-five 18th saw the Northern Irishman complete a final round six-under 64 and with both Chappell and Moore only making pars, that left the trio tied on 12-under 268. The first hole of the playoff on the 18th saw McIlroy stamp his authority with a stunning approach, but after Moore bravely holed his birdie putt, he was left with little over six feet to take the biggest prize in golf -- but it lipped out of the cup. Chappell, who played so well on the final day in search of his maiden PGA Tour win, could only make par, leaving the way clear for McIlroy and Moore to battle it out in the gathering gloom. McIlroy had to hole a nerve jangling par putt on the 15th, the third extra hole, to prolong proceedings, before another booming drive on the 16th set up his victory chance. Moore kept up the pressure when he drained an unlikely par putt from long range, but McIlroy made no mistake with his birdie effort, complete with winning roar. "I took advantage of my opportunities today and yeah, here we are," McIlroy said, scarcely able to take in his victory. He will now head to Hazeltine where Europe looks to defend the Ryder Cup against the United States, but clearly on the top of his form after his second win in three tournaments.

In the final event of the PGA Tour season, The Tour Championship, Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy wins a three-way playoff to claim both the event title and the US$10 million FedEx Cup bonus for the overall season title.

CARTAGENA, Colombia (Reuters) - Colombia’s center-right government and the Marxist FARC rebel group signed a peace deal on Monday to end a half-century war that killed a quarter of a million people and once took the Andean country to the brink of collapse. After four years of peace talks in Cuba, President Juan Manuel Santos, 65, and rebel leader Timochenko - the nom de guerre for 57-year-old Rodrigo Londono - warmly shook hands on Colombian soil for the first time and signed the accord with a pen made from a bullet casing. A crowd of dignitaries chanted: “Long live Colombia, long live peace” as Santos handed Timochenko a white dove pin. One man waved a large Colombian flag that had an extra white stripe in homage to the peace deal. “The horrible night of violence that has covered us with its shadow for more than half a century is over,” Santos said through tears. “We open our hearts to a new dawn, to a brilliant sun full of possibilities that has appeared in the Colombian sky.” Colombians will vote on Sunday on whether to ratify the agreement, but opinion polls show it should pass easily. Attendees at the event, many of whom also wept, observed a minute of silence in memory of those killed, maimed, raped, kidnapped and displaced during the war. The end of Latin America’s longest-running war will turn the FARC guerrillas into a political party fighting at the ballot box instead of the battlefield they have occupied since 1964. “No one should doubt that we will conduct politics without arms,” said Timochenko, who asked for forgiveness from FARC victims. “We are all prepared to disarm in our minds and our hearts.” Guests at the ceremony in the Caribbean coastal city of Cartagena were asked to wear white and included United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Cuban President Raul Castro and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Showing its support for the peace deal, the European Union on Monday removed the FARC from its list of terrorist groups. Kerry said Washington would also review whether to take the FARC off its terrorism list, and has pledged $390 million for Colombia next year to support the peace process. “Anybody can pick up a gun, blow things up, hurt other people, but it doesn’t take you anywhere. ... Peace is hard work,” he said of a rare diplomatic good news story for the Obama administration as it contends with the seeming intractable war in Syria and other conflicts. FIERCE WAR In the worst days of the war, attacks shook the capital, Bogota, which rebels threatened to overrun, and battles between the guerrillas, paramilitaries, drug gangs and the army raged in the countryside, parts of which remain sown with landmines. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos (L) and Marxist rebel leader Timochenko shake hands after signing an accord ending a half-century war that killed a quarter of a million people, in Cartagena, Colombia September 26, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino Thousands of civilians were killed in massacres, especially in rural areas, as the warring sides sought to prevent people from collaborating with or supporting enemy forces. Despite widespread relief at an end to the bloodshed and kidnappings of the past 52 years, the deal has caused divisions within Latin America’s fourth-largest economy. Former President Alvaro Uribe and others are angry the accord allows rebels to enter parliament without serving any jail time. In Cartagena on Monday, huge billboards urged a “yes” vote in the referendum, while Uribe led hundreds of supporters with umbrellas in the colors of the Colombian flag urging voters to back “no.” The FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which began as a peasant revolt, became a big player in the cocaine trade and at its strongest had 20,000 fighters. Now, its some 7,000 fighters must hand over their weapons to the United Nations within 180 days. Colombians are nervous over how the rebels will integrate into society, but most are optimistic peace will bring more benefits than problems. “This is the moment, it’s now or never,” said 50-year-old lawyer Melquis Pulecio, as he watched the ceremony with thousands of others on a big screen in central Bogota. “We are tired of this war - we were born to war.” Colombia has performed better economically than its neighbors in recent years, and peace should reduce the government’s security spending and open new areas of the country for mining and oil companies. Slideshow (8 Images) But criminal gangs may try to fill the void in rebel-held areas, landmines hinder development and rural poverty remains a huge challenge. With peace achieved, Santos, a member of a wealthy Bogota family, will likely use his political capital to push for tax reforms and other measures to compensate for a drop in oil income caused by a fall in energy prices. “It’s such an important day,” said Duvier, a nom de guerre for a 25-year-old rebel attending a FARC congress last week in the southern Yari Plains that ratified the peace accord. “Now we can fight politically, without blood, without war.”[SEP]Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Marxist rebel leader Timochenko used a pen made from a bullet on Monday to sign an accord ending a half-century war that killed a quarter of a million people. After four years of peace talks in Cuba, Santos, 65, and Timochenko - the nom de guerre for 57-year-old revolutionary Rodrigo Londono - shook hands on Colombian soil for the first time in front of hundreds of dignitaries. One man waved a large Colombian flag that had an extra white stripe in homage to the peace deal. The end of Latin America’s longest-running war will turn the FARC guerrillas into a political party fighting at the ballot box instead of the battlefield they have occupied since 1964. Related: How a Colombian-Canadian helped broker the historic peace deal between the government and FARC Guests at the ceremony in the Caribbean coastal city of Cartagena were asked to wear white and included United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Cuban President Raul Castro and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Showing its support for the peace deal, the European Union on Monday removed the FARC from its list of terror groups. Kerry said Washington will also review whether to take the FARC off its terror list, and has pledged $390 million for Colombia next year to support the peace process. “Anybody can pick up a gun, blow things up, hurt other people, but it doesn’t take you anywhere ... Peace is hard work,” he said of a rare diplomatic good news story for the Obama administration as it contends with the seeming intractable war in Syria and other conflicts. Despite widespread relief at an end to the bloodshed and kidnappings of the past 52 years, the deal has caused divisions within Latin America’s fourth-largest economy. Influential former President Alvaro Uribe and others are angry the accord allows rebels to enter parliament without serving any jail time. Colombians will vote on Oct. 2 on whether to ratify the agreement, but polls show it should pass easily. In Cartagena on Monday, huge billboards urged a “yes” vote, while Uribe led hundreds of supporters with umbrellas in the colors of the Colombian flag urging voters to back “no.” The FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, began as a peasant revolt, became a big player in the cocaine trade and at its strongest had 20,000 fighters. Now its some 7,000 fighters must hand over their weapons to the United Nations within 180 days. Colombians are nervous over how the rebels will integrate into society, but most are optimistic peace will bring more benefits than problems. “I can’t believe this day has finally come,” said an excited Juan Gamarra, 43, who sells jewelry in Cartagena. Colombia has performed better economically than its neighbors in recent years, and peace should reduce the government’s security spending and open new areas of the country for mining and oil companies. But criminal gangs may try to fill the void in rebel-held areas, landmines hinder development and rural poverty remains a huge challenge. With peace achieved, Santos, a member of a wealthy Bogota family, will likely use his political capital to push for tax reforms and other measures to compensate for a drop in oil income caused by a fall in energy prices. Big screens were set up around the nation of 49 million people so that thousands could watch the ceremony live. “It’s such an important day,” said Duvier, a nom de guerre for a 25-year-old rebel attending a FARC congress last week in the southern Yari Plains that ratified the peace accord. “Now we can fight politically, without blood, without war.”[SEP]Colombia’s government and the leftist FARC rebels prepared to sign a historic peace accord Monday to end a half-century civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands. A solemn ceremony on the Caribbean coast witnessed by international dignitaries will set the seal on a four-year process to end Latin America’s last major armed conflict. “Today we are experiencing the happiness of a new dawn for Colombia,” President Juan Manuel Santos said on Twitter. He called it “a new stage in our history — one of a country in peace!” He will sign the accord at 5:00 pm (2200 GMT) with his former enemy, FARC leader Timoleon Jimenez, at a ceremony in the colourful colonial city of Cartagena, the government said. Santos opened the day’s events with a tribute to the Colombian military and police. A prayer service for peace and reconciliation was scheduled later at an 18th-century Catholic church in Cartagena’s old town, led by the Vatican’s Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. The guests at the signing will include UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State John Kerry and an array of Latin American leaders. They include Cuban President Raul Castro, whose country hosted the nearly four-year-long peace talks.[SEP]A demonstrator yells "No to the plebiscite" to protest the government's peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), to be signed later in the day in Cartagena, Colombia, Monday. Colombians will be given the final say on endorsing or rejecting the accord in an Oct. 2 referendum. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)[SEP]CARTAGENA, Colombia -- Colombia's government and the country's largest rebel movement on Monday signed a peace accord aimed at ending an era that saw more than 220,000 deaths, 8 million people made homeless and countless human-rights violations. Underlining the significance of the deal, President Juan Manuel Santos and Rodrigo Londono, the top commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, signed the accord Monday night in the colonial city of Cartagena. Fifteen Latin American presidents as well as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry were on hand to witness the signing. The more than 2,500 guests at the ceremony capping South America's oldest armed conflict were asked to wear white as a sign of peace, and Santos and Londono signed the 297-page accord with pens made from recycled shells used in combat. Many in the audience had tears in their eyes, and shouts rose urging Santos and Londono to "Hug, hug, hug!" In the end, the two men clasped hands and smiled effusively. Then Santos removed from his lapel a pin shaped like a white dove that he's been wearing for years and handed it over to his former adversary, who fastened it on his own shirt. Addressing the FARC leaders onstage, Santos said, "When you begin your journey back to society, when you begin your conversion into a political movement, I, as head of state of the fatherland we all love, want to welcome you to democracy." Londono, best known by his alias Timochenko, called Santos "a courageous partner" and hailed the accord as not only a victory for Colombia but also an example to war-ravaged Syria and the Palestinians and Israelis of what can be achieved through dialogue. He also praised the FARC's fighters as heroes of the downtrodden and then called out for forgiveness of the group's crimes, which range from kidnapping of civilians to its laying of land mines that have claimed thousands of victims. "I apologize for all the pain that we have caused," he said. Earlier Monday, Santos and the foreign dignitaries attended a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, at a baroque church named for St. Peter Claver, a 17th-century Jesuit priest revered as the "slave of slaves" for his role aiding thousands of African slaves transported to the New World as chattel. In a homily, Pope Francis' envoy praised Colombians for overcoming the pain of the bloody conflict to find common ground with the rebels. "All of us here today are conscious of the fact we're at the end of a negotiation, but also the beginning of a still-open process of change that requires the contribution and respect of all Colombians," the cardinal said. Across the country Colombians marked the occasion with a host of activities, from peace concerts by popular artists to a street party in the capital, Bogota, where the signing ceremony was to be broadcast live on a giant screen. It was also celebrated by hundreds of guerrillas gathered in a remote region of southern Colombia where last week top commanders ratified the accord in what they said would be their last conference as a guerrilla army. The signing won't close the deal, however. Colombians will be given the final say on endorsing or rejecting the accord in an Oct. 2 referendum. Opinion polls point to an almost-certain victory for the yes vote, but some analysts warn that a closer-than-expected finish or low voter turnout could bode poorly for the tough task the country faces in implementing the accord. Among the key challenges will be judging the war crimes of guerrillas as well as state actors. Under terms of the accord, rebels who lay down their weapons and confess their abuses will be spared jail time and be allowed to provide reparations to their victims by carrying out development work in areas hard hit by the conflict. That has angered some victims and conservative opponents of Santos, a few hundred of whom took to the streets Monday to protest what they consider the government's excessive leniency toward guerrilla leaders responsible for scores of atrocities in a conflict fueled by the country's cocaine trade. To shouts of "Santos is a coward!" former President Alvaro Uribe, the architect of the decade-long, U.S.-backed military offensive that forced the FARC to the negotiating table, said the peace deal puts Colombia on a path to becoming a leftist dictatorship in the mold of Cuba or Venezuela -- two countries that, along with Norway, played a vital role sponsoring the four-year-long talks. "The democratic world would never allow [Osama] bin Laden or those belonging to [the Islamic State] to become president, so why does Colombia have to allow the election of the terrorists who've kidnapped 11,700 children or raped 6,800 women?" he told protesters gathered in a working-class neighborhood on the outskirts of Cartagena. The stiff domestic opposition contrasts with widespread acclaim abroad for the accord. On Monday, European Union foreign policy coordinator Federica Mogherini said that with the signing of the peace agreement, the EU would suspend the FARC from its list of terrorist organizations. The FARC was established in 1964 by self-defense groups and communist activists who joined forces to resist a government military onslaught. Reflecting that history, the final accord commits the government to addressing unequal land distribution that has been at the heart of Colombia's conflict. But as the war dragged on, and insurgencies elsewhere in Latin America were defeated, the FARC slipped deeper and deeper into Colombia's lucrative cocaine trade -- to the point that President George W. Bush's administration in 2006 called it the world's biggest drug cartel. As part of the peace process, the FARC has sworn off narcotics trafficking and agreed to work with the government to provide alternative development in areas where coca growing has flourished. Only if the accord passes the referendum will the FARC's roughly 7,000 fighters begin moving to 28 designated zones where, over the next six months, they are to turn over their weapons to U.N.-sponsored observers. Information for this article was contributed by Vivian Salama, Pedro Mendoza, Libardo Cardona and Cesar Garcia of The Associated Press.[SEP]CARTAGENA, Colombia — Colombia takes a big step Monday toward emerging from its decades-long nightmare of bloody violence when the government and the country's largest rebel movement sign a peace accord that emerged from four years of negotiations. The significance of the deal can't be overstated: Colombia's five-decade conflict, partly fueled by the nation's cocaine trade, has killed more than 220,000 people and driven 8 million from their homes. Underlining the importance of the day, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the top commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, of FARC, a rebel fighter known by the alias Timochenko, will sign the accord in the colonial city of Cartagena. Fifteen Latin American presidents as well as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry are to witness the signing. In a ceremony charged with symbolism, the more than 2,500 guests have been asked to wear white as a sign of peace and Santos will sign the 297-page accord with a pen made from a recycled shell used in combat. The signing won't close the deal, however. Colombians are being given the final say on endorsing or rejecting the accord in an Oct. 2 referendum. Opinion polls point to an almost-certain victory for the "yes" vote, but some analysts warn that a closer-than-expected finish or low voter turnout could bode poorly for the many challenges the country faces in implementing the ambitious accord. Among the biggest and most controversial steps will be judging the war crimes of guerrillas as well as state actors. Under terms of the accord, rebels who lay down their weapons and confess their abuses will be spared jail time and will be allowed to provide reparations to their victims by carrying out development work in areas hard hit by the conflict. A few hundred opponents of the deal took to the streets Monday to protest what they consider the government's excessive leniency toward guerrilla leaders responsible for scores of atrocities. To shouts of "Santos is a traitor," conservative former President Alvaro Uribe, the architect of the decade-long, U.S.-backed military offensive that forced the FARC to the negotiating table, said that the peace deal puts Colombia on the path to becoming a leftist dictatorship in the mold of Cuba or Venezuela. "The democratic world would never allow bin Laden or those belonging to ISIS to become president, so why does Colombia have to allow the election of the terrorists who've kidnapped 11,700 children or raped 6,800 women?" he told protesters gathered in a working-class neighborhood on the outskirts of Cartagena. The government has also committed itself to addressing unequal land distribution, which has been a longstanding FARC demand harkening back to its roots as a peasant army in 1964, and the administration agreed to work with the guerrillas to provide alternative development to tens of thousands of families that depend on the cocaine trade. Only if the accord passes the referendum will the FARC's roughly 7,000 fighters begin moving to 28 designated zones where over the next six months they are to turn over their weapons to U.N.-sponsored observers. Negotiations, which had been expected to take a few months, stretched over more than four years and had to overcome a number of crises, from the military's killing of the FARC's then top commander, known as Alfonso Cano, shortly after he authorized a secret back channel with the government to the rebels' capture of an army general who until a few months ago would have been a trophy prisoner. "What's good about the fact that it lasted four years is that it was a very thorough process," Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of the ceremony. Norway and Cuba were co-sponsors of the negotiation that began in Oslo in 2012 and then shifted to Havana. "The mindset of everyone has changed," Brende said. "I feel very genuinely that President Santos and Commander Timochenko want this to work and not go into the blame game."[SEP]CARTAGENA, Colombia — More than 220,000 deaths, 8 million homeless and countless human rights violations: These are the tragic toll of South America's oldest armed conflict, which begins to wind down with the signing Monday of a historic agreement between Colombia's government and the country's largest rebel movement to end a half-century of hostilities. Underlining the significance of the deal, President Juan Manuel Santos and the top commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, a rebel fighter known by the alias Timochenko, were to sign the accord in the colonial city of Cartagena. Fifteen Latin American presidents as well as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry were on hand to witness the signing. In a ceremony charged with symbolism befitting an historic moment that generations of Colombians thought they would never see, the more than 2,500 guests were asked to wear white as a sign of peace and Santos was to sign the 297-page accord with a pen made from a recycled shell used in combat. Earlier Monday, Santos and the foreign dignitaries attended a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, at a baroque church named for St. Peter Claver, a 17th-century Jesuit priest revered as the "slave of slaves" for his role aiding thousands of African slaves brought to the New World as chattel. "All of us here today are conscious of the fact we're at the end of a negotiation, but also the beginning of a still open process of change that requires the contribution and respect of all Colombians," the cardinal said. Across the country Colombians marked the occasion with a host of activities, from peace concerts by top-name artists to a street party in the capital, Bogota, where the signing ceremony was to be broadcast live on a giant screen. It was also celebrated by hundreds of guerrillas gathered in a remote region of southern Colombia where last week top commanders ratified the accord in what they said would be their last conference as a guerrilla army. The signing won't close the deal, however. Colombians will be given the final say on endorsing or rejecting the accord in an Oct. 2 referendum. Opinion polls point to an almost-certain victory for the "yes" vote, but some analysts warn that a closer-than-expected finish or low voter turnout could bode poorly for the tough task the country faces in implementing the ambitious accord. Among the biggest challenges will be judging the war crimes of guerrillas as well as state actors. Under terms of the accord, rebels who lay down their weapons and confess their abuses will be spared jail time and be allowed to provide reparations to their victims by carrying out development work in areas hard hit by the conflict. That has angered some victims and conservative opponents of Santos, a few hundred of whom took to the streets Monday to protest what they consider the government's excessive leniency toward guerrilla leaders responsible for scores of atrocities in a conflict fueled by the country's cocaine trade. To shouts of "Santos is a coward!" former President Alvaro Uribe, the architect of the decade-long, U.S.-backed military offensive that forced the FARC to the negotiating table, said the peace deal puts Colombia on the path to becoming a leftist dictatorship in the of Cuba or Venezuela — two countries that along with Norway played a vital role sponsoring the four-year-long talks. "The democratic world would never allow bin Laden or those belonging to ISIS to become president, so why does Colombia have to allow the election of the terrorists who've kidnapped 11,700 children or raped 6,800 women?" he told protesters gathered in a working-class on the outskirts of Cartagena. The stiff domestic opposition contrasts with widespread acclaim abroad for the accord — a rare example in a war-torn world of what can be achieved through dialogue. On Monday, European Union foreign policy Federica Mogherini said that with the signing of the peace agreement, the EU would suspend the FARC from its list of terrorist organizations. "We clearly are ready to review and make judgments as the facts come in," he told reporters. "We don't want to leave people on the list if they don't belong." The FARC was established in 1964 by self- groups and communist activists who joined forces to resist a government military onslaught. Reflecting that history, the final accord commits the government to addressing unequal land distribution that has been at the heart of Colombia's conflict. But as the war dragged on, and insurgencies elsewhere in Latin America were defeated, the FARC slipped deeper and deeper into Colombia's lucrative cocaine trade — to the point that President George W. Bush's administration in 2006 called it the world's biggest drug cartel. Only if the accord passes the referendum will the FARC's roughly 7,000 fighters begin moving to 28 designated zones where, over the next six months, they are to turn over their weapons to U.N.-sponsored observers. Negotiations, which had been expected to take a few months, stretched over more than four years and had to overcome a number of crises, from the military's killing of the guerrilla group's then top commander, known as Alfonso Cano, shortly after he authorized a secret back channel with the government, to the rebels' capture of an army general who until a few months ago would have been a trophy prisoner. "What's good about the fact that it lasted four years is that it was a very thorough process," Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende told The Associated Press in an interview before Monday's signing. Norway and Cuba were co-sponsors of the negotiations that began in Oslo in 2012 and then shifted to Havana.[SEP](CNN) A conflict that lasted over five decades. An estimated 220,000 people killed. Five million displaced. These staggering figures will be on their way to being consigned to history as the Colombian government buries the hatchet with its long-time nemesis, the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebel group, better known by its Spanish acronym, FARC. In a symbolic gesture, the pens that will be used to sign the historic peace deal, years in the making, have been made from recycled bullets once used in the conflict. An inscription on the side of the pens reads: "Bullets wrote our past. Education, our future." The two sides, joined by leaders from the US, Mexico, El Salvador, Uruguay, the UN and Cuba are due to come together in the coastal colonial city of Cartagena to sign the accord on Monday. The rebels voted unanimously to approve a deal that was finalized in August to end the 52-year-old conflict, Latin America's longest-running. It still needs to be ratified by voters, who will consider the agreement in a single-issue referendum on October 2. The treaty, which President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leader Rodrigo Londoño, better known as Timochenko, will sign, requires rebels to give up their weapons and participate in a transitional justice process toward reintegration. If and when it is approved by the electorate, the FARC will cease to be a rebel group but will instead enter into politics as a left-wing party. The treaty grants the FARC 10 political seats, but it remains to be seen if the rebel group, founded on Marxist ideologies of class struggle, can effectively transition into a political platform. While the deal symbolizes a chance for future generations to come of age in peace, the deal also signals a new chapter for the region. The longest running war in the Americas will finally be over, bringing an end to armed political conflict in Latin America. However, not all groups are bound by the peace deal. The second most powerful group following the FARC, the National Liberation Army (ELN), has announced interest in the peace deal but refused to end its practice of kidnapping. End of an era for armed conflict in Latin America Latin America has slowly been freeing itself from the shadows of the Cold War as countries such as Colombia, Guatemala, Bolivia and Chile -- with the help of the US -- fought off rebel guerillas. "Across the region, the Cold War is over," said Cynthia Arnson, director of the Latin America Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Now, "guerrilla war is no longer seen as a reasonable way to contest power." The FARC started in 1964 and, like their mentors in Cuba, was committed to redistributing the wealth, even if it meant by force. But half a century later, now funded by a sophisticated cocaine trafficking network and armed with child soldiers, the rallying cries to protect an agrarian society begin to sound antiquated and obsolete. According to Arnson, public approval for the FARC has never polled more than 5%. For Jorge Bermudez, a retiree in Bogota, the peace deal is good in theory, but he remains wary. "Even speaking with the guerrilla fighters, they can't hide that what they have done for the last 52 years is massacre, kidnappings and extortion," she said in an interview with CNN Español's Fernando Ramos while covering the final FARC conference last week. "This is a group that didn't have the popular support practically and that has summoned the country to countless tragedies." "To this terrorist group, they also give impunity, and political legitimacy to all its actors, including those responsible for massacres (and) the most severe offenses, and crimes against humanity," he said in a video posted to Twitter in August. Meanwhile, FARC leaders press that there is no peace without amnesty. As world leaders cheer the historic signing of a peace deal that ends the longest running war in the Americas, the rest of the peace process is now in the hands of Colombians.[SEP]Colombia’s centre-right government and the Marxist Farc rebel group signed a peace deal on Monday, ending a half-century war that killed a quarter of a million people and once took the Andean country to the brink of collapse. After four years of peace talks in Cuba, President Juan Manuel Santos (65) and rebel leader Timochenko – the nom de guerre for 57-year-old Rodrigo Londono – warmly shook hands on Colombian soil for the first time and signed the accord with a pen made from a bullet casing. A crowd of dignitaries chanted “long live Colombia, long live peace” as Mr Santos handed Mr Timochenko a white dove pin. One man waved a large Colombian flag that had an extra white stripe in homage to the peace deal. “The horrible night of violence that has covered us with its shadow for more than half a century is over,” Mr Santos said. “We open our hearts to a new dawn, to a brilliant sun full of possibilities that has appeared in the Colombian sky.” Attendees observed a minute of silence in memory of those killed, maimed, raped, kidnapped and displaced during the war. The end of Latin America’s longest-running war will turn the Farc guerrillas into a political party fighting at the ballot box instead of the battlefield they have occupied since 1964. “No one should doubt that we will conduct politics without arms,” said Mr Timochenko, who asked for forgiveness from Farc victims. “We are all prepared to disarm in our minds and our hearts.” Guests at the ceremony in the Caribbean coastal city of Cartagena were asked to wear white and included United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon, Cuban president Raul Castro and US secretary of state John Kerry. Showing its support for the peace deal, the European Union on Monday removed the Farc from its list of terror groups. Mr Kerry said Washington will also review whether to take the Farc off its terror list, and has pledged $390 million (€350 million) for Colombia next year to support the peace process. “Anybody can pick up a gun, blow things up, hurt other people, but it doesn’t take you anywhere . . . Peace is hard work,” he said of a rare diplomatic good news story for the Obama administration as it contends with the seeming intractable war in Syria and other conflicts. Despite widespread relief at an end to the bloodshed and kidnappings of the past 52 years, the deal has caused divisions within Latin America’s fourth-largest economy. Influential former president Alvaro Uribe and others are angry the accord allows rebels to enter parliament without serving any jail time. Colombians will vote on October 2nd on whether to ratify the agreement, but polls show it should pass easily. In Cartagena on Monday, huge billboards urged a Yes vote, while Mr Uribe led hundreds of supporters with umbrellas in the colors of the Colombian flag urging voters to back No. The Farc, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, began as a peasant revolt, became a big player in the cocaine trade and at its strongest had 20,000 fighters. Now its some 7,000 fighters must hand over their weapons to the United Nations within 180 days. Colombians are nervous over how the rebels will integrate into society, but most are optimistic peace will bring more benefits than problems. “This is the moment, it’s now or never,” said lawyer Melquis Pulecio (50), as he watched the ceremony with thousands of others on a big screen in central Bogota. “We are tired of this war – we were born to war.” Colombia has performed better economically than its neighbours in recent years, and peace should reduce the government’s security spending and open new areas of the country for mining and oil companies. Big screens were set up around the nation of 49 million people so that thousands could watch the ceremony live. “It’s such an important day,” said Duvier, a nom de guerre for a 25-year-old rebel attending a Farc congress last week in the southern Yari Plains that ratified the peace accord. “Now we can fight politically, without blood, without war.”[SEP]By Joshua Goodman and Andrea Rodriguez, Associated Press CARTAGENA, Colombia — After a half-century of combat that spilled blood across this South American nation, Colombians have embarked on a new, but difficult path to settle their political differences with the signing of a historic peace accord between the government and leftist rebels. The first test after Monday’s signing is a weekend referendum in which voters are being asked to ratify or reject the deal. If it passes, as expected, Colombia will move on to the thornier and still uncertain task of reconciliation. President Juan Manuel Santos and Rodrigo Londono, top commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, formally signed the agreement before a crowd of 2,500 foreign dignitaries and special guests, including U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Many in the audience, all dressed in white, had tears in their eyes as Santos removed from his lapel a pin shaped like a white dove that he has been wearing for years and handed it over to his former adversary, who fastened it to his own shirt. It was one of many symbolic gestures during the 90-minute ceremony overlooking the colonial ramparts of Cartagena that filled Colombians with hope and optimism for the arduous work ahead implementing a 297-page accord that took four grueling years to negotiate. If the accord is accepted by Colombian voters in Sunday’s referendum, as polls say it will, the FARC’s estimated 7,000 fighters would have to turn over their weapons gradually to a team of United Nations-sponsored observers within six months. A much tougher challenge will be reconciliation, a process that will require rebels and state actors who want to avoid jail to confess their war crimes committed during a 52-year conflict marred by brutalities on both sides. In Brussels, the European Union announced Tuesday that it has suspended its sanctions against the FARC, which has been on the bloc’s “terrorist list” since 2002. The sanction have allowed the EU to freeze the assets of people, groups and entities linked to the FARC and stop Europeans making funds or economic resources available to it. Longer term, the two sides have drafted an ambitious agenda to hasten the development of Colombia’s long-neglected countryside and rid it of illegal coca crops that starting in the 1980s strengthened the FARC — and some say morally corrupted it — while other insurgencies across Latin America fell to the wayside. Londono, best known by his alias Timochenko, called Santos “a courageous partner” and proclaimed there was no turning back on the FARC’s decision to abandon Colombia’s jungles. “Let no one doubt that we are going into politics without weapons,” he said before ending his speech with a simple but loudly applauded appeal for forgiveness “I apologize for all the pain that we have caused,” he said. Santos, who for years was the FARC’s top military opponent, was equally emphatic that he would honor his promise to promote pluralism and open up Colombia’s traditionally elite-driven political system. “As head of state of the fatherland we all love, I want to welcome you to democracy,” he said. Earlier, he led the crowd in chants of “No more war! No more war! No more war!” Across the country, Colombians celebrated with a host of activities, from peace concerts to a street party in the capital, Bogota, where the signing ceremony was broadcast live on a giant screen. The signing was greeted with wild cheers followed by calls for Timochenko to be president from about 1,000 FARC rebels in the Yari Plains, a remote area of southern Colombia where the group recently concluded its last congress as a guerrilla army by endorsing the deal. But there were also sporadic protests, including one in Cartagena led by conservative former President Alvaro Uribe, whose decade-long, U.S.-backed military offensive forced the FARC to the negotiating table. Shouting “Santos is a coward,” the few hundred Uribe supporters vowed that if they gain power when the presidents steps down in 2018 they will undo an accord they say is harbinger of a Cuba-style leftist dictatorship. The stiff domestic opposition, which will make implementation even tougher, contrasts with almost universal acclaim abroad for the accord. On Monday, European Union foreign policy coordinator Federica Mogherini said that with the signing of the peace agreement, the EU would suspend the FARC from its list of terrorist organizations. The U.S. has yet to follow suit but Kerry said he is open to reconsidering its status. “We clearly are ready to review and make judgments as the facts come in,” he told reporters. “We don’t want to leave people on the list if they don’t belong.” Colombians’ distrust of the FARC runs deep. Many families have been touched by rebel kidnappings and it will take years to heal the wounds from a conflict that claimed 220,000 lives and drove 8 million people from their homes. The rebels are equally skeptical of the government on which they will now depend for protection, a fact underscored by Timochenko’s startled look when a low flyover by three fighter jets unexpectedly interrupted his speech. “This time they came to salute peace instead of unload bombs,” he joked upon resuming. Timochenko took over as the FARC’s commander in 2011 after an aerial attack killed his predecessor shortly after he authorized a secret backchannel dialogue with the government. For all of the challenges ahead, though, many Colombians who thought peace would never come were carried away with emotion. “This is something I waited for my whole life — that I dreamed of every day,” said Leon Valencia, a former guerrilla who is one of the most respected experts on Colombia’s conflict. “It’s like when you’re waiting for a child that is finally born, or seeing an old lover or when your favorite team scores a goal.” Associated Press writers Vivian Salama and Pedro Mendoza in Cartagena, Cesar Garcia in Yari Plains and Libardo Cardona in Bogota contributed to this report.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC guerrilla leader Rodrigo Londoño, also known as Timochenko, sign a peace accord in Cartagena, ending the longest running armed conflict in the Western Hemisphere. The final agreement will be submitted to popular ratification in a referendum on October 2.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday it had freed a Canadian-Iranian academic detained since June, releasing her just a week after the two countries began talks on a potential restoration of diplomatic relations broken in 2012. Homa Hoodfar, 65, is a teacher at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, and an expert on gender and Islam. “Homa Hoodfar, the retired professor of Canadian universities, who had been detained in Iran based on some accusations, was released this afternoon for humanitarian reasons including illness,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said. He said Hoodfar had left the Islamic Republic and was traveling to Canada via the Gulf Arab state of Oman. Oman confirmed it had arranged for a royal air force plane to fly Hoodfar to Muscat on her way to Canada, heeding a Canadian request to help in her release, state news agency ONA quoted a Foreign Ministry statement as saying. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have arrested at least seven dual-nationality citizens or expatriates visiting the country over the past year, the highest such number in acknowledged detention in recent years. Oman, an ally of the West that also maintains good relations with Tehran, has previously helped facilitate prisoner exchanges between Iran and the United States. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that while his country had sought Hoodfar’s release “at the highest levels,” it had worked with Oman, Italy and Switzerland since Ottawa has no embassy in Iran. “I would also like to recognize the cooperation of those Iranian authorities who facilitated her release and repatriation,” he said in a statement. “They understand that cases like these impede more productive relations.” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Canadian counterpart Stephane Dion met last week during the annual U.N. General Assembly in New York for the first time since Tehran and Ottawa severed relations four years ago. Canada shut its embassy in Iran and expelled all Iranian diplomats in Canada in 2012 after accusing Tehran of posing the biggest threat to global security, mainly over its nuclear program and military assistance to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Since striking a deal with world powers last year under which it curbed its nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief, pragmatist Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has sought to mend ties with the West to improve the economy. However, the potential diplomatic opening to longtime Western adversaries has been resisted by powerful hardliners in the Iranian leadership, including the Revolutionary Guards.[SEP]TEHRAN, Iran — A Canadian-Iranian retired professor was released from prison on "humanitarian grounds" and flown out of Iran on Monday, Iran's state-run news agency said, ending her months of detention alongside other dual nationals swept up by hard-liners in the security services. Homa Hoodfar returned to Canada via Oman, a brief report on the state-run IRNA news agency said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hailed her release in a statement, thanking Italy, Switzerland and Oman for their help in the matter. Hoodfar, 65, was questioned and barred from leaving Iran in March after traveling to the country to visit family following the death of her husband. Her family said she has been held in Tehran's Evin Prison since June. Hoodfar until recently taught anthropology and sociology at Montreal's Concordia University. In July, Iran announced indictments for Hoodfar and three others, without providing any details about the accusations. In recent weeks, Hoodfar's supporters described her health as deteriorating while she was in solitary confinement, saying she was "barely able to walk or talk." Hoodfar's supporters had pressed diplomats to discuss her case during the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York. Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the meeting Wednesday, state television reported. Kaveh Ehsani, a friend of Hoodfar's in Chicago, said Monday that her supporters asked for "a period of crucial privacy before Homa and her family can address the media." Canada has not had an embassy in Iran since 2012, when its then-Conservative-led government cut diplomatic ties over Tehran's contested nuclear program and other issues. Trudeau said Canadians are "relieved that Dr. Hoodfar has been released from jail and will soon be reunited with her family, friends and colleagues." "I would also like to recognize the cooperation of those Iranian authorities who facilitated her release and repatriation. They understand that cases like these impede more productive relations," he added. Iran does not recognize dual nationalities, meaning those detained cannot receive consular assistance. In previous cases, dual nationals have faced secret charges in closed-door hearings in Iran's Revolutionary Court, which handles cases involving alleged attempts to overthrow the government. Several dual nationals have been arrested in the year since world powers reached a nuclear deal with Iran to limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions. Analysts have suggested Iranian hard-liners hope to use them as bargaining chips with the West. A prisoner swap in January between Iran and the U.S. that freed Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and three other Iranian-Americans in exchange for pardons or charges dropped against seven Iranians also saw the U.S. make a $400 million cash delivery to Iran. While that money repaid a 1970s Iranian account to buy U.S. military equipment, it was contingent on the prisoner release. That's garnered criticism from Republicans in an election year. Others with Western ties known to be recently detained in Iran include: • , an Iranian-American businessman who has advocated for closer ties between the two countries and whose father is also held in Tehran; Siamak Namazi , an Iranian-American businessman who has advocated for closer ties between the two countries and whose father is also held in Tehran; • , a former Iranian and U.N. official in his 80s who is the father of Siamak; Baquer Namazi , a former Iranian and U.N. official in his 80s who is the father of Siamak; • , an Iranian-American detained while visiting family who previously had made online comments criticizing Iran's human rights record; Robin Shahini , an Iranian-American detained while visiting family who previously had made online comments criticizing Iran's human rights record; • , a British-Iranian woman sentenced to five years in prison on allegations of planning the "soft toppling" of Iran's government while traveling with her young daughter; and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe , a British-Iranian woman sentenced to five years in prison on allegations of planning the "soft toppling" of Iran's government while traveling with her young daughter; and • , a U.S. permanent resident from Lebanon recently sentenced to 10 years in prison and a $4.2 million fine. Nizar Zakka , a U.S. permanent resident from Lebanon recently sentenced to 10 years in prison and a $4.2 million fine. Still missing is former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who vanished in Iran in 2007 while on an unauthorized CIA mission. Gambrell report from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Adam Schreck in Dubai and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.[SEP]Nader Hashemi is the Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Denver. His latest book is Sectarianization: Mapping the New Politics of the Middle East. Homa Hoodfar has been freed. Four months after her imprisonment, the Iranian-Canadian anthropologist is on her way home. This is a triumph for Canadian diplomacy. Justin Trudeau’s direct intervention with Omani official reportedly clinched the deal. But this is also a victory for political activism. Prof. Hoodfar’s arrest led to a massive global civil society mobilization – led by Canadians – demanding her release. We should ask several questions: Why was she arrested? Why has she been released now? What does this mean for the future of Canada-Iran relations? Prof. Hoodfar’s arrest came as no surprise. It occurred in the context of a major crackdown on civil society that followed the signing of the 2015 nuclear deal. Iranian hardliners tried to thwart the agreement, aware of the crisis of legitimacy facing the Iranian regime and living in constant fear that their control is gradually eroding. This is why Iranian jails are filled with journalists and activists. The popularity of their pro-democracy work undermines the regime’s legitimacy. Tehran’s public prosecutor stated that Prof. Hoodfar was arrested for the crime of “dabbling in feminism.” Feminism implies empowerment, directly connected to the broader theme of human rights and democratization. Prof. Hoodfar’s scholarship on Islamic feminism posed an indirect threat to the Iranian regime. The timing of her release, however, is surprising. Based on similar cases, Iran has always demanded a quid pro quo before releasing dual citizens. Earlier this year, in a controversial deal, the United States and Iran swapped prisoners and money in exchange for the release of the Washington Post correspondent, Jason Rezaian, and three other Iranian-Americans. Immediately after Prof. Hoodfar’s arrest in June, Iran’s justice minister suggested that Tehran was willing to bargain over Prof. Hoodfar if Ottawa extradited an Iranian-Canadian banker who fled to Toronto in 2011 amid a corruption scandal. Was a secret deal negotiated between Ottawa and Tehran? Time will tell. Prof. Hoodfar’s release could also have a more mundane explanation: She is in fragile health. It would have been a public relations disaster for the Islamic Republic had she died while in custody. Even without a quid pro quo, Iranian hardliners can still claim a partial victory. Tehran’s relations with the outside world have been set back. Dual citizens, a key component of Iran’s reintegration, now think twice before travelling to Iran. Furthermore, a clear message has been sent to Iranian civil society activists: if dual citizens can be arrested at the whim of the regime, the same can be done with much greater ease toward Iranian citizens who don’t have a foreign government to lobby on their behalf. What does this mean for Canada-Iran relations? First, Prof. Hoodfar’s release removes a major obstacle blocking the re-establishment of relations. Given the mobilization that took place on her behalf, it was inconceivable that Ottawa could restore relations while she was imprisoned. The pathway toward restoring relations is now easier though obstacles remain. At the top of the list is Iran’s destabilizing role in the Middle East, most notably in Syria where its fingerprints are all over Assad’s war crimes. Pressing Iran on this issue will be a point of contention in negotiating a path to normalization. Iran’s abysmal internal human rights record is also a cause of concern to many Canadians. They will justifiably protest if relations are re-established. By itself, Canada can do very little to change Iranian behaviour in these areas. In concert with other countries, however, Ottawa’s voice is strengthened. It can reinforce the European position that closer relations with the West are dependent on Iran’s adherence to international human rights norms. Canada stands to benefit from new business opportunities in Iran. Canadians who need consular and diplomatic representation, as in the tragic case of Alison Azer, are potential beneficiaries. Homa Hoodfar was not the first Canadian arrested by the Iranian regime. Nor will she be the last. Iran will remain a rogue state for the foreseeable future. But the best strategy for dealing with such a regime is to take the long view. Diplomatic engagement and economic relations hold the potential of increasing the standard of living of the average Iranian citizen. This will positively impact on Iran’s middle class and the youth population that yearns for a democratic Iran that takes its place among the community of nations. As Canada contemplates its next diplomatic move, these points are worth keeping in mind.[SEP]Iran said on Monday it had freed an Irish-Canadian-Iranian academic detained since June, a week after Iran and Canada began talks on a potential restoration of diplomatic relations. Homa Hoodfar (65) is a teacher at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, and an expert on gender and Islam. She became an Irish citizen through marriage to an Irish man and her family have said she has a “deep bond” with the Irish community in the UK. Ms Hoodfar’s health was said to be deteriorating; she suffers from a rare neurological condition – myasthenia gravis – that requires close medical supervision and medication. “Homa Hoodfar, the retired professor of Canadian universities, who had been detained in Iran based on some accusations, was released this afternoon for humanitarian reasons including illness,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said. He said Ms Hoodfar had left Iran and was travelling to Canada via the Gulf Arab state of Oman. Oman confirmed it had arranged for a royal air force plane to fly Ms Hoodfar to Muscat on her way to Canada, state news agency ONA quoted a foreign ministry statement as saying. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have arrested at least seven dual-nationality citizens or expatriates visiting the country over the past year, the highest such number in acknowledged detention in recent years. Oman, an ally of the West that also maintains good relations with Tehran, has previously helped facilitate prisoner exchanges between Iran and the US. Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Canadian counterpart Stéphane Dion met last week during the annual UN General Assembly in New York for the first time since Tehran and Ottawa severed relations four years ago. Canada shut its embassy in Iran and expelled all Iranian diplomats in Canada after accusing Tehran of posing the biggest threat to global security, mainly over its nuclear programme and military assistance to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. Since striking a deal with world powers last year under which it curbed its nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief, pragmatist Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has sought to mend ties with the West to improve the economy. However, the potential diplomatic opening has been resisted by powerful hardliners in the Iranian leadership, including the Revolutionary Guards.

Iran releases Canadian-Iranian sociocultural anthropologist Homa Hoodfar, who had been held since June, as the countries begin talks on restoration of diplomatic ties.

A man dressed in a vintage military uniform emblazoned with a Nazi symbol and toting a "Tommy Gun" and a hand gun unleashed a flurry of bullets near a Houston shopping center on Monday morning, injuring nine people before he was shot dead by police. The shooter was identified as attorney Nathan DeSai, FOX26 reported, citing multiple sources. Authorities, however, refused to officially confirm the man's identity. Officials said the gunman had 2,600 rounds of ammunition either on him or in his car and was carrying a .45 semi-automatic handgun and a .45 semi-automatic Thompson carbine. An "edged weapon still in its sheath" was also recovered from the shooter. The man's apartment was filled with historic and vintage military items "going back to the Civil War," Houston Police Department Captain Dwayne Ready said during a Monday evening news conference. Some video of the gun battle exists, Ready said, including footage from body cameras of some of the nine officers who fired upon the gunman. Ready said more than 75 spent shell casings were recovered from the scene, comprising both shots fired by the gunman and police officers. An ATF official said both guns were purchased legally. The accused shooter DeSai had previously worked at McDaniel & DeSai LLP, though the practice closed down at some point within the last year, Ken McDaniel told ABC13. An ABC13 reporter who spoke with DeSai's father said the man had tried calling his son numerous times on Monday but had only gotten the man's voicemail. DeSai's father said his son was upset over the failure of his law firm and the business closed due to a lack of clients. FBI offering HPD assistance with ongoing investigation of active shooter incident in southwest Houston @HoustonPolice remains lead agency — FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) September 26, 2016 DeSai's father confirmed his son owned multiple guns and said he had a license to carry. He also said DeSai drove a black Porsche, the same type of car police were examing in the shopping center parking lot. That car's license plate showed it was registered to DeSai, ABC13 reported. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the gunman "appeared to be a disgruntled lawyer who took out his anger and frustration on individuals," KHOU reported. The FBI said on Monday evening that there did not appear to be any nexus to terrorism. DeSai's LinkedIn page shows he graduated from the University of Tulsa with a J.D. and the University of Houston with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Six of those wounded in the attack were transported to area hospitals. Three have since been released and one person was in critical condition. Three other victims were treated at the scene. Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Cohen said all victims were expected to survive. A fire official said some people were shot while inside their cars and several people were hit with glass fragments from shattered car windows. A nearby homeowner told FoxNews.com his wife woke up to gunshots at 6:30 a.m. Shortly thereafter police were seen going into a nearby condo. A woman said her husband called as the shooting occurred and said, "I'm hit." The man told his wife that the gunman was shooting people with a "red light aimed through the front windshield." Eduardo Andrade, 42, told The Houston Chronicle that two bullets struck his vehicle. "As I was driving by Law Street I suddenly heard a big explosion," Andrade said. "I covered myself, accelerated and tried to get out of there. I did not know if someone was following me or trying to shoot me." Andrade added: "I felt the hot air." FoxNews.com's Melissa Jacobs in Houston and The Associated Press contributed to this report.[SEP]Multiple people were injured in an early-morning shooting near a shopping center in southwest Houston, according to police and local media reports. Shots rang out before 7 a.m. local time. Police reported an active shooter situation in a shopping center near the corner of Weslayan and Bissonnet streets. The suspected shooter was shot by cops, and authorities don’t believe any other suspects were involved in the attack, police confirmed.The conditions of the shooter and victims haven’t been revealed. One witness, speaking to ABC station KTRK-TV, said he heard “over 100 shots” fired – including AK-47 and AR-15 gunfire. It was “steady shooting back and forth” between police and the suspect, the man said.(nydailynews.com)…[+][SEP]HOUSTON - Several people were injured by a shooter in Houston, Texas, on Monday and the suspect was shot by police officers, the Houston Police Department said on its Twitter feed. Local media reports said the incident took place by a strip mall, where the gunman was firing upon vehicles. At least seven people were injured, the reports said. "At this time, the shooting scene is believed to be contained," the city said on its emergency page. People who were shot by the suspect were transported to area hospitals and the exact extent of their injuries was not yet known, Houston police said. A police bomb squad was dispatched to the area to investigate a vehicle, Fox 26 TV reported. Live video streams showed the presence of numerous police cars and ambulances in the area. There were also a few vehicles seen with bullet holes.[SEP]At least nine people were injured when a gunman opened fire at a shopping centre in southwest Houston, authorities announced on Monday. Police responded to the shooting at 6:30am local time when the suspect was shooting at vehicles with a revolver, ABC 13 Houston reports. The lone suspect, who lived near the scene, was shot by Houston police officers, the department announced on Twitter. Those who were injured were taken to hospital by emergency workers. Martha Montalvo, the city's interim police chief, said that the gunman was a lawyer in the area was apparently experiencing issues with his lawfirm. ​ A witness told KPRC 2 Houston that she heard at least 30 shots fired at the scene and that the suspect has been shooting for 15 minutes before police arrived. Eduardo Andrade, 42, told The Houston Chronicle that he could feel the hot air of two bullets striking his vehicle. "As I was driving by Law Street I suddenly heard a big explosion," he said. "I covered myself, accelerated and tried to get out of there. I did not know if someone was following me or trying to shoot me." Authorities issued a shelter order for an apartment complex nearby the scene and the city’s bomb squad was investigating what is believed to be the suspect’s vehicle. Several cars with bullet holes and shattered windows could be seen at a nearby car park. The shooting comes days after a shooting at a Washington state mall that left five people dead. On 17 September, a 20-year-old man stabbed 10 people at a Minnesota mall before being shot and killed by an off-duty police officer.[SEP]HOUSTON -- A disgruntled lawyer who had numerous weapons randomly shot at drivers in a Houston neighborhood Monday morning, hitting six people, one critically, before he was shot and killed by police, authorities said. Another three people had injuries from glass or debris. The first report of the shootings came in about 6:30 a.m., Police Chief Martha Montalvo said at a news conference, and the suspect began firing at officers when they arrived at a condo complex. Montalvo did not identify the man; Mayor Sylvester Turner told KTRK-TV that the lawyer was "disgruntled" and was "either fired or had a bad relationship with this law firm." Numerous weapons were found at the scene, a bomb-squad robot examined a Porsche that's believed to be the shooter's, and bomb squad officers also were scouring the suspect's residence, Montalvo said. The entrance to the condo complex, which is near the affluent enclave of West University Place, was still blocked off with police tape late Monday morning. Several cars with bullet holes and shattered windows were at a nearby strip mall. Jennifer Molleda and her husband live in the same condo complex as the shooter. Though she heard gunshots at 6:12 a.m. and called 911, her husband left for work, she said. She called him not long after, and he told her, "I'm hit, I'm hit." After the shooting stopped at 7:15 a.m., Molleda found her husband, 49-year-old Alan Wakim, several blocks away in the parking lot of a nearby strip mall. His Mustang had two shots that went through the windshield, and he told her that he saw a red laser beam before the shots were fired. He was taken to a hospital to be treated. "He got out of his car, we hugged, we cried," Molleda said, adding that after she saw everything, she believes the man was "aiming to kill." Molleda said she didn't know him very well, and described him as quiet. Jason Delgado, the property manager of The Oaks at West University condo complex, confirmed that police were going through a residence. Delgado mentioned two concerns the complex had involving the suspect. In August, Delgado said, police were called after roofers working in the complex said he pointed an assault-style rifle at them. He said there wasn't enough evidence to move forward with charges because the suspect contended he didn't point the gun at roofers. Molleda described the same case. And last week, the man became upset because of water-pressure problems at his home, asked for maintenance help and expressed his displeasure in an email to the management firm that implied he'd "intimidate his way to getting what he was asking for," Delgado said. Another witness, Antwon Wilson, 30, inadvertently drove into the shooting scene after dropping off his girlfriend at work and could "literally hear the gunfire flying." He managed to flee and escape injury. Lee Williams left his home in the neighborhood upon hearing gunshots and began directing traffic away from the condo complex, noting that people usually cut through the area to avoid some busier intersections. One car ignored him, he said, and was immediately shot at. Williams couldn't see the gunman because it was dark, but believed he saw the muzzle flashes. "Whatever cars were going by, he was shooting at them," the 55-year-old said, noting he heard at least 50 gunshots over 40 or so minutes. As he was being interviewed, neighbors came by and patted him on the back, thanking him for keeping people safe. Of the nine people hurt, Houston Fire Department spokesman Ruy Lozano said six were shot and three had minor injuries related to glass. Montalvo said one person was hospitalized in critical condition and another in serious condition. "The investigation is active. It's very, very early. ... We are checking every angle, I can assure you," Turner told the TV station.[SEP]A troubled lawyer opened fire on morning commuters in Houston, Texas, on Monday, injuring at least nine people before being fatally shot by police, authorities said. Six victims were taken to hospitals and three were treated at the scene after being shot at while inside their vehicles in the wealthy neighbourhood of West University Place, acting Houston police chief Martha Montalvo told reporters. One of the victims was said to be in a critical condition and another was in serious condition. Ms Montalvo declined to identify the suspect but said he was a lawyer. She said the FBI was assisting with the investigation and did not mention terrorism as a motive. Houston mayor Sylvester Turner told reporters: “The motivation appears to be a lawyer whose relationship with his law firm went bad.” The police bomb squad secured the suspect’s car, a black Porsche, which had numerous weapons in it. Police were also planning to search his house. Broken glass from shattered car windows littered a carpark in a shopping centre near where the suspect fired 20 to 30 shots. An unidentified witness told a local television station she heard “the bullets literally whiz by my window”. Live video streams showed numerous police cars and ambulances in the area. There were also a few vehicles seen with bullet holes.[SEP]A lawyer-turned-gunman of Indian origin fired indiscriminately, injuring nine persons at a strip mall in southwest Houston before being shot dead by the police in the latest incident of mass shooting in the US. George Joseph/Rediff.com report from Houston. IMAGE: Houston police stated that several people have been shot at a strip mall in the city's southwest and that officers shot the gunman. Nathan DeSai, a lawyer of Indian origin, reportedly opened fire on a public street because he was having problems with his law fire. DeSai was shot by cops -- and was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital, police said.> The Houston PD said at a press conference just after the attack that Nathan DeSai was a disgruntled lawyer who had “issues concerning firm. Police added that a cache of weapons was found in his Porsche car. According to Yelp, DeSai worked with the law firm Kenneth McDaniel at McDaniel & DeSai LLP and specialised in family law and criminal cases, felonies and misdemeanors. An "active shooter at Weslayan & Bissonnet has been shot by our officers; no reports of other suspects at this time," Houston Police tweeted. IMAGE: DeSai's father said he was under tremendous stress because of his law firm's financial difficulties. The police chief told reporters "he is a lawyer and there were issues concerning his law firm." Nine people were injured in the shooting, police said. Police said six people were taken to hospitals while three were treated at the scene for injuries from broken glass, and released. One victim is in critical condition with a gunshot wound, according to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Two people were taken to Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute and another three were taken to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital. A sixth patient was transported to Ben Taub Hospital, according to media reports One witness, said he heard "over 100 shots" fired -- including AK-47 and AR-15 gunfire. It was "steady shooting back and forth" between police and DeSai, the man said. Police exchanged gunfire with the suspected shooter, who died at the scene. It appears that he was killed by a police weapon, said HPD Acting Police Chief Martha Montalvo. At a 9.15 am (7.45 pm IST) press conference, Montalvo said the alleged shooter was a local lawyer and there were "questions" surrounding his law firm. The incident was initially reported at about 6.30 am (5.00 pm) near the Randall's grocery store at Weslayan and Bissonnet. The shooter allegedly fired several times into the strip center at that location. Assistant Houston Fire Department Chief Richard Mann said gunfire lasted about 20 minutes at Law Street near WeslayanPlaza. The shootings took place within a mile or two of several schools. IMAGE: An external view of DeSai's now defunct firm. Montalvo said that officers responded to the scene and were able to quickly locate the gunman in the 4400 block of Law Street. She said the shooter immediately began firing at the officers and those officers returned fire. The gunman was found dead shortly after. The US has witnesses a number of shooting incidents in recent months. Monday's shooting comes days after a shooting at a Washington state mall left five people dead. On September 17, a 20-year-old man stabbed 10 people at a Minnesota mall before being shot to death by an off-duty police officer. The US suffered the worst mass shooting in its history in June when 50 people were killed and 53 injured in Orlando, Florida after a gunman stormed into a packed gay nightclub. In December last year, 14 people were killed in a shooting incident in San Bernardino.[SEP]A disgruntled lawyer armed with multiple weapons opened fire near a southwest Houston shopping center on Monday, injuring nine people before being shot dead by police. Police found a car full of weapons near the scene. A bomb squad cleared a vehicle near the scene. The Porsche in question is registered to Nathan Desai. Miya Shay is reporting from the law office of Nathan Dasai Desai has been identified as a local attorney. Eyewitness News has been in contact with Desai’s father and former law partner. SKYEYE VIDEO: Don Armstrong reports from above the scene of the active shooter situation An active shooter situation is reported in southwest Houston One source tells Eyewitness News that the vehicle was found filled with weapons. HFD says six people were taken to area hospitals after they were injured by the shooter. Three were treated at the scene for injuries from broken glass, and released. One victim is in critical condition with a gunshot wound, according to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Additionally, we know one is in fair condition and three are in good condition. Two people were taken to Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute and another three were taken to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital. A sixth patient was transported to Ben Taub. A shelter-in-place had been ordered for the West University area shortly before HPD confirmed the alleged shooter was shot by one of its officers. It was lifted hours later, as the investigation progressed. West University Elementary School said it would open on time in spite of the shooting investigation. VIDEO: Witness says he was nearly shot at strip center A witness to the shooting shares his account • 6:29am: HFD dispatched to corner of Weslayan and Bissonnet At around 6:30 this morning, HFD scanners reported a suspect was at a strip center firing upon vehicles. “We received a call at 6:29 that we had a shooting at the Petco store…the first units were directed to the parking lot where the shooting was still active,” HFD’s Jay Evans says. Initial reports indicate multiple people have been shot in the Weslayan area Emergency vehicles flooded the area around the strip center bordered by Weslayan, Bissonnet and Law Street. Antwon Wilson witnessed the shooting and told Eyewitness News he was shaken up after being caught in the crossfire. A fire official shares an update on the active shooter situation in the West University area “I literally heard the gunshots past my face,” Wilson said. “It’s a hard pill to swallow.” Wilson said there was a steady shooting back and forth as officers worked to bring the active shooting situation to a close. Police concentrated much of their focus during the shooting on an apartment complex on nearby Law Street, located behind the strip center. VIDEO: Woman says bullets hit her vehicle during shooting A woman tells abc13 about the shooting this morning in southwest Houston A father says he feels blessed after avoiding the active shooter situation in southwest Houston VIDEO: One of the youngest witnesses talks about what he saw A boy who lives in the area where the active shooter situation happened shares what he heard[SEP]Multiple people were shot inside their cars near a Houston shopping center on Monday morning, by a gunman whose own vehicle contained “numerous weapons” and was being examined by a bomb squad, police said. Six people were taken to local hospitals and three who were struck by debris and glass were treated on the scene and released, said Martha Montalvo, interim chief at the Houston police department. One of the six people taken to hospital was in critical condition, authorities said, and another was in serious condition. Montalvo said police received a call reporting gunfire at 6.29am. A gunman shot at the officers who arrived on the scene and police returned fire. The suspect was pronounced dead soon after, Montalvo said. The only information immediately released about the gunman’s identity was that: “He is a lawyer and there were issues concerning his law firm.” Houston’s mayor, Sylvester Turner, told local station KTRK-TV that the lawyer was “disgruntled” and was “either fired or had a bad relationship with this law firm”. Law enforcement officials were investigating what was believed to be the suspect’s vehicle, a Porsche. “It has numerous weapons and we are bringing in the bomb squad to secure it’s safe,” Montalvo said. The shooting happened in a parking lot in Houston’s Upper Kirby commercial district, a wealthy neighborhood that has red phone booths installed on street corners because it shares the same initials as the UK. Jennifer Molleda and her husband live in the same condo complex as the shooter. Though she heard gunshots about 6.12am and called 911, her husband left for work. The 45-year-old called him not long after, she told the Associated Press, and he told her: “I’m hit, I’m hit.” After the shooting stopped at 7.15am, Molleda found her husband, 49-year-old Alan Wakim, several blocks away in the parking lot of a nearby strip mall. Two shots had gone through the windshield of his Mustang, and he told her he saw a red laser beam before the shots were fired. He was taken to a hospital to be treated. “He got out of his car, we hugged, we cried,” Molleda said, adding that she believed the man was “aiming to kill”. Molleda added that a few weeks ago, the suspect brandished an assault-style weapon at roofers in the condo complex. She did not know him very well, she said, but described him as quiet. Lee Williams left his home in the neighborhood upon hearing gunshots and began directing traffic away from the condo complex, noting that people usually cut through the area to avoid some busier intersections. One car ignored him, he said, and was immediately shot at. Williams couldn’t see the gunman because it was dark, but believed he saw the muzzle flashes. “Whatever cars were going by, he was shooting at them,” the 55-year-old said, noting he heard at least 50 gunshots over 40 or so minutes. As Williams was being interviewed, neighbors came by and patted him on the back, thanking him for keeping people safe. The incident occurred just two days after a gunman opened fire in a Washington state mall, killing five people. A suspect in that incident was taken into custody on Sunday. A little over a week earlier, an attacker at a mall in St Cloud, Minnesota, stabbed 10 people before being shot dead by an off-duty police officer.[SEP]Jennifer Molleda looks at the blood specked face of her husband, Alan Wakim, who had bullets whiz by his face after going through his windshield during a shooting that left multiple people injured and the shooter dead, Monday, in Houston. A disgruntled lawyer who had numerous weapons randomly shot at drivers before being killed by police. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A gunman opens fire at a Houston shopping center and injures nine people. Responding police kill the shooter afterwards.

It is 90 box-office minutes that could change America. With Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump virtually tied in recent national polls, they enter the debate as the two least popular presidential candidates in modern history. Tonight's debate, which will be moderated by NBC's Lester Holt, will see the two candidates speak on America's direction, achieving prosperity and the country's security. US presidential debate: Trump vs Clinton These will be covered across six 15-minute segments before an audience at New York's Hofstra University. It has the potential to be a bloody battle, with a Superbowl audience of more than 100 million people forecast. Advertisement In the blue corner, a career politician, an experienced debater, trying to stem an apparent surge in popularity for her rival. Clinton vs Trump: White House rap battle In the red corner, a reality TV star, who successfully disposed of his opponents by giving them nicknames on stage, now needs to prove he has the temperament to be commander-in-chief. Mrs Clinton has been doing her homework - studying her rival and practising going into battle with him. In the role of Mr Trump has been Phillip Reines, who served as deputy assistant secretary of state under Mrs Clinton and is known in Washington circles for his bullish, combative personality. Jim Manley, a Democratic strategist and former Senate aide, told Sky News that Mrs Clinton "needs to be aggressive". Documentary: Trump - Could it really happen? "She can’t just let Trump be Trump," he said. "People want to see her looking strong and challenging him." Fact-checking any false claims, he says, is essential, but she must also present a positive vision for America. The stakes are high for both candidates, but Mrs Clinton arguably has more to lose. After her recent diagnosis of pneumonia, her appearance will also be scrutinized and Richard Nixon’s sweaty, unshaven look in the first ever televised debate, is a potent reminder that how you look, matters. Mr Trump, appears to be looking for a fight before he’s even stepped in the ring, taunting his opponent by threatening to bring Gennifer Flowers along, with whom Bill Clinton admitted to having a sexual relationship decades ago. At a time when he needs to present a presidential image, it is a risky move - potentially alienating women voters. The billionaire businessman, who has consistently railed against convention, has been taking a more relaxed, on the-fly approach to his first ever debate. But the Republican nominee has, we’re told, been watching Mrs Clinton’s "best and worst" TV moments. His TV background and ability to deliver pithy one-liners with populist appeal, could serve him well. Hillary Clinton: Would You Vote For Her? Bret Baier, who was a moderator in the Republican primary debates, tells me Mr Trump is "better at the soundbites". Political commentators have been filling the airwaves with talk of Mr Trump's bar being low and expectations few. His own surrogates are also playing down his chances. His biggest challenge will be staying on message. If he can do that, it may well be viewed as a victory. In a race dominate by personality, this is a chance to debate policies. By the end, we will find out if details make a difference. :: Watch a special programme on the first US presidential debate on Sky News from 11pm tonight. You can also see a replay of the entire debate on Tuesday at 8.30am-10am and 2.30pm-4pm. It will also be available on our On Demand service.[SEP]This debate will be moderated by NBC news anchor Lester Holt for whom this will be the first time handling a presidential debate. On Monday 9 pm (6 am IST), the two US presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, face off in their first debate. The US presidential debate is a tradition followed since 1960 to know the candidates off their campaign trails and convention halls. This debate will be moderated by NBC news anchor Lester Holt for whom this will be the first time handling a presidential debate. The Presidential debate, which is televised across the country, takes place usually at a university with a large audience of over 1500 people. The first presidential debate of 2016 will take place at Hofstra University in New York. This is one of the most anticipated events as the two candidates come with certain amount of baggage. There are scandals looming over both Clinton and Trump, weekly polls wavering in their predictions and back-and-forth negative campaigning. The Republican candidate Donald Trump is known for his “showmanship”. The former TV show host has enraged the public since his announcement as candidate in 2015 by calling “Mexicans rapists and murderers”. But Trump has his fervent following as he won state after state before being somewhat reluctantly crowned as the Grand Old Party’s candidate. Trump’s claim that he’s an “outsider” (meaning someone not from the political circle of Washington DC) has been his biggest pitch working in his favour. On the other hand, Clinton may make history by becoming the first female president of America. While Trump faces flak for his over-the-top appeal and harsh stand on immigration, what’s working against Hillary Clinton is another ball game altogether. Ghosts of her private email server during her time as secretary of state continue to haunt her. It is also one of the reasons why she’s rated “untrustworthy” by democrats. How much of the debate will influence the voters? Will we get clarity from Trump on his policies? Will substance trump style? If you are wondering why you’ve been hearing about the US elections, which will take place in November 2016, for more than a year now, here’s a quick lesson through the process involved. US elections 101: How does the US elect its president? The first-ever televised debate between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon was rated as the most-viewed TV programme then. Today, it will be televised, live-streamed, live-blogged (like this one) and live-tweeted. It may probably even be the highest-viewed programme ever and yes, that’s including Game of Thrones season finale.[SEP]This is gonna be good: Trump and Clinton are poised for a showdown likely to draw a massive audience. Follow our reporters for updates throughout the night. • Leading candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will face off at 6 p.m. tonight in this election’s first presidential debate. • The 90-minute, high-stakes debate will be televised on all major networks, but you’ll also be able to watch a live stream right here on this post. • Play along using our debate bingo cards! • At 8 p.m., Gov. Jay Inslee and Republican challenger will square off in another debate on local network channels and TVW. Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are set to square off tonight in a high-stakes, must-see debate. Interest in this year’s election has been high — and Monday night’s 90-minute debate is sure to draw a massive audience. Trump has nearly overcome the lead Clinton rode out of the Democratic National Convention, according to most polls. A Washington Post-ABC News poll of likely voters has Clinton leading Trump 46 percent to 44 percent. The poll shows Libertarian Party nominee at 5 percent and Green Party nominee Jill Stein at 1 percent. The New York Times’ Upshot pegs Clinton at 44 percent and Trump at 41 percent. Fivethirtyeight’s poll forecasting puts Clinton’s chances of winning at 51.5 percent and Trump’s 48.5 percent.[SEP]Hillary Clinton accused Donald Trump of racism as the US presidential candidates clashed in their first head-to-head debate in the race to the White House. The Democrat and Republican rivals squared off in a 90-minute debate at Hofstra University in New York, which was screened to tens of millions of television viewers in America and live-streamed across the world. During a number of fiery exchanges, Mr Trump claimed he had a “better temperament” than Mrs Clinton and accused her of not having the “stamina” to be president. Mrs Clinton said Mr Trump had started his political career with a “racist lie” after he falsely suggested President Barack Obama was born outside of America. “He has a long record of engaging in racist behaviour,” she said. Mrs Clinton also criticised the billionaire tycoon’s comments about women, adding: “This is a man who has called women pigs, slobs and dogs.” Discussing the fight against Isis, Mr Trump attacked Mrs Clinton for revealing her plan to tackle the extremist group on her website. “You’re telling the enemy everything you want to do. No wonder you’ve been fighting Isis your entire life,” he said. The candidates also addressed Mr Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns, with the Republican insisting he would publish them against his lawyers’ advice if Mrs Clinton releases the 33,000 deleted emails from her private server. His comments prompted cheers from sections of the audience, with moderator Lester Holt having to remind those watching to remain quiet. Mrs Clinton said her use of a private email server was a “mistake” and claimed Mr Trump could be refusing to release his tax returns because he was not as rich or as charitable as he claimed. She said: “I think probably he’s not that enthusiastic having the rest of our country see what the real reasons are because it must be something really important, even terrible, he’s trying to hide.” During the debate, Mr Trump repeatedly insisted that he opposed the Iraq War before the 2003 US and UK invasion, despite telling radio host Howard Stern in September 2002 that he supported it. Mrs Clinton said the Republican was too easily provoked to serve as commander in chief and could be quickly drawn into a war involving nuclear weapons. “A man who can be provoked by a tweet should not have his fingers anywhere near the nuclear codes,” she said. Discussing nuclear weapons, Mr Trump said he “would not do first strike” but he “can’t take anything off the table”. Other notable exchanges during included Mrs Clinton telling Mr Trump “you live in your own reality”, before adding “By the end of this evening I think I’ll be blamed for everything that has ever happened.” Mr Trump prompted laughter from the audience when he replied: “Why not?” Former President Bill Clinton and Melania Trump were among those in the audience at the event, which was expected to the most watched debate in TV history. Some 2,000 protesters gathered outside the debate hall, including Hardhats for Hillary, socialists and activists calling for a living wage, police said. Twenty four people were arrested on mostly disorderly conduct charges. Mr Trump and Mrs Clinton will take part in two more debates before the November 8 election, while their running mates, Tim Kaine and Mike Pence, will square off next week.[SEP]Donald Trump woke on Tuesday to find his campaign suddenly swaying amid gales of criticism of his performance in his first debate against Hillary Clinton, including from many Republicans. There are two more debates coming in early October that will give Mr Trump a chance to redeem himself. Yet Rudy Giuliani, one of his most important sidekicks on the campaign trail, was openly suggesting that he should consider skipping them. Mr Trump himself appeared to be starting to understand that he had not been the big hit that he seemed to think he had been when he first walked off the stage. His praise then for the debate moderator, Lester Holt, had by Tuesday morning becoming scathing criticism, for example. A few Republicans attempted to come to his rescue. “The energy that Donald Trump offered tonight is why the enthusiasm is on our side,” the House speaker, Paul Ryan, who struggled over the summer to come to terms with Mr Trump as the nominee, said. “The American people are ready for solutions, and Donald Trump offers a chance to move in a new direction.” But while the avalanche of praise for Ms Clinton from the Democratic political class was to be expected, the divided response from the Republicans was unusual and arresting. “Hillary Clinton has had the best debate training I’ve seen in years,” commented Frank Luntz, the Republican pollster. “She knows when to attack and when to explain.” Mr Luntz had assembled his own focus group of undecided voters to watch the debate. By its end, the group had come down firmly for Ms Clinton. “Bottom line: Trump was doing pretty well for the first fifteen minutes, then Hillary went on the offensive, and Trump choked,” offered William Kristol, the editor of The Weekly Standard, who has never been a fan of the New York billionaire, unconvinced of his conservative credentials. Matt Macowiak, a Texas-based Republican consultant who worked in the administration of George W. Bush, has also been sceptical of Mr Trump - if not outright opposed to him - and remained so on Tuesday. “Trump didn't need to win on points; he only had to surpass expectations,” he told The Hill. “I think he probably did, although not by much. What he did well was embrace a change message, which is what the electorate wants in a change election. My sense is Trump is still in the game, but that Clinton's solid performance will halt her negative slide in the polls.” “He was exciting but embarrassingly undisciplined,” conservative columnist John Podhoretz wrote in the New York Post. “He began with his strongest argument - that the political class represented by her has failed us and it’s time to look to a successful dealmaker for leadership - and kept to it pretty well for the first 20 minutes. Then due to the vanity and laziness that led him to think he could wing the most important 95 minutes of his life, he lost the thread of his argument, he lost control of his temper and he lost the perspective.” “Why didn’t he have a better answer ready for the birther nonsense?,” asked David French of the right-leaning National Review. “Has he still not done any homework on foreign policy? I felt like I was watching the political Titanic hit the iceberg, back up, and hit it again. Just for fun.” Mr Giuliani’s intervention was meant to be a swipe at the moderator, Mr Holt, but nonetheless betrayed that he too knew the night had not gone well for the party’s nominee. “If I were Donald Trump I wouldn’t participate in another debate unless I was promised that the journalist would act like a journalist and not an incorrect, ignorant fact checker,” Mr Giuliani said. “The moderator would have to promise that there would be a moderator and not a fact checker and in two particular cases an enormously ignorant, completely misinformed fact checker.” He went on: “If you wonder why Donald Trump thinks that the press is a left-wing basically oriented group, Lester Holt proved it tonight.” Having said immediately after the debate that Mr Holt had done a “great job”, Mr Trump by Tuesday had changed his tune, suggesting he had failed to take Ms Clinton to task. “They were leaving all of her little goodies out. They didn't ask her about, you know, much,” Mr Trump told Fox. “But I was asked about my tax returns, which I've told about 500 times. But, you know, I think I did — I think I really did well when we were asked normal questions.” Mr Trump lamenting on Monday night that his microphone had a problem was perhaps the first sign from him that he was aware he had not quite triumphed on stage. “My mic was defective within the room,” Mr Trump told reporters.”I wonder … Was that on purpose? Was that on purpose?” There was no evidence of problems with the sound quality of his microphone. Also noted was Mr Trump’s failure to show up, as he had promised, at a Republican watch party close to the debate venue at Hofstra University.[SEP]Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will make history as they take the stage together for the first time on Monday night (Tuesday morning India time), when they meet in New York for the first of the three presidential debates. It is for the first time in US presidential history that a male and female candidate will be facing off. Both candidates have a lot at stake and each will have different opportunities and challenges in the debates. Here are 7 things you need to know, including some you probably didn’t know, about the US presidential debate. IMAGE: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will face off in their first debate on Tuesday morning Indian time. Photograph: Reuters 1) Where is it happening and when? The first debate will be held at the Hofstra University in New York’s Long Island area. Hofstra is no newcomer to the debates, having hosted them in 2008 and 2012. The debate will air in India at 9 pm ET (6.30 am IST on Tuesday). The questions will focus on three broad themes: America’s Direction, Achieving Prosperity and Securing America. The second debate, on October 9 at Washington University in St Louis, will be moderated by Martha Raddatz of ABC and Anderson Cooper of CNN, while the third debate will be held on October 19 at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. It will be moderated by Chris Wallace of Fox News. 2) Why is the debate historic? This will be the first time in history that a male and female candidate will face off on a presidential debate stage. And like it or not, they will be judged differently. Gender communications research shows that men, when they are aggressive, are received positively. When women are perceived as aggressive, they are received negatively. A lot thus rides on these debates. 3) How does the debate work? The debate, which will be moderated be NBC News’s Lester Holt, will be 90 minutes long with six 15-minute segments and shall have no commercial interruptions. Apart from the three broad themes referred to earlier, three more questions related to news events that took place this week will also be put to the candidates. The moderator will open each segment with a question. Each candidate will have two minutes to respond; each will then be allowed to reply to the other's response. The moderator will use the remaining time for follow-up questions. Each broad theme will be discussed for 30 minutes. 4) How are the candidates prepping for the debate? While Clinton has a lengthy record of meticulous preparation and formidable performances, Trump has been more unpredictable on this front. After his controversial utterances he needs to be more a sober candidate and stick to the script. To prepare for the debate, Clinton has been holding mock debate sessions where her aide Philippe Reines essays the role of Trump. Trump aides said their candidate, who like Clinton participated in numerous TV debates during their respective parties’ nominating races, was preparing hard for the event. His coaches have focused for weeks on training him to stay on course and not drift off the message by booking events where he is trained to stick to the teleprompter. 5) What are the stakes for the candidates? Both Clinton and Trump enter the debate as the two most deeply unpopular presidential candidates in recent history. The temerarious Trump needs and will have a chance to show the depth and steadiness worthy of a commander-in-chief. Clinton will have a chance to prove her honesty (some 55 per cent of American voters fail her on this count) and will also have to prove that she has fully recovered from her recent bout of pneumonia. 6) How many people will watch the debates? Many observers believe that the size of the audience is expected to challenge the presidential debate record of 80 million who watched the 1980 debate between then president Jimmy Carter and Republican challenger Ronald Reagan. 7) What about the candidates’ running mates? The vice presidential bets Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia and Governor Mike Pence of Indiana will have one debate at Longwood University in Virgina on October 4. That debate will be moderated by Elaine Quijano of CBS News.[SEP]As Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton walked on stage for the first presidential debate, they both oozed cool and calm. It was not a sign of things to come. “Donald Trump was very strong for the first 20 minutes and then I feel he went off the rails,” Karol Ward, a New York-based psychotherapist and confidence expert, told The Independent. “I thought Trump showed nervousness – he was drinking water early on with hands that were shaking a little,” she said. “Clinton also had nervous energy but it was contained in a different way.” While Mr Trump gripped the lectern – “something to hold on to” – he stared at his opponent with pursed lips and sideways glances. Occasionally he rolled his eyes, Ms Ward said. “This is just what I perceived, but he seemed to look to where his family were seated. He seemed to be trying to get signals or reassurance, whereas Clinton looked out more at the crowd. “It was almost as if he was looking for encouraging smiles.” The hashtag #sniffles started trending on Twitter within half an hour of the start of the debate. “It’s either that he had a cold or it was a nervous tic,” she said. “He seemed to to do it right before he answered a question. He wasn’t rubbing his nose or sniffling between answers so it was almost like when someone takes a breath but not deeply enough and they’re trying to get more air.” The candidates each had a hard line of attack, covering national security, the economy and terrorism. Mr Trump went after Ms Clinton on trade deals and emphasised “law and order” to deal with inner city violence, while the Democrat claimed he was not a successful businessman and asked what he was “hiding” by not releasing his tax returns. But Mr Trump did get brownie points for the way in which he delivered his remarks, which would hold great sway with his voter base. “It’s not always what you say, it’s how you say it,” said Ms Ward. “And if you’re forceful, it can be seen as a sign of strength.” Ms Clinton’s beaming smile during the debate became a viral meme on Monday evening. Ms Ward said the smile was a way of letting Mr Trump “hang himself” but Ms Clinton ended up missing a few key opportunities to hit back harder as a result. “At times there was a little bit of a frozen smile on her face and she needs to let that go,” she said. “It means – ‘these things don’t bother me’ – but it didn’t always come across as appropriate or effective.” While Ms Clinton maintained a slow and deliberate way of talking, Mr Trump became “defensive” at several points, insisting that Fox News anchor Sean Hannity could prove that Mr Trump had not wanted to invade Iraq. “There’s a difference between defending oneself and saying ‘No, that’s not true’, and getting defensive. “Defensiveness means getting heated, they can’t hear things and they go off on an irrational loop of thought.” A key difference between the candidates came at the end of the debate. While Ms Clinton, her husband and daughter instantly went to greet the crowd, Mr Trump surrounded himself with his family on stage. “She really was conveying: ‘I’m available, I’m here, I’m open,” said Ms Ward. “Bill Clinton shook all the Trump family’s hands before the debate started and they looked a bit startled by that.”[SEP]Donald Trump lied on stage. A lot. But that wasn't the big deal. Hillary Clinton smiled, baited Trump, and then smiled again. She also took the stage as the first woman presidential candidate nominated by a major party in the history of the United States. But even that didn't rank compared to this shock of shocks. A presidential candidate not only admitted that he hasn't paid federal taxes, but called himself smart for avoiding those taxes all these years. That's never happened onstage before. Moderator Lester Holt exasperated us all by allowing Trump to ride roughshod over him. While Holt interjected every so often to try and get the two candidates to move on to the next topic, Trump and Clinton ignored Holt's admonitions to follow the rules laid out for this first debate, which lasted more than 90 minutes Monday night at Hofstra University. Trump spouted off inaccurate statements, lied about things he's previously said and uttered a number of alarming statements. Over the course of the evening Trump assured the public he doesn't want to be the one to fire off nuclear weapons first (he made no such reassurances about being the second to fire though). He insisted that somehow the United States could have prevented the rise of ISIS by going in and taking the oil the group now uses to fund its terrorist activities, though Trump didn't tell us how he proposed to go in, take a country's oil and not be at war with said country. When Clinton pointed out he hasn't actually paid federal taxes, Trump nodded eagerly. "That makes me smart," he retorted. Trump insisted he wasn't being "braggadocious" and then proceeded to brag about his success and really just all of the money he has. In other words, Clinton would cooly bait the verbal traps and Trump would stomp right into them. Repeatedly. He started out on message but by the end of the night his voice — which seemed like he'd worked to keep at low, even tones when the debate began — was growing strident and he was interrupting as often as he could. Clinton mostly kept her cool over the course of the debate. She ended up talking over Trump's efforts to interrupt her, and interrupted him, but she seemed to make a point of smiling as she did it. She too kept her voice evenly pitched in certain dulcet tones, as if she wanted to avoid appearing harsh. But behind the determinedly pleasant, politely bemused expression, her face bore the look of someone playing chess against a dinosaur, surprised at such an absurd matchup but going with it, since this is how the game must be played. "I have a feeling that by the end of this evening I'm going to be blamed for everything," Clinton said at one point. She knew how Trump wanted to paint her and she did her best to avoid giving him the chance. "Words matter. Words matter when you run for president, and they really matter when you are president," Clinton said, explaining that she will not be the kind of president who tosses words around carelessly. Her face was tautly tolerant when Trump brought up more than 30,000 emails she kept on a private server and deleted as secretary of state. Clinton responded that she had made a mistake and there were no excuses for that. Meanwhile, Trump did his usual bit of never admitting to any missteps. He stood onstage — at the podiums that were tailored to make the two candidates appear the same height during the debate — and once again, denied being anything but tremendously tremendous. He did not admit to a single mistake, not to things he's previously said about climate change, not about the Iraq War, not about how he actually got his start in businesses (through repeated loans from his father). And as the debate carried on, the two candidates engaged in verbal combat, trying to keep their respective composure and to win the fight. Holt trailed along behind them, looking for a chance to get them back on topic every other beat. He didn't really pull it off. As to who won the debate, it's a tossup. Clinton fans will say she owned it and Trump supporters will maintain he easily bested his opponent. But there was an obvious loser — Holt.[SEP]HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) — Donald Trump repeatedly clashed with Hillary Clinton during Monday’s first presidential debate, interrupting her and appearing agitated at times as they tangled over the economy, her use of a private mail server and his unwillingness to release his income tax returns. Clinton maintained an even demeanor, smiling indulgently when Trump turned aggressive. Clinton and Trump engaged in a vigorous back-and-forth on the debate stage at Hofstra University as polls showed them locked in a tight race. Given the wide interest in Trump, the business mogul and former reality TV star, and Clinton, the first woman to win the nomination of a major party, the debate was expected to draw a massive viewing audience. Here are the top takeaways from Monday’s debate: If Clinton aimed to get under Trump’s skin in the first 30 minutes of the debate, the Democratic nominee appeared to succeed. Clinton often put Trump on the defensive, saying he had “rooted for” the collapse of the housing industry and had considered climate change to be a hoax. In another exchange, Clinton said, “I have a feeling that by the end of this evening I’ll be blamed for everything that ever happened.” Trump interjected, “Why not?” Later on, Trump said he had a “winning temperament,” prompting Clinton to respond: “Whew. OK.” Trump scored points with his core supporters by lamenting the number of jobs that have moved overseas. He opened with an extensive argument that jobs are “fleeing the country” and going to Mexico while the U.S. economy is being undermined by China. He pointed to Ford Motor Co.’s plans to build compact cars in Mexico and railed against Carrier’s decision to move hundreds of air-conditioner manufacturing jobs from Indianapolis to Mexico. “So many hundreds and hundreds of companies are doing this,” Trump said. His economic case could resonate in states like Ohio and Michigan that have grappled with the loss of manufacturing jobs. “We have to stop our jobs from being stolen from us. We have to stop our companies from leaving the United States,” he said. Clinton pointed out that her father was a small businessman, adding, “The more we can do for the middle class, the more we can invest in you, your education, your skills, your future, the better we will be off.” Often delivered with a smile, Clinton came prepared with pithy lines that undercut Trump’s case on the economy. In an early exchange, Clinton said Trump would push for “trickle-down” tax cuts that would only benefit the wealthy, calling it, “trumped-up trickle-down.” When Trump got in a dig at Clinton’s absence from the campaign trail, she said there was nothing wrong with spending time preparing for the debate. “You know what else I did?” she asked. “I prepared to be president.” Trump repeatedly underscored his role as a political outsider, questioning the economic stewardship of President Barack Obama and the administration of former President Bill Clinton, who sat in the front row. Describing the loss of manufacturing jobs in states like Michigan and Ohio, Trump said Clinton had been in government for 30 years, asking, “Why are you just thinking about these solutions right now?” When the discussion turned to foreign policy, Trump said Obama and Clinton failed to confront the Islamic State group, saying his opponent was there when it was “an infant.” Clinton savaged Trump with a lengthy explanation of why Trump won’t release his tax returns, concluding he’s got something to hide. She said Trump may not be “as rich as he says he is” or “maybe he’s not as charitable” as he says he is. Clinton warned that perhaps Trump hadn’t paid any federal income tax at all, noting that some of Trump’s income tax returns in the 1970s showed he had paid no federal income taxes in certain years. Trump disclosed the returns to New Jersey casino regulators. Clinton gave arguably her most concise answer to questions about her use of a private email server as secretary of state, taking responsibility and giving Trump nowhere to go. Despite her past statements in which she changed her story from previous iterations or left wiggle room by not being completely accurate, on Monday she avoided getting wrapped up in a lengthy exchange over one of her biggest liabilities. When Trump said he would release his tax returns if Clinton put out what he called her “33,000 deleted” emails, Clinton said, “I made a mistake using a private email” server. Trump interjected, “That’s for sure,” prompting Clinton to respond, “I take responsibility for that.” Clinton turned the tables on Trump when he was asked to respond to his assertions that she doesn’t have the “stamina” to be president. Trump questioned whether Clinton has the physical fitness to be president and he repeated the criticism directly to her. Clinton replied that Trump shouldn’t talk about stamina until he’s tried to maintain a busy schedule like she kept up as secretary of state. And then she dug into him, adding, “This is a man who has called women pigs, slobs and dogs.” Trump has said black voters have “nothing to lose” by supporting his candidacy but he was forced to answer for his role in claiming Obama was born outside the United States. Clinton accused Trump of spreading a “racist lie” that our “first black president” was not an American citizen, adding, “He has a long record of engaging in racist behavior.” Trump responded by recalling the bitter debates between Clinton and Obama during the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, saying Clinton treated Obama then with “terrible disrespect.” Later, when Clinton said Trump’s view of black communities was too grim, Trump sighed, rolled his eyes and said, “Ugh.” Trump and Clinton seemed to agree on two potentially combustible political issues: child care and barring people on the terrorist watch list from buying guns. Both are unusual positions for a GOP presidential nominee. Trump injected an element of surprise when he said he disagreed with many Republicans and “we have to look at” barring the sales of guns to people on the terror watch list. The proposal is sharply opposed by the National Rifle Association, one of Trump’s chief backers, but Democrats have hoped it will change the dynamic of the gun debate. Trump also said he backs government aid for child care expenses, an issue that has been pushed by his daughter, Ivanka Trump. Clinton and Trump have both proposed plans to help families pay for child care. STAYING THE COURSE ON IRAQ, BIRTHERISM Trump stood by his positions on two issues in which he has been frequently skewered by fact checkers: the Iraq war and his role in the so-called “birther” movement. Trump denied Clinton’s claims that he supported the Iraq war, saying it was a “mainstream media nonsense put out by her. I was against the war in Iraq.” But there isn’t any evidence Trump expressed public opposition to the war before the U.S. invasion. Trump also claimed that Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign was responsible for launching the birther movement that questioned Obama’s American citizenship. That’s not the case — Clinton’s campaign never publicly pushed that notion during the 2008 primaries. Associated Press writer Ken Thomas in Washington contributed to this report.[SEP]Both presidential candidates trade insults, spar over temperament which often see Republican on the back foot HEMPSTEAD, United States: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump traded insults and sparred over temperament, stamina and judgement Monday, in a fiery US presidential debate that often saw the Republican on the back foot. With six weeks until election day and polls showing a virtual dead heat, Clinton repeatedly questioned her rival’s fitness to serve in the Oval Office. Before an anticipated television audience of up to 100 million, Clinton painted the celebrity real estate mogul as fatally out of touch and willing to say “crazy things” to get elected. “You live in your own reality” said the 68-year-old Democrat, accusing Trump of launching his political career on the “racist lie” that Barack Obama is not American. As Clinton projected steady experience, Trump played the populist bruiser, pitching to frustrated blue-collar voters fed up with politicians. “Let me tell you, Hillary has experience. But it’s bad, bad experience,” quipped the billionaire, accusing the former secretary of state, first lady and US senator of being a “typical politician. All talk, no action. Sounds good, doesn’t work.” The 70-year-old Trump has faced tough questions about his temperament during a deeply polarising 15-month campaign that has brought rightwing populism to the American political mainstream. He began the keenly awaited debate at New York’s Hofstra University with a restrained tone. But as the temperature rose, he brought out the verbal brickbats, repeatedly interrupting Clinton and even questioning her stamina after a bout of pneumonia. “Well, as soon as he travels to 112 countries and negotiates a peace deal, a ceasefire, a release of dissidents… or even spends 11 hours testifying in front of a congressional committee, he can talk to me about stamina,” Clinton shot back. Trump appeared to get increasingly irritated and riled, at one point rolling his eyes and emitting a frustrated “ugh.” In a snap CNN poll of 521 voters, 62 per cent judged that Clinton had won the debate against 27 per cent for Trump. John Hudak, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told AFP that “hands down, Clinton looked better than Trump.” “You don’t have to think that her performance was perfect, but the unique part of a presidential debate is that you don’t have to excel, you just have to do better than the only other person on stage.” Steffen Schmidt, a professor of political science at Iowa State University, also praised Clinton’s performance. However, he said, “Trump more than held his own with an informal and often unorganised ‘speech salad’ where he mixed things in odd ways but often with humor, and cleverly.” Trump gave an upbeat assessment of his debate outing, telling AFP: “I thought it went very well for me.” “We’ve been having an awfully good run and I think this continues it – according to all the online polls, you see what’s happening there? Through the roof.” Clinton visited supporters who had attended a debate watch party in Westbury, New York, telling the crowd, “Do you feel good tonight? Well, I sure do… We had a great debate.” If Clinton’s brightest moments came when debate turned to foreign policy, Trump’s came when he tapped into rich seams of malaise about politics and the economy. “Our country is suffering because people like secretary Clinton have made such bad decisions in terms of our jobs,” he charged. Trump squarely blamed Clinton and the political class for losing jobs to Mexico and China through what he termed bad trade deals and incompetence. Clinton tried to undercut Trump’s CEO-in-chief acumen by accusing him of having “stiffed” small businesses throughout his career. She demanded Trump honour tradition and release his tax returns, suggesting he may be lying about his much-vaunted wealth, his charitable donations, his tax bill or his ties with foreign benefactors. She also accused him of backing an economic platform amounting to “the most extreme” package of tax cuts for the wealthy in US history. “I call it trumped up trickle-down, because that’s exactly what it would be,” she quipped. Trump fired back that he would release his tax returns, “when she releases her 33,000 e-mails that have been deleted,” alluding to the Democrat’s use of a private email server as secretary of state. Trump’s biggest handicap may be accusations that he has a weak grasp of policy – which he sought to counter by accusing his rival of sowing chaos in the Middle East during her tenure as secretary of state. — AFP

Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican Party nominee Donald Trump hold the first presidential debate of the 2016 presidential election at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.

SRIHARIKOTA (ANDHRA PRADESH): India on Monday morning successfully put into orbit its own weather satellite SCATSAT-1 in a copybook style.In the second phase of its mission, the rocket will launch seven other satellites - five foreign and two Indian - between 11.25 to 11.28 a.m., in a different orbit.Exactly at 9.12 a.m., the PSLV rocket standing 44.4 metres tall and weighing 320 tonne tore into the morning skies with fierce orange flames at its tail.Gathering speed every second, the rocket raced towards the heavens amidst the cheers of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) officials and the media team assembled at the rocket port here.At the rocket mission control room, Indian space scientists at ISRO were glued to their computer screens watching the rocket escaping the earth's gravitational pull.Seventeen minutes into the flight, the rocket's main cargo, the 371 kg SCATSAT-1 - for ocean and weather related studies - was injected into a 730 km polar sun synchronous orbit.Although SCATSAT-1 is a follow-on mission for Oceansat-2 improvements have been made in the satellite's hardware configuration based on lessons learnt from Oceansat-2 instruments.Also SCATSAT-1's payload has been characterised with the objective of achieving data quality for Climate Data Records, apart from facilitating routine meteorological applications, the ISRO said.It said the SCATSAT-1's scatterometer will provide wind vector data products for weather forecasting, cyclone detection and tracking services to the users.The satellite carries Ku-band scatterometer similar to the one flown onboard Oceansat-2.The mission life of the satellite is five years.The remaining seven satellites will be placed in a 689 km polar orbit later.These seven satellites include five foreign satellites: three from Algeria (Alsat-1B 103kg, Alsat-2B 117kg, Alsat-1N 7kg), and one each from Canada (NLS-19, 8kg) and US (Pathfinder-44kg).The two other Indian satellites are: Pratham (10kg) built by Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) and Pisat (5.25 kg) from PES University, Bengaluru and its consortium.According to the ISRO, the two Algerian satellites Alsat-1B and Alsat-2B are remote sensing satellites while Alsat-1N is a technology demonstration nano satellite for Algerian students.On the other hand, the US satellite Pathfinder-1 is a commercial high resolution imaging micro satellite while the Canadian NLS-19 satellite is la technology demonstration nano satellite for experimentation in helping to reduce space debris and for tracking commercial aircraft.The IIT-B's satellite Pratham's mission objective is to estimate the total electron count with a resolution of 1km x 1km location grid while Pisat from PES University and its consortium is a nano satellite for remote sensing applications.After slinging SCATSAT-1 into its orbit the rocket's fourth stage will be restarted one hour 22 minutes into the flight and cut off around 20 seconds later.Two hours and 11 minutes into the flight the fourth stage will again be restarted to be cut offAone minute later.Following that in three minutes all the seven satellites will be ejected putting an end to PSLV's longest mission till date.The PSLV rocket is a four stage/engine rocket powered by solid and liquid fuel alternatively.Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) director K. Sivan told IANS on Sunday that the long time gap between the cutting off of the engine and its restart was not an issue.Sivan said the first time the multiple burn technology was first tested by ISRO while flying its PSLV rocket on December 16, 2015 and in June 2016, the technology was again demonstrated.About the challenge, Sivan said: "After cutting off the engine, its condition should be brought to such a stage that it could be restarted again. The next challenge is to controlling the engine and bringing it so as to eject the remaining satellites into a different orbit."He said the rocket has GPS aided navigation system so that data generated by the rocket's inertial navigation system and the one provided by the former will be blended so as to erase and errors and to generate a precise data.[SEP]“Research” – the word might excite you, instill boredom in you or remind you of a science project you did in the distant past. Quality research is a sophisticated endeavor and requires perseverance and patience, the latter quality being robbed off the current generation by exceeding expectations of the people and the self, thanks to the national media focusing on heavy paychecks and not on ground breaking research. There was a time when Leonardo Da Vinci used to sit for hours thinking about something as trivial as the mechanism of blood flow in our body. Thanks to those hours of patient and clear thinking by numerous such minds, we have a foundation to stand and explore more. Exploring is somewhat resonant with research. The true meaning of research lies in its etymology. It is derived from the French word ‘recherche’ which means ‘to search closely’. Research comprises of critical and exhaustive study of a certain topic. IIT Kharagpur has proved to be one of the best places in the country for research work. There have been instances like lucrative job offers being rejected to pursue research. Yet another increment in the prestige of IIT Kharagpur Research Community was kindled by a Research Scholar, Ms.Nandini Bhandaru. She won the prestigious Young Scientist Award at the European Materials Research Society’s Spring Meet 2016. Her team included Dr.Rabibrata Mukherjee, Ms.Anuja Das, and Mr.Aditya Banerji. They recently attended the bi-annual conference held in France this month where this award was conferred to her. This award is given on the basis of judging the CV, the presentation given by the candidate and the overall contribution to the concerned field by the candidate. In a layman’s term, the research Nandini has done reduces the complexity of reproduction of the nano-scale fabrication techniques to a level where even a high-school laboratory can reciprocate the same results with access to less sophisticated equipment. When asked about it, Nandini cheerfully said, “I’m feeling very excited. This is the first time to my knowledge that an Indian Researcher studying in India has got an award like this.” She further added that the environment of the lab, her co-researchers, and her mentor all contributed immensely to her success. Dr.Rabibrata Mukherjee – Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and head of the Instability and Patterning Laboratory, had a lot to say about this. ” It is a very happy feeling that I mentored Nandini up to a level where she is now competing with the best in the world. The secret to this success is extremely high-quality novel research which as of now is very fundamental but has the potential to be a game-changer in years to come. Nandini can manipulate things at the nanoscale with utmost precision by carefully controlling the forces that are active in this regime. She has now proven that her work is groundbreaking and we are all very proud that she has placed IIT KGP’s name in a major student award.” The story’s not over yet. With all of this still hanging overhead, Nandini will be en route to another seminar being held in Germany – the Indo-German Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. Interestingly, only 25 people from India are attending this seminar, with all the 24 others being Professors. “It’s a mystery to us how she was selected!”, said Dr. Rabibrata on this. It is indeed a proud moment for KGPians and should serve as a motivation for potential scientists peppered throughout the KGP population. An eye-opening and a refreshingly new take on research, this is a positive leap towards bringing out that hidden question mark that always sets you on a quest for great discoveries. For those still harboring doubts, here are a few last words from Dr.Rabibrata, himself a great researcher and a big name in the scientific circles. “Those who want to pursue research, please do. It’s only in research that you get to realize your true potential. The creative satisfaction you get by discovering something unknown can’t be compensated by any amount of money or any salary package.” So all the budding Galileo’s and Einstein’s out there, it is high time you embraced the world of the unknown by diving into research work. Cheat Code: The first step is talking about your interest to a Professor of the subject you love.[SEP]In its first multi-orbital launch, India's workhorse PSLV will on Monday inject eight different satellites, including the country's weather satellite SCATSAT-1 and five from other nations, into two different orbits. India's workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C35, which will be launched from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota at 9.12 am on Monday, will carry the 371 kg SCATSAT-1 for ocean and weather related studies along with seven other satellites, including from the US and Canada. The total weight of all the eight satellites onboard PSLV C35 is about 675 kg. PSLV C-35 will be putting the satellites in two different orbits, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman AS Kiran Kumar said. While SCATSAT-1 will be released first into a 730 km Polar Sunsynchronous Orbit after about 17 minutes, the rest will be injected into a lower orbit of 689 km after around two hours. There will be two re-ignitions of the launch vehicle for this purpose, Kumar said. Besides SCATSAT-1, the others are PRATHAM and PISAT, two academic satellites from India, ALSAT-1B, ALSAT-2B and ALSAT-1N (all from Algeria) and Pathfinder-1 and NLS-19, from USA and Canada, respectively. The 48-and-a-half-hour countdown for PSLV-C35/SCATSAT-1 Mission started at 8:42am on Saturday. According to ISRO, this is the first mission of PSLV in which it will be launching its payloads into two different orbits. This will be the 15th flight of PSLV in 'XL' configuration with the use of solid strap-on motors, it added. The mission objectives of SCATSAT-1 are to help provide weather forecasting services to the user communities through the generation of wind vector products for weather forecasting, cyclone detection and tracking, ISRO said. SCATSAT-1 is a continuity mission for scatterometer payload carried by the earlier Oceansat-2 satellite, ISRO added.[SEP]A protein research project collaboration involving Northeastern University (NU) researchers recently received a second grant from the National Institutes of Health. The project’s goal is to better understand the inner workings of a complex group of proteins in the hopes of getting closer to curing a variety of diseases. Northeastern professors of chemistry John Engen and Roxana Iacob were introduced to the project in early 2014 by Professor Timothy Springer, an immunologist and structural biologist at Harvard Medical School and the Boston Children’s Hospital. Information on the amount of funding the project received was not available to the News at the time of publication. The researchers are working on a class of proteins known as Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGF-β). Scientists have established that this protein class transmits information instructing cells to either grow, divide or kill themselves, but little else about TGF-β is known. “It’s not so well-studied, and there’s not much structural information,” Iacob said. “But from a medical view, it’s a very important topic.” The trio began working on the project in January 2014, with Engen and Iacob using one method of research in Engen’s lab at Northeastern and Springer using another at his. Engen and Iacob are using a method of research known as Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry (HDX MS). “This technique [HDX MS] has been pioneered by Dr. Engen and is now used worldwide, especially in industry,” Iacob said. The proteins in question are known to be involved with many diseases, and the researchers believe that a better understanding of them could possibly lead to the development of new drugs for diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Specifically, the behavior of these proteins can be a factor in growth of cancers when they misinform cells to grow when they shouldn’t, according to Iacob. Deciphering these proteins could potentially lead to improved cancer treatments. “[The] long term impact would be to try to understand from a structural point of view how these proteins actually function,” Iacob said. Out of 33 different proteins in the TGF-β family, scientists have only begun to understand 10. Kristian Teichert, a senior biochemistry major at NU, has done research work for Engen for over three years. Teichert said he believes that the work Engen is doing is having a large impact in the field. “He works on a lot of really relevant projects,” Teichert said. “It’s definitely really important for understanding how a lot of proteins work and how they operate.” Teichert said he believed Engen, Iacob and Springer’s research could one day alter and improve the treatment of diseases caused by TGF-β proteins. “Understanding the class of proteins that this paper is on definitely has a fantastic opportunity to greatly impact all of those [diseases],” Teichert said. “I have no doubt that it definitely does have that level of impact and is actually really, really awesome.” Iacob said there is no set end date for the research. “It will end whenever we solve the problems,” she said, laughing.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launches cyclone detection satellite SCATSAT-1, and seven other satellites into orbit from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The launch successfully demonstrates the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle's capability of placing satellites in multiple orbits in a single launch.

Image copyright SpaceX Image caption The Raptor engine was fired at SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas Private firm SpaceX has carried out its first test of the Raptor rocket engine, designed to send humans to Mars. SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced that the engine had been fired at the company's facility in McGregor, Texas. If his vision is realised, it could power a super-heavy launch vehicle that would transport people to the Red Planet in coming decades. But sending astronauts on round trips to our neighbour remains a formidable challenge. Beyond the astronomical cost, there are the technical hurdles - currently unsolved - of protecting humans from the radiation levels they would be exposed to, once in deep space. Mr Musk is set to outline his vision for a programme to colonise Mars at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Tuesday. His announcement is being watched closely because SpaceX has already made several landmark achievements for a private space company, including successful upright landings of orbital rocket stages. In an earlier series of tweets, Mr Musk pointed out the "Mach diamonds" in a picture of the engine test. This is the name given to a type of wave pattern that appears in the supersonic exhaust plume of a rocket engine or jet engine. When the Raptor was first announced in 2012, SpaceX said it would be several times more powerful than the Merlin 1 family of engines designed to power the company's Falcon launch vehicles. And, unlike the Merlin engines, which use a combination of refined kerosene and liquid oxygen as fuel, the Raptor will be powered by liquid methane and liquid oxygen. Raptor engines could eventually lift SpaceX's Mars Colonial Transport (MCT) towards the Red Planet. For Mr Musk, Tuesday's speech should offer welcome respite from dealing with the fall-out of the company's launch pad explosion in September, which destroyed one of the company's Falcon 9 launchers and its payload - an Israeli-built communications satellite for Facebook.[SEP]For most of its 14 year existence, SpaceX has focused on designing and developing the hardware that will lead to its ultimate goal: colonizing Mars. These plans have remained largely secret from the general public, as company founder Elon Musk has dropped only the barest of hints. But that is expected to change on Sept. 27, during a session at the International Astronautical Congress, when Musk details some of these plans for the first time in a public forum. However, on the eve of the meeting, Musk dropped a surprise on Twitter. The workhorse spacecraft that will carry approximately 100 tons of cargo or 100 people to the surface of Mars, which until now has been popularly known as the Mars Colonial Transporter, can't be called that, Musk said. "Turns out MCT can go well beyond Mars, so will need a new name..." he tweeted on Friday evening. By Saturday evening he had a new name dubbing the spacecraft the "Interplanetary Transport System," or ITS. Mars, it turns out, isn't the solar system's only marginally habitable world for would-be new world colonists. The Moon, Venus, the asteroid Ceres, and outer Solar System moons Titan and Callisto all have some advantages that could allow for colonies to subsist. However, Mars has generally been the preferred destination—due to its relative proximity to Earth, a thin atmosphere, and sources of water ice. Musk now seems to be suggesting that some of these more distant destinations, especially moons around Jupiter and Saturn, might be reachable with the Interplanetary Transport System. Perhaps the most significant aspect of Musk's musings on Twitter is the signal that he does not intend to pull back from his grand vision of humanity becoming a multi-planetary species, even for a short time. Rather than pausing after the loss of a Falcon 9 rocket and its payload during the run-up to a static fire test on September 1, and focusing on mastering access to low-Earth orbit, Musk appears to be pushing full steam ahead into deep space. It is not clear the extent to which Musk will detail his Interplanetary Transport System, or the booster that will launch it (the BFR—figure that acronym out for yourself), during the international meeting in Mexico next week. However, he is sure to have the considerable legion of SpaceX fans hanging on his every word while much of the rest of the aerospace community wonders how seriously to take the mercurial Musk. Yes, he has upended the global launch business with his sleek, low-cost rockets. But the company's credibility is also on the line after two losses of a Falcon 9 booster in just more than a year. Regardless, it will be a fascinating show, watched by all with even a remote interest in spaceflight.[SEP]SpaceX has successfully tested a new rocket engine it plans to use to take people to Mars within the next 10 years. CEO Elon Musk tweeted about the successful first firing of the Raptor engine, and included two photos of it. The test was conducted Sunday at the company's testing facility in McGregor, Texas, according to a SpaceX spokesman. SpaceX isn't the only outfit testing rocket engines with an eye on Mars missions. In June, NASA test fired its Space Launch System booster rocket, which it expects to use on its own Mars missions. Musk started SpaceX with the ultimate goal of transporting humans to Mars, and has spoken about his own dreams of living on the planet and even dying there -- "just not on impact." He has said he expects SpaceX to make an unmanned mission to Mars by 2018, using existing technology. He plans to use the Raptor engine for a manned Mars mission by 2025. SpaceX has yet to carry humans into outer space, but it has won a contract from NASA to carry U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station as soon as next year. SpaceX suffered a setback earlier this month when one of its rockets exploded on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral. The cause has yet to be determined, although Musk has said safety features on SpaceX's Dragon capsule would have kept astronauts safe, had they been aboard. Related: Musk says SpaceX could take humans to Mars in 9 years SpaceX has not said when it will resume flights. A source familiar with the company's plans told CNNMoney last week that it expects to return to space by November, much faster than other companies or space agencies have resumed flights after an explosion. Musk promised to provide a sneak peak on Tuesday of the Interplanetary Transport System (ITS), which is the rocket that he expects to send to Mars using the Raptor engine. That's when he's slated to deliver the keynote address at the prestigious International Astronautical Congress, discussing his plans to colonize Mars.[SEP]GUADALAJARA, Mexico—SpaceX is developing an interplanetary rocket and capsule to transport large numbers of people and cargo to Mars with the ultimate goal of colonizing the planet, company chief and tech billionaire Elon Musk said on Tuesday, Sept. 27. Musk outlined his plans for a massive Mars rocket, capable of carrying 100 passengers plus cargo per voyage, even as SpaceX is still investigating why a different rocket carrying a $200 million Israeli satellite blew up on a launch pad in Florida earlier this month. Though he said he envisions humans living in a large colony on Mars, he added that the key will be getting the cost down low enough to attract willing volunteers. "You can't create a self sustaining civilization if the ticket price is $10 billion per person," he said. "Our goal is to get it roughly equivalent to cost of a medium house in the United States, about $200,000." SpaceX, which Musk founded specifically with the purpose of colonizing Mars, is one of several private and government funded ventures vying to put people and cargo on the red planet and other destinations beyond Earth's orbit. The nearly airless planet is typically around 140 million miles from Earth and landing the first humans there, after a six to nine month journey, is an extremely ambitious goal for anyone. Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin space venture is designing a heavy-lift vehicle and capsule called New Armstrong, that will be capable of Mars transport, according to company President Rob Meyerson. He spoke during a separate presentation at the International Astronautical Congress meeting in Guadalajara, which Musk addressed on Tuesday. The U.S. government is also stepping up efforts to venture beyond the moon. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's heavy-lift Space Launch System rocket, expected to cost $7 billion through its first test flight, is currently slated for launch in 2018. The U.S. space agency also is developing an Orion deep-space capsule, at a cost of more than $11 billion. Between 2005 and 2010, NASA spent another $5.8 billion on an earlier version of Orion. Russia plans a heavy-lift rocket and crewed spaceship for travel to the moon and other destinations, Vladimir Sointsev, director of Russia's RSC Energia, said at the conference on Monday. The capsule, called the Federation Crew Transportation Vehicle, is targeted for an unmanned test flight to the International Space Station in 2021. Musk did not say how much it would cost SpaceX to develop its Mars transportation system. SpaceX intends to fly to Mars about every 26 months when Earth and Mars are favorably aligned for flight. Musk said he would like to land people on Mars as early as 2024. NASA's first human mission to Mars is expected about a decade later. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said on Monday it likely will continue its Space Launch System rocket program even if commercial interplanetary transportation systems are available. NASA is supporting SpaceX's first mission to Mars, which is targeted for launch in 2018. SpaceX wants to send an unmanned capsule, called Red Dragon, to the surface of Mars to test descent, entry and landing systems. "Ultimately this is going to be a huge public-private partnership," Musk said. NASA will be providing deep-space and Mars communications relays for SpaceX and consulting services in exchange for flight data. NASA wants to be able to land payloads weighing up to about 30 tons on Mars. So far, the heaviest vehicle to land on Mars was the one-ton Curiosity Rover.[SEP]The first time Nasa tried to launch a satellite into orbit, in December 1957, the rocket made it 4ft off the ground before crumpling into a blossom of smoke and fire. America’s ambitions to catch up to Russia’s success with Sputnik would have to wait. Almost 60 years later, private spaceflight company SpaceX is feeling similarly explosive growing pains. From the same launch center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, a reusable Falcon 9 rocket exploded on the launch pad on Thursday morning in a blast that could be felt miles away and that destroyed a satellite meant to expand internet access. The company’s founder and CEO, tech billionaire Elon Musk, has said that the rocket exploded “during propellant fill operation” and that the blast “originated around upper stage oxygen tank”. Musk has stayed stoical about the company’s accidents, and SpaceX itself only gave an engineer’s euphemism for the explosion in its first statement, describing the blast as “an anomaly on the pad”. The history of spaceflight is littered with explosions, accidents and disasters: SpaceX has had its share but has avoided tragedy or injury. Nasa has contracted the company to help take supplies to the International Space Station, and together the organizations hope to bring manned launches back to American launch pads in 2017. SpaceX’s year of success and failure has cast that schedule into doubt. SpaceX has had more success than failure in the 14 years since it was founded, when Musk set out with about 30 employees to revolutionize spaceflight with reusable rockets – the kind that can save small fortunes in fuel and technology with every landing. In December 2010, SpaceX became the first private company to send a spacecraft into low-Earth orbit and back, and a year and a half later it became the first to dock at the International Space Station. That same year it first resupplied the station, and by 2014 it won a $2.6bn Nasa contract alongside Boeing to take US astronauts into space. On 21 December 2015, the company managed its first landing of a reusable rocket – just under a month after a rival spaceflight company, headed by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, achieved a similar landing with a smaller vehicle. Then on 8 April 2016, after four failures during the past year, the company landed a reusable rocket on a drone ship floating in the Atlantic ocean, the first ever landing at sea. In the next eight months the company repeated the feat six times in all, four at sea and twice on land. Since 2012 it has had 18 successful payload deliveries. Those accomplishments have not come without repeated failures, the most spectacular of which occurred during attempts to land their Falcon 9 rockets, named after Star Wars’ Millennium Falcon. After proving the rockets could lift supplies to astronauts in orbit, SpaceX began testing their abilities to land on a robotic drone ship out at sea – unmanned for safety, and mobile to meet the rocket, if a little unsteady. Musk has described the feat as “like trying to balance a rubber broomstick on your hand in the middle of a wind storm”. On 10 January 2015, the first landing attempt by a rocket “landed hard”, in Musk’s words, crashing onto the ship after it ran out of hydraulic fuel to fire engines that slowed its descent. On 14 April, another landing failed after the rocket’s landing legs struck the barge “too hard for survival” – the rocket tipped over and careered off to the side. On 28 June, the company’s string of failures continued, when a rocket disintegrated shortly after liftoff and destroyed its cargo of supplies meant for the ISS. The blast was blamed on a faulty strut, supposed to hold a tank of intensely pressurized helium, that Musk said appeared “to be incorrectly made but with no visible way of determining that from the outside”. On 17 January 2016, Musk and his engineers were back to struggling with the barge. Fighting through rough weather, a Falcon 9 rocket landed at the right speed but one of its legs failed to latch on the platform. The rocket keeled over and exploded, with Musk commenting: “Definitely harder to land on a ship. Similar to an aircraft carrier vs land: much smaller target area, that’s also translating [and] rotating.” In March they saw another failed landing, but Musk was unfazed by the difficult conditions of attempted landings, tweeting: “Didn’t expect this one to work (v hot reentry), but next flight has a good chance.” Musk has handled SpaceX’s crashes stoically, reasoning that progress requires failures – science is messy. Nasa, for instance, has had contractors mix up metric measurements, lost a lander somewhere on Mars, and its Kepler spacecraft jerry-rigged into a planet hunter sailing on pressure from radiation off the sun. In recent years, Russia’s space agency has lost control of a cargo ship, and had repeated malfunctions and engine failures. Like Nasa, Musk remains ambitious. Earlier this year he announced that SpaceX intends to send an unmanned mission to Mars by 2018, to investigate the demands of a later crewed mission. The company has also won a contract to launch one of its used rockets with a payload; Thursday’s launch involved a new rocket. Nasa’s inspector general doused cold water on some of those aspirations in an audit released Thursday. The mission to take astronauts into space from US launchpads “continues to face multiple challenges that will likely delay the first routine flight”, the office said in its report. The US will continue relying on foreign agencies, such as Russia’s Roscosmos, to launch astronauts “until late 2018 – more than 3 years after NASA’s original 2015 goal”, the auditors added.[SEP]SpaceX CEO: Are you OK with dying? You can go to Mars[SEP]Elon Musk said Tuesday that a self-sustaining colony of people could be living on Mars within 50 to 150 years. The SpaceX CEO laid out his plan to colonize the Red Planet at the International Astronautical Congress, a meeting of multiple international space exploration associations in Guadalajara, Mexico. Musk has long said he wants to make humans an "interplanetary species," and on Tuesday he addressed many of the technical, safety and cost challenges he'll face. His goal is to bring the price of a ticket to Mars down to around $200,000 per person -- about the median price of a house in the U.S. Compare that to $10 billion, which is what Musk said it would cost to go to Mars using current technology. He explained that a few crucial technical advancements must be made to make that price point possible, including making rockets that are reliably reusable. SpaceX has already been heavily focused on that. The company has successfully landed six rockets that completed missions to orbit, and it intends to send one of those "used" rockets back into orbit later this year. Related: SpaceX plans return to space by November, 3 months after blast On the technical front, Musk has already introduced the world to the Raptor rocket engine he plans to use to take people to Mars, which is different that the engines used for the Falcon rockets that SpaceX has already sent on missions. The Raptor uses a different fuel and is far more powerful. The company completed a successful test fire of a Raptor rocket on Monday. Musk said a spacecraft headed to Mars would need to use 42 Raptor engines at once "You could lose multiple engines," he said Tuesday, "and continue the mission safely." The initial goal is to pair the enormous rocket with a spaceship capable of carrying about 100 people (plus their luggage.) Related: SpaceX successfully tests Raptor engine it plans to send to Mars He admits "not too many people" will want to head to Mars at first. But on the bright side, he says there will be plenty of jobs. "Mars would have a labor shortage for a long time," he added. Once people are on Mars, Musk said they'll be able to grow crops in contained buildings with compressed atmosphere. They'll also have the resources they need to make more rocket fuel -- allowing them to send spaceships back to Earth. About an hour before Musk took the stage to unveil his master Mars plan, a video depicting an artificial rendering of SpaceX's "Interplanetary Transport System" was posted to YouTube. Musk has already said he wants to make the first unmanned trip to Mars before 2018. Next, he wants to send the first humans to Mars in 2024, with the spacecraft touching down in 2025. Related: Elon Musk says astronauts would have been safe in the blast And since Mars and Earth only line up enough to execute a launch once every 26 months, he said it'll take about 40 to 100 years to make all the trips required to get a sustainable colony of people up and running. Of course, Musk is known for being overly optimistic with his deadlines, and admitted as much on Tuesday. "Timelines," he said, "I'm not the best at this sort of thing."[SEP]CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — On a personal quest to settle Mars, SpaceX founder Elon Musk envisions 1,000 passenger ships flying en masse to the red planet well within the next century, “Battlestar Galactica” style. Musk outlined his zealous plan Tuesday to establish a self-sustaining city on Mars, complete with iron foundries and even pizzerias. He wants to make humans a multiplanetary species, and says the best way to do that is to colonize the red planet. “I think Earth will be a good place for a long time, but the probable lifespan of human civilization will be much greater if we’re a multiplanetary species,” he said. Musk, who also runs electric car maker Tesla Motors, received a wildly warm reception at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico. Many in the crowd were avid space buffs. For now, the aerospace company he founded in 2002 is focusing on satellite deliveries, as well as space station cargo runs for NASA and a future crew capsule for U.S. astronauts. Its Falcon rocket, though, is grounded for the second time in a year because of devastating accidents. During his address, Musk did not mention the Sept. 1 launch pad explosion that destroyed a Falcon rocket and its satellite. Instead, he noted that SpaceX already has begun work on the Mars Colonial fleet, recently test-firing a powerful new rocket engine named Raptor. The system ultimately could take people to the moons of Jupiter and beyond, he said. Musk said it would be a “super-exciting” adventure to Mars but also dangerous, at least for the first few trips. His goal is to get the price down so anyone could afford to go, with a ticket costing no more than a house on Earth. He’s shooting for 1 million Martians. Would he go, someone asked? Perhaps ultimately, but it would depend on whether he had a good succession plan in place. As for being the first Martian, the risk of fatalities will be high — “there’s just no way around it” — and he wants to see his five young sons grow up. “It would be basically, are you prepared to die? If that’s OK, then you’re a candidate for going,” he told the audience. In April, Musk announced plans to send an unmanned Dragon capsule to land on Mars as early as 2018. NASA is offering technical support, but no money. The space agency has its own program to get astronauts to Mars in the 2030s, using its own hardware. Musk invited industry to join the Mars effort, which will represent a $10 billion investment. SpaceX currently is spending a few tens of millions of dollars on the enterprise, and the amount will soon grow, he said. Musk described in detail his plans to launch a monster-size rocket — larger than even NASA’s Saturn V moon rocket — from the same launch pad at Kennedy Space Center from which the Apollo astronauts departed for the lunar surface in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The first-stage boosters would return to land vertically — just like his Falcon rocket boosters do now. Reusability, in fact, is essential to any plan for getting humans to Mars, as is refilling fuel tanks in Earth orbit and creating rocket fuel at Mars for return trips, he said. The rocket would hoist a spaceship big enough to carry 100 to 200 people to Mars, a trip lasting several months, quicker with nuclear propulsion. Musk promised no one would be stuck there; spaceships would return regularly, and “you get a free return trip if you want.” “Ultimately what I’m trying to achieve here is to make Mars seem possible, make it seem as though it’s something that we can do in our lifetimes,” he said.[SEP]SpaceX, owned and operated by technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, was fueling a Falcon 9 rocket on the launch pad in Florida on Sept. 1 in preparation for a routine test-firing when a bright fireball suddenly emerged around the rocket's upper stage. "At this stage of the investigation, preliminary review of the data and debris suggests that a large breach in the cryogenic helium system of the second stage liquid oxygen tank took place," SpaceX said in a statement posted on its website. SpaceX spokesman Dex Torricke-Barton declined to speculate on what triggered the breach of the helium system, saying the company was still investigating a range of possible causes. No one was hurt in the explosion, which could be heard 30 miles (48 km) away from SpaceX's launch pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The cause of the accident is under investigation. SpaceX said it had learned enough to conclude that whatever triggered the fireball was not related to a June 2015 accident that occurred about two minutes after liftoff. That accident destroyed a load of cargo heading for the International Space Station. The company traced that problem to a faulty bracket that was holding a bottle of helium in the oxygen tank of the rocket’s upper stage. SpaceX replaced thousands of brackets throughout its fleet and resumed flying six months later. "We have exonerated any connection with last year's … mishap," SpaceX said in Friday's statement. The Sept. 1 launch pad fire damaged "substantial areas" of SpaceX's primary launch site but key areas were unaffected. The company did not provide an estimate of what repairing the damage would cost, nor how long it would be out of service. Pad 40 would be repaired, Torricke-Barton said, adding it was too early to say when it would be completed. The California-based firm said it would shift some missions to a new launch site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, adjacent to the Air Force base. SpaceX also operates a launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, which it uses for high-inclination and polar-orbiting missions. The company is aiming to resume flights in November. SpaceX has more than 70 missions on its manifest, worth more than $10 billion, for commercial and government customers.[SEP]Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg struck a bitter tone in his response to the explosion of the SpaceX rocket carrying a satellite intended for use on his Internet.org project in Africa. Writing on his Facebook page, Zuckerberg said: “As I’m here in Africa, I’m deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX’s launch failure destroyed our satellite that would have provided connectivity to so many entrepreneurs and everyone else across the continent.” The accidental explosion of the Falcon 9 rocket early on Thursday morning – referred to as an “anomaly” by SpaceX engineers – destroyed both the rocket and its cargo: the AMOS-6 satellite, which Facebook had planned to deploy to provide internet coverage to parts of Africa. “Fortunately, we have developed other technologies like Aquila that will connect people as well,” Zuckerberg added. “We remain committed to our mission of connecting everyone, and we will keep working until everyone has the opportunities this satellite would have provided.” Contrary to Zuckerberg’s description, the satellite did not belong to Facebook. In October 2015, Facebook partnered with Eutelsat, a French satellite company, to lease the broadband capability of the AMOS-6, which was built by Israeli company Spacecom. According to Space News, which reviewed Spacecom filings with the Tel Aviv stock exchange, the joint lease cost $95m over five years and included a provision requiring Spacecom to purchase an insurance policy specifically covering Facebook and Eutelsat’s risks, in addition to its own insurance. Space News also reported that both Facebook and Eutelsat would each have additional insurance policies for the satellite. SpaceX did not immediately respond to a query about its own insurance policies. The tone of Zuckerberg’s response to the explosion was immediately interpreted by many as a sign of a grudge against SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The two billionaires cut markedly different swathes through Silicon Valley. In recent years, Zuckerberg has appeared intent on projecting an image of a philanthropist concerned with connecting the earth’s citizens. Musk is better known for his eccentric pronouncements and preoccupation with technological moonshots. The loss of the satellite is just the latest setback for Zuckerberg’s Internet.org, which aims to expand internet access across the globe. The program has long courted controversy by communities who view the free services on offer as a possible Trojan horse for Facebook’s business interests. In February, India’s telecom authority banned Facebook’s Free Basics – a service that provided free mobile internet access to select web services – because it violated net neutrality. Board member Marc Andreessen subsequently embarrassed the company in a series of tweets that appeared to suggest he believed India was better off under British colonial rule.

SpaceX successfully tests its most powerful rocket to date. The company's goal will be to use the Raptor (rocket engine) to power their "super-heavy" Interplanetary Transport System in facilitation of the colonization of Mars and beyond.

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As part of her doctoral dissertation at Stanford University, Carolyn Snyder , now a climate policy official at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, created a continuous 2 million year temperature record, much longer than a previous 22,000 year record. Snyder's temperature reconstruction, published Monday in the journal Nature , doesn't estimate temperature for a single year, but averages 5,000-year time periods going back a couple million years. Snyder based her reconstruction on 61 different sea surface temperature proxies from across the globe, such as ratios between magnesium and calcium, species makeup and acidity. But the further the study goes back in time, especially after half a million years, the fewer of those proxies are available, making the estimates less certain, she said. These are rough estimates with large margins of errors, she said. But she also found that the temperature changes correlated well to carbon dioxide levels. Temperatures averaged out over the most recent 5,000 years—which includes the last 125 years or so of industrial emissions of heat-trapping gases—are generally warmer than they have been since about 120,000 years ago or so, Snyder found. And two interglacial time periods, the one 120,000 years ago and another just about 2 million years ago, were the warmest Snyder tracked. They were about 3.6 degrees (2 degrees Celsius) warmer than the current 5,000-year average. With the link to carbon dioxide levels and taking into account other factors and past trends, Snyder calculated how much warming can be expected in the future. Snyder said if climate factors are the same as in the past—and that's a big if—Earth is already committed to another 7 degrees or so (about 4 degrees Celsius) of warming over the next few thousand years. "This is based on what happened in the past," Snyder said. "In the past it wasn't humans messing with the atmosphere." Scientists give various reasons for past changes in carbon dioxide and heat levels, including regular slight shifts in Earth's orbital tilt. Four outside scientists praised the study's tracking of past temperatures, with caveats about how less certain it is as it gets deeper in the past. Jeremy Shakun of Boston College said "Snyder's work is a great contribution and future work should build on it." But many of the same scientists said Snyder's estimate of future warming seems too high. Shakun called it unrealistic and not matching historical time periods of similar carbon dioxide levels. A fifth scientist, Michael Mann of Pennsylvania State University, called the study provocative and interesting but said he remains skeptical until more research confirms it. He found the future temperature calculations "so much higher than prevailing estimates that one has to consider it somewhat of an outlier." Explore further Late Cretaceous Period was likely ice-free More information: Carolyn W. Snyder. Evolution of global temperature over the past two million years, Nature (2016). Journal information: Nature Carolyn W. Snyder. Evolution of global temperature over the past two million years,(2016). DOI: 10.1038/nature19798 © 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.[SEP]Carmen Jaspersen/picture-alliance/dpa/AP A global temperature record published on 26 September in Nature1 extends 2 million years into the past — the longest continuous log yet published — and has sparked debate about how Earth's climate will change in the future. The study harnesses data from dozens of ocean-sediment cores, as well as climate models, to provide estimates of global average surface temperatures. Prior reconstructions have gone back further — in some cases back to 3 million years — but were less comprehensive or focused only on particular time periods. The longest comprehensive temperature record available before this study went back 22,000 years. “It’s a useful starting place,” says lead author Carolyn Snyder, director of the Climate Protection Partnerships Division of the US Environmental Protection Agency in Washington DC. “People can take this and improve upon it as more records become available in the future.” Using a subset of the reconstructed temperature data, Snyder, who began the study while at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, analysed the relationship between past temperatures and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) levels estimated from Antarctic ice cores covering the past 800,000 years. Based on that analysis, she found that future long-term warming induced by greenhouse gases could be more severe than many previous estimates. Even if the amount of atmospheric CO 2 were to stabilize at current levels, the study suggests that average temperatures may increase by roughly 5 °C over the next few millennia as a result of the effects of the greenhouse gas on glaciers, ecosystems and other factors. A doubling of the pre-industrial levels of atmospheric CO 2 of roughly 280 parts per million, which could occur within decades unless people curb greenhouse-gas emissions, could eventually boost global average temperatures by around 9 °C. This is on the high end of existing estimates. Proceed with caution And this is where the study has encountered scepticism. “The key part of this paper is the temperature reconstruction, which is really valuable,” says Eelco Rohling, a palaeoclimatologist at the Australian National University in Canberra. But he adds that the question of how the planet will respond to atmospheric CO 2 over the long term requires more detailed analysis. In particular, the study fails to account for subtle changes in Earth’s orbit that affected global temperatures and helped to drive the expansion and retreat of glaciers throughout the time period covered by the analysis, says Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City. He says the effects of such orbital variations must be considered when comparing the glacial era to the present. Schmidt's research into Earth's long-term sensitivity to CO 2 has focused on a warmer era before the glacial ages, about 3 million years ago. That work suggests that the millennial-scale warming that would be expected from rising greenhouse gases is around 4.5 °C for a doubling of pre-industrial atmospheric CO 2 levels2. The new analysis has little bearing on the short-term climate sensitivity, which is what humanity might expect to see over the next century or two. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that short-term climate sensitivity is around 3 °C of warming for a doubling of atmospheric CO 2 3. Bare necessities Snyder isn't convinced that the orbital effects are that important in this case. She says her study provides a single measure of the relationship between historic temperatures and CO 2 levels. If that relationship were to hold up, it would suggest that the Earth is in store for even more warming in the future. But she stresses that conclusions about future climate change should be viewed with caution. “This is not an exact prediction or a forecast,” she says. “The experiment we as humans are doing is very different than what we saw in the past.” Although Snyder’s temperature record will probably be improved as new data are incorporated in the future, the study fills a crucial gap in the archives of climate science, says Jeremy Shakun, a geologist at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, who developed the previous temperature record out to 22,000 years. “This is something that just needed to be done,” Shakun says. As for the debate about long-term climate sensitivity, he says scientists can debate the details, but it’s clear that heat will continue to build up in the Earth system for a very long time.

A study published in Nature finds the Earth's surface is warmer than it has been in about 120,000 years, and is locked into eventually hitting its hottest mark in more than 2 million years.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army and its allies fought intense clashes with insurgents in the opposition-held 1070 Apartments district of southwestern Aleppo on Tuesday, senior combatant sources on both sides said. The 1070 Apartments are located next to Ramousah, the southern gateway into Aleppo. The area’s capture would allow the government to ease its own access into the city while consolidating a siege on rebel-held districts.[SEP]BEIRUT -- Syrian government forces captured a central rebel-held neighborhood in Aleppo on Tuesday after a week of blistering airstrikes. Desperate residents describe horrific scenes in Syria's largest city and onetime commercial center, with hospitals and underground shelters hit by indiscriminate airstrikes that the United Nations said may amount to a war crime. Syrian state TV said troops captured Farafra, near Aleppo's famous citadel, and that fighting was underway near the historic core of the northern city. Aleppo has been fiercely contested since rebels captured several eastern neighborhoods in 2012. Those neighborhoods are now under siege and over the past week have endured the worst aerial onslaught since the start of the war, with more than 200 people killed and several buildings flattened. Last week, the Syrian army ordered civilians to stay away from rebel positions, saying a ground offensive would begin. On Tuesday, government forces captured the rebel-held central neighborhood of Farafra near the Old City. But the battle for the city still appears to be mired in stalemate. Government forces captured the Handarat area on the northern edge of Aleppo over the weekend, only to lose it hours later. The contested historic quarter of Aleppo, one of the world's oldest cities, is home to the Umayyad Mosque, a UNESCO world heritage site. The 11th-century minaret of the famed mosque collapsed in April 2013 during fighting. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists inside Syria, confirmed that government forces are advancing on the old quarter. A Syrian military official in the capital, Damascus, said operations in Aleppo will continue until the "terrorists" in the eastern parts of the city are "wiped out." The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. In Russia, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Syria's ambassador that Moscow has "a firm intention to continue providing assistance to the Syrian government in fighting terrorism and to help achieve the soonest possible political settlement of the Syrian crisis." Residents in Aleppo said they have been stunned by the intensity of the bombing, and they have seen a sharp increase in food prices due to the siege, which tightened earlier this month. Ibrahim Alhaj, a member of the Syrian Civil Defense, said his parents' house was shelled, and he was able to save them only because he lives nearby. Assad "listens to no one -- not the United Nations, not anyone," a desperate and exhausted Alhaj said. "Is there no humanity in this world?" Clinics have been flooded with casualties in the past week. Many had to be treated on white-tiled floors covered with blood. Mohamed Abu Jaafar Kahil, the head of a medical charity, said in a message that conditions in Aleppo were desperate. "Hospitals have no more room to receive even one more case, due to the huge number of casualties, of wounded and of martyrs who died today at the hands of barbaric Russian warplanes backed by Syrian warplanes," he said. Kahil recounted "nonstop bombing" by rockets and other artillery, including cluster munitions that are infamous for the indiscriminate way in which they maim and kill. He estimated that dozens had died and hundreds had been wounded. Dr. Mohamed al-Ahmad, a radiologist reached via the messaging app Viber, described a dire situation at the hospital where he worked. "We're running short of drugs, we're running short of respirators, we don't have baby milk, especially for newborns," he said. Several thousand rebels from different factions are believed holed up in eastern Aleppo, with the largest being the Nour el-Din el-Zinki group. "The regime and its allies know very well the high price they will pay if they try to storm liberated Aleppo," said Yasser Alyousef, a spokesman for the group, referring to the rebel-held sector. "The rebels have become experts in street warfare and ways to drain the enemy." Residents, fearing further targeting, deny the presence of any al-Qaida-affiliated fighters inside the besieged area. Brita Hassan Haj, head of the Aleppo council in the area, said the government's aim was to drive residents out. On Monday, 25 of eastern Aleppo's 63 neighborhoods were bombed, he said. "Bunker-buster bombs are penetrating underground shelters, leaving no one safe," he said. "The main roads are closed, the civil defense can't operate, and people are dying. ... It is like judgment day." Bassem Ayoub, an Aleppo resident, reported that food and medical supplies were running out. "Every day is worse then the last," he said. "Every day I leave my house, I keep in mind that I might not be back. All the people are doing the same here. We're living day by day. The Observatory said 11 people were killed in airstrikes on rebel-held eastern Aleppo on Tuesday, and that insurgents shelled the nearby government-held villages of Nubal and Zahraa, killing a baby girl. The latest escalation in Syria's 5½-year-old civil war came after a weeklong cease-fire brokered by the U.S. and Russia unraveled, with each side accusing the other of violating the agreement. The fighting has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced half of Syria's population. Information for this article was contributed by Bassem Mroue, Sarah El Deeb, Albert Aji and Vladimir Isachenkov of The Associated Press and by Hwaida Saad of The New York Times.[SEP]ALEPPO: The United States threatened Wednesday to suspend its engagement with Russia over the conflict in Syria following escalating attacks on rebel-held parts of Aleppo city, including strikes on two hospitals. UN chief Ban Ki-moon denounced the attacks — which saw the two largest hospitals in Aleppo’s opposition-controlled east hit with air strikes and artillery fire — as “war crimes”. President Bashar al-Assad’s forces and his ally Moscow have carried out a barrage of air strikes on eastern Aleppo since Syria’s regime announced a bid last week to retake all of the divided city. Russia’s defence ministry said Moscow was prepared to relaunch talks with the United States on the crisis, but a Syrian opposition official said a political solution to the conflict was “no longer a viable option”. Dozens of civilians have been killed, residential buildings have been reduced to rubble and residents of east Aleppo — already suffering under a government siege — are facing severe shortages. The latest bombardment has been some of the worst in Syria’s five-year civil war, and comes after the failure of a short-lived ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States this month. Moscow and Washington have traded blame over the truce’s collapse, with the US harshly criticising Russia’s participation in the Aleppo offensive. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that Washington will end talks on the conflict unless Moscow halts the Aleppo assault. Kerry said the burden was on Russia to stop the assault and ensure humanitarian aid access, his spokesman John Kirby said. “The United States is making preparations to suspend US-Russia bilateral engagement on Syria… unless Russia takes immediate steps to end the assault on Aleppo and restore the cessation of hostilities,” Kirby said. Russia’s defence ministry said later Moscow was ready to relaunch talks with Washington. “On orders of the Russian president, we are ready to continue joint work with our American partners on the Syrian issue,” and to send experts to Geneva to “relaunch consultations,” it said. But a member of the key National Coalition opposition movement said the escalating violence, particularly against rebel-held Aleppo, meant a political solution was “no longer viable”. Coalition vice-president Muwaffaq Nyrabia said rebels were “considering all options to defend the Syrian people against the Russian aggression on Syria”. Wednesday’s attacks saw the M10 and M2 hospitals hit before dawn, forcing both to shut temporarily, said Adham Sahloul of the Syrian American Medical Society, which supports both hospitals. Doctors Without Borders — a charity known by its French acronym MSF — said the two attacks killed at least two patients, wounded two medics and left just two of east Aleppo’s eight hospitals with surgical facilities. It was unclear who had carried out the bombings, which UN chief Ban denounced before the Security Council. “Those using ever more destructive weapons know exactly what they are doing. They know they are committing war crimes,” he said. Inside one of the hospitals, patients and medical staff cowered in fear. “I am in the M2 hospital now. I was inside when the entrance to the emergency room was hit. Three of my colleagues were hurt,” Aref al-Aref, a medical assistant, said. “Everyone is terrified and scared today. We are afraid that we will be today’s victims.” Sahloul warned the attacks could have devastating consequences. “With these two hospitals gone, if today there is another offensive like Saturday or Sunday, this is signing the death warrant for hundreds of people,” he said. The UN children’s agency UNICEF said at least 96 children have been killed and 223 wounded since Friday in the rebel-held sections of Aleppo where the health system was crumbling with only 30 doctors left. More than 170 people have been killed in east Aleppo since Syria’s army announced its operation to retake the city, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. On Wednesday, at least six civilians died in artillery fire near a bakery in the opposition-controlled Maadi district, the monitor said. A hospital in the government-held west reported two people had been killed and 10 wounded in rebel fire on the Aziziyeh district. Clashes also continued inside Aleppo’s Old City, the Observatory said, after pro-government troops seized control of the Farafira district northwest of Aleppo’s historic citadel on Tuesday. Once Syria’s commercial hub, Aleppo has been ravaged by fighting and divided since mid-2012. An estimated 250,000 people still live in the east, which has been under devastating siege by government forces since early September. The head of the White Helmets volunteer rescue force, which operates in opposition-held territory in northern Syria, said that under current conditions civilian facilities in eastern Aleppo would no longer be able to function within a month. “The civilians there would seize any opportunity to escape, to go wherever they could go,” Raed Saleh told Agence France-Presse. “But nothing is available to provide safety and protection for those civilians.” AFP[SEP]DAMASCUS: Syria’s army took control of a rebel-held district in central Aleppo on Tuesday, after days of heavy air strikes that have killed dozens and sparked allegations of war crimes. In the first advance since announcing plans last week to retake all of the divided city, pro-government troops seized the Farafira district northwest of Aleppo’s historic citadel, a military source told AFP. “After neutralizing many terrorists… units are now demining the area,” the source said. The push follows several days of Syrian and Russian air strikes on rebel-held Aleppo neighborhoods — some of the fiercest bombardment of the five-year conflict so far — after a ceasefire deal brokered by Moscow and Washington collapsed last week. The Aleppo maelstrom prompted Western powers to accuse Russia of committing possible war crimes, charges the Kremlin condemned as “unacceptable”. In the latest broadside, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also condemned the air campaign. “The appalling attacks on Aleppo have shaken all of us, and the violence and the attacks we have seen… is morally totally unacceptable and is a blatant violation of international law,” Stoltenberg told a news conference in Bratislava. On the ground in eastern Aleppo, an AFP correspondent said air strikes struck several neighborhoods simultaneously, including in Al-Shaar, where a five-storey building was leveled with a family stuck inside. One young girl, her body encased in rubble, was among the dead. Her father, in shock as rescue workers picked up her lifeless body, collapsed beside her, saying: “She’s just sleeping. She’s just used to sleeping.” The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said that Russian and regime bombardment on the city have killed more than 165 people since the government announced its offensive last week. At least 23 civilians, including nine children, were killed Tuesday in raids on the neighborhoods of Al-Shaar and Al-Mashhad, it said. As well as the intensified violence, residents have been left reeling from food shortages and skyrocketing prices. The World Health Organization warned that medical facilities in east Aleppo were on the verge of “complete destruction”. “Over the last weekend alone, more than 200 people were injured and taken to understaffed health facilities in east Aleppo,” a spokeswoman said in Geneva. The UN body called for “an immediate establishment of humanitarian routes to evacuate sick and wounded from the eastern part of the city.” The Observatory said that there were “significantly fewer” strikes on Aleppo on Tuesday than in recent days, but confirmed the advance by pro-government forces into Farafira. Aleppo has been roughly divided between government control in the west and rebel control in the east since mid-2012, and the frontline has remained largely static despite continuous violence.[SEP]An army ground offensive on four different fronts has begun on rebel-held areas of the besieged city of Aleppo, Syrian state media is reporting. The groud movement comes after five days of intense air strikes on east Aleppo, including the reported use of bunker-buster ground penetrating bombs and incendiary devices which have destroyed civilian infrastructure including a water station and emergency response centres. Activists on the ground say more than 400 people have died. NATO said on Tuesday that the Russian backed attacks on Aleppo are in "blatant violation of international law." There are now fears that the approximately 250,000 people inside besieged rebel areas could be facing an "atrocity that would resonate in history," one diplomat warned. The Syrian army and allied militias attacked at the same time on Tuesday around the Palestinian Handarat camp north of Aleppo, at the nearby Kindi Hospital area, in the Rashidin district in the centre of the city and at the 1070 Apartments district in the southwest. Troops are also said to be advancing in the contested Old Quarter, where they have captured several buildings, towards the rebel neighbourhood of Farafra. A military official speaking on condition of anonymity told the AP on Tuesday that the offensive will continue daily on all fronts until "terrorists" in east Aleppo are "wiped out". A rebel official told Reuters that the attacks had been repelled, but they expect two more assaults on a rebel-held district in the south of the city. The Syrian government announced last week following the collapse of a US-Russian brokered ceasefire that it intends to retake Aleppo - the last major rebel stronghold - for good. Government forces briefly captured Handarat from rebels on Saturday, but lost it in a counter attack the same day. Minor clashes in several other areas have so far been repelled by the opposition. The leader of a Syrian-government allied elite Iraqi militia told Reuters on Tuesday that his soldiers were moving tanks and armoured vehicles in preparation for an assault on opposition-held east of the city. East Aleppo's supply lines were completely shut off by goverment forces in July. The Syrian regime has not attempted to retake rebel neighbourhoods by means of a ground offensive since 2012. Recapturing rebel districts of Aleppo would greatly strengthen President Bashar al-Assad's position in the six-year-long war, effectively wiping out non-Islamist resistance from all major cities and leaving pockets of opposition in the far north and south of the country.[SEP]An army ground offensive on four different fronts has begun on rebel-held areas of the besieged city of Aleppo, Syrian state media is reporting. The ground movement comes after five days of intense air strikes on east Aleppo, including the reported use of bunker-buster ground penetrating bombs and incendiary devices which have destroyed civilian infrastructure including a water station and emergency response centres. Activists on the ground say more than 400 people have died. Nato said on Tuesday that the Russian backed attacks on Aleppo are in "blatant violation of international law." There are now fears that the approximately 250,000 people inside besieged rebel areas could be facing an "atrocity that would resonate in history," one diplomat warned. The Syrian army and allied militias attacked at the same time on Tuesday around the Palestinian Handarat camp north of Aleppo, at the nearby Kindi Hospital area, in the Rashidin district in the centre of the city and at the 1070 Apartments district in the southwest. Troops are also said to be advancing in the contested Old Quarter, where they have captured several buildings, towards the rebel neighbourhood of Farafra. A military official speaking on condition of anonymity told the AP on Tuesday that the offensive will continue daily on all fronts until "terrorists" in east Aleppo are "wiped out." A rebel official told Reuters that Tuesday's attacks had been faught off, but they expect two more assaults on a rebel-held district in the south of the city. Leaflets dropped on the city in the last day sought to assure trapped residents "there are no boundaries between us, break fears within you and come back to your normal life," urging them to flee to government-held parts of the city. However, several reports from the ground say that those who tried to approach the siege barricades were shot at by snipers. There are no reports of any east Aleppo civilians crossing over into western districts. Another leaflet warns rebel fighters to surrender or die, showing the portraits of leaders recently killed in clashes struck through with red crosses. The Syrian government announced last week following the collapse of a US-Russian brokered ceasefire that it intends to retake Aleppo - the last major rebel stronghold - for good. Government forces briefly captured Handarat from rebels on Saturday, but lost it in a counter attack the same day. Minor clashes in several other areas have so far been repelled by the opposition. The leader of a Syrian-government allied elite Iraqi militia told Reuters on Tuesday that his soldiers were moving tanks and armoured vehicles in preparation for an assault on opposition-held east of the city. East Aleppo's supply lines were completely shut off by goverment forces in July, leaving residents inside living in siege conditions. There are only 35 doctors left in the district caring for hundreds of wounded, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday. "WHO is calling for the immediate establishment of humanitarian routes to evacuate sick and wounded from the eastern part of the city," spokesperson Fadela Chaib said from Geneva. The Syrian regime has not attempted to retake rebel neighbourhoods by means of a ground offensive since 2012. Recapturing rebel districts of Aleppo would greatly strengthen President Bashar al-Assad's position in the six-year-long war, effectively wiping out non-Islamist resistance from all major cities and leaving pockets of opposition in the far north and south of the country.[SEP]BEIRUT — Syrian government forces and their allies attacked the opposition-held sector of Aleppo on several fronts on Tuesday, the biggest ground assault yet in a massive new military campaign that has destroyed a U.S.-backed ceasefire. The United States says the assault on Aleppo is proof that President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and regional allies have abandoned an international peace process to pursue victory on the battlefield after nearly six years of civil war. Washington, which agreed a ceasefire with Russia this month that collapsed after a week, says Moscow and Damascus are guilty of "barbarism" and war crimes for targeting civilians, health workers and aid deliveries in air strikes. More than 250,000 civilians are believed to be trapped inside the besieged rebel-held sector of Aleppo, where intensive bombing over the past week has killed hundreds of people, many trapped under buildings brought down by bunker-busting bombs. Only about 30 doctors are left inside, coping with hundreds of wounded each day who are being treated on the floors of hospitals that are bereft of supplies. The World Health Organization called for the "immediate establishment of humanitarian routes to evacuate sick and wounded" from the besieged eastern part of the city. Tuesday's assault saw pro-government forces, which include the Syrian army and allied militia from Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, attempt to attack Aleppo's Old City near its historic citadel, as well as around several of the city's major access points. Troops advanced from the countryside to the north and south, rebels said, leading to intense clashes. The military and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitoring group, said the army had made some gains, but this was disputed by rebels who said they had held them off. Senior combatants on both sides said pro-government forces were massing in several parts of Aleppo, Syria's biggest city before the war, now divided into a western zone held by the army and a smaller, besieged area held by rebels. The commander of an Iraqi Shi'ite militia fighting in support of Assad told Reuters a large force spearheaded by the army's elite "Nimr", or Tiger, forces had started to move in armored vehicles and tanks for an attack on rebel-held areas. Quelling the uprising in the city would give Assad his biggest victory yet of the war and deliver a powerful blow to his enemies. It is far from clear whether an all-out attempt to storm the rebel-held area is planned soon: that would require a massive assault by the army, backed by Lebanese and Iraqi Shi'ite militias, Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Russian air power. The government's strategy in other locations such as Damascus and Homs has been to use years of siege and bombardment to force eventual surrender, rather than attempting to storm of well-defended territory. However, Assad's allies now openly say they have abandoned the peace process and are betting instead on military victory. "There are no prospects for political solutions ... the final word is for the battlefield," the leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah Shi'ite movement, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, was quoted in a Lebanese newspaper as saying on Tuesday. The head of Iran's National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, was quoted on Tuesday as saying Aleppo's fate would be determined only "through a forceful confrontation". Aleppo residents said ferocious air attacks of previous nights had abated somewhat. The Observatory said at least 11 people were killed in air strikes on Tuesday in two Aleppo neighborhoods. State television reported that the army had retaken al-Farafra district in Aleppo's Old City and engineering units were clearing mines in the area. A senior rebel source said the army had taken some positions near that area, but had been forced to withdraw. Neither assertion could be independently confirmed. The army had also been repelled after heavy fighting in assaults on four other fronts, he said, describing it as the biggest wave of ground attacks since the offensive was announced last week. Zakaria Malahifji, a politburo member of the Fastaqim group which is active in Aleppo, said the army had assembled infantry and heavy vehicles in a military buildup in the city. "Until today, thank God, attempts to advance have been blocked," he added. The senior rebel official said pro-government forces were mobilizing near the rebel-held Sheikh Saeed district on the city's southern outskirts, near the location of the heaviest fighting this summer in Aleppo. "They are working to expand on any opening they create," said the official from an Aleppo-based rebel faction, citing reports from his fighters.[SEP]BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian government forces captured a central rebel-held neighborhood in Aleppo on Tuesday after a week of blistering airstrikes, as a military official vowed that the offensive would continue until insurgents are "wiped out." Syrian state TV said troops captured Farafra, near Aleppo's famous citadel, and that fighting was underway near the historic core of the northern city. Aleppo, Syria's largest city and former commercial center, has been fiercely contested since rebels captured several eastern neighborhoods in 2012. Those neighborhoods are now under siege, and over the past week have endured the worst aerial onslaught since the start of the war, with more than 200 people killed and several buildings flattened. The battle for the city still appears to be mired in stalemate. Government forces captured the Handarat area on the northern edge of Aleppo over the weekend, only to lose it hours later. The contested historic quarter of Aleppo, one of the world's oldest cities, is home to the Umayyad Mosque, a UNESCO world heritage site. The 11th-century minaret of the famed mosque collapsed in April 2013 during fighting. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists inside Syria, confirmed that government forces are advancing on the old quarter. The group said 11 people were killed in airstrikes on rebel-held eastern Aleppo on Tuesday, and that insurgents shelled the nearby government-held villages of Nubal and Zahraa, killing a baby girl. "There was intense shelling (in eastern Aleppo) earlier. It seemed the (government) was preparing for the attack," said Ibrahim Alhaj, a member of the Syrian Civil Defense, volunteer first responders also known as the White Helmets. He added that news from the front line suggests a large mobilization of pro-government militias in the old city. Alhaj and activist Yassin Abu Raed, who is based outside the city, said rebels were able to repel the offensive. Abu Raed said five troops were killed in the fighting. Alhaj said the house of his parents was shelled earlier Tuesday, but that he was able to rescue them and bring them to his own home. The latest escalation came after a weeklong cease-fire brokered by the U.S. and Russia unraveled, which each side accusing the other of violating the agreement. A Syrian military official in the capital, Damascus, said operations in Aleppo will continue until the "terrorists" in the eastern parts of the city are "wiped out." The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.[SEP]Syrian troops have launched a large-scale ground attack on rebel-held areas of Aleppo in a bid to make concrete military gains after nearly a week of punitive bombardment that has mostly hit civilians. Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad opened multiple fronts in an apparent attempt to increase pressure on rebel forces experienced in close urban warfare. They advanced on the old city of Aleppo, a former refugee camp in the north captured at the weekend then lost to rebel forces, and in two other districts, opposition forces and state television said. Rebel commanders were defiant about their chances of repelling troops on the ground, pointing to years of resistance against a better-armed enemy and the advantages of battle-hardened opposition fighters in close street-to-street combat. “The Syrian regime and its allies have threatened and vowed to seize rebel-held Aleppo dozens of times for the last few years now,” said one Aleppo commander for the opposition Free Syrian Army. “Regime forces will lose their advantage inside the besieged city of Aleppo, as Russian air power loses its effectiveness in close urban battles.” The city is a fiercely contested prize. It was Syria’s cultural and economic hub before civil war broke out, and is the last major urban centre where rebels have a presence. There are estimated to be about 250,000 people still living in the besieged area of eastern Aleppo, but the barrage of explosives, including alleged bunker-buster bombs, have brought what daily life still existed in the battered districts to a near halt. More than 200 people have been killed and many more injured in one of the most intense aerial attacks of the five-year civil war. Russia was directly accused of war crimes at the UN security council for its use of munitions against civilian targets. Assad appears determined to try to break the stalemate that has gripped Aleppo since 2012 – when rebel forces seized most of the areas they hold now – at almost any cost. Rare drone footage from Aleppo obtained by Reuters shows a wrecked city, with the shells of apartment blocks lining broad boulevards with vast shell craters and almost entirely empty of life. Among the dead on Tuesday was a young girl, whose body was lifted down from the ruins of her home by a search and rescue team using a crane. Waiting below was her father, crazed with grief, held back by local people risking bombs to aid the rescue or support the bereaved. A single bomb had trapped four families under the rubble of the same apartment block in the neighbourhood of al-Shar, where locals said the old buildings are easily brought down by ordinary munitions. Another photo showed a single hand protruding from the ruins , which locals said belonged to another lost child. “Hasan is carrying five floors on his back. He is 10 years old,” said the activist Abdulkafi Alhamdo. Nearly half of the casualties in eastern Aleppo since a ceasefire crumbled last week have been minors, Save the Children said on Monday. Some of the youngest victims have been born and died in a city divided and at war. Many have died in hospitals where exhausted and overwhelmed doctors are running low on medical supplies and struggling to treat the victims flooding into their wards. Only about 30 medics are left to provide care in the besieged area of the city, according to Dr Zaher Sahloul, a Syrian-American who has volunteered in Aleppo several times and now provides online advice on complex operations. The World Health Organisation and the International Committee of the Red Cross called on Tuesday for safe corridors into the city to allow ill and wounded people to be evacuated for treatment. The toll from the attacks has been exacerbated because they hit civilian infrastructure left in besieged areas, including hospitals, the White Helmet search and rescue group’s facilities, markets and homes. “I feel lost after my house was targeted by warplanes two days ago,” said Abdulrazak Zaksouk, a media activist living in al-Ansari district. “Also many important things are starting to run out in the markets, like gas, fuel, many kinds of food. There is also a shortage of electricity. We depend on a large generators, but sadly because of the shortage of fuel we just use them for three hours a day.” The commander of an Iraqi Shia militia fighting in support of Assad told Reuters a large force spearheaded by the army’s elite Nimr or Tiger forces had started to move in armoured vehicles and tanks for an attack on rebel-held areas. Rebel forces and the government traded claims about fighting for Farafra neighbourhood in the old city. Syrian state TV said government troops had claimed several blocks, but a commander fighting in the area told the Guardian they had pushed back the advance and killed seven troops. There was no way to independently verify the situation. The Associated Press quoted a military official as saying the fighting would continue until opposition fighters were wiped out, but rebels insisted that their spirit had not been broken. They pointed to their success this week in pushing government forces back from the deserted Handarat refugee camp, strategically important because it overlooks a road into the city, and seizing a military academy last month. “The rebels prepared themselves for the siege well, even though of course our troops and munitions are being drained,” the opposition commander said. “The Russian bombers are relying on a scorched earth policy. We think they lack accuracy in targeting, because they couldn’t hit our troops near the frontline where they are deployed. They are taking revenge on civilians.”[SEP]Washington (CNN) As Aleppo teeters on the brink of falling to Syrian regime forces, there is no consensus in the Obama administration on what, if any, action to take to help the beleaguered opposition with which the US is allied, several American officials have told CNN. The administration may have less than a week before regime and Russian attacks result in Aleppo's collapse, potentially displacing tens of thousands of civilians and worsening the strategic environment for the United States, according to one internal US government calculation. The Obama administration has blamed Russia for the collapse of a ceasefire negotiated more than a week ago by Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, which would have stopped the fighting around Aleppo and paved the way for joint US-Russian military cooperation against terrorist groups in Syria. In a phone call with Lavrov on Wednesday, Kerry threatened to "suspend US-Russia bilateral engagement on Syria ... unless Russia takes immediate steps to end the assault on Aleppo and restore the cessation of hostilities," according to a State Department statement. But Kerry has said there are no good alternatives to working with Russia, and the US has little leverage to force Russia's hand given the reluctance of the White House to risk a military confrontation in which US planes could be shot down by Moscow. A senior administration official told CNN Tuesday that interagency discussions are taking place and that many across the administration feel the US should intervene militarily to keep Aleppo in opposition hands. But there is little sense that the White House is ready to take military steps and there is no indication that President Barack Obama has yet been presented with any such options or even asked for them. White House spokesman Josh Earnest expressed concern Tuesday that arming the opposition "only further militarizes a situation that doesn't have a military solution." However, he noted that the situation in Aleppo "continues to be of deep concern to the President and his national security team, and it's something that we're going to continue to closely monitor." Earnest said the US is looking for "creative ways" to expedite delivery of humanitarian assistance, describing it as the "prominent goal" of diplomatic efforts. The US has assembled an international coalition to fight ISIS and other terror groups that have established safe havens in the chaos of the Syrian civil war. But it has not taken military action to boost the rebels, even as it has sided with the moderate opposition and called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a close Russian ally, to step aside. The White House has faced criticism for not doing more to help Syrian civilians caught in the conflict, particularly in the blockaded city of Aleppo. Many Aleppo residents have already fled, contributing to the massive Syrian refugee crisis, but those who remain have faced food shortages, a lack of medicine and chemical attacks. US officials are privately warning that if the attacks on Aleppo do not stop, Arab allies in the anti-ISIS coalition may decide to start shipping shoulder-fired, anti-air weapons to the moderate opposition. These allies are deeply opposed to the Assad regime and invested in the opposition prevailing in a civil war that has major reverberations for their region. Until now, officials across the administration have feared that ramping up the arming of Syrian rebels would be disastrous because of the risk that such weapons could easily fall into the hands of terrorists and be used to shoot down civilian airliners. So far, the US has been able to convince the allies not to send large numbers of those weapons into Syria, though a small amount have been shipped in. But officials now say there is discussion about lifting opposition to allies sending additional, more powerful, surface-to-surface weapons to US-backed rebel groups. The situation in Aleppo has only become more dire in the last week as Moscow and Damascus have pummeled the environs, including hitting UN aid trucks bound for the city under the terms of the unsuccessful ceasefire worked out by the US and Russia. Russia has claimed that the recent bombing campaign against Aleppo is an attempt by Moscow and the Syrian regime to go after one-time al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham, previously known as al Nusra Front. US officials, however, are skeptical of that explanation. Though Russia has said that its aim in intervening militarily in Syria is to fight terror groups, it is widely seen as bolstering Assad as he battles the rebel insurgents. "They are trying to take Aleppo," a US official said of Russia. "They are trying to go after opposition. They are using Nusra as an excuse, but nobody thinks this is about Nusra." The goal of any US intervention, in part, would be to show Russia that Washington could still intervene, even though so far it has not. Aleppo's fall could be boon for ISIS In addition, there are implications for the fight against ISIS. If thousands of civilians flee the strategic city, it would bring a new and unprecedented level of largely ungoverned territory to northern Syria that ISIS is likely to take advantage of by moving into new areas, according to a recent assessment by US officials. The reason, officials said, is because the Syrian regime ground forces will not be able to govern such a broad area of unrest. It also is likely to mean that Kurdish and Turkish forces will delay any move on Raqqa, the self-declared capital of ISIS and a foremost US target. It is also not clear what an Aleppo collapse might do to the continued presence of US Special Operations Forces in northern Syria, should the battlefield then shift to that terrain. Officials advocating some type of intervention told CNN that a decision might have to be made as soon as the next five days for limited airstrikes against Syria military airfields and bases if Aleppo is to be saved. The State Department was publicly gloomy Monday about the prospect of any diplomatic initiative to get the Russians to back off Aleppo. "I don't want to say we've thrown in the towel," said State Department spokesman Mark Toner. "But it's hard -- unless we see some gestures by Russia on behalf of the regime ... we don't see this moving forward." Toner added, "We're still committed to pursuing this process. It's just we're not in a good place. I don't know how to put it more frankly than that." Before the most recent violence in Aleppo began, Kerry pointed obliquely to the potential issues associated with military action if diplomacy failed. "Options are ugly because one option moves in a direction of trying to get a ceasefire and trying to get to the table to have a negotiation," he said in an interview with CNN. "The other option moves to more arms moving into the area, more fighting, more destruction, more migrants, more refugees, more children, women, schools, hospitals hit -- literally, possibly the destruction of Syria as an entire nation-state, and it's getting close to that even now." Officials told CNN that Kerry is extremely frustrated by the situation but has little leverage to change the balance of power on the ground with Russia without some US military muscle. Kerry last met with Lavrov in New York last week during the United Nations General Assembly meetings. At that time, Kerry called on Russia to ground the Syrian Air Force and said there was no point in continuing to talk until Russia came forward with "serious" proposals on ending the violence. Officials said they believe the White House was hoping it could have made the now-failed ceasefire agreement work long enough for any policy change to become more involved in Syria to be made by the next administration. Privately, US defense officials are emphasizing that there is no internal planning at the Pentagon for military options. Defense officials insist there must be a formal policy decision before they can even assemble new options for the President. But US military intelligence officials are aware of the locations the Syrian regime is using for its attacks. The White House publicly has said its still working on the possibility of expanded sanctions against the Syrian regime. But when asked if there are "new things" the White House is considering in Syria, Earnest said earlier this week, "I don't have any announcements at this point." He added, "With regard to Russia, what I would say is simply that Russia will have to account for their actions in the context of the consequences they are likely to provoke."

The Syrian Army clashes with insurgents in the 1070 Apartments district of Aleppo.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Three blasts killed at least 17 people and wounded more than 50 in predominantly Shi’ite Muslim districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police and medical sources said. A suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest in a commercial street in the eastern Baghdad al-Jadida area of the Iraqi capital, killing nine people and wounding more than 30, they said. Another suicide attack hit a commercial street of Bayaa in western Baghdad, killing six and wounding 22, the sources said. A roadside bomb exploded near a gathering of cattle herders and merchants in al-Radhwaniya, also in western Baghdad, killing two people, they said. Islamic State claimed the two suicide attacks, but did not mention the third assault. The hardline Sunni Muslim group has intensified bomb attacks in government-held areas this year as it loses territory to U.S.-backed Iraqi government forces and Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias. The group claimed a truck bombing in July that killed at least 324 people in the Karrada shopping area of Baghdad - the deadliest single attack in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. The group continues to control vast areas in northern and western Iraq, including the city of Mosul, captured in 2014.[SEP]Bombings targeting shopping areas in Shia districts of the Iraqi capital on Tuesday killed at least 17 people and wounded more than 50, security and medical officials said. The Islamic State (IS) claimed an attack in the Baghdad Jadida neighbourhood in the east of the city, saying it was carried out by a man wearing an explosive vest. Officials said at least eight people were killed and at least 29 wounded in Baghdad Jadida, although some said the area was hit by a roadside bomb as well as a suicide bomber. Another suicide bomber targeted the Bayaa area in south Baghdad, killing at least nine people and wounding at least 26, officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for that attack.[SEP]An explosion Sunday evening in central Baghdad marked the third attack of the day in the Iraqi capital, where a total of eight people were killed and at least 25 wounded in the three blasts. The latest attack left one person dead and five others hurt, according to security officials at the Baghdad Operations Center. Authorities did not provide additional details. Earlier, ISIS claimed responsibility for the day's deadliest attack, a suicide bombing that killed at least six people, according to the ISIS-affiliated Amaq news agency. CNN could not independently confirm the claim. Eighteen people were wounded. The suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt in the Iskan city area of western Baghdad, Iraqi authorities said. The bomber struck when a small group of Shia pilgrims was preparing in a tent for the holy month of Muharram, an Iraqi police source told CNN. The terrorist group claimed it was targeting Shia militia members. Separately, at least one person was killed and two wounded when a bomb exploded on a bus in central Baghdad, the Baghdad Operations Center told CNN.[SEP]The Islamic State jihadist group claimed an attack in the Baghdad Jadida neighbourhood in the east of the city, saying it was carried out by a man wearing an explosive vest. Officials said at least eight people were killed and at least 29 wounded in Baghdad Jadida, although some said the area was hit by a roadside bomb as well as a suicide bomber. Conflicting accounts are common in the confused aftermath of attacks in Iraq: police at the scene said it was hit by a roadside bomb that wounded six people but left no fatalities. Another suicide bomber targeted the Bayaa area in south Baghdad, killing at least nine people and wounding at least 26, officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for that attack, but IS frequently carries out suicide bombers targeting Iraqi Shiite Muslims, whom it considers to be heretics. Tuesday’s violence came two days after another suicide bombing claimed by IS killed six people in western Baghdad. A day before that, bomb and gun attacks claimed by the jihadist group killed 12 people in the area of Tikrit, a city north of the capital. Iraqi forces are preparing for a push on Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country, after regaining much of the Iraqi territory the jihadists seized in June 2014. But IS has maintained the ability to carry out attacks in government-controlled areas even as the jihadist group lost ground, and it is likely to increasingly turn to such insurgent tactics if it loses Mosul.[SEP]BAGHDAD (AP) — Separate suicide bombings ripped through busy commercial areas in Shiite-dominated neighborhoods of the Iraqi capital on Tuesday, killing at least 17 civilians, officials said. The deadliest attack took place in the eastern New Baghdad neighborhood, where a bomber approached a gathering of construction workers and set off his explosives-laden vest, killing 11 civilians, a police officer said. At least 28 civilians were wounded and the explosion damaged nearby shops and cars, he said. Hours later, another suicide bomber blew himself up in an outdoor market in the southwestern neighborhood of Bayaa, killing six shoppers and wounding 21 others, another police officer said. Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release the information. In online statements, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying it targeted Shiite militia members. The Associated Press could not verify the authenticity of the statements, but they were posted on a militant website commonly used by the extremists. The militants, who control parts of Iraq, have recently relied on insurgency-style attacks away from front lines as they suffer losses on the battlefields. The biggest urban area they control in Iraq is the country's second-largest city of Mosul, about 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad. Iraqi officials have said they plan to retake the city by the end of the year.[SEP]Separate suicide bombings ripped through busy commercial areas in Shiite-dominated neighbourhoods of the Iraqi capital on Tuesday, killing at least 17 civilians, officials said. The deadliest attack took place in the eastern New Baghdad neighbourhood, where a bomber approached a gathering of construction workers and set off his explosives-laden vest, killing 11 civilians, a police officer said. At least 28 civilians were wounded and the explosion damaged nearby shops and cars, he said. Hours later, another suicide bomber blew himself up in an outdoor market in the southwestern neighbourhood of Bayaa, killing six shoppers and wounding 21 others, another police officer said. Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to release the information. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Islamic State group militants have claimed multiple similar attacks. The militants, who control parts of Iraq, have recently relied on insurgency-style attacks away from front lines as they suffer losses on the battlefields. The biggest urban area they control in Iraq is the country’s second-largest city of Mosul, about 225 miles (360 kilometres) northwest of Baghdad. Iraqi officials have said they plan to retake the city by the end of the year.[SEP](IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – Suicide bomb killed four and injured another 15 on Tuesday in New Baghdad District in the eastern part of the capital, security source told Al-Sumaria News. According to the website, the dead bodies were transported to the Forensic Medicine to be identified and the wounded to near hospitals to receive medical treatment. Security forces cordoned the area and prevented people from approaching until inspections are completed. Baghdad Operations Command announced earlier today that a number of civilians were killed and others were wounded after a terrorist wearing explosive belt detonated himself behind al-Samarrai Mosque in New Baghdad District.[SEP]BAGHDAD — A suicide bomber blew himself up in a busy commercial area of the capital, Baghdad, killing at least nine civilians, officials said. The bomber approached a gathering of construction workers in the eastern New Baghdad neighborhood and set off his explosives-laden vest, a police officer said. At least 28 civilians were wounded and the explosion damaged nearby shops and cars, he said. A medical official confirmed the casualty figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release the information. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Islamic State group militants have claimed multiple similar attacks. The militants, who control parts of Iraq, have recently relied on insurgency-style attacks away from front lines as they suffer losses on the battlefields. The biggest urban area they control in Iraq is the country's second largest city of Mosul, about 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad. Iraqi officials have said they hope to launch an operation to retake the city by the end of the year. Associated Press writer Murtada Faraj in Baghdad contributed to this report.

Three bombings kill at least 17 people in Baghdad.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan closed schools and offices as a large typhoon with 162 kilometers- (100 miles-) per-hour winds approached the mountainous island Tuesday. Authorities raised alert levels because Typhoon Megi’s bands of wind and rain were expected to cover the entire island, which is prone to landslides and flooding, said National Fire Agency Director-General Chen Wen-lung. Megi was expected to make landfall in the evening and pass over the island’s steep central mountain range during the night. The Central Weather Bureau said Megi is 500 kilometers (310 miles) in diameter and its winds will gust up to 198 kilometers per hour. Chen said that as of Tuesday morning 5,336 people were evacuated from mountainous areas that are prone to landslides and flooding. More than half went to shelters and the rest to the homes of family or friends, Chen said. Schools and offices were closed across the island. Megi is the fourth typhoon of the year to hit Taiwan. Flights were canceled at Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport, while high-speed rail and most other trains also stopped operations. On the Chinese coast, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) from Taiwan, fishing boats were ordered back to port.[SEP]1:05 TCU seniors reflect on changes under Dixon Pause 0:58 TCU's Jamie Dixon reflects on his return to FW 1:02 A.J. Griffin said he struggled with his command and fell behind too often Tuesday 1:07 Carlos Beltran steps on the gas in Rangers' win 0:46 Tony Barnette felt good after a scoreless inning, his first action since Sept. 4 1:03 Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy on quest for home-field advantage 1:25 Jeff Banister likes the work Rangers bullpen turned in 1:43 Carlisle talks Barnes and Cuban 0:55 Bogut explains why he wanted to play for the Mavs 4:19 High School Huddle: Rivalry games mount in week 6[SEP]TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan closed schools and offices as a large typhoon with 162 - (100 miles-) per-hour winds approached the mountainous island Tuesday. Authorities raised alert levels because Typhoon Megi's bands of wind and rain were expected to cover the entire island, which is prone to landslides and flooding, said National Fire Agency Director-General Chen Wen-lung. Megi was expected to make landfall in the evening and pass over the island's steep central mountain range during the night. The Central Weather Bureau said Megi is 500 (310 miles) in diameter and its winds will gust up to 198 per hour. Chen said that as of Tuesday morning 5,336 people were evacuated from mountainous areas that are prone to landslides and flooding. More than half went to shelters and the rest to the homes of family or friends, Chen said. Schools and offices were closed across the island. Megi is the fourth typhoon of the year to hit Taiwan. Flights were at Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport, while high-speed rail and most other trains also stopped operations. On the Chinese coast, about 160 (100 miles) from Taiwan, fishing boats were ordered back to port.[SEP]The island's financial markets will also be shut, financial regulators said. Typhoon Megi is expected to make landfall on the island's eastern coast on Tuesday afternoon. "Apart from heavy rains, there will be huge wind gusts," Hsieh Ming-chang, a Central Weather Bureau official, said on television. The island's bullet train said it would suspend services on Tuesday. EVA Airways Corp, one of Taiwan's main international airlines, said it was cancelling or rescheduling some international flights. Earlier this month Typhoon Meranti killed at least 28 people in China and Taiwan and cut power to more than a million homes. Typhoons are common in the region at this time of year, picking up strength as they cross warm Pacific waters and bringing fierce winds and rain when they reach land.

Taiwan authorities close schools and offices as Typhoon Megi approaches the island.

world Updated: Sep 27, 2016 22:35 IST Nineteen people died and more than a dozen were injured when an overcrowded bus went off a road in Dhading district of Nepal on Tuesday. Police said 18 people were killed instantly and one passenger succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Kathmandu. The bus plunged 300 feet after going off the road, district police chief Shrad Kumar Khatri said. Thirteen severely injured passengers were airlifted from the accident site to Kathmandu for treatment, chief district officer Bishow Subedi said. The local administration said most of the passengers were survivors of the 2015 earthquake from a remote part of Dhading who were heading to the district headquarters to receive financial assistance announced by the government. Police believe the accident could have occurred due to lack of maintenance of the road, which was damaged by recent rains. A series of accidents in Nepal has raised questions about road safety. Officials said many accidents were caused by poor implementation of traffic rules and the poor condition of roads and vehicles. A majority of the accidents have occurred on roads running through hilly terrain. First Published: Sep 27, 2016 18:08 IST[SEP]KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — An overcrowded bus slipped off a mountain road in Nepal on Tuesday, killing at least 14 people, an official said. The bus was carrying passengers both inside and on the roof, said Dhading District Administration official Toran Parajuli. He said that the road was covered in parts by mud from landslides, and that the bus driver appeared to be trying to negotiate around these areas when the crash happened. The bus slipped off the road near Lapang Phedi village, 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Kathmandu, the capital, and rolled about 300 meters (980 feet) before stopping on the banks of the Ankhu River. Parajuli said rescuers were at the crash site. At least nine people were injured, with a helicopter flown to the site from Kathmandu to try to fetch them. The bus, which was on a local route and carrying all Nepali nationals, was unusually crowded because people in Nepal are heading to their village homes this week for the Hindu festival of Dashain, which begins Saturday. The two-week festival is the most important one in Nepal, a predominantly Hindu country. It is illegal to travel on the roof of a bus in Nepal, but police do not monitor rural roads. Traffic accidents in the Himalayan country are blamed mainly on poorly maintained roads and vehicles.[SEP]A government official says a crowded bus slipped off a mountain in Nepal, leaving at least 14 people killed and nine more injured. Dhading district administration official Toran Parajuli said the bus was carrying passengers both inside and on the roof. It slipped off the mountain road near Lapang Phedi village and rolled about 300 meters (980 feet) before stopping on the banks of Ankhu River. Parajuli said rescuers have reached the accident site and a helicopter has flown from Kathmandu to try to fetch the injured. The bus was on a local route and carrying all Nepali nationals. Traffic crashes are mainly blamed on poorly maintained roads and vehicle in Nepal.

A bus skids off a mountain road in central Nepal, killing at least 19 people and injuring more than a dozen others.

More than 1 million people died from dirty air in one year, according to World Health Organisation China is the world’s deadliest country for outdoor air pollution, according to analysis by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The UN agency has previously warned that tiny particulates from cars, power plants and other sources are killing 3 million people worldwide each year. For the first time the WHO has broken down that figure to a country-by-country level. It reveals that of the worst three nations, more than 1 million people died from dirty air in China in 2012, at least 600,000 in India and more than 140,000 in Russia. At 25th out of 184 countries with data, the UK ranks worse than France, with 16,355 deaths in 2012 versus 10,954, but not as poorly as Germany at 26,160, which has more industry and 16 million more people. Australia had 94 deaths and 38,043 died in the US that year from particulate pollution. Maria Neria, director of the WHO’s public health and the environment department, told the Guardian: “Countries are confronted with the reality of better data. Now we have the figures of how many citizens are dying from air pollution. What we are learning is, this is very bad. Now there are no excuses for not taking action.” Gavin Shaddick, who led the international team that put together the data, said: “Globally, air pollution presents a major risk to public health and a substantial number of lives could be saved if levels of air pollution were reduced.” Sixteen scientists from eight international institutions worked with WHO on the analysis, which gathered data from 3,000 locations, using pollution monitors on the ground, modelling and satellite readings. They looked at exposure to tiny particulates 2.5 microns in size, known as PM2.5s, which penetrate the lungs and are the air pollutant most strongly associated with an increased risk of death. “The real driver of ill health is ultra-fine particles, 2.5s – they have the ability to permeate the membrane of the lungs and enter our blood system,” said Shaddick, who is based at the University of Bath. “Increasingly there is an understanding that there are not just respiratory diseases but cardiovascular ones associated with PM2.5s.” In the UK more than 90% of the population lives in areas with levels of PM2.5s above the WHO’s air-quality limits of 10 micrograms per cubic metre for the annual mean. The government is in the high court on 18 and 19 October facing a legal challenge by environmental law group ClientEarth, which says ministers’ clean-up plans for another pollutant – nitrogen dioxide – are inadequate. Globally, 92% of the population breathes air that breaches WHO limits but the world map of deaths caused by PM2.5s changes when looked at per capita. When ranked by the number of deaths for every 100,000 people, Ukraine jumps to the top of the list at 120. It is followed by eastern European and former Soviet states, and Russia itself, probably due to a legacy of heavy industry in the region. China drops down to 10th, at 76 per 100,000, and India falls to 27th, with 49 per 100,000. Most of the air pollution comes from cars, coal-fired plants and waste burning but not all of it is created by humans. Dust storms in places close to deserts also contribute to dirty air, explaining partly why Iran is at 16th highest for total deaths, at 26,000 a year. Most of the total deaths worldwide – two out of three – occur in south-east Asia and the western Pacific, which includes China, Vietnam, Japan, Australia, South Korea and small Pacific island states. Shaddick said: “We might think of [pollution in] Beijing as being very high, but when you fill in the gaps between the big [Chinese] cities, [air pollution in] regions [is] remarkably high compared to the WHO limits [10 grams per cubic metre for the annual mean], up in the 50s and 60s. That’s something we in the west can’t even comprehend. That was probably a bit of a shock [to me].” The Pacific states of Brunei Darussalam, Fiji and Vanuatu have the lowest number of deaths from air pollution, the WHO found. Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris and chair-elect of a network of cities combating climate change, said: “Fighting pollution is one of my top priorities as mayor of Paris. It is a vital public health issue and all mayors should take on their responsibility to deliver bold actions.” The city of Paris voted on Monday to ban cars along a stretch of the river Seine to cut pollution, defeating a minority rightwing opposition. Hidalgo added: “I have said it before and am saying it again: we cannot negotiate with Parisians’ health.” Neira said Canada and Scandinavian countries deserved praise for curbing air pollution and singled out France too. “France is taking a lot of action, Paris is taking aggressive measures: aggressive in the good sense. [It] maybe unpopular because it’s for the health of people but they are putting some restrictions on individuals. We all need to understand this is a matter of public health,” she said.[SEP]More than nine out of 10 people worldwide live in areas with excessive air pollution, contributing to strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and other problems, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. The U.N. health agency said in a new report that 92 per cent of people live in areas where air quality exceeds WHO limits, with southeast Asia, eastern Mediterranean and western Pacific regions hardest hit. The country-by-country figures come from new satellite data over rural areas to complement traditional ground measurements of pollution, mostly in cities, in about 3,000 places worldwide. A similar WHO report released in May that said 98 per cent of residents in large cities of low- and middle-income countries face excessively high air pollution. A camel stands in front of a chemical plant that produces an abundance of carbon soot adjacent to the Caspian Sea in 1997 on Turkmenistan's Cheleken peninsula. The country has the highest rate of deaths per capita due to ambient air pollution in a new WHO report. (Reza/Getty) WHO says one in nine deaths worldwide is linked to indoor and outdoor pollution. Turkmenistan has the highest rate of deaths per capita due to ambient air pollution in the WHO's classification, followed by Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Egypt and China. Tuesday's report focuses on outdoor air pollution, which is estimated to kill about 3 million people per year based on 2012 figures, the most recent available. "There are two things happening. One is: rich countries are getting much better in improving the quality of the air. And two: poorer countries are getting worse. That is the overall trend," said Dr. Carlos Dora, WHO co-ordinator for environmental and social determinants of health. The aim is to educate both policymakers and individuals about the risks, at a time of spiraling health care costs. Dora noted, for example, that doctors could advise their patients about higher risks of heart disease in some countries, or how solar lamps could substitute for kerosene lamps that are used in many parts of the developing world. He said WHO has no evidence that face masks like those worn in many parts of Asia and beyond help reduce exposure to fine particles. He noted that North America is faring well compared with Europe, mostly due to Europe's greater dependence on diesel fuel and partially due to farm policies that generate agricultural ammonia and methane. While China ranked sixth among countries with the highest number of deaths per capita due to ambient air pollution, Dora said the country is doing "an amazing amount of stuff" to fight it, such as with clean cars. But coal-fired power plants, household burning of coal and wood to produce energy, and transportation remain big generators of pollution in China, he said.[SEP]New name reflects commitment to providing an exceptional patient experience At our clinics and hospitals all across southern Wisconsin, employees and community members celebrated today as hospital leaders unveiled new signs along with a renewed commitment to patients. Beginning today, our hospitals, clinics, care centers and health plan in southern Wisconsin will be known as: “Here in Wisconsin, we have been delivering care for more than a century,” said Damond Boatwright, SSM Health regional president of hospital operations. “Today we are renewing our vow to this community and everyone we serve. While our look may be changing, our mission and commitment to provide an exceptional experience to every patient remains the same.” SSM Health has been providing high-quality compassionate health care services in Wisconsin for generations, opening St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison in 1912, followed by St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo in 1963 and finally St. Mary’s Janesville Hospital in 2012. While SSM Health hospitals have been partnering with Dean Clinic physicians for more than 100 years, SSM Health formally acquired Dean Clinic in 2013. Now, the SSM Health name will be used to better connect all of the facilities and services that make up its fully integrated health care delivery network in south-central Wisconsin. “As we care for and serve our patients and members, our interactions with them define who we are and what we stand for,” said John Rose, MD, interim president of SSM Health Dean Medical Group. “We take the responsibility of their health into our hands and we are privileged to do so. We’re proud so many people choose us for their care and we will continue to work tirelessly for them.” Over the coming months, the signs on the outside and inside of each of our clinics, hospitals and care centers will be changing over to the new SSM Health logo, however patients will see the same providers they have come to know and trust in the same locations they are familiar with. SSM Health is a Catholic, not-for-profit health system serving the comprehensive health needs of communities across the Midwest through one of the largest integrated delivery systems in the nation. In Wisconsin, SSM Health serves an 18-county area in the south-central part of the state through inpatient care at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Madison, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Janesville and SSM Health St. Clare Hospital – Baraboo. SSM Health provides outpatient medical and health services through a network of more than 50 SSM Health Dean Medical Group locations, and serves about 425,000 lives through Dean Health Plan. Also part of SSM Health are two skilled nursing facilities (SSM Health St. Mary’s Care Center in Madison and SSM Health St. Clare Meadows Care Center in Baraboo) and Navitus, a pharmacy benefit management services company.[SEP]LIMA — A new local nonprofit group, Health Awareness Leaders of Ohio, started off simply enough. The general surgeon was making a visit to his dentist at Whole Health Dentistry in Lima and struck up a conversation about caring for all needs of a patient’s health. The idea caught on, and now numerous industries focused on health in the Lima area have joined ship. HALO held its first official meeting Tuesday at the Shawnee Country Club. Weight loss guru Donna Krech of 20/30 Fast Track and Total Solutions said the organization will help make Lima a healthier area. “We can change this community and we can make it better,” Krech said. Krech said the group has three primary goals as health professionals attempt to join together; measurable improved health, prevention, repair and curing, and making sure everyone in the health field understood each other’s business. As part of the meeting, the various representatives brainstormed to make a list of three questions that explained how the helped patients. “We want to completely understand everyone’s business,” Krech said. “That way, we can help each other’s patients feel better.” Krech said that approach would have a domino effect and help medical personnel refer patients to others who could help. Krech said the group was put together on an invitation only basis. “We didn’t want it to turn into a marketing ploy,” Krech said. “We truly want people to start feeling great.” The health coalition is comprised of people representing general surgery, nutrition, podiatry, proctology, dentistry, obstetrics, gynecology, urology, breast health, fitness and life coaching, just to name a few. “We want to educate all of the members on whole health, not just in their specialty,” Krech said. “”We want to take a whole body approach to medicine, recognizing every part of the body.” Health and fitness specialist Donna Krech speaks to members of Health Awareness Leaders of Ohio about the importance on focusing on a patient’s whole health needs during the group’s first official meeting Tuesday at the Shawnee Country Club. Health and fitness specialist Donna Krech speaks to members of Health Awareness Leaders of Ohio about the importance on focusing on a patient’s whole health needs during the group’s first official meeting Tuesday at the Shawnee Country Club. Reach Lance Mihm at 567-242-0409 or at Twitter @LanceMihm.[SEP]A new report examining the health of women, infants and children in each state is a mixed bag for Maryland, which scores well for the health of children but poorly for the health of infants. The 2016 America’s Health Rankings Health of Women and Children report, published by the United Health Foundation, looked at more than ...[SEP](CNN) Almost everyone on Earth now breathes polluted air, according to an air quality map released Tuesday by the World Health Organization. The interactive map , based on global air pollution data, confirms that 92% of the world's population lives in places where outdoor air quality fails to meet WHO guidelines. This is a concerning public health issue, as air pollution can harm your lungs, heart and even brain -- with the potential to cause premature death , said Dr. Maria Neira, director of the organization's Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. Just how deadly is air pollution? About 3 million deaths each year can be linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution, according to the WHO. "What is still surprising is the fact that we have been alerting about these horrible figures for a while now, and it's not improving," Neira said.From 2008 to 2013, global urban air pollution levels rose by 8%, despite improvements in some regions, according to the WHO. Data were collected from 2008 to 2015 using satellite measurements, air transport models and ground-station monitors based in more than 3,000 locations in 103 countries. "With more accurate methodology and satellite information and better calculation of the estimates and using the standards, now we can be more confident in the data," Neira said. PM measurements were used to build the map because particulate matter includes different pollutants, it is universally present around the globe and it poses a public health risk, she said. PM2.5 includes pollutants such as sulfate, nitrates and black carbon, which can sneak deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system. "We also have data to show how PM2.5 affects the lung and the cardiovascular health. For example, PM2.5 exposure increases tissue and systemic inflammation, increases oxidative damage to DNA and cell membrane lipids, increases the risk for thrombosis," he said. "We also started to see cumulating evidence that PM2.5 lowers birth weight and impairs metabolic, cognitive and immune function." These smaller particles can enter and deposit deep into your lungs, and cause the most health effects, said Stuart Batterman, professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Michigan, who was not involved with the new WHO map. "Those health effects can include aggravation or causation of asthma, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, hospitalizations and death," he added. Where air quality is most alarming Many of the areas lacking clean air are in the Western Pacific, the Mediterranean region, sub-Saharan countries and Southeast Asia, according to the map. Nearly 90% of deaths linked to air pollution occur in low- and middle-income countries, and nearly two out of three occur in Southeast Asia and Western Pacific regions, according to the WHO. "Many of the places that have high levels of pollution have very little monitoring data, and this includes countries highlighted in the report, including most of Africa and much of the developing world," Batterman said of the WHO map. "Air pollution is causing millions of deaths per year, mostly but not exclusively in the developing world, due to very poorly controlled combustion as well as indoor air problems from the use of biomass fuels indoors, such as wood, dung and coal," he said. Yet much of the developed world shows high levels of PM as well, according to the map. This includes major cities in Europe, such as Paris and London, and those in the United States, such as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. "The pollutants that affect most people in the United States include particulate matter, especially the smallest particles that enter deep into the lungs, and ozone. Ozone has tended to be a problem that has affected large portions of East Coast, Gulf and West Coast," Batterman said. "There's also major regions across the Midwest and elsewhere that have problems with ozone. "Particulate matter pollution also has been an issue in many different regions," he added. "It is often a problem in some of the more urbanized areas, as well as industrialized areas of the country." However, in order to move forward in efforts to improve air quality, identifying the type of pollutant in various regions is just as important as identifying the sources of pollution, Neira said. "You would find out there is a big proportion coming from transit," Neira said. "Probably another part will be on the choices of energy we make every day, whether we use coal, fire, power plant or cleaner sources of energy. The way we heat our buildings, or refrigerate our buildings, on the household level. ... And for many countries around the world, there is still an issue of waste management." The WHO recommends an assessment of sources of pollution. Once that is complete, that information can be shared with policymakers for change to happen. "Governmental regulations and enforcement are absolutely essential to achieve better air quality. Air quality regulations will stimulate the development of cleaner technologies and force the use of pollution-control devices installed on the smokestacks and motor vehicles," Zhang said. "The world needs cleaner and renewable energy. In the urban areas where vehicular traffic is the predominant source of local air pollution, efforts should be made to reduce the number of traveling vehicles by sharing rides, biking and using public transportation and electric vehicles."[SEP]LIMA — Lima home health aide, Martha “MJ” Meister, was recently recognized at the Ohio Council for Home Care and Hospice Annual Conference. Meister was named Homemaker/Aide of the Year. The Homemaker/Aide of the Year Award recognizes individuals in both home care and hospice. The award was presented by the past chair of OCHCH, Deb Studer, and Interim Healthcare of Lima Quality Assurance Manager Penny Kill. The 2016 OCHCH Annual Conference and Tradeshow took place Sept. 13 and 14 at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus. The conference is the largest gathering of home care and hospice professionals in Ohio, attracting nearly 350 attendees and 75 exhibitors. Reach John Bush at 567-242-0456 or on Twitter @bush_lima[SEP]The Middle East’s public health challenges are enormous, especially when one accounts for the region’s transient population of refugees and guest workers. The refugee population alone now numbers in the millions, and is straining health care systems in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey nearly to the breaking point. Affluent Gulf Cooperation Council countries would be mistaken to assume that they are exempt from their neighbors’ public health problems. While GCC countries have made major improvements in hygiene and maternal and child health, they form the global epicenter of chronic noncommunicable diseases — such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and, increasingly, cancer — that result from lifestyle and diet. Worse still, GCC countries’ national health systems have a shortage of local clinicians and trained professionals working in local public health services. This results in high turnover owing to overwork, and an increased need for foreign health care workers to fill sorely needed positions. GCC policymakers have been right to focus on increasing access and subsidies for quality health care. But the fair distribution of health care services across native and migrant populations is often a thorny policy issue. And now policymakers must also devote more attention to the health care workforce itself, to ensure that it is properly educated and trained for the challenges that await the region. Training programs in GCC national health systems today do not focus nearly enough on innovation or systems thinking to improve efficiency and effectiveness. If clinicians and health care workers do not receive multidisciplinary training, they will be unequipped to recognize and address local public health needs throughout the region. Specifically, to improve delivery of services and care, GCC countries will need to develop a new policy framework that spans both the education and public health sectors. Higher education has expanded rapidly in the Middle East over the past decade. Governments have created educational free trade zones — such as the “Knowledge Villages” and “Education Cities” in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, respectively — and invested billions of dollars in new and existing universities, such as in Saudi Arabia. As a result, new universities, research institutions and educational programs have attracted scholars and other professionals to the region. However, too few local students — and far too few young men — are pursuing public health careers. While the overall number of students studying public health is increasing, most come from outside the region, which will only intensify GCC countries’ current over-dependency on foreign workers. Many of the region’s universities have put a premium on innovation, which bodes well for improving health care services. But, though public health is a major regional challenge, so far universities have been placing far greater emphasis on subjects in engineering and technological fields. Within health care education itself, according to my own analysis of local institutions, students are learning to treat individual medical conditions, but they are not learning enough about larger public health issues, and current curriculums do not expose students to issues affecting refugees, migrants or the wider population. While institutions such as Weill Cornell in Qatar and the Gulf University of Science and Technology in Kuwait have launched innovative research and training programs that focus on these types of health challenges, much more is needed. Another problem is that the region’s education and training programs do not encourage enough systemic thinking. Worldwide, public health policy is moving toward more multidisciplinary integration of engineering, medicine, social and management science and the humanities. By not yet embracing an integrated approach, GCC institutions risk falling behind the global standard. Technology and new approaches to public health are important, but they will be ineffective if they are not tailored to meet the real needs of local people. This is why GCC countries should encourage and invest in technological development at the local level and create room for engineers to work with local public health professionals. Such partnerships are necessary for confronting the infectious and chronic diseases that threaten communities throughout the region, and they have the added benefit of providing entrepreneurial opportunities for the region’s youth. Middle Eastern countries need fully integrated, innovation-oriented frameworks for training health care professionals so that they can address their current public health challenges and prepare for new, unexpected ones such as Middle East respiratory syndrome, Ebola and other infectious diseases that can appear with little or no forewarning. The Middle East’s population will continue to grow. Whether the region will also grow in global importance as a hub for trade and economic development will depend in part on its governments’ ability to reform public health education and practice. Muhammad Hamid Zaman is a professor of biomedical engineering at Boston University. © Project Syndicate/Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Initiatives, 2016, www.project-syndicate.org[SEP]< img alt =" Health" src =" http://www.enderlinindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/17177627675_c2ef00c48b_m.jpg" width =" 180"/ > by< a href =" http://www.flickr.com/photos/87642443@N05/17177627675" > Pan American Wellness Company PAHO All-time low Line is a recently established free to gain access to website created by Peninsula. It is also a quarterly released magazine by the same firm which is dispersed just to the clients of the company. 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The wide network of the company guarantees that its customers are offered with place solutions of their troubles wherever they might be located. The dressmaker made remedies along with the danger management problems helps safeguard the clients versus all type of risks. . Regarding the Writer: The writer creates write-ups on thebottomlineonline.co.uk. For additional information regarding All-time low Line Online, A Free Online Source for Health and wellness, Employment Regulation and also Employee guidance written by Peninsula can be discovered on the web. Please go to www.thebottomlineonline.co.uk[SEP]The Health Ministry is expected to launch guidelines for the implementation of the Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) on Friday. A statement signed by the Minister of Health, Mr.Alex Segbefia, said the move will signal “another step in the commitment of the Ministry in ensuring that CHPS roll out is ensured.” The Ministry therefore advised the Ghana Health Service to ensure that data on all service provided at the district level by both private and public facilities, are adequately captured and reported to facilitate the implementation of the programme. “To ensure that CHPS is scaled in every part of this country, I will be launching the National CHPS Implementation Guidelines at the upcoming National CHPS Forum come Friday. This will signal another step in the commitment of my Ministry in ensuring that CHPS roll out is ensured. “The investments in equipping District and Regional Hospitals to act as an effective referral centres will also continue. Measurement of performance and monitoring critical indicators defined under the Sustainable Development Goals are crucial going forward.” “To achieve the targets of the SDG and move towards attaining Universal Health Coverage by 2030, Ghana Health Service needs to evaluate how it has been offering services in the past and how it can do things better. There is an urgent need to address the issues of quality of health care as well as ensuring equity in access to health. The past years have been bedeviled with strikes by health workers. This has indeed adversely affected service delivery. There is the need for service providers to learn to negotiate through any differences that they might have with their employers.” “With the withdrawal of most of our development partners in the sector, there is the need for the health sector to be more efficient in its operations. The Ministry of Health and the Government of Ghana has committed itself to meeting and providing all the shortfalls in vaccines, ante-retroviral medicines, family planning commodities and all other essential supplies that will be needed for service delivery. Reaching everyone in the country with quality care is something that we as a Ministry have committed ourselves to.” Government introduced the CHPS system to increase access to health services especially in remote communities. The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira, early on indicated that, they are on course to provide CHPS compound across all 6,500 electoral areas, nationwide. He announced that already, about 3,000 of the electoral areas had been covered, as the nation made giant strides towards universal access to health care.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that 92% of the world's population lives in air pollution levels surpassing the organization's limits.

Image copyright New Hope Fertility Centre Image caption Dr John Zhang holding the baby boy who was conceived thanks to the new technique that incorporates DNA from three people The world's first baby has been born using a new "three person" fertility technique, New Scientist reveals. The five-month-old boy has the usual DNA from his mum and dad, plus a tiny bit of genetic code from a donor. US doctors took the unprecedented step to ensure the baby boy would be free of a genetic condition that his Jordanian mother carries in her genes. Experts say the move heralds a new era in medicine and could help other families with rare genetic conditions. But they warn that rigorous checks of this new and controversial technology, called mitochondrial donation, are needed. It's not the first time scientists have created babies that have DNA from three people - that breakthrough began in the late 1990s - but it is an entirely new and significant method. Three person babies Mitochondria are tiny structures inside nearly every cell of the body that convert food into usable energy. Some women carry genetic defects in mitochondria and they can pass these on to their children. In the case of the Jordanian family, it was a disorder called Leigh Syndrome that would have proved fatal to any baby conceived. The family had already experienced the heartache of four miscarriages as well as the death of two children - one at eight months and the other at six years of age. Leigh syndrome A severe neurological disorder, affecting at least one in 40,000 new-born babies. Usually becomes apparent during the first year of a child's life. First signs include vomiting, diarrhoea and difficulty with swallowing. Causes the progressive loss of movement, and deterioration of mental functions. Symptoms are linked to the development of patches of damaged tissue which develop in the brain. Children with the condition usually die within two to three years, usually because of respiratory failure. Mutations in 75 different genes have been linked to the condition. Most of those mutations occur in DNA from the nucleus, but in about one in five cases the culprit is found in mitochondrial DNA. Scientists have devised a number of fertility methods to help such families. The US team, who travelled to Mexico to carry out the procedure because there are no laws there that prohibit it, used a method that takes all the vital DNA from the mother's egg plus healthy mitochondria from a donor egg to create a healthy new egg that can be fertilised with the father's sperm. The result is a baby with 0.1% of their DNA from the donor (mitochondrial DNA) and all the genetic code for things like hair and eye colour from the mother and father. Dr John Zhang, medical director at the New Hope Fertility Centre in New York City, and his colleagues used the method to make five embryos - only one of them developed normally. Image caption 1) Eggs from a mother with damaged mitochondria and a donor with healthy mitochondria are collected 2) The majority of the genetic material is removed from both eggs 3) The mother's genetic material is inserted into the donor egg, which can be fertilised by sperm. The UK has already passed laws to allow the creation of babies from three people. But the science does raise ethical questions, including how any child from the technique might feel about having DNA from three people. Fertility experts say it is important to push ahead, but cautiously. Some have questioned whether we are only now hearing the success story while failed attempts could have gone unreported. Prof Alison Murdoch, part of the team at Newcastle University that has been at the forefront of three person IVF work in the UK, said: "The translation of mitochondrial donation to a clinical procedure is not a race but a goal to be achieved with caution to ensure both safety and reproducibility." Critics say the work is irresponsible. Dr David King from the pro-choice group Human Genetics Alert, said: "It is outrageous that they simply ignored the cautious approach of US regulators and went to Mexico, because they think they know better. Since when is a simplistic "to save lives is the ethical thing to do" a balanced medical ethics approach, especially when no lives were being saved?" Dr Zhang and his team say they will answer these questions when they presents their findings at a meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in October. Prof Darren Griffin, an expert in Genetics at the University of Kent, said: "This study heralds a new era in preimplantation genetics and represents a novel means for the treatment of families at risk of transmitting genetic disease. "With radical new treatments like this there are always challenging ethical issues, however any concerns need to be balanced against the ramifications of not implementing such a technology when families are in need of it." The structure of a cell Nucleus: Where the majority of our DNA is held - this determines how we look and our personality Mitochondria: Often described as the cell's factories, these create the energy to make the cell function Cytoplasm: The jelly like substance that contains the nucleus and mitochondria Follow Michelle on Twitter[SEP]The birth of a baby using a new ‘three-parent baby’ technique in Mexico could speed the creation of a similar child in the UK New Hope Fertility Centre THE world's first child created using a controversial "three-parent" baby technique has been born in Mexico, it has been announced. Limited details about the birth were revealed ahead of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine's scientific congress in Salt Lake City next month, where it will be discussed more fully. According to critics, the procedure is tantamount to genetic modification of humans or even "playing God". But supporters say it allows women with a particular type of genetic disease to have healthy children who are related to them. A report in the New Scientist magazine said the baby was now five months told. His parents are Jordanians and the work was carried out by a team of experts from the US. The child's mother has Leigh syndrome, a fatal disorder that affects the developing nervous system and would have been passed on in her mitochondrial DNA. Although she is healthy, two of her children have died as a result of inheriting the disease: a girl who lived until she was six and an eight-month-old baby. There are different ways of creating a so-called three-parent baby. The technique used by Dr John Zhang, of the New Hope Fertility Clinic in New York, and his team involved taking the nucleus from one of the mother's eggs - containing her DNA - and implanting it into a donor egg that had its nucleus removed but retained the donor's healthy mitochondrial DNA. Unlike ordinary DNA, which has the genetic information that helps make us who we are, mitochondrial DNA provides power for the cell and has been compared to a battery. Many scientists in the field insist the term "three-parent baby" is inaccurate for this reason as the significant DNA is still from two people. Dr Zhang told the New Scientist that, as the technique has not been approved in the US, the team went to Mexico where "there are no rules". "To save lives is the ethical thing to do," he added. In 2003, Dr Zhang and his team revealed they had used a different technique to create three-parent babies, sparking international outrage. The British Parliament voted to allow the creation of 'three-parent babies' in principle but regulators must still decide whether the specific technique is safe before such a birth could happen in Britain. Other scientists working in the field welcomed the news. Professor Bert Smeets, director of the Genome Centre at Maastricht University, said: "At last, the first child of a mother with a mtDNA mutation is born after mitochondrial donation. "The safety of the method had already been quite convincingly demonstrated by the Newcastle group in the UK and introduction into the clinic would only be a matter of time - obviously, dependent on national regulation or the absence of it. "A US-based research group apparently escaped the more rigid regulatory framework in the US to perform this treatment in Mexico. That is a concern, especially as the framework not only safeguards the introduction into the clinic, but also the follow-up of the children born after this treatment. "Hopefully, now the first child is born and the heat is off, it takes away the pressure to involve patients in unsecured treatments, when good alternatives are available." And Dr Dusko Ilic, a reader in stem cell science at King's College London, said: "Without much ado it appears the first mitochondrial donation baby was born three months ago. "This was an ice-breaker. The baby is reportedly healthy. Hopefully, this will tame the more zealous critics, accelerate the field, and we will witness soon a birth of the first mitochondrial donation baby in the UK." However, he added that "some questions remain". "By performing the treatment in Mexico, the team were not subject to the same stringent regulation as some other countries would insist on," Dr Ilic said. "We have no way of knowing how skilful or prepared they were, and this may have been a risky thing to do. "On the other hand, we have what appears to be a healthy baby. Because it was successful, fewer questions will be raised but it is important that we still ask them." Professor Alison Murdoch, head of the Newcastle Fertility Centre at Life, Newcastle University, who has been at the forefront of research in this area in the UK, also welcomed the announcement. "If this baby has been born as suggested then that would be great news. The translation of mitochondrial donation to a clinical procedure is not a race but a goal to be achieved with caution to ensure both safety and reproducibility," she said.[SEP]The world’s first baby to be born from a new procedure that combines the DNA of three people appears to be healthy, according to doctors in the US who oversaw the treatment. The baby was born on 6 April after his Jordanian parents travelled to Mexico where they were cared for by US fertility specialists. Doctors led by John Zhang at the New Hope Fertility Center in New York decided to attempt the controversial technique in the hope that it would give the couple a healthy child. While many experts welcomed news of the birth, some raised concerns that the doctors had left the US to perform the procedure beyond the reach of any regulatory framework and without publishing details of the treatment. Speaking to the New Scientist, Zhang said he went to Mexico where “there are no rules” and insisted that doing so was right. “To save lives is the ethical thing to do,” he said. The procedure, known as mitochondrial transfer, was legalised in the UK in 2015 but so far no other country has introduced laws to permit the technique. The treatment is aimed at parents who have a high risk of passing on debilitating and even fatal genetic diseases to their children. The boy’s mother carries genes for a fatal disorder called Leigh syndrome, which harms the developing nervous system. The faults affect the DNA in mitochondria, the tiny battery like structures that provide cells with energy, and are passed down from mother to child. Ten years after the couple married, the wife became pregnant but she lost the baby in the first of four miscarriages. The couple had a baby girl in 2005 who died aged six and later, a second child who lived for only eight months. Tests on the wife showed that while she is healthy, about one-quarter of her mitochondria carry the genes for Leigh syndrome. When the couple approached Zhang for help, he decided to try the mitochondrial transfer procedure. He took the nucleus from one of Ibtisam’s eggs and inserted it into a healthy donor’s egg that had had its own nucleus removed. He then fertilised the egg with the husband’s sperm. The US team created five embryos but only one developed normally. This was implanted into the mother and the baby was born nine months later. The baby is not the first child to be born with DNA from three people. In the 1990s, fertility doctors tried to boost the quality of women’s eggs by injecting cytoplasm, the cellular material that contains mitochondria, from healthy donor eggs. The procedure led to several babies being born with DNA from the parents plus the healthy donor. Some of the children developed genetic disorders and the procedure was banned. Speaking about the latest case, Dusko Ilic, a stem cell scientist at King’s College London, said: “Without much ado, it appears the first mitochondrial donation baby was born three months ago. This was an ice-breaker. The baby is reportedly healthy. Hopefully, this will tame the more zealous critics, accelerate the field, and we will witness soon the birth of the first mitochondrial donation baby in the UK.” But some questions remain, he said. “By performing the treatment in Mexico, the team were not subject to the same stringent regulation as some other countries would insist on. We have no way of knowing how skilful or prepared they were, and this may have been a risky thing to do. “On the other hand, we have what appears to be a healthy baby. Because it was successful, fewer questions will be raised, but it is important that we still ask them. “Was this the first time ever they performed the technique or were there other attempts and they are reporting this one because it was successful? “This and other important questions remain unanswered because this work has not been published and the rest of the scientific community has been unable to examine it in detail. It’s vital that that happens soon.” Alison Murdoch, a fertility doctor at Newcastle University, said: “If this baby has been born as suggested then that would be great news. The translation of mitochondrial donation to a clinical procedure is not a race but a goal to be achieved with caution to ensure both safety and reproducibility.” Details of the birth are due to be presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine meeting in Salt Lake City in October. Doug Turnbull, a neurology professor at Newcastle University who pioneered mitochondrial transfer in the UK, said the technique offered hope to mothers who carry mitochondrial DNA mutations. “There have been extensive discussions in the UK to ensure that families with mitochondrial disease get the best possible advice about their reproductive options and that any new IVF based technique is appropriately regulated and funded. This abstract gives very little information about the technique used, the follow up of the child or the ethical approval process.” • This article was amended on 27 September 2016 to remove the names of some of the parties involved, which the New Scientist had not been granted permission to use.[SEP]The world’s first baby using new “three-parent” fertility technique has been born. The DNA fertility technique was carried out by United States scientists. This is the first time ever that a baby with DNA from three biological parents has been born. For further details follow @nigeriantribune – the official Twitter account of Nigerian Tribune Online.[SEP]Fertility doctors using a technique developed to eliminate inherited disease have helped a woman deliver the first baby with three genetic parents. The child, who is now five months old, and his mother were treated by a US team in Mexico. He was conceived from an egg containing nuclear DNA from his mother and father, and mitochondrial DNA from a “second” mother — an unknown female donor. The aim was to replace defective mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that may have condemned him to Leigh syndrome, a fatal disorder affecting the developing nervous system. Mitochondrial DNA is housed in the tiny rod-like “batteries” in cells that supply energy, and is passed down through the generations by mothers. So far only the UK has given an official stamp of legal approval to the technique employed by the American doctors. But the US team moved ahead by achieving the first live birth involving mitochondrial replacement. Dr Dusko Ilic, an expert from King’s College London, told New Scientist magazine, which carries an exclusive report of the birth in its latest issue: “This is great news and a huge deal. It’s revolutionary”. Inherited mitochondrial diseases include devastating conditions that result in poor growth, muscle weakness, loss of co-ordination, seizures, vision and hearing problems, learning disabilities and organ failure. It is estimated that one in 4,000 people has an incurable mitochondrial disease. The boy’s mother carries the Leigh syndrome mutation in about a quarter of her mitochondria. While she has suffered no ill effects, the disease killed her first two children, said New Scientist. She and her husband sought the help of leading embryologist Dr John Zhang, medical director at the New Hope Fertility Centre in New York city. He used an approach called spindle nuclear transfer, which involves finding an egg from a willing donor and removing its nuclear DNA. The nucleus from one of the mother’s eggs was then inserted into the donor egg. The result – an egg containing nuclear DNA from the mother and mtDNA from the donor – was fertilised with the father’s sperm. Five embryos were created, only one of which developed normally and was implanted in the mother’s womb. While the US has not approved the technique, Mexico has “no rules”, Dr Zhang is reported to have said. He told New Scientist: “To save lives is the ethical thing to do.” Tests of the baby’s mitochondria showed that less than 1 per cent carried the Leigh mutation, which is thought to be far too low to cause any problems. The work was briefly reported in a little-known scientific journal, Fertility and Sterility, in an article entitled “First live birth using human oocytes reconstituted by spindle nuclear transfer for mitochondrial DNA mutation causing Leigh syndrome”. British experts congratulated the team but called for more information. Professor Doug Turnbull, from the University of Newcastle, said: “There have been extensive discussions in the UK to ensure that families with mitochondrial disease get the best possible advice about their reproductive options and that any new IVF-based technique is appropriately regulated and funded. “This abstract gives very little information about the technique used, the follow-up of the child or the ethical approval process.” Dr Ilic added: “This was an ice-breaker. The baby is reportedly healthy; hopefully, this will tame the more zealous critics, accelerate the field, and we will witness soon a birth of the first mitochondrial donation baby in the UK. “But some questions remain. By performing the treatment in Mexico, the team were not subject to the same stringent regulation as some other countries would insist on. We have no way of knowing how skilful or prepared they were, and this may have been a risky thing to do. On the other hand, we have what appears to be a healthy baby. Because it was successful, fewer questions will be raised but it is important that we still ask them.” Although Fertility and Sterility released a short summary of the procedure, full details have not yet been reported. Dr Ilic said: “Was this the first time ever they performed the technique or were there other attempts and they are reporting this one because it was successful? This and other important questions remain unanswered because this work has not been published and the rest of the scientific community has been unable to examine it in detail. It’s vital that that happens soon.” Professor Simon Fishel, president of the Care Fertility Group of IVF clinics, said: “This is a devastating disease that we do not wish children to be born with, and what’s more, we would wish to eradicate from any family lineage – and this technology will help achieve this. “However, any first-time medical procedure moving from successful animal studies to the human, that will take several years until we understand its impact, is a necessary experimental step forward, which we hope and believe should be totally safe and utterly effective. “Congratulations to this team and all those hoping to help these unfortunate families, and we should proceed with caution and due regulation.” Dr David King, director of the watchdog group Human Genetics Alert, criticised the research.[SEP]After being born four hours into a flight from Dubai to Manila, baby girl Haven has been gifted 1 million air mile points. Haven's mom went into labor more than five weeks early while flying on an aircraft operated by Philippines carrier Cebu Pacific on August 14. Two nurses among the plane's passengers helped with the delivery alongside cabin crew as the pilot diverted to Hyderabad, India to seek further medical assistance. The budget airline said it's the first time a baby has been born on one of its aircraft. Airline CEO Lance Gokongwei said Haven would be awarded one million points on the airline's GetGo rewards program to celebrate the birth. The points have no expiry date and can be shared with her family. What happens when you're born on an airplane – In 1990, Debbie Owen gave birth on a British Airways flight from Ghana to the UK. She named her daughter Shona Kirsty Yves -- her initials spelling SKY. What happens when you're born on an airplane – Shona Owen's passport declares that the holder was "born on an aeroplane 10 miles south of Mayfield, Sussex." What happens when you're born on an airplane – Her birth papers also reveal the unusual circumstances of her birth. Being born in the air can lead to complications over nationality. What happens when you're born on an airplane – Shona Owen says she was "born to travel" and has researched other people who arrived in the world under similar circumstances. What happens when you're born on an airplane – During her research Owen came into contact with Debs Lowther, who gave birth to her son Jonathan, just four months before Owen was born, on a British Airways flight from Malawi. What happens when you're born on an airplane – Like Shona Owen, Debs Lowther's baby was born with the help of a doctor on board. Most airlines now try to restrict when heavily pregnant women can fly. What happens when you're born on an airplane – Popular myth decrees that people born on planes are often given free air travel for life, but this rarely happens. Shona Owen was presented with tickets to Australia by British Airways on her 18th birthday. What happens when you're born on an airplane – Owen has also appeared in advertising for British Airways. "We are happy that both mother and daughter are doing well, and would like to commend our flight and cabin crew for handling the situation with utmost professionalism and efficiency," he said. "We also express our sincerest gratitude to the two volunteer nurses who helped ensure the baby's safe delivery." Our Team Childbirth is happy that both mom & daughter are doing well! More #BabyHaven info: https://t.co/F7exzSO3qj pic.twitter.com/cukCdoPSpO — Cebu Pacific Air (@CebuPacificAir) August 17, 2016 One fellow passenger described on Facebook how Haven's mom returned to her seat after giving birth during "the most 'NORMAL' flight ever." "We only heard one semi-loud screech, and a few seconds later, there were tinier, cute screeches, and it was when we knew the baby was born," Missy Berberabe Umandal wrote. "Luckily, she only had to push ONCE. Moments later, the woman got up to go back to her seat, baby in arms (mighty strong, I might say)." Haven's arrival, according to Umandal, delayed the flight's arrival at its destination by nearly nine hours. "But no complaints," she added. "Everyone in that plane was blessed."[SEP]Fertility doctors using a controversial technique developed to eliminate inherited disease have helped a woman deliver the first baby with three genetic parents. Five-month-old Abrahim Hassan’s Jordanian mother was treated by an American team in Mexico. He was conceived from an egg containing nuclear DNA from his mother and father, and mitochondrial DNA from a “second mother” – an unknown female donor. The aim was to replace defective mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that may have condemned Abrahim to Leigh syndrome, a fatal disorder affecting the developing nervous system. Mitochondrial DNA is housed in the tiny rod-like “batteries” in cells that supply energy, and is passed down through the generations by mothers. So far only the UK has given an official stamp of legal approval to the technique employed by the American doctors. But the US team moved ahead by achieving the first live birth involving mitochondrial replacement. Dr Dusko Ilic, an expert from King’s College London, told New Scientist magazine, which carries an exclusive report of the birth in its latest issue: “This is great news and a huge deal. It’s revolutionary.” Inherited mitochondrial diseases include devastating conditions that result in poor growth, muscle weakness, loss of co-ordination, seizures, vision and hearing problems, learning disabilities and organ failure. It is estimated that one in 4,000 people has an incurable mitochondrial disease.[SEP]The world’s first three-parent baby has been born in Mexico with the help a controversial new fertility technique that incorporates DNA from three people, and is reported to be healthy at five months of age. The ‘three-parent’ technique allows parents with rare genetic mutations to have healthy babies. The boy’s mother carries genes for Leigh syndrome, a fatal disorder that affects the brain, muscles and nerves of developing infants. Genes for the disease reside in DNA in the mitochondria, which provide energy for our cells. The parents of the baby, a Jordanian couple, had been trying to start a family for almost 20 years. Ten years after they married, the woman became pregnant, but it ended in the first of four miscarriages. In 2005, the couple gave birth to a baby girl. Their daughter was born with Leigh syndrome, and died aged six. The couple’s second child had the same disorder, and lived for 8 months, the ‘New Scientist’ reported. The couple sought out the help of John Zhang and his team at the New Hope Fertility Centre in New York City. Zhang used an approach called spindle nuclear transfer. He removed the nucleus from one of the mother’s eggs and inserted it into a donor egg that had its own nucleus removed. The resulting egg - with nuclear DNA from the mother and mitochondrial DNA from a donor - was then fertilised with the father’s sperm. Zhang’s team used this approach to create five embryos, only one of which developed normally. This embryo was implanted in the mother and the child was born nine months later on April 6, this year. When researchers tested the boy’s mitochondria, they found that less than one per cent carry the mutation. This may be too low to cause any problems; generally it is thought to take around 18 per cent of mitochondria to be affected before problems start, researchers said. The team will describe the findings at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Scientific Congress in the US in October.[SEP]NEW YORK — Scientists say the first baby has been born from a new technique that combines DNA from three people. The goal is to prevent the child from inheriting a serous genetic disease from the mother. The birth of the baby boy is revealed in a research summary published by the journal Fertility & Sterility. Scientists plan to make a fuller presentation at an October meeting. The magazine New Scientist said the baby was born five months ago to parents from Jordan. The technique involved removing some of the mother's DNA from an egg, and leaving the disease-causing DNA behind. The healthy DNA was slipped into a donor's egg, which was then fertilized. As a result, the baby inherited DNA from both parents and the egg donor.

Mitochondrial donation allows the first 'three person baby' to be born.

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand is investigating four suspected cases of Zika-related microcephaly in three babies and a 36-week old unborn baby, the public health minister said on Tuesday, in what could be the first cases of Zika-linked microcephaly in Southeast Asia. A city worker fumigates the area to control the spread of mosquitoes at a university in Bangkok, Thailand, September 13, 2016. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha Several countries in Southeast Asia have reported increasing cases of infection from the mosquito-borne Zika virus but Thailand has one of the highest numbers in the region, with 349 confirmed since January, including 25 pregnant women. Public Health Minister Piyasakon Sakolsatayadorn said authorities needed to be thorough in their investigation of the cases as confirmation would be “sensitive”. “The lab results will take at least two days because we have to be thorough with this as it is a big deal and a link hasn’t been detected before,” Piyasakon told Reuters. “This is a sensitive matter for Thailand,” he said. U.S. health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. Piyasakon said the three babies were born with small heads and an ultrasound appeared to indicate the unborn baby had a small head. Of the four mothers, two were diagnosed with Zika when they were pregnant but two were not confirmed to have had Zika, said Apichai Mongkol, director-general of the ministry’s Department of Medical Sciences. If a Thai case were confirmed, it would be the first in Southeast Asia, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement emailed to Reuters. The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last year in Brazil, which has confirmed more than 1,600 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. MONITORING Some health experts have accused Thailand, which has a thriving tourist industry, of playing down the risk from Zika. But officials dismiss that saying the response has been adequate and another mosquito-born disease, dengue, which can be deadly, is a bigger threat. The director-general of Thailand’s Disease Control Department, Amnuay Gajeena, said the four cases were being monitored but he declined to say exactly where they were suspected of contracting the virus. “It is not in Bangkok,” Amnuay told Reuters. “Both the mothers and babies are being tested and we have sent the tests to several labs.” There are no specific tests to determine if a baby will be born with microcephaly, but ultrasound scans in the third trimester of pregnancy can identify the problem, according to the WHO. The World Health Organization lists Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam as countries reporting new cases of Zika. Singapore has recorded 393 cases since diagnosing its first in August. It has confirmed 16 pregnant women with the virus. The WHO has also said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. According to the WHO, there are two major lineages of Zika - an African lineage, which has only been reported in Africa, where the virus was first discovered in 1947, and an Asian lineage of strains. There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which is a close cousin of dengue and chikungunya and causes mild fever, rash and red eyes. An estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, making it difficult for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected.[SEP]Microcephaly is a rare birth defect that has been linked, in Brazil in particular, to the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which is spreading in Southeast Asia. Thai health authorities said on Tuesday they were investigating four suspected cases of Zika-related microcephaly in three babies and a 36-week old unborn baby. But on Wednesday, Apichai Mongkol, director-general of the ministry's Department of Medical Sciences, said Zika had been ruled out as the cause in two of the cases. "The test results showed that two did not have the Zika virus but it is still unclear with the other two because we found three flavivirus which means it could be dengue, Zika or meningitis," Apichai told Reuters. "To be sure which of the three they contracted we need to investigate further." There are no specific tests to determine if a baby will be born with microcephaly but ultrasound scans in the third trimester of pregnancy can identify the problem, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It was not clear which of the four cases had been ruled out as having a link to Zika. Zika has been linked to more than 1,800 confirmed cases of microcephaly in Brazil but there have been no confirmed cases of Zika causing the condition in Southeast Asia, according to the WHO. Microcephaly has several potential causes including various infections, exposure to toxins and malnutrition, the WHO says. Health authorities in Southeast Asia have reported a rising number of Zika cases with Thailand confirming 349 since January, including 33 pregnant women. Singapore has recorded 393, including 16 pregnant women. The Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam have also reported Zika cases. Thailand's public health ministry said earlier the four suspected microcephaly cases were not in Bangkok but it declined to say where they were found. The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority said on Wednesday officials had confirmed 26 Zika cases in the city this month. The director-general of the Disease Control Department, Amnuay Gajeena, said out of 33 cases of pregnant women with Zika, eight had given birth without complications. There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika. An estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, making it difficult for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected. Zika was first identified in Uganda in 1947 and was first isolated in Asia in the 1960s. It was unknown in the Americas until 2014.[SEP]The Ministry of Public Health confirms there are four infants with microcephaly in Thailand but lab tests show that the birth defects of two of the infants are not caused by the Zika virus. Minister of Public Health M.D. Piyaskol Sakolsattayathon said the ministry was still waiting for the lab results for the other two babies. One of them has yet to be born but an ultrasound scan found that it has microcephaly, said the minister. The other one was born with an unusually small head but it was still unconfirmed whether the infant’s microcephaly was caused by the virus, he added. On 30 September, the ministry will invite obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and virology experts to discuss measures to protect pregnant women from the Zika disease. From 17-23 September there were 35 confirmed new Zika patients. All of them were found in provinces where a Zika infection had already been reported.[SEP]India is vulnerable to the risk of Zika virus transmissions owing to high travel volumes from the disease affected areas in the America, presence of mosquitoes capable of transmitting the virus and limited health resources, a new study on Friday said. "Many countries across Africa and Asia-Pacific may be vulnerable to Zika virus outbreaks, with India, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Bangladesh expected to be at greatest risk of Zika virus transmission... "...due to a combination of high travel volumes from Zika affected areas in America, local presence of mosquitoes capable of transmitting Zika virus, suitable climatic conditions, large populations or limited health resources," a new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases said. The modeling study said countries with large volumes of travellers arriving from Zika virus-affected areas of the Americas and large populations at risk include India (6,74,22 travellers arriving per year and 1.2 billion residents in potential Zika transmission areas) and China (2,38,415 travellers, 242 million residents). For Indonesia it was 1,38,65 travellers, 197 million residents, Philippines (35,635 travellers, 70 million residents and Thailand (29,241 travellers, 59 million residents). India, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Bangladesh might be most vulnerable to impact because of their limited per capita health resources, the study said. "An estimated 2.6 billion people live in areas of Africa and Asia-Pacific where the local mosquito species and suitable climatic conditions mean that local zika virus transmission is theoretically possible. "However, there are still many unknowns about the virus and how it spreads, including which local species of mosquito are most capable of transmitting the virus, and whether immunity exists in areas that have previously reported cases of Zika virus. "The impact on populations will also depend heavily on the country's ability to diagnose and respond to a possible outbreak," said study author Kamran Khan, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada. The study comes after thirteen Indians were tested positive for Zika virus in Singapore and are undergoing treatment in the city-state which is grappling with rising number of the mosquito-borne disease. Khan said warmer temperatures in the northern hemisphere (where mosquitoes are more active) increase the risk of new outbreaks appearing outside of the Americas. "The potential for epidemics to occur in parts of Africa and the Asia-Pacific region is particularly concerning given that the vast numbers of people who could be exposed to Zika virus are living in environments where health and human resources to prevent, detect, and respond to epidemics are limited. "Our findings could offer valuable information to support time-sensitive public health decision-making at local, national and international levels," he said. The research team, which included scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Oxford University and the University of Toronto, established the ecological niche for Zika virus in the America. At the time of the analysis, local transmission of Zika virus had been confirmed in 40 countries in Central and South America and the Caribbean. The researchers then gathered data on airline ticket sales from all 689 cities with one or more airports in the region travelling to Africa or Asia-Pacific over a whole year-Dec 2014 to Nov 2015. The team also mapped the monthly volume of travellers arriving into Africa and Asia-Pacific in order to identify countries at greatest risk of Zika virus importation. "While the analysis emphasises the potential for human infection via mosquitoes, sexual transmission of Zika virus infection is now well documented. "The authors say that travellers returning from affected areas would benefit from health education to prevent sexual transmission," the study said. The authors note that the health consequences of imported Zika virus will depend on local ability to diagnose and respond to a possible outbreak, but will also depend on possible underlying levels of immunity to Zika virus. Although sporadic cases of Zika virus have been reported in both Africa and Asia-Pacific, the breadth and extent of its previous infection remains unknown and it is not known whether the current Asian strain of the virus will affect individuals differently if they have previously been infected with the African strain.[SEP]America’s newest emerging disease – the Zika virus – continues to spread, with 23 cases in Oregon, as reported by the Center for Disease Control. At the University of Oregon Health Center, doctors and medical staff are setting up protocol and pushing to inform students about the disease. Dr. Elisabeth Maxwell, UO health promotion specialist, wrote in an email to the Emerald that the Health Center is distributing flyers to organizations on campus that work with international students. Triage nurses at the Health Center have also received training to identify specific symptoms of the Zika virus and are prepared to route students to additional resources for treatment. Maxwell said the Health Center is also prepared to draw blood samples for Zika virus testing and screening if they suspect a case. The samples would be shipped to a state institution for laboratory testing, and they would not actually tested at the UO. “I feel like we’re as prepared as we could be,” Maxwell said, “There really isn’t anything to be alarmed about on this campus.” Of the 23 cases in Oregon, none have contracted the virus in the state – only during travel, according to the CDC. In other words, there are no locally acquired cases in Oregon. Florida, where the species of mosquito live that carry Zika, has 519 reported cases. Florida is also the only state that has reported any locally acquired cases – that number being 43. Zika can be transmitted through blood and sexual contact, according to Dr. Richard Brunader, medical director at the UO Health Center, but transmission of the virus through a mosquito bite in Oregon is highly unlikely due to the species of mosquito that carry it. Brunader said the symptoms for Zika are similar to other illnesses, such as the flu and colds, but with additional symptoms like conjunctivitis (red eyes) and sometimes a rash. The World Health Organization defines an Emerging Disease as “one that has appeared in a population for the first time, or that may have existed previously but is rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range.” Like other emerging diseases, the Zika virus is evolving, and there is still much research to be conducted, according to Brunauder. “For a normal, healthy adult, Zika doesn’t really present a threat,” Maxwell said. “Someone might not even know they have it.” She said the Zika virus poses the biggest threat to pregnant women, whose babies could be born with microcephaly – an abnormally small head — according to the CDC, although it’s not a certainty. No treatment or vaccine exists for the Zika virus, according to the CDC. The UO Health Center has not tested for the Zika virus yet, according to Maxwell. If UO discovered a case of Zika, the local county health department would run a case investigation. Maxwell said they would try to identify how, when and where the person was infected.[SEP]The Lausanne University Hospital is starting a worldwide register of women who contracted the Zika virus during pregnancy. The aim is to aid understanding of the virus. The monthly infectious diseases journal The Lancet ID published an article on the Zika register on Tuesday. Specialists David Baud and Alice Panchaud want the register to include as many women as possible who have been affected by Zika during pregnancy. The researchers believe that large-scale epidemiological studies are needed to properly analyse the virus. Baud explained: “Many questions about the virus remain unanswered and an answer can only be found through investigating a large number of cases.” Studies published up until now include only a few cases, without excluding other possible birth defects in the brain. The virus can cause a rare skull deformity called microcephaly in babies and is transmitted primarily by mosquitoes. One of the questions the Lausanne researchers want to find out is whether transmission of the virus through sexual intercourse is as dangerous as an infection from a mosquito. To obtain the necessary data for the research the hospital has sent 4,000 requests for cooperation to obstetricians around the world. The data will be analysed in Lausanne. It’s hoped that information from several hundred cases can be collected. The United States also has a register, but only for domestic cases. There is still no treatment for the Zika virus.[SEP]Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Dr. James Hospedales has argued that the number of confirmed Zika cases is just the “tip of the iceberg” and is not a true reflection of the reality of those potentially infected with the virus. Using a graphic titled “Lab confirmation of Zika: iceberg phenomenon”, the executive painted a grim image in which the submerged (largest) portion of the iceberg represents the hidden mass of the disease, which includes subclinical cases, carriers and undiagnosed cases. The tip of the iceberg, the smallest area, represents the number of confirmed Zika cases; this is followed by the percentage of persons tested, those eligible for testing, persons who came for medical attention and those who are symptomatic. The largest area of the chart showed persons who are infected with Zika. “As is seen in the iceberg phenomenon, only a small percentage of all the infected persons end up being laboratory confirmed positive cases. The iceberg phenomenon is important and provides valuable information for public health decision making. “It gives an indication of the magnitude of the infection so that action can be taken to reach those who cannot be seen and are ‘under the water’. Often times when the figures of confirmed laboratory cases of diseases such as chikungunya and Zika are reported by officials to the media, we normally get a surprising reaction from the public. Comments like; ‘those figures can’t be true because my whole village had Zika’ are not uncommon,” said Hospedales. Reports say 58 countries/territories currently have active Zika transmission. That includes one country in Africa (Cape Verde), eight in the Pacific Islands and 48 in North, Central and South America. The number of confirmed Zika cases in New Providence is now 11. The first case of Zika was reported on August 10. Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Glen Beneby said the government plans to set aside an estimated $2.5 million every month to fight the Zika virus, which would add up to almost $30 million per year. “The reported figures are often laboratory confirmed positive cases. These cases do not represent everyone who have been infected. The figures are only what is described as the ‘tip of the iceberg’ as demonstrated in the diagram...,” said Hospedales. “In the context of the Zika outbreak, the reported cases are the persons who have been infected with Zika, were symptomatic and then sought medical attention. They were the ones who were eligible for testing and then got tested,” he said. Currently, those being tested for Zika in The Bahamas have to wait approximately two to three weeks for results. The test blood samples are sent to CARPHA, in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The government is upgrading a lab intended to be used to test for the virus in The Bahamas and would cost $50,000 to $100,000 in modifications. Beneby said once the upgrades are complete, it should cut the wait time by 50 percent.[SEP]THE Department of Health (DOH) recently added three new Zika cases to the list of confirmed cases in the country for 2016, including a pregnant woman in Cebu City. There are now a total of 12 cases. All were reported in September after tests conducted at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). “Of these 12 cases, eight were females while age ranged from nine years to 55 years. Ten of these cases were from Region VI (Western Visayas) and one each from Region VII (Central Visayas) and NCR. The previously reported case from Laguna (Calabrazon) was traced to Muntinlupa upon verification. Among cases from Region VI, 9 were from Iloilo City and 1 from Oton, just a few kilometers outside Iloilo City,” Health Secretary Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial explained. These cases did not have history of travel to an affected country a month prior to the onset of their illness. All of these confirmed cases presented with skin rashes with any one of the following: fever, muscle or joint pains, conjunctivitis without eye discharge. All have recovered from their mild illness. The health chief added the 22-year-old confirmed case from Cebu is also 19 weeks pregnant with her first child. Initial ultrasound did not detect any fetal abnormalities. She will be monitored regularly during the entire period of the pregnancy. DOH quick response teams were sent to affected areas to conduct case investigations and to recommend specific measures to prevent further spread. Iloilo city is carrying out indoor residual spraying coupled with fogging in affected and high risk areas to reduce adult mosquito density. This were done only after search and destroy were done in the same areas in order to eliminate mosquito breeding sites. All cases were advised to avoid mosquito bites by applying insect repellent over exposed areas at least a week after onset of their illness. Zika virus disease is primarily transmitted via mosquito bites. The aedes aegypti is responsible for spreading Zika virus and also dengue and chikungunya viruses. In Brazil and other countries, pregnant women who got infected at anytime during their pregnancy have increased risk of giving birth to babies with congenital defects affecting the brain (microcephaly). Sexual transmission was also reported as another means of getting the zika virus. DOH reiterates its appeal to local government units to find ways and be very vigorous so that households are able to search and destroy mosquito breeding sites, commonly seen inside and around homes. Pregnant women may use insect repellent or mosquito nets at daytime to avoid mosquito bites and potential Zika infection. Any individual who presents with skin rash and any other symptom should visit the nearest facility to rule out zika infections. Zika can be mistaken for measles, dengue or chikungunya. A laboratory test is needed to confirm them. Pregnant women should follow advice of their doctors with regards to risks associated with zika and on ways to prevent zika infection. The 4S means (1) Search and destroy mosquito breeding places, (2) Self-protection measures like using insect repellent and mosquito bed nets especially at day time, as well as the use of condom for protection against this sexually transmitted infection, (3) Seek early consultation for skin rashes and fever, joint pain or red eyes, and (4) Say Yes to fogging when there is an impending outbreak. Ugaliin nating gawin ang 4S sa ating komunidad para maprotektahan ang ating pamilya at mahal sa buhay,” Ubial concluded.[SEP]The Ministry of Health has taken charge of the baby who was recently diagnosed with microcephaly. Confirmation came from Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh in a telephone interview yesterday. Deyalsingh’s comments came hours after the ministry in a press release on Monday confirmed the birth of a baby born with microcephaly at a private hospital. “We have taken over care of the child around last week Thursday or Friday. The baby is in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (at Mt Hope). The paediatricians there are working with the baby. They are doing whatever needs to be done,” Deyalsingh said. As for the mother, who was confirmed as being infected with the Zika virus, Deyalsingh said she was discharged from the private institution (Gulf View Medical Centre) last week. “But I can’t say much about her condition because of patient confidentiality.” Blood and tissue samples have since been taken from the baby, Deyalsingh said, which were sent to the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) for testing. “That is what PAHO is now working on. We did not have control of the birthing process. We only came in after the fact. That is why I need the specialist intervention of PAHO. I spoke to PAHO in Washington (DC) yesterday about this.” Deyalsingh could not say when the test results would be available. “PAHO will be getting back to me on that. PAHO can’t give me a time frame as yet. I only engaged them yesterday.” He said the ministry was trying to avoid fear and panic among T&T women who were tested positive with Zika, stating that the country registers approximately 12 cases of microcephaly annually due to a variety of genetic factors. Medical Chief of Staff of Mt Hope Women's Hospital Dr Karen Sohan also weighed in on the issue, stating it was too early to tell if the Zika virus was linked to the baby’s birth with microcephaly. As of yesterday, Sohan stated T&T had recorded 308 Zika-positive pregnancies, compared to the 294 women as of September 22. “We have not confirmed that it is Zika. We do have microcephalic babies being born due to genetic syndrome chromosomal torch infection. Because we are in the midst of a Zika epidemic the question will be asked.” Sohan said as soon as “information about the first set of cases that have been screened antenatally, that is those pregnant women who are coming to Mt Hope for their screening, we would be able to provide our own data as to what is happening in our population.” Before 18 weeks of pregnancy, Sohan said, women faced the highest risk. Colombia which is going through an epidemic, Sohan said, has had 1,800 Zika-positive pregnant women who in their third trimester (28 weeks and over) of pregnancy delivered normal babies.[SEP]MANILA: The Philippines on Monday reported its first known case of a pregnant woman infected with the Zika virus that threatens unborn babies, as authorities warned people to avoid mosquitos. Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said 12 cases of Zika had been detected across the Philippines this month, including a 22-year-old woman from the central island of Cebu who is 19 weeks’ pregnant with her first child. “Initial ultrasound did not detect any foetal abnormalities. She will be monitored regularly during the entire period of the pregnancy,” the health department said. Zika-infected pregnant women can give birth to babies with microcephaly, a deformation marked by abnormally small brains and heads. Of the country’s 12 Zika cases, eight were female and ranged in age from 9 to 55, the department said. None of those infected had travelled a month before testing positive and all had since recovered, it said. Special teams have been dispatched to all the affected areas to investigate where the infection came from and recommend measures to deal with the virus, which can be spread by the bite of a mosquito or via sexual contact. Ubial called on the public to destroy mosquito breeding places, use insect repellent and wear condoms during sex. Scientists warned this month that the world should prepare for a “global epidemic” of microcephaly due to Zika as there is no cure or vaccine for the disease. — AFP

Thailand authorities investigate what could be the first cases of Zika virus-linked microcephaly in Southeast Asia.

NEW YORK - The Americas has become the first region in the world to be free of measles, following a 22-year vaccination drive against the disease which continues to infect tens of thousands of people globally, the Pan American Health Organization said on Tuesday. The milestone was confirmed after no cases of the highly contagious disease originating in the Americas were recorded in at least three years, the PAHO said. "This is truly a historic deed," said Carissa Etienne, director of the PAHO, which serves as the World Health Organization's (WHO) regional office for the Americas. Globally, measles remains a leading cause of death among young children in the developing world. About 250,000 people were infected with measles last year, most in Africa and Asia, the PAHO said. According to the WHO, the virus that can lead to deadly complications like diarrhea, dehydration, respiratory infection and encephalitis kills an estimated 314 people every day. The last outbreak of measles that originated in the Americas occurred in Venezuela in 2002, PAHO said. But the region was only declared free of measles this year. Factors such as conflicts that made it difficult to access some communities slowed down the verification process, said Merceline Dahl-Regis, chair of a committee of experts responsible for verifying the elimination of measles and other diseases in the Americas. Justin Lessler, an epidemiology expert at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said imported cases of measles - which remains widespread in other parts of the world - could still lead to small outbreaks in the Americas. "People still need to be vaccinated to maintain elimination," he said. Before a separate, worldwide vaccination drive against measles began in the 1980s, the disease caused 2.6 million deaths a year worldwide - 12,000 of them in the Americas, according to PAHO. Measles is the fifth vaccine-preventable disease to be eliminated in the Americas - after smallpox in 1971, poliomyelitis in 1994, and rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in 2015, the PAHO said.[SEP]Once in a while, the global health news is good. Today is one of those days. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced today that measles has been eliminated in the Americas region. “This is a historic day for our region and indeed the world,” said PAHO/WHO Director Carissa F. Etienne in a statement. “It is proof of the remarkable success that can be achieved when countries work together in solidarity towards a common goal. It is the result of a commitment made more than two decades ago, in 1994, when the countries of the Americas pledged to end measles circulation by the turn of the 21st century.” This is a genuinely historic achievement – this is the first region in the world to be able to do this. Measles is one of the leading causes of death in young children, and it is highly contagious. According to the World Health Organization, before mass vaccination was initiated in 1980, measles caused nearly 2.6 million annual deaths worldwide. In the Americas, 101,800 deaths were attributable to measles between 1971 and 1979. Still, measles killed some 115,000 children worldwide last year. Its elimination in the Americas region means that while an occasional case of measles may be registered in the region, the infection itself occurred outside the region. No one has been infected with measles in the Americas for 12 months. A major child-killer has been brought to an end. In some ways, measles is low-hanging fruit as disease elimination goes. The measles virus has a safe, cheap and highly effective vaccine. There is no wild virus of the type we find with polio. However, vaccinating enough children to ensure population immunity is a logistical challenge even when a good vaccine is available. The vaccine must be kept cold from its time of production up until it is used, and reaching every child in a country requires extensive planning. The region stands as a model for others. There are 47 countries in the Americas region, which includes North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean. May of the countries in the region face serious health challenges, from the malnutrition that plagues Haiti to the devastation Zika has brought to Latin America. Despite these challenges these nations have been able to prioritize the health of their children and put an end to measles. The Americas is the first region to eliminate measles; it must not be the last. The region is a warning as well as a model. The last measles outbreaks seen in the Americas were in January 2015, in the US, Canada, and Brazil. Brazil has some excuse; the country is still grappling with serious poverty challenges. For the United States and Canada, though, it is a warning. All of our national wealth and infrastructure can’t protect us from people who refuse to have their children vaccinated. The wealthiest countries in the Americas region may well be the ones who let measles return to the region. Discussion comments...[SEP]NEW YORK - The Americas has become the first region in the world to be free of measles, following a 22-year vaccination drive against the disease which continues to infect tens of thousands of people globally, the Pan American Health Organization said on Tuesday. The milestone was confirmed after no cases of the highly contagious disease originating in the Americas were recorded in at least three years, the PAHO said. "This is truly a historic deed," said Carissa Etienne, director of the PAHO, which serves as the World Health Organization's (WHO) regional office for the Americas. Globally, measles remains a leading cause of death among young children in the developing world. About 250,000 people were infected with measles last year, most in Africa and Asia, the PAHO said. According to the WHO, the virus that can lead to deadly complications like diarrhea, dehydration, respiratory infection and encephalitis kills an estimated 314 people every day. The last outbreak of measles that originated in the Americas occurred in Venezuela in 2002, PAHO said. But the region was only declared free of measles this year. Factors such as conflicts that made it difficult to access some communities slowed down the verification process, said Merceline Dahl-Regis, chair of a committee of experts responsible for verifying the elimination of measles and other diseases in the Americas. Justin Lessler, an epidemiology expert at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said imported cases of measles - which remains widespread in other parts of the world - could still lead to small outbreaks in the Americas. "People still need to be vaccinated to maintain elimination," he said. Before a separate, worldwide vaccination drive against measles began in the 1980s, the disease caused 2.6 million deaths a year worldwide - 12,000 of them in the Americas, according to PAHO. Measles is the fifth vaccine-preventable disease to be eliminated in the Americas - after smallpox in 1971, poliomyelitis in 1994, and rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in 2015, the PAHO said.[SEP]NEW YORK - The Americas has become the first region in the world to be free of measles, following a 22-year vaccination drive against the disease which continues to infect tens of thousands of people globally, the Pan American Health Organization said on Tuesday. The milestone was confirmed after no cases of the highly contagious disease originating in the Americas were recorded in at least three years, the PAHO said. "This is truly a historic deed," said Carissa Etienne, director of the PAHO, which serves as the World Health Organization's (WHO) regional office for the Americas. Globally, measles remains a leading cause of death among young children in the developing world. About 250,000 people were infected with measles last year, most in Africa and Asia, the PAHO said. According to the WHO, the virus that can lead to deadly complications like diarrhea, dehydration, respiratory infection and encephalitis kills an estimated 314 people every day. The last outbreak of measles that originated in the Americas occurred in Venezuela in 2002, PAHO said. But the region was only declared free of measles this year. Factors such as conflicts that made it difficult to access some communities slowed down the verification process, said Merceline Dahl-Regis, chair of a committee of experts responsible for verifying the elimination of measles and other diseases in the Americas. Justin Lessler, an epidemiology expert at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said imported cases of measles - which remains widespread in other parts of the world - could still lead to small outbreaks in the Americas. "People still need to be vaccinated to maintain elimination," he said. Before a separate, worldwide vaccination drive against measles began in the 1980s, the disease caused 2.6 million deaths a year worldwide - 12,000 of them in the Americas, according to PAHO. Measles is the fifth vaccine-preventable disease to be eliminated in the Americas - after smallpox in 1971, poliomyelitis in 1994, and rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in 2015, the PAHO said.[SEP]Global health authorities on Tuesday declared the Americas free of endemic measles, the first region to be so certified. The hemisphere’s last case of endemic measles — meaning one that did not spring from an imported strain — was in 2002. Normally, it takes three years without cases to declare a disease eradicated from a region, but in this instance it took 14 years. Experts at the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, D.C., where the announcement was made, cited several reasons for the delay: poor communication between local and national health departments in some countries, large numbers of unvaccinated mobile migrants in others, and parts of other countries that were unreachable because of fighting.[SEP]"The Americas region has shown that with strong national immunization programs... dedicated financing and strong political commitment and partner support, measles can be stopped," said World Health Organization director Margaret Chan (AFP Photo/Joe Raedle) Miami (AFP) - Measles has been eradicated from the Americas after decades of vaccination efforts, the world's first region to rid itself of the highly contagious disease, global health authorities said Tuesday. Measles remains a top killer of children worldwide, and took nearly 115,000 lives in 2014 -- or about 13 deaths every hour -- according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Before vaccination became widespread around the globe, measles killed about 2.6 million people per year. "Endemic transmission of measles has been eliminated from the region," said WHO director Margaret Chan. "The Americas region has shown that with strong national immunization programs... dedicated financing and strong political commitment and partner support, measles can be stopped," she added, describing it as "an outstanding achievement." Measles is now the fifth vaccine-preventable disease to be eliminated in the Americas, after smallpox, polio, rubella and congenital rubella syndrome, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The end of endemic transmission means the virus is no longer commonly spread locally, although imported cases may still lead to isolated outbreaks. The region of the Americas reported its last endemic case in 2002. "However, since measles continues to circulate worldwide, some countries continued to report imported cases," PAHO said in a statement. Over the past year, from August 2015 to August 2016, all countries in the Americas have showed documentation that endemic measles has been wiped out. "This is a historic day for our region and indeed the world," said PAHO director Carissa Etienne. "It is the result of a commitment made more than two decades ago, in 1994, when the countries of the Americas pledged to end measles circulation by the turn of the 21st century." Measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat of an infected person, and can linger in the air for hours, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Severe complications can occur, leading to miscarriage in pregnant women as well as the risk of death by pneumonia or brain swelling. A vaccine became widely available in 1963, but the virus has proven difficult to eradicate. In recent years, measles outbreaks have risen in some parts of the United States and Europe where parents have refused to vaccinate their children. When a person is infected outside the area and returns to an area with lower vaccination rates, more children are at risk of getting sick and spreading the disease. "Sometimes people that are unvaccinated are in groups, so you can see a cluster of cases," said the CDC's Susan Reef, noting that just such an outbreak in California last year does not qualify as "endemic transmission." Experts said the success of the Americas should not lead people to become complacent about vaccine efforts, which must be maintained at high levels to keep the virus at bay. "It is my hope that other regions of the world are encouraged by the success of the Americas," said Chan. "And that the lessons learned here serve them as they move forward toward their own elimination goals."[SEP]The milestone was confirmed after no cases of the highly contagious disease originating in the Americas were recorded in at least three years, the PAHO said. "This is truly a historic deed," said Carissa Etienne, director of the PAHO, which serves as the World Health Organization's (WHO) regional office for the Americas. Globally, measles remains a leading cause of death among young children in the developing world. About 250,000 people were infected with measles last year, most in Africa and Asia, the PAHO said. According to the WHO, the virus that can lead to deadly complications like diarrhea, dehydration, respiratory infection and encephalitis kills an estimated 314 people every day. The last outbreak of measles that originated in the Americas occurred in Venezuela in 2002, PAHO said. But the region was only declared free of measles this year. Factors such as conflicts that made it difficult to access some communities slowed down the verification process, said Merceline Dahl-Regis, chair of a committee of experts responsible for verifying the elimination of measles and other diseases in the Americas. Justin Lessler, an epidemiology expert at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said imported cases of measles - which remains widespread in other parts of the world - could still lead to small outbreaks in the Americas. "People still need to be vaccinated to maintain elimination," he said. Before a separate, worldwide vaccination drive against measles began in the 1980s, the disease caused 2.6 million deaths a year worldwide - 12,000 of them in the Americas, according to PAHO. Measles is the fifth vaccine-preventable disease to be eliminated in the Americas - after smallpox in 1971, poliomyelitis in 1994, and rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in 2015, the PAHO said. (Reporting by Sebastien Malo, Editing by Katie Nguyen.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)[SEP]The Region of the Americas is the first in the world to have eliminated measles, a viral disease that can cause severe health problems, including pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and even death. This achievement culminates a 22-year effort involving mass vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella throughout the Americas. Measles is the fifth vaccine-preventable disease to be eliminated from the Americas, after the regional eradication of smallpox in 1971, poliomyelitis in 1994, and rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in 2015. “This is a historic day for our region and indeed the world,” said PAHO/WHO Director Carissa F. Etienne. “It is proof of the remarkable success that can be achieved when countries work together in solidarity towards a common goal. It is the result of a commitment made more than two decades ago, in 1994, when the countries of the Americas pledged to end measles circulation by the turn of the 21st century.” MORE: First Ever Quadriplegic Treated With Stem Cells Regains Motor Control in His Upper Body Before mass vaccination was initiated in 1980, measles caused nearly 2.6 million annual deaths worldwide. In the Americas, 101,800 deaths were attributable to measles between 1971 and 1979. A cost-effectiveness study on measles elimination in Latin America and the Caribbean has estimated that with vaccination, 3.2 million measles cases will have been prevented in the Region and 16,000 deaths between 2000 and 2020. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases and affects primarily children. It is transmitted by airborne droplets or via direct contact with secretions from the nose, mouth, and throat of infected individuals. Symptoms include high fever, generalized rash all over the body, stuffy nose, and reddened eyes. It can cause serious complications including blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhea, ear infections and pneumonia, particularly in children with nutritional problems and in immunocompromised patients. As a result of global measles elimination efforts, only 244,704 measles cases were reported worldwide in 2015, representing a significant decline from earlier years. However, more than a half of these reported cases were notified in Africa and Asia. “I would like to emphasize that our work on this front is not yet done,” warned Etienne. “We can not become complacent with this achievement but must rather protect it carefully. Measles still circulates widely in other parts of the world, and so we must be prepared to respond to imported cases. It is critical that we continue to maintain high vaccination coverage rates, and it is crucial that any suspected measles cases be immediately reported to the authorities for rapid follow-up.” CHECK OUT: FDA Finally Bans Antibacterial Soaps Containing Triclosan and 18 Other Chemicals In the 1990s, a decline in cases was recorded, but the most notable decrease was observed after the Region had launched its initiative to eliminate measles in 1994. That year, the countries of the Americas established the goal to eliminate indigenous transmission of measles by the year 2000, through the implementation of surveillance and vaccination strategies recommended by PAHO/WHO. PAHO/WHO’s elimination strategy had recommended three lines of action for countries: 1) conduct a one-time national campaign to bring children between 1 and 14 years of age up to date with measles vaccination; 2) strengthen routine vaccination to reach a minimum of 95% of children every year; and 3) undertake massive follow-up campaigns every four years, to reach a minimum of 95% of children aged 1 to 4 with a second dose of vaccine. MORE: After Marrying On Her ‘Deathbed,’ This Bride Made a Miraculous Recovery After Quitting 1 Food Following this strategy, the last indigenous measles outbreak was registered in Venezuela in 2002. However, some countries in the Region still notified imported cases. Between 2003 and 2014, 5,077 imported measles cases were registered in the Americas. After declaring the elimination of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in 2015, the International Expert Committee waited for evidence of the interruption of a measles outbreak in Brazil, which had begun in 2013 and lasted for more than a year. After a year of targeted actions and enhanced surveillance, the last case of measles in Brazil was registered in July 2015. This Story Isn’t Contagious, But You Can Still Spread It To Your Friends: Click To Share – Photo by Rod Waddington, CC[SEP]The World Health Organization has declared the Americas – North, South, Central – the first region of the world to be free of endemic measles, although it has been confirmed eliminated in individual countries. Endemic measles, meaning not brought in from other parts of the world, was last recorded in the region in 2002. The illness can bring on blindness, pneumonia and in the worst cases, death. According to the Pan American Health Organization, it took 14 years for the announcement to become final because of poor communication among the health agencies of the countries involved. Armed conflict and unvaccinated moving migrant populations also added to the difficulty of the process. The 2014 measles outbreak in Disneyland was traced to a source outside of the United States, as scientists were able to use technology to track the sources, UPI reports. Despite the increasing number of parents who refuse to get their children vaccinated, health experts credit strict immunization policies as the main reason the declaration could be made. Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis, chair of the International Expert Committee for Elimination in the Americas, cites her hometown, The Bahamas, as an example. “You have 400,000 people [living there] and six million people who come and visit the country – and we don’t have measles because of high immunization coverage.” She says the answer is simple. No matter race, gender or socio-economic status, she says, The WHO agrees, saying that sustained vaccination campaigns were responsible for killing the disease. WHO director-general Dr. Margaret Chan said that the organization hopes more regions will follow soon follow suit. She says it took considerable funding and “strong political commitment” to keep pushing the vaccination programs, especially in remote areas and dangerous, conflict-ridden areas, NBC News reports. The measles vaccine came out in the 1960s. Before it became widely available, measles killed close to 2.6 million people yearly, WHO states. One of the most contagious diseases to affect children, measles is still widely circulating in other parts of the world. WHO officials say it is important to maintain vaccination coverage and that this achievement does not mean health care professionals – and the public – should be complacent, but keep working to battle the disease.

The WHO announces that measles has been eliminated throughout the Americas, the first time this virus has been eradicated in an entire region. The hemisphere’s last endemic case of measles — one which did not spring from an imported strain — was in 2002.

The Chief of Mission of the Unites States Interest Section in Havana Jeffrey DeLaurentis, right, at a news conference in Cuba on Jan. 23, 2015. President Obama nominated the career diplomat to become the first ambassador to Cuba in more than 50 years. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images) President Obama on Tuesday nominated the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba in more than 55 years, setting up a battle with Republicans in Congress who oppose renewed relations with the communist island. Obama picked Jeffrey DeLaurentis, who already is the chief diplomat in Havana, a job he's held since 2014. But now that diplomatic relations have been re-established, DeLaurentis can be promoted to full ambassador. The new post requires confirmation by the Republican-controlled Senate, which could produce a partisan fight. Cuban-American Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, both Republicans, tried to limit funding for the U.S. Embassy in Havana and said they would oppose any ambassador named by Obama. DeLaurentis, a career diplomat, has served in Havana during the major transition of one-time Cold War foes to a new relationship that includes re-opening embassies in Washington and Havana and resuming travel and trade on a limited basis so far. "Jeff's leadership has been vital throughout the normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba, and the appointment of an ambassador is a common-sense step forward toward a more normal and productive relationship between our two countries," Obama said in a statement. The choice of DeLaurentis is the latest move by the Obama administration to increase ties between the two countries. Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro announced in December 2014 that they would end the 50-year diplomatic freeze. Obama said DeLaurentis is perfectly positioned to continue overseeing that transition. "He is exactly the type of person we want to represent the United States in Cuba, and we only hurt ourselves by not being represented by an ambassador," Obama said. "If confirmed by the Senate, I know Jeff will build on the changes he helped bring about to better support the Cuban people and advance America's interests." Rubio has said the U.S. shouldn't "reward" Cuba with an ambassador until Havana makes significant political reforms, improves human rights, returns U.S. fugitives living in Cuba and compensates U.S. citizens and businesses for property seized when Fidel Castro rose to power. "President' Obama's appeasement of the region's only totalitarian regime has been a complete disaster," Rubio said Tuesday. "A U.S. ambassador is not going to influence the Cuban government, which is a dictatorial and closed regime. This nomination should go nowhere." Ambassadors need a simple majority to win Senate confirmation. But senators have traditionally been allowed to impose a “hold” that can end the confirmation process, or Republican leadership can refuse to schedule a vote. Obama currently faces a similar battle to fill a Supreme Court vacancy with Merrick Garland, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who attended last year's opening of the U.S. Embassy in Havana, said DeLaurentis is "universally respected" by members of both political parties and is the "obvious choice" to become the next ambassador. "We need an ambassador who knows Cuba, who is respected by the Cuban government, and who will stand up for U.S. interests and values. Jeff is that person," Leahy said Tuesday. "The Cuban people have their ambassador in Washington. The American people need their ambassador in Havana." Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2dAOZ7q[SEP]WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced career diplomat Jeffrey DeLaurentis as his choice to become the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba in more than a half-century. DeLaurentis currently is the top diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Havana. Senate confirmation is required but will be tough for the White House to win before Obama's term ends in January. Senators who argue that Cuba doesn't deserve diplomatic outreach from the U.S. have vowed to block any ambassador nomination, citing lack of progress on democracy and human rights on the island. Among them are Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who both have roots in Cuba. Obama said Tuesday that DeLaurentis' leadership was "vital" throughout the process of normalizing ties with Cuba. Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced in December 2014 that the two countries had agreed, after secret negotiations, to restore diplomatic relations, including reopening embassies in each other's countries. The U.S. and Cuba severed diplomatic ties in 1961 during the Cold War. Obama called the naming of an ambassador a "common-sense" step toward more productive relations between the U.S. and Cuba, and he said DeLaurentis is the best person for the job. "Having an ambassador will make it easier to advocate for our interests, and will deepen our understanding even when we know that we will continue to have differences with the Cuban government," he said in a statement that called attention to DeLaurentis' extensive experience in Cuba and Latin America. "We only hurt ourselves by not being represented by an ambassador." Cuba's top diplomat in Washington, Jose Cabanas, was given the rank of ambassador last year. Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the State Department and foreign operations, argued for DeLaurentis' confirmation. "The Cuban people have their ambassador in Washington. The American people need their ambassador in Havana," Leahy said in a statement. Since diplomatic relations were re-established on July 20, 2015, DeLaurentis has led a series of negotiations with Cuba on topics including human rights and the billions of dollars in U.S. claims against Cuba for properties that were confiscated during the country's revolution in 1959. Even if ultimately unsuccessful, the nomination of a U.S. ambassador could provide a boost to the Obama administration's final months of negotiations with Cuba, a country highly attuned to the degree of respect it feels it is receiving from the U.S. Earlier this year, Obama visited Cuba with his wife and daughters, the first visit by a sitting U.S. president in nearly seven decades. Information for this article was contributed by Michael Weissenstein of The Associated Press.[SEP]President Barack Obama on Tuesday nominated career diplomat Jeffrey DeLaurentis to be the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba in more than 50 years. Obama's appointment of DeLaurentis, who has been the top American official at the U.S. embassy in Havana since relations with the communist-ruled island were restored last year, sets up what is expected to be a fierce confirmation battle in Congress during a presidential election year.[SEP]President Barack Obama on Tuesday tapped the highest-ranking US diplomat in Cuba as the first ambassador to the island in more than 50 years. But deep opposition among some senators means it's nearly impossible he'll be confirmed before the President leaves office. Jeffrey DeLaurentis has served as the United States' charge d'affairs in Havana since 2014, overseeing the reopening of the US Embassy there and helping shepherd in a new era of US-Cuba ties. Obama wrote in a statement that elevating DeLaurentis' title to "ambassador" was a "common sense step forward toward a more normal and productive relationship between our two countries." "There is no public servant better suited to improve our ability to engage the Cuban people and advance US interests in Cuba than Jeff," Obama wrote. DeLaurentis was long expected to be named to the ambassador post, but critics of Obama's Cuba policy have remained steadfast in their opposition to any nomination. Cuban-American Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio have been among the most vocal critics, saying the Castro regime is still violating basic human rights. In a statement Tuesday, Rubio wrote that "rewarding the Castro government with a US ambassador is another last-ditch legacy project for the President that needs to be stopped." "This nomination should go nowhere until the Castro regime makes significant and irreversible progress in the areas of human rights and political freedom for the Cuban people, and until longstanding concerns about the Cuban regime's theft of property and crimes against American citizens are addressed," Rubio wrote. Confirming DeLaurentis is yet another entry on a White House to-do list for Congress that seems destined to go unfulfilled, at least before November's elections. Among the other items: confirming Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland and ratifying the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Obama became the first sitting US president to visit Cuba in a half-century earlier this year. The last US ambassador to serve in Havana left the post in 1960 at the beginning of Fidel Castro's rule. The President has insisted that 50 years of enmity with Cuba hadn't yielded results for either Americans or Cubans, and maintains that a new approach will better serve both populations. "We only hurt ourselves by not being represented by an ambassador," he wrote in his statement Tuesday. "If confirmed by the Senate, I know Jeff will build on the changes he helped bring about to better support the Cuban people and advance America's interests."[SEP]President Obama on Tuesday nominated Jeffrey DeLaurentis to become the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba in more than 50 years. “Jeff’s leadership has been vital throughout the normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba,” said Obama in a statement the White House released. “The appointment of an ambassador is a common sense step forward toward a more normal and productive relationship between our two countries.” DeLaurentis, a career diplomat, began his latest post in Havana in August 2014. Obama announced four months later the U.S. would begin the process of normalizing relations with Cuba that ended in 1961. DeLaurentis officially became the chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Havana in July 2015 with the official restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries. LGBT activists from Cuba, U.S. meet with DeLaurentis Cuban Foundation for LGBTI Rights President Nelson Gandulla is among the independent Cuban activists who have met with DeLaurentis. The U.S. government granted Orquídea Martínez, the mother of Alejandro Barrios Martínez, a Cuban national who was among the victims of the June massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., a visa that allowed her to attend her son’s funeral in Florida. “He has expressed his interest in learning about the problems facing the Cuban LGBTI community,” Gandulla told the Washington Blade on Tuesday. “He has expressed his support for the work that we are doing in Cuba.” Members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles met with DeLaurentis in Havana in July 2015 and in March of this year respectively. Evan Wolfson, founder of Freedom to Marry, and Freedom to Work President Tico Almeida sat down with DeLaurentis in May while they were in the Cuban capital to attend events around the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. “President Obama has made an outstanding choice for U.S. Ambassador to Cuba,” Almeida told the Blade on Tuesday in a statement. “For Cuban Americans like me who travel regularly to visit our family members in Cuba, it’s important to know that we have such a smart and well respected diplomat representing us and America’s interests and values during this historic process of normalizing relations and opening new opportunities for both Americans and Cubans.” U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer have applauded DeLaurentis’ nomination, even though it faces an uphill battle in Congress from lawmakers who oppose the normalization of relations between Washington and Havana. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is of Cuban descent, has previously said he would block any potential ambassador to Cuba that Obama nominated. The Florida Republican reiterated his opposition in a statement his office issued on Tuesday. “This nomination should go nowhere until the Castro regime makes significant and irreversible progress in the areas of human rights and political freedom for the Cuban people,” said Rubio, according to Politico. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), whose father was born in Cuba, is also a vocal critic of the normalization of relations between the U.S. and the Communist island. “It’s great to see Republicans like Sen. Jeff Flake and Rep. Tom Emmer praising Mr. DeLaurentis, and it would be shameful for hardliners like Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio to continue relitigating old and tired debates by obstructing President Obama’s excellent choice,” Almeida told the Blade. “Rather than wasting time obstructing this nomination, Cruz and Rubio should take their first ever trip to Cuba to meet with Cuban entrepreneurs and citizens who will overwhelmingly tell them it’s long past time to end the failed embargo.”[SEP]WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has tapped a career diplomat to be the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba in more than 50 years. The White House announced Tuesday that Obama plans to nominate Jeffrey DeLaurentis to the post. DeLaurentis currently is the top diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Havana. Senate confirmation is required but could be tough to win before Obama’s term ends in January. Some Republican senators who oppose Obama’s decision to normalize relations with Cuba have promised to block any ambassador nomination. Obama says DeLaurentis’ leadership was vital throughout the normalization process. He says nominating an ambassador is a “common-sense” step toward more normal and productive relations between the two countries. Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced the resumption of diplomatic relations in December 2014.[SEP]Secretary of State John Kerry, right, is greeted on the tarmac by Jeffrey DeLaurentis at José Martí International Airport in Havana, Aug. 14, 2015. (Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP) Facing down congressional opponents of his historic outreach to Cuba, President Obama announced Tuesday that he has chosen highly respected career diplomat Jeffrey DeLaurentis to be the first U.S. ambassador to Havana in 55 years. DeLaurentis is currently the top official at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba. “There is no public servant better suited to improve our ability to engage the Cuban people and advance U.S. interests in Cuba than Jeff,” Obama said in a statement. “Jeff’s leadership has been vital throughout the normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba.” The announcement is certain to touch off an election-year fight in which the confirmation of DeLaurentis will serve as a referendum of sorts on Obama’s policy of engaging Cuba. Republican Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Cuban-Americans who tried and failed to win their party’s presidential nomination, have promised to block any effort to fill the post. They argue that the socialist government of President Raúl Castro has not undertaken the necessary economic and political reforms to earn such high-level engagement. “We have such a basic difference on that,” Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, told Yahoo News. “To us, the concept that it’s a reward for a country to have an ambassador makes no sense. On the contrary, having an ambassador gives you a higher profile, a higher-ranked advocate for what America cares about, whether that’s bilateral cooperation or whether that’s speaking out for human rights.” Still, Rhodes acknowledged, “it will be hard” to get DeLaurentis confirmed. While a simple Senate majority is required to approve an ambassadorial nomination, an individual senator can by tradition impose an anonymous hold that can at least delay, and even end, prospects for confirmation. And there’s no guarantee that the Republican majority will even schedule a vote. “We have no illusions,” Rhodes said. “But we feel that it’s important to validate the good work that Jeff DeLaurentis has done while also indicating that we think the norm should be that there’s an ambassador — and put the onus on opponents to articulate why it makes any sense at all to not have such a well-qualified person in the position.” Obama sent DeLaurentis to Havana in the summer of 2014, anticipating that what were secret talks with the Castro government would yield a deal to normalize diplomatic relations and expand economic and travel ties, officials say. “We told the Cubans that at the time. We said, ‘We’re sending this person down. He’s more senior than we normally have. He’s an ambassador rank. He’s close to [National Security Adviser] Susan Rice, which mattered to them,” Rhodes said. Obama and Raúl Castro shocked the world on Dec. 17, 2014, by announcing the resumption of diplomatic relations — including the reopening of embassies shuttered in the aftermath of the 1959 revolution that swept Fidel Castro to power. In March, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Cuba. While the White House considered prominent Cuban-Americans for the post, finding a consensus candidate proved elusive. DeLaurentis proved himself the better candidate anyway, more than able to defend U.S. interests as well as forge relationships with the Cuban government and the Cuban-American community, people inside and outside the administration have told Yahoo News. “A number of prominent Cuban-Americans volunteered to us that we if appointed anybody, it should be Jeff,” said Rhodes. In addition to nominating DeLaurentis, the White House plans to use executive power to promote commercial and cultural exchanges while pushing Congress to act on easing restrictions on American travel to Cuba and prodding the Castro government to make good on promises of political and economic reform. “Having an ambassador will make it easier to advocate for our interests and will deepen our understanding, even when we know that we will continue to have differences with the Cuban government,” Obama said. “We only hurt ourselves by not being represented by an ambassador.” The United States and Cuba had operated “interests sections” — a step down from a formal embassy — for decades.[SEP]President Barack Obama on Tuesday nominated career diplomat Jeffrey DeLaurentis to be the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba in more than five decades. "The committee was notified of the nomination yesterday but has not yet received the appropriate paperwork to begin its work," Republican Senator Bob Corker said in a statement emailed to Reuters. "However, it is highly unlikely that an ambassador to Cuba would be approved in the lame-duck." The appointment of DeLaurentis, the top American official at the U.S. embassy in Havana, marked Obama’s latest move to go as far as he can in normalizing ties between the former Cold War foes before he leaves office in January. But the nomination must be approved by the Republican-controlled Senate, which is seen as a long shot. Corker's committee would have to hold a confirmation hearing for DeLaurentis and vote to approve his nomination before it would go to the full Senate, where it could be blocked by any senator. Many lawmakers have warmly embraced Obama's moves toward more normal relations with Cuba, which became public in a shock announcement in December 2014. But several strongly oppose his efforts, arguing that Cuba must do far more to improve human rights before it can deal normally with the United States. Cuban-American senators such as Republicans Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz and Democrat Robert Menendez are particularly opposed to Obama's policy. Rubio and Menendez are both members of the foreign relations panel. Congress' "lame-duck" session takes place in November and December, after the elections on Nov. 8 and before the new Congress comes to Washington in January.[SEP]Gustavo Machin, the deputy director for U.S. affairs in the Cuban foreign ministry, told a news conference that Cuba will make those concerns known during a bilateral commission meeting on Friday in Washington. "The Cuban delegation will point out the lack of advances of in the economic, commercial sphere," Machin said. "We consider the measures adopted by President Obama's administration are positive but still insufficient and limited." Obama on Tuesday nominated career diplomat Jeffrey DeLaurentis, the top official at the U.S. Embassy in Havana since relations were restored last year, to be the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba in more than five decades. This was "welcome" news, Machin said. Cuba appointed its ambassador to the U.S. a year ago. Still, the nomination must be approved by the Republican-controlled Senate, which is seen as a long shot in a presidential election year and given expected strong resistance from Cuban-American senators including Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas. Obama should also use his executive powers, as he has done in the past, to further hollow out the trade embargo imposed on Cuba after its 1959 revolution, Machin said. Only Congress can lift the embargo, and the Republican leadership is not expected to allow such a move anytime soon. "If the president could... allow investment in telecoms, why can't he authorize investments in other areas?" Machin said. If he allowed the export of certain Cuban products to the United States, why could he not broaden the export of Cuban products?" Machin asked. Obama's critics meanwhile accuse him of already making too many concessions towards Cuba without getting enough in return. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said earlier this month that if elected he would seek to reverse the detente unless the leaders there allowed religious freedoms and freed political prisoners. Machin said he hoped the next president would take into account the opinion of the majority of Americans, who agree with the opening to Cuba, according to opinion polls. Despite the need for more progress still, the two countries have made concrete progress in improving relations over the past four months since a previous commission meeting, Machin said, for example re-launching commercial flights.[SEP]HAVANA — A top Cuban diplomat on Wednesday rejected Donald Trump's threat to undo detente with Cuba unless the single-party government meets the Republican presidential candidate's demands. Trump said in Miami this month that he would reverse President Barack Obama's executive orders loosening the U.S. trade embargo on the island unless Cuba meets demands including "religious and political freedom for the Cuban people and the freeing of political prisoners." Gustavo Machin, Cuba's deputy director of U.S. affairs, said Cuba would never be pressured into making internal reforms, and called on the next U.S. president to respect Cuba's right to self-determination. "Cuba has always made clear that Cuba's internal matters aren't on the negotiating table," Machin told reporters. "They're a function of internal decisions by Cuba and the Cuban people and we really call on the next president of the United States to stick to those principles. They're not Cuba's principles; they're principles of international law." Machin also urged Obama to issue a final round of orders loosening the embargo before the fifth and last major round of negotiations at the end of this year. The fourth round will take place Friday in Washington. Machin praised Obama's nomination of Jeffry DeLaurentis, the charge d'affaires

President Barack Obama nominates Jeffrey DeLaurentis as the first United States Ambassador to Cuba since 1961.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - (This version of the Sept. 26 story, corrects paragraph 4 to show that Palantir issued a statement denying the allegations, which was contained in an earlier story, instead of that Palantir could not immediately be reached for comment, adds Palantir comment on Labor Department analysis in paragraph 11 which was contained in an earlier story.) The U.S. Department of Labor filed an administrative lawsuit against Palantir Technologies on Monday, alleging that the data analytics and security company systematically discriminated against Asian job applicants. Privately held Palantir helps government agencies track down terrorists and uncover financial fraud. It raised $880 million in funding late last year, for a $20 billion valuation, and is considered one of Silicon Valley’s most secretive companies. The lawsuit alleges Palantir routinely eliminated Asian applicants in the resume screening and telephone interview phases, even when they were as qualified as white applicants. Palantir denied the allegations in a statement and said it intends to “vigorously defend” against them. Palantir was co-founded by Peter Thiel and Joe Lonsdale, two of Silicon Valley’s more influential investors and entrepreneurs. A representative for Thiel could not immediately comment on the lawsuit. Ian Eliasoph, civil rights counsel for the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, said Palantir was randomly selected for a review, which examines the number of applicants for a given position compared with applicants’ demographics. If signs of discrimination are found, the office opens an inquiry to search for violations. From 2010-2015 the compliance office conducted 20,918 compliance evaluations, 78 percent of which resulted in no violations. Some 22 percent had some violation and 2 percent had discrimination findings, according to the Government Accountability Office. In one example cited by the Labor Department, Palantir reviewed a pool of more than 130 qualified applicants for the role of engineering intern. About 73 percent of applicants were Asian. The lawsuit, which covers Palantir’s conduct between January 2010 and the present, said the company hired 17 non-Asian applicants and four Asians. “The likelihood that this result occurred according to chance is approximately one in a billion,” said the lawsuit, which was filed with the department’s Office of Administrative Law Judges. However, Palantir said the Labor Department relied on a “narrow and flawed statistical analysis relating to three job descriptions from 2010 to 2011.” Employment and civil rights attorney Cliff Palefsky said it was unusual to see hiring discrimination involving Asians. But Tracy Chou, of Silicon Valley-based diversity and inclusion organization Project Include, said discrimination against Asians for senior positions has been widely publicized. In 2015, Asians represented 27.2 percent of the professional workforce at Google, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, LinkedIn and Yahoo but were 13.9 percent of the companies’ executive workforces, according to a study by pan-Asian professionals organization Ascend. “Asians are not perceived to be the same as whites even though in these diversity conversations Asians get lumped together with whites because they’re overrepresented in tech compared to the overall population,” she said. Since January 2010, Palantir has been a party to federal government contracts worth over $340 million, the lawsuit said. The Labor Department sent Palantir a notice in October 2015 about its findings, according to the lawsuit. Both before and after that notice, labor regulators attempted to secure Palantir’s voluntary compliance, the lawsuit said, but they did not succeed. The lawsuit seeks relief for persons affected, including lost wages.[SEP]Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Palantir has denied the allegations Silicon Valley firm Palantir Technologies is being sued by the US government over alleged "systematic" discrimination against Asian applicants and members of staff. A lawsuit has been filed which alleges that the firm has used discriminatory recruitment procedures since 2010. The US Department of Labor is seeking compensation for those affected, including lost wages and promotions. Palantir Technologies said it "firmly denied" the allegations. "We are disappointed that the Department of Labor chose to proceed with an administrative action and firmly deny the allegations," the company said in a statement shared by the Wall Street Journal (subscription website). "Despite repeated efforts to highlight the results of our hiring practices, the Department of Labor relies on a narrow and flawed statistical analysis relating to three job descriptions from 2010 to 2011." On its website it says it "celebrate(s) difference and diversity - of background, approach and identity". 'One in 3.4 million chance' The government identified three staff roles for which it alleges there was biased recruiting: When recruiting for a quality assurance engineer, the firm hired six non-Asian staff and one Asian from a pool of 730 applicants, of whom roughly 77% were Asian There were 1,160 qualified applicants for a software engineer position, of whom approximately 85% were Asian, but Palantir hired 14 non-Asians and 11 Asians When recruiting for a quality engineer intern, the firm hired 17 non-Asians and four Asians. There were 130 applicants, of whom around 73% were Asian. It said the likelihood of the software engineer position having been filled that way by chance was "approximately one in 3.4 million". "From at least January 1, 2010 and going forward to the present, Palantir utilised a four-phase hiring process in which Asian applicants were routinely eliminated during the resume, screen and telephone interview phase despite being as qualified as white applicants with respect to the QA Engineer, Software Engineer and QA Engineer Intern positions," the lawsuit paperwork reads. "In addition the majority of Palantir's hires into these positions came from an employee referral system that disproportionately excluded Asians." The firm, which specialises in data mining, is credited with helping the US government find Osama Bin Laden. Last year, Reuters reported that it was valued at $20bn (£15bn).[SEP]The US Department of Labor has alleged Palantir Technologies discriminates against Asian job applicants in its hiring and selection process . The complaint follows a review by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which evaluated Palantir’s hiring and selection processes beginning in January 2010, according to the Labor Department. The review found that Palantir relied on a system of employee referrals, which, along with its resume and phone hiring process, resulted in bias against Asians, the agency said. Lisa Gordon, a spokeswoman for Palantir, said the companywill defend itself “vigorously” and denies allegations of bias. “The results of our hiring practices speak for themselves,” she wrote in an e-mail. “Despite repeated efforts to highlight these outcomes, the Department of Labor relies on a narrow and flawed statistical analysis relating to three job descriptions from 2010 to 2011.” The Labor Department had no immediate further comment. Cofounded by billionaire Peter Thiel, the data analysis company is among the most highly vaunted of Silicon Valley startups, securing a $20 billion valuation last year, in part for its contracts with the US Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Special Operations Command and the Army. Silicon Valley has been under pressure to increase diversity across the industry. In recent years, technology companies have made public commitments to increasing hiring of minorities and women while releasing more information about the demographics of their workforces. Progress has been slow. The Labor Department is asking an administrative law judge to award lost wages, interest, retroactive seniority and all other lost benefits of employment. The government said it filed the complaint after the department and Palantir were unable to resolve the findings through the conciliation process. Palantir’s government contracts should be cancelled, and it should be disbarred from securing future ones if it doesn’t meet the department’s demands, according to the complaint. Meanwhile, Palantir is engaged in a separate dispute with the government. The Palo Alto, California, company sued the Armyearlier this year, claiming it favored existing contractors and blocked Palantir from competing for the first part of what will likely be a multibillion-dollar contract.

The Obama administration through the United States Department of Labor sues Peter Thiel's Palantir Technologies for alleged discrimination against Asians in its hiring practices.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Who is the world's first cultural war criminal? The International Criminal Court has sentenced an Islamist militant who destroyed ancient shrines in Timbuktu to nine years in jail. Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi admitted to leading rebel forces who destroyed historic mausoleums at the world heritage site in Mali in 2012. Judges at the court in The Hague found he had shown "remorse and empathy" for the crime. It is the first sentence based on cultural destruction as a war crime. It is also the first time a suspected Islamist militant has stood trial at the ICC. Mahdi - described as a "religious scholar" in court documents - led rebels who used pickaxes and crowbars to destroy nine of Timbuktu's mausoleums and the centuries-old door of the city's Sidi Yahia mosque. The court found he not only offered "logistical and moral support" for the attacks, but also took part in the physical destruction of at least five out of the 10 buildings. Image copyright AFP/ Getty Images Image caption Nine mausoleums and a mosque were destroyed in 2012 However, Mahdi had at first advised rebel leaders not to attack the shrines. Admitting to the charges last month, Mahdi claimed he had been swept up in "an evil wave". Pleading guilty, he said: "I am really sorry, I am really remorseful, and I regret all the damage that my actions have caused. "I would like to give a piece of advice to all Muslims in the world, not to get involved in the same acts I got involved in, because they are not going to lead to any good for humanity," he added Rare ICC success: Analysis by Anna Holligan at The Hague Wearing a grey suit, striped tie and spectacles, there was little sign of the violent jihadist responsible for destroying these treasured shrines. Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi was a member of a group with links to al-Qaeda and the leader of the morality police (a religious vice squad operating in Timbuktu during the rebel occupation). According to the judge, he wrote a sermon dedicated to the destruction, gave instruction and tools to complete the operation. His confession, a well-considered apology and apparent willingness to co-operate with the court contributed to the nine year sentence. While the case is being seen as a rare success for the ICC some of the victims in Mali say the charges don't cover some of the most devastating atrocities committed during the occupation - including violence against women, rape and sexual slavery. Prosecutors said Mahdi was a member of Ansar Dine - an Islamist group with roots in the nomadic Tuareg group and links to al-Qaeda in the Maghreb - that occupied Timbuktu for months, instilling its own version of Sharia law on residents. Islamists regard the shrines and the city's ancient manuscripts, covering everything from history to astronomy, as idolatrous. Image copyright Reuters The rebels decided to destroy the buildings after people continued to pray at the historic sites. Mahdi led a series of planned attacks, starting with a sermon given during Friday prayers, and later gave press statements defending the actions. However, his sentence was on the lower end of the scale after the ICC judges accepted a number of mitigating factors, including his confession. Correspondents in Timbuktu, a Unesco world heritage site which had been a centre of Islamic learning from the 13th to the 17th Centuries, say the sentencing was generally welcomed. One resident was more circumspect, telling the BBC he felt it difficult to forgive: "Forgiveness means coming here in Mali and asking for forgiveness to Malians and especially from the people of Timbuktu who suffered from the anger of jihadism. "We will accept to forgive when Ahmad al-Faqi understands that this land is sacred, the shrines are sacred, and that understanding our culture is sacred."[SEP]The International Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced a Malian jihadist to nine years jail for razing Timbuktu's fabled shrines, in a landmark judgement experts hope will help safeguard the world's ancient monuments. Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi was convicted of a crime of "significant gravity", ICC judge Raul Pangalangan told the tribunal, adding the chamber "unanimously sentences you to nine years of imprisonment". Islamist rebel Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi looks on during an appearance at the International Criminal Court in The Hague on August 22, 2016, at the start of his trial on charges of involvement in the destruction of historic mausoleums in the Malian desert city of Timbuktu. AFP PHOTO[SEP]Alleged Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist leader Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi pleaded guilty to a single charge of cultural destruction at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. By Patrick Post (ANP/AFP/File) The Hague (AFP) - The International Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced a Malian jihadist to nine years jail for razing Timbuktu's fabled shrines, in a landmark judgement experts hope will help safeguard the world's ancient monuments. Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi was convicted of a crime of "significant gravity", ICC judge Raul Pangalangan told the tribunal, adding the chamber "unanimously sentences you to nine years of imprisonment".[SEP]Alleged Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist leader Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi pleaded guilty to a single charge of cultural destruction at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. By Patrick Post (ANP/AFP/File) The Hague (AFP) - War crimes judges jailed a Malian jihadist Tuesday for nine years for demolishing Timbuktu's fabled shrines, a landmark ruling seen as a warning that destroying mankind's heritage will not go unpunished. In the first such case to focus on cultural destruction as a war crime, the International Criminal Court found Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi guilty of directing attacks on the UNESCO world heritage site during the jihadist takeover of northern Mali in 2012. Mahdi "supervised the destruction and gave instructions to the attackers" who took pickaxes and bulldozers to the centuries-old shrines, presiding judge Raul Pangalangan told the tribunal. "The chamber unanimously finds that Mr al-Mahdi is guilty of the crime of attacking protected sites as a war crime," he added, during an hour-long hearing at the tribunal based in The Hague. ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, whose office had asked for between nine and 11 years, said the sentence will signal to perpetrators that destroying cultural heritage is "a serious crime". "It is a war crime and they will be held accountable for destroying these important sites," she told AFP. Some 55 places around the world are on UNESCO's list of endangered cultural heritage sites. Handed over to the ICC in late 2015, Mahdi, dressed in a sober grey suit and blue-striped tie, listened intently, but made no comment as sentence was passed. The landmark verdict is also the first arising out of the conflict in Mali, and the first time a jihadist has sat in the dock. In an unprecedented move, Mahdi, aged between 30 and 40, last month pleaded guilty to the single war crimes charge of "intentionally directing" attacks on nine of Timbuktu's mausoleums and the centuries-old door of the city's Sidi Yahia mosque. The judges recognised the severity of the crimes targeting sites which "were dedicated to religion and historic monuments and were not military objectives". But they also gave Mahdi credit for his guilty plea, his remorse and for his "substantial cooperation" with the prosecution. The slight, bespectacled man with a mop of curly hair had previously asked the pardon of his people when videos were shown of him and other Islamist extremists knocking down the earthen shrines. Founded between the fifth and 12th centuries by Tuareg tribes, Timbuktu has been dubbed "the city of 333 saints" for the number of Muslim sages buried there. Revered as a centre of Islamic learning during its golden age in the 15th and 16th centuries, it was however considered idolatrous by the jihadists who swept across Mali's remote north in early 2012. As the head of the so-called Hisbah or "Manners Brigade," it was Mahdi, a former teacher and Islamic scholar, who gave the orders to ransack the sites. Apologising last month at a court hearing, he said he had been overtaken by "evil spirits", urging Muslims not to follow his example. The court found that Mahdi was a member of Ansar Dine, one of the Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist groups which seized northern territory before being mostly chased out by a French-led military intervention in January 2013. The ruling "is a landmark in gaining recognition for the importance of heritage for humanity as a whole and for the communities that have preserved it over the centuries," UNESCO chief Irina Bokova said. The UN cultural body also called it a "major step towards peace and reconciliation in Mali". But there was concern that other crimes committed during the conflict have not yet been prosecuted. The International Federation for Human Rights "would have liked to see broader charges including those of gender and sexual based crimes," said spokeswoman Carrie Comer. Human Rights Watch said the ruling sent "a clear message that attacking the world's historical treasures will be punished". But it also argued the "Malian government should follow suit and step up efforts to ensure investigations and fair trials for crimes committed by all sides." And Amnesty International said it was a "first step towards broader accountability for all crimes" during the conflict. Bensouda vowed her office was still investigating, saying "We are also looking into these crimes such as sexual and gender-based crimes and killings."[SEP]THE HAGUE, Netherlands — An international court on Tuesday found a Muslim radical guilty of committing a war crime by overseeing the destruction of historic mausoleums in the Malian desert city of Timbuktu, and sentenced him to nine years in prison. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, a former teacher, had pleaded guilty and expressed remorse for his role in overseeing the destruction of nine mausoleums and a mosque door by pickax-wielding rebels in June and July of 2012. His trial, which opened Aug. 22, was a landmark for the International Criminal Court, which has struggled to bring suspects to justice since its establishment in 2002. It was the tribunal's first conviction for destruction of religious buildings or historic monuments, and the first guilty verdict delivered against a Muslim extremist. Al-Qaida-linked rebels occupied the fabled Saharan city of Timbuktu in 2012 and enforced a strict interpretation of Islamic law that included destruction of the historic mud-brick tombs they considered idolatrous. Al Mahdi was leader of one of the "morality brigades" set up by Timbuktu's new rulers. ICC prosecutors said Al Mahdi was a member of Ansar Eddine, an Islamic extremist group with links to al-Qaida that held power in northern Mali in 2012. The militants were driven out after nearly a year by French forces, which arrested Al Mahdi in 2014 in neighboring Niger. Clad in a gray suit and striped purple tie, the defendant said nothing after the verdict and sentencing. Earlier in the trial, Al Mahdi urged Muslims around the world not to commit acts similar to those he had admitted to. "They are not going to lead to any good for humanity," he said. Al Mahdi had faced a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for destruction of the World Heritage-listed sites. But presiding judge Raul Pangalangan said numerous factors argued for a lesser prison term, including Al Mahdi's initial reluctance to raze the historic shrines and what the judge called his apparently sincere admission of guilt. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization hailed the verdict as a crucial step toward ending impunity for the destruction of world cultural landmarks. Soon after the destruction in 2012, UNESCO alerted the international community including the International Criminal Court "to ensure such crimes do not go unpunished," UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said in a statement. "In the context of repeated violence against people and their heritage, this sentence of the International Criminal Court is a key element in the broader response to violent extremism," Bokova said. Al Mahdi's conviction "is a first important step toward the fight against impunity in Mali," said Drissa Traore, vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights. "But this victory has an almost unfinished look ... We hope ICC will continue to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the most serious crimes committed in Mali, especially crimes of sexual violence."[SEP]An international court on Tuesday found a Muslim radical guilty of committing a war crime by overseeing the destruction of historic mausoleums in the Malian desert city of Timbuktu, and sentenced him to nine years in prison. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, a former teacher, had pleaded guilty and expressed remorse for his role in overseeing the destruction of nine mausoleums and a mosque door by pickax-wielding rebels in June and July of 2012. His trial, which opened Aug. 22, was a landmark for the International Criminal Court, which has struggled to bring suspects to justice since its establishment in 2002. It was the tribunal’s first conviction for destruction of religious buildings or historic monuments, and the first guilty verdict delivered against a Muslim extremist. Al-Qaida-linked rebels occupied the famed Saharan city of Timbuktu in 2012 and enforced a strict interpretation of Islamic law that included destruction of the historic mud-brick mausoleums they considered idolatrous. Al Mahdi was leader of one of the ‘morality brigades’ set up by Timbuktu’s new rulers. ICC prosecutors said Al Mahdi was a member of Ansar Eddine, an Islamic extremist group with links to al-Qaida that held power in northern Mali in 2012. The militants were driven out after nearly a year by French forces, which arrested Al Mahdi in 2014 in neighbouring Niger.[SEP]A three-judge bench began handing down its judgements at 0930 GMT against Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi, the first jihadist to stand trial at the tribunal in The Hague. "The chamber unanimously finds that Mr al-Mahdi is guilty of the crime of attacking protected sites as a war crime," he added, saying the crime had "significant gravity". The historic verdict is the first to focus solely on cultural destruction as a war crime and the first arising out of the conflict in Mali. Prosecutors have asked for a jail term of between nine and 11 years, which they said would recognise both the severity of the crime and the fact that Mahdi was the first person to plead guilty before the court. Observers say they hope the sentence will act as a deterrent to those bent on razing the world's cultural heritage, which UN chief Ban Ki-moon recently condemned as "tearing at the fabric of societies". In an unprecedented move, Mahdi, aged between 30 and 40, last month pleaded guilty to the single war crimes charge of "intentionally directing" attacks in 2012 on nine of Timbuktu's mausoleums and the centuries-old door of the city's Sidi Yahia mosque. The slight, bespectacled man with a mop of curly hair asked the pardon of his people as videos were shown of him and other Islamist extremists knocking down ancient earthen shrines with pick-axes and bulldozers. Founded between the fifth and 12th centuries by Tuareg tribes, Timbuktu has been dubbed "the city of 333 saints" and the "pearl of the desert" for the number of Muslim sages buried there. Revered as a centre of Islamic learning during its golden age in the 15th and 16th centuries, it was however considered idolatrous by the jihadists who swept across Mali's remote north in early 2012. As the head of the so-called Hisbah or "Manners Brigade," it was Mahdi, a former teacher and Islamic scholar, who gave the orders to ransack the sites. Apologising for his actions at the court, he said he had been overtaken by "evil spirits", urging Muslims not to follow his example, and saying he wanted to seek the pardon of all Malians. The court found that Mahdi, was a member of the Ansar Drine, one of the jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb which seized the northern territory before being mostly chased out by a French-led military intervention in January 2013. Even though the list of UNESCO world heritage sites appears to be growing, there is little hope that those behind attacks on monuments in Iraq and Syria will find themselves in the dock any time soon. Neither country is a signatory to the ICC's founding Rome Statute, meaning that without a mandate from the UN Security Council an ICC investigation into such crimes is not yet possible.[SEP]THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An international court on Tuesday found a Muslim radical guilty of committing a war crime by overseeing the destruction of historic mausoleums in the Malian desert city of Timbuktu, and sentenced him to nine years in prison. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, a former teacher, had pleaded guilty and expressed remorse for his role in overseeing the destruction of nine mausoleums and a mosque door by pickax-wielding rebels in June and July of 2012. His trial, which opened Aug. 22, was a landmark for the International Criminal Court, which has struggled to bring suspects to justice since its establishment in 2002. It was the tribunal’s first conviction for destruction of religious buildings or historic monuments, and the first guilty verdict delivered against a Muslim extremist. Al-Qaida-linked rebels occupied the fabled Saharan city of Timbuktu in 2012 and enforced a strict interpretation of Islamic law that included destruction of the historic mud-brick tombs they considered idolatrous. Al Mahdi was leader of one of the “morality brigades” set up by Timbuktu’s new rulers. ICC prosecutors said Al Mahdi was a member of Ansar Eddine, an Islamic extremist group with links to al-Qaida that held power in northern Mali in 2012. The militants were driven out after nearly a year by French forces, which arrested Al Mahdi in 2014 in neighboring Niger. Clad in a gray suit and striped purple tie, the defendant said nothing after the verdict and sentencing. Earlier in the trial, Al Mahdi urged Muslims around the world not to commit acts similar to those he had admitted. “They are not going to lead to any good for humanity,” he said. Al Mahdi had faced a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment for destruction of the World Heritage-listed sites. But presiding judge Raul Pangalangan said numerous factors argued for a lesser prison term, including Al Mahdi’s initial reluctance to raze the historic buildings and what the judge called his apparently sincere admission of guilt.[SEP]An Islamic militant who helped destroy the fabled shrines of Timbuktu has been sentenced to nine years in prison in a landmark case before the international criminal court. A three-judge bench at the tribunal in The Hague handed down the sentence on Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi – the first from the institution to focus solely on cultural destruction as a war crime. Observers hope Mahdi’s prosecution will deter others from destroying cultural sites, an act condemned by UN chief Ban Ki-moon as “tearing at the fabric of societies”. Mahdi is also the first Islamic extremist to appear before the tribunal. The former junior civil servant last month pleaded guilty to the single charge of “intentionally directing” attacks in 2012 on nine of Timbuktu’s mausoleums and the centuries-old door of the city’s Sidi Yahia mosque. A slight, bespectacled man with a mop of curly hair, Mahdi asked for the forgiveness of his people as videos were shown of him and other Islamist extremists knocking down ancient earthen shrines with pickaxes and bulldozers after occupying the city, in Mali, after a lightning campaign. Last week one of the most important shrines damaged by extremists during their rule of the city was opened again to the public and worshippers after restoration. El-Boukhari Ben Essayouti, who oversaw the reconstruction with Unesco assistance, said Mahdi’s trial was an important lesson. The trial “has to be useful for something, showing to everyone that in the same way that we cannot kill another person with impunity, we cannot just destroy a world heritage site with impunity either,” he said. Timbuktu fell initially to Tuareg rebels, part of a coalition of factions backed by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. Islamic militants quickly took control and enforced a harsh version of sharia law, banning music, forcing women to wear the burqa and preventing girls from attending school. Timbuktu, a major centre of learning and commerce 500 years ago, has long been known for its shrines – the focus of the broadly tolerant, mystic Sufi branch of Islam which is seen as heretical by those who follow literalist doctrines practised in Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia. These were an immediate target for hardliners, as they have been elsewhere in the Muslim world.[SEP]Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, the Malian Islamic extremist who pleaded guilty to destruction of historic mausoleums in Timbuktu. War crimes judges on Tuesday sentenced a former Islamist rebel who admitted wrecking holy shrines during Mali’s 2012 conflict to nine years in prison, in the first such case to focus on destruction of cultural heritage. Human rights groups and international legal experts hope Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi’s case in the International Criminal Court may serve as a deterrent to a kind of devastation that continues to be a feature of global conflicts yet has gone unpunished. Al-Mahdi expressed remorse for his involvement in the destruction of 10 mausoleums and religious sites in Timbuktu . The sites, nine of them on the UNESCO World Heritage list, “had an emotional and symbolic meaning for the residents of Timbuktu”, the panel of judges at The Hague said. By striking at their most meaningful religious sites, al-Mahdi participated in “a war activity aimed at breaking the soul of the people”, said presiding Judge Raul Pangalangan. Such acts have rarely been prosecuted despite being illegal under international law, but have attracted increasing international outrage after the Taliban destroyed the Bamiyan Buddha statues in Afghanistan in 2001 and, more recently, Islamic State jihadists smashed monuments in the Syrian city of Palmyra. — Reuters

The International Criminal Court sentences Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi to nine years in jail for leading the destruction of nine of Timbuktu's mausoleums and the centuries-old door of the Malian city's Sidi Yahya Mosque.

TEHRAN - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was Iran’s president from 2005 to 2013, has penned a letter to the Supreme Leader saying he will not run for the next year’s presidential election. Ali Akbar Javanfekr, the media consultant to Ahmadinejad all through the two presidential terms, let slip the news on Tuesday, one day after the Leader implicitly confirmed he had advised the former president to stay out of the next year’s presidential election. “Dr. Ahmadinejad announced in a letter to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic revolution that he has no plan to participate in the next year’s presidential election,” said Javanfekr. Shortly after Javanfekr’s remarks, a copy of the letter went viral among Iranian news outlets. “I should inform that in compliance with the Supreme Leader’s remarks, I have no plan to take part in in the next year’s presidential election,” read part of the letter. Ahmadinejad’s tenure was peppered with controversial events and subjective law enforcements, causing distress both nationally and internationally. During the period, the Iranian economy was grounded by unprecedented inflation rates, 40 percent by one account, considering deteriorating relations with the outside world. The Ahmadinejad administration, inter alia, cut a state subsidy system not exactly the same way stipulated by law whose negative consequences are still with millions of the people. In addition to a domestic populist policy, he pursued an imbalanced foreign policy, as well, particularly with European countries who were hostile to Iran’s nuclear program. The decision by the Supreme Leader has been motivated, as he noted in his comments, by concerns that a polarized society will ensue if Ahmadinejad contests the next year’s presidential election. Ahmadinejad’s record comes as a good justification for the concerns. “Mr. Ahmadinejad did his outmost in the past to polarize the society and caused numerous unnecessary tensions,” said Kazem Jalali, a senior parliamentary figure. “I hope Mr. Ahmadinejad takes the Leader’s advice seriously.” Following the Leader’s comments, the Tasnim news agency issued an article saying, “It is certain that Ahmadinejad’s record and approach will generate an atmosphere one of whose primary yet main consequences is widespread unconstructive arguments and debates among the revolution’s sympathizers and event among the public.” AK/PA[SEP]He has been credited, however, with cutting a bloated state subsidy system. Ayatollah Khamenei made the statement about Mr. Ahmadinejad during a lecture for seminary students at his office. He was responding to rumors, circulating in Tehran for weeks, that he had barred Mr. Ahmadinejad from participating in the coming election. “Someone, a man, came to me,” he said, presumably of Mr. Ahmadinejad, in the typically elliptical style of Shiite clerics. “I told him not to take part in that certain issue, both for his own and the country’s good.” “I did not tell him not to participate,” the supreme leader continued. “I said, ‘I do not find it advisable that you participate.’ ” Technically, under the Constitution, Ayatollah Khamenei can only advise possible candidates, he cannot legally bar them or judge their suitability. The vetting process is officially done by the 12-member Guardian Council. In practice, though, Ayatollah Khamenei’s statement amounts to an edict, and it is almost certainly hopeless for Mr. Ahmadinejad to try to mount a campaign against the supreme leader’s wishes. Nevertheless, a website close to Mr. Ahmadinejad, Dolat-e Bahar, left open the possibility that he could run again. “While some point out that Master has made an order,” the website said, “he actually said that it is not expedient.” The chances of his candidacy seem slim. “With these statements, the discussion of Ahmadinejad participating is finished,” a conservative lawmaker, Mohsen Kouhkan, told the website Asr-e Iran.[SEP]In a letter to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Tuesday, Ahmadinejad expressed his gratitude for the Leader’s “significant” statements at the beginning of an advanced course on Islamic religious studies held in Tehran on Monday. “...acting upon the guidelines of the great Leader of the (Islamic) Revolution, I have no plans to participate in next year’s presidential contest,” he wrote in the letter. On Monday, Ayatollah Khamenei called on Iranian political figures to avoid taking actions that could provoke polarity within the society, warning that enemies are waiting to take advantage of disagreements among Iran's political forces. The Leader’s concern about polarization of the society came after speculation ran rampant that Ahmadinejad would run for president in the 2017 election. Ayatollah Khamenei then confirmed that he has advised a gentleman (without mentioning a specific name) in a recent meeting to “avoid getting involved in a certain event (election)” for the good of the country and of that individual himself. “I did not tell him (specifically) not to participate (run for president),” the Leader explained, saying the individual has been told that his involvement “is not deemed expedient.” Imam Khamenei noted that a holistic view of the country’s situation and that specific figure’s conditions led to the recommendation that he had better avoid engagement in the event to prevent polarization of the country. The Leader once again stressed that it was a recommendation, saying it was not about ruling, but about expediency.[SEP]This file photo taken on July 18, 2013 shows Iran's then outgoing president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking during a press conference at the presidential palace in Baghdad (AFP photo) TEHRAN — Iran's controversial former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose two-term rule saw the country increasingly isolated internationally, has said he will not stand again following advice from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "In following the will of the great leader of the revolution, I have no plans to be present in next year's presidential competitions," he wrote in a letter to Khamenei made public by Iranian media on Tuesday. Ahmadinejad's stand-down came a day after Khamenei, in cautiously worded remarks and without naming the ex-president, indicated that his standing again would be a mistake. "A certain person came to me and I told him not to do a certain thing, believing it would be to the benefit of both the person himself and the country," Khamenei said. He implied that an Ahmadinejad candidacy would have a polarising effect that would "damage the country". Ahmadinejad, who was president between 2005 and 2013, said he had met Ayatollah Khamenei on August 30. "I will forever remain the small soldier of the revolution and a servant of the people," he concluded in his letter. Ahmadinejad had made numerous public appearances in recent months, leading to speculation that he was planning a comeback in next May's presidential election. The news that he is not is likely to reassure moderate incumbent Hassan Rouhani, who is expected to stand for a second term in the May 19 vote. Ahmadinejad left office in August 2013 after two turbulent four-year terms, leaving the Islamic republic divided domestically, isolated internationally and struggling economically. His inflammatory rhetoric — particularly over Iran's nuclear programme and hostility towards Israel — was blamed for deepening tensions with the West and bringing down economic sanctions that Iran struggled for years to lift. But Ahmadinejad's populist approach and humble roots mean that he remains a popular figure among poorer sections of society. Rouhani, who oversaw a deal with world powers to end sanctions in exchange for curbing Tehran's nuclear programme, faces mounting pressure from conservatives who say the accord has brought few benefits. In 2009, Ahmadinejad's re-election was followed by one the largest protests to hit the country since the Islamic revolution three decades before. Two candidates backed by reformists Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi — who have been under house arrest since February 2011 — contested the results. Street demonstrations were repressed by a regime which dubbed the protest movement "sedition" and its leaders "heads of the sedition". Both of Ahmadinejad's terms were marked by anti-Western and anti-Israeli rhetoric, including questioning the Holocaust. After becoming president in 2005, he quickly became international news after a speech in which he argued that Israel was doomed to be "wiped off the map" and that the Holocaust was a "myth". He also accelerated Tehran's atomic programme, triggering tensions with the West and fears of possible military action. However, Ahmadinejad swept aside such criticism, calling the nuclear project an unstoppable train "without brakes and no reverse gear". During the last years of his presidency, the international community imposed ever tougher sanctions that paralysed Iran's economy. Rouhani was elected on a promise to resolve the nuclear issue and normalise relations with the outside world. The nuclear agreement was reached with the major powers in July 2015 after two years of intense negotiations. But despite it coming into force in January 2016 and some international sanctions being lifted, the economy's recovery is still pending. Ahmadinejad's withdrawal from the presidential race comes as another conservative, Mohsen Rezai, former head of the elite Revolutionary Guards, also announced on Monday that he would not be a candidate next May. More than eight months before the vote, political manoeuvring is already under way. With Ahmadinejad out, the conservatives are trying to unite to support a single candidate to face Rouhani. And Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf may also stand again, despite being a losing candidate twice, in 2005 and 2013.[SEP]Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian hardliner who presided over a period of deepening and damaging sanctions, has been blocked from running for president in Iran’s elections next year. The former president’s hopes were dashed after the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, indicated in public that he did not see the prospect of his candidacy as being in the interests of the country. In a letter published on Tuesday, Ahmadinejad announced he would not be running, submitting to the wishes of the 77-year-old ayatollah. It comes after months of speculation that Ahmadinejad had been building up a campaign to confront the current president, the moderate cleric Hassan Rouhani, in next year’s vote. Rouhani has to seek re-election if he wants to remain in power for another four years. Under Iranian law, presidents are only allowed two consecutive terms. Earlier this month, the semi-official Fars news agency reported that the supreme leader had explicitly told Ahmadinejad he should not run. Later, two conservative politicians confirmed those reports. On Monday, Khamenei’s official website, in an apparent move to put his opinion on the record, published the transcription of his speech during a meeting with a group of his followers. “Someone came to see me and considering his own interests and the interests of the country, I told him he should not participate in that matter [elections],” Khamenei is quoted as saying. “I didn’t tell him not to participate, I told him I won’t recommend him participating.” In his letter on Tuesday, which was addressed to Khamenei, Ahmadinejad revealed he had a meeting with the leader at the end of last month, during which he was told not to run. “You recommended that it was not in [my] interests to run in the elections and I stated my obedience,” he wrote. In theory, Ahmadinejad can still put his name on the list as a nominee and the supreme leader does not have the automatic power to block him. In practice, however, the ayatollah has the ultimate power in all state matters. The Guardian Council, a body of jurists and clerics who are close to Khamenei, vets all candidates before any elections in Iran, in a process that has been the subject of much controversy. There has been a heated debate over whether the Guardian Council has the constitutional footing to block candidates but in recent years, it has blocked many reformists and independents, as well as conservatives, from running in parliamentary and presidential elections. Despite the vetting process, which has raised questions about the fairness of Iranian elections, turnouts are usually high in presidential elections. Iranian leaders say the level of participation means the elections are legitimate. The 2013 vote that put Rouhani in power was a contest between six candidates, all of whom were approved by the Guardian Council. In the months leading up to this week’s news, Ahmadinejad had indicated that he wanted to run, including by visiting provinces, becoming more active online and speaking at more occasions. It is not clear why Khamenei decided to make the issue public, but Ahmadinejad seemed to have continued his activities despite their meeting. The relationship between the two was fraught in the final years of Ahmadinejad’s presidency because of a power struggle at the height of the Islamic Republic. Ahmadinejad took extraordinary measures to confront Khamenei, including threatening to resign. He was sidelined as Rouhani took office in 2013 but has become active. Iranian elections have been full of surprises in recent years and it is not clear if Rouhani would face similar difficulties if he seeks re-election. Khamenei has his own differences with Rouhani – he appears concerned about Rouhani’s associates, particularly his brother, Hossein Fereydoun. The ayatollah has made several controversial interventions, most notably in 2009 when he sided with Ahmadinejad against allegations of fraud, which led to a turbulent time in Iran. The reverberations of that event are felt even today, with two of the four presidential candidates in the 2009 vote, who alleged the elections were stolen, still placed under arrest at the wishes of the leader. Ahmadinejad and Rouhani are at odds over multiple domestic and foreign policies, particularly over last year’s landmark nuclear deal, which the latter agreed to. Some believe that as a relatively young politician in Iran, Ahmadinejad and his inner circle may have their eyes on the period after Khamenei, who underwent prostate surgery in 2014.[SEP]TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An adviser to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s former hard-line president, says the politician won’t seek re-election in next year’s presidential vote after apparently being discouraged by the country’s supreme leader. Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency quoted Ali Akbar Javanfekr on Tuesday as saying Ahmadinejad sent a letter to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei saying he wouldn’t seek the presidency again. In comments reported Monday, Khamenei was quoted as saying he recommended an unnamed candidate not seek office as it would spark a “polarized situation” that would be “harmful for the county.” Ahmadinejad previously served two four-year terms. Iranian law calls only for a one-term cooling-off period. During his presidency, Ahmadinejad repeatedly questioned the scale of the Nazi Holocaust and predicted the demise of Israel. He also greatly expanded Iran’s contested nuclear program.[SEP]Iran’s supreme leader has blocked former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from contesting next year’s elections, in a move that highlights the struggle among hardliners to identify a suitable candidate to take on Hassan Rouhani. Mr Ahmadinejad has been touring the country in recent weeks to drum up support ahead of the May polls with regime hardliners desperate to prevent Mr Rouhani, the centrist president, from securing a second term. But Ayatollah Khamenei, the Islamic republic’s ultimate decision-maker, said on Monday that if Mr Ahmadinejad ran in the election it “will be detrimental for the country”. Analysts say his decision was intended to avoid provoking middle-class voters who fear that if the former president returned to office it would damage Iran’s international relations and could lead to a crackdown on reformers and a rise in corruption. Mr Ahmadinejad, who served two terms from 2005 to 2013, is one of Iran’s most controversial political figures and gained notoriety for his belligerent stance towards the West, Israel and, eventually, Ayatollah Khamenei. His re-election in 2009 for a second term triggered the biggest anti-regime protests since the 1979 revolution, and led to the deaths of scores of pro-democracy supporters. Mr Ahmadinejad is a populist who enjoys support among poorer Iranians, but his presidency was marred by widespread allegations of graft and restricting political freedoms. In contrast, Mr Rouhani, who won the 2013 elections, has sought to improve relations with the West and oversaw a historic agreement with world powers last year to scale down Iran’s nuclear activities. In return, many western sanctions on the Islamic republic were lifted. But hardliners argue that the nuclear agreement has failed to deliver any economic dividends for ordinary Iranians. Moderate forces counter that without the deal, Iran’s oil exports would be non-existent. They say the easing of sanctions has helped the currency stabilise and boosted economic growth. “Under the circumstances, hardliners have no serious candidate who can win the election which leaves them with no choice but to attack Rouhani’s economic records,” said an official in the presidential office. “But we remain wary that hardliners may have a discrete plan to unveil their main candidate in the last minute.” Analysts say Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Tehran’s mayor, who city residents credit for implementing major development projects in the capital, is one potential candidate . But a whistleblower recently alleged that senior managers and members of the city council were sold land in Tehran at massive discounts. Mr Qalibaf denied the charges. Another possibility is Ezzatollah Zarghami, former head of the state broadcaster and a close ally of Mr Ahmadinejad. But Iranian analysts say he lacks charisma and had a poor record of managing the broadcasting company.[SEP]"In carrying out the intentions of the leader of the revolution, I have no plans to take part in the elections next year," Ahmadinejad said in a letter to Khamenei, published on his website dolatebahar.com. Ahmadinejad, a hardliner who increased Iran's international isolation by refusing to negotiate about its nuclear program, had not announced a re-election bid, but several speeches in recent months had prompted speculation of a political comeback. By ruling himself out, he has removed one potentially serious challenger to President Hassan Rouhani's bid for a second term at May's election, although he is still likely to face a challenger opposed to his policy of detente with the West. Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of state, was quoted on Monday as saying Ahmadinejad's candidacy would polarize society and "create ... divisions in the country which I believe is harmful".[nL8N1C210R] Ahmadinejad was first elected president in 2005. His disputed re-election in 2009 prompted the biggest street protests in the Islamic Republic's history and a security crackdown in which several people were killed and hundreds arrested. Iranian law bars a president from seeking a third consecutive term. But Ahmadinejad would have been able to run again after the gap caused by Rouhani's term. "I will proudly remain a modest soldier of the revolution and a servant of the people," Ahmadinejad said.

Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declines to run for a third term in the upcoming election. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has previously advised Ahmadinejad to not seek the presidency next year.

Allardyce pictured departing from Wembley on Tuesday Sam Allardyce has left his post as England manager by mutual agreement with the Football Association after one match and 67 days in charge. It follows a newspaper investigation claiming he offered advice on how to "get around" rules on player transfers. Allardyce, 61, is also alleged to have used his role to negotiate a deal worth £400,000 to represent a Far East firm. An FA statement said Allardyce's conduct "was inappropriate" and Gareth Southgate will take temporary charge. "He accepts he made a significant error of judgement and has apologised," the FA said. "This is not a decision that was taken lightly but the FA's priority is to protect the wider interests of the game and maintain the highest standards of conduct in football. "The manager of the England men's senior team is a position which must demonstrate strong leadership and show respect for the integrity of the game at all times." Allardyce succeeded Roy Hodgson in July following England's disastrous performance at Euro 2016 in France and becomes the national side's shortest-serving full-time manager. Media playback is not supported on this device Sam Allardyce: 67 days in 67 seconds What did Allardyce do? The Daily Telegraph said Allardyce had a meeting with undercover reporters posing as businessmen before he took charge of his first England training session. During the meeting, which was recorded on camera, it is alleged Allardyce said it was "not a problem" to bypass rules on third-party player ownership and claimed he knew of agents who were "doing it all the time". It was further alleged that a £400,000 deal was struck for him to represent the company to Far East investors and to be a keynote speaker at events. In the meeting, Allardyce also referred to Hodgson as "Woy", making fun of his predecessor's manner of speaking, and criticised Gary Neville, one of Hodgson's assistants. England's shortest serving full-time managers (and the longest) Name Games in charge Time in charge Sam Allardyce 1 (2016) 67 days Steve McClaren 18 (2006-2007) One year, six months, 18 days Kevin Keegan 18 (1999-2000) One year, seven months, 17 days Terry Venables 23 (1994-1996) Two years, four months, 29 days Glenn Hoddle 28 (1996-1999) Two years, nine months Don Revie 29 (1974-1977) Three years, seven days LONGEST Walter Winterbottom 139 (1946-1962) 16 years Allardyce apology Allardyce met FA chairman Greg Clarke and chief executive Martin Glenn on Tuesday to offer what he called a "sincere and wholehearted apology for my actions". He explained it had been "a great honour" to be appointed England manager in July and that he was "deeply disappointed at this outcome". "Although it was made clear during the recorded conversations that any proposed arrangements would need the FA's full approval, I recognise I made some comments which have caused embarrassment," he added. "As part of the meeting, I was asked to clarify what I said and the context in which the conversations took place. I have co-operated fully in this regard. "I also regret my comments with regard to other individuals." Media playback is not supported on this device FA chairman Greg Clarke: "The things he said were inappropriate for a manager to say" Clarke told the BBC he had not been sacked, but they had agreed his position was "untenable". In an interview on the FA website, Glenn said Allardyce was "distraught" but that "discussing a range of issues from potential contraventions of FA rules through to personal comments frankly just don't work when you're the manager of England". However, Glenn did add that it was a "really painful decision" as the FA believed Allardyce was "a great fit for England manager and we think could have been extremely successful". Caretaker and successor Allardyce said "we have to make the people and the whole country proud" after being appointed Former Blackpool, Notts County, Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham and Sunderland boss Allardyce won his only game in charge of the national team last month. An injury-time goal from Liverpool's Adam Lallana gave England a 1-0 win over Slovakia in the first of their 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Allardyce was due to announce his squad for the next round of qualifiers on Sunday but now Southgate will be in charge for four matches against Malta at Wembley (8 October), Slovenia away (11 October), Scotland at home (11 November) and Spain in a friendly (15 November) as the FA searches for a successor. Southgate ruled himself out of the running for the England manager job prior to Allardyce's appointment but the current bookmakers' favourite may become a contender, depending on results in his caretaker spell. Bournemouth's Eddie Howe, Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew and former Hull City boss Steve Bruce are also among the possible candidates. Former England striker Gary Lineker tweeted about Allardyce's 100% record from his one game charge What is third-party player ownership? Third-party ownership occurs when investment companies take a stake in the economic rights of players. It was described as a form of "slavery" by Michel Platini, the former president of European football's governing body Uefa. The practice was banned by the FA in 2008 and by Fifa in May last year. Key facts & figures Allardyce has never won a major trophy as a manager but did secure promotion to the Premier League with both Bolton and West Ham. He also won Division Three with Notts County in 1998. Allardyce has a 33.6% Premier League career win percentage. He was the 14th permanent England boss, the pinnacle of a managerial career that started at Blackpool in 1994 and has taken in 467 Premier League games. Only Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Harry Redknapp have managed more games in the top flight. Allardyce has the 14th best win percentage of the 31 Englishmen to have managed at least 100 games in the Premier League. Analysis BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty Sam Allardyce never made a secret of his desire and suitability to be England manager - so he will be heartbroken that the dream he harboured throughout his career is over in 67 days. The Football Association will be equally dismayed at being plunged into uncertainty so soon after appointing the man it believed would signpost a bright future towards the World Cup in two years after the debacle of Euro 2016. Sadly for Allardyce, the lack of judgement and loose-tongued approach that saw him caught in a Daily Telegraph sting meant events at Wembley on Tuesday were always heading towards an inevitable conclusion. Some may have sympathy for Allardyce, gone after one victory in Slovakia and brought down by non-footballing matters, but the FA's statement spoke of the need for strong leadership and respect for the integrity of the game, and it clearly felt his behaviour was unbecoming of an England manager.[SEP]Sam Allardyce has left his position as manager of the England national team following a newspaper sting. Allardyce left his role on Tuesday night after he was filmed giving advice how to ‘get around’ the FA’s own regulations on third-party ownership. He spent just 67 days in charge of the side and managed just one game • Sam Allardyce leaves ‘dream’ England manager job after one game in charge[SEP]Sam Allardyce’s tenure as manager of the England football team has been terminated after 67 days in charge following allegations he had offered advice on how to circumvent the English Football Association’s rules on player transfers. Allardyce, who was appointed as Roy Hodgson’s successor in July, has left his position by mutual consent after two months and one game, the World Cup qualifying win over Slovakia. He and his agent attended a meeting with FA chairman Greg Clarke and chief executive Martin Glenn at Wembley Stadium yesterday with the hierarchy dismayed by comments the 61-year-old had made to undercover reporters from the Daily Telegraph. Allardyce, who began his managerial career at Limerick, had been filmed appearing to offer advice to the undercover reporters on how to circumvent rules on transfers at meetings held over the past month. An FA statement read: “Sam Allardyce’s conduct was inappropriate of the England manager. He accepts he made a significant error of judgment and has apologised. However, due to the serious nature of his actions, the FA and Allardyce have mutually agreed to terminate his contract.” Allardyce said he had “offered a sincere and wholehearted apology for my actions”. Gareth Southgate will take charge of the team for the next four matches.[SEP]LONDON — Sam Allardyce left his position as England manager on Tuesday after only one match in charge over a series of damaging comments to undercover reporters that the English Football Association deemed “inappropriate.” The FA acted swiftly after British newspaper The Daily Telegraph published video of Allardyce appearing to offer advice on how to sidestep an outlawed player transfer practice and to also negotiate a 400,000-pound ($519,000) public-speaking contract with reporters posing as businessmen. “Allardyce’s conduct, as reported today, was inappropriate of the England manager,” the FA said in a statement. “He accepts he made a significant error of judgment and has apologised. However, due to the serious nature of his actions, the FA and Allardyce have mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect.” The 61-year-old Allardyce was only hired on July 22 and had a contract through 2018. In charge for 67 days, he is the shortest-serving England manager. “This is not a decision that was taken lightly but the FA’s priority is to protect the wider interests of the game and maintain the highest standards of conduct in football,” the FA statement said. “The manager of the England men’s senior team is a position which must demonstrate strong leadership and show respect for the integrity of the game at all times.” Gareth Southgate, the manager of England’s under-21 side, will take charge of the senior team’s next four matches — against Malta, Slovenia, Scotland and Spain — while the FA searches for a new coach. After opening World Cup qualifying with a victory in Slovakia, England plays Malta on Oct. 8 and Slovenia on Oct. 11. The Telegraph published its undercover investigation in its Tuesday edition, under the front-page headline: “England manager for sale.” Allardyce met people he reportedly thought were representatives of an Asian firm. In a grainy, edited video, he is recorded as saying it was “not a problem” to circumvent FA rules that stop third parties from owning the economic rights of players. FIFA has banned third-party ownership as a threat to the game’s integrity because investors force transfers to make a profit. “You can still get around it,” the former Sunderland and West Ham manager said. “I mean obviously the big money’s here.” Allardyce told the undercover reporters that his predecessor Roy Hodgson sent players “all to sleep.” Allardyce also mimicked Hodgson’s speech impediment. He also questioned why Prince William, who is president of the FA, did not appear at last week’s London launch of the 2020 European Championship. Wembley Stadium will host the semifinals and final of the tournament. “It would have been nice if he’d have turned up but he obviously had more, much busier things on,” Allardyce said.[SEP]Sam Allardyce has stepped down from his dream job as England manager following an undercover investigation, and bookies have identified the men who could replace him as Three Lions boss. Allardyce's short reign is over after he was was caught mocking Roy Hodgson, criticising Gary Neville and offering advice on how to get around the FA's transfer rules. Just 67 days after being appointed in the wake of England's dismal Euro 2016 campaign, the 61-year-old has left by mutual agreement after he was secretly filmed by The Telegraph. Moving swiftly, bookmakers are already offering odds on the next England manager. According to Unibet UK, Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew is favourite to land the job at 3/1, followed by unemployed Steve Bruce at 6/1, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe at 8/1 and Glenn Hoddle at 10/1. Allardyce allegedly negotiated a £400,000 deal to act as an ambassador overseas. • Sam Allardyce spotted leaving his house as FA chiefs meet to decide his England future It is also claimed he offered advice on how to get around transfer rules that are laid down by his employers the Football Association. England's new head coach was talking to undercover reporters but he thought he was dealing with a group representing a Far East firm that was hoping to profit from the Premier League's billion-pound transfer market. It is claimed he agreed to travel to Singapore and Hong Kong to be an ambassador. • Next England manager: 7 candidates to replace under fire Three Lions boss Sam Allardyce Allardyce was grilled by FA chiefs after video recordings of the talks emerged. FA chairman Greg Clarke and chief executive Martin Glenn were in discussions today over the next step. The England manager must get FA permission to lend his name or to be involved or associated with any business practices as part of his contract. Allardyce was taped explaining to the pretend businessmen how they could circumvent rules that prohibit third parties "owning" players. Over the course of two meetings lasting four hours in total, Allardyce is alleged to have told them it was "not a problem" to bypass rules introduced by the FA in 2008. He said he knew of agents who were "doing it all the time" and added: "You can still get around it. I mean, obviously the big money's here." • England boss Sam Allardyce fighting for his job after mocking predecessor Roy Hodgson's speech impediment During a meeting with the reporters he made fun of his predecessor Hodgson's speech impediment, and said he "hasn't got the personality" for public speaking. He also made a series of remarks about the performances of the England team under Hodgson. Allardyce said Hodgson was "too indecisive" when skipper Wayne Rooney and the rest of the England team were knocked out by Iceland at Euro 2016. He said Neville - Hodgson's assistant - was "the wrong influence". Allardyce told the undercover Telegraph reporters it was "not a problem" to dodge the "ridiculous" transfer rules. Last week the England boss followed up his initial meeting by having dinner with representatives of the fictitious firm in a Manchester restaurant, where he discussed dates when he could fly to Singapore. Allardyce, 61, who is paid £3million a year plus bonuses by the FA, now faces questions about his judgment just weeks after his first match in charge of the national side. He told the undercover reporters the banned transfer practice was possible in "all of South America, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, all of Africa" and that Ecuadorian player Enner Valencia had been under a third-party ownership agreement when he signed him for £12million for West Ham from a Mexican club in 2014. The third-party ownership arrangement ended on the transfer and West Ham acquired the player "whole". Third-party ownership involves an agent or investor owning part of the financial rights to a player, meaning transfer fees are partly paid to them when a player moves clubs, rather than the buying club paying all the money to the selling club. During a meeting at a London hotel in August, Allardyce, who was appointed by the FA on July 22, was happy to discuss third-party ownership of players with two undercover reporters. He attended the meeting with his agent, Mark Curtis, and his financial adviser, Shane Moloney, after being approached via football agent Scott McGarvey, a long-time friend of Allardyce who was unaware of the undercover reporters' involvement. Mr Moloney asked Allardyce: "What do you think they're doing on the football transfers financing?... The thing they're talking about is funding football transfers." Mr Curtis said: "Is that thirdparty ownership a problem though?" Allardyce replied: "It's not a problem... we got Valencia in. "He was third-party owned when we bought him from Mexico." Mr Moloney made it clear the ownership arrangement ended with the transfer.[SEP]Sam Allardyce has left his £3m-a-year job as England manager after just 67 days and a single match in charge, the Football Association confirmed in a statement tonight. The former Bolton Wanderers boss, 61, was caught up in a Daily Telegraph sting in which he allegedly used his position to land a £400,000 deal. He was filmed apparently telling reporters how to bend the rules around third party ownership of footballers and being critical of ex-manager Roy Hodgson and player Gary Neville. Former Manchester United captain Steve Bruce, who was interviewed for the position with Allardyce and is currently out of work, is now the bookies’ favourite to take over. Allardyce faced showdown talks with FA chairman Greg Clarke and chief executive Martin Glenn and the statement said his conduct was ‘inappropriate of the England manager’. The FA confirmed both parties ‘mutually agreed to terminate’ his contract ‘with immediate effect’. Gareth Southgate, the current manager of England’s under-21s, will take charge of the senior team for the next four matches against Malta, Slovenia, Scotland and Spain. A search for a new permanent manager is now underway. The FA said: “Allardyce’s conduct, as reported today, was inappropriate of the England manager. “He accepts he made a significant error of judgement and has apologised. However, due to the serious nature of his actions, the FA and Allardyce have mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect. “This is not a decision that was taken lightly but the FA’s priority is to protect the wider interests of the game and maintain the highest standards of conduct in football. The manager of the England men’s senior team is a position which must demonstrate strong leadership and show respect for the integrity of the game at all times. “Gareth Southgate will take charge of the men’s senior team for the next four matches against Malta, Slovenia, Scotland and Spain whilst The FA begins its search for the new England manager. The FA wishes Sam well in the future.” Allardyce meanwhile issued a statement saying he was ‘deeply disappointed’ with the outcome. He was only appointed in July and took charge for the 1-0 win over Slovakia earlier this month - a World Cup qualifier. Allardyce said: “Further to recent events, The FA and I have mutually agreed to part company. It was a great honour for me to be appointed back in July and I am deeply disappointed at this outcome. “This afternoon, I met with Greg Clarke and Martin Glenn and offered a sincere and wholehearted apology for my actions. Although it was made clear during the recorded conversations that any proposed arrangements would need the FA’s full approval, I recognise I made some comments which have caused embarrassment. “As part of today’s meeting, I was asked to clarify what I said and the context in which the conversations took place. “I have co-operated fully in this regard. I also regret my comments with regard to other individuals.”[SEP]Sam Allardyce’s tenure as the England manager has been terminated after 67 days in charge following allegations he had offered advice on how to circumvent the Football Association’s rules on player transfers. Allardyce, who had suggested the national manager’s role was his “dream job” on his appointment as Roy Hodgson’s successor in July, has left his position by mutual consent after two months and one game, the World Cup qualifying win over Slovakia. He and his agent, Mark Curtis, attended a meeting with the FA’s chairman, Greg Clarke, and the chief executive, Martin Glenn, at Wembley stadium on Tuesday with the hierarchy having been left dismayed by comments the 61-year-old had made to undercover reporters from the Daily Telegraph. Allardyce today confirmed he had offered a “sincere and wholehearted apology for my actions” before his departure. An FA statement read: “The FA can confirm Sam Allardyce has left his position as England manager. Allardyce’s conduct, as reported today, was inappropriate of the England manager. He accepts he made a significant error of judgment and has apologised. However, due to the serious nature of his actions, the FA and Allardyce have mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect. “This is not a decision that was taken lightly but the FA’s priority is to protect the wider interests of the game and maintain the highest standards of conduct in football. The manager of the England men’s senior team is a position which must demonstrate strong leadership and show respect for the integrity of the game at all times. “Gareth Southgate will take charge of the men’s senior team for the next four matches against Malta, Slovenia, Scotland and Spain while the FA begins its search for the new England manager. The FA wishes Sam well in the future.” Allardyce, who was contracted through to the 2018 World Cup finals, had been filmed appearing to offer advice to the undercover reporters on how to circumvent the FA’s rules on player transfers. The Daily Telegraph released the relevant transcripts from two meetings, held in Manchester and London over the past month, to the FA with a contrite Allardyce understood to have conceded his position had been left untenable. Southgate had been reluctant to take up the helm in the summer, when he considered himself to be lacking in the relevant experience for the job, but will stand in with just five days remaining before Allardyce was expected to announce his squad for the forthcoming games. The former Sunderland, Bolton and West Ham manager, accompanied by Curtis and his financial adviser Shane Moloney, had been recorded commenting on a variety of subjects from England players to regulations, Hodgson and the FA’s decision to redevelop Wembley stadium. It was his comments on third-party ownership, and whether he was offering advice on bypassing “ridiculous” FA and Fifa rules, which have caused real alarm. He is filmed telling the undercover reporters, posing as businessmen, it was “not a problem” to get around FA rules imposed in 2008 that prevent parties “owning” players’ economic rights. Fifa has since adopted a similar stance. He stated an unnamed group had been “doing it for years” and “you can still get around it” suggesting they employ the player’s agents to compensate for the fact they are no longer allowed to profit from each transfer directly. “You get a percentage of the player’s agent’s fee that the agent pays to you, the company, because he’s done that new deal at the club again or they sell him on, and you’re not getting a part of the transfer fee any more, because you can’t do that,” he is filmed explaining. “But, you get, because of the size of the contracts now, the contract will be worth £30m, £40m, at 10% and you’ve done a deal with the agent where you’re getting 5% of the agent’s fee, which is massive for doing about two hours’ work.” Allardyce released a statement on Tuesday night which read: “Further to recent events, The FA and I have mutually agreed to part company. It was a great honour for me to be appointed back in July and I am deeply disappointed at this outcome. “This afternoon, I met with Greg Clarke and Martin Glenn and offered a sincere and wholehearted apology for my actions. “Although it was made clear during the recorded conversations that any proposed arrangements would need The FA’s full approval, I recognise I made some comments which have caused embarrassment. “As part of today’s meeting, I was asked to clarify what I said and the context in which the conversations took place. I have co-operated fully in this regard. I also regret my comments with regard to other individuals.” Allardyce earned around £3m-a-year, plus bonuses on the contract he signed in July that was to run up to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and appeared to be using his position to negotiate a £400,000 deal to address investors in a south-east Asia firm. The England manager had stressed he would “have to run it past the powers that be” before committing to any deal.[SEP]The men who decided England manager Sam Allardyce had to go made the painful decision in an effort to preserve the Football Association's integrity as "guardians of the game". FA chairman Greg Clarke and chief executive Martin Glenn met with Allardyce at Wembley on Tuesday and left the 61-year-old in no doubt he had reached the end of a short road with the national side. Allardyce ultimately agreed to terminate his contract, having been left in an untenable position by a Daily Telegraph sting operation that captured him negotiating lucrative speaking engagements in the Far East as well as making indiscreet and damaging remarks about a range of issues including third-party ownership. Among the names linked with replacing Allardyce at Wembley, caretaker manager Gareth Southgate and Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe feature prominently. Former Hull City manager Steve Bruce, too, is in contention while German coach Jurgen Klinsmann is again linked with the vacant post. Glenn, who led the three-man panel that nominated Allardyce in the summer, told FATV: "It has been a really painful decision because obviously we've only just hired Sam. "We've concluded - and Sam's agreed - that his behaviour has been inappropriate and, frankly, not what is expected of an England manager. "Sam, we think, is a great fit for England manager and we think could have been extremely successful. "But the FA's more than just running the England men's team. We have to stand up for the right behaviours across the whole game. We're the guardians of the game, we set the rules. "We have to be seen to apply those rules consistently and evenly, whether you're the England manager or someone low down in the organisation." Who should replace Allardyce as England manager? View our gallery of the leading contenders, featuring odds from 888bet, then let us know your pick in the comments section below.[SEP]Sam Allardyce has left his position as England manager by mutual consent after just one game in charge of the national team. Allardyce was filmed advising undercover journalists on how to circumvent rules against third-party ownership, according to UK’s Daily Telegraph. Video accompanying the report shows Allardyce meeting twice with journalists posing as representatives of a Far East agency who were interested in bypassing rules from the Football Association and FIFA. “You can still get around it. I mean, obviously, the big money’s here,” Allardyce fondly called ‘Big Sam’ said on the video, while also calling the regulations “ridiculous.” A statement from the FA read: “The FA can confirm that Sam Allardyce has left his position as England manager. Allardyce’s conduct, as reported today (yesterday), was inappropriate of the England manager. “He accepts he made a significant error of judgment and has apologised. However, due to the serious nature of his actions, The FA and Allardyce have mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect. “This is not a decision that was taken lightly but The FA’s priority is to protect the wider interests of the game and maintain the highest standards of conduct in football. The manager of the England men’s senior team is a position which must demonstrate strong leadership and show respect for the integrity of the game at all times.” Martin Glenn, England FA boss said, “‘A very difficult 24 hours. In the light of the media allegations that we’ve seen, we’ve concluded and Sam’s agreed that his behaviour’s been inappropriate and frankly not what is expected of an England manager, discussing a range of issues from potential contraventions of FA rules through to personal comments that frankly just don’t work when you’re the manager of England.”[SEP]Sam Allardyce faces a fight to remain at the England helm as the Football Association investigates secretly-filmed conversations which appear to show the recently-appointed manager making a variety of controversial comments to undercover reporters. Named Roy Hodgson’s successor after the embarrassing Euro 2016 exit to Iceland, the former Bolton, West Ham and Sunderland boss’ position is under enormous scrutiny just 67 days after being handed the role of his dreams. Allardyce was secretly filmed by the Daily Telegraph’s investigations team during a 10-month probe, which the newspaper claims “separately unearthed widespread evidence of bribery and corruption in British football”. The video appears to show the 61-year-old making numerous controversial remarks about subjects varying from England players to circumventing regulations, and side work to his employers. The England manager left his home in Bolton, Greater Manchester, shortly before 7am on Tuesday without comment. By midday The Times and Telegraph were reporting that Allardyce could face the sack later on Tuesday having been summoned to Wembley, where FA chairman Greg Clarke and chief executive Martin Glenn are said to be holding an emergency meeting. The FA has refrained from making any official statement, but Press Association Sport understands such an outcome would not come as a big surprise to some in the England dressing room. The Telegraph’s video appears to show Allardyce negotiating a £400,000 deal to address investors in a Far East firm, albeit saying he would “have to run it past the powers that be’’ before committing to a deal. The England manager was also captured appearing to tell a fictitious businessman how to circumvent third-party ownership laws, saying it was “not a problem” to get around FA rules which stop third parties ‘’owning’’ football players’ economic rights. The controversial practice was banned by the FA in 2008 over concerns it compromised the integrity of the game, as the third party could profit whenever a player was sold. When asked about the rules, Allardyce was filmed on a hidden camera apparently saying: “It’s not a problem”. He added an unnamed group had been “doing it for years” and “you can still get around it”, suggesting they employ the player’s agents to compensate for the fact they are no longer allowed to profit from each transfer directly. He added: “You get a percentage of the player’s agent’s fee that the agent pays to you, the company, because he’s done that new deal at the club again or they sell him on, and you’re not getting a part of the transfer fee any more, because you can’t do that. “But, you get - because of the size of the contracts now, the contract will be worth 30, 40million, at 10 per cent and you’ve done a deal with the agent where you’re getting five per cent of the agent’s fee, which is massive for doing about two hours’ work.” The footage makes for uncomfortable viewing and former England striker Gary Lineker believes the Telegraph’s clandestine recording could be justified. “Don’t like entrapment journalism but if it leads to the necessary investigation into the murky waters of corruption in our game then good,” he posted on Twitter. “We can get on our high horses about FIFA etc. but we have a large glass house of our own. “Biggest issue for Sam Allardyce is advising on getting around 3rd party rules. As well, of course, as very poor judgement.” The meeting with reporters also saw Allardyce appear to be filmed questioning predecessor Hodgson’s decisions at Euro 2016, at times calling him “Woy” - a word used in a headline in 2012 that the FA called “unacceptable” and relating to the former England manager’s rhotacism. On his employers, the FA, the video seems to show the England boss saying: “They’re all about making money aren’t they? You know the FA’s the richest football association in the world?” He qualified that by saying the governing body is not the richest as “they stupidly spent £870million on Wembley, so they are still paying that debt off’”. Allardyce called Prince Harry a “very naughty boy” and complained that the Duke of Cambridge, the FA president, did not turn up to last week’s Euro 2020 launch. The England manager is also reported to have been filmed discussing the gambling habits of the country’s current or former senior internationals, the chances of players lining up for England and Hodgson’s assistant Gary Neville. Allardyce, who led Sunderland to Premier League survival last season, was appointed England manager on July 22 after what the FA called a “comprehensive and structured process”. His England reign got off to a winning start earlier this month with a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win in Slovakia. Further qualifiers follow at home to Malta on October 8 and in Slovakia three days later.

England national football team manager Sam Allardyce resigns after only one match and 67 days in charge, due to a scandal over statements made to undercover reporters.

JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A suspected U.S. drone strike against Islamic State in Afghanistan killed at least 21 people on Wednesday, most of them militants but possibly including some civilians, Afghan officials said. Civilians casualties in U.S. air strikes have long been a source of friction between the Afghan government and Western allies fighting the Taliban-led insurgency since 2001. The strike in Nangarhar province, on the eastern border with Pakistan, killed 21 people, at least three of them civilians, and wounded another 11, according to Malem Mashooq, the governor of Achin district where the attack occurred. One of the wounded told Reuters that the attack struck a house where people were sleeping after a gathering to welcome a local elder who had recently returned from the Hajj pilgrimage. “I saw dead and wounded bodies everywhere,” Raghon Shinwari said, lying on a hospital bed in Jalalabad city. Mohammed Ali, the Achin district police chief corroborated that account. “They were in a house to visit someone who had just come from the Hajj pilgrimage,” he said. “A drone targeted the house and killed most of them.” Provincial police spokesman Hazrat Hussain Mashriqiwal said several Islamic State leaders had been killed, but he denied there were any noncombatants among the victims. A spokesman for the U.S. military command in Kabul confirmed that U.S. forces conducted a “counter-terrorism” air strike in Achin, but would not discuss the details of the target. “U.S. Forces - Afghanistan takes all allegations of civilian casualties very seriously,” said Brigadier General Charles Cleveland. “We are aware of some claims of Afghan casualties, and are currently reviewing all materials related to this strike. We are continuing to look into these allegations.” Determining which victims were civilians and which were militants would not be possible until an investigation was complete, said Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor. Islamic State has attracted hundreds, perhaps thousands, of fighters in Afghanistan and Pakistan to join its ranks, and it holds some territory in Nangarhar, and Achin was a stronghold for the group. But it has not been able to expand its influence in Afghanistan beyond a few districts and the Taliban remain the dominant militant force. Thousands of U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan, with many recent air strikes and special operations missions aimed at Islamic State in Nangarhar, but they have also been helping Afghan forces fight Taliban elsewhere in the country. Between January and August this year, American aircraft released more than 800 weapons and flew more than 3,500 close air support missions in Afghanistan, according to U.S. military reports.[SEP]A US drone strike has killed at least 21 people in the eastern Nangarhar province, with Afghan sources saying that more than a dozen of them were civilians. Esmatullah Shinwari, a Nangarhar lawmaker, told the Associated Press that a crowd had gathered at the tribal leader’s house in the Achin district to welcome home his return from the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia when the drone struck. At least 12 people were wounded in the attack, including the tribal leader, he said. Unnamed Afghan sources have said at least 13 of the victims were civilians. The spokesman for the US military in Afghanistan, Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, confirmed that a “counter-terrorism airstrike” had been conducted in Achin district early Wednesday. “US forces did conduct one counter-terrorism airstrike in Achin district, Nangarhar Province, Sept. 28, and for operational security reasons, we do not discuss the details of counter-terror operations,” he said in a statement. “We are aware of some claims of Afghan casualties,” he said, adding that investigations were underway. Local Afghan sources said the US drone attack left at least 25 civilian casualties. The people of Afghanistan have been suffering from violence and insecurity since the US and its allies invaded the country as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror in 2001. Many parts of the country still remain plagued by militancy despite the presence of foreign troops. The military invasion removed Taliban, but militants still push to wrest control over the war-ravaged country.[SEP]A suspected US drone strike against Islamic State in Afghanistan has killed 18 people, Afghan officials have said. The strike in Nangarhar province on the eastern border with Pakistan killed 15 militants and three civilians, said Mohammed Ali, the police chief of Achin district, where the attack occurred. “They were in a house to visit someone who had just come from the Hajj pilgrimage,” he said. “A drone targeted the house and killed most of them.” The provincial police spokesman Hazrat Hussain Mashriqiwal said several Isis leaders had been killed, but he denied there were any noncombatants among the victims. Civilian casualties in US airstrikes against Taliban and other militants in Afghanistan have long been a source of friction between the allies who have been fighting since 2001 to end militant opposition to the government in Kabul. Isis has enticed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of fighters in Afghanistan and Pakistan to join, and it holds some territory in Nangarhar, with Achin a stronghold. But it has not been able to expand its influence in Afghanistan beyond a few districts and the Taliban remain the dominant Islamist force. A spokesman for the US military command in Kabul confirmed that American forces conducted a counter-terrorism airstrike in Achin, but would not discuss the details of the target. “US forces Afghanistan takes all allegations of civilian casualties very seriously,” said Brig Gen Charles Cleveland. “We are aware of some claims of Afghan casualties, and are currently reviewing all materials related to this strike. We are continuing to look into these allegations.” Determining which victims were civilians and which were militants would not be possible until an investigation was complete, said Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor. Thousands of US troops remain in Afghanistan, with many recent airstrikes and special operations missions aimed at Isis in Nangarhar, as well as helping Afghan forces in their fight against the Taliban in various parts of the country. Between January and August, American aircraft released more than 800 weapons and flew more than 3,500 close air support missions in Afghanistan, according to US military reports.[SEP]An unauthorised drone led to a complete 27 minute shutdown at @DubaiAirports https://t.co/Wv6KCKJhs8[SEP]The airstrike occurred in the early morning on Wednesday, hitting what U.S. officials said was an Islamic State target in Achin district of Nangarhar province. The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said some militants may have been killed in the strike, but many of the victims were civilians, including students, a teacher, and members of families considered to be "pro-government". "UNAMA reiterates the need for all parties to the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law," the United Nations said in a statement. "UNAMA calls on the government and international military forces to launch a prompt, independent, impartial, transparent, and effective investigation into this incident." The civilians had gathered in a village to welcome the return of a local elder who had completed the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and were sleeping when the strike occurred, according to witnesses. The U.S. military command confirmed it conducted an air strike in Achin aimed at Islamic State militants, but said it is gathering information on the allegations of civilian casualties. "We take every possible measure to avoid civilian casualties in these operations, and will continue to work with Afghan authorities to determine if there is cause for additional investigation," U.S. forces said in a statement.[SEP]Civilians were among at least 18 people killed in a US air strike against Islamic State militants in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, officials said, with conflicting claims about the number of civilian deaths. The attack happened in Achin district, a hotbed of IS insurgents in Nangarhar province near the border with Pakistan, as local residents gathered to welcome a tribal elder who had recently returned from the hajj pilgrimage. “Three civilians lost their lives in this strike,” Achin police chief Mohammad Ali told AFP, adding that 15 militants were also killed. But Esmatullah Shinwari, a Nangarhar MP, said the strike killed 13 civilian relatives of the local elder. Six IS fighters were also killed, he added. The American military said it conducted a “counter-terrorism airstrike in Achin” on Wednesday, adding it was aware of claims of civilian casualties. “We… are currently reviewing all materials related to this strike,” US military spokesman Charles Cleveland said in a statement. “US Forces-Afghanistan takes all allegations of civilian casualties very seriously.” There was no information on whether it was an attack by a drone or a piloted aircraft. Islamic State first emerged in Afghanistan in late 2014 and has since violently challenged the much larger Afghan Taliban movement in parts of the country’s east. But the fighters have steadily lost territory in recent months because of stepped-up US airstrikes and a ground campaign by Afghan forces in Nangarhar. They are confined to two or three districts including Achin, according to Afghan and US officials. Civilian and military casualties caused by NATO forces have been one of the most contentious issues in the 15-year campaign against the insurgents, prompting harsh public and government criticism. A US air strike killed eight Afghan policemen earlier this month in the southern province of Uruzgan in the first apparent “friendly fire” incident since American forces were given greater powers to strike at insurgents in June. The new authority gave the US-led NATO troops greater latitude to order air strikes in support of Afghan troops.

A U.S. drone strike in Nangarhar Province kills at least 21 people.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Survivors of alleged chemical attacks have reported their eyes and skin changing colour. Pictured: Children in North Darfur in April Dozens of children in Darfur have allegedly been killed by chemical weapons dropped on them by their own government, it is claimed. Amnesty International say the children are among more than 200 people estimated to have been killed by the banned weapons since January. Those affected by the "poisonous smoke" vomit blood, struggle to breathe and watch as their skin falls off. The Sudanese government has said the allegations are baseless. "The allegations of use of chemical weapons by Sudanese Armed Forces is baseless and fabricated," Sudan's UN Ambassador Omer Dahab Fadl Mohamed said, quoted by Reuters. "The ultimate objective of such wild accusation, is to steer confusion in the ongoing processes aimed at deepening peace and stability and enhancing economic development and social cohesion in Sudan." The government in Khartoum and rebels have been fighting in Darfur for 13 years. Yet the conflict and its toll on the western region's citizens has fallen off the radar since 2004, when warnings of a potential genocide forced the outside world to act. But a new report into repeated attacks by the Sudanese government against their own people reveals "nothing has changed", according to Tirana Hassan, Amnesty's director of crisis research. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Amnesty International's Kate Allen explains the evidence for the chemical weapons claim 'Brutality' The human rights group's eight-month investigation uncovered "scorched earth, mass rapes, killings and bombs" in Jebel Marra, a remote region of Darfur. Researchers also found 56 witnesses to the alleged use of chemical weapons on at least 30 occasions by Sudanese forces, who launched an offensive against the Sudan Liberation Army, led by Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW) in the middle of January. "The scale and brutality of these attacks is hard to put into words," said Ms Hassan. "The images and videos we have seen in the course of our research are truly shocking; in one a young child is screaming with pain before dying; many photos show young children covered in lesions and blisters. Some were unable to breathe and vomiting blood." Image copyright Amnesty International Image caption A child's arm shows off circular wounds consistent with chemical poisoning Survivors told Amnesty International of the putrid and "unnatural" smelling smoke which filled the air after the bombs were dropped. Many began vomiting within minutes of coming into contact with it. Often, the vomiting and diarrhoea would be bloody, while others were left with "bulging" eyes. Survivors' eyes were also reported to change colour, as did their urine and their skin, which would then harden and fall off. A man named Ismail, who tried to help people in late January, told Amnesty: "Their skin was falling off and their bodies had become rotten… and their breath was very bad". Several of the children he treated died, others were still in pain months later. Image caption Jebel Marra is one of the most fertile areas of Darfur Two independent chemical weapons experts agreed the injuries seen were consistent with a chemical attack, with symptoms pointing to vesicant or blister agents. Amnesty is now calling for an investigation, and for governments to apply pressure on Khartoum, in particular to allow humanitarian agencies access to Darfur's remote populations. Ms Hassan said: "The fact that Sudan's government is now repeatedly using these weapons against their own people simply cannot be ignored and demands action. "This suspected use of chemical weapons represents not only a new low in the catalogue of crimes under international law by the Sudanese military against civilians in Darfur, but also a new level of hubris by the government towards the international community."[SEP]UNITED NATIONS -- Rights group Amnesty International on Thursday accused Sudanese government forces of killing scores of civilians, including many children, in suspected chemical weapons attacks in a mountainous area of war-torn Darfur. More than 30 such attacks are believed to have been carried out on several villages as part of a massive military campaign against rebels in Darfur's Jebel Marra between January and September, Amnesty said in a report. "An Amnesty International investigation has gathered horrific evidence of the repeated use of what are believed to be chemical weapons against civilians, including very young children, by Sudanese government forces in one of the most remote regions of Darfur over the past eight months," Amnesty said. "Between 200 and 250 people may have died as a result of exposure to the chemical weapons agents, with many or most being children," said the report. Amnesty said government forces also carried out "indiscriminate bombing of civilians... unlawful killing of men, women and children and the abduction and rape of women" in Jebel Marra, home to Darfur's most fertile land. The nearly 100-page report contains gruesome photographs of children suffering from chemical burns, satellite images of destroyed villages and displaced people, interviews with more than 200 survivors, and analysis by chemical weapons experts. Amnesty said the attacks were part of a military operation against the rebel Sudan Liberation Army - Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW) group, which Khartoum accuses of ambushing military convoys and attacking civilians. Amnesty's crisis research director Tirana Hassan said tens of thousands of people had been driven from their homes since the air and ground campaign began in January in Jebel Marra -- the homeland of the ethnic Fur tribe. "The evidence we have gathered is credible and portrays a regime that is intent on directing attacks against the civilian population in Darfur without any fear of international retribution," she said in a statement. Amnesty said the attacks amount to "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity". Sudan, which was slapped with US trade sanctions in 1997 and has a UN peacekeeping mission deployed in Darfur since 2007, is a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention. Darfur has been engulfed in a deadly conflict since 2003 when ethnic minority groups took up arms against President Omar al-Bashir's Arab-dominated government. Bashir then launched a brutal counter-insurgency that has ravaged Darfur -- a region of the size of France. At least 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced, the United Nations says. Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes and genocide charges related to Darfur, which he denies. In recent months Sudan has insisted that the conflict in Darfur has ended, but Khartoum continues to restrict access to the region for journalists and humanitarian workers.[SEP]The rights group estimated that up to 250 people may have died as a result of exposure to the chemical weapons agents. The most recent attack occurred on Sept. 9 and Amnesty said its investigation was based on satellite imagery, more than 200 interviews and expert analysis of images showing injuries. "The use of chemical weapons is a war crime. The evidence we have gathered is credible and portrays a regime that is intent on directing attacks against the civilian population in Darfur without any fear of international retribution," said Tirana Hassan, Amnesty International's director of Crisis Research. Sudanese U.N. Ambassador Omer Dahab Fadl Mohamed said in a statement that the Amnesty report was "utterly unfounded" and that Sudan does not possess any type of chemical weapons. "The allegations of use of chemical weapons by Sudanese Armed Forces is baseless and fabricated. The ultimate objective of such wild accusation, is to steer confusion in the on-going processes aimed at deepening peace and stability and enhancing economic development and social cohesion in Sudan," he said. Amnesty said it had presented its findings to two independent chemical weapons experts. "Both concluded that the evidence strongly suggested exposure to vesicants, or blister agents, such as the chemical warfare agents sulfur mustard, lewisite or nitrogen mustard," Amnesty said in a statement. Sudan joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1999 under which members agree to never use toxic arms. A joint African Union-United Nations force, known as UNAMID, has been stationed in Darfur since 2007. Security remains fragile in Darfur, where mainly non-Arab tribes have been fighting the Arab-led government in Khartoum, and the government is struggling to control rural areas. Some 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur since the conflict began in 2003, the U.N. says, while 4.4 million people need aid and over 2.5 million have been displaced. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in 2009 and 2010 on charges of war crimes and genocide in his drive to crush the Darfur revolt.[SEP]Internally displaced persons are shown in a camp in Sortoni, in Sudan's North Darfur state. By (UNAMID/AFP/File) United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Rights group Amnesty International has accused Sudanese government forces of killing scores of civilians, including many children, in suspected chemical weapons attacks in a mountainous area of war-torn Darfur. More than 30 such attacks are believed to have been carried out on several villages as part of a massive military campaign against rebels in Darfur's Jebel Marra between January and September, Amnesty said in a report. "An Amnesty International investigation has gathered horrific evidence of the repeated use of what are believed to be chemical weapons against civilians, including very young children, by Sudanese government forces in one of the most remote regions of Darfur over the past eight months," Amnesty said. "Between 200 and 250 people may have died as a result of exposure to the chemical weapons agents, with many or most being children," said the report. Amnesty said government forces also carried out "indiscriminate bombing of civilians... unlawful killing of men, women and children and the abduction and rape of women" in Jebel Marra, home to Darfur's most fertile land. The nearly 100-page report contains gruesome photographs of children suffering from chemical burns, satellite images of destroyed villages and displaced people, interviews with more than 200 survivors, and analysis by chemical weapons experts. Amnesty said the attacks were part of a military operation against the rebel Sudan Liberation Army - Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW) group, which Khartoum accuses of ambushing military convoys and attacking civilians. Amnesty's crisis research director Tirana Hassan said tens of thousands of people had been driven from their homes since the air and ground campaign began in January in Jebel Marra -- the homeland of the ethnic Fur tribe. "The evidence we have gathered is credible and portrays a regime that is intent on directing attacks against the civilian population in Darfur without any fear of international retribution," she said in a statement. Amnesty said the attacks amount to "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity". Sudan, which was slapped with US trade sanctions in 1997 and has a UN peacekeeping mission deployed in Darfur since 2007, is a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention. Darfur has been engulfed in a deadly conflict since 2003 when ethnic minority groups took up arms against President Omar al-Bashir's Arab-dominated government. Bashir then launched a brutal counter-insurgency that has ravaged Darfur -- a region of the size of France. At least 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced, the United Nations says. Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes and genocide charges related to Darfur, which he denies. In recent months Sudan has insisted that the conflict in Darfur has ended, but Khartoum continues to restrict access to the region for journalists and humanitarian workers. Amnesty said there was "credible evidence" that at least 32 villages in Jebel Marra were attacked with bombs and rockets containing chemicals. "Many photos show young children covered in lesions and blisters. Some were unable to breath and vomiting blood," Hassan said. She added that there had been "horrific burns and skin reactions to the agents... and some of the first responders and caregivers have told us that even when they touch the skin, it actually falls off in large chunks." The symptoms varied between attacks, suggesting that more than one type of chemical was used, chemical weapons expert Jennifer Knaack said in a video released by Amnesty. The rights group said experts had concluded the victims were exposed to vesicants, or blister agents, such as sulfur mustard, lewisite or nitrogen mustard. Dozens of survivors suffered various illnesses for days after being exposed to chemicals, the report said. "When (the bomb) fell there were some flames and then dark smoke," said a woman who survived an attack with her baby. She said the bombing had caused vomiting, dizziness, skin problems and headaches. "The baby is not recovering ... he is swollen ... he has blisters and wounds." Amnesty urged Sudan -- which wants international peacekeepers to leave Darfur -- to allow humanitarian workers and UN forces immediate access to Jebel Marra. Darfur "has been stuck in a catastrophic cycle of violence for more than 13 years. Nothing has changed except that the world has stopped watching," Hassan said.[SEP](CNN) The Sudanese government has been accused of using chemical weapons against the people of Darfur, according to a report released by Amnesty International on Thursday. The attacks targeted civilians and may constitute a war crime, the report said. The Sudanese government has denied the allegations, calling them "rumors." Amnesty says it has new evidence abuses persist in a war that has been described as one of the world's worst humanitarian conflicts by the United Nations. Unidentified witnesses quoted in the Amnesty report said the attacks left a smoke, which turned dark blue and smelled "like rotten eggs," coating the trees, ground, and humans in a thick black dust. After exposure to the smoke, some said their skin turned white and became rotten or hardened and fell off in chunks. "When the bomb exploded I inhaled the poisonous air which I am still smelling even now," said one witness. Some children vomited blood, the report said. Another witness said: "My youngest child was walking before the attack. Now she is only crawling." Pictures obtained by Amnesty International show graphic images of children with large welts, peeling skin, and infected lesions. The alleged use of chemical weapons came during a large-scale offensive by the Sudanese forces and its allied groups against an armed opposition group, the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW), which operates in the Jebel Marra region. The Sudanese government accused the group of looting and attacking civilians and military vehicles prior to the January offensive. Since the Sudanese military campaign began in January, Amnesty International says up to 250 people have been killed by chemical weapons. The report alleges the Sudanese forces targeted civilians: "The overwhelming majority of the attacked villages had no formal armed opposition presence at the time of the attacks. The purpose...appears to have been to target the entire population of the village." Chemical attacks in some regions have been taking place for eight months, including just weeks before the report's release. The Sudanese government has denied allegations it had used chemical weapons against civilians, calling them "rumors." "I don't know from where these rumors are being said," Sudan's Information Minister Ahmed Bilal told CNN. Bilal acknowledged a government offensive in Jebel Marra had taken place, saying it was in response to rebel activity. "It was started by them," Bilal said. "The rebels were doing some sort of looting, they were attacking innocent people. This has stopped. There is not an inch occupied by rebels," Bilal said. "The whole Darfur is quite in peace and the people are very happy," he said. Likely more than one chemical Journalists and humanitarians have been prohibited from entering Jebel Marra for more than four years, making reporting extremely difficult from the region. Amnesty International had to do all reporting remotely. Collecting soil samples for confirmation was impossible. Two chemical weapons experts reviewed photographic and video evidence and both found the symptoms consistent with chemical agents such as sulfur mustard, lewisite and nitrogen mustard -- or a combination. "The symptoms varied between the attacks and this tells me there were likely more than one chemical in use as well as the possibility that the chemicals were mixed or that different chemicals were used at different times for different attacks," said Dr. Jennifer Knaack, one of the weapons experts involved in the study. The writer of the report, a senior Amnesty adviser, Jonathan Loeb calls it "by far the most substantial, credible release of evidence of the use of chemical weapons in Darfur since the conflict began." The conflict in Darfur began around 2003 when several rebel groups in Darfur took up arms against the government in Khartoum. They had grievances over land and historical marginalization. In response, the government's counterinsurgency strategy targeted the opposition groups but reportedly expanded to target tribes associated with the insurgents. The violence escalated into a war and the in 2008, the UN estimated that 300,000 people may have died in the Darfur conflict, although experts say that figure has likely risen since then. Sudan's President, Omar al-Bashir, was charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, including genocide, related to the Darfur conflict in 2010. Bashir has yet to cooperate with the court and continues to travel freely around the continent. South Africa and Uganda have both been criticized for allowing President Bashir to travel to their countries without being turned over to the ICC.[SEP]Internally displaced persons in Sortoni, in Sudan's North Darfur state, who fled their homes following ongoing clashes between armed movements and government forces in the Jebel Marra. AFP PHOTO | UNAMID The Khartoum government has been using chemical weapons on innocent civilians, including children, in Darfur in its war against rebels, rights group Amnesty International has said. Amnesty says it has gathered evidence of the repeated use of suspected chemical weapons by the Sudanese government forces in Jebel Marra, one of the remote mountainous regions of Darfur over the past eight months. However, the Sudan embassy in Nairobi, has refuted the claims saying that they are fabricated and part of efforts by international human rights and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to constantly paint the Sudanese government in bad light. Using satellite imagery, more than 200 in-depth interviews with survivors, and expert analysis of dozens of images showing babies and young children with terrible injuries, Amnesty International says its investigation indicates that at least 30 likely chemical attacks have taken place in the Jebel Marra since January 2016, with the most recent being September 9. “The scale and brutality of these attacks is hard to put into words. The images and videos we have seen in the course of our research are truly shocking; in one a young child is screaming with pain before dying; many photos show young children covered in lesions and blisters. Some were unable to breath and vomiting blood,” said Tirana Hassan, Amnesty International’s Director of Crisis Research. She continued: “It is hard to describe just how cruel the effects of these chemicals are when they come into contact with the human body. Chemical weapons have been banned for decades in recognition of the fact that the level of suffering they cause can never be justified. The fact that Sudan’s government is now repeatedly using them against their own people simply cannot be ignored and demands action.” However, Elsadig Abdalla Elias, the Sudanese Ambassador to Kenya, told The EastAfrican that the claims were built on bogus and fabricated evidence because Sudan has signed all international treaties which forbid using the chemical weapons. Mr Elias said that a number of international envoys have visited Sudan recently, including British and US special envoys who went Darfur twice and they did not raise the issue of use of chemical weapons. Moreover, Mr Elias said that there are many UN organisations, international and regional NGOs working in Darfur, including thousands of joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping troops (UNAMID) but none had mentioned anything about chemical weapons. “Since this organisation have no base in Sudan and all the evidences were just collected through hearsay, it is therefore obvious that this report has no credibility at all,” said Mr Elias, who added that Amnesty International has no physical presence in South Sudan. Amnesty report says that hundreds more survived the attacks but in the hours and days after exposure to the chemicals, they developed symptoms including severe gastrointestinal conditions involving vomiting blood and diarrhoea; blistering and rashes on skin which reportedly hardened, changed colour and fell off; eye problems including complete loss of vision; and respiratory problems which were reported to be the most common cause of death.[SEP]The Sudanese government has been accused of launching chemical weapon attacks on its own civilians, killing hundreds of people including scores of children, in what would be a dramatic escalation of the Darfur conflict. Amnesty International says it has compiled the first credible body of evidence to suggest the forces of President Omar al-Bashir bombed swathes of the crisis-hit Jebel Marra region with chemical agents. The charity has released before-and-after satellite images, photographs of horrific burn wounds on children and evidence from more than 200 interviews, and called for a United Nations investigation. Chemical weapons attacks on the African continent in the post-war era have been extremely rare, and even the accusation that it has carried them out could represent a major setback for Sudan’s improving relations with the international community. But it also serves to highlight the ongoing armed conflict in Darfur that, since the peak of the violence and international attention in 2003, has continued to rage more or less unnoticed. With the exception of Egypt and South Sudan, all African states have signed the Chemical Weapons Convention committing them to destroy any stockpiles. Using chemical weapons for anything other than a specific set of military goals, let alone on civilians, is a war crime. Yet between January and the most recent alleged incident earlier this month, Amnesty International says it has recorded at least 30 likely chemical weapons attacks on Darfur civilian populations. Those attacks alone have killed around 200 to 250 people, the charity said, with many – possibly even the majority – being children. Countless others have suffered the effects of what appear to be chemical agents, and some described their symptoms to Amnesty over the course of its investigation. “Several bombs fell around the village and in the hills,” a mother in her thirties from the village of Burro told the charity. “Most of my kids are sick from the smoke of the bombardment. They got sick on the day of the attack. They vomited and they had diarrhoea, they were coughing a lot [and] their skin turned dark like it was burned.” “This is first documented, substantial evidence of chemical weapons use inside the Darfur region,” the report author Jonathan Loeb told The Independent. “We spoke with scores of survivors and people who cared for them about these alleged chemical weapons attacks, and they all said that the alleged chemical was released by bombs or rocket fire. These bombs and rockets unequivocally came from Sudanese government forces, that we know beyond doubt. There are no other armed actors in the area with any air force [capable of these attacks].” Amnesty International said it had shared all of its video, photographic and testimonial evidence with two independent chemical weapons experts, and said both concluded that the injuries shown could not have been produced by conventional weapons. The charity is calling on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to undertake an investigation into its allegations. Only an on-the-ground probe with access to soil samples, urine samples and weapons fragments can conclusively confirm a chemical weapons attack took place. “The scale and brutality of these attacks is hard to put into words,” said Tirana Hassan, Amnesty’s director of crisis research. “The images and videos we have seen in the course of our research are truly shocking; in one a young child is screaming with pain before dying; many photos show young children covered in lesions and blisters. Some were unable to breath and vomiting blood. “The fact that Sudan’s government is now repeatedly using these weapons against their own people simply cannot be ignored and demands action.” The Bashir government has blocked all access to the Jebel Marra region of Darfur, including to humanitarian groups and even the UN peacekeeping force which is operating elsewhere in the country. But Amnesty said satellite images showed 171 villages had been destroyed or damaged in the last eight months alone, part of a large-scale military offensive launched in January against the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), which the government accuses of ambushing military convoys and attacking civilians. Sudan is currently subject to an arms embargo in relation to human rights abuses in the Darfur region. Yet a report by a UN monitoring panel this week found the government continues to violate the sanctions imposed on it, leading Human Rights Watch to declare the measures “now exist in name only”. The Sudanese government did not respond to The Independent’s request for comment on Amnesty’s report. But in a rare international media interview earlier this year, President Bashir denied any abuses had taken place in the mountains of Jebel Marra since the start of the government offensive. He told the BBC: “All these allegations are baseless, none of these reports is true. “We challenge anyone to visit the areas recaptured by the armed forces, and find a single village that has been torched. “In fact, there hasn't been any aerial bombing,” he said.[SEP]CAIRO -- The human rights group Amnesty International says it has gathered "horrific evidence" that the Sudanese military has used chemical weapons against civilians, including very young children, in one of the most remote corners of the Darfur region over the past eight months. In a report released Thursday, the Britain-based organization says its investigation includes satellite imagery, more than 200 in-depth interviews with survivors and expert analysis of dozens of images that suggest that at least 30 likely chemical attacks took place in the Jebel Marra area. Darfur has been gripped by bloodshed since 2003, when rebels took up arms against the government in Khartoum, accusing it of discrimination and neglect. The U.N. estimates 300,000 people have died in the conflict and 2.7 million have fled their homes.[SEP]Sudanese government forces have used chemical weapons repeatedly against civilians, including babies and young children, in one of the most remote regions of Darfur over the past eight months, according to allegations documented by Amnesty International. The alleged chemical attacks, believed to have killed up to 250 people, mostly children, represent a “new low” in the catalogue of serious abuses perpetrated by government forces in the region, said the human rights group. The most recent of the alleged offensives recorded by the investigation occurred on 9 September. The attacks are ongoing, said Amnesty. Using satellite images, more than 200 in-depth interviews by phone or internet, and expert analysis of dozens of distressing images showing babies and children with flayed and bloody skin, the investigation claims that at least 30 chemical attacks have taken place in the Jebel Marra area of Darfur since January 2016. Amnesty denounced what it called indiscriminate attacks on civilians by government troops as a war crime. A spokesman for the Sudanese government denied any chemical weapon attacks had taken place. Dr Khalid al-Mubarak, the media attache at the Sudan embassy in London, said that fighting in the Jebel Marra district was the result of government troops trying to attack forces loyal to Abdul Wahid al-Nour, leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement. “There were no chemical attacks,” said al-Mubarak. Jebel Marra was the only spot in which there was any trouble. Now the government has full control. There is now a civilian police station and the administration in Darfur is not returning to Jebel Marra. “Amnesty International has this information second hand. They have talked to people selectively.” Asked about allegations that up to 250 people have died as a result of the attacks, he said: “Have they counted them? They have not. No chemical attacks happened.” But Tirana Hassan, Amnesty International’s director of crisis research, said: “The scale and brutality of these attacks is hard to put into words. The images and videos we have seen in the course of our research are truly shocking; in one, a young child is screaming with pain before dying. Many photos show young children covered in lesions and blisters. Some were unable to breathe and [were] vomiting blood. “It is hard to exaggerate just how cruel the effects of these chemicals are when they come into contact with the human body. Chemical weapons have been banned for decades in recognition of the fact that the level of suffering they cause can never be justified. That Sudan’s government is now repeatedly using them against their own people simply cannot be ignored and demands action.” The report alleged that hundreds of survivors suffered symptoms including severe gastrointestinal conditions, bloody vomiting and diarrhoea, blistering and rashes on skin that was later lost, eye problems – including a complete loss of vision – and respiratory problems, reportedly the most common cause of death. A woman in her twenties, injured by shrapnel when a bomb that emitted a toxic cloud of smoke fell on her village, said she and her baby became sick and are still suffering six months later. “When [the bomb] landed there were some flames and then dark smoke,” she said. “Immediately it caused vomiting and dizzying … My skin is not normal. I still have headaches, even after I took the medicine … The baby is not recovering … he is swollen … he has blisters and wounds … they said he would get better … but it is not working.” One man who helped to care for people apparently affected by chemicals said 19 people he cared for, including children, died within a month of exposure. He told Amnesty he had been helping to care for victims of the conflict in Jebel Marra since it began in 2003, and had never seen such ailments before. All those who died experienced major changes to the skin, he added. About half sustained wounds that turned green; the other half were affected by skin loss and weeping blisters. Amnesty said they were told the bombs were dropped from planes and rockets. Most of the 200 survivors they spoke to reported that the smoke from the weapons changed colour between five and 20 minutes after impact. Witnesses said it started very dark and then became lighter. Every survivor said the smoke smelled noxious. Using satellite imagery, the report concluded that up to 171 villages were destroyed or damaged as a result of the eight-month campaign. Two chemical weapons experts independently shown photographs, videos and witness testimony found “credible evidence” that chemical weapons agents were used in the attacks.Both concluded the clinical signs and symptoms they had seen and heard were consistent with a class of weapon known as blister agents, or vesicants, which includes sulphur mustard, nitrogen mustard and lewisite. In a video interview, published alongside the report, Dr Keith Ward, an independent chemical weapons expert, said: “The pictures in conjunction with the eyewitness accounts, and in conjunction with a large constellation of clinical signs and symptoms of these victims, do give us enough information to make us very certain that chemicals of some sort were involved in this attack. “We are certain that the kinds of injuries that we’ve seen and the explanation for … what people saw at the source of the attack could not be explained simply as a result of the explosive effect of conventional or incendiary munitions.” The report was a collaboration between Amnesty and Situ Research, an interdisciplinary studio that brings together geospatial information, satellite imagery, photographs and interviews. Many victims told Amnesty they had no access to medicine and were being treated only with a combination of salt, limes and local herbs. “The use of chemical weapons is a war crime” said Hassan. “The evidence we have gathered is credible and portrays a regime that is intent on directing attacks against the civilian population in Darfur without any fear of international retribution.” Amnesty International has called on the UN security council to urgently investigate the alleged use of chemical weapons, ensure the arms embargo is implemented and apply political pressure on the Sudanese government to so that peacekeepers and humanitarian groups are allowed access to remote regions like Jebel Marra. Jebel Marra, in the centre of Darfur, is a volcanic massif with an estimated 1,500 towns, villages and hamlets. The UN Mission in Darfur, a joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force, is present in the region but is unable to provide protection to any civilians against attacks in Jebel Marra beyond its northern base in Sortoni, the report said. The alleged attacks on villages in Jebel Marra were perpetrated by government soldiers and allied militias known as Janjaweed, according to witnesses, some of whom provided the names of officials in charge. Other government forces allegedly included the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces. Amnesty said it was forced to conduct its research remotely, due to restrictions on access by the Sudanese government. The group said no journalist, humanitarian rights investigator or other humanitarian group has gained access to areas of Jebel Marra affected by the conflict in 2016. Survivors and local human rights monitors provided the names of 367 civilians, including 95 children, who were killed in Jebel Marra by government forces in the first six months of the year, the report said. The report, which said the international community’s response to attacks on Darfur was deplorable, concluded: “The government of Sudan’s ongoing attacks in Jebel Marra – the latest in a series of military operations dating back to 2003 that have ravaged Darfur’s civilian population – are but the most recent illustration of a catastrophic pattern of violence.” Speaking in advance of the report’s publication, a UN peacekeeping official said no reports had been received of the use of chemical weapons in Jebel Marra. “Despite repeated requests to the government of Sudan, including most recently last week by the joint special representative during his visit to Zalingei in central Darfur, the UN and the mission does not have access to conflict areas in Jebel Marra,” said the official. “We are aware that the Amnesty International report is scheduled to be released and we would like to study it in detail before commenting.”[SEP]CAIRO (AP) — Amnesty International accused the Sudanese military today of using chemical weapons against civilians, including very young children, in one of the most remote corners of the Darfur region over the past eight months. The Britain-based Human rights group said it had gathered "horrific evidence" including satellite imagery, more than 200 in-depth interviews with survivors, and expert analysis of dozens of images in an investigation that suggests at least 30 chemical attacks took place in the Jebel Marra area. "The scale and brutality of these attacks is hard to put into words," said Tirana Hassan, Amnesty's director of crisis research. "The images and videos we have seen in the course of our research are truly shocking. In one, a young child is screaming with pain before dying; many photos show young children covered in lesions and blisters. Some were unable to breath and vomiting blood." Amnesty estimates that the chemical weapon use it documented may have killed some 200 to 250 people, with many or most being children. Darfur has been witness to bloodshed since 2003, when rebels took up arms against the government in Khartoum, accusing it of discrimination and neglect. The U.N. estimates 300,000 people have died in the conflict and 2.7 million have fled their homes. A recent United Nations report, seen Tuesday by The Associated Press, says the Sudanese government continues to violate sanctions imposed by the Security Council over their actions in Darfur. The report reported violations of the arms embargo, the use of cluster bombs by the Sudanese government and the illegal transfer of intrusion software with electronic intelligence capability among other things. It also documented numerous human rights violations attributable to the government and the financing of armed groups within the country which act as proxy forces. Sudan's leader, Omar al-Bashir, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged atrocities in Darfur. The court issued an arrest warrant for al-Bashir in 2009 for crimes against humanity and war crimes and added genocide to the charges against him in 2010.

Amnesty International say dozens of children in Darfur are among more than 200 people estimated to have been killed by Sudan government chemical weapons since January.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Prosecutors said the missile was brought into Ukraine from Russia International prosecutors say Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed over eastern Ukraine in 2014 by a Buk missile that had come from Russia. They also narrowed down the area it was fired from to a field in territory controlled by Russian-backed rebels. All 298 people on board the Boeing 777 died when it broke apart in mid-air flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Russia says it cannot accept the findings as the final truth, saying no Russian weapons were taken to Ukraine. "Based on the criminal investigation, we have concluded that flight MH17 was downed by a Buk missile of the series 9M83 that came from the territory of the Russian Federation," chief Dutch police investigator Wilbert Paulissen told a news conference on Wednesday. MH17 Malaysia plane crash: What we know MH17 crash: The 298 who perished The missile had been taken from Russia to rebel-held Ukraine in the morning of 17 July, when the plane was shot down, and the launcher was taken back to Russia the next day, he said. The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has also narrowed the missile launch site down to a specific field near the village of Pervomaiskyi, which was then in rebel hands. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Prosecutors played recordings from intercepted phone calls during the news conference In an interview with the BBC, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was "nothing to accept or deny", as he understood these were preliminary findings. "We cannot accept as final truth of what they say. I bet you haven't seen any proof of what they say," he told the Hardtalk programme, adding: "We know the devil is in the detail, and we are still missing lot of the detail." But he appeared to rule out that the missile came from Russia: "We've been ruling out the fact that any Russian weapons were shipped to Ukraine, any Russian army members, any Russian troops were inside Ukraine. And we're still ruling out that possibility." Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko hailed the inquiry's initial findings, saying: "We have solid proof of who is to blame for this dreadful crime." Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the preliminary findings "an important step on the road to the ultimate goal: finding and prosecuting the perpetrators", whereas the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said his country sought "firm action" so that those responsible "will be brought to justice". Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption There are still lots of unclear things and lots of contradictions says Dmitry Peskov Who gave the order? Justice is exactly what the relatives of the victims want. "Apart from wanting to know exactly what weapon was used and where it was fired from, we also want an answer as to where we go from here," said Evert van Zijtveld, who lost his 18-year-old son Robert-Jan and daughter Frederique, 19, in the tragedy. "We want to see the perpetrators caught and put on trial," he told the AFP news agency. JIT prosecutors have established the identities of about 100 people "linked to the crash or the transport of the Buk" missile, but they are yet to determine who could be held criminally responsible. They will need to establish who gave the order to move the missile launcher into eastern Ukraine, and where the order for it to be fired came from. All of this will take time, they say. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption How does a Buk missile system work? Many witnesses Prosecutors played recordings from intercepted phone calls during their news conference. They said witnesses reported seeing the missile launcher move from Russia into Ukraine and presented pictures and videos. The launch site was pinpointed by "many witnesses", prosecutors said. Image copyright Reuters A long, frustrating quest - Richard Galpin, BBC News Near the village of Hrabove, where a large section of the Boeing 777 had come down, we soon found bodies scattered in the fields and a pile of suitcases by the side of the road. A child's diary lay open on the ground. The intense heat from the crash had melted part of one of the wings and a section of human backbone lay in the ashes. For the families of the 298 people killed when MH17 was shot down, today's report is a step forward in their long, frustrating quest to see those responsible brought to justice. The confirmation that the missile launcher had been sent from Russia implies that Russian soldiers could have been involved at least in the transportation and possibly in the firing of the rocket. But prosecutors admit they do not know who gave the order to shoot the plane down. And while there is a determination to prosecute those responsible, it is very unclear that this will ever be possible, particularly if it would require Moscow to hand over suspects. Image copyright Reuters Separatist rebels have denied they were involved. "We never had such air defence systems, nor the people who could operate them," Eduard Basurin, military deputy operational commander at the rebel Donetsk People's Republic, told the Interfax news agency. "Therefore we could not have shot down the Boeing [flight MH17]." An inquiry by the Dutch Safety Board last year found that a Russian-made Buk missile hit the plane but was not specific about where the launch site could have been. Earlier this week, Russia said it had radar data showing that the missile was not fired from rebel-held territory. The JIT does not yet have access to that data, prosecutors said. Russia's changing story In the two years since MH17 was shot down, Russian officials have presented several theories about what happened. Image copyright EPA Image caption This week, Russia presented radar images which it said showed the missile could not have been fired from rebel territory 21 July 2014: Four days after the tragedy, Russia's defence ministry presented satellite photos and other images suggesting it was downed by a Ukrainian surface-to-air Buk missile or a Ukrainian military jet June 2015: Russia's Investigations Committee named a "key witness" - a Ukrainian "aircraft ordnance technician" - who claimed that the Boeing was downed by a Ukrainian Su-25 fighter October 2015: Buk missile producer Almaz-Antey said that the plane was indeed downed by a Buk, but an old one - which Russia no longer had in its arsenal September 2016: Russia's defence ministry released what it said were radar data suggesting MH17 was shot down by a missile, but not one fired by Russian-backed rebels Russia's changing version of events[SEP]NIEUWEGEIN, Netherlands — Dutch-led criminal investigators said Wednesday they have solid evidence that a Malaysian jet was shot down by a Buk missile moved into eastern Ukraine from Russia. Wilbert Paulissen, head of the Central Crime Investigation department of the Dutch National Police, said communications intercepts showed that pro-Moscow rebels had called for deployment of the mobile surface-to-air weapon, and reported its arrival in rebel-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine. From that and other evidence collected by the Joint Investigation Team, “it may be concluded MH17 was shot down by a 9M38 missile launched by a Buk, brought in from the territory of the Russian Federation, and that after launch was subsequently returned to the Russian Federation,” Paulissen told a news conference. The conclusions were billed as results of a two-year Dutch-led criminal probe of the disaster that claimed 298 lives. A separate investigation by Dutch safety officials last year concluded that the Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur flight was downed by a Buk missile fired from territory held by pro-Russian rebels. Dutch police spokesman Thomas Aling said the joint investigation findings differ in that they are designed to be solid enough to be used as evidence in a criminal trial. Where and when a trial might take place is still to be determined, Aling said. Russia has consistently denied allegations that pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine were responsible. On Monday, the Russian military said it has new radio-location data that show the missile that downed the Boeing 777 did not originate from rebel-controlled territory, and said it would turn the data over to investigators. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that assertion on Wednesday ahead of the Dutch report. “If there was a rocket it could only have been launched from a different area,” he told reporters, referring to Russian radar data. “You can’t argue with it, it can’t be discussed.” In the Joint Investigation Team, Dutch police and judicial officials have been working with counterparts from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine, seeking to gather the best possible evidence for use in prosecution of the perpetrators. They have faced extraordinary challenges: the crime scene in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk oblast where the plane crashed on July 17, 2014, killing all aboard, was located in an active war zone, and during the days following the crash pro-Kremlin militants limited access to the site. Eleven containers crammed with debris from the jetliner were ultimately brought to the Netherlands. A research team took soil samples in eastern Ukraine and established the location of cellphone towers and the layout of the local telephone network. Forensic samples were taken from passengers’ and crew members’ bodies and luggage, and satellite data and communications intercepts were scrutinized. The team also appealed for information from witnesses who may have seen the missile launch. About two-thirds of the passengers aboard MH17 were Dutch nationals; the crew members were Malaysians. Malaysia proposed setting up an international tribunal to try those responsible for the plane’s destruction, but Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution in favour of a tribunal.[SEP]NIEUWEGEIN, Netherlands -- A relative of a victim of the downing of a Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine says he and other family members have been told that a Dutch-led investigation has found proof that a mobile Buk missile launcher had been moved into eastern Ukraine from Russia at the time. Hans de Borst, whose 17-year-old daughter perished in the shootdown, said he and other family members were briefed privately Wednesday morning before a news conference scheduled to announce the preliminary results of a Dutch-led investigation into the causes of the disaster. He says the investigators said they had proof, including communications intercepts and radar data, that a mobile Buk missile launcher had been moved into eastern Ukraine from Russia. He says investigators said the launcher was moved back into Russia after the Boeing 777 was downed. A separate investigation by Dutch safety officials last year found the Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur flight was downed by a Buk missile fired from territory held by pro-Russian rebels. Dutch police spokesman Thomas Aling said the investigation findings to be announced Wednesday differ in that they are designed to be solid enough to be used as evidence in a criminal trial. Where and when a trial might take place is still to be determined, Aling said. Russia has consistently denied allegations that pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine were responsible. On Monday, the Russian military said it has new radiolocation data that show the missile that downed the Boeing 777 did not originate from rebel-controlled territory, and said it would turn the data over to investigators.[SEP]International prosecutors investigating the downing of a Malaysian airliner two years ago have concluded it was shot down by a Russian-made missile fired from rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine, victims’ family members said on Wednesday. Families were informed of the prosecutors’ findings shortly before a news conference was due to start in the central Dutch city of Nieuwegein on the outcome of the investigation. A surface-to-air missile hit Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17th, 2014, killing all 298 people aboard, most of them Dutch citizens. Robby Oehlers, the cousin of 20-year-old victim Daisy Oehlers, said investigators had also identified 100 potential suspects in the plane’s downing. Families were also told that the Buk missile system that was used to shoot down the plane had been transported from Russia into Ukraine, and was returned to Russia immediately afterward. The Kremlin said before the family members spoke that radar data showed the plane was not brought down by a rocket fired from territory held by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. “First-hand radar data identified all flying objects which could have been launched or in the air over the territory controlled by rebels at that moment,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow. “The data are clear-cut...there is no rocket. If there was a rocket, it could only have been fired from elsewhere.” At the time of the incident, pro-Russian separatists were fighting Ukrainian government forces in the region. The Boeing 777 broke apart in midair, flinging wreckage over several kilometres of fields in rebel-held territory. The prosecutors from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine have said they will release details of the firing location and type of BUK missile used in the attack, taking them a step closer to identifying individual culprits. Prosecutors cannot file charges because there is no international agreement on what court a case would be heard in. Silene Fredriksz, whose 23-year-old son Bryce was on the airplane with his girlfriend, Daisy Oehlers expects the investigators to say the missile was fired from the rebel-held town of Snizhne. “We will be able to deduce whether it was Russian or Ukrainian. And I think we will just get a confirmation of what we have thought for months: that is was the prior,” Fredriksz said before meeting investigators. “This is an important step. As a family we are impatient. We want to know what happened, how it happened and why. We want those responsible to face justice,” she said. If the investigation confirms that theory, which is supported by photographic evidence and witness statements collected by Reuters, it will directly challenging Moscow’s suggestion that the plane was brought down by the Ukrainian military. At the time, the nearest Ukrainian-held area was about 6 km (3.7 miles) away. The downing played a significant part in a decision by the European Union and United States to impose sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine conflict, and East-West tensions escalated to levels not seen since the Cold War ended. Ukrainian and Western officials, citing intelligence intercepts, have blamed pro-Russian rebels for the incident. Russia has always denied direct involvement in the Ukraine conflict and rejects responsibility for the destruction of MH17. A civilian investigation into the cause of the incident by the Dutch Safety Board concluded last year that the airliner had been downed by a Russian-made BUK missile launched from eastern Ukraine. Dutch prosecutor Fred Westerbeke, head of the investigative team, said earlier it had a “long list of persons of interest” in the case and had been analysing airplane debris and ballistics found at the scene. Prosecutors could also indicate what charges they are considering bringing - for instance criminal negligence. Prosecutors have sought legal assistance from Moscow since October 2014, and visited in person for a week in July. “Russian authorities have offered information in the past, but have not answered all questions,” they said in a statement at the time.[SEP](CNN) Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed over eastern Ukraine by a Buk missile brought in from Russia and fired from a village under the control of pro-Russian separatists, a team of international prosecutors said Wednesday. Speaking at a press conference in the Dutch city of Nieuwegein, Wilbert Paulissen, the head of the Dutch National Detective Force, said there was conclusive evidence that a missile from the Russian-made Buk 9M38 missile system downed the passenger flight on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people on board. The Buk was returned to Russian territory the next day, said Paulissen, presenting the findings of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), a Dutch-led group of prosecutors gathering evidence for a potential criminal trial into the downing of MH17. "We have no doubt whatsoever that conclusions we are presenting today are accurate," he said. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the findings pointed to the "direct involvement" of Russia, and said an investigation was ongoing into specific suspects and their "place in the chain of command" in order to pursue a criminal case. Russia, which has repeatedly denied any involvement in the downing of the plane, rejected the report. "None of the missile complexes, including BUK, have ever crossed Russian-Ukrainian border," said Russia's spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Igor Konashenkov, in a statement. "All data presented today is based upon two sources -- the Internet and Ukrainian security services. That's why the objectivity of this data, and so of all the conclusions made based on it, leaves us with doubt." Evidence presented by the JIT Wednesday included intercepted phone calls, witness accounts and material on social media that investigators said established the missile system's route in a convoy into Ukraine, which was displayed in a computer-generated animation. Paulissen said the missile was fired from farmland near the village of Pervomaysk which was under the control of pro-Russian rebels at the time -- a conclusion supported by satellite data from the United States and the European Space Agency. Dutch prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said there were about 100 people linked "in one way or another" to the transportation and firing of the Buk, but they were yet to formally identify individual suspects. He said prosecutors were still seeking a clearer picture around the chain of command: "Who ordered to transport the Buk, who ordered the MH17 to be shot down, if the crew took their own decisions, or were they operating on instructions from above?" But they believed there was a realistic chance that the perpetrators would be brought to justice, he said. Investigators said they were not about to make any statement about the involvement of Russia, or Russians, in the downing of the plane. The findings are the first released by the group, comprised of prosecutors from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine, in its criminal investigation into the downing of Flight MH17. Nearly 200 of those on board were Dutch citizens. Family members of the victims were briefed ahead of the public release of the report. Dennis Schouten, whose brother-in-law and brother-in-law's girlfriend were killed, said he was grateful to the JIT for having put "some of the conspiracies" around the flight to rest. "We can be sure it was a Buk installation that has brought down MH17," he said. Schouten said that the findings meant that Russia had "to do some explaining." "We can surely say they have a part in this story," he said. He said the key step to get justice for the victims was to identify those responsible for ordering the shootdown. "They want to get to know their names. That is the most important thing. We know everything else but who." Piet Ploeg, a relative of another MH17 victim, said "there was evidence before that Russia was involved, but now [we] are sure." Last year, a civilian investigation conducted by the Dutch Safety Board concluded that the Boeing aircraft was shot down by a Russian-made Buk missile. But the investigation was not required to assign blame for the missile strike, and did not say who was responsible. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement Wednesday that the JIT had suspended Moscow from full participation in the investigation, relegating its efforts to only a minor role. "It sounds like a bad joke, but at the same time they made Ukraine a full member of the investigative commission, giving it an opportunity to forge evidence and wrap the case in their favor," she said. Justin Bronk, a research fellow specializing in combat airpower and technology at the Royal United Services Institute, said Russia's suggestion of Ukrainian responsibility was "absolutely ludicrous, for fairly simple reasons." "The Ukrainian military hasn't fired a single surface-to-air missile in the entire multi-year conflict because the rebels don't have an air force," he said. "So the only kind of potentially hostile aircraft they might encounter would be Russian air force jets and the last thing Ukraine wants is to give Russia a pretext for even more overt military confrontation on its soil." He said the notion that the Ukrainian forces would fire at an airliner that had been in contact with their country's air traffic control and was leaving the country's air space was "just insulting." The airline said Wednesday it was monitoring the progress of the JIT's criminal investigation closely. "We are ensuring that all those affected by this tragic incident are kept fully informed. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are to the families and friends of the passengers and crew onboard Flight MH17."[SEP]NIEUWEGEIN, Netherlands — Dutch-led criminal investigators said Wednesday they have solid evidence that a Malaysian jet was shot down in 2014 by a Buk missile that was moved into eastern Ukraine from Russia. Wilbert Paulissen, head of the Central Crime Investigation department of the Dutch National Police, said communications intercepts showed that pro-Moscow rebels had called for deployment of the mobile surface-to-air weapon and reported its arrival on July 17, 2014, in rebel-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine. The deadly surface-to-air weapon that blasted Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 out of the sky that same day at 33,000 feet, killing all 298 people aboard, was launched from farmland in the rebel-held area of Pervomaiskiy, 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the eastern Ukrainian town of Snizhne, the investigation found. Witnesses there reported an explosion and a whistling sound and a patch of field was set on fire. From that and other evidence collected by the Joint Investigation Team, "it may be concluded MH17 was shot down by a 9M38 missile launched by a Buk, brought in from the territory of the Russian Federation, and that after launch was subsequently returned to the Russian Federation," Paulissen told a news conference Wednesday in the Dutch town of Nieuwegein. The conclusions of the investigative unit - which includes police and prosecutors from the Netherlands, Ukraine, Belgium, Australia and Malaysia - were consistent with previous reporting by The Associated Press, which established soon after MH17's destruction that a tracked Buk M-1 launcher with four SA-11 surface-to-air missiles had been sighted the same day in the rebel-controlled town of Snizhne near Pervomaiskiy. A separate investigation by Dutch safety officials last year concluded that the Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur flight was downed by a Buk missile fired from territory in Ukraine held by pro-Russian rebels. Dutch police spokesman Thomas Aling said the joint investigation findings differ in that they are designed to be solid enough to be used as evidence in a criminal trial. Where and when a trial might take place is still to be determined, Aling said. "The next question, of course, is who was responsible for this," Dutch chief prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said. He said investigators have identified 100 people they want to speak to who are believed to have been involved in the transport of the Buk launcher or its use. Moscow officials have consistently denied allegations that pro-Kremlin rebels in eastern Ukraine were responsible for downing the passenger plane. The Russian Foreign Ministry reacted quickly to the release of the international investigation's findings, calling the probe "biased and politically motivated." The Dutch-led investigation ignored evidence offered by Russia and allowed Ukraine to manipulate the evidence and shape anti-Russian conclusions, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov also denied that Russian air defense missile systems ever have been sent to Ukraine. "Russian missile defense systems, including Buk, have never crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border," Konashenkov said. Earlier this week, the Russian military said that newly found data from radar in southern Russia showed that the missile that downed the Malaysia Airlines jet did not originate in rebel-controlled territory. It said it would turn that data over to investigators. The Russian maker of the Buk air defense missile system also contested the conclusions of the Dutch-led investigation. Mikhail Malyshevsky, an adviser to the director of the state-controlled Almaz-Antei consortium, said Wednesday that an analysis of the plane's shrapnel-ridden fragments show that it couldn't have been downed by a missile launched from a rebel-controlled area in eastern Ukraine. Malyshevsky said the missile likely came from an area that Russian officials have previously described as Ukraine-controlled. Ukrainian officials countered that the Dutch-led team's findings prove Russia's complicity in the tragedy. "It is proved that the Buk had come into our territory from Russian territory," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said. "After the crime, when terrorists tried to cover up traces, the Buk was immediately taken back to Russia. Thus, we have solid proof of who to blame for this dreadful crime and who bears full responsibility for the terrorist attack." Police and judicial officials from five countries on the Joint Investigation Team have been working together to gather the best possible evidence for use in prosecution of the perpetrators. They have faced extraordinary challenges. The crime scene in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk oblast region where the plane was brought down on July 17, 2014, was located in an active war zone. During the days following the downing, pro-Kremlin militants limited access to the crash site. Eleven containers crammed with debris from the jetliner were ultimately brought to the Netherlands. A research team took soil samples in eastern Ukraine and established the location of cellphone towers and the layout of the local telephone network to verify intercepted phone calls from the militants. Forensic samples were taken from passengers' and crew members' bodies and luggage, and satellite data and communications intercepts were scrutinized. The team also appealed for information from witnesses who may have seen the missile launch. About two-thirds of the passengers aboard MH17 were Dutch nationals; the crew members were Malaysians. Malaysia proposed setting up an international tribunal to try those responsible for the plane's destruction, but Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution in favor of a tribunal. In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby hailed the investigators' report as "another step toward bringing to justice those responsible for this outrageous attack." Associated Press Writers Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Bradley Klapper in Washington contributed to this story.[SEP]An international criminal investigation into the shooting down of flight MH17 is likely to conclude that the plane was downed by a Buk missile fired from separatist-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine, diplomats say. The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has been gathering evidence for a possible criminal trial and is due to present its interim findings on Wednesday. Dutch police and prosecutors have been working with judicial colleagues from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine. The report follows an earlier inquiry by the Dutch Safety Board. It concluded a missile fired by a sophisticated Buk surface-to-air system struck the Malaysia Airlines aircraft as it flew from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. It exploded next to the cockpit. All 298 people on board were killed. According to diplomatic sources, international investigators will give a precise Google location showing that the Buk was located in separatist-controlled territory, near the village of Snizhne. The JIT has been working on the scenario that the Buk came from the Kremlin’s 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade based in the Russian city of Kursk. It was smuggled across the Russian-Ukrainian border in July 2014 and spotted leaving rebel-held Donetsk on a low-loader, heading east. After arriving in Snizhne on the afternoon of 17 July, the Buk was offloaded and driven to a field south of town, investigators believe. It shot down MH17 in error, believing it to be a Ukrainian army transport plane. The Buk was smuggled back across the Russian border early the next day. The JIT’s findings are based on US satellite data, and multiple sightings of the Buk as it trundled through rebel-held areas. In a Russian-language video investigators urged witnesses who may have seen it to come forward. “There is a wide presumption in diplomatic circles that this report will point to the involvement of pro-Russian rebels or Russia,” said Robert van de Roer, a Dutch diplomatic expert and commentator. “It will cause high waves.” According to Van de Roer, investigators have not yet been able to identify “the guy who pushed the button” on the Buk missile. They do know the names of about 20 Russian servicemen from the 53rd brigade in Kursk who could form a “broad circle of suspects,” he said. The names came from the British-led online investigation team Bellingcat. “I’m told by experts you need at least three or four men to handle a Buk,” Van de Roer added. Van de Roer said he was pessimistic that Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, would cooperate with the tribunal or hand over possible suspects to the Hague for trial. He also described the Dutch government’s approach as “bureaucratic and legalistic”. “My fear is that this will end up as a kind of Lockerbie,” he said, adding that in the case of the 1988 Pan Am bombing it was never known if Abdelbaset al-Megrahi – convicted in 2001 – was the only perpetrator. “The simple question is what will [British foreign secretary] Boris Johnson do? He has talked harsh words in the last few days over Russia in Syria. Will he be just as tough with the Russians over MH17?” Russia has vehemently denied responsibility. On Monday the its ministry of defence released satellite data which it said proved the missile had not been fired from rebel territory. It suggested Ukraine was responsible. In 2014, however, the same ministry claimed a mysterious Ukrainian fighter jet had shot down the Boeing 777. The “jet” disappeared from Russia’s latest presentation. MH17’s route had also changed. Last December Bellingcat passed to Dutch prosecutors a detailed dossier of up to 100 Russian soldiers and officers who may have been involved. Bellingcat drew on open source data. The dossier included photos posted by soldiers on social networks as their military convoy drove towards the Ukrainian border. The JIT is not expected to reveal the identities of the soldiers in its latest report. They are expected to be included in a future criminal file. The tribunal has made public intercepted phone calls between separatist leaders. In one, a rebel asks what should be done with the Buk, newly arrived from Russia. In another a rebel says one of the Buk’s crew was left behind near the village of Snizhne and needs to be picked up. A third conversation was recorded at 8am on 18 July, as the Buk went back to Russia. It began: “Good morning. Yesterday was a mess … I have nothing to say.”[SEP]MALAYSIA Airlines Flight 17 was downed over eastern Ukraine by a Buk missile brought in from Russia to a pro-Russian area of eastern Ukraine, the head of the Dutch National Detective Force, Wilbert Paulissen said Wednesday. Speaking at a press conference in the Netherlands, Paulissen said there was conclusive evidence that the Buk, a Russian-made missile, shot down the passenger flight, and was subsequently returned to Russian territory, CNN stated. He made the comments at the release of a report by the Joint Investigation Team, a Dutch-led group of prosecutors gathering evidence for a potential criminal trial. The findings are the first released by the group, comprised of prosecutors from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine, in its criminal investigation into the downing of Flight MH17. The Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur flight was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people on board, including 196 Dutch citizens. Last year, a civilian investigation conducted by the Dutch Safety Board concluded that the Boeing aircraft was shot down by a Russian-made Buk missile. But the investigation was not required to assign blame for the missile strike, and did not say who was responsible. The widely accepted theory is that the aircraft was shot down from within territory held by Russian-backed separatists, who were engaged in heavy fighting with Ukrainian forces at the time. On Monday, Russia’s defense ministry released radar data which it claimed refuted that theory, saying it showed that if the plane was shot down, it was done so by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian officials have not responded to the allegation.[SEP]The missile that brought down Malaysian Airline flight MH17 was transported into East Ukraine from Russia, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said they were not accusing Russia of involvement and there were 100 people "linked to the crash or the transport of the Buk" missile, but they are yet to determine who could be held criminally responsible. Families of the 298 passengers and crew killed on the Boeing 777-300 flight have been told that the Buk missile used to shoot down the plane came into East Ukraine from Russia. Hans de Borst, whose 17-year-old daughter perished, said he and other family members were briefed privately before the news conference to announce the preliminary results of the investigation today. According to Mr de Borst, Dutch investigators said they had proof that a mobile Buk missile launcher had been moved into eastern Ukraine from Russia and was later returned. Chief Dutch police investigator Wilbert Paulissen said:"Based on the criminal investigation, we have concluded that flight MH17 was downed by a Buk missile of the series 9M83 that came from the territory of the Russian Federation." The conclusions came after a two-year Dutch-led criminal probe of the disaster. A separate investigation by Dutch safety officials last year concluded that the Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur flight was downed by a Buk missile fired from territory held by pro-Russian rebels. Russia has consistently denied allegations that pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine were responsible for the disaster in July 2014. On Monday, the Russian military said it has new radio-location data that show the missile that downed the aircraft did not originate from rebel-controlled territory, and said it would turn the data over to investigators. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that assertion today ahead of the Dutch report. Referring to Russian radar data, he said: "If there was a rocket it could only have been launched from a different area. “You can't argue with it, it can't be discussed." As part of a joint investigation, Dutch police and judicial officials have been working with counterparts from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine, seeking to gather the best possible evidence for use in prosecution of the perpetrators. Forensic samples were taken from passengers' and crew members' bodies and luggage, and satellite data and communications intercepts were scrutinised. The team also appealed for information from witnesses who may have seen the missile launch. About two-thirds of the passengers aboard MH17 were Dutch nationals and the crew members were Malaysians. Malaysia proposed setting up an international tribunal to try those responsible for the plane's destruction, but Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution in favour of a tribunal.[SEP]Relatives of victims of the shooting-down of a Malaysia Airlines jetliner over Ukraine more than two years ago were gathering Wednesday to learn the preliminary results of a Dutch-led criminal probe of the disaster that claimed 298 lives. The team that is conducting the largest investigation in Dutch history is scheduled to brief victims' families behind closed doors Wednesday morning. Investigators will hold a news conference later in the day to make their findings public. Thomas Schansman, father of the only U.S. citizen killed in the July 2014 disaster, said he expects investigators to identify which specific weapon they believe destroyed flight MH17, and where it was fired from. He said family members do not expect investigators at this stage to name the people they believe were responsible. A separate investigation by Dutch safety officials last year found the Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur flight was downed by a Buk missile fired from territory held by pro-Russian rebels. Dutch police spokesman Thomas Aling said the investigation findings to be announced Wednesday differ in that they are designed to be solid enough to be used as evidence in a criminal trial. Where and when a trial might take place is still to be determined, Aling said. Russia has consistently denied allegations that pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine were responsible. On Monday, the Russian military said it has new radiolocation data that show the missile that downed the Boeing 777 did not originate from rebel-controlled territory, and said it would turn the data over to investigators.

Dutch-led investigators say Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed over eastern Ukraine in 2014 by a Buk missile that had come from Russia.

CLOSE The Anti Defamation League is now calling 'Pepe the Frog' a form of hate speech. Time Pepe the Frog, a cartoon character turned Internet meme, has been added to the Anti-Defamation League’s database of hate symbols. (Photo: Screenshot) Pepe the Frog, a cartoon character turned Internet meme, has been added to the Anti-Defamation League’s database of hate symbols. The character was added to the database Tuesday, after Pepe the Frog was depicted as a slew of racially charged caricatures including Hitler and a Klansman, according to the group. “Once again, racists and haters have taken a popular Internet meme and twisted it for their own purposes of spreading bigotry and harassing users,” Jonathan A. Greenblatt, Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO said in a statement. Greenblatt said many had abused the image to “harass and spread hatred on social media.” But Pepe the Frog wasn’t always considered a hate symbol. The frog first appeared in Matt Furie's Boy's Club cartoons in 2005. Known as the “sad frog,” Pepe was often depicted as a mellow character with the slogan “feels good, man,” among others. Just a year ago, celebrities like Katy Perry shared the meme alongside many other Americans. ADL notes that Pepe’s Internet meme famedom took a turn for the worst when the character spread to the websites 4chan, 8chan and Reddit, where a “subset of memes came into existence promoting anti-Jewish, bigoted and offensive ideas.” The meme was also recently dragged into politics. Two weeks ago, Donald Trump's son posted a photoshopped photo depicting his father and Pepe the Frog as The Deplorables. He later said he didn't know there was a negative connotation to the character. In response to the photo, Hillary Clinton's campaign posted an in-depth explainer on Pepe the Frog and his ties to white supremacy. Furie recently told the Atlantic the politicalization of Pepe and Clinton's explainer downplay the importance the mellow character holds for many young people. He believes the demonization of Pepe will be a "passing phase." "Pepe is more than, whatever is happening in the news today, especially to younger people and to teenagers," he told the Atlantic. "For example, I get emails pretty regularly, from kids, from high schools, who need my permission to use Pepe in their senior shirts, or their clarinet club, or their photography clubs, and I tell them to go ahead as long as they sell me a shirt." Follow @MaryBowerman on Twitter. Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2dCAj86[SEP]Pepe the Frog is a cartoon character that has become a popular Internet meme (often referred to as the "sad frog meme" by people unfamiliar with the name of the character). The character first appeared in 2005 in the on-line cartoon Boy's Club. In that appearance, the character also first used its catchphrase, "feels good, man." The Pepe the Frog character did not originally have racist or anti-Semitic connotations. Internet users appropriated the character and turned him into a meme, placing the frog in a variety of circumstances and saying many different things. Many variations of the meme became rather esoteric, resulting in the phenomenon of so-called "rare Pepes." The majority of uses of Pepe the Frog have been, and continue to be, non-bigoted. However, it was inevitable that, as the meme proliferated in on-line venues such as 4chan, 8chan, and Reddit, which have many users who delight in creating racist memes and imagery, a subset of Pepe memes would come into existence that centered on racist, anti-Semitic or other bigoted themes. In recent years, with the growth of the "alt right" segment of the white supremacist movement, a segment that draws some of its support from some of the above-mentioned Internet sites, the number of "alt right" Pepe memes has grown, a tendency exacerbated by the controversial and contentious 2016 presidential election. Though Pepe memes have many defenders, the use of racist and bigoted versions of Pepe memes seems to be increasing, not decreasing. However, because so many Pepe the Frog memes are not bigoted in nature, it is important to examine use of the meme only in context. The mere fact of posting a Pepe meme does not mean that someone is racist or white supremacist. However, if the meme itself is racist or anti-Semitic in nature, or if it appears in a context containing bigoted or offensive language or symbols, then it may have been used for hateful purposes. In the fall of 2016, the ADL teamed with Pepe creator Matt Furie to form a #SavePepe campaign to reclaim the symbol from those who use it with hateful intentions.[SEP]The popular Internet meme Pepe the Frog has been officially designated a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League. The anti-bigotry organisation added the meme its database of hate symbols on Tuesday, noting that it did not always have connections to white supremacist organisations, but has gained traction with the emergence of the Alt-Right movement. Pepe the Frog debuted in the 2005 comic Boy’s Club and took on a life of its own through the 4chan message boards. But the meme has become a favourite amongst Donald Trump supporters to express feelings of racism, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia. “The Pepe the Frog character did not originally have racist or anti-Semitic connotations,” the ADL said in a statement. “Internet users appropriated the character and turned him into a meme, placing the frog in a variety of circumstances and saying many different things. … “[T]he use of racist and bigoted versions of Pepe memes seems to be increasing, not decreasing.” The ADL included images of the Alt-Right versions Pepe the Frog, including bigoted caricatures of the frog as a Jewish rabbi, the frog wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood, and a version of Pepe in blackface. Prior to the ADL's designation, Pepe's creator, Matt Furie said he was not concerned with the longevity of the Alt-Right's co-opting of the frog. “I think he’s on a weird manifestation right now,” Mr Furie told the Washington Post, “It’s unfortunate that he’s peaking nationally in the news in this really negative way, but I think it’s just a phase.” Because of the popularity of Pepe amongst Mr Trump’s Alt-Right supporters, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has voiced her concern about the use of the meme. After Ms Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” comment sparked controversy earlier in September, Donald Trump Jr posted a photoshopped image taken from the film The Expendables, that included a Pepe with coiffed blonde hair – like the Republican nominee – as well as other surrogates for the New York businessman. The Clinton campaign called the meme “horrifying”. However, Pepe the Frog’s background is far more innocuous. The first image of Pepe featured the frog uttering the phrase, “Feels good, man.” And such was the philosophy of Pepe according to creator, Mr Furie. “I find complete joy in physically, emotionally, and spiritually serving Pepe and his friends through comics,” Mr Furie told the Daily Dot. “Pepe offers you complete support, attention, and embraces how capable you are of birthing your own Pepe.” “Seeing a frog always takes my breath away and brings a genuine smile to my face,” he added, explaining that he wanted the readers of his comic to experience “a thrill of overwhelming beauty and joy.”[SEP]The Anti-Defamation League officially declared “Pepe the Frog” to be racist and anti-Semitic as it added the cartoon chatacter to its database of “hate symbols” on Tuesday. The popular image, also known on the internet as the “sad frog,” has been used as a versatile base for memes, usually used to express emotions or experiences, since it first appeared in the online cartoon Boys Club in 2005. However despite admitting that the in the vast majority of cases use of the frog was not racist or anti-Semitic, the A.D.L. has added the frog to its database of hate symbols, along with the Swastika and the Blood Drop Cross of the Ku Klux Klan. “These anti-Semites have no shame,” ADL’s chief executive Jonathan A Greenblatt said. “They are abusing the image of a cartoon character, one that might at first seem appealing, to harass and spread hatred on social media.“ The Alt-Right movement, a disparate group of right-wing social media users, has repeatedly shared Pepe re-workings on social media. The movement has been described as an alternative to mainstream conservatism, but its proponents have repeatedly abused Jewish Americans and portrayed white people as oppressed. The Alt-Right has claimed Mr Trump as its presidential candidate of choice. The mogul has not approved it, but did re-tweet a caricature depicting him as Pepe the Frog in October 2015, with the caption “You Can’t Stump the Trump“. The frog made headlines in mid-September when Hillary Clinton said most of Mr Trump’s supporters belonged in a “basket of deplorables“. The Republican’s son Donald Trump Jr shared an altered version of the movie poster for “The Expendables”, which showed Pepe with his father and other conservatives, labelled “The Deplorables.” Mrs Clinton’s team duly released a post titled “Donald Trump, Pepe the frog, and white supremacists: an explainer” claiming, “that cartoon frog is more sinister than you might realize“. In May 2016, the Daily Beast quoted an anonymous white nationalist saying that a campaign was under way to “reclaim Pepe from the normies” – internet slang for mainstream users. The ADL has clarified that most Pepe memes are not racist, and that innocent versions will not be subject to the hate symbol designation.[SEP]Pepe the Frog, a green frog with red lips created by cartoonist Matt Furie in 2005, has been labelled an “online hate symbol” by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) after his adoption by the white supremacist movement. “Images of the frog, variously portrayed with a Hitler-like moustache, wearing a yarmulke or a Klan hood, have proliferated in recent weeks in hateful messages aimed at Jewish and other users on Twitter,” the ADL said, explaining its decision to add the meme to its online Hate on Display database. The ADL’s decision on Pepe, also known as the “sad frog meme”, comes two weeks after Hillary Clinton’s campaign posted an article pointing to Pepe as the common factor linking Donald Trump and the white supremacist movement. The campaign wrote that “in recent months, Pepe’s been almost entirely co-opted by the white supremacists who call themselves the ‘alt-right’. They’ve decided to take back Pepe by adding swastikas and other symbols of anti-Semitism and white supremacy. “Now white supremacists have given Pepe the cartoon frog some Trump hair - and the candidate’s own son says he is ‘honoured to be grouped with’ him,” the post concluded. The character of Pepe was originally created for Furie’s comic Boy’s Club, but achieved online fame in 2008 when the 4Chan forum took a shine to the character. Depending on one’s point of view, the anonymous users of 4Chan adopted, remixed, or stole Pepe, placing him in new situations and permanently linking him with the phrase “feels good man”, which was the punchline to the first comic featuring Pepe to hit the forum. For almost a decade, Pepe existed mostly as a meme on the internet. However, in 2016, the rise of the “alt-right” - the group that sits at the crossover of 4Chan and neo-Nazism - led to Pepe being adopted as an unofficial icon. The second life has disturbed Pepe’s creator, who told The Guardian: “I just try to take it in stride, but the thing that’s come to my attention is, well, I didn’t know what white nationalists were until, like, yesterday. “And the alt-right or whatever? It’s all very new and very strange and definitely not something that I support. I guess Pepe is kind of its own internet thing now. “I’m hoping not to get any hate or threats or anything. You have to do a little bit of research to even link it back to me, I think.” The chief executive of the ADL, Jonathan Greenblatt, emphasised the twisted nature of Pepe’s genesis as a hate icon. “Once again, racists and haters have taken a popular internet meme and twisted it for their own purposes of spreading bigotry and harassing users,” he said. “These anti-Semites have no shame. They are abusing the image of a cartoon character, one that might at first seem appealing, to harass and spread hatred on social media.” It’s the second time the alt-right has managed to create a new hate symbol. In June, the ADL added the (((echo))) symbol to its watchlist after online antiSemites had been spotted using it to identify Jewish users on social media.[SEP](CNN) Beloved internet meme Pepe the Frog has gone through various incarnations over the years, reflecting a range of emotions. Recent appropriations of him as Adolf Hitler, a Klansman and numerous racist caricatures have earned him a spot in the Anti-Defamation League's database of hate symbols "Once again, racists and haters have taken a popular Internet meme and twisted it for their own purposes of spreading bigotry and harassing users," Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO said in a statement . "These anti-Semites have no shame. They are abusing the image of a cartoon character, one that might at first seem appealing, to harass and spread hatred on social media." It wasn't always this way for Pepe, who first appeared on the internet in 2005 in artist Matt Furie's "Boy's Club" cartoons. In 2008, a comic of Pepe with his pants at his ankles while urinating, captioned "feels good, man," spread through online community 4chan, according to KnowYourMeme His bemused smirk was made for the internet, and a meme was born. Pepe was manipulated over time to capture the range of the human experience, including Sad Frog, who was often paired with the phrases" Not Good Man," "Feels Bad Man," or "You Will Never..." to Smug Frog, Angry Pepe, Keith Haring Pepe, even Rare Pepes in the form of trading cards in an effort to cash in on the mania. A decade later he had solidified his place among "normies" in mainstream internet circles, becoming one of the biggest meme on Tumblr in 2015. As the meme proliferated in venues such as 4chan, 8chan and Reddit, criticized as a breeding grounds for all manner of inflammatory imagery, a subset of Pepe memes came into being that centered on racist, anti-Semitic or other bigoted themes, the ADL said. The 2016 US presidential campaign exacerbated the phenomena, drawing in Republican nominee Donald Trump. After Hillary Clinton said most of Trump's supporters were in a "basket of deplorables," Donald Trump Jr. shared an altered version of the movie poster of "The Expendables" on Instagram. It showed Pepe among Trump Senior and other conservative figures labeled "The Deplorables." Not all Pepes are sinister, the ADL said. The designation does not apply to all Pepe memes because most of them are not bigoted in nature, the ADL said. "The mere fact of posting a Pepe meme does not mean that someone is racist or white supremacist," the group said. "However, if the meme itself is racist or anti-Semitic in nature, or if it appears in a context containing bigoted or offensive language or symbols, then it may have been used for hateful purposes."[SEP](CNN) Beloved internet meme Pepe the Frog has gone through various incarnations over the years, most of them innocuous and amusing. But recent appropriations of the smirking green frog as Adolf Hitler, a Klansman and numerous racist caricatures have earned him a spot in the Anti-Defamation League's database of hate symbols "Once again, racists and haters have taken a popular Internet meme and twisted it for their own purposes of spreading bigotry and harassing users," Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO said in a statement . "These anti-Semites have no shame. They are abusing the image of a cartoon character, one that might at first seem appealing, to harass and spread hatred on social media." The designation does not apply to all Pepe memes because most of them are not "bigoted" in nature, the ADL said. You'll likely know one when you see one. It wasn't always this way for Pepe, who first appeared on the internet in 2005 in artist Matt Furie's "Boy's Club" cartoons. His bemused smirk was made for the internet, and a meme was born. A decade later he had solidified his place among "normies" in mainstream internet circles, becoming one of the biggest memes on Tumblr in 2015. As the meme proliferated in venues such as 4chan, 8chan and Reddit, criticized as a breeding grounds for all manner of inflammatory imagery, a subset of Pepe memes came into being that centered on racist, anti-Semitic or other bigoted themes, the ADL said. The 2016 US presidential campaign exacerbated the phenomena as white power movements came out to endorse Donald Trump, tra After Hillary Clinton said most of Trump's supporters were in a "basket of deplorables," Donald Trump Jr. shared an altered version of the movie poster of "The Expendables" on Instagram. It showed Pepe among Trump Senior and other conservative figures labeled "The Deplorables." Not all Pepes are 'bigoted' Context matters, though. Not all Pepes are sinister, the ADL said. "The mere fact of posting a Pepe meme does not mean that someone is racist or white supremacist," the group said. "However, if the meme itself is racist or anti-Semitic in nature, or if it appears in a context containing bigoted or offensive language or symbols, then it may have been used for hateful purposes."[SEP](JTA) — The Anti-Defamation League has added the internet meme Pepe the Frog, a cartoon character that has become a popular symbol for white supremacists, to its online hate database. Images of the frog, variously portrayed with a Hitler-like mustache, wearing a yarmulke or a Ku Klux Klan hood, have proliferated in recent weeks in hateful messages aimed at Jewish and other users on Twitter, according to the ADL. Pepe, which has been ubiquitous on the internet over the past decade, in the last year or so has become the flag bearer of the alt-right, which advances an insular conservatism favoring white people. Earlier this month Donald Trump Jr., son of the Republican presidential nominee, posted to Instagram a movie poster parody of himself heroically grouped with Pepe and others deemed “The Deplorables.” Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had said that half of all Donald Trump supporters are what she termed “deplorables.” “Once again, racists and haters have taken a popular Internet meme and twisted it for their own purposes of spreading bigotry and harassing users,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL’s CEO. “These anti-Semites have no shame. They are abusing the image of a cartoon character, one that might at first seem appealing, to harass and spread hatred on social media.” Other symbols have been added to the “Hate on Display” database in recent months, including the (((echo))) symbol, a triple parenthesis used by white supremacists to single out Jewish journalists and users on social media for harassment.[SEP]A cartoon depiction of a sad frog that has become a popular Internet “meme” is now considered a hate symbol. The Anti-Defamation League said “Pepe the Frog” has been appropriated to express racist views on the Internet. Pepe, who was created by Matt Furie, first appeared online around 2005, the ADL said, and was associated with the phrase “feels good man.” The character was the subject of countless memes, most of which were innocuous. But the ADL says the frog has become a favorite among racists associated with the so-called alt-right. The alt-right has been described as an alternative to mainstream conservatism, but others say it is a collection of white supremacists and racists. Some of the racist memes include Pepe depicted with a Hitler moustache or dressed in the white robes of the Ku Klux Klan. Pepe still appears in many non-political memes. “The mere fact of posting a Pepe meme does not mean that someone is racist or white supremacist,” the ADL said. “However, if the meme itself is racist or anti-Semitic in nature, or if it appears in a context containing bigoted or offensive language or symbols, then it may have been used for hateful purposes.” Pepe’s popularity has increased during the 2016 presidential campaign, with many supporters of Republican nominee Donald Trump using it for political memes, some of which are bigoted or anti-Semitic. The ADL said the number of racist Pepe memes has been “exacerbated” by the “contentious 2016 presidential election.” One prominent example of a Pepe meme was posted by Donald Trump Jr.and showed a photoshopped version of the movie poster for “The Expendables” showing instead Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, alt-right icon Milo Yiannopoulos and Pepe the Frog branded as “The Deplorables,” in reference to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s claim that many Trump supporters were deplorable. “Although Pepe memes have many defenders, not least the character’s creator, Matt Furie, who has called the alt-right appropriation of the meme merely a ‘phase,’ the use of racist and bigoted versions of Pepe memes seems to be increasing, not decreasing,” the ADL wrote. [Read More] —– Source: VOA News: Economy and Finance[SEP]US antisemitism watchdog, the Anti-Defamation League, has added the “(((echo)))” symbol, used online by white supremacists to single out Jews, to its online database of hate symbols. The group’s decision comes days after Google removed a Chrome extension that was being used by antisemites to add triple parentheses around the names of prominent Jewish public figures including Michael Bloomberg and New York Times journalist Jonathan Weisman. “The echo symbol is the online equivalent of tagging a building with antisemites graffiti or taunting someone verbally,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL’s chief executive. “We at ADL take this manifestation of online hate seriously, and that’s why we’re adding this symbol to our database and working with our partners in the tech industry to investigate this phenomenon more deeply.” The intersection of old-fashioned white supremacy and antisemitism with tech-savvy online groups centred around websites such as 4chan and Reddit has given rise to a movement loosely termed the “alt-right”. The echo symbol is just the latest artefact of that group’s thinking to burst into the mainstream, thanks largely to an article in late May from the NYT’s Weisman highlighting its use. Weisman linked the antisemitism on display with the professed political support of those abusing him: the Twitter user who referred to him as “((Weisman))” went by the handle @CyberTrump. But the denigration of Jews online extends beyond the Trump supporters highlighted by Weisman. An investigation by Mic revealed how widespread the symbol’s use has become, largely below the radar of the mainstream. “To the public, the symbol is not easily searchable on most sites and social networks; search engines strip punctuation from results,” wrote the publication’s reporters, Cooper Fleishman and Anthony Smith. “This means that trolls committed to uncovering, labelling and harassing Jewish users can do so in relative obscurity: No one can search those threats to find who’s sending them.” The pair trace the origins of the symbol back to far right blog Right Stuff. “In Right Stuff propaganda, you’ll often read that Jewish names ‘echo’. According to the blog’s lexicon page, ‘all Jewish surnames echo throughout history’. In other words, the supposed damage caused by Jewish people reverberates from decade to decade.” The parentheses are used to imply that same echo textually. While many antisemites simply write out Jewish names with the parentheses manually, using it as a deliberate taunt, there was also a popular Chrome extension that automated the function. Named “Coincidence Detector” – a sarcastic reflection of the anti-semitic conspiracy that Jews control the media – it automatically flagged up common Jewish surnames to anyone who installed it. Google removed Coincidence Detector on Thursday, citing terms and conditions that prohibit “promotions of hate or incitement of violence”, shortly after Mic wrote about the extension. The publicity around the echo symbol has led to a counter protest, with Jews and non-Jews alike putting the symbol around their own names on social media, led by Tablet magazine’s Yair Rosenberg: The echo symbol is just the latest in a string of coded ways the far right has learned to communicate online. Neo-Nazis regularly adopt the numbers 88 – standing for HH, or “heil Hitler” – and 14, referring to “the 14 words”, the white-supremacist slogan: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children”.

The Anti-Defamation League declares that the "Pepe the Frog" meme is a hate symbol, particularly when used alongside other racially-charged symbolism.

TAIPEI — The third typhoon to hit Taiwan this month killed at least four people and injured hundreds on Tuesday, knocking down trees and cutting power to millions. Most schools and offices were shut and the north-south bullet train suspended services as Typhoon Megi, packing winds of well over 160 kph (100 mph), roared in from the Pacific. Major cities in Taiwan announced schools and offices would be shut for a second day on Wednesday as the island’s weather authorities said that due to the large diameter of the typhoon, heavy rain and strong wind would not significantly abate until Wednesday afternoon. At least 329 people were injured and more than 14,000 evacuated, the government’s Central Emergency Operation Centre said late Tuesday. Authorities also estimated more than three million households had lost power, while over 72,000 were without water. Taiwan’s financial markets, which were shut Tuesday because of the storm, will also be closed Wednesday, financial regulators said. Hundreds of international flights were canceled or delayed, while train services, halted Tuesday, were also scheduled to be suspended until Wednesday afternoon. A tour bus carrying 29 passengers from a Japanese tour group was knocked onto its side on the highway by strong gusts, injuring some of the tourists, transportation authorities said in a statement. Local television footage showed the tourists climbing out of the bus through its windshield, while other TV footage showed trucks also knocked sideways on the highway and scaffolding ripping away from a building in central Taiwan. The typhoon moved across Taiwan and is heading into the Taiwan Strait before it is expected to make landfall in China in its southeastern province of Fujian. China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs said it had ordered authorities across a swathe of southern and eastern China to step up disaster prevention preparations. This month, super Typhoon Meranti killed at least 28 people in China and Taiwan and cut power to more than a million homes. Typhoons are common in the region at this time of year, picking up strength as they cross warm Pacific waters and bringing fierce wind and rain when they reach land.[SEP]At least 32 people were listed missing today after landslides triggered by a typhoon hit villages in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, officials said. Twenty-six people were listed missing while 15 others rescued after a landslide hit Sucun village of Suichang county on Wednesday following heavy downpour brought by typhoon Megi. Megi, the 17th typhoon this year, brought downpours to the coastal areas of the Fujian province as it made landfall in Quanzhou city with winds packing over 118 km per hour after causing havoc in Taiwan, officials said. Several houses in the vicinity of 37 km from the county were destroyed and the structures swept away, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. In a separate incident, six persons were reported missing in Baofeng village of Wencheng county last night after their homes were destroyed by a landslide, state-run Xinhua new agency reported. More than 400 rescuers are on site at Sucun village. In the province, more than 18,000 people have already been relocated following the heavy rain brought by the typhoon. Schools and power stations have been inundated in Zhejiang’s Pingyang county which is affected by flood. Power outages were reported in Shuitou township, home to more than 170,000. Schools across the county remain closed, the local county education bureau said. Typhoon Megi has killed four people and injured 268 others in Taiwan as it travelled across the island Tuesday.[SEP]An aerial view shows flooded intersections following the landfall of Typhoon Megi in Fuzhou in southeastern China's Fujian Province, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016. The massive typhoon made landfall in eastern China Wednesday, a day after carrying strong winds over Taiwan that felled trees and scattered debris, killing several people and injuring hundreds. (Chinatopix via AP)[SEP]7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, Taiwan-Philippines time: Typhoon Megi slammed ashore over the less-populated east coast of Taiwan around Hualien at about 1:30 p.m. local time, packing 132-mph sustained winds and 161-mph gusts as it made landfall. Nearly 40 people were injured, almost 1 million homes lost power, classes and business were shuttered and all flights and rail services were canceled, CNN reported. A good 38 inches of rain fell in Yilan County. Megi was the third tropical cyclone to affect Taiwan in two weeks, following Super Typhoon Meranti on Sept. 14 and Typhoon Malakas on Sept. 16. Super Typhoon Nepartak pounded Taiwan in early July as well. 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, Taiwan-Philippines time: Typhoon Megi's forecast track has edged slightly more northwest, taking it closer to Taipei and further away from Kaohsiung and the northern Philippines' island groups. At 8 a.m., Megi was 175 miles southeast of Taipei, Taiwan's capital, headed northwest at 15 mph, packing 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts at center. Expect Megi to roar ashore over central Taiwan Tuesday evening, passing 98 miles south-southwest of Taipei and 90 miles north-northeast of Kaohsiung, still packing 86-mph sustained winds and 104-mph gusts at center. In the Philippines, Public Storm Warning Signal 2 remains raised for the northern Batanes island group and Signal 1 for Northern Cagayan including the Babuyan island group. 5 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, Taiwan-Philippines time: It should happen sometime Tuesday afternoon. Typhoon Megi continues taking aim at landfall over the east coast of Taiwan. At 2 a.m., Megi was 262 miles southeast of Taipei, the island’s capital, headed west-northwest at 13 mph, packing 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts at center. If it stays on course, expect landfall at about 5 p.m. at just below that intensity. Not in Meranti’s class, but still a mean monster. Though the center remains well out of Okinawa’s way, Megi is still a big storm in terms of diameter and the island can still expect a gusty, showery Tuesday. In the Philippines, Public Storm Warning Signal 2 remains raised for Batanes island group and PSWS 1 for northern Cagtayan including the Babuyan island group. 5 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, Taiwan-Philippines time: It should happen sometime Tuesday afternoon. Typhoon Megi continues taking aim at landfall over the east coast of Taiwan. At 2 a.m., Megi was 262 miles southeast of Taipei, the island’s capital, headed west-northwest at 13 mph, packing 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts at center. If it stays on course, expect landfall at about 5 p.m. at just below that intensity. Not in Meranti’s class, but still a mean monster. Though the center remains well out of Okinawa’s way, Megi is still a big storm in terms of diameter and the island can still expect a gusty, showery Tuesday. 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 26, Taiwan-Philippines time: Typhoon Megi has slightly picked up forward speed and continues on a west-northwest course bound for landfall over central Taiwan on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 2 p.m. (3 p.m. Japan time), Megi was 392 miles east-southeast of Taipei, the island's capital, and 353 miles south-southwest of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, churing west-northwest at 13 mph. Intensity increased slightly to 110-mph sustained winds and 132-mph gusts at center. Okinawa remains well out of Megi's range; closest point of approach is about that same distance from Kadena at 8 p.m. Monday. U.S. bases on island remain in seasonal Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4. And though the weather's been gusty most of Monday, no upgraded TCCOR is forecast for the moment. Megi is forecast to peak at 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts early Tuesday morning, decreasing slightly as it makes landfall at mid-afternoon Tuesday and picking up a bit as it heads back over water, across the Formosa Strait. Megi is projected to pass 116 miles south-southwest of Taipei and 71 miles north-northeast of Kaohsiung, packing 81-mph sustained winds and 98-mph gusts as it crosses Taiwan's mountainous terrain. It should remain well north of the Philippines' main islands, but the small island groups should get a healthy dose of Megi's fury. Public Storm Warning Signal 2 remains up for Batanes and Signal 1 for the Babuyan islands and northern Cagayan. Secondary landfall over southeastern China is forecast for mid-afternoon Wednesday as a severe tropical storm, 63-mph sustained winds and 81-mph gusts, dissipating rapidly as it heads over land. 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 26, Taiwan-Philippines time: Little change to Megi. U.S. bases on Okinawa still well out of harm's way, though the next two days should be gusty, showery ones. Megi forecast to peak at 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts at center just before plowing through central Taiwan at mid-afternoon Tuesday. Public Storm Warning Signal 2 up for Batanes and Signal 1 for Babuyan group of islands in northern Philippines. 5:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 26, Taiwan-Philippines time: Typhoon Megi’s forecast track has edged a bit north, placing it on course to make landfall more over central Taiwan. At 2 a.m., Megi was 408 miles almost due south of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, tracking west-northwest at 12 mph, still packing 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts at center. Expect a gusty, showery early part of the week on Okinawa, 60-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms and easterly winds up to 25 mph with gusts up to 36 mph. U.S. bases on the island remain in seasonal Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4. Megi is due to make landfall over central Taiwan, passing 121 miles south-southwest of Taipei and 67 miles north-northeast of Kaohsiung, packing sustained 115-mph winds and 144-mph gusts as it crashes ashore on Taiwan’s east coast at mid-afternoon Tuesday. Though Megi’s center is still expected to pass well north of the Philippines, its northernmost island groups remain in harm’s way. Public Storm Warning Signal 2 is raised for the Batanes and Signal 1 for the Babuyan island groups. This after getting slammed by Meranti two weeks ago. 11 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, Taiwan-Philippines time: Typhoon Megi remains on its headlong path toward Taiwan as a Category 2-equivalent typhoon, and U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in seasonal Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4 and safely out of harm’s way, if all stays as is. At 8 p.m., Megi was just more than 600 miles east-southeast of Taipei, the island’s capital, tracking west-northwest at 12 mph, holding steady at 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts at center. Megi remains forecast to peak at 127-mph sustained winds and 155-mph gusts just before making landfall Tuesday morning over south-central Taiwan. Megi is forecast to pass 377 miles south-southwest of Kadena Air Base at 5 p.m. Monday. Okinawa should experience Megi’s far outer bands, but some goodly winds, between 20- to 25-mph sustained and 35-mph gusts with a 60-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Megi, called Helen in the Philippines, will also likely affect that country’s northernmost island groups. The country’s weather authority PAGASA reports that Public Storm Warning Signal 1 has been raised for the Babuyan and Batanes island groups that got battered earlier this month by Super Typhoon Meranti. Secondary landfall should occur over southeastern China Wednesday evening, and Megi should pass just 115 miles north of Hong Kong as a tropical storm at 5 p.m. Thursday before dissipating inland. 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, Taiwan time: Little change regarding Typhoon Megi. It remains on course to bulldoze through southern Taiwan on Tuesday afternoon and peak Category 3-equivalent strength, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 8 a.m. Sunday, Megi was 560 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, churning west-northwest at 14 mph, packing 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts at center. If it remains on its current track, Megi is forecast to peak at 127-mph sustained winds and 155-mph gusts at 8 a.m. Tuesday, just before making landfall over southern Taiwan. Megi is projected to pass 32 miles north-northeast of Kaohsiung and 154 miles south-southwest of Taipei as a Category 2-equivalent typhoon, at least. More bad stuff following Meranti's recent visit. And Megi, called Helen in the Philippines, has entered that country's area of responsibility. Public Storm Warning Signal 1 has been raised for the Batanes islands, which also got pounded by Meranti. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in seasonal Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4 and safely out of harm's way. Megi is forecast to pass 383 miles south-southwest of Kadena at 4 p.m. Monday. Local forecast calls for gusts up to 37 mph and 60-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms Monday and Tuesday. 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, Taiwan time: Megi didn't take long at all strengthening into a Category 1-equivalent typhoon; just 1½ days into its existence as a tropical cyclone. It remains due to peak at 121-mph sustained winds and 150-mph gusts at center at mid-evening Monday, plow across southern Taiwan Tuesday afternoon and evening as a Category 2-equivalent storm, and remain well out of Okinawa's way. Joint Typhoon Warning Center projects Megi to pass 380 miles southwest of Kadena Air Base early Monday afternoon. U.S. bases remain in seasonal Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4. 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, Taiwan time: Megi's forecast track has edged closer to Okinawa, and its intensity and forward speed have increased, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 3 p.m., Tropical Storm Megi was 741 miles southeast of Kadena Air Base and about 660 miles west-northwest of Guam, tracking northwest at 15 mph. Its intensity is just below Category 1-equivalent typhoon strength, 69-mph sustained winds and 86-mph gusts. If Megi remains on its current course, it's due to peak at 121-mph sustained winds and 150-mph gusts at 3 p.m. Monday -- the same time it makes closest point of approach to Kadena, 360 miles southwest. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in seasonal Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4. No upgrade is anticipated at this point. Landfall over Taiwan is forecast for mid-afternoon Tuesday. Megi is forecast to pass 41 miles northeast of Kaohsiung and 147 miles south-southwest of Taipei between 8 and 9 p.m Tuesday, still packing 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts. Not Meranti-esque, but in the neighborhood. 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, Taiwan time: Tropical Storm Megi remains on course to plow into southern Taiwan Tuesday morning, but is now only forecast to peak at 92-mph sustained winds, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Megi is projected to make a near-direct hit on Kaohsiung, in southern Taiwan, at about 7 p.m. Tuesday, as a severe tropical storm or minimal typhoon. Nothing quite as bad as Meranti not too long ago, but the last thing the island needs in Meranti's wake. Okinawa remains safely out of harm's way, for now; Megi is forecast to pass 400 miles south-southwest of Kadena Air Base at 1 p.m. Monday. Shogunweather.com, Kadena's 18th Wing Weather Flight official Web site, forecasts cloudy skies, 40- to 60-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms and winds peaking at 27-mph sustained and 38-mph gusts Monday afternoon and evening. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in seasonal Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4. 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, Japan time: Tropical Storm Megi's forecast track has edged a bit further south of Okinawa. It is now projected to peak as a Category 2-equivalent typhoon, 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts, late Monday, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 9 p.m., Megi was just over 1,100 miles east-southeast of Taipei, heading almost due west at 17 mph, still at 40-mph sustained winds and 52-mph gusts. If it remains on its current course, Megi is due to pass 360 miles south-southwest of Kadena Air Base at 2 a.m. Monday, packing 98-mph sustained winds and 121-mph gusts at center. Destructive winds of 58 mph or greater are not currently forecast for Okinawa. U.S. bases there remain in seasonal Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4. Megi shouldn't be anywhere close to as powerful as Meranti several days ago, but southern Taiwan is due for a direct hit early Tuesday morning, 147 miles south-southwest of Taipei and 40 miles north-northeast of Kaohsiung, packing Category 1-equivalent force as it roars ashore. 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, Japan time: Well, that didn't take long. Megi intensified rather rapidly into a tropical storm, halfway through its first day of existence as a tropical cyclone. And the Joint Typhoon Warning Center's latest forecast track takes Megi a bit closer to Okinawa. At 3 p.m., Megi was 920 miles southeast of Kadena Air Base and has assumed a northwest track at 23 mph, packing sustained 40-mph winds and 52-mph gusts at center. JTWC projects Megi to pass 338 miles south-southwest of Kadena at 7 a.m. Monday -- still pretty far away, but more than 70 miles closer than PST reported earlier Friday. Megi is forecast to peak at 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts at mid-afternoon Monday, after it's made forecast closest point of approach to Okinawa. And Megi is due to make landfall further north over Taiwan, 52 miles north-northeast of Kaohsiung and 135 miles south-southwest of Taipei, the capital, between 10 a.m. and noon Tuesday, still packing 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts as it rams ashore and crosses the island. Secondary landfall is forecast for mid-day Wednesday over China's southeast coast. Model guidance remains in tight agreement, with a slight spread among solutions. 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, Japan time: It took a couple of days, but Megi finally became a tropical depression Friday morning, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center's initial forecast track takes Megi toward southern Taiwan -- scant days after it got battered by Super Typhoon Meranti. At 9 a.m., Megi was 1,345 miles east-southeast of Taipei, Taiwan's capital, headed northwest at 15 mph. JTWC projects Megi's track to flatten west-northwest and plow into southern Taiwan, 14 miles south of Kaohsiung at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Peak winds are forecast to be 115-mph sustained with 144-mph gusts at center at 8 a.m. Tuesday. JTWC forecasts Megi to track well below Okinawa, about 410 miles south-southwest at 2 p.m. Monday. Local forecasts call for rain and wind to kick up Sunday and taper off by Monday afternoon. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in seasonal Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4, and will likely stay that way. 1:45 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, Guam time: Tropical Disturbance 96W Invest has moved southwest of Guam, and model guidance continues to show a west-northwest track toward Taiwan. 96W Invest has already been labeled a tropical depression by Japan Meteorological Agency, but remains subject to a tropical cyclone formation alert by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. National Weather Service on Guam stated that 96W Invest could become a tropical cyclone sometime late Thursday or Friday. At noon, 96W Invest was 300 miles southwest of Guam. NWS said in a statement that the main Marianas islands could feel winds between 20 and 35 mph with gusts up to 45 mph along with showers and thunderstorms as 96W Invest moves west. 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, Guam time: A tropical cyclone formation alert has been issued by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center on a new disturbance about 450 miles east-southeast of Guam. JTWC projects that it will head west-northwest in the Marianas Islands’ general direction. The National Weather Service on Guam said in a special statement that it could become a tropical depression by Thursday morning. It would become the 20th numbered storm of the northwest Pacific’s season. Model guidance is in general agreement on a track toward -- yep -- Taiwan, again, with only a couple of models depicting a track toward Okinawa. If it becomes a named storm, it would be called Megi, Korean for catfish.[SEP]Most schools and offices were shut and the north-south bullet train suspended services as Typhoon Megi, packing winds of well over 160 kph (100 mph), roared in from the Pacific and hit eastern Taiwan. At least 32 people were injured and more than 5,300 evacuated, the government's Central Emergency Operation Center said, while more than 950,000 households had lost power, according to the main power supplier, Taiwan Power Co. Taiwan's financial markets were closed because of the storm. Television footage showed people, who ignored warnings to stay indoors, scurrying along city streets clutching umbrellas to try to fend off the rain, which grew heavier as the storm approached. Bus and subway services were mostly suspended in the capital, Taipei, while hundreds of international flights were canceled. Jen Li-yu, an official with the Central Weather Bureau, said the storm would lose strength after it made landfall though flooding and strong winds would continue. The typhoon is expected to move across Taiwan and head into the Taiwan Strait and on towards China on Wednesday. This month, super Typhoon Meranti killed 28 people in China and Taiwan and cut power to more than a million homes. Typhoons are common in the region at this time of year, picking up strength as they cross warm Pacific waters and bringing fierce wind and rain when they reach land.[SEP]An aerial view shows flooded intersections following the landfall of Typhoon Megi in Fuzhou in southeastern China's Fujian Province, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016. The massive typhoon made landfall in eastern China Wednesday, a day after carrying strong winds over Taiwan that felled trees and scattered debris, killing several people and injuring hundreds. (Chinatopix via AP) BEIJING (AP) — A massive typhoon left one person dead in eastern China on Wednesday, a day after killing four and injuring more than 600 in Taiwan, where authorities remained on alert for the possibility of a landslide. Typhoon Megi caused more than $10 million in damage as it swept across Taiwan before weakening into a tropical storm after hitting the coastal city of Quanzhou in China's Fujian province before dawn, Taiwan's weather service said. At its height, it was packing winds of up to 118 kilometers (74 miles) per hour, China's National Meteorological Center said. One person died after several structures collapsed in Quanzhou, the official China News Service reported. Schools were closed and dozens of flights were canceled. In Fuzhou, Fujian's capital, people were shown on state television walking through knee-deep waters that had swamped major roads. Rescue workers were seen pulling stranded residents through the streets on inflatable boats. The storm was forecast to move northwest Wednesday and gradually fade away. In Taiwan, nearly 4 million homes lost power and 10 provincial highways remained closed Wednesday, one day after heavy rain and sustained winds of 160 kilometers (100 miles) per hour blanketed the island, Taiwan's official Central News Agency reported. More than 4,800 people remained in emergency shelters Wednesday afternoon. Taiwan's Central Emergency Operations Center reported that the 625 injured included eight Japanese tourists traveling in a tour bus that turned on its side in central Taiwan. Three people suffered fatal falls and a fourth person died in a truck crash, Taiwan's Central Emergency Operations Center said. Many of the injuries were from falling and wind-blown objects. Three state utility workers were injured when their truck tumbled into a valley while they were trying to restore power in a mountainous area, the Central News Agency reported. A spokesman for the center said Wednesday that emergency officials were closely monitoring Taiwan's mountain regions for possible landslides. They were also working to restore power and water. Megi was 500 kilometers (310 miles) in diameter at its largest, and rainfall had topped 300 millimeters (12 inches) in the south and eastern mountains of Taiwan. More than 8,000 people were evacuated, mostly from mountainous areas at risk of landslides or floods. The weather forced the cancellation of 224 flights at Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport. Authorities had closed schools, offices and most of Taiwan's railway system Tuesday. Megi was the fourth typhoon of the year to hit Taiwan and third in the last two weeks. On the Chinese coast, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) from Taiwan at its nearest point, fishing boats were ordered back to port, China's official Xinhua News Agency said. Associated Press writer Ralph Jennings in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.[SEP]The typhoon made landfall at 1.30 p.m. (1.30 a.m. ET) packing winds of 115 mph (185 kph) with gusts of 144 kph (230 kph) and bringing extreme rainfall and the risk of landslides to the islands less heavily populated east coast, according to CNN meteorologists. "The storm is a dangerous typhoon and is expected to dump heavy rain over much of the island," said Michael Guy, a CNN meteorologist. "Some areas could get upwards of 300-500 mm of rainfall." "This can cause mudslides and landslides. Also, expect more power outages and flash flooding as well," he added. After tearing through Taiwan, the typhoon -- equivalent to a category three hurricane in the Atlantic -- is expected to weaken and make a second landfall in Fujian, eastern China, 24 hours later.[SEP]An aerial view shows flooded intersections following the landfall of Typhoon Megi in Fuzhou in southeastern China's Fujian Province, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016. The massive typhoon made landfall in eastern China Wednesday, a day after carrying strong winds over Taiwan that felled trees and scattered debris, killing several people and injuring hundreds. (Chinatopix via AP)[SEP]The third typhoon to hit Taiwan this month killed at least four people and injured hundreds on Tuesday, knocking down trees and cutting power to millions. Most schools and offices were shut and the north-south bullet train suspended services as Typhoon Megi, packing winds of well over 160 kph (100 mph), roared in from the Pacific. At least 167 people were injured and more than 11,500 evacuated, the government’s Central Emergency Operation Centre said. Authorities also estimated more than two million households had lost power, while over 45,000 were without water. Taiwan’s financial markets were closed because of the storm. Television footage showed people scurrying along city streets clutching umbrellas to try to fend off the rain. Bus and subway services were mostly suspended in the capital, Taipei, while hundreds of international flights were cancelled. The typhoon was moving across Taiwan and expected to head into the Taiwan Strait and on towards China on Wednesday where it will make landfall in the southeastern province of Fujian. China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs said it had ordered authorities across a large swathe of southern and eastern China to step up disaster prevention preparations. This month, super Typhoon Meranti killed at least 28 people in China and Taiwan and cut power to more than a million homes. Typhoons are common in the region at this time of year, picking up strength as they cross warm Pacific waters and bringing fierce wind and rain when they reach land.[SEP]An aerial view shows flooded intersections following the landfall of Typhoon Megi in Fuzhou in southeastern China's Fujian Province, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016. The massive typhoon made landfall in eastern China Wednesday, a day after carrying strong winds over Taiwan that felled trees and scattered debris, killing several people and injuring hundreds. (Chinatopix via AP)

Typhoon Megi makes landfall in eastern China a day after killing four people and injuring 260 on Taiwan.

At least 32 people are missing after rains from Typhoon Megi triggered landslides in two villages in China's eastern Zhejiang province on Wednesday, according to China's state-run news agency. One landslide happened about 5 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET) in Suncun village in Suichang County. Twenty-six residents are missing, Xinhua reported. Another landslide took place in Baofeng village in Wencheng County. Six people went missing when a landslide buried their homes, Xinhua said. Megi made landfall earlier Wednesday in mainland China's Fujian province, less than 24 hours after it devastated Taiwan. Four people died and at least 524 were injured in Taiwan after the powerful storm slammed into the island's northeastern coastline Tuesday afternoon.[SEP]BEIJING — At least 32 people are missing after two landslides struck villages in southeastern China following a typhoon. A rescue operation is underway in Sucun village in China’s Zhejiang province, south of Shanghai, after a Wednesday evening landslide. The state-run Xinhua News Agency reports that authorities have rescued 15 people in Sucun but say 26 more are missing. Another six people are missing in Baofeng village, also in Zhejiang, after a landslide destroyed their homes. The landslide was apparently triggered by Typhoon Megi, which lashed southeastern China on Wednesday with rain and heavy winds. The storm killed at least five people in China and Taiwan, and forced the cancellation of schools and hundreds of flights.[SEP]At least 32 people are missing after rains from Typhoon Megi triggered landslides in two villages in China's eastern Zhejiang province on Wednesday, according to China's state-run news agency. One landslide happened about 5 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET) in Suncun village in Suichang County. Twenty-six residents are missing, Xinhua reported. Another landslide took place in Baofeng village in Wencheng County. Six people went missing when a landslide buried their homes, Xinhua said. Megi made landfall earlier Wednesday in mainland China's Fujian province, less than 24 hours after it devastated Taiwan. Four people died and at least 524 were injured in Taiwan after the powerful storm slammed into the island's northeastern coastline Tuesday afternoon.[SEP]At least 33 people are missing after rains from Typhoon Megi triggered landslides in two villages in China's eastern Zhejiang province on Wednesday, according to China's state-run news agency. One landslide happened about 5 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET) in Sucun village in Suichang County. Twenty-six residents are missing, Xinhua reported. Another landslide took place in Baofeng village in Wencheng County. Six people went missing when a landslide buried their homes, Xinhua said. Megi made landfall earlier Wednesday in mainland China's Fujian province, less than 24 hours after it devastated Taiwan. Four people died and at least 524 were injured in Taiwan after the powerful storm slammed into the island's northeastern coastline Tuesday afternoon.[SEP]At least 33 people are missing after rains from Typhoon Megi triggered landslides in two villages in China's eastern Zhejiang province on Wednesday, according to China's state-run news agency. One landslide happened about 5 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET) in Sucun village in Suichang County. Twenty-six residents are missing, Xinhua reported. Another landslide took place in Baofeng village in Wencheng County. Six people went missing when a landslide buried their homes, Xinhua said. Megi made landfall earlier Wednesday in mainland China's Fujian province, less than 24 hours after it devastated Taiwan. Four people died and at least 524 were injured in Taiwan after the powerful storm slammed into the island's northeastern coastline Tuesday afternoon.[SEP]BEIJING: A landslide, which hit a village in eastern China Wednesday, buried dozens of houses and left 27 people missing, state media reported. The landslide struck the village of Sucun in Suichang county of Zhejiang province at around 5pm (0900 GMT), the official Xinhua news agency said. More than 400 rescue workers were at the scene Wednesday night and two women were pulled out of the rubble and are in stable condition, it added. Video footage shared on local media showed huge plumes of water and rock pouring down a mountain towards houses and buildings in the valley below. Heavy rain and high winds battered China’s east coast as Typhoon Megi made landfall Wednesday, killing at least one person, after leaving four dead and a trail of destruction in Taiwan.[SEP]A rescue worker is seen next to an overturned car at the site of a landslide caused by heavy rains brought by Typhoon Megi, in Sucun Village, Lishui, Zhejiang province, China, September 29, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer BEIJING (Reuters) - Rescuers have pulled 15 people alive from a landslide that slammed into a village in China’s eastern Zhejiang province after a typhoon but 32 people are still missing there and in another nearby village, state media said on Thursday. Heavy rains brought by the remnants of Typhoon Megi caused the landslide to crash into Sucun village on Wednesday. Pictures on the microblog of official provincial news portal Zhejiang Online showed survivors being carried out on the backs of rescuers, while others dug through rubble to find survivors. It gave no details of the 26 still missing in Sucun other than to say one was an official who had been in the village to organize evacuations. A mass of debris rolled down a lush mountain towards the small village, according to images posted on Zhejiang Online. Six people in Baofeng village in the same province were also missing after their homes were destroyed by a separate landslide, the official Xinhua news agency said. Mountainous Zhejiang, along with its neighboring provinces, are frequently hit by typhoons at this time of year and are also highly susceptible to landslides. Megi had already killed four people and injured more than 523 in Taiwan since it had roared in from the Pacific Ocean.[SEP]BEIJING — At least 32 people are missing after two landslides struck villages in southeastern China following a typhoon. A rescue operation is underway in Sucun village in China's Zhejiang province, south of Shanghai, after a Wednesday evening landslide. The state-run Xinhua News Agency reports that authorities have rescued 15 people in Sucun but say 26 more are missing. Another six people are missing in Baofeng village, also in Zhejiang, after a landslide destroyed their homes. The landslide was apparently triggered by Typhoon Megi, which lashed southeastern China on Wednesday with rain and heavy winds. The storm killed at least five people in China and Taiwan, and forced the cancellation of schools and hundreds of flights.[SEP]Rescuers have pulled 15 people alive from a landslide that slammed into a village in China’s eastern Zhejiang province after a typhoon but 26 people are still missing, state media said on Thursday. Heavy rains brought by the remnants of Typhoon Megi caused the landslide to crash into Sucun village on Wednesday. The microblog of official provincial news portal Zhejiang Online showed pictures of survivors being carried out on the backs of rescuers, while others dug through rubble to locate survivors. It gave no details of those still missing other than to say one was an official who had been in the village to organise evacuations. A mass of debris rolled down a lush mountain towards the small village, according to images posted on Zhejiang Online. Mountainous Zhejiang, along with its neighbouring provinces, are frequently hit by typhoons at this time of year and are also highly susceptible to landslides. Megi had already killed four people and injured more than 523 in Taiwan since it had roared in from the Pacific Ocean.[SEP]Heavy rains brought by the remnants of Typhoon Megi caused the landslide to crash into Sucun village on Wednesday. The microblog of official provincial news portal Zhejiang Online showed pictures of survivors being carried out on the backs of rescuers, while others dug through rubble to locate survivors. It gave no details of those still missing other than to say one was an official who had been in the village to organize evacuations. A mass of debris rolled down a lush mountain toward the small village, according to images posted on Zhejiang Online. Mountainous Zhejiang, along with its neighboring provinces, are frequently hit by typhoons at this time of year and are also highly susceptible to landslides. Megi had already killed four people and injured more than 523 in Taiwan since it had roared in from the Pacific Ocean.

Rescuers save 15 people from a landslide in Sucun village in Zhejiang Province; another 26 remain missing. Six people are also missing from nearby Baofeng village.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- A volatile volcano in northern Indonesia erupted Sunday, spewing smoke and ash that caused muddy rain to fall in nearby villages, an official said. Mount Lokon in North Sulawesi province rumbled as heavy rain fell around its cloud-covered crater, local monitoring official Farid Ruskanda Bina said. He said the sound was heard 5 kilometers (3 miles) away but the height of the eruption was not visible. The ash made the rain thick and muddy in six villages, Bina said. "Soldiers are distributing masks to the villagers," he said. There was no plan for evacuations because the nearest villages are beyond the danger area, he said. More than 33,000 people live along the fertile slopes of the 5,741-foot (1,750-meter) mountain. Mount Lokon is one of about 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Its last major eruption in 1991 killed a Swiss hiker and forced thousands of people to flee their homes. Indonesia, an archipelago of 240 million people, is prone to earthquakes and volcanoes because it sits along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a horseshoe-shaped series of fault lines.[SEP]Authorities closed the gates to Mount Rinjani, one of Indonesia's most visited active volcanoes on the resort island of Lombok, next to Bali, and told visitors to keep at least three km away. The erupting cone is called Barujari, a volcano within Mount Rinjani. The Disaster Mitigation Agency said 1,023 tourists, including 639 foreigners, were in Mount Rinjani National Park when the volcano erupted on Tuesday afternoon, coating nearby vegetation with ash. "Hundreds of tourists have exited Mount Rinjani and they are in good condition," spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Wednesday. Daniel Rosang, an official at the park, said he estimated there were up to 50 climbers still on the volcano and he believed they were safe.[SEP]Mount Barujari on Lombok Island, Indonesia, spewed out a column of ash into the skies on Tuesday afternoon, sending the area into a panic. Authorities have evacuated over 1,100 tourists from the island and are now searching for several hundred others, Indonesia’s disaster agency confirmed Wednesday. The volcano sits within the Mount Rinjani caldera. Its eruption delayed flights from airports in Lombok and nearby Bali, a well-known tourist hotspot. The ash column rose as high as 6,500 feet, the Wall Street Journal reports. He added that local agencies are cooperating with each other to prepare masks, warn residents to stay alert and prevent problems from volcanic ash, according to the Jakarta Post. So far, no injuries from the incident have been reported. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesperson for the country’s disaster management agency, said that some 400 foreign and local tourists were registered climbers on the volcano, leaving from Sembalun around 7 miles from the crater. Heronimus Guru, deputy chief of operations at Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency, said that 120 tourists had been found and were on their way down Barujari. Farms and trees in the volcano’s immediate vicinity were coated with a layer of ash, but nearby towns and villages are in no immediate danger, Nugroho assured. In early September, an earthquake in Dompu prompted volcanic activity on Mount Barujari, also disrupting normal activity. Mount Rinjani is one of 130 active volcanoes in the archipelago and is the second highest volcano in the country at 12,224 feet high. Its caldera is partially filled by a crater lake called Segara Anak or Anak Laut, meaning “Child of the Sea,” because of its blue color. The caldera also contains hot springs and is considered to be a sacred site by some religions. Indonesia is very vulnerable to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location directly on the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”[SEP]Mount Rinjani, the second highest volcano in the country, stands 3,726 metres high and has a lake in its boiler. Rescue teams were dispatched on Wednesday to evacuate nearly 400 tourists after a volcano erupted at Mount Rinjani in Lombok, Indonesia. Mount Barujari that forms part of Rinjani was seen emitting a 2,000-metre-high column of smoke on Tuesday afternoon, prompting authorities to cordon off and evacuate the area within a radius of 3 km around the crater, Efe news agency reported. Rinjani, the second highest volcano in Indonesia standing 3,726 metres high, attracts thousands of tourists annually for a three-day trek to the mountain top, which has a lake in its boiler. A disaster mitigation agency spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said nearly 400 foreign and local tourists were registered since Sunday to climb the mountain. “We are still searching for about 389 other tourists, mostly foreign tourists, to find out their condition and to evacuate them immediately,” the Guardian quoted Mr. Nugroho as saying. There have been no reports of injuries. Indonesian authorities in October 2015 issued a volcanic alert after an eruption forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 people, including tourists and residents. Last year, Mt. Rinjani erupted several times emitting columns of smoke and ash forcing the Lombok airport to shut down and suspend flights in the neighbouring island of Bali. Tuesday’s eruption delayed many flights between Australia and Bali for several hours, although flight schedules are back to normal now. Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of high seismic and volcanic activity which is home to more than 400 volcanoes, including at least 129 that are still active and 65 qualified as dangerous.[SEP]Jakarta, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities say they have evacuated most tourists from Mount Barujari on Lombok island after it spewed a massive column of ash into the atmosphere. The volcano, a popular attraction that is known as the Child of Rinjani because it sits within the Mount Rinjani caldera, erupted without warning on Tuesday afternoon, delaying flights from the international airport on nearby Bali. The ash column reached 2,000 meters (6,560 feet). Heronimus Guru, deputy operations chief at Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency, said Wednesday that the remaining tourists, about 50 people who are mostly foreigners, were heading down the mountain. Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said more than 1,100 tourists left the Mount Rinjani area on Tuesday. A similar number left Wednesday. There have been no reports of injuries from the eruption. Nugroho said government scientists have declared a danger zone of 3 kilometers (1.6 miles) around the crater and raised the volcano’s alert to the third highest level, but some tourists did not immediately heed warnings to leave because they wanted to take photos or videos of the eruption. The eruption interrupted flights for several hours at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, airport officials said. Farms and trees around the 3,726-meter (12,224-foot) -high volcano were coated in a thin layer of gray ash, but nearby towns and villages were not in danger, Nugroho said. Rinjani is among about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. The archipelago is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”[SEP]JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities are searching for several hundred tourists after Mount Barujari on Lombok island spewed a massive column of ash into the atmosphere and have evacuated more than 1,100 others, the country’s disaster agency said Wednesday. The volcano, also known as the Child of Rinjani because it sits within the Mount Rinjani caldera, erupted without warning on Tuesday afternoon, delaying flights from airports in Lombok and nearby Bali. The ash column reached 2,000 meters (6,560 feet). Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that nearly 400 foreign and local tourists had been registered since Sunday to climb the mountain, leaving from Sembalun monitoring post, about 11 kilometers (7 miles) from the crater. “We are still searching for about 389 other tourists, mostly foreign tourists, to find out their condition and to evacuate them immediately,” Nugroho said. There have been no reports of injuries from the eruption. The eruption interrupted flights for several hours at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, about 135 kilometers (84 miles) from Lombok, and Selaparang airport in Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara province, located on Lombok Island. Farms and trees around the 3,726-meter (12,224-feet) -high volcano were coated in a thin layer of gray ash, but nearby towns and villages were not in danger, Nugroho said. Rinjani is among about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. The archipelago is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”[SEP]Indonesian authorities are searching for several hundred tourists after Mount Barujari on Lombok island spewed a massive column of ash into the atmosphere and have evacuated more than 1,100 others, the country’s disaster agency said on Wednesday. The volcano, also known as the Child of Rinjani because it sits within the Mount Rinjani caldera, erupted without warning on Tuesday afternoon, delaying flights from airports on the islands of Lombok and Bali. The ash column reached 2,000 meters (6,560 feet). Disaster Mitigation Agency Spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said nearly 400 foreign and local tourists had been registered since Sunday to climb the mountain, leaving from Sembalun monitoring post, about 11 kilometers (7 miles) from the volcano’s crater. There have been no reports of injuries from the eruption. Heronimus Guru, the deputy operations chief at Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency, said on Wednesday that about 120 tourists, mainly foreigners, had been located so far and were heading down the mountain. The eruption interrupted flights for several hours at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali and Lombok International Airport. Farms and trees around the 3,726-meter (12,224-foot)-high volcano were coated in a thin layer of gray ash, but nearby towns and villages were not in danger, Nugroho said. Rinjani is among about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. The archipelago is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”[SEP]JAKARTA: Rescuers in Indonesia were dispatched Wednesday to evacuate nearly 400 tourists, most of them foreigners, after a volcano erupted at one of the country’s most popular hiking destinations, an official said. Mount Barujari began erupting late Tuesday afternoon, sending columns of ash and smoke shooting 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) into the sky over Lombok island, a tourist hotspot to the immediate east of Bali. Nearly 400 people were recorded as hiking near Barujari — a smaller cone within the crater of Mount Rinjani — when it began erupting, prompting plans for their immediate evacuation, said national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. “A rescue team has been sent to Mount Rinjani to evacuate the tourists. They set off on Wednesday morning,” he said. Hikers have been told to keep at least 3 kilometres from the smouldering volcano, a key attraction on the multi-day trek to the summit of Mount Rinjani made by thousands of tourists every year. Nugroho said 389 hikers were recorded as having entered the national park since Sunday, the overwhelming majority of them foreigners. While most would have taken the official route to the summit, rescue teams suspected some hikers may have gone off-piste, Nugroho added. The threat level of the volcano was upgraded Tuesday as Barujari sent plumes of smoke and hot ash into the atmosphere, but remains two steps from the highest-risk category. There were no flight disturbances recorded on Wednesday due to the ash clouds, transport ministry spokesman Hemi Pramuraharjo told AFP. Some flights to and from the nearby resort island of Bali were cancelled overnight, but Lombok’s international airport remains unaffected. Flight disruptions due to drifting ash clouds are not uncommon in Indonesia, which sits on a belt of seismic activity known as the Pacific Ring of Fire and is home to 130 active volcanoes. An eruption at Mount Rinjani last month forced the closure of Lombok airport and disrupted some flights to neighbouring Bali.-AFP[SEP]JAKARTA: Rescuers in Indonesia were dispatched Wednesday to evacuate nearly 400 tourists, most of them foreigners, after a volcano erupted at one of the country’s most popular hiking destinations, the Lombok island east of Bali, an official said. Mount Barujari began erupting late Tuesday afternoon, sending columns of ash and smoke shooting 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) into the sky. Nearly 400 people were recorded as hiking near Barujari — a smaller cone within the crater of Mount Rinjani — when it began erupting, prompting plans for their immediate evacuation, said national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. Hikers have been told to keep at least 3 kilometers from the smouldering volcano, a key attraction on the multi-day trek to the summit of Mount Rinjani made by thousands of tourists every year. Nugroho said 389 hikers were recorded as having entered the national park since Sunday, the overwhelming majority of them foreigners. The threat level of the volcano was upgraded Tuesday as Barujari sent plumes of smoke and hot ash into the atmosphere, but remains two steps from the highest-risk category. Some flights to and from the nearby resort island of Bali were cancelled overnight, but Lombok’s international airport remains unaffected. Flight disruptions due to drifting ash clouds are not uncommon in Indonesia, which sits on a belt of seismic activity known as the Pacific Ring of Fire and is home to 130 active volcanoes. An eruption at Mount Rinjani last month forced the closure of Lombok airport and disrupted some flights to neighboring Bali.[SEP]Hundreds of climbers have been brought down safely from the slopes of an Indonesian volcano that erupted this week, the disaster agency said on Thursday, although the fate of several daredevil tourists who declined to leave was not clear. More than 1,000 tourists including 639 foreigners were in Mount Rinjani National Park when Barujari, a smaller volcano within Mount Rinjani, began erupting on Tuesday, sending a plume of ash into the sky which fell back to coat vegetation. "They have all come down now. The Rinjani caldera is now clear," agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Reuters via mobile phone text message. The crater is about 8-10 hours walk from the entrance to the park. The agency said in a statement on Wednesday several tourists hoping to document the eruption had declined to leave and hidden from rescue workers. "They knew the dangers," it said. Nugroho was not available for comment on their fate on Thursday. Mount Rinjani, on the island of Lombok, just to the east of Bali island, is one of Indonesia's most visited active volcanoes. Authorities have closed the park gates and told visitors to keep at least three km (two miles) away.

Indonesia authorities evacuate over 1,000 tourists from the island of Lombok after Mount Barujari erupts.

The town of Lyndoch, northeast of Adelaide, has been flooded overnight, after the town's creek burst its banks. The SES issued a flood emergency warning after water levels continued to rise. 9NEWS Adelaide will air a special storm bulletin at 8.30am (ACST). Live stream it here. Two people were rescued from cars and residents urged to leave their properties. About 60km further north, another emergency warning was activated for towns along the Gilbert River. "Locations which are impacted include Saddleworth, Tarlee, Manoora, Stockport and Riverton," the SES said in a statement. Wind gusts of up to 115km/h were recorded at Ceduna just after midnight, and at Cummins at 3am. A gale warning is in place for the Upper South East Coast, while a strong wind warning exists for Adelaide Metropolitan Waters, Lower West Coast, Central Coast, South Central Coast, Spencer Gulf, Gulf St Vincent, Investigator Strait and Lower South East Coast. A number of flood warnings are also still in place, however a severe weather warning for the state has now been cancelled. For a full list of SA weather warnings, visit the BoM website . Premier Jay Weatherill is expected to visit the state's mid-north today to see the damage caused to the region's electricity infrastructure and speak with locals affected most by Wednesday's big blackout. Mr Weatherill described the storm as "catastrophic" and said it had involved weather events not seen before in South Australia, "such as twin tornadoes, which ripped through the northern parts of our state". The intense low pressure system was packing winds of up to 140km/h, among the strongest the city has experienced, prompting an unprecedented warning from police for workers to head home early and stay home amid concerns emergency services might not be able to cope. Several public schools in regional areas will remain closed, as well as school bus routes in Balaklava, Port Pirie buses, Napperby Primary School Buses and Kadina, Ardrossan and Clare buses. Meantime, tens of thousands of homes across South Australia were still without power well into the night, despite restoration to much of Adelaide and metropolitan surrounds. The Marne river near Cambrai. (Supplied: Jody Miltenoff) () More than 7000 homes were hit with more outages again yesterday afternoon. Aberfoyle Park, Kiana, Mount Hope, Sheringa, Melrose, Foul Bay and Flagstaff Hill were among several suburbs where power was out, which SA Power Network has attributed to “storm activity”. Transmission company ElectraNet said most services had been restored and it hoped to have one of the transmission lines repaired by Sunday, using temporary towers from interstate. The company also backed assertions from the premier that no energy system in the world could have survived such an event without going down. The State Emergency Service has responded to more than 600 calls for help. The State Emergency Service advises that people should: Move vehicles under cover or away from trees; Secure or put away loose items around your property. Keep clear of fallen power lines; Don't drive, ride or walk through flood water; Stay indoors, away from windows, while conditions are severe. You can contact SA SES on 132 500 for help. For life-threatening emergencies contact 000.[SEP]South Australians are preparing for one of the most extreme weather systems to hit the state in decades, bringing drenching rain and damaging winds. Up to 100mm of rain is forecast for the Adelaide Hills, with the storm expected to hit at about midday on Wednesday. Winds should average 90km/h, whipping up ocean waves to more than 10 metres, but gusts are forecast to be much stronger. The State Emergency Service says 43,000 sandbags have been distributed and more are to be handed out on Wednesday. SA Power Networks says there will probably be power outages and some could be long. State cabinet’s emergency management council was also meeting to consider what action would be required as the storm hit and during the cleanup. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for the state’s west coast and large parts of the Eyre peninsula and that warning was expected to move east during the day. A flood watch was also in place for the Adelaide Hills. “This depth of the low, this close to the coast, is very damaging,” said the Bureau of Metereology SA’s director, John Nairn. “It’s a very significant event for South Australia. It’s very rare.” Nairn said records suggested SA had not experienced a storm so severe for more than 50 years.

The state of South Australia suffers widespread blackouts triggered by severe weather conditions.

Congress Overrides Obama's Veto On Sept. 11 Lawsuit Bill Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images Updated at 3:22 p.m. ET with House vote Congress approved the first successful override of a presidential veto from President Obama on Wednesday when the House joined the Senate in voting against Obama's objection to a bill that would allow family members to sue Saudi Arabia over the Sept. 11 attacks. Politics House Approves Bill Allowing 9/11 Victims To Sue Saudi Arabia House Approves Bill Allowing 9/11 Victims To Sue Saudi Arabia Listen · 2:02 2:02 The override cleared the Senate earlier Wednesday, in a 97-1 vote in favor of the override, well above the two-thirds majority needed to overcome the president's objection. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid cast the lone "no" vote. Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., did not vote. Politics Saudis Threaten Economic Repercussions If Congress Passes 9/11 Bill Saudis Threaten Economic Repercussions If Congress Passes 9/11 Bill Listen · 4:01 4:01 The House vote was 348-77. The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) would, among other things, give families of Sept. 11 victims the right to sue Saudi Arabia over claims it aided or financed the terrorist attacks. The House initially passed the measure on a voice vote earlier this month, two days before the 15th anniversary of the deadly terrorist attacks. The Saudi government denies any role in those attacks, and the 9/11 Commission found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials were involved. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, though, and there have long been suspicions that some of the hijackers received support during their time in the U.S. from individuals with possible connections to the Saudi Kingdom. Supporters of the veto override say those suspicions should be explored in a U.S. court of law. The Obama administration says it's sympathetic to victims' families, but concerned that allowing such lawsuits would open the door to legal challenges against American officials in other countries. "The president understands the passion that's on both sides of this issue," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Tuesday. "It's the president's responsibility to consider the broader impact that this bill, as it's currently written, would have on our national security, and our standing around the world, and on our diplomats and our service members who represent the United States around the world." Those concerns were underscored by CIA Director John Brennan shortly before the Senate vote. National Security Congress Releases Long-Classified 29 Pages Of 9/11 Report Congress Releases Long-Classified 29 Pages Of 9/11 Report Listen · 3:03 3:03 "The principle of sovereign immunity protects U.S. officials every day, and is rooted in reciprocity," Brennan said in a statement. "If we fail to uphold this standard for other countries, we place our own nation's officials in danger. No country has more to lose from undermining that principle than the United States—and few institutions would be at greater risk than CIA." Under the principle of "sovereign immunity," a country should remain immune from lawsuits in the courts of another country. Although there are some very limited exceptions to that principle already, critics complain the measure allowing lawsuits against the Saudi government creates a dangerously wide exception. Families of Sept. 11 victims have demanded a right to seek monetary compensation from Saudi Arabia since the attacks, and versions of this bill have been floating around the Capitol since as far back as 2009, but the legislation never reached the floor until this year. It sailed through both chambers without any opposition, but did so without a formal tally of votes. Passage of JASTA was done by so-called "unanimous consent" in the Senate, and by voice vote in the House. What does this bill do? JASTA would allow a lawsuit against any country by any U.S. citizen who claims the country financed or otherwise aided and abetted a terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Liability would attach only if the plaintiff could show the country acted with knowledge in providing this support. Congress already has allowed Americans to sue countries that have been designated as "state sponsors of terrorism," but currently, that list includes only three countries — Iran, Syria and Sudan. The White House says that designation is assigned only after very careful review by national security, intelligence and foreign policy officials, and that such designations should not be left to private litigants and judges. The concerns voiced by the White House, some lawmakers There's been talk about the principle of "sovereign immunity" and how this bill might erode that principle. Under the principle of "sovereign immunity," a country should remain immune from lawsuits in the courts of another country. It's a long-held principle of international law. And although there are some very limited exceptions to that principle, some lawmakers and the White House believe JASTA creates a dangerously wide exception. The fear is that other countries might reciprocate and enact laws that would drag U.S. government officials or members of our military into lawsuits in foreign courts under the theory that those people aided and abetted some injury abroad. And to Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, that would expose the U.S. to tremendous liability. "Let's face it. We're the greatest nation on earth. We have more involvements around the world than any country," said Corker. "We've got assets deployed all around the world more than any country. So if sovereign immunity recedes, we're the nation that is most exposed." In his veto message, President Obama said there could be lawsuits against the United States for "actions taken by members of an armed group that received U.S. assistance, misuse of U.S. military equipment by foreign forces, or abuses committed by police units that received U.S. training." However without merit these claims may be, the White House argues, they would still suck up resources and increase the country's legal exposure. Allowing Sept. 11 families a day in court Supporters of the bill say it's a little alarmist to think this bill is going to corrode the principle of sovereign immunity and invite a flood of retaliatory litigation against the U.S. They point out sovereign immunity is not absolute — there are already, after all, exceptions to it. And most importantly, they argue, all JASTA ultimately does is give Sept. 11 victims a chance to be heard in court. "The issue is fundamentally about, is whether someone would have the opportunity to raise their concerns in the judicial system. It's not a judgment about how a case would come out," said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a senior member of the Intelligence Committee. "It seems to me that it is appropriate — particularly in light of the families — that they should have a chance to raise their concerns in court. "[SEP]In a landmark 97-1 vote, the United States Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to override Barack Obama’s veto of a bill allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia. Only Obama’s ally Nevada Democrat Harry Reid voted against the bill. This is a severe blow to Obama, who lobbied hard against the bill, known as the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act. This is a first rebuke to Obama in his eight years of presidency. Obama vetoed the legislation on Friday because he said the bill would infringe on the president’s ability to conduct foreign policy. It was the 12th veto of his presidency and, until now, none have been overridden even after Republicans’ longstanding control of the Congress. The White House argued the 9/11 bill would undermine the principle of sovereign immunity and open up the United States itself to lawsuits. In a letter to Republican and Democratic Senate leaders, Obama had said: ‘I strongly believe that enacting JASTA into law would be detrimental to US national interests.’ Obama warned of ‘devastating’ consequences for the Pentagon, service members, diplomats and the intelligence services. It would ‘neither protect Americans from terrorist attacks, nor improve the effectiveness of our response to such attacks’, he warned. Families of 9/11 victims have campaigned for the law -- convinced that the Saudi government had a hand in the attacks that killed almost 3,000 people. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens, but no link to the government has been proven. The Saudi government denies any links to the plotters. Declassified documents showed US intelligence had multiple suspicions about links between the Saudi government and the attackers.[SEP]WASHINGTON — Congress is poised to override President Barack Obama’s veto of a bill that would allow families of Sept. 11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia for the kingdom’s alleged backing of the terrorists who carried out the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. The showdown is scheduled for Wednesday. Proponents of the legislation say they have enough votes for what would be a first: During his nearly two full terms in office, Obama has vetoed nine bills. None has been overridden. While there is broad and bipartisan support for bucking the president, the bill’s opponents also are pushing hard to keep the measure from being enacted. They’re warning the U.S. will become vulnerable to retaliatory litigation in foreign courts that could put American troops in legal jeopardy. Here’s a look at the key issues surrounding the bill, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act: WHAT WOULD THE LEGISLATION DO? The legislation, known as JASTA, gives victims’ families the right to sue in U.S. court for any role that elements of the Saudi government may have played in the 2001 attacks that killed thousands in New York, the Washington, D.C., area and Pennsylvania. Under the terms of the bill, courts would be permitted to waive a claim of foreign sovereign immunity when an act of terrorism occurs inside U.S. borders. Saudi Arabia has objected vehemently to the bill. WHY DID OBAMA VETO THE BILL? In his veto message issued on Friday, Obama said the bill would disrupt longstanding international principles on sovereign immunity and could create complications with even the closest allies of the United States. Foreign governments would be able to act “reciprocally” and allow their courts to exercise jurisdiction over the United States and its employees for allegedly causing injuries overseas through American support to third parties, according to Obama. As examples, Obama cited actions taken overseas by U.S.-backed armed militias, the improper use of U.S. military equipment, and abuses committed by U.S.-trained police units. The bill’s proponents have disputed Obama’s rationale as “unconvincing and unsupportable,” saying the measure is narrowly tailored and applies only to acts of terrorism that occur on U.S. soil. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that the Senate would vote Wednesday on the president’s veto. WHAT’S THE CONCERN FOR AMERICAN TROOPS AND SECRETS? Rep. Mac Thornberry, the Texas Republican who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, said that even if none of the potential lawsuits against the United States succeeded, “the risks of discovery or trial in foreign courts, including the questioning of government employees under oath, will disclose sensitive information and subject Americans to legal jeopardy of various kinds.” Thornberry is opposed to the bill and is urging his colleagues not to override Obama’s veto. But attorneys for the 9/11 families said U.S. military personnel are not at risk of lawsuits. Should a foreign government enact a law that allows a claim against American service members, that nation would not be reciprocating but engaging in a “transparent and unjustifiable act of aggression” that the U.S. should respond to, they said. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Monday he is inclined to vote to override and said it looks as though there are enough votes in the House to overturn the president’s decision. The House would act after the Senate votes. IS THERE HEIGHTENED TENSION WITH A KEY MIDDLE EAST ALLY? An override of Obama’s veto is stoking apprehension about undermining a longstanding yet strained relationship with Saudi Arabia, a critical U.S. ally in the Middle East. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir had previously warned lawmakers they were on a path to turning “the world for international law into the law of the jungle.” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., last week advised his congressional colleagues against alienating Saudi Arabia at a time when the U.S. needs the kingdom’s support to defeat Islamic State militants. “If you want to lose Saudi Arabia as an ally, be careful what you wish for,” said Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “They’re the heart and soul of the Islamic world.” HOW MANY VOTES ARE NEEDED TO OVERRIDE A VETO? A two-thirds majority of lawmakers present and voting is required in the House and Senate to override a veto.[SEP]In a first, Congress rebukes Obama with veto override of 9/11 bill WASHINGTON — The GOP-led Congress has been angling for this moment: the chance to finally deliver President Barack Obama a stinging rebuke with the first veto override since he took office. It may not be exactly the political score many Republicans had envisioned. The timing comes near the end of Obama’s presidency and on a bill — which would let 9/11 families sue the Saudi Arabian government — that some lawmakers concede is problematic. But on Wednesday, the Senate voted 97-1 to override Obama’s veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act. The House swiftly followed with an override vote of 348-77. The override was the first time Congress has successfully challenged the president on a piece of legislation, despite Obama’s 12 other vetoes, including 10 when Republicans were the majority of both houses. In most instances, Congress didn’t even attempt an override. The White House, which made modest gestures to prevent this week’s outcome with tough warnings from its national security team, blasted the vote as “embarrassing,” warning that lawmakers would have to answer to their constituents. A cadre of blue-chip lobby shops was being paid top dollar by the Saudi government to try to derail the action. But the opposition was a long-shot effort that has little chance against the compelling stories of the 9/11 victims’ families and friends who have pressured Congress for almost a decade to pass the legislation. “This rare moment of bipartisanship is a testament to the strength of the 9/11 families,” said Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., one of the bill’s lead authors. “Overriding a presidential veto is something we don’t take lightly, but it was important in this case.” After a personal appeal from Obama, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, was the lone vote against the override. Two other senators did not vote because they were on the presidential campaign trail in support of Hillary Clinton — Tim Kaine of Virginia, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, and Bernie Sanders of Vermont. The legislation would amend existing law to allow U.S. courts to hear terrorism cases against foreign states, narrowing the scope of immunity now granted to sovereign foreign actors. Supporters say it will allow victims of terrorism their day in court. But opponents, including the administration, warn that it could complicate U.S. relationships abroad, impede national security investigations and open the floodgates to similar suits by foreigners against the U.S. government. The CIA director warned the bill could have “grave implications” for national security, and Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said it could be “devastating” to the department and “undermine” counterterrorism efforts abroad. The legislation has bounced around Washington for years, but it was never expected to advance. Schumer, the brash New Yorker who is poised to become the Senate Democratic leader next year, succeeded in passing it through the Senate in spring on a voice vote, without a formal roll call. The House seized the opportunity to corner Obama, and just before the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, approved the measure on a swift voice vote. In the weeks since, the White House and opponents — and even some reluctant lawmakers — have scrambled to play catch-up. Top lobbying firms employing former congressional leaders, including Trent Lott, John Breaux and others, were hired quickly by the Saudi government, some on $100,000-a-month retainers, to fight the override vote. Several key lawmakers have expressed concerns about the legislation, saying they are having second thoughts about supporting the bill. But not enough were ultimately willing to stop it. “The president feels strongly about this. He’s also aware of how challenging the politics are,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Tuesday. The override vote not only is a public slap at the president, but a reminder of his often tenuous relationship with Congress. Obama has been criticized for having little experience with Capitol Hill, and even less engagement. He outsourced too much of his legislating to staff, critics said, without investing in the personal relationships needed to bargain with lawmakers. When Republicans became the majority in both houses in 2015, they envisioned turning Obama into a vetoer-in-chief, eager to force the president into the uncomfortable position of rejecting bill after bill from the new Congress. The strategy was seen by former House Speaker John A. Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as a way to fire up their partisan GOP base and show the two parties’ different approaches to legislating. But that never really happened. Faced with their own party infighting, the Republican House and Senate often struggled to find common ground and muster their own votes to send bills to the White House. When they did, Obama easily swatted the bills back with a veto message. On the few occasions when Republicans mounted an override attempt, Democrats sustained the vetoes. The closest Republicans came to a victory was on a bill to expedite construction of the Keystone XL pipeline that many Democrats also supported. But the override fell a few votes short of the 67 needed. Obama even appeared to lament that he didn’t always have true sparring partners in the gridlocked Congress. “I don’t generally even have to veto anything because they can’t get organized enough even to present the cockamamie legislation that they’re interested in passing,” Obama said at a recent New York fundraiser. Officials at the White House are downplaying the significance of this week’s votes, seeing the action as an outlier after nearly two years in which a Republican congressional majority failed to produce much landmark legislation for the president to sign, let alone veto. While adamant that the 9/11 legislation could have far-reaching consequences and potentially hurt U.S. alliances, not only with Saudi Arabia but with other allies, the administration does not appear to have made a full-court effort to stop it. Obama’s Democratic allies on Capitol Hill suggested the override vote was not an affront to the president but rather a difference of opinion based on the roles Obama and Congress play in governing. Obama’s thin veto record is similar to that of his predecessor, President George W. Bush, and a fraction of the 37 that President Bill Clinton dashed off with his veto pen. It’s nowhere near the 250 under President Truman or 635 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Overrides also are rare. During the last administration, Congress was able to override Bush four times, all during his final years when Democrats had control of both chambers. Clinton was overridden twice. Truman and President Gerald Ford experienced the most overrides in the modern era, 12. “That the president hasn’t vetoed that many bills I think is a pretty damning indictment of the effectiveness of Republicans in Congress,” Earnest said. “We haven’t seen Speaker Boehner or Speaker [Paul] Ryan work effectively with Leader McConnell to pass legislation that advances the conservative agenda.”[SEP]WASHINGTON - Congress on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to override President Barack Obama’s veto of a bill to allow survivors and families of 9/11 victims to pursue their lawsuit in a U.S. court against Saudi Arabia for alleged complicity in the terrorist attacks. The veto override — the first for Obama — won 97-1 in the Senate and 348-77 with one present in the House despite second-thoughts by some lawmakers and intense lobbying against the legislation by the Obama administration, some foreign relations experts and Saudi Arabia. Family members who fought for the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, or JASTA, applauded and cheered after the House voted, making possible the prospects they’ll see their trillion dollar lawsuit reinstated eight years after an appellate court in New York sidelined it. Most Democrats chose to support the 9/11 families’ quest to sue Saudi Arabia than back their president, though more in the House than the Senate stood by him, as the vote in both chambers easily passed the threshold of two-thirds of the members. Before the vote, Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford), the House sponsor, urged a veto override. “It’s really essential that the House today stand on the side of justice,” King said. Earlier, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Senate sponsor, did the same. “Democrat and Republicans don’t agree on much these days,” he said. “But we agree on JASTA. Both parties believe that the families of the 9/11 victims should be able to seek justice.” Despite the lopsided vote, several senators expressed concerns and said they would vote the override only reluctantly because of their sympathy for the 9/11 families, and House members engaged in a debate, with some urging that the veto be sustained. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) broke with Schumer as the lone Senate vote to sustain the veto. Reid’s office later distributed a letter from Obama to him explaining why he vetoed the bill on Friday after both chambers passed it without opposition earlier this month. The White House listed its objections: it turns over national security and foreign policy to the courts; puts U.S. military, diplomats and assets at risk of retaliatory lawsuits by other countries; and threatens important and sensitive relationships with other nations. Key members from both parties in the Senate and the House said they would continue to consider legislation to further narrow JASTA and to mitigate any blowback from other countries. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Tex.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, urged a vote to sustain the veto during the House debate. “My concern for this legislation is more related to the unintended consequences it may have,” he said, echoing the Obama administration’s caution that the bill weakens the doctrine of sovereign immunity, which protects a country and its official representatives abroad. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) agreed, saying that “this is not the way to go about getting justice.” What if Iraq citizens sued the United States for the 2003 bombings of Baghdad that killed and maimed so many people and won compensation for each one of them, he asked. He said the bill is narrowly drawn and won’t put U.S. military and diplomats at risk. “We must hold justice for the 9/11 families to imagined fears,” he said.[SEP]This frame grab from video provided by C-SPAN2, shows the floor of the Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016, as the Senate acted decisively to override President Barack Obama's veto of Sept. 11 legislation, setting the stage for the contentious bill to become law despite flaws that Obama and top Pentagon officials warn could put U.S. troops and interests at risk. (C-SPAN2 via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate acted decisively Wednesday to override President Barack Obama's veto of Sept. 11 legislation, setting the stage for the contentious bill to become law despite flaws that Obama and top Pentagon officials warn could put U.S. troops and interests at risk. Five weeks before elections, lawmakers refused to oppose a measure backed by 9/11 families who say they are still seeking justice 15 years after the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. The bill permits them to sue the government of Saudi Arabia for the kingdom's alleged backing of the 19 hijackers who carried out the plot. Saudi Arabia is staunchly opposed to the measure. Senators voted 97-1 to override Obama's veto. The lone "no" vote was Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. A House vote on Obama's veto was expected later in the day Wednesday. If the House also overrides, the bill becomes law. During his nearly two terms in office, Obama has never had a veto overridden by Congress. Despite reversing Obama's decision, several senators said defects in the bill could open a legal Pandora's box, triggering lawsuits from people in other countries seeking redress for injuries or deaths caused by military actions in which the U.S. may have had a role. In a letter Tuesday to Senate leaders, Obama said the bill would erode sovereign immunity principles that prevent foreign litigants "from second-guessing our counterterrorism operations and other actions that we take every day." But one of the bill's leading proponents, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, dismissed Obama's concerns as "unpersuasive." Cornyn, the Senate's No. 2 Republican, and other supporters said the bill is narrowly tailored and applies only to acts of terrorism that occur on U.S. soil. "This bill is about respecting the voices and rights of American victims," Cornyn said. Families of the victims and their attorneys disputed concerns over the legislation as fearmongering aimed at derailing the legislation that they have long urged Congress to pass. Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, one of the Democrats who broke with Obama and voted to override, said "the risks of shielding the perpetrators of terrorism from justice are greater than the risks this legislation may pose to America's presence around the world." The legislation gives victims' families the right to sue in U.S. court for any role that elements of the Saudi government may have played in the 2001 attacks. Fifteen of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers were Saudi nationals. Courts would be permitted to waive a claim of foreign sovereign immunity when an act of terrorism occurs inside U.S. borders, according to the terms of the bill. Still, a group of national-security minded legislators pledged to discuss how to repair problem areas during the upcoming lame-duck session of Congress. But the fact that legislation could pass both chambers of Congress without closer scrutiny left at least a few senators chiding themselves for not examining more closely the bill's potential ramifications. The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, or JASTA, moved to the floor of the Senate in May and passed by voice vote. The bill cleared the House earlier this month, also by voice vote. "We didn't pay much attention to this," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee. "And boy is that ever a lesson learned." Obama vetoed the measure last week, telling lawmakers the bill would make the U.S. vulnerable to retaliatory litigation. In his letter to Reid, the president said other countries could attempt to use JASTA to justify similar immunity exceptions to target U.S. policies and activities they oppose. "As a result, our nation and its armed forces, State Department, intelligence officials and others may find themselves subject to lawsuits in foreign courts," Obama wrote. As an example, U.S. troops, including those involved in counterterrorism operations, "would be vulnerable to accusations that their activities contributed to acts that allegedly violated foreign laws," the president said. In a separate letter sent Monday to a senior House member, Defense Secretary Ash Carter described the potential for foreign litigants to seek classified intelligence data and analysis and sensitive operational information to establish their cases in what could be an "intrusive discovery process." If the U.S. were sued overseas, a foreign court would decide whether the information should be protected from disclosure, he said in the letter to Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, chairman of the Armed Services Committee. Paradoxically, the information could be central to a defense against the accusations. "Disclosure could put the United States in the difficult position of choosing between disclosing classified or otherwise sensitive information or suffering adverse rulings and potentially large damage awards for our refusal to do so," Carter wrote. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., voiced his numerous concerns with the bill before the vote but decided to override the president's veto anyway. "I do so understanding that there could be in fact unintended consequences that work against our national interests," said Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Missing the vote were Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Tim Kaine, D-Va.[SEP]The Senate voted on Wednesday to override President Obama’s veto of legislation allowing lawsuits against foreign sponsors of terrorism. The House is expected to follow suit within hours, making this the first veto of Obama’s presidency to be overturned by Congress. Last week Obama vetoed the bill explaining that the “Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act” (JASTA) would erode the doctrine of sovereign immunity and expose the US to lawsuits around the world. The bill would have allowed the families of 9/11 victims to sue the Saudi Arabian government over its alleged support for the terrorists who carried out the attacks. JASTA, which passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate, allows US judges to waive sovereign immunity claims when dealing with acts of terrorism committed on American soil – potentially allowing lawsuits against Saudi Arabia over the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Fifteen of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi nationals. The issue appears to cross party lines, with Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) pushing for a veto override while Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker (R-Tennessee) is concerned it would “end up exporting [US] foreign policy to trial lawyers.” Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has argued that allowing JASTA to become law could lead to US being sued in foreign courts and subjected to an “intrusive discovery process.” This could put Washington in the “difficult position of choosing between disclosing classified or otherwise sensitive information or suffering adverse rulings and potentially large damage awards for our refusal to do so,” Carter wrote to House Armed Services Committee chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) earlier this week, according to the Military Times. The House is expected hold a veto override vote later on Wednesday.[SEP]US Congress votes overwhelmingly to override the president’s veto, the first such rebuke during his presidency WASHINGTON: The US Congress voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to override Barack Obama’s veto of a bill allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia, the first such rebuke during his eight-year presidency. The Senate overrode the veto in a 97-1 vote, followed a short time later by the House of Representatives, which knocked it down with a 348-77 vote. The rare act of bipartisanship was a blow to Obama, who lobbied hard against the bill, known as the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA). Obama called Wednesday’s vote a ‘dangerous precedent.’ “I understand why it happened. Obviously, all of us still carry the scars and trauma of 9/11,” he said on CNN. But he said the decision would harm US national interests by undermining the principle of sovereign immunity, opening up the United States to private lawsuits over its military missions abroad. “Our men and women in uniform around the world could potentially start seeing ourselves subject to reciprocal loss.”’ Some of the lawmakers who voted for the override didn’t know what was in the bill, he said, calling the result ‘basically a political vote.’ White House press secretary Josh Earnest earlier called the Senate vote ‘the single most embarrassing thing’ the legislative body has done in decades. “Ultimately these senators are going to have to answer their own conscience and their constituents as they account for their actions today,” he told reporters traveling with Obama in Richmond, Virginia. Coming in Obama’s last months in office, the vote shows the White House to be much weakened. Obama has issued 12 vetoes during his presidency. None have been overridden until now, a rare feat given Republicans’ longstanding control of Congress. His Republican predecessor George W Bush also issued 12 vetoes, of which four were overridden. The last president to avoid an override was the legendary Democratic congressional dealmaker – and former senator and congressman – Lyndon Johnson. In a letter to Republican and Democratic Senate leaders obtained by AFP, Obama had previously warned of ‘devastating’ consequences for the Pentagon, service members, diplomats and the intelligence services. The 9/11 measure would “neither protect Americans from terrorist attacks, nor improve the effectiveness of our response to such attacks,” he warned. “The United States relies on principles of immunity to prevent foreign litigants and foreign courts from second-guessing our counterterrorism operations and other actions that we take every day.” RNC chair Reince Priebus said Obama’s veto “showed remarkable disregard for the families of 9/11 victims, and the Senate has done the right thing by overwhelmingly overriding his poor decision.” Meanwhile Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio said the override was “about holding anyone who supports terrorists accountable, and getting their victims the justice they deserve.” Families of 9/11 victims have campaigned for the law, convinced the Saudi government had a hand in the attacks that killed almost 3,000 people. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens, but no link to the government has been proven. The Saudi government denies any ties to the plotters. Declassified documents showed US intelligence had multiple suspicions about links between the Saudi government and the attackers. “While in the United States, some of the 9/11 hijackers were in contact with, and received support or assistance from, individuals who may be connected to the Saudi government,” a finding read. — AFP[SEP]WASHINGTON - The Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to override President Barack Obama’s veto of a bill to allow survivors and families of 9/11 victims to pursue their lawsuit in a U.S. court against Saudi Arabia for alleged complicity in the terrorist attacks. The veto override — the first for Obama — won 97-1 in a vote that began at around noon, with only Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in opposition despite lobbying against it by the Obama administration, some foreign relations experts and Saudi Arabia. The House was expected also to vote Wednesday on an override, according to Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford), the House sponsor of the measure. “Democrat and Republicans don’t agree on much these days. But we agree on JASTA,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in a floor speech that led up to the vote. “Both parties believe that the families of the 911 victims should be able to seek justice.” Several lawmakers voted for the override despite concerns, and said they would introduce additional legislation if the White House concerns about JASTA come true. Sen Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s top Democrat, said in a floor speech that he’ll closely watch what happens next, especially other countries’ reactions, and would address any risks to U.S. diplomats, troops and assets in additional legislation. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Foreign Relations Committee chairman, said he would vote to override the veto despite concerns about the legislation because of his sympathy for the families of 9/11 victims who had battled for the right to sue Saudi Arabia for so long.[SEP]WASHINGTON — Congress on Wednesday overwhelmingly rejected President Barack Obama’s veto of legislation allowing relatives of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia, the first veto override of his eight-year presidency. The House of Representatives voted 348-76 against the veto, just hours after the Senate rejected it 97-1, meaning the “Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act” will become law. The vote was a blow to Obama and to Saudi Arabia, one of the United States’ longest-standing allies in the Arab world. Obama’s 11 previous vetoes were all sustained. But this time almost all of his strongest supporters in Congress opposed him in one of their last actions before leaving Washington to campaign for the Nov. 8 election. “Overriding a presidential veto is something we don’t take lightly, but it was important in this case that the families of the victims of 9/11 be allowed to pursue justice, even if that pursuit causes some diplomatic discomforts,” Senator Charles Schumer, the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate, said in a statement. Schumer represents New York, the site of the World Trade Center and home to many of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the 2001 attacks, attack survivors and families of victims. He led the fight for the legislation in the Senate, with Senator John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York’s other senator and also a Democrat, cast the 67th “no” vote, the number needed to override the veto in the Senate. Obama had argued that the bill, known as JASTA, could expose U.S. companies, troops and officials to lawsuits, and alienate important allies at a time of global unrest. He called Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and wrote a personal letter to him explaining that he strongly believed enacting JASTA into law would be detrimental to U.S. interests. Reid became the only senator to side with Obama. “This is the single most embarrassing thing this United States Senate has done possibly since 1983,” spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters. The Saudi government financed an extensive lobbying campaign against the legislation. Major U.S. corporations including General Electric Co and Dow Chemical Co also opposed it, as did the European Union and other U.S. allies. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter urged lawmakers to sustain the veto, and in an unusual move, CIA Director John Brennan issued a statement before Wednesday’s votes saying the bill had “grave implications” for national security. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential running mate, and Bernie Sanders, an independent and former Democratic White House contender, did not vote.

The United States Senate and House of Representatives override the veto of President Barack Obama in regards to the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act. The act narrows the scope of the legal doctrine of foreign sovereign immunity, specifically, in this instance against the sovereign nation of Saudi Arabia. The action is the first such congressional veto override to Obama.

world Updated: Sep 29, 2016 14:44 IST India’s efforts to isolate Pakistan on the issue of terrorism got a boost on Wednesday with Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also deciding to skip the Saarc Summit in Islamabad in November, setting the stage for the postponement of the meet. In a synchronised effort, India and the three other countries informed the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation’s (Saarc) secretariat on Tuesday their leaders would be unable to attend the summit for almost similar reasons. For India, this marked a victory as half of the grouping’s eight members singled out cross-border terror and interference in the internal affairs of members by “one country” – a clear reference to Pakistan. The move by the four countries means the summit cannot go ahead as the Saarc Charter states all decisions must be made by unanimity. The absence of even one member state leads to the automatic postponement or cancellation of a summit, said Nepal’s former foreign secretary Madhuraman Acharya. Read: Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan follow India, pull out of Saarc summit Nepal’s acting foreign secretary Jhabindra Aryal told Hindustan Times his ministry had received the letters from four member states about their inability to join the summit. A foreign ministry statement said the development was taken “seriously” and Nepal “strongly urges that a conducive environment be created for the (summit) soon by ensuring the participation of all member states”. A senior Nepalese official said Nepal, as the Saarc chair, did not want the summit to be cancelled and instead wanted member states to find a remedy to regional tensions. “It is also the responsibility of Pakistan to reach out to the member states and make (an effort) to hold the summit,” said the official who didn’t want to be named. If Pakistan formally announces the cancellation of the summit, the next meet will be held in Sri Lanka according to precedent and Saarc tradition, sources said. Bangladesh conveyed its decision to current Saarc chair Nepal in a letter that said: “The growing interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh by one country has created an environment which is not conducive to the successful hosting of the 19th Saarc Summit in Islamabad in November 2016. Dhaka has repeatedly complained about Islamabad’s criticism of the trial and conviction of hardliners involved in war crimes during the country’s war of liberation in 1971. Read: Why pulling out of Saarc meeting will not solve India’s Pakistan problem Afghanistan, in its communication, said: “Due to increased level of violence and fighting as a result of imposed terrorism on Afghanistan, (President) Ashraf Ghani with his responsibilities as the Commander-in-Chief will be fully engaged, and will not be able to attend the Summit.” Bhutan referred to the “recent escalation of terrorism in the region” and said this has “seriously compromised the environment for the successful holding” of the summit in Islamabad. Bhutan said it also shared concerns of some member states on the “deterioration of regional peace” because of terror. In a bid to increase pressure on Pakistan, Indian officials said the Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s headquarter should be shifted from Islamabad. They suggested it could be based anywhere in the region but not Pakistan, where entry for Indians is not easy. “It is important to focus on pushing trade in the region as this will hugely benefit all the countries involved but whether or not the headquarter should be shifted is at present just speculation,” Naushad Forbes, president of the Confederation of Indian Industry, told Hindustan Times. The Maldives and Sri Lanka were silent on the developments. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Nepal counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” are expected to visit India soon for the BIMSTEC Summit. India-Pakistan ties nosedived after the terror attack on an army camp in Uri that killed 18 soldiers. India, which blamed Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed for the strike, had resorted to several non-military measures to counter Pakistan’s use of terror as a state policy, including reviewing the Indus Waters Treaty. Read: India boycotts Saarc summit: Five finer points in the diplomatic tussle India and the three other Saarc states have clearly linked regional cooperation to an atmosphere free of terror – meaning Pakistan should stop sponsoring terrorism that is destabilising the region and stop interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. India’s announcement about skipping the Saarc summit suggested that it wants to extend the issue of an “atmosphere free of terror” from bilateral ties to the entire South Asian region. New Delhi will also seek help from other members of the BIMSTEC grouping – Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Thailand, Myanmar and Sri Lanka – on terror. The leaders of the grouping will meet in Goa in October. (With inputs from Mahua Venkatesh) Read: How the media of Saarc states reacted to summit collapse First Published: Sep 28, 2016 19:50 IST[SEP]Nepal is urging South Asian nations to create a ‘conducive environment’ so a regional summit can be held as scheduled in November in Pakistan’s capital. Nepal, the current chair of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, said four of the eight member nations have indicated they will not attend the November 9-10 summit in Islamabad. Tensions between Pakistan and India have been high since a militant attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir killed 18 Indian soldiers. India announced on Tuesday that it would not participate in the summit. Nepal said Thursday that it strongly urges the creation of a conducive environment so all members of the regional grouping can attend. The grouping consists of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.[SEP]NEW DELHI, INDIA — Bangladesh pulled out of a regional summit to be held in Islamabad in November, a day after India announced that it would not attend the meeting in the aftermath of a deadly attack on an Indian army base close to Pakistan’s border. Without naming Pakistan, Junior Foreign Minister Shahriar Alam of Bangladesh said repeated interference in its internal affairs by one country had prompted Dhaka to pull out of the meeting of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation, or SAARC. Indian media reported that Afghanistan and Bhutan have also said that they will not attend, but there was no confirmation from these countries. The action is seen as an attempt to send a message to Pakistan about cross-border terrorism, not just in India but also in other countries in the region. Blaming Pakistan-based Islamic militants for the assault on the army base that killed 18 soldiers, India has cited increasing cross-border attacks as its reason for staying away. Denying any responsibility, Islamabad has called the Indian allegations an attempt to deflect attention from the restive situation in Indian Kashmir. South Asia expert Sukh Deo Muni, at the Indian Institute of Defense Analyses in New Delhi, said the pullout decision by India and Bangladesh, and likely also by Afghanistan and Bhutan, demonstrates that “Pakistan is at odds with other countries in South Asia besides India.” He pointed out that while tensions between India and Pakistan spiraled recently, ties between Bangladesh and Islamabad have been frayed for a longer period. Their tensions stem from Islamabad’s criticism of the execution of Islamist leaders in Dhaka for alleged war crimes in the country’s 1971 War of Independence. Responding to India’s decision to not attend the summit, Pakistan said on Tuesday that it remains committed to peace and regional cooperation and accused New Delhi of perpetrating terrorism on its soil. SAARC, which was set up in 1985 to promote cooperation in what is one of the world’s least integrated regions, has been constantly overshadowed by the friction between its two biggest members – India and Pakistan. The other countries in the eight-member group are Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives. Saying that the summit is now unlikely to take place, analyst Muni says the development represents a serious setback to efforts to promote trade and connectivity in South Asia. Other analysts say India’s push for a boycott came as the government faces enormous domestic pressure to retaliate to the attack on the Indian army camp. Manoj Joshi at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi says Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has opted for diplomatic measures. “People are angry and they want responses and I think it is better to make this move than to get into any kind of armed conflict,” says Joshi.[SEP]Region: Bhutan will not participate in the 19th SAARC summit given the deteriorating security situation in the region, according to a foreign affairs press release. “The Royal Government of Bhutan has expressed its concern to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, as the current chair of SAARC, that the deteriorating security situation in the region has created an environment which is not conducive for the successful holding of the 19th SAARC summit in Islamabad in November 2016,” the press release states. “Therefore the Royal Government has joined some of the other member states in expressing its inability to participate in the SAARC summit given the current security situation,” it adds. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and India will also not be attending the summit which is scheduled to be held in Pakistan in November. “As one of the founding members of SAARC, the Royal Government of Bhutan is strongly committed to the SAARC process and strengthening of regional cooperation and is hopeful that the situation would return to normalcy to enable early and successful convening of the 19th SAARC summit,” it is stated in the press release.[SEP]Nepal on Wednesday ‘strongly urged’ that a conducive environment be created to ensure participation of all members in the next South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit in Pakistan, after four countries of the regional grouping,, including India, pulled out of the summit indirectly blaming Islamabad. Nepal said it ‘has received communications' from four member-states -- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan and India -- in which they conveyed their inability to participate in the 19th SAARC summit on November 9-10 stating that the current regional environment is ‘not conducive’ for the successful holding of the summit. 'We have taken this development seriously,' it said in a statement posted on its foreign ministry’s website. Nepal ‘strongly urges that a conducive environment be created soon to ensure the participation of all member states in the 19th SAARC summit in line with the spirit of the SAARC charter,’ the statement said. Under the SAARC charter, the summit is automatically postponed or cancelled even if one member country skips the event. The four countries have pulled out of the summit, indirectly blaming Pakistan for ‘creating an environment which is not right for the successful holding’ of the meet. That development came after tensions ran high between India and Pakistan after terrorists stormed an Indian Army base in Uri on September 18, killing 18 soldiers. The terrorists belonged to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist group. Founded in 1985, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation currently has Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka as its members.[SEP]KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal urged South Asian nations on Thursday to create a “conducive environment” so a regional summit can be held as scheduled in November in Pakistan’s capital. Nepal, the current chair of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, said four of the eight member nations have indicated they will not attend the Nov. 9-10 summit in Islamabad. Tensions between Pakistan and India have been high since a militant attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir killed 18 Indian soldiers. India, which said the militants were from a Pakistan-based group, announced on Tuesday that it would not participate in the summit. Soon after India’s announcement, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan also said they would not join the summit in Pakistan. In a statement issued by its foreign ministry, Nepal strongly urged the creation of a conducive environment so all members of the regional grouping could attend. SAARC, consisting of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, was founded in 1985 to promote economic cooperation in the region, but tensions between India and Pakistan have repeatedly blocked progress. In announcing it would not attend, India cited increasing terror attacks in the region and blamed “one member” for interfering in the internal affairs of member states. It said the atmosphere was not conducive for a successful summit. It did not name Pakistan directly. Pakistan accused India on Thursday of impeding SAARC. Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria said India’s decision to stay away from the summit was aimed at diverting the attention of the international community from human rights violations in the India-controlled portion of Kashmir. More than 80 civilians have been killed in Kashmir since July in the largest protests against Indian rule in recent years, sparked by the killing of a popular rebel commander by Indian soldiers. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan, contributed to this report.[SEP]Unfazed by India and three other South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation member nations deciding not to participate in the grouping's summit in Islamabad, Pakistan on Wednesday said it will go ahead and host the event in November. Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said Pakistan will host the 19th SAARC summit in November, Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday. Zakaria was quoted as saying that it was learnt from the Indian external affairs ministry's tweet that India is not going to participate in the SAARC Summit, a decision he called "unfortunate". "While we have not received any official communication in this regard, the Indian announcement is unfortunate," he said. The spokesperson also said Pakistan is committed to regional peace and will continue working for the broader interest of the people of the region, according to the report. Separately, adviser to prime minister on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz said India is making propaganda to foil the conference that was scheduled to be held in November, according to Pakistan Today newspaper. Besides India, three other SAARC members -- Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan -- have pulled out of the summit, indirectly blaming Pakistan for creating an environment which is not right for the successful holding of the meet.[SEP]New Delhi (AP) — New Delhi will not participate in a meeting of South Asian nations to be held in Islamabad in November, its foreign ministry said in a statement late Tuesday. The statement didn’t name Pakistan but tensions between the neighbors and arch-rivals have been high since a militant attack on an army base in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir killed 18 Indian soldiers. The ministry said it has written to Nepal, the current chair of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, that “increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in the internal affairs of Member States by one country” have created an environment that is “not conducive” for a successful summit. Indian investigators say maps, weapons and other evidence indicated that the attackers were from Jaish-e-Mohammed, an outlawed militant group based in Pakistan. Pakistan denies the charges. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to attend the 8-nation summit in the Pakistani capital. Other member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria said while Islamabad had not received any official communication, the Indian announcement was unfortunate. Pakistan, he said, remained committed to peace and regional cooperation. “As far as the excuse used by India, the world knows that it is India that has been perpetrating and financing terrorism in Pakistan,” Zakaria said. The SAARC was founded in 1985 to promote economic cooperation in the region, but Indo-Pakistan tensions have blocked its progress. Since the attack on the base in Indian Kashmir’s Uri town top Indian officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have said they will work to isolate Pakistan internationally, accusing that country of trying to destabilize Asia by exporting terrorism. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan but claimed by both. Most people in the Indian-controlled portion favor independence or a merger with Pakistan. India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over control of Kashmir since they won independence from British colonialists in 1947. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training insurgents and pushing them into the Indian portion of Kashmir to attack government forces and other targets. Pakistan says it provides only political and diplomatic support to insurgents who have been fighting for Kashmir’s independence from India or its merger with Pakistan since 1989.[SEP]Four south Asian countries are to boycott what was set to be a historic regional summit in Islamadad in November, dealing a humiliating blow to Pakistan and isolating it diplomatically. India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan all said they would pull out of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting following a collapse in relations between Pakistan and India, the subcontinent’s nuclear-armed rivals. Statements by the region’s foreign ministries echoed India’s criticism on Tuesday night, which blamed “increasing cross-border terrorist attacks and growing interference of the internal affairs of member states” for Delhi’s decision to boycott the conference. Until recently, the prospect of the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Islamabad had been seen as a potentially highly symbolic step towards reconciliation between Pakistan and India. The two countries, however, have been engaged interse exchanges following an attack on an Indian army base on 18 September that killed 19 soldiers, which Delhi has blamed on jihadis based in Pakistan. The raid took place in town of Uri near the line of control that divides the contested Himalayan territory of Kashmir. Four days later, India denounced Pakistan at the UN as the host of the “Ivy League of terrorism”. Islamabad says India has provided no evidence linking the attack either to militants based in Pakistan or to the country’s intelligence agencies, which have long been accused of complicity with anti-India jihadi groups. Pakistan’s defence minister has even suggested that India itself carried out the attack to deflect attention from its ongoing struggle to quell popular disturbances in the Indian part of Kashmir. Tensions have been fuelled by television networks and social media on both sides of the border, with some pundits appearing to relish the prospect of all-out nuclear war. Some Indian hawks have demanded retaliatory attacks against suspected militant camps in Pakistan, but Modi has sought to punish Islamabad with steps that fall short of military means. His strategy is, however, far tougher than the relative restraint shown by previous Indian governments during earlier crises, such as that prompted by the four-day assault on Mumbai by Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2008. In recent weeks, Modi has publicly backed separatist rebels in the restive Pakistani province of Balochistan, a move that has infuriated Islamabad. He has also questioned a key cross-border river treaty and vowed to orchestrate Pakistan’s diplomatic isolation. That promise became reality on Wednesday when it became clear four out of SAARC’s eight members would not attend the summit, which it is Pakistan’s turn to host. Afghanistan’s foreign ministry, which has long accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban-led insurgency, was most stinging in its criticism, denouncing “the increased level of violence and fighting as a result of imposed terrorism on Afghanistan”. Nine months ago, hopes were high for a rapprochement between India and Pakistan following Modi’s surprise visit to Lahore on Christmas day, the first time an Indian leader had set foot in Pakistan since 2004. His Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, won a landslide election victory in 2013, determined to end the decades’ long standoff and open up trade. The two countries have fought three wars over Kashmir since independence and partition in 1947. Both sides occupy half of the Muslim-majority former princedom and claim it in its entirety for themselves. Historic links across the former British colony have been largely severed. There are just three flights a week connecting Pakistani and Indian cities, and trade between two countries is worth only $3bn (£2.3bn), a negligible figure in relative terms, given their combined population of 1.5 billion. Many analysts believe Modi’s December visit to Lahore angered Pakistan’s military establishment, which does not share Sharif’s enthusiasm for the rapid normalisation of relations with India. Delhi initially showed restraint after militants attacked its Pathankot airbase near the border with Pakistan on 2 January. It blamed the Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammad, but allowed Pakistani officials to visit the airbase to help with the investigation. Indian patience has since run out, however, not least because of Islamabad’s lack of action against either Jaish-e-Mohammad or Lashkar-e-Taiba. Pakistan’s criticism of India for its security forces’ killing of Burhan Wani, a Kashmiri separatist commander whose death on 8 July has sparked months of civilian protests, has further poisoned relations. Husain Haqqani, a former Pakistani ambassador to the US and critic of his country’s policies in the region, said it was not surprising that “India was looking to other forms of coercion because they feel frustrated by our behaviour”. “But Pakistan has a tremendous capacity to withstand coercion and a mindset that wants eternal confrontation with India that is too deeply entrenched,” he said. On Monday, Modi ordered water officials to step up efforts to divert a greater share of the three rivers the countries share under the Indus treaty, a 1960 agreement that has survived their subsequent conflicts. “Blood and water cannot flow together,” Modi said, a rare invocation of India’s power to meddle with the Indus river system, which flows downstream into Pakistan and provides water to 65% of the country’s landmass. Himanshu Thakkar, the coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, said it would take up to a decade to build dams capable of reducing the flow to Pakistan. “But it sends a signal, and that signal will have an impact,” he said. “If India builds projects to store water from its entitlement, it will provide a means for India to control water flow to Pakistan, even temporarily.” On Tuesday, Pakistan complained to the World Bank, which brokered the original treaty, urging it to prevent India from starting construction work on the Neelum and Chenab rivers.[SEP]A key South Asian summit was in doubt Wednesday after India and three other countries pulled out following a deadly attack on an army base that New Delhi blames on a Pakistan-based group. India has sought to isolate Pakistan in the wake of the raid on its base in the disputed region of Kashmir, which killed 18 soldiers and triggered public fury. On Tuesday it said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not attend the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Islamabad in November, in a major snub to its neighbour. In Islamabad, a senior Pakistani foreign ministry official who declined to be identified said the meeting would be postponed following the four withdrawals. Without naming Pakistan, India's foreign ministry said "increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in the internal affairs of member states by one country" had created an environment that was not conducive for a meeting. Hours later, Bangladesh said it was also pulling out. Afghanistan and Bhutan — both close India allies — have since followed suit, according to an official with the Nepali government, current chair of SAARC. But India's army has blamed Jaish-e-Mohammad, a Pakistan-based militant group that was also implicated in an audacious assault on an Indian air force base in the northern town of Pathankot in January. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since partition in 1947, two of them over Kashmir, where the two countries regularly exchange fire across the disputed border. But those hopes were dashed by the Pathankot attack in which seven Indian soldiers died, and peace talks have been on ice ever since.= Current SAARC chair Nepal said it hoped the issues would be resolved but could not comment on whether the summit would go ahead. The foreign ministry official in Islamabad, speaking on condition of anonymity, said SAARC officials "will reorganise future dates for the conference". A formal announcement postponing the summit "has to come from the SAARC secretariat and not from us", the official said. The leaders of the eight SAARC countries — which also include Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives — expressed frustration after the last summit in Kathmandu with the slow pace of progress towards greater regional integration. "Diplomatically, (it's) maybe not a big deal for Pakistan given that SAARC is widely perceived as ineffective," he said. Analyst Ashok Malik said the withdrawals would have little practical impact on Pakistan. "It basically scores a symbolic and a political victory. As for Pakistan, this will push it even closer to China," said Malik, head of the Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation's regional studies initiative. Pakistan said it remained "committed to peace and regional cooperation" and accused India of perpetrating "terrorism" on its soil. Pakistan has repeatedly accused India of interference in the southwestern province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan and is afflicted by Islamist militancy and a separatist insurgency.

Members of the 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit, scheduled to be held in Pakistan during November 2016, postpone the meeting following a Indian-led boycott, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan in response to Pakistan's alleged involvement in a deadly terrorist attack on a Indian Army base in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, on September 18.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc will pay $1.1 billion to resolve claims that it sold toxic mortgage-backed securities to credit unions that later failed, the U.S. National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) said. The logo of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is seen at an office building in Zurich March 27, 2015. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/Files - RTSL56D The resolution comes as RBS prepares to settle a number of U.S. cases where it is accused of mis-selling mortgage-backed bonds and brings the U.S. regulator’s recoveries against various banks to $4.3 billion over their sales of such securities before the 2008 financial crisis. NCUA Board Chairman Rick Metsger said the regulator plans to continue “to pursue recoveries against financial firms that we maintain contributed to the corporate crisis.” This case is included in the around $5 billion RBS has set aside to settle historic misconduct charges, but some analysts estimate the total claims will be much larger. The settlement on Tuesday resolves lawsuits filed in federal courts in California and Kansas in the NCUA’s role as the liquidating agent for Western Corporate Federal Credit Union and U.S. Central Federal Credit Union. Under the settlement, RBS does not admit fault, the NCUA said in a statement. The settlement comes on top of a prior deal in 2015 in which RBS agreed to pay $129.6 million to resolve a similar federal lawsuit the NCUA filed in New York.RBS shares were up 0.4 percent at 175.3 pence at 0934 GMT on Wednesday following the announcement on Tuesday. Gary Greenwood, an analyst a Shore Capital, said the latest settlement is largely provisioned for and will not have a material impact on profit estimates. However, he said future settlements with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Housing Finance Agency could be substantially larger and these disputes will need to be resolved before the bank can resume dividend payments. RBS in total still faces about 13 other civil litigation cases for alleged mis-selling of asset-backed securities, according to a source at the bank. RBS in January said it had set aside 3.8 billion pounds ($4.95 billion) to resolve civil lawsuits over mortgage-backed securities, investment products packaged and sold before the U.S. housing meltdown and financial crisis in 2008. RBS had said that provision did not cover ongoing investigations by the Department of Justice or various state attorneys general. The bank also faces a multi-billion dollar lawsuit by the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, which has acted as the conservator for mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac since their government takeover in 2008. An RBS spokesman pointed to comments that RBS CEO Ross McEwan made at a conference in London on Tuesday, in which he said the bank was working toward resolving various mortgage bond claims over the remainder of this year and next. The NCUA said it continues to litigate against other banks, including Credit Suisse and UBS, over what it says was their sale of faulty mortgage-backed securities to corporate credit unions. ($1 = 0.7683 pounds)[SEP]Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc will pay $1.1 billion to resolve a U.S. regulator's claims that it sold toxic mortgage-backed securities to credit unions that later failed, the U.S. National Credit Union Administration said on Tuesday. The settlement brings the agency's recoveries against various banks to $4.3 billion in lawsuits over their sale of mortgage-backed securities before the 2008 financial crisis. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Bill Rigby)[SEP]The settlement with RBS brings the U.S. regulator's recoveries against various banks to $4.3 billion in lawsuits over their sale of mortgage-backed securities before the 2008 financial crisis. NCUA Board Chairman Rick Metsger said the regulator was pleased with the settlement and plans to continue "to pursue recoveries against financial firms that we maintain contributed to the corporate crisis." The settlement resolves lawsuits filed in federal courts in California and Kansas in the NCUA's role as the liquidating agent for Western Corporate Federal Credit Union and U.S. Central Federal Credit Union. Under the settlement, RBS does not admit fault, the NCUA said in a statement. The settlement comes on top of a prior deal in 2015 in which RBS agreed to pay $129.6 million to resolve a similar federal lawsuit the NCUA filed in New York. RBS in January said it had set aside 3.8 billion pounds ($4.95 billion) to resolve civil lawsuits over mortgage-backed securities, investment products packaged and sold before the U.S. housing meltdown and financial crisis in 2008. RBS had said that provision did not cover ongoing investigations by the U.S. Justice Department or various state attorneys general. The bank also continues to face a multi-billion dollar lawsuit by the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, which has acted as the conservator for mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac since their government takeover in 2008. Replying to a request for comment, an RBS spokesman on Tuesday pointed to comments that RBS CEO Ross McEwan made at a conference in London earlier in the day, in which he said the bank was working toward resolving various mortgage bond claims over the remainder of this year and next. The NCUA said it continues to litigate against other banks, including Credit Suisse and UBS, over what it says was their sale of faulty mortgage-backed securities to corporate credit unions.[SEP]Royal Bank of Scotland is to pay $1.1 billion to a US regulator to settle two claims over mis-sold mortgage bonds in the run-up to the financial crisis. The taxpayer-backed lender reached the agreement with the National Credit Union Administration Board, which regulates credit unions in America. RBS sold the mortgage securities to the US Central Federal Credit Union and Western Corporate Federal Credit Union, but the bonds later proved toxic and failed after the US housing bubble burst in 2008. The bank, which does not admit fault under the deal, said the settlement is “substantially” covered by the £3.8 billion already put aside to cover upcoming litigation. But RBS still faces potentially mammoth settlements over mis-selling of mortgage securities turned sour in the US, with claims still outstanding with the Federal Housing Finance Agency and US Department of Justice (DoJ). RBS boss Ross McEwan said at a conference in London on Tuesday that the group was working to resolve outstanding claims this year and into 2017, but warned it could create “substantial additional conduct provisions and noise”. Banking experts believe the DoJ settlement could total around £9 billion. Its shares have been under pressure after the DoJ hit German rival Deutsche Bank with a $14 billion penalty for mis-selling mortgage-backed securities. Fears over the impact on Deutsche Bank have sent its shares tumbling close to 30-year lows. RBS, which is still 73 per cent owned by the Government, reiterated in the latest settlement announcement that ongoing lawsuits might force it to put more cash aside.[SEP]LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc (RBS) will pay $1.1 billion to settle National Credit Union Administration claims that it sold faulty mortgage-backed securities to U.S. credit unions. RBS sold the securities to two credit unions, which failed after the US housing bubble burst in 2008. RBS, which under the deal does not admit fault, said payment was covered 'substantially by existing provisions'. The settlement won't have a material impact on the bank's capital. Among outstanding civil and criminal actions against RBS are claims from the US Department of Justice and the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX[SEP]Royal Bank of Scotland has agreed to pay $1.1 billion (£846 million) to settle two lawsuits in the US over the sale of toxic residential mortgage-backed securities. The state-backed lender said the settlement, over claims made on behalf of the US Central Federal Credit Union and Western Corporate Federal Credit Union, were “substantially covered” by existing provisions and would have “no material impact” on the strength of its balance sheet. However, the Edinburgh-based group said it faces a number of other civil lawsuits and criminal investigations in the US surrounding the sale of the securities, and warned it may have to set aside yet more money in response. Announcing its half-year results last month, RBS said it had racked up more than £1.3bn of “litigation and conduct costs” during the six months to the end of June. The bank said that litigation and investigations surrounding the sale of residential mortgage-backed securities “may require additional provisions in future periods that in aggregate could be materially in excess of the provisions existing as of 30 June 2016”. Meanwhile, RBS chief executive Ross McEwan told a banking conference in London yesterday that the group would be in “uncharted territory” if it fails to sell its 300-branch Williams & Glyn division by the end of this year. The group, which is 73 per cent owned by the UK government, has to dispose of the business by the end of 2017 to meet state aid rules over the £45bn taxpayer bailout it received at the height of the financial crisis. Spanish rival Santander has twice made moves for the unit, but walked away last week amid a disagreement about pricing. RBS last month reported a loss of £2bn for the first half of the year, compared with a £179m loss a year earlier, after being hit by extra restructuring costs and an increased bill for mis-sold payment protection insurance. It is due to report its third-quarter results on 28 October. Click here to ‘Like’ The Scotsman Business on Facebook[SEP]Royal Bank of Scotland wants to increase Ulster Bank’s mortgage market share, improve its capital efficiency, and reduce its costs, group chief executive Ross McEwan told a Bank of America Merrill Lynch conference on Tuesday. Mr McEwan said Gerry Mallon’s focus as Ulster Bank’s new chief executive was on “driving a strong and profitable bank recognizing the need to reduce the cost base”. “We will get cost in excess capital out of this business and focus on ... and growing this business safely,” he said. “We want to increase our mortgage market penetration and improve capital efficiency. We’re seeing good new business volumes growth, and costs are coming down. They’re down 2 per cent on like-for-like basis compared to last year.” Ulster Bank had an 18 per cent share of new mortgages in the first quarter of this year. Mr McEwan said the UK’s recent decision to exit the EU meant that there “are likely to be unique opportunities for major UK and Irish banks”. He said the Ulster Bank brand had been “refreshed” and its new brand positioning was “much more reflective of the bank we are becoming”. “Banking has traditionally been an area that people have been slow to embrace digital, historically preferring the security and personal elements of face-to-face banking. “Today, we are at a turning point in this tradition. Increasingly, our customers will further interact with us digitally. Over 4 million of our personal customers actively bank through their phones, and that’s growing at about 20 per cent per year.” Mr McEwan also spoke about Williams & Glyn, a separate entity that it was trying to set up for an IPO in line with an agreement with the European Commission. The business is run by former Ulster Bank CEO Jim Brown. “We recently took a decision to stand down the current plan of action of creating a cloned bank for IPO, given the lower interest rate environment,” he said. “With rates much lower for much longer it was clear that the business would not be able to grow its balance sheet to the extent necessary to deliver returns above cost of capital within the next five years.” Mr McEwan said RBS looked at a trade sale at the end of last year and was now considering “some other alternatives” for Williams & Glyn.[SEP]Royal Bank of Scotland has said it will complete the ring-fencing of its retail banking operations by the end of 2018. The lender, which is still 73 per cent owned by the Government, is required to separate its investment banking operations from its high street arm by 2019. “In order to be compliant with its requirements, we need to undertake a significant reorganisation of our current legal entity structure and business model,” the bank said Royal Bank of Scotland has said it will complete the ring-fencing of its retail banking operations by the end of 2018. The group said NatWest will become its main customer-facing brand in England and Wales and Western Europe, while in Scotland RBS will be its core brand. Its investment banking arm will become known as NatWest Markets. Chief executive Ross McEwan said: “Our proposed future structure under the ring-fencing legislation and our brand strategy are key elements of the bank we are becoming. “The future ring-fenced structure of the bank is not only designed to be in compliance with the new regulatory requirements and objectives but will better reflect who we are as a bank and what we stand for: a bank that is focused on its customers.” Earlier this week, RBS revealed that it is to pay 1.1 billion US dollars (£845 million) to a US regulator to settle two claims over mis-sold mortgage bonds in the run-up to the financial crisis. RBS also faces further potentially large settlements over mis-selling of mortgage securities turned sour in the US, with claims still outstanding with the Federal Housing Finance Agency and US Department of Justice (DoJ).

The Royal Bank of Scotland announces that it will pay US$1.1 billion to resolve some of its mortgage claims in the United States.

A teenager with a handgun opened fire at an elementary school in South Carolina on Wednesday afternoon, not long before authorities say they found his father shot to death in a home nearby. Police said the teenage shooter, who they did not identify, shot two male students and a female teacher at Townville Elementary School, located about 40 miles west of Greenville, S.C., before being quickly taken into custody by authorities. One of the students was shot in the leg and the other in the foot, while the teacher was struck in the shoulder, said Capt. Garland Major of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. All three were taken to hospitals from the scene, he said during a briefing Wednesday. One of the students was reported to be in critical condition. Major said that the shooter was taken into custody in a matter of minutes and that authorities believe that there are no other suspects involved. He emphasized that authorities were in the early hours of the investigation, saying they were still trying to figure out details about where the shooting occurred. The school has no resource officer, the superintendent said Wednesday, but it has security cameras and an airlock system requiring people to be buzzed in. Major also brought up and dismissed potential motives, saying that authorities did not believe there were any racial factors, noting that the suspected shooter and the three injured people were all white. He also said police did not believe terrorism was a factor. The burst of violence at locked down Townville Elementary, a school of about 285 students, sending terrified parents hurrying to a local church to pick up their children and causing officials to cancel classes for the rest of the week. The school’s picture day had originally been scheduled for Friday. “We are heartbroken about this senseless act of violence,” Joanne Avery, the school superintendent, said at the briefing. The school district does training to prepare for active attacks, officials said. [Experts offer tips for what to do to stay safe during active shootings] Authorities say they are still working to determine if any of the people injured at the school were targeted or if any of them were connected to the shooter, but said that they had not found any relationships by Wednesday night. The suspected shooter is home-schooled and not a student in the school district, the sheriff’s office said. In addition, investigators are also looking into what they called a related homicide after they found the Jeffrey D. Osborne, the teenage attacker’s 47-year-old father, dead at a home about two miles from the school. Osborne’s family called 911 a short time after the school shooting, and police arrived and found him dead from a gunshot wound, Greg Shore, the Anderson County coroner, said at the same briefing. Shore said it appeared the man’s son was the shooter who went on to the school, but he did not specifically say if they believe the teenager shot and killed his father first. Shore said the accused shooter’s grandmother said she received a call at 1:44 p.m. from the teenager. She said he was crying and upset and could not understand what he was saying, so she and the boy’s grandfather went to Osborne’s house, expecting to find their grandson as well. That’s when they found their son dead. Police went to the school when a teacher called 911 at about 1:45 p.m. to report an armed attacker on school grounds, said Taylor Jones, Anderson County’s emergency services director. Jones praised the quick response of law enforcement officials, who were able to take the attacker into custody in a matter of minutes and without incident, saying that “lives were saved because of our responders being so well trained.” A firefighter — later identified as Jamie Brock, a 30-year-veteran of the Townville Volunteer Fire Department — apprehended the shooter, police said. Gov. Nikki Haley (R) said in a statement Wednesday that as authorities investigate the shooting, she asked people in the state to join her and her husband “in praying for the entire Townville Elementary School family and those touched by today’s tragedy.” [When even preschoolers must prepare for an active shooter] Parents were told to pick up their children at a nearby church. When some arrived, they did not know what was going on other than seeing first responders and police around the building. “I was really scared and thought something bad had happened to my son,” said Kelli Collins of Townville, who has a son in preschool there. “The feeling was pretty indescribable. This is his first year of school. It was very scary, and my heart was pounding.” Collins said when she eventually got to her son, “I grabbed him and wouldn’t let go.” Tony Walker, a 32-year-old youth pastor at Gethsemane Baptist Church in Starr, S.C., said he spoke with a mother whose child was on the school’s playground and saw the shooter. Walker said the mother told him that her son said, “‘Mommy, as soon as I saw him, I knew he was a bad guy.'” The neighboring Oconee County Sheriff’s Office said that at the request of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, it sent deputies to respond to a reported active shooter situation at the school at around 1:44 p.m. “I have spoken with Sheriff John Skipper in Anderson County and have offered to make available any resources and assistance from the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office that he needs as the investigation continues,” Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw said in a statement. In live video feeds of the scene, a number of police cars and law enforcement officials could be seen gathered around the school. Townville Elementary School serves about 280 children from preschool through sixth grade, according to state data. About three-quarters of its students are considered economically disadvantaged, meaning they receive Medicaid, food stamp or welfare benefits, are homeless or migrant students or are in foster care, according to the school’s 2015 state report card. Justin Campbell in Townville and Emma Brown in Washington contributed to this report. [This post, first published at 3:05 p.m., has been updated repeatedly.][SEP]Townville Elementary School pupils on a school bus taking them to Oakdale Baptist Church after a shooting Wednesday at the school. Katie McLean / The Independent-Mail via AP[SEP]Official: 2 students, 1 teacher wounded in shooting at South Carolina school; teen in custody Official: 2 students, 1 teacher wounded in shooting at South Carolina school; teen in custody Copyright ��� 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten or redistributed..[SEP]Two students and a teacher have been wounded and flown to hospitals after a shooting at a South Carolina primary school, according to a US law enforcement officer. Speaking on live television, the unidentified officer said all other students at Townville Elementary School were safe following the shooting. The officer added that parents are being told to pick up their children at a nearby church. The school is located near the Georgia state line.[SEP]TOWNVILLE, S.C. — A teenager opened fire at a South Carolina elementary school Wednesday, wounding two students and a teacher before the suspect was taken into custody, a law enforcement officer said. Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore told the Anderson Independent Mail that authorities were responding to a death "believed to be related" to the school shooting about 1 ½ miles away. Shore also said the students do not appear to have life-threatening injuries. The unidentified officer who spoke to reporters on live television said all other students at the Townville Elementary School were safe following the shooting and that parents are being told to pick up their children at a nearby church. Television images showed officers swarming the school. Some were on top of the roof while others were walking around the building. Students were driven away on buses accompanied by police officers. The school is in a rural area near Lake Hartwell, which is located near Interstate 85 and the Georgia state line.[SEP]TOWNVILLE, S.C. (AP) — A teenager opened fire at a South Carolina elementary school Wednesday, wounding two students and a teacher before the suspect was taken into custody, authorities said. Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore told the Anderson Independent Mail that authorities were responding to a death "believed to be related" to the school shooting about 1 ½ miles away. Shore said the students do not appear to have life-threatening injuries. Anderson County emergency services director Taylor Jones told reporters that all other students at the Townville Elementary School were safe following the shooting. The students were bused to a nearby church and reunited with their parents. They hugged and kissed. Jamie Meredith, a student's mother, said some of the children went into a bathroom during the shooting. "I don't know how they knew to go in the bathroom, but I know her teacher was shaken up. I know all the kids were scared. There was a bunch of kids crying. She didn't talk for about 5 minutes when I got her," she told WYFF. Television images showed officers swarming the school. Some were on top of the roof while others were walking around the building. Students were driven away on buses accompanied by police officers. All of the roads to the school have been blocked off. The school is in a very rural part of the state and surrounded by working farms. Townville Elementary had about 300 students in its pre-kindergarten to sixth-grade classrooms last year, according to its annual state report card last spring. The rural town is located about 110 miles northeast of Atlanta along Interstate 85 near the Georgia-South Carolina state line.[SEP]Three people were injured in a shooting on a South Carolina elementary school Wednesday. At approximately 1:44 EST, an unidentified shooter entered Townville Elementary School in Townville, South Carolina. Two elementary students were injured in the shooting, as well as one teacher. All three were taken immediately from the premises, with one airlifted to the Greenville Health System Emergency Trauma Center by helicopter. Armed officers shuttled the remaining children and faculty to a nearby Baptist church off of Highway 24. Details of the shooting are still uncertain. The suspect, a local teenager, has been apprehended by state police. The coroner for Anderson County commented to an NBC affiliate that the shooting may be linked to a murder in a home less than five miles from the school. This has yet to be confirmed. This story is currently ongoing, and more details will be added as they are released.[SEP]TOWNVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Authorities: School shooter apparently shot his father to death before rampage; 2 students, teacher wounded .[SEP]TOWNVILLE, S.C. — A law enforcement officer says two students and a teacher have been wounded and flown to hospitals after a shooting at a South Carolina elementary school. Speaking on live television, the unidentified officer said all other students at the Townville Elementary School were safe after the shooting Wednesday and that parents are being told to pick up their children at a nearby church. The school is located near the Georgia state line. Check back with Arkansas Online for updates on this developing story.[SEP]TOWNVILLE, S.C. — The Latest on the shooting at an elementary school in South Carolina that left two students and a teacher wounded (all times local): A coroner says that the injuries of two students from a shooting at a South Carolina elementary school do not appear to be life-threatening. Coroner Greg Shore gave the information to the Greenville News and Independent Mail. A law enforcement official has said the shooting happened at the Townville Elementary School on Wednesday and that a teen suspect is in custody. He says all other students are safe and have been evacuated to a nearby church. A law enforcement officer says that a shooting at a South Carolina elementary school has left two students and a teacher wounded. The unidentified officer says the shooting took place at the Townville Elementary School in Townville, South Carolina, and that all other students are safe and being evacuated to a nearby church.

A shooting at an elementary school in Townville, South Carolina, leaves two students and a teacher wounded. Police take the teenage suspect into custody. Authorities find the shooter's father dead. One of the students dies two days later.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption World leaders gather for Shimon Peres state funeral World leaders have hailed the vision of the late Israeli leader, Shimon Peres, as he was laid to rest days after his death at the age of 93. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described him as "a great man of the world", as he led the eulogies. US President Barack Obama said the presence of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at the funeral was a reminder of the "unfinished business of peace". Mr Abbas was among dozens of foreign dignitaries attending in Jerusalem. Security was intensified ahead of the ceremony, with several people arrested. Delivering an emotional address, Mr Netanyahu said that while Israel and the world grieved for Mr Peres there was hope in his legacy. "Shimon lived a life of purpose," he told thousands gathered at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl cemetery. "He soared to incredible heights. He swept so many with his vision and his hope. He was a great man of Israel. "He was a great man of the world." 'One of the giants' Former US President Bill Clinton, who helped negotiate the Oslo peace accords between Israel and the Palestinians in the 1990s, said he was Israel's "biggest dreamer". "He imagined all the things the rest of us could do. He started life as Israel's brightest student, became its best teacher and ended up its biggest dreamer.'' Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Video shows the moment the Israeli and Palestinian leaders shake hands US President Barack Obama closed the eulogies, comparing Mr Peres to "some of the other giants of the 20th Century that I've had the honour to meet, like Nelson Mandela and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth". Mr Peres, he said, believed in equality for Palestinians. "Even in the face of terrorist attacks, even after repeated disappointments at the negotiation table, he insisted that as human beings Palestinians must be seen as equal in dignity to Jews and must therefore be equal in self determination." Farewell to founding generation - by Kevin Connolly, BBC News On Mount Herzl where evergreen trees shaded the dusty walkways from the late-summer sunshine, an extraordinary congregation assembled to say goodbye to Shimon Peres. You could have worked out that it was his funeral from the guest list alone - Prince Charles and Barack Obama, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. It's hard to imagine any other leader being mourned in quite the same way. Israel said goodbye to the last of its founding generation and global diplomacy mourned a lost star, but the children of Shimon Peres grieved a father and spoke of him with elegance and simplicity. And Mr Peres remained in command to the end, choosing his own funeral music. It was a setting of an old prayer he remembered his grandfather singing to him in the pre-war Poland of the 1920s. Elegant and mournful, it played at the end of the old president's long journey, as it had played at the start. Mixed reaction to Peres' legacy in world media Long legacy of Israel's elder statesman Obituary: Shimon Peres, Israeli founding father Before the ceremony began, Mr Abbas was seen shaking hands and speaking briefly with Mr Netanyahu. The last substantial public meeting between the two leaders was in 2010, with peace efforts completely suspended since April 2014. Hamas, the hardline Palestinian group that runs Gaza, condemned Mr Abbas's decision to attend the ceremony. Jordan and Egypt - the only two Arab countries to have signed peace deals with Israel - both sent official representatives to the ceremony. Mr Abbas, along with Mr Peres, was one of those who signed the Oslo peace accords in 1993, in the presence of Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin. Mr Peres, Mr Rabin and Mr Arafat were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 "for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East". All three have now died. Image copyright AP Image caption Taken months after the Oslo Agreement was signed, this photograph shows Shimon Peres, left, with Mahmoud Abbas, centre, and Egypt's then Foreign Minister Amr Moussa Mr Peres' reputation in the region is complicated by the 1996 shelling of Qana in southern Lebanon that killed more than 100 people sheltering in a UN compound. It took place when, as prime minister, he ordered an offensive against a wave of rocket fire by the militant Hezbollah movement. He later said it was a "bitter surprise" to find that several hundred people were in the camp at the time. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Leaders from around the world paid their respects, including Barack Obama Image copyright EPA Image caption Former US President Bill Clinton helped usher in the Oslo peace accords which won a Nobel Peace Prize for Mr Peres Image copyright Reuters Image caption The UK's Prince Charles and French President Francois Hollande also bade their farewells The funeral was the largest such event in Israel since the funeral of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated by a Jewish nationalist in 1995. Mr Peres suffered a stroke two weeks ago and died on Wednesday in a hospital near Tel Aviv.[SEP]Of the longest-serving of all of Israel’s public servants, it was often rightly said: The story of Shimon Peres is the history of the State of Israel. Peres, former president, former prime minister, for - mer defense minister, for - mer foreign minister, former head of eight other minis- tries and the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize winner, was the last surviving member of the state’s founding fathers. THEN-DEFENSE MINISTRY director-general Shimon Peres (seated second right) attends a meeting of the IDF General Staff with prime minister David Ben-Gurion in 1961. Peres is sitting between then-finance minster Levi Eshkol and then-agriculture minister Moshe Dayan. (photo credit: GPO) Then-prime minister Yitzhak Rabin (C) and then-defense minister Shimon Peres (2nd L) greet hostages rescued from Entebbe back in Israel. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESMAN'S OFFICE/URI HERTZL TZHIK/IDF ARCHIV) THEN PRIME MINISTER Shimon Peres greets newly released Prisoner of Zion Natan Sharansky at Ben-Gurion Airport where he was flown from Germany after being freed from a Soviet prison, exactly 30 years ago on Thursday or February 11, 1986.. (photo credit: GPO) Former PLO chairman Yasser Arafat, then foreign minister Shimon Peres and then prime minister Yitzhak Rabin (from L to R) show their shared Nobel Peace Prize awards to the audience in Oslo in this December 10, 1994 file photo. (photo credit: REUTERS) Shimon Peres sings alongside Miri Aloni and Yitzhak Rabin at a peace rally in Tel Aviv on November 4, 1995. Rabin was assassinated after the demonstration. (photo credit: NOAM WIND) Barack Obama honors Shimon Peres with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House in 2012. (photo credit: GPO) Pope Francis, flanked by former president Shimon Peres (left) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arrives at Mount Herzl during his visit to Israel last May.. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST) Former President Shimon Peres on Snapchat.. (photo credit: FACEBOOK) Director and actress Natalie Portman (L) speaks with former president Shimon Peres during a photocall for her film "A Tale of Love and Darkness" in Jerusalem, September 3, 2015. (photo credit: REUTERS) A lifetime searching for peace with Israel’s Arab neighbors was rewarded on December 10, 1994, when Peres – along with then- prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat – received a Nobel Peace Prize. The award recognized their work as the architects of the 1993 inter - im peace deal known as the Oslo I Accord – a pact that, to Peres’s dismay, never hard- ened into a lasting treaty. In a career spanning some 70 years, Peres was a servant of the state who was inti- mately involved in every aspect of the country’s histo- ry since before its founding. In his 48 years in parliament – from the fourth Knesset in 1959 through the 17th in 2007 – he served in var - ious parliamentary groups, including Mapai, Rafi, Labor, the Alignment, Labor, One Israel, Labor-Meimad, Labor- Meimad-Am Ehad and Kadi- ma. His main affiliation was with the Labor Party. Peres’s string of govern- ment roles included two stints as prime minister – from 1984 to 1986 as part of a rotational government, and for seven months in 1995 and 1996 after the assassination of Rabin – as well as minis- ter of immigrant absorption, transportation, information, defense, communications (or posts and telegraphs as it was known at the time), internal affairs, religious affairs, for - eign affairs, finance, regional cooperation, and develop- ment of the Negev and Gal- ilee, serving in some of those positions more than once. He also served several times as acting prime minister, deputy prime minister and vice prime minister. Though Peres ran for prime minister five times from 1977 and 1996, he never won a national election outright. Peres was born on August 2, 1923, in Wiszniewo, Poland, as Szymon Perski, and immi- grated to Palestine with his family at the age of 11. He grew up in Tel Aviv, attend- ing the Balfour and Geula schools in Tel Aviv, and the agricultural high school in Ben-Shemen. He spent sever - al years at Kibbutz Geva and Kibbutz Alumot, of which he was one of the founders. In 1943, he was elected sec- retary of the Labor-Zionist youth movement. At age 24, he worked with David Ben-Gurion and Levi Eshkol in command of the Hagana, responsible for manpower and arms. During and after the War of Inde- pendence, Peres served as head of the naval services. In 1952, he joined the Defense Ministry and, a year later at the age of 29, was appointed its director-gen- eral – the youngest ever – playing an important role in developing the Israeli mili- tary industry and promoting the development of Israel Aerospace Industries. Peres was elected a mem- ber of Knesset in 1959, and, except for three months in early 2006, served until his election as president in June 2007. Among his achieve- ments as deputy defense minister from 1959 to 1965 were the establishment of the military and aviation industries and the promo- tion of strategic ties with France, which culminated in strategic cooperation during the 1956 Sinai Campaign. Peres also was instrumental in establishing Israel’s nucle- ar program. For three years following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Peres again played a central role in the country’s secu- rity as defense minister. In that role, he revitalized and strengthened the IDF and was involved in the disen- gagement negotiations that led to the 1975 Interim Agreement with Egypt. He also was instrumental in the planning of the 1976 Enteb- be rescue operation. Peres briefly served as acting prime minister following the resignation of Rabin in 1977, and later served his first tenure as prime minister in the national unity government from 1984 to 1986, based on a rotation arrangement with Likud leader Yitzhak Shamir. From November 1988 until the dissolution of the National unity government in 1990, Peres served as finance minister, focusing his energies on the failing economy and the complex situation resulting from the 1982 war in Lebanon. He is credited with reducing the annual inflation rate from 400% to 16% and was instrumental in the withdrawal of troops from Lebanon and the establishment of a narrow security zone in southern Lebanon. After Labor returned to power in the 1992 election, Peres was again appointed foreign minister and he initiated and conducted the negotiations that led to the signing of the Declaration of Principles with the PLO in September 1993. Peres’s second term as prime minister came in the wake of the assassination of Rabin on November 4, 1995. The Labor Party chose Peres as Rabin’s successor, and the Knesset confirmed the decision with a vote of confidence supported by both coalition and opposition members. Despite polls showing him far ahead, Peres lost to Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu in the election on May 29, 1996, by fewer than 30,000 votes. In October 1997, Peres created the Peres Center for Peace with the aim of advancing Arab-Israeli joint ventures. He was also the author of 12 books. When he was sworn in as the ninth president of the state on July 15, 2007, Peres was the first former prime minister to serve in the role. He was two weeks shy of his 91st birthday when he completed his seven-year term in 2014. Peres’s wife, Sonia, died in 2011. The couple had three children, eight grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. var cont = `Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>> `; document.getElementById("linkPremium").innerHTML = cont; (function (v, i){ });[SEP]TRIBUTES have been paid to former Israeli president Shimon Peres who died in Tel Aviv aged 93. The former Nobel Peace Prize winner had been hospitalised following a stroke two weeks ago. Peres, once a shepherd on a kibbutz, was part of almost every major development in Israel since the country's founding in 1948. In a career spanning nearly 70 years, he served in a dozen cabinets and was twice a Labour prime minister. He shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with the late former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for reaching an interim peace deal in Oslo in 1993 which never turned into a lasting treaty. Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by an Israeli ultra-nationalist who opposed theOslo agreement, and it was Peres who took over as prime minister after Rabin's death. But Palestinian suicide bombings that killed dozens of Israelis and an aggressive campaign by Likud battered Peres's rating and he lost the 1996 election to Benjamin Netanyahu by less than 30,000 votes. • Will of Scottish 'Hero of the Holocaust' who died at Auchwitz revealed 70 years on In 2000, the failure of final-status peace talks with the Palestinians and the eruption of a Palestinian uprising rife with suicide bombings further damaged Israel's left and Peres's leadership prospects. In 2005, Peres left the Labour Party to join then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's new party, Kadima, which had spearheaded Israel's unilateral pullout from the Gaza Strip earlier that year. Following Kadima's 2006 election victory, Peres served as vice prime minister. Born in 1923 in what is now Belarus, Peres emigrated to British-ruled Palestine with his family a decade later. Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion groomed him for leadership. He oversaw arms purchases and manpower in the Hagana, the Zionist fighting force, before Israel's establishment. Peres is widely seen as having gained nuclear capabilities for Israel by procuring the secret Dimona reactor from France while defence ministry director-general in the 1950s. And as defence minister oversaw the 1976 Israeli rescue of hijacked Israelis at Entebbe airport in Uganda. • Joseph Goebbels' 105-year-old secretary describes drunken madness of Hitler's bunker as Nazi leaders waited for Russians to arrive Peres held the largely ceremonial post of president from 2007-2014 and used the pulpit to continue to advocate peace. President Barack Obama, who will attend the funeral, hailed Peres as a leader whose commitment to Israel's security and the pursuit of peace "was rooted in his own unshakeable moral foundation and unflagging optimism". Obama said Peres looked to the future "guided by a vision of the human dignity and progress that he knew people of goodwill could advance together". He called him "the essence of Israel itself," noting that Peres had fought for the nation's independence, worked its land and served in virtually every government position. The president said that with the death of Peres "a light has gone out, but the hope he gave us will burn forever". • 'Exorcise your demons': Jeremy Corbyn criticised over attempts to deal with 'anti-semitism' in Labour Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton said: "With the passing of Shimon Peres, Israel has lost a leader who championed its security, prosperity, and limitless possibilities from its birth to his last day on earth. "The Middle East has lost a fervent advocate for peace and reconciliation and for a future where all the children of Abraham build a better tomorrow together."[SEP]JERUSALEM - Former Israeli president and elder statesman Shimon Peres, a joint winner of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize and an influential figure in Israeli politics for 70 years, died in hospital on Wednesday aged 93, two weeks after suffering a massive stroke. A convinced campaigner for Middle East peace who remained energetic until his final days, Peres was mourned by world leaders and praised for his tireless engagement. U.S. President Barack Obama said: "A light has gone out". "There are few people who we share this world with who change the course of human history, not just through their role in human events, but because they expand our moral imagination and force us to expect more of ourselves," Obama said in a statement. "My friend Shimon was one of those people." Despite decades of rivalry with Peres, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a right-winger who defeated the then-Labour Party leader in a 1996 election, praised him as a stalwart of the center-left and a visionary. "There were many things we agreed upon, and the number grew as the years passed. But we had disagreements, a natural part of democratic life," Netanyahu said after holding a minute's silence at a specially convened cabinet meeting. "Shimon won international recognition that spanned the globe. World leaders wanted to be in his proximity and respected him. Along with us, many of them will accompany him on his last journey to eternal rest in the soil of Jerusalem." Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a statement saying he had sent a condolence letter to the family expressing his "sadness and regret" and praising Peres's "intensive efforts to reach out for a lasting peace ... until the last days". It was not clear if he would attend Peres's funeral, which will take place on Friday at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl cemetery, in a section dedicated to "Great Leaders of the Nation". In the Gaza Strip, Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for the enclave's Hamas Islamist rulers, said: "The Palestinian people are happy over the departure of this criminal, who was involved in many crimes and in the bloodshed of the Palestinian people." Obama, Britain's Prince Charles and former U.S. president Bill Clinton are among those expected to attend, Israeli radio reported, although Israel's Foreign Ministry could not immediately confirm the attendance list. French President Francois Hollande also confirmed he would attend, alongside his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy. The announcement of the death was made at the Tel Hashomer hospital by his son Chemi and son-in-law Rafi Walden. "His life ended abruptly when he was still working on his great passion, strengthening the country and striving for peace. His legacy will remain with us all," said Walden, who was also Peres's personal physician. Polish-born Peres, whose family moved to then British-ruled Palestine in the 1930s, was part of almost every major political development in Israel since its founding in 1948. He served in a dozen cabinets and was twice prime minister, though he never won a general election, struggling to connect with ordinary voters. He was first elected to Israel's parliament in 1959 and barring a brief interlude in early 2006, held his seat for 48 years, until he became president in 2007. In every role he undertook - from forging Israel's defense strategy in the 1950s to running his eponymous peace foundation - Peres was known for his energy and enthusiasm, even recording jokey YouTube videos into his 90s. "Optimists and pessimists die the same way," he said. "They just live differently. I prefer to live as an optimist." He shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with the late former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for reaching an interim peace deal in 1993, the Oslo Accords, which never turned into a lasting treaty. Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by an Israeli ultra-nationalist who opposed the interim accords, and it was Peres who took over as prime minister after Rabin's death. Peres is widely seen as having gained nuclear capabilities for Israel by procuring the Dimona reactor from France while defense ministry director-general in the 1950s. As defense minister, he oversaw the 1976 Israeli rescue of hijacked Israelis at Entebbe airport in Uganda. In the Arab world, his legacy is tainted by the 1996 shelling of a United Nations compound in the village of Qana in southern Lebanon during an Israeli offensive. More than 100 civilians sheltering there were killed. Peres was prime minister at the time and Israel said its forces had been aiming at militants firing rockets nearby. Peres was also seen to have done little to rein in the expansion of Israeli settlements on land captured during the 1967 Middle East war, even if he was not an active proponent of a policy that Obama has described as an obstacle to peace. From 2007, when he was elected president at the second attempt, Peres played more of a ceremonial role, trying to raise Israel's profile internationally while advocating for peace through his foundation. He stepped down as president in 2014. Despite the influence he has had on Israel's landscape, his death is not expected to have an impact on the already dim prospects for a return to peace talks with the Palestinians.[SEP]Former Israeli president and elder statesman Shimon Peres died in Tel Aviv on Wednesday at age 93, according to media reports late Tuesday night. Peres was hospitalized after suffering a stroke two weeks ago and had made some progress before a sudden deterioration in his condition on Tuesday. An official announcement of the death of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former prime minister was expected at around 7 a.m. local time. Peres’ close relatives rushed to his hospital bedside earlier Tuesday amid media reports that his condition had deteriorated and he was close to death. Peres, Israel’s most eminent elder statesman, was part of almost every major development from the country’s founding in 1948. In a career spanning nearly 70 years, he served in a dozen cabinets and was twice a Labor prime minister. Peres is widely seen as having gained nuclear capabilities for Israel by procuring the secret Dimona reactor from France while defense ministry director-general in the 1950s. And as defense minister oversaw the 1976 Israeli rescue of hijacked Israelis at Entebbe airport in Uganda. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the late former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for reaching, in 1993, an interim peace deal which never hardened into a lasting treaty. Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by an Israeli ultranationalist who opposed the interim accords, and it was Peres who took over as prime minister after Rabin’s death. He held the largely ceremonial post of president from 2007 to 2014 and used the pulpit to continue to advocate peace. Details of when Peres’ funeral will take place were not initially available.[SEP]JERUSALEM — Former Israeli President Shimon Peres has died at the age of 93. Peres was hospitalized two weeks ago after suffering a stroke that led to bleeding in his brain. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate had been sedated and was on a respirator during most of his hospitalization.[SEP]Shimon Peres, a former Israeli president and prime minister, whose life story mirrored that of the Jewish state and who was celebrated around the world as a Nobel prize-winning visionary who pushed his country toward peace, has died, the Israeli news website YNet reported early Wednesday. He was 93. In an unprecedented seven-decade political career, Peres filled nearly every position in Israeli public life and was credited with leading the country through some of its most defining moments, from creating its nuclear arsenal in the 1950s, to disentangling its troops from Lebanon and rescuing its economy from triple-digit inflation in the 1980s, to guiding a skeptical nation into peace talks with the Palestinians in the 1990s. A protege of Israel’s founding father David Ben-Gurion, he led the Defense Ministry in his 20s and spearheaded the development of Israel’s nuclear program. He was first elected to parliament in 1959 and later held every major Cabinet post — including defense, finance and foreign affairs — and served three brief stints as prime minister. His key role in the first Israeli-Palestinian peace accord earned him a Nobel Peace Prize and revered status as Israel’s then most recognizable figure abroad. And yet, for much of his political career he could not parlay his international prestige into success in Israeli politics, where he was branded by many as both a utopian dreamer and political schemer. His well-tailored, necktied appearance and swept-back gray hair seemed to separate him from his more informal countrymen. He suffered a string of electoral defeats: competing in five general elections seeking the prime minister’s spot, he lost four and tied one. He finally secured the public adoration that had long eluded him when he has chosen by parliament to a seven-year term as Israel’s ceremonial president in 2007, taking the role of elder statesman. Peres was celebrated by doves and vilified by hawks for advocating far-reaching Israeli compromises for peace even before he negotiated the first interim accord with the Palestinians in 1993 that set into motion a partition plan that gave them limited self-rule. That was followed by a peace accord with neighboring Jordan. But after a fateful six-month period in 1995-96 that included Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, a spate of Palestinian suicide bombings and Peres’ own election loss to the more conservative Benjamin Netanyahu, the prospects for peace began to evaporate. Relegated to the political wilderness, he created his non-governmental Peres Center for Peace that raised funds for cooperation and development projects involving Israel, the Palestinians and Arab nations. He returned to it at age 91 when he completed his term as president. Shimon Perski was born on Aug. 2, 1923, in Vishneva, then part of Poland. He moved to pre-state Palestine in 1934 with his immediate family. Her grandfather and other relatives stayed behind and perished in the Holocaust. Rising quickly through Labor Party ranks, he became a top aide to Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister and a man Peres once called “the greatest Jew of our time.” At 29, he was the youngest person to serve as director of Israel’s Defense Ministry, and is credited with arming Israel’s military almost from scratch. Yet throughout his political career, he suffered from the fact that he never wore an army uniform or fought in a war. Of his 10 books, several amplified his vision of a “new Middle East” where there was peaceful economic and cultural cooperation among all the nations of the region. Despite continued waves of violence that pushed the Israeli political map to the right, the concept of a Palestinian state next to Israel became mainstream Israeli policy many years after Peres advocated it. Shunted aside during the 1999 election campaign, won by party colleague Ehud Barak, Peres rejected advice to retire, assuming the newly created and loosely defined Cabinet post of Minister for Regional Cooperation. In 2000, Peres absorbed another resounding political slap, losing an election in the parliament for the largely ceremonial post of president to Likud Party backbencher Moshe Katsav, who was later convicted and imprisoned for rape. Even so, Peres refused to quit. In 2001, at age 77, he took the post of foreign minister in the government of national unity set up by Ariel Sharon, serving for 20 months before Labor withdrew from the coalition. Then he followed Sharon into a new party, Kadima, serving as vice premier under Sharon and his successor, Ehud Olmert, before assuming the presidency.[SEP]TEL AVIV—Former Israeli president and elder statesman Shimon Peres died in Tel Aviv on Wednesday aged 93, Israel Radio said. Peres was hospitalized following a stroke two weeks ago and had made some progress before a sudden deterioration in his condition on Tuesday. An official announcement of the death of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former prime minister was expected at a later date. Details of the timing of the funeral were also expected. Peres was part of almost every major development in Israel since the country's founding in 1948. In a career spanning nearly 70 years, he served in a dozen cabinets and was twice a Labour prime minister. He shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with the late former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for reaching an interim peace deal in 1993 which never turned into a lasting treaty. Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by an Israeli ultra-nationalist who opposed the interim accords, and it was Peres who took over as prime minister after Rabin's death. Peres is widely seen as having gained nuclear capabilities for Israel by procuring the secret Dimona reactor from France while defense ministry director-general in the 1950s. And as defense minister oversaw the 1976 Israeli rescue of hijacked Israelis at Entebbe airport in Uganda. Peres held the largely ceremonial post of president from 2007-2014 and used the pulpit to continue to advocate peace. Earlier in September, after a series of health scares including a mild heart attack, Peres received an artificial pacemaker.[SEP]Shimon Peres, a former Israeli president and prime minister, whose life story mirrored that of the Jewish state and who was celebrated around the world as a Nobel prize-winning visionary who pushed his country toward peace, has died, the Israeli news website YNet reported early Wednesday. JERUSALEM (AP) — Shimon Peres, a former Israeli president and prime minister, whose life story mirrored that of the Jewish state and who was celebrated around the world as a Nobel prize-winning visionary who pushed his country toward peace, died early Wednesday, a person close to him confirmed. Peres was 93. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss Peres’ health with the media. The family said it would issue a formal announcement shortly. Peres’ condition worsened following a major stroke two weeks ago that led to bleeding in his brain. He was sedated and on a respirator during most of his hospitalization. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement mourning the passing of Peres. He said he will convene his Cabinet for a special session later in the day. As word of Peres’ death spread, reaction started pouring in from around the globe. President Barack Obama eulogized him as a man who represented “the essence of Israel itself.” “There are few people who we share this world with who change the course of human history, not just through their role in human events, but because they expand our moral imagination and force us to expect more of ourselves. My friend Shimon was one of those people,” he said. “A light has gone out, but the hope he gave us will burn forever.” Former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush also issued statements of mourning. Peres, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is the elder statesman of Israeli politics, one of the country’s most admired leaders and the last surviving link to its founding fathers. In an unprecedented seven-decade political career, Peres filled nearly every position in Israeli public life and was credited with leading the country through some of its most defining moments, from creating its nuclear arsenal in the 1950s, to disentangling its troops from Lebanon and rescuing its economy from triple-digit inflation in the 1980s, to guiding a skeptical nation into peace talks with the Palestinians in the 1990s. A protege of Israel’s founding father David Ben-Gurion, he led the Defense Ministry in his 20s and spearheaded the development of Israel’s nuclear program. He was first elected to parliament in 1959 and later held every major Cabinet post — including defense, finance and foreign affairs — and served three brief stints as prime minister. His key role in the first Israeli-Palestinian peace accord earned him a Nobel Peace Prize and revered status as Israel’s then most recognizable figure abroad. And yet, for much of his political career he could not parlay his international prestige into success in Israeli politics, where he was branded by many as both a utopian dreamer and political schemer. His well-tailored, necktied appearance and swept-back gray hair seemed to separate him from his more informal countrymen. He suffered a string of electoral defeats: competing in five general elections seeking the prime minister’s spot, he lost four and tied one. He finally secured the public adoration that had long eluded him when he has chosen by parliament to a seven-year term as Israel’s ceremonial president in 2007, taking the role of elder statesman. Peres was celebrated by doves and vilified by hawks for advocating far-reaching Israeli compromises for peace even before he negotiated the first interim accord with the Palestinians in 1993 that set into motion a partition plan that gave them limited self-rule. That was followed by a peace accord with neighboring Jordan. But after a fateful six-month period in 1995-96 that included Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, a spate of Palestinian suicide bombings and Peres’ own election loss to the more conservative Benjamin Netanyahu, the prospects for peace began to evaporate. Relegated to the political wilderness, he created his non-governmental Peres Center for Peace that raised funds for cooperation and development projects involving Israel, the Palestinians and Arab nations. He returned to it at age 91 when he completed his term as president. Shimon Perski was born on Aug. 2, 1923, in Vishneva, then part of Poland. He moved to pre-state Palestine in 1934 with his immediate family. Her grandfather and other relatives stayed behind and perished in the Holocaust. Rising quickly through Labor Party ranks, he became a top aide to Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister and a man Peres once called “the greatest Jew of our time.” At 29, he was the youngest person to serve as director of Israel’s Defense Ministry, and is credited with arming Israel’s military almost from scratch. Yet throughout his political career, he suffered from the fact that he never wore an army uniform or fought in a war. Of his 10 books, several amplified his vision of a “new Middle East” where there was peaceful economic and cultural cooperation among all the nations of the region. Despite continued waves of violence that pushed the Israeli political map to the right, the concept of a Palestinian state next to Israel became mainstream Israeli policy many years after Peres advocated it. Shunted aside during the 1999 election campaign, won by party colleague Ehud Barak, Peres rejected advice to retire, assuming the newly created and loosely defined Cabinet post of Minister for Regional Cooperation. In 2000, Peres absorbed another resounding political slap, losing an election in the parliament for the largely ceremonial post of president to Likud Party backbencher Moshe Katsav, who was later convicted and imprisoned for rape. Even so, Peres refused to quit. In 2001, at age 77, he took the post of foreign minister in the government of national unity set up by Ariel Sharon, serving for 20 months before Labor withdrew from the coalition. Then he followed Sharon into a new party, Kadima, serving as vice-premier under Sharon and his successor, Ehud Olmert, before assuming the presidency.[SEP]TEL AVIV (JTA) — Shimon Peres, the former defense hawk turned Nobel Peace Prize winner and the last of Israel’s founders, has died. Peres died before dawn Wednesday at 93, Israel Radio reported. The former president suffered a massive stroke earlier this month and was reported initially to be in stable but critical condition. His condition was reported to have deteriorated dramatically on Tuesday afternoon. Israel Radio quoted his family, who were at his side, as saying he was “fighting until the end.” The phoenix of Israeli politics, Peres continually reinvented himself as the country changed. He began his career in the Defense Ministry and was the architect of Israel’s nuclear program, but in his later years Peres was more closely identified with the quest for peace with the Palestinians. He was instrumental in negotiating the Oslo Accords, the landmark Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, and was present on the White House lawn for its signing in 1993. Though he served as prime minister three times without ever winning an election outright, and shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for a peace that has yet to materialize, Peres emerged late in life as Israel’s beloved elder statesmen and a rare figure capable of uniting a fractious society. Following the signing of the Oslo Accords, Peres emerged as Israel’s global ambassador for peace, predicting the emergence of a “new Middle East” in which conflict was supplanted by shared prosperity. Elected to the largely ceremonial role of president in 2007, talk of peace pervaded nearly every speech he gave. Well into his 90s, Peres still insisted he would live to see the day when peace would come. Peace, however, doomed his political career. After middling political success in the 1980s, the Oslo Accords debilitated Peres’ Labor Party, which fell from power in 2001 with the outbreak of the second intifada and has yet to win another election. When Peres won the presidency in 2007, he was a member of Kadima, a short-lived centrist party. As president, Peres rose again, this time as Israel’s wise old man. Free to rise above the political fray, Peres trumpeted Israel’s technological achievements and articulated its hopes for a brighter future. More than anything, he became a symbol of the country’s resilience — able to survive, thrive and remain optimistic — no matter the challenges. Born Szymon Perski in Wiszniewo, Poland, in 1923, Peres moved with his family to Tel Aviv in 1934. At 20, he became the head of a Labor Zionist youth group, through which he met David Ben-Gurion, who would become Israel’s first prime minister. In 1945, Peres married Sonya Gelman, who had just returned from World War II service in the British Army. The couple was married for 67 years, though they separated after Peres became a presidential candidate. Sonia Peres had long refused to play the part of political wife, and after Peres moved to the president’s residence in Jerusalem, she changed the name on her Tel Aviv mailbox to Sonia Gal, a Hebraicized version of her maiden name. Sonia Peres died in 2011 at 87. In 1947, Peres joined the Haganah, managing arms purchases and personnel. After Israel gained independence the following year, he continued working in the Defense Ministry, becoming its youngest-ever director-general in 1952 at 29. In that capacity he expanded Israeli arms purchases from France and later helped manage the 1956 Sinai Campaign. He also founded Israel’s arms production industry and led efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. Peres was first elected to the Knesset in 1959 with Ben-Gurion’s ruling Mapai party, becoming deputy defense minister. He would serve in the Knesset for an as-yet unmatched total of 48 years. Peres remained a close Ben-Gurion ally, splitting from Mapai with him in 1965 to form a rival party and then rejoining Mapai when it became the Alignment in 1968. After serving in several minor ministerial positions, Peres became defense minister in 1974 under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Peres was a territorial hawk, opposing early proposals for West Bank withdrawal and supporting settlement expansion. When Rabin resigned amid scandal in 1977, Peres briefly became acting prime minister, then lost the post when the Alignment was defeated in the 1977 election by Menachem Begin’s Likud party. Peres headed the Alignment — the precursor to today’s Labor Party — for the next 15 years, contesting three more close elections with Likud. The two parties formed a unity government following the 1984 elections — Peres was prime minister from 1984 to 1986, then foreign minister under Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir from 1986 to 1988. As foreign minister in 1987, Peres conducted secret negotiations with King Hussein of Jordan for Israel to withdraw from the West Bank as part of an Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty. But Shamir rejected the proposed agreement, and the following year Jordan unilaterally relinquished its claim to the West Bank. After the Alignment lost the 1988 elections, Peres again joined a Likud-led government as finance minister, but tried to overthrow the government two years later. In what became known as the Dirty Trick, Peres assembled an Alignment-led coalition with leftist and haredi Orthodox parties, only to see it fall apart after he received a mandate to form a governing coalition. He lost his party’s chairmanship to Rabin in 1992, and again became foreign minister when the party, now renamed Labor, won elections that year. Under Rabin, Peres was the architect of the Oslo Accords, which gave the Palestinians autonomy in parts of the West Bank and Gaza. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. “Israel’s role in the Middle East should be to contribute to a great, sustained regional revival,” Peres said upon accepting the prize. “A Middle East without wars, without enemies, without ballistic missiles, without nuclear warheads.” After Rabin was assassinated in 1995, Peres became acting prime minister, but lost the post again in a close race with Likud’s Benjamin Netanyahu. Following his defeat in ’96, he founded the Peres Center for Peace, which runs programs aimed at regional reconciliation. Peres remained in the Labor Party through 2005, twice regaining the chairmanship and serving another stint as foreign minister under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. In 2006, following the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Peres joined Sharon’s new centrist Kadima party. The next year he won a race for Israel’s largely ceremonial presidency. As president, Peres stayed largely above the political fray, though he conducted secret negotiations with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in 2011, culminating in a peace deal that Netanyahu’s government rejected. After leaving the presidency, Peres remained largely silent on politics. Peres frequently traveled internationally as president, focusing his speeches and activism on encouraging Middle East peace and touting Israel’s technological achievements. His annual Presidential Conference brought together leaders in politics, science and culture. He finished his presidential term in 2014. He is survived by three children, Tsvia Walden, Yoni Peres and Chemi Peres, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Former President and Prime Minister of Israel, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres dies at the age of 93.

New Delhi: Director General Military Operations (DGMO), Ranbir Singh salutes after the Press Conferences along with External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup, in New Delhi on Thursday. India conducted Surgical strikes across the Line of Control in Kash The Indian Army today said it has conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan, killing several terrorists and causing significant casualties to their hideouts. Opinion: Indian Army's surgical strikes should make Pakistan think twice before trying another Uri "The Army has conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads on the LoC and significant casualties have been caused. The motive of this operation was to hit out at the terrorists who were planning to infiltrate into our territory," Director General of Military Operation (DGMO) Lt General Ranbir Singh said today in a joint press conference with officials from the Ministry of External Affairs. India's elite para-commandos. (File photo) India's elite para-commandos. (File photo) The Army said special commandos crossed the LoC last night, conducted the operation in the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and returned to the Indian side without any casualty. The Air Force was not involved in the surgical strike. The Army has claimed to have killed at least 38. Also Read: Claims denied: How Pakistan media is treating India's surgical strike The entire operation was monitored for the entire night by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval from the Army headquarters in New Delhi. It was because of this operation that Parrikar and Doval had cancelled their dinner on Wednesday night with the Coast Guard commanders. NAWAZ SHARIF REACTS Minutes after India announced on Thursday that it carried out surgical strikes across the LoC on Wednesday night, Sharif denounced what he called was an "unprovoked and naked aggression" by Indian forces. Radio Pakistan quoted him as saying that the Indian operation led to the death of two Pakistani soldiers. India Today magazine listed some options for a covert operation. India Today magazine listed some options for a covert operation. "Our intent for peaceful neighbourhood should not be mistaken as our weakness as our valiant forces are fully capable of defending the territorial integrity of our country," the Prime Minister said. He said Pakistan can "thwart any evil design made to undermine the sovereignty of Pakistan". Indian Twitter celebrates 'Modi's punishment for Pakistan', Pakistani Twitter fumes READ| Nawaz Sharif calls for peace, then praises terrorist in UN speech "I spoke to the Pakistan DGMO and shared our concerns. I told him that we conducted surgical strikes last night," Lt Gen Singh said. The Pakistani Army has also admitted that two of its soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire with Indian forces across the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir today. Earlier today, India responded to unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan on LOC with punitive strikes. Two Pakistani soldiers have been killed in Indian firing. India had on Tuesday announced that it was pulling out of the SAARC summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November after the September 18 cross-border terror attack on an Indian Army base in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of 18 Indian soldiers. PM Modi had said that the Uri attack would not go unavenged. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: Also Read: 10 terrorists gunned down in Uri after Pakistan violates ceasefire again Days after Uri attack, suspicious bag found near Army unit in Pathankot Tension between India and Pakistan escalated since the recent attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Kashmir which left 19 soldiers dead. Here is how Pakistan reacted to the attack by Indian Army. Nawaz Sharif after India's surgical strike: Don't take our peaceful intent for weakness Moments after Indian Army claimed that it has conducted surgical strikes across LoC, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was the first to condemn it. He asserted that Pakistan too is ready with its 'defence'. Radio Pakistan quoted him as saying that the Indian operation led to the death of two Pakistani soldiers. "Our intent for peaceful neighbourhood should not be mistaken as our weakness as our valiant forces are fully capable of defending the territorial integrity of our country," the Prime Minister said. He said Pakistan can "thwart any evil design made to undermine the sovereignty of Pakistan". How Pakistan media is treating India's surgical strike After the Indian Army's statement made it to the news, Pakistani media started updating their pages, showing that Pakistani army is denying the claims of Indian Army's surgical strikes. Watch: All you need to know about the Indian Army's surgical strikes Sushma Swaraj slammed Pakistan at UNGA In a short but sharp rebuke to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's speech at the United Nations General Assembly, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that Kashmir belongs to India, and Pakistan must stop dreaming about claiming it. "Jammu and Kashmir belongs to India, stop dreaming about claiming Kashmir," said Sushma Swaraj while addressing the UN General Assembly. "Terrorism is the biggest violation of human rights. Those criticising India for violating human rights, should first work on their own shortcomings," Swaraj said in her speech at UNGA. Pitching the idea of working together against terrorism Swaraj said, "We will have to keep aside obligations and differences and work together to fight terrorism. We cannot win the war on terrorism with blame game. Terror strikes across the world is a reminder of where we fall short in countering terrorism." Uri attack: India shows evidence by identifying handlers, summons Pak envoy Abdul Basit Earlier in the week, India summoned Pakistani High Commissioner to Delhi Abdul Basit to give him proof of the cross-border origins of the Uri attackers, who killed 19 Indian soldiers earlier this month. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar termed the continuing cross-border terror attacks from Pakistan against India as unacceptable as he presented details of the "handlers" behind the Uri army camp attack. The attackers came from Muzaffarabad, which is the capital of the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), Swarup told Basit as he gave the details of the guides and handlers who helped the four terrorists, who were also killed in the Uri attack. Modi calls Islamabad sole exporter of terrorism Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier gave a strong message to Pakistan, blaming it for exporting terrorism across the globe and impeding economic progress in Asia. The prime minister said, "We often hear that 21st century will be the century of Asia. Every single country is striving to make 21st century the century of Asia except one. That one country is working to deny Asia this opportunity. It is conspiring to make Asia bloodied by using terrorism." He further said, "Only one country is exporting terrorism everywhere. It's not a question about India only. This country is exporting terrorism to Afghanistan, Bangladesh and rest of the world." Watch- Former Army Chief Bikram Singh to India Today: Surgical strikes will force Pakistan to start behaving Also read: NIA registers FIR in Uri terror attack, seizes GPS and ammunition from slain terrorists India slams Pakistan at UN after Uri attack, rakes up human rights violations in Balochistan [SEP]The cross-border action inflicted significant casualties, the Indian army's head of operations told reporters in New Delhi, while a senior government official said Indian soldiers had crossed the border to target militant camps. Pakistan said there had been no such targeted strikes, but some military officers said it had repulsed the Indian troops and returned fire across the Line of Control, the de facto frontier that runs through the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir. The Indian announcement followed through on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's warning that those responsible "would not go unpunished" for a Sept. 18 attack on an Indian army base at Uri, near the frontier, that killed 18 soldiers. The strikes also raised the possibility of a military escalation between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan that would wreck a 2003 Kashmir ceasefire. Lt General Ranbir Singh, the Indian army's director general of military operations, said the strikes were launched on Wednesday based on "very specific and credible information that some terrorist units had positioned themselves ... with an aim to carry out infiltration and terrorist strikes". Singh said he had called his Pakistani counterpart to inform him of the operation. The top spokesman for the Pakistani military slammed the Indian account of its action as "totally baseless and completely a lie". "We deny it. There is no such thing on the ground. There is just the incident of the firing last night, which we responded to," Lt General Asim Bajwa told news channel Geo TV. Pakistan said two of its soldiers had been killed and nine wounded in firing across the Line of Control. The Indian version of events represents a departure from a traditional policy of strategic restraint in the face of what New Delhi sees as cross-border terrorist acts that it believes are sponsored by the Pakistani state. "The bigger message is that Pakistan is now on notice that cross-border attacks would be part of our response if there are any more terrorist attacks," said former Indian air vice marshal Manmohan Bahadur. It also comes at a particularly delicate time for Pakistan, with powerful Army Chief of Staff General Raheel Sharif due to retire shortly and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif still to decide on a successor. The Pakistani premier condemned what he called India's "unprovoked and naked aggression" and called a cabinet meeting on Friday to discuss further steps. Share markets in India and Pakistan fell on India's announcement. India's NSE index was down 1.6 percent at 0958 GMT (5.58 a.m. ET) after falling as much 2.1 percent to its lowest since Aug. 29, while Pakistan's benchmark 100-share index was down 0.12 percent. India announced its retaliation at a news conference in New Delhi that was hurriedly called, only to be delayed, as Modi chaired a meeting of his cabinet committee on security to be briefed on the operation. "The prime minister is clear that this is exactly what we should have done," a senior government official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "Informing the world about the surgical strike was important today." U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice spoke with her Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, before news of the Indian cross-border operation broke, the White House said. Rice discussed deepening collaboration between the United States and India on counter-terrorism and urged Pakistan to combat and delegitimise individuals and entities designated by the United Nations as terrorists. Exchanges of fire took place in the Bhimber, Hot Spring, Kel and Lipa sectors in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and lasted about six hours, the Pakistani military said earlier. An Indian army officer in Kashmir said there had been shelling from the Pakistani side of the border into the Nowgam district, near the Line of Control, and the exchange of fire was continuing. There were no casualties or damage reported on the Indian side of the frontier. Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full, but govern separate parts, and have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, two of them over Kashmir. Tension between the South Asian rivals has been high since an Indian crackdown on dissent in Kashmir following the killing by security forces of Burhan Wani, a young separatist leader, in July. They rose further when New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the Uri attack, which inflicted the heavies toll on the Indian army of any single incident in 14 years. India has been ratcheting up pressure on Pakistan, seeking to diplomatically isolate it at the U.N. General Assembly in New York and winning expressions of condemnation from the United States, Britain and France over the attack. China, another of the permanent members of the UN Security Council and a traditional ally of Pakistan, has urged dialogue between the two antagonists. On Wednesday, officials from several countries said a November summit of a the South Asian regional group due to be held in Islamabad may be called off after India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan said they would not attend.[SEP]NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD, (Reuters) – India said today it had conducted “surgical strikes” on suspected militants preparing to infiltrate from Pakistan-ruled Kashmir, making its first direct military response to an attack on an army base it blames on Pakistan. Pakistan said two of its soldiers had died in exchanges of fire and efforts to repulse Indian troops, but denied that India had made any targeted strikes across the de facto frontier that runs through the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir. The cross-border action inflicted significant casualties, the Indian army’s head of operations told reporters in New Delhi, while a senior government official said Indian soldiers had crossed the border to target militant camps. The Indian announcement followed through on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s warning that those responsible “would not go unpunished” for a Sept. 18 attack on an Indian army base at Uri, near the Line of Control, that killed 18 soldiers. The strikes also raised the possibility of a military escalation between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan that would wreck a 2003 Kashmir ceasefire. Lt General Ranbir Singh, the Indian army’s director general of military operations, said the strikes were launched on Wednesday based on “very specific and credible information that some terrorist units had positioned themselves … with an aim to carry out infiltration and terrorist strikes”. Singh said he had called his Pakistani counterpart to inform him of the operation. The top spokesman for the Pakistani military slammed the Indian account of its action as “totally baseless and completely a lie”. “We deny it. There is no such thing on the ground. There is just the incident of the firing last night, which we responded to,” Lt General Asim Bajwa told news channel Geo TV. Pakistan said nine of its soldiers had also been wounded. Neither side’s account could be independently verified. India’s disclosure of such strikes was unprecedented, said Ajai Sahni of the Institute for Conflict Management in New Delhi, and sent a message not only to his own people but to the international community. “India expects global support to launch more focused action against Pakistan,” Sahni told Reuters. “There was tremendous pressure on the Indian prime minister to prove that he is ready to take serious action.” The border clash also comes at a delicate time for Pakistan, with powerful Army Chief of Staff General Raheel Sharif due to retire shortly and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif still to decide on a successor. The Pakistani premier condemned what he called India’s “unprovoked and naked aggression” and called a cabinet meeting on Friday to discuss further steps. Share markets in India and Pakistan fell on India’s announcement. India’s NSE index closed down 1.6 percent after falling as much 2.1 percent to its lowest since Aug. 29, while Pakistan’s benchmark 100-share index was down 0.15 percent. India announced its retaliation at a news conference in New Delhi that was hurriedly called, only to be delayed, as Modi chaired a meeting of his cabinet committee on security to be briefed on the operation. “The prime minister is clear that this is exactly what we should have done,” a senior government official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. “Informing the world about the surgical strike was important today.” U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice spoke with her Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, before news of the Indian cross-border operation broke, the White House said. Rice discussed deepening collaboration between the United States and India on counter-terrorism and urged Pakistan to combat and delegitimise individuals and entities designated by the United Nations as terrorists. Exchanges of fire took place in the Bhimber, Hot Spring, Kel and Lipa sectors in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and lasted about six hours, the Pakistani military said earlier. An Indian army officer in Kashmir said there had been shelling from the Pakistani side of the border into the Nowgam district, near the Line of Control, and the exchange of fire continued during the day. There were no casualties or damage reported on the Indian side of the frontier. Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full, but govern separate parts, and have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, two of them over Kashmir. Tension between the South Asian rivals has been high since an Indian crackdown on dissent in Kashmir following the killing by security forces of Burhan Wani, a young separatist leader, in July. They rose further when New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the Uri attack, which inflicted the heaviest toll on the Indian army of any single incident in 14 years. India has been ratcheting up pressure on Pakistan, seeking to isolate it at the U.N. General Assembly in New York and winning expressions of condemnation from the United States, Britain and France over the attack. China, another of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a traditional ally of Pakistan, has urged dialogue between the two antagonists. On Wednesday, officials from several countries said a November summit of a the South Asian regional group due to be held in Islamabad may be called off after India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan said they would not attend.[SEP]India said on Thursday it had conducted “surgical strikes” on suspected militants preparing to infiltrate from Pakistan-ruled Kashmir, making its first direct military response to an attack on an army base it blames on Pakistan. Pakistan said two of its soldiers had been killed in exchanges of fire and in repulsing an Indian “raid”, but denied India had made any targeted strikes across the de facto frontier that runs through the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir. The cross-border action inflicted significant casualties, the Indian army’s head of operations told reporters in New Delhi, while a senior government official said Indian soldiers had crossed the border to target militant camps. The announcement followed through on prime minister Narendra Modi’s warning that those India held responsible “would not go unpunished” for a September 18th attack on an Indian army base at Uri, near the Line of Control, that killed 18 soldiers. The strikes also raised the possibility of a military escalation between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan that would wreck a 2003 Kashmir ceasefire. Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, the Indian army’s director general of military operations (DGMO), said the strikes were launched on Wednesday based on “very specific and credible information that some terrorist units had positioned themselves . . . with an aim to carry out infiltration and terrorist strikes”. Lt Gen Singh said he had called his Pakistani counterpart to inform him of the operation, which had ended. India later briefed opposition parties and foreign ambassadors in New Delhi but stopped short of disclosing operational details. “It would indicate that this was all pretty well organised,” said one diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because the briefing by foreign secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was confidential. Pakistan’s military spokesman slammed the Indian account as “totally baseless and completely a lie”, saying the contact between DGMOs only included communication regarding cross-border firing, which was within existing rules of engagement. “We deny it. There is no such thing on the ground. There is just the incident of the firing last night, which we responded to,” Lt General Asim Bajwa told news channel Geo TV. “We have fired in accordance with the rules of engagement We are acting in a responsible way.” Pakistan said nine of its soldiers had also been wounded. Neither side’s account could be independently verified. India’s disclosure of such strikes was unprecedented, said Ajai Sahni of the Institute for Conflict Management in New Delhi, and sent a message not only to his own people but to the international community. “India expects global support to launch more focused action against Pakistan,” Lt Gen Sahni told Reuters. “There was tremendous pressure on the Indian prime minister to prove that he is ready to take serious action.” The border clash also comes at a delicate time for Pakistan, with powerful army chief of staff Gen Raheel Sharif due to retire shortly and prime minister Nawaz Sharif still to decide on a successor. The Pakistani premier condemned what he called India’s “unprovoked and naked aggression” and called a cabinet meeting on Friday to discuss further steps. India announced its retaliation at a news conference in New Delhi that was hurriedly called, only to be delayed, as Mr Modi chaired a meeting of his cabinet committee on security to be briefed on the operation. “The prime minister is clear that this is exactly what we should have done,” a senior government official said on condition of anonymity. “Informing the world about the surgical strike was important today.” US national security adviser Susan Rice spoke with her Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, before news of the Indian cross-border operation broke, the White House said. Ms Rice discussed deepening collaboration between the United States and India on counter-terrorism and urged Pakistan to combat and delegitimise individuals and entities designated by the United Nations as terrorists. Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full, but govern separate parts, and have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, two of them over Kashmir. Tension between the south Asian rivals has been high since an Indian crackdown on dissent in Kashmir following the killing by security forces of Burhan Wani, a young separatist leader, in July. They rose further when New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the Uri attack, which inflicted the heaviest toll on the Indian army of any single incident in 14 years. India has been ratcheting up pressure on Pakistan, seeking to isolate it at the UN General Assembly in New York and winning expressions of condemnation from the United States, Britain and France over the attack. China, another of the five permanent members of the security council and a traditional ally of Pakistan, has urged dialogue between the two antagonists. On Wednesday, officials from several countries said a November summit of a the south Asian regional group due to be held in Islamabad may be called off after India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan said they would not attend.[SEP]India said on Thursday it had conducted ‘surgical strikes’ on suspected militants preparing to infiltrate from Pakistan-ruled Kashmir, making its first direct military response to an attack on an army base it blames on Pakistan. The cross-border action inflicted significant casualties, the Indian army’s head of operations told reporters in New Delhi. Pakistan said there had been no such targeted strikes, but that it had repulsed a raid by Indian troops and returned fire across the Line of Control, the de facto frontier that runs through the disputed territory of Kashmir. The Indian announcement followed through on prime minister Narendra Modi’s warning that those responsible ‘would not go unpunished’ for a Sept. 18 attack on an Indian army base at Uri, near the frontier, that killed 18 soldiers. The strikes also raised the possibility of a military escalation between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan that would wreck a 2003 Kashmir ceasefire. Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, the Indian army’s director general of military operations, said the strikes were launched on Wednesday based on ‘very specific and credible information that some terrorist units had positioned themselves…with an aim to carry out infiltration and terrorist strikes’. Singh said he had called his Pakistani counterpart to inform him of the operation. ‘India is doing this only to please their media and public,’ Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif replied in a statement. ‘If India tries to do this again we will respond forcefully.’ Pakistan said two of its soldiers had been killed and nine wounded in firing across the de facto border in the Himalayan region. The Indian action represents a departure from a traditional policy of strategic restraint in the face of what New Delhi sees as cross-border terrorist acts that it believes are sponsored by the Pakistani state. ‘The bigger message is that Pakistan is now on notice that cross-border attacks would be part of our response if there are any more terrorist attacks,’ said former Indian air vice marshal Manmohan Bahadur. It also comes at a particularly delicate time for Pakistan, with powerful army chief of staff General Raheel Sharif due to retire shortly and prime minister Nawaz Sharif still to decide on a successor. The Pakistani prime minister condemned what he called India’s ‘unprovoked and naked aggression’ and called a cabinet meeting on Friday to discuss further steps. The Indian stock market fell heavily on the announcement, with the benchmark NSE Index falling by up to two per cent in Mumbai and a key ‘fear index’ that measures volatility rising to a three-month high. India announced its retaliation at a news conference in New Delhi that was hurriedly called, only to be delayed, as Modi chaired a meeting of his cabinet committee on security to be briefed on the operation. ‘The prime minister is clear that this is exactly what we should have done,’ a senior government official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. ‘Informing the world about the surgical strike was important today.’ Exchanges of fire took place in the Bhimber, Hot Spring, Kel and Lipa sectors in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and lasted about six hours, the Pakistani military said earlier. An Indian army officer in Kashmir said there had been shelling from the Pakistani side of the border into the Nowgam district, near the Line of Control, and the exchange of fire was continuing. There were no casualties or damage reported on the Indian side of the LoC. Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full, but govern separate parts, and have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, two of them over Kashmir. Tension between the South Asian rivals has been high since an Indian crackdown on dissent in Kashmir following the killing by security forces of Burhan Wani, a young separatist leader, in July. They rose further when New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the Uri attack, which inflicted the heavies toll on the Indian army of any single incident in 14 years. India has been ratcheting up pressure on Pakistan, seeking to diplomatically isolate it at the UN General Assembly in New York and winning expressions of condemnation from the United States, Britain and France over the attack. China, another of the permanent members of the UN Security Council and a traditional ally of Pakistan, has urged dialogue between the two antagonists. On Wednesday, officials from several countries said a November summit of a the South Asian regional group due to be held in Islamabad may be called off after India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan said they would not attend.[SEP]NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Indian officials said elite troops crossed into Pakistan-ruled Kashmir on Thursday and killed suspected militants preparing to infiltrate and carry out attacks on major cities, in a surprise raid that raised tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. An Indian army soldier patrols along a highway on the outskirts of Srinagar, September 29, 2016. REUTERS/Danish Ismail Pakistan said two of its soldiers were killed in exchanges of fire, but denied India had made any targeted strikes across the de facto frontier that runs through the disputed Himalayan territory. An Indian military source and a government official said Indian special forces crossed the heavily militarized border by foot just after midnight and hit about half a dozen “launching pads”, where suspected militants were preparing to sneak across. The official said troops killed militants numbering in the double digits, and that no Indian soldier was killed. An army official based in Indian-controlled Kashmir said two Indian soldiers were wounded while returning from the raid - one stepped on a landmine and another was shot. Pakistan also captured an Indian soldier on its side of the border, military officials from both countries said. An Indian army official said the soldier had inadvertently crossed the frontier and had nothing to do with the earlier raids. Thursday’s strikes mark a rare public announcement by India that it had launched a military operation across its de factor border with Pakistan. They followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s warning that those India held responsible “would not go unpunished” for a Sept. 18 attack on an army base in Uri, near the Line of Control, that killed 18 soldiers. The strikes raised the possibility of military escalation between the neighbors that could wreck a 2003 Kashmir ceasefire. India evacuated people from villages within 10 km (six miles) of the de facto border in the Jammu area as a precautionary measure. Share markets in India and Pakistan fell after India announced the strikes at a hastily called press conference. In Washington, the White House urged India and Pakistan to avoid escalation. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said reports indicated the Indian and Pakistani militaries had been in communication with each other and added: “We encourage continued discussions ... to avoid escalation.” Earnest said Susan Rice, the U.S. national security adviser, had spoken to her Indian counterpart on Wednesday and made clear Washington was “concerned by the danger that cross-border terrorism poses.” He said he could not speak to “any specific coordination” between Delhi and Washington. Earnest said the United States was also in close contact with Pakistan. U.S. ambassador to India, Richard Verma, canceled a Washington speaking engagement on Thursday to return to New Delhi. “Obviously it’s a very dynamic situation and he felt it was prudent to go back,” U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby told a regular news briefing. Kirby said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had spoken to Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday and cautioned then against escalation. Kirby declined to say whether the United States was informed of the strikes in advance. But at the same time, he said the United States continued to urge action against Pakistan-based militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Haqqani network. Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, the Indian army’s director general of military operations (DGMO), said the strikes were based on “specific and credible information that some terrorist units had positioned themselves ... with an aim to carry out infiltration and terrorist strikes”. Related Coverage At United Nations, Pakistan flags rising tension with India Singh said he had called his Pakistani counterpart to inform him of the operation. India later briefed opposition parties, which backed the mission, as well as about 25 foreign envoys, but did not disclose operational details. “It would indicate that this was all pretty well organized,” said one diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the briefing by Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was confidential. “A BASELESS LIE” Pakistan’s military spokesman dismissed the Indian account as “totally baseless”, saying the contact between DGMOs only included communication regarding cross-border firing, which was within existing rules of engagement. “We deny it. There is no such thing on the ground. There is just the incident of the firing last night, which we responded to,” Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa told Geo TV. The border clash comes at a delicate time for Pakistan, with powerful Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to retire soon and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif still to decide on a successor. The Pakistani premier condemned India’s “unprovoked and naked aggression” and called a cabinet meeting on Friday to discuss further steps. Neither side’s accounts could be independently verified. The Indian government official briefed on the operation declined to offer more evidence about how the strikes were carried out or what the militants were planning to do. India’s disclosure of such strikes was unprecedented, said Ajai Sahni of New Delhi’s Institute for Conflict Management, and sent a message not only to its own people but to the world. “India expects global support to launch more focused action against Pakistan,” Sahni said. “There was tremendous pressure on the Indian prime minister to prove that he is ready to take serious action.” Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti warned that the confrontation could be disastrous if urgent steps were not taken to reduce tensions. “New Delhi and Islamabad must open the channels of communication, realizing the dangerous consequences of any escalation of ongoing confrontation along the borders,” she said. HEAVY ARTILLERY FIRE Indian officials said the strike targeted areas close to the Line of Control, where it believes militants congregate for their final briefings before sneaking across the border. An Indian security source said the operation began with Indian forces firing artillery across the frontier to provide cover for three to four teams of soldiers to cross over at points several km (miles) apart. The operation was over before sunrise, the official said. A Pakistani military officer at Chhamb, near the Line of Control, contradicted the Indian version, saying the attack had been repelled. Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full, but govern separate parts, and have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, two of them over Kashmir. Tensions have been high since an Indian crackdown on dissent in Kashmir following the killing of a young separatist leader by security forces in July. Slideshow (3 Images) They rose further when New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the Uri attack, which inflicted the heaviest toll on the Indian army in a single incident in 14 years. India, which had already launched a diplomatic drive to isolate Pakistan, said on Wednesday it would boycott a regional summit hosted by Pakistan in November.[SEP]ISLAMABAD: At least two Pakistan Army soldiers were killed as Indian troops fired across the Line of Control in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday. The Pakistani military confirmed the deaths of its soldiers yet dismissed the Indian claim of 'surgical strikes'. "There had been cross border fire initiated and conducted by India which is [an] existential phenomenon," said an ISPR statement released shortly after the Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) held a press conference making claims about surgical strikes. India strikes, Pakistan responds An exchange of fire between Pakistani and Indian LoC troops began at 2:30am and continued till 8:00am in the Bhimber, Hotspring, Kel and Lipa sectors in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the ISPR statement said. "Pakistani troops befittingly responded to Indian unprovoked firing on the LoC." Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said nine soldiers were injured during the incident, and added that small firearms were used to respond in a "befitting manner". Shortly after the exchange of fire, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Defence held a joint press conference in New Delhi in which DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh alleged that surgical strikes were conducted by the Indian army on "terror launch pads along the LoC". The strikes will not continue, he said. The Indian DGMO claimed that "some terrorist teams had positioned themselves at launchpads along the Line of Control". "The Indian army conducted surgical strikes last night at these launchpads. Significant casualties have been caused to these terrorists and those who are trying to support them... The operations aimed at neutralising the terrorists have since ceased." Sources quoted by Indian media alleged that Indian para commandos went 2-3 kilometres into AJK in Mi-17 choppers and destroyed six 'terror camps', killing at least 38 suspected terrorists along with Pakistan Army troops. Singh said the decision to launch the strikes had been taken after the military determined the launchpads had been set up with "an aim to carry out infiltration and terrorist strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and various other metros in our country." An Indian military source said the operation was carried out on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control where there were between five and seven infiltration “launchpads”. “It was a shallow strike. The operation began at around midnight and it was over before sunrise,” this source, who had been briefed by his superiors on the operation, said. “All our men are back. Significant casualties inflicted. Damage assessment still going on.” A Pakistani military officer at Chhamb, near the LoC, contradicted the Indian version, saying the attack had been repelled. “They ran back, leaving many dead bodies on their side,” this senior officer said. Read more: Modi’s new battle lines Military rubbishes notions of surgical strike The Pakistan military swiftly rubbished notions of a surgical strike. "The notion of surgical strike linked to alleged terrorists bases is an illusion being deliberately generated by Indian to create false effects," a military statement said. "This quest by the Indian establishment to create media hype by rebranding cross-border fire as a surgical strike is fabrication of the truth. Pakistan has made it clear that if there is a surgical strike on Pakistani soil, the same will be strongly responded." The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) said Pakistan’s airspace would be safeguarded at any cost. "PAF is always alert and ready to issue a befitting response to foreign aggression," a spokesperson said. Indian authorities ordered the evacuation of villages in Punjab near the Pakistan border on Thursday amid fears of retaliation from Islamabad following India’s claim of surgical strikes against “terror launchpads” across the LoC, Hindustan Times reported 'India fooling its own people' Pakistan, rejecting ‘baseless’ Indian claims that it carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan, condemned unprovoked ceasefire violations across the LoC, Radio Pak reported. Read more: The terror of war hysteria Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said, "India’s falsified, concocted, and irresponsible statements can only escalate the already-fragile security situation in the region." Zakaria added that India had deliberately escalated tension at the LoC in order to divert attention from the deteriorating situation in held-Kashmir. “India is trying to make fool of its own people and the international community,” he maintained. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the incident, according to Radio Pakistan. "Our intent for a peaceful neighbourhood should not be mistaken as our weakness," the premier said. National Security Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Khan Janjua submitted a comprehensive report on the LoC situation to the prime minister, Radio Pakistan reported. Nawaz is also being briefed regularly on the situation along the LoC by security institutions. Indian High Commissioner summoned The Foreign Secretary summoned the Indian High Commissioner today and rejected the baseless Indian claim of ‘surgical strikes’. Unprovoked firing by Indian troops across the LoC was also condemned in the meeting. “These incidents are a continuation of a pattern of ceasefire violations committed by India”, said the Foreign Secretary. He added that the armed forces of Pakistan will continue to give a befitting response to any act of aggression. Soaring tensions The latest incident of cross-border firing comes as tensions simmer between Pakistan and India over the Kashmir issue. Last week, India initiated a diplomatic drive to isolate Pakistan after blaming it for the Sept 18 attack on the Uri army camp in IHK which killed 18 soldiers ─ a claim which Pakistan has rejected. Tensions between the South Asian rivals have been high since an Indian crackdown on dissent in IHK following the killing by Indian forces of Burhan Wani, a young separatist leader, in July. On Wednesday, India pulled out of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit scheduled to be held in November in Islamabad. Several other Saarc members followed suit, leading to the postponement of the summit.[SEP]All you need to know about the surgical strikes conducted by Indian Army. The Indian Army on Wednesday night conducted surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC), confirmed Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO). The announcement of the sudden action by the army was made on Thursday by the DGMO, 11 days after the terror strike by Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM on an Indian army camp in Uri in Kashmir on September 18, 2016. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the attackers would not go "unpunished" and that the sacrifice of 18 jawans would not be in vain. What DGMO said at joint press conference with MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup - India carried out 'surgical strikes' on terror launch pads across the Line of Control(LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday night, inflicting 'significant casualties' on terrorists. - We received very credible and specific information that some terrorist teams had positioned themselves at launch pads along the Line of Control with an aim to carry out infiltration and terrorist strikes in Jammu and Kashmir. - The strikes were carried out across the LoC. - The operations were basically focused on ensuring that the terrorists do not succeed in their design of infiltration and carrying out destruction and endangering the lives of citizens of our country. - Indian armed forces are fully prepared for any contingency that may arise. - Spoke to the Pakistani Director General of Military Operations and explained India's concerns and also shared with him details of the operation. What we know of the surgical strikes conducted by the Army: Sources to ANI - Seven terror launch pads were destroyed by the Army across LoC, Indian Army Special Forces were para-dropped. - The surgical strikes were carried out between 12:30 am to 4:30 am. - The location was 500 metres to two kilometres across the LoC. - The surgical strikes were conducted on Pakistani terror camps belonging to multiple terror groups. - There were no Indian casualties. Two Pakistan Army soldiers were killed and nine others were injured in the exchange of fire between the two forces. What ISPR said about the strike There has been no surgical strike by India, instead there had been cross-border fire initiated and conducted by India which is existential phenomenon. The notion of surgical strike linked to alleged terrorists bases is an illusion being deliberately generated by Indian to create false effects.This quest by Indian establishment to create media hype by rebranding cross border fire as surgical strike is fabrication of truth. Pakistan has made it clear that if there is a surgical strike on Pakistani soil, same will be strongly responded. Who knew about the strike? PM Modi informed President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Home Minister informed the Chief Ministers of Punjab, West Bengal, Odisha, CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury and Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad. In a sharp plunge, stock market benchmark Sensex tanked by 573 points following the announcement of the surgical strikes. The Sensex plunged 572.89 points, or 2.02%, to 27,719.92, with all sectoral indices led by realty, healthcare, power and metal slumping by up to 5.05%. On similar lines, the National Stock Exchange index Nifty dropped by 186.90 points, or 2.13%, to 8,558.25.[SEP]ISLAMABAD/SRINAGAR, India, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Pakistan on Friday "completely rejected" India's claim to have sent troops across its disputed border in Kashmir to kill suspected militants, as India evacuated villages near the frontier amid concerns about a military escalation. In a rare public announcement of such a raid, India said it had carried out "surgical strikes" on Thursday, sending special forces to kill men preparing to sneak into its territory and attack major cities. Indian officials said troops had killed militants numbering in the double digits and that its soldiers had returned safely to base before dawn, but declined to provide more evidence of the operation. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif maintained that India fired unprovoked from its side of the heavily militarized frontier in the disputed region of Kashmir, the flashpoint for two of three wars between the nuclear-armed neighbors, and killed two soldiers. "The Cabinet joined the Prime Minister in completely rejecting the Indian claims of carrying out 'surgical strikes'," Sharif's office said in a statement issued after a cabinet meeting on Friday. It added that the country was ready "to counter any aggressive Indian designs," but gave no further details. Pakistan also captured an Indian soldier on Thursday on its side of the border, but India said this was unrelated to the raid as the man had inadvertently strayed across the frontier. Domestic pressure had been building on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to retaliate after 19 soldiers were killed in a Sept. 18 attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir that India blames on infiltrators who crossed from Pakistani territory. A senior leader of Modi's ruling party declared himself satisfied with India's "multi-pronged" response to the attack on the army base. "For Pakistan, terrorism has come as a cheaper option all these years. Time to make it costly for it," Ram Madhav, national general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, wrote in a column for the Indian Express newspaper. India has also launched a diplomatic campaign to try and isolate Pakistan. Its decision on Tuesday to boycott a summit of South Asian leaders in November in Islamabad was followed by Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan expressing their "inability" to attend. Sri Lanka said on Friday that peace and security were vital for regional cooperation, but stopped short of pulling out. While India's public and politicians have welcomed the operation, Pakistan greeted New Delhi's version of events with skepticism and ridicule. Television news channels and newspapers reported only small arms and mortar fire, a relatively routine occurrence on the de facto border. Pakistan's Express Tribune, an affiliate of the New York Times, led its edition with the headline "'Surgical' farce blows up in India's face." Pakistani cinemas have stopped screening Indian films in "solidarity" with the armed forces, and after an Indian filmmakers' group banned its members from hiring Pakistani actors. Indian-made Bollywood films are wildly popular in both countries. India's announcement of the raid on Thursday raised the possibility of military escalation that could wreck a 2003 Kashmir ceasefire. India evacuated more than 10,000 villagers living near the border, and ordered security forces to upgrade surveillance along the frontier in Jammu and Kashmir state, part of the 3,300-km (2,100 miles) border. Hundreds of villages were being cleared along a 15 km (9 mile) strip in the lowland region of Jammu and further north on the Line of Control in the Himalayan mountains of Kashmir. "Our top priority is to move women and children to government buildings, guest houses and marriage halls," said Nirmal Singh, deputy chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. "People who have not been able to migrate were instructed not to venture out of their houses early in the morning or late in the night." Modi's government has been struggling to contain protests on the streets of Kashmir, where more than 80 civilians have been killed and thousands wounded in the last 10 weeks after a young separatist militant was killed by Indian forces. Pakistan said on Friday that Sharif's special envoys had arrived in Beijing to brief China on the deteriorating situation in Indian-controlled Kashmir. China, a Pakistan ally, expressed its concern, Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement. Farmer Rakesh Singh, 56, who lives in the Arnia sector of Jammu, said his family were among the first to leave home because his village was within range of Pakistan's artillery. "We suffer the most," he said. "It is nothing new for us."[SEP](CNN) Pakistan captured an Indian soldier on its side of the disputed Kashmir border Thursday, Indian officials told CNN, as tensions continue to rise between the two nuclear neighbors. The soldier inadvertently crossed the border to the Pakistani side of the Line of Control, which divides the Indian and Pakistani-administered portion of Kashmir, said Colonel Rohan Anand, press officer for the Indian Army. He added that the Indian and Pakistani militaries are in talks for the soldier's release. The arrest comes at a rocky time for India-Pakistan relations, in the wake of cross-border clashes that left two Pakistani soldiers dead. The two soldiers were killed along the de-facto border Thursday in what India called "surgical attacks" to foil a "terrorist attack." Pakistan has insisted that no incursion took place into the territory it controls, saying there had only been an exchange of fire. The United Nations said it was "following this situation with great concern" and urged both sides to exercise restraint. The latest flashpoint has unleashed a torrent of fury on social media and impassioned news coverage from both sides of the border. On Thursday, The Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) asked that all Pakistani artists refrain from working on film projects in India. Meanwhile, Bollywood films were being pulled in Pakistan. Nadeem Mandviwalla, owner of Mandviwalla Entertainment and shareholder in the largest cinema chain in Pakistan, told CNN that his theaters would temporarily pull all Indian films "until normalcy of relations between the two countries." Indian Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh told reporters on Thursday the strikes had been based on "specific credible information" that militants were planning to carry out strikes in Indian cities, including Jammu. "The operations were basically focused to ensure that these terrorists do not succeed in their design of infiltration and carrying out destruction and endangering the lives of citizens in our country," he said. However, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack in a statement, calling it "unprovoked and naked aggression" of Indian forces. He said Pakistan's forces were capable of defending their territory and would stop any "evil design" against their country. "No external force has the capability or capacity to challenge the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan," he said. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said India's claims to have carried out surgical strikes were "baseless" and accusing India of "deliberately" escalating tensions. It was one of the deadliest attacks to take place on an army base in Kashmir since militant attacks began in the late 1980s, and sparked a furious war of words between India and Pakistan. Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region, has been disputed territory between India and Pakistan for the past 70 years. Both of the nuclear-armed countries hold separate parts of it and have fought two wars, in 1947 and 1965, over their claims. They came close to a third, in 1999. Speaking to CNN on Thursday, a resident of Indian-administered Kashmir, Mushtaq Ahmad Chaudhary, said border residents had not forgotten the horror of having shells and bullets raining down on their communities. "The latest developments have set in the fear and tension as the deteriorating situation may trigger cross [border] artillery duels [such as] we have witnessed during the 1990s when several villagers were killed and wounded," he said.

The Indian Army claims it conducted surgical strikes on militant camps in Pakistan across the Line of Control, allegedly-killing several suspected militants. However, Pakistan rejects this claim and terms it cross-border firing that killed two of its soldiers.

A video from besieged eastern Aleppo has shown the moment a young girl, trapped beneath rubble following a deadly bomb attack, is rescued by the Syria Civil Defence, better known as the white helmets. The footage shows the emergency workers breaking through a wall with a drill to access part of the five floor building blown to smithereens by pro-Assad bombs. At first nothing can be seen of the young girl, identified as Ghazal Qasim, covered in dust and trapped under huge pieces of rubble. As White Helmets start removing the pieces of debris from around Ghazal she can be heard screaming violently. Her reaction when she is removed on an orange stretcher and touched on the leg would seem to imply it was broken. As she is torn from the rubble, the pink tracksuit she was wearing at the time of the bombing can just be seen through the thick dust. With her eyes closed and her mouth slightly open Ghazal only moves to scream when she is knocked. In images which have been uncomfortably familiar, as Ghazal is brought into the light of the outside world like Omran Daqneesh whose pictures shocked the world, she is as grey as the bombed-out buildings that surround her. Activists have claimed in unconfirmed media reports that Ghazal was the sole survivor of the wreckage. The video of her rescue from the building lasts just under five minutes but the white helmets have said they were digging for four hours to rescue her. A local activist alleged that bunker buster bombs were used in the attack to destroy buildings in Aleppo's al-Shaar neighbourhood on Tuesday 27 September. 1 of 7 The video emerges as the international community and human rights groups condemn unprecedented violence in eastern Aleppo where the Syrian government and its Russian and Iranian backers appear to be pursuing an end game. In the aftermath of a seven-day-long ceasefire across Syria the Assad regime vowed that it would retake all territory lost over the course of the country's six-year civil war. The UN's children's charity UNICEF has called the effect of the war in Aleppo on children as the worst seen since the conflict began. At least 96 children have been killed and 223 have been injured in Eastern Aleppo since Friday, UNICEF said. "The children of Aleppo are trapped in a living nightmare," said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Justin Forsyth said in a statement. "There are no words left to describe the suffering they are experiencing." The health system in Eastern Aleppo is crumbling with some 30 doctors left, hardly any equipment or emergency medicine to treat the injured, and an ever-increasing number of trauma cases.[SEP]BEIRUT | With international diplomacy in tatters and the U.S. focused on its election, the Syrian government and its Russian allies are seizing the moment to wage an all-out campaign to recapture Aleppo, unleashing the most destructive bombing of the past five years and pushing into the center of the Old City. Desperate residents describe horrific scenes in Syria’s largest city and onetime commercial center, with hospitals and underground shelters hit by indiscriminate airstrikes that the U.N. said may amount to a war crime. File-This Sept. 21, 2016, file photo shows Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, right, meeting United Nations General Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, left, at U.N. headquarters. The failed attempt by the U.S. and Russia to revive a cease-fire in Syria stole the spotlight at the annual U.N. gathering of world leaders but every other global hotspot had its moment _ and there were some chuckles as well including a message to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to be ready to receive his gift from South Sudan of a "white bull."(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File) In this photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense group known as the White Helmets, Syrians carry a victim after airstrikes by government helicopters on the rebel-held Aleppo neighborhood of Mashhad, Syria, Tuesday Sept. 27, 2016. With diplomacy in tatters and a month left to go before U.S. elections, the Syrian government and its Russian allies are using the time to try and recapture the northern city of Aleppo, mobilizing pro-government militias in the Old City and pressing ahead with the most destructive aerial campaign of the past five years. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP) In this photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense group known as the White Helmets, Syrians inspect damaged buildings after airstrikes by government helicopters on the rebel-held Aleppo neighborhood of Mashhad, Syria, Tuesday Sept. 27, 2016. With diplomacy in tatters and a month left to go before U.S. elections, the Syrian government and its Russian allies are using the time to try and recapture the northern city of Aleppo, mobilizing pro-government militias in the Old City and pressing ahead with the most destructive aerial campaign of the past five years. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP) Debris covers streets lined with bombed-out buildings, trapping people in their neighborhoods and hindering rescue workers. On Tuesday, activists reported at least 23 people killed in airstrikes on two districts in the rebel-held part of Aleppo. The battle for Aleppo is unlikely to be an easy one for government forces because the isolated rebels say they are determined to “fight until the end” to defend their neighborhoods. Insurgents outside the city could also attack government troops to try to reduce pressure on comrades trapped inside. If government forces and their allies capture the rebel-held eastern neighborhoods, it would be a turning point in the 5½-year-old civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced half of Syria’s population. Over the course of the conflict, the government has slowly regained control of major cities. Its aim appears to be securing what some analysts call “useful Syria” — a portion containing the four largest cities of Aleppo, Damascus, Homs and Hama, along with its Mediterranean coast. Aleppo is the last of the major cities still being contested, and it could take government forces between six months and a year to capture it, unless they aim to “annihilate” the politically significant city, a Western diplomat told The Associated Press. The envoy, who is familiar with the cease-fire talks that have faltered, spoke on condition of anonymity because of his government’s regulations. Once all of “useful Syria” is in government hands, international diplomacy would have to determine the fate of the jihadi-controlled northwest and those areas dominated by the main Kurdish militia and the Islamic State militant group. President Bashar Assad “doesn’t want a negotiation,” the diplomat said, adding that “the Russians wouldn’t or couldn’t stop him” from attacking Aleppo. In Russia, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Syria’s ambassador that Moscow has “a firm intention to continue providing assistance to the Syrian government in fighting terrorism and to help achieve the soonest possible political settlement of the Syrian crisis.” Opposition forces control almost half of Aleppo, the only major city where rebels hold such a large area. The U.N. says more than 250,000 people live in the rebel-held areas, while more than 1 million are in the government-controlled part that is usually subjected to shelling. Assad’s government controls the capital of Damascus, except for two small neighborhoods. It also controls all of Homs and Hama, the third- and fourth-largest cities. Since the one-week cease-fire brokered by Russia and the U.S. ended Sept. 19, Aleppo has been under intense Russian and Syrian airstrikes, killing more than 200 civilians, knocking down entire buildings, disrupting water supplies and targeting Civil Defense centers. At least one of the eight remaining clinics in the city was put out of service. Had the cease-fire held, the U.S. and Russia were supposed to announce the establishment of a Joint Implementation Center to coordinate attacks against the Islamic State group and al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria, formerly known as the Nusra Front. Attempts to revive the cease-fire during the U.N. General Assembly failed, and U.S. Ambassador Samantha Powers harshly criticized Russia, saying Moscow was practicing “barbarism.” Hilal Khashan, political science professor at the American University of Beirut, said the decision to escalate the fighting occurred because Russia believes the U.S. has not been forthcoming in cooperating on coordinated attacks against the Nusra Front. Last week, the Syrian army ordered civilians to stay away from rebel positions, saying a ground offensive would begin. On Tuesday, government forces captured the rebel-held central neighborhood of Farafra near the Old City. Residents are stunned by the intensity of the bombing on areas that have seen a sharp increase in food prices due to the siege, which tightened earlier this month. Ibrahim Alhaj, a member of the Syrian Civil Defense, said his parents’ house was shelled, and he was able to save them only because he lives nearby. Assad “listens to no one — not the United Nations, not anyone,” a desperate and exhausted Alhaj said. “Is there no humanity in this world?” Clinics have been flooded with casualties in the past week. Many had to be treated on white-tiled floors covered with blood. Online amateur video showed people running to the site of the airstrikes, screaming the names of their relatives as they searched for them. Several thousand rebels from different factions are believed holed up in eastern Aleppo, with the largest being the Nour el-Din el-Zinki group. “The regime and its allies know very well the high price they will pay if they try to storm liberated Aleppo,” said Yasser Alyousef, a spokesman for the group, referring to the rebel-held sector. “The rebels have become experts in street warfare and ways to drain the enemy.” Residents, fearing further targeting, deny the presence of any al-Qaida-affiliated fighters inside the besieged area. Brita Hassan Haj, head of the Aleppo council in the area, said the government’s aim was to drive residents out. On Monday, 25 of eastern Aleppo’s 63 neighborhoods were bombed, he said. “Bunker-buster bombs are penetrating underground shelters, leaving no one safe,” he said. “The main roads are closed, the civil defense can’t operate, and people are dying. … It is like judgment day.” The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, which has thousands of gunmen in Syria fighting alongside Assad’s troops, was quoted by Lebanese newspapers Tuesday as saying: “There are no solutions (for Syria) on the horizon. It will be decided on the battlefield.” Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed.[SEP]In this photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense group known as the White Helmets, Syrians inspect damaged buildings after airstrikes by government helicopters on the rebel-held Aleppo neighborhood of Mashhad, Syria, Tuesday. With diplomacy in tatters and a month left to go before U.S. elections, the Syrian government and its Russian allies are using the time to try and recapture the northern city of Aleppo, mobilizing pro-government militias in the Old City and pressing ahead with the most destructive aerial campaign of the past five years. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)[SEP]In this photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense group known as the White Helmets, Syrians inspect damaged buildings after airstrikes by government helicopters on the rebel-held Aleppo neighborhood of Mashhad, Syria, Tuesday. With diplomacy in tatters and a month left to go before U.S. elections, the Syrian government and its Russian allies are using the time to try and recapture the northern city of Aleppo, mobilizing pro-government militias in the Old City and pressing ahead with the most destructive aerial campaign of the past five years. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)[SEP]Video: Watch as a five-year-old girl is rescued from rubble in Aleppo The girl is rescued under the rubble in besieged Aleppo, Syria, under bombardment from air strikes[SEP]BEIRUT — Syrian government forces continued their push into rebel-held districts of Aleppo on Thursday as international officials issued dire warnings of an ongoing humanitarian disaster in Syria’s largest city. The U.N.’s humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien told the Security Council that the conditions in eastern Aleppo, which is besieged and assaulted by all sides by government forces, had descended into the “merciless abyss of humanitarian catastrophe.” Speaking to the Security Council via video link from Geneva, O’Brien painted a grim picture of the conditions in the war-wracked eastern part of the city, where at least 320 civilians including 100 children have been killed in the past week. An additional 765 have been wounded. O’Brien’s report noted that the U.N. now calculates that 861,200 Syrians are trapped in sieges — a nearly 50 percent increase from the last estimate of 586,200. The new figure reflects the government’s protracted blockade around eastern Aleppo, where an estimated 250,000 people or more live. Most of the besieged citizens, divided across at least 18 locations around the country, are trapped by government forces, and international observers are beginning to accuse both Damascus and its close ally Moscow of war crimes. The U.N. embarked on an ambitious plan early this year to establish regular humanitarian access to Syrians living under various sieges but was reportedly stymied by the government as well as a restrictive covenant between rebels and the government to limit assistance to 60,000 of the most distressed, divided among four towns. At that time, a total of 487,000 Syrians were estimated to be living under siege. O’Brien said certain Security Council members bore responsibility for global inaction on Syria and ended his address saying it was time to “place the blame.” In Aleppo, rescue crews were working for the third straight day to clear the rubble and search for survivors of presumed Russian or Syrian government airstrikes on the eastern al-Shaar and al-Mashhad neighborhoods that flattened residential buildings and killed at least 23 civilians, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Germany and Turkey condemned what they called “blatant breaches of international humanitarian law” and renewed calls for a cease-fire. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who spoke by phone Thursday, said Russia, the Syrian government’s chief backer on the international stage, bears “special responsibility to calm the violence and thereby give any chance to a political process,” according to a statement released by Merkel’s office. The White House said Thursday that Merkel also spoke with U.S. President Barack Obama by phone as well, and both agreed that Russia and the Syrian regime “bear special responsibility for ending the fighting in Syria and granting the U.N. humanitarian access to besieged and hard to reach areas in Syria.” Meanwhile, airstrikes destroyed the last remaining bakery in Anadan, an opposition town north of Aleppo, activists said. Adnan Medlej, an activist from Anadan, said the bakery was hit shortly after it distributed bread to the town’s remaining 2,000 residents and others in nearby villages. After intense bombings that devastated the town’s infrastructure, most residents have fled to other areas in rural Aleppo province. A video shot by Medlej shows the bakery destroyed and a crater outside, with water leaking and walls scorched. On Wednesday, government shelling near a bread distribution center in Aleppo city killed six people. Meanwhile the U.S. and Russia escalated their war of words over the catastrophe as government forces kept up their assault on Aleppo’s rebel-held quarters. Government forces seized the Handarat neighborhood along the contested city’s northern flank, forcing rebels to withdraw further from a crucial supply route to the city’s east, the Castello Road, pro-government media and observers said. A government blockade of the road has kept the opposition-run east under siege since mid-July, with the exception of a month-long period where rebels broke through the government’s southern line. But gains have proven ephemeral in the battle for Aleppo: government forces captured Handarat last Saturday, only to surrender it again Sunday. Syria’s military also released a video purporting to show a freshly captured neighborhood in the city’s historic center. The video shows damaged traditional buildings, with arched ceilings and stone walls, in the Farafra neighborhood which rests at the foot of the city’s towering central citadel. Soldiers and allied militants are seen walking past mounds of debris, twisted metal bars, and caved-in ceilings. The government claimed it expelled rebels from the front-line neighborhood Tuesday. A top Russian diplomat meanwhile called a U.S. threat to halt cooperation with Russia in the Syria conflict an “emotional breakdown” and said Russia is willing to support a 48-hour cease-fire around Aleppo. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Thursday rejected Washington’s calls for a seven-day pause in hostilities, but said Russia is willing to support a 48-hour truce for humanitarian purposes. Damascus blocked assistance from reaching eastern Aleppo during a week-long cease-fire which collapsed earlier this month.[SEP]Stripped down to the most heart-wrenching imagery, the trailer for the Netflix-produced documentary The White Helmets is undeniably powerful. Backed by a haunting and disembodied rendition of When the Saints Go Marching In, it is a spine-chilling two minute-and-eighteen-second glimpse into a devastating war, peppered with moments of both tragedy ND triumph. The saints, in this case, are a group of volunteers reportedly made up of everyday Syrians—construction workers, barbers, shopkeepers—who have been risking their lives since 2013 in rebel-controlled areas of Syria, rescuing civilians from the brutal bombing campaign of the regime and its Russian ally. They are technically known as the Syria Civil Defence, popularly called the White Helmets because of the white hard hats they don. But not everyone believes they are who they claim to be. Over the last week, Syrian and Russian warplanes have wreaked havoc on the White Helmets. “They have bombed all four of our centres in Aleppo city,” Ismail Alabdullah, a 28-year-old volunteer and former English major at Aleppo University, tells Maclean’s by telephone. “Ambulances have been destroyed, rescue equipment. One of our centres was destroyed completely.” Simultaneously, a Canadian organization has launched a scathing attack on them, accusing the White Helmets of being “terrorists” and a “propaganda arm” of the U.S., U.K., and Israel. The Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), based in Montreal, accuses the group of faking rescue operations and embedding with al-Qaeda and Islamic State militants. In recent weeks, its website, globalresearch.ca, has published more than a half dozen articles claiming to “uncover” the deceit behind White Helmet operations, including an open letter by a retired University of Winnipeg geography professor calling on the NDP government to backtrack on its call to award the White Helmets the Nobel Prize. The media blitz appears to be linked to a major regime offensive after a ceasefire agreement brokered by Russia and the U.S. collapsed in mid-September. The deal was meant to give aid organizations a chance to reach civilians trapped in rebel-controlled parts of Syria, where the White Helmets operate. Its demise has led to a looming humanitarian catastrophe, the WHO has warned, as regime and Russian jets target the last remaining vestiges of civilian support left in the most vulnerable parts of Syria. What is behind the CRG’s campaign? Disparaging the last line of defence civilians have against certain death feels like a very un-Canadian thing to do, but Michel Chossudovsky, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Ottawa and the founder of the CRG, is unapologetic. “I haven’t investigated the White Helmets personally,” he says, “but we are dealing with a lot of mainstream media lies. The White Helmets operate solely in al-Qaeda protected areas. That’s certainly an observation we can make and something that gets no attention in the mainstream media.” His allegations are only partly true. According to journalists and aid workers who have been on the ground in rebel-controlled Syria, no one group, outside of Islamic State and the Kurds, dominates any single region. The complexity and fluidity of alliances between a vast array of militias, some extremist and others moderate, renders sweeping statements like “al-Qaeda protected areas” meaningless. Jake Simkin, a photojournalist based in Turkey who has spent months at a time embedded with the White Helmets in rebel-held east Aleppo, explains: “If the accusation is that the White Helmets work with ‘terrorists,’ then it would have to be yes to a certain degree,” he says. “They have to negotiate access [to al-Qaeda-held neighbourhoods] to be able to save civilians. As they have a humanitarian agenda, they are allowed that access. The group I have been with has assisted wounded Shiite militias and government soldiers who were trapped in destroyed buildings so they could surrender and be sent back into government areas. The reason the White Helmets were formed was because the Syrian Red Crescent is often not allowed humanitarian access into opposition-held Syria. No humanitarian aid travels from the capital towards the opposition. It has been one of the tactics the government has used to make the rebel held areas surrender their arms.” From the perspective of some White Helmet critics, however, there are few if any civilians in rebel-controlled Syria, only “terrorists.” The broad brushstroke echoes Russia’s and the Syrian regime’s narrative, which has used the terrorist label to justify their atrocities. In some instances, CRG provides sound insight into some of the world’s most troubling issues, marshalling a respectable flock of international experts to its cause (albeit almost exclusively from the political left). In other cases, however, it slips dangerously into the surreal world of secretive cabals and conspiracies, and in the case of Syria it seems to go off the rails. Reports published on its website rely on sources in regime-controlled areas. In one article, the author quotes civilians in Tartous, far from rebel-held territory, who claim that they know the White Helmets are “terrorists.” Chossudovsky argues, not without some justification, that western nations have backed “terrorists” in their bid to topple another Middle Eastern regime. But expanding that accusation and labelling as terrorists others who oppose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, including a group of civilians whose sole purpose is saving lives, at the very least needs to be challenged: where is the proof?[SEP]In this photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense group known as the White Helmets, Syrians inspect damaged buildings after airstrikes by government helicopters on the rebel-held Aleppo neighborhood of Mashhad, Syria, Tuesday Sept. 27, 2016. A year after Russia waded into the war in Syria, aiming to flex its national security muscles and prop up beleaguered Syrian President Bashar Assad, Moscow appears no closer to one of its military goals: getting the U.S. to coordinate combat operations in the civil war. And prospects of a diplomatic resolution seem dim. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)[SEP]In this photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense group known as the White Helmets, Syrians carry a victim after airstrikes by government helicopters on the rebel-held Aleppo neighborhood of Mashhad, Syria, Tuesday Sept. 27, 2016. With diplomacy in tatters and a month left to go before U.S. elections, the Syrian government and its Russian allies are using the time to try and recapture the northern city of Aleppo, mobilizing pro-government militias in the Old City and pressing ahead with the most destructive aerial campaign of the past five years. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP) BEIRUT (AP) — Government shelling and airstrikes in Syria's eastern rebel-held Aleppo landed near a bread distribution center and two hospitals Wednesday, killing seven people and putting at least one of the medical facilities completely out of service, activists and medics said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Aleppo Media Center said six people were killed outside the bread distribution center. Aref al-Aref, a nurse at M2, one of the hospitals, said government shelling hit the bread distribution center near the city center before dawn. As the wounded were brought into the hospital, one of the five shells fired in a sequence fell at the emergency entrance, killing one person accompanying a wounded patient, al-Aref said. Al-Aref said the shelling caused damage to the hospital and put parts of it out of service. He said three hospital staff members were injured. Later, an airstrike hit near the M2 hospital, he said. No one was injured. In another attack, an airstrike hit near a hospital in the northern part of the rebel-held area, cutting off electricity and water supplies. Mohammed Abu Rajab, head of M10 hospital, the largest of eight hospitals in eastern Aleppo, said the intensive care unit was most affected when the airstrike hit, as the generators and the oxygen supplies were knocked out. Abu Rajab said the patients from ICU had to be moved to another facility, because the intensive care unit was unable to run. Water supplies and the hospital's fuel tanks were also hit, Abu Rajab said. Footage from the hospital's power station showed fuel tanks, generators and oxygen cylinders damaged from the attack. The Observatory said the neighborhood where M10 hospital is located has been targeted by warplanes, helicopters and artillery since early Wednesday. "It hit when we were asleep. No one has slept since and we are exhausted," said Abu Rajab. He said authorities "know this facility and where it is very well," and that it is one of the oldest and largest hospitals in Aleppo. No one was injured in the attack, he said. Adham Sahloul of the U.S.-based Syrian American Medical Society, which supports the two hospitals, said the two attacks on the medical facilities took place at the same time, suggesting they were deliberately targeted. He noted that it was believed earlier that airstrikes directly hit the hospital buildings, but in fact strikes and artillery fire destroyed the surrounding infrastructure. He said that while the two hospitals were not directly hit the attacks caused structural damage to both. Sahloul said that one child who was in an ambulance died because he was not able to receive treatment during the chaos. Al-Aref could not confirm the child's death. Abu Rajab of M10 hospital earlier said two people had been killed because they could not receive treatment after the hospitals were attacked but did not provide further details. The international charity Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, said in a tweet Wednesday that the two facilities were put out of service. The closures leave eastern Aleppo with six functioning hospitals, only three of which are capable of dealing with emergencies, Sahloul said. The Syrian government and its ally Russia have been accused of targeting medical facilities in rebel-held areas. The U.S.-based Physicians for Human Rights has recorded 382 attacks on medical facilities and hospitals throughout Syria since the start of the conflict in 2011. Of those, 293 were carried out by government forces and 16 were conducted by Russian warplanes, it said. Hospitals in eastern Aleppo have been overwhelmed with casualties since the start of a government offensive last week after the collapse of the cease-fire. MSF, which supports all the hospitals in eastern Aleppo, said doctors have reported receiving more than 270 bodies and 800 wounded patients since last Wednesday. This story has been corrected to show that the first hospital which was struck is called M2, not M1.

A video from besieged eastern Aleppo's al-Shaar neighborhood emerges showing the moment a young girl, identified as Ghazal Qasim, trapped beneath rubble of a five floor building blown to smithereens by a deadly Assad government's bunker buster bomb attack on September 27, is rescued by the Syrian Civil Defense, better known as the white helmets.

BEIRUT — The 6-year-old girl was found trapped under the rubble of her home, destroyed by an airstrike in Syria's rebel-held city of Aleppo. "Dust!" she wailed as rescue workers pried away the stones and debris on top of her, finally freeing her and placing her on a stretcher as she screamed for her father. Bruised and battered but alive, Ghazl Qassem was among the lucky survivors of the attack earlier this week. Four days later, rescue workers were still digging Friday through the rubble of the apartment building after pulling out the bodies of 20 people, including nine children, most from Ghazl's family. They were searching for at least three others believed inside. At least 96 children are among the 320 people killed in Aleppo since a cease-fire collapsed on Sept. 19, according to UNICEF, as Syrian and Russian warplanes barrage the city's eastern opposition , trying to crush more than five years of resistance there. Almost a third of the 840 people wounded over the same period are children, according to the World Health Organization. "Aleppo is one of the most dangerous places in the world, and in the last week it has become perhaps the most dangerous place in the world for children." Juliette Touma, regional chief of communications for the U.N children's agency told The Associated Press. Nearly 300,000 people — including 100,000 children — are trapped in Aleppo's rebel-held eastern districts, a pocket of resistance some eight miles long and three miles wide that civil workers say has been hit by 1,900 bombs in the past week. The campaign has wreaked destruction on hospitals, clinics, residential buildings, water stations and electric generators. Parents desperately struggling to keep their families safe fear the threat of an imminent ground offensive. They hold little hope for the future, with no regular schooling and little access to nutritious food. Images of wounded and screaming children, covered in dust or being pulled out of rubble, have become a daily reality in Aleppo. "We are totally resigned to God's will," said Khaled Sakka, a father of 10 children, all under the age of 14. He, his three wives and the children all sleep in one room in the middle of the house, the only safety measure they have against the nightly airstrikes. "It is very difficult to know how many (children) are traumatized, but one would imagine every single one is impacted by the horrors, especially with the intensification of the violence in the past week," she said. But the powerful bombs also threaten the underground shelters where civilians take refuge and where children go to school. For the past several years, most classes have been held in basements because of the constant fighting and threat of airstrikes. "The use of bunker-busting bombs means there is literally nowhere we can keep children safe, " said Nick Finney of Save the Children, which runs 12 schools in eastern Aleppo, eight of them held underground. "We're now more likely to see children being pulled from the rubble or treated on the floor of a hospital than sitting at a school desk." Medics say the death toll among children and other residents may be far higher than reported, since some families bury their dead without taking them to hospitals or morgues, and many victims remain buried in the rubble. Dr. Hatem, a pediatrician, said women and children make up a large percentage of the victims because they are the ones who stay at home. As one of two pediatricians in besieged Aleppo, Hatem said he had an enormous load even before the last week's intensification of fighting, treating 80 to 120 children a day. Now he's seeing a spike in wounded children in intensive care, from four or five a month to four or five a day. There is also a rise in aggressive among children and various signs of trauma such as bed-wetting or losing the ability to walk or talk, said Hatem, who gave only his last name out of security fears. Ghazl Qassem was at home with her four siblings, her pregnant mother, cousins and grandmother when the bomb struck Tuesday around midday. Their apartment building is adjacent to a hospital in a with a number of specialized clinics; hospitals and clinics have been frequent targets in the recent campaign. Since Tuesday's attack he has not moved from the rubble as the bodies of his family members have been pulled out one after the other, including his wife and three other children, said a , Tamim Selim.[SEP]Damascus, Syria (CNN) The United States is making preparations to suspend bilateral talks with Russia on Syria -- unless Moscow takes immediate steps to end the assault on Aleppo and restore a ceasefire, the US State Department said Wednesday. US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a telephone call to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, that the United States and its partners held Russia responsible for a drastic escalation in attacks that have put civilians at great risk. Two hospitals in eastern Aleppo have been bombed "out of service," staff and activists said, as airstrikes pounded rebel-held parts of the northern Syrian city on Wednesday. Hospital staff said the city's M2 and M10 hospitals were hit early Wednesday, putting intensive care units out of use. Dr. Mounir Hakimi of the International Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations and UK-based charity Syrian Relief told CNN that an airstrike hit the M10 hospital and shelling the M2. "Anyone offering help to civilians now is being targeted," he said. "It's the message that any humanitarian response is not welcome." At least six people were killed Wednesday morning when an airstrike struck a bakery as people lined up to buy bread, according to activists. They said the death toll was expected to rise. Ground battles also raged Wednesday in Aleppo between the Syrian army and rebels. The Syrian army said it took control of the central Farafra neighborhood in Aleppo's old city Tuesday, bringing it closer to the rebel-held eastern areas. However, rebels and activists inside the besieged city told CNN there had been no ground assault in those areas. There are conflicting reports of how many people were killed Tuesday in airstrikes on eastern Aleppo. The rebel-held Aleppo Health Directorate reported 18 deaths, including six children. The activist group Aleppo Media Center said more than 30 people were killed, but it was unclear if some of those deaths were a result of earlier strikes or bodies pulled out of the rubble. The UN children's agency, UNICEF, said Wednesday that at least 96 children had been killed and 223 injured in eastern Aleppo since Friday. Hundreds of airstrikes have rocked the beleaguered city, home to more than 250,000 people, since the Syrian government, backed by Russia, announced a renewed, "comprehensive" offensive on Thursday. The strikes on two of Aleppo's remaining hospitals likely will only compound the misery of civilians trapped there. Hakimi, a UK-based orthopedic surgeon, told CNN that due to damage to the electricity and oxygen generators and the intensive care unit at M10, "the hospital as we speak is out of service. It's one of the main hospitals in Aleppo, so it's a big blow." There were no casualties in the strike on M10, Hakimi said, but three patients were killed and two members of staff were injured at the M2 hospital. Five artillery shells struck that facility, he said, citing information from medical and humanitarian workers on the ground. "The problem now is that there's no intensive care units in either hospital," Hakimi said. "They were already running at double capacity because during the weekend there was the most intensive airstrikes ever." The remaining hospitals are already running at full capacity, he said. There may be more instances in which doctors perform surgery on patients as they lie on the ground due to lack of space, he said. "We are so close to humanitarian catastrophe in Aleppo," Hakimi said. The Syria Civil Defense group, a volunteer emergency medical service also known as the White Helmets, was also hit in Aleppo on the weekend, he said. UNICEF said the 30 doctors who remain in Aleppo face an increasing number of trauma cases with hardly any medical equipment or medicine to treat the injured. The agency cited a doctor on the ground as saying that children with low chances of survival are often left to die because of a lack of capacity or supplies. "The children of Aleppo are trapped in a living nightmare," said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Justin Forsyth. "There are no words left to describe the suffering they are experiencing." On Wednesday, Pope Francis again appealed for peace in Syria and warned that those responsible for the bombing campaign in Aleppo will be "accountable to God" for their actions, according to Vatican Radio. "In expressing my deep sorrow and lively concern for what is happening in that already battered city -- where children, the elderly, the sick, young and old, all are dying -- I renew my appeal to everyone to commit themselves with all their strength to the protection of civilians as an imperative and urgent obligation," Francis said, speaking at his general audience in Rome. More than 200 airstrikes hit Aleppo over the weekend, killing more than 100 people and injuring hundreds more, according to Ammar al-Selmo of the Syria Civil Defense group.[SEP]BEIRUT (AP) — The 6-year-old girl was found trapped under the rubble of her home, destroyed by an airstrike in Syria’s rebel-held city of Aleppo. “Dust!” she wailed as rescue workers pried away the stones and debris on top of her, finally freeing her and placing her on a stretcher as she screamed for her father. “Forget the dust. I’ll wash your face and give you water. Come on, sweetheart,” one rescuer said. Bruised and battered but alive, Ghazl Qassem was among the lucky survivors of the attack earlier this week. Four days later, rescue workers were still digging Friday through the rubble of the apartment building after pulling out the bodies of 20 people, including nine children, most from Ghazl’s family. They were searching for at least three others believed inside. At least 96 children are among the 320 people killed in Aleppo since a cease-fire collapsed on Sept. 19, according to UNICEF, as Syrian and Russian warplanes barrage the city’s eastern opposition neighborhoods, trying to crush more than five years of resistance there. Almost a third of the 840 people wounded over the same period are children, according to the World Health Organization. “Aleppo is one of the most dangerous places in the world, and in the last week it has become perhaps the most dangerous place in the world for children.” Juliette Touma, regional chief of communications for the U.N children’s agency told The Associated Press. Nearly 300,000 people — including 100,000 children — are trapped in Aleppo’s rebel-held eastern districts, a pocket of resistance some eight miles long and three miles wide that civil defense workers say has been hit by 1,900 bombs in the past week. The campaign has wreaked destruction on hospitals, clinics, residential buildings, water stations and electric generators. Parents desperately struggling to keep their families safe fear the threat of an imminent ground offensive. They hold little hope for the future, with no regular schooling and little access to nutritious food. Images of wounded and screaming children, covered in dust or being pulled out of rubble, have become a daily reality in Aleppo. “We are totally resigned to God’s will,” said Khaled Sakka, a father of 10 children, all under the age of 14. He, his three wives and the children all sleep in one room in the middle of the house, the only safety measure they have against the nightly airstrikes. “The bombs are bringing down five-story buildings. They are even reaching bunkers,” he said. Wounded children are often left untreated, sometimes to die, in Aleppo’s overwhelmed hospitals. Only 30 doctors remain in opposition-held neighborhoods: One physician for every 10,000 people, compared to a peacetime standard of one for every 1,000, Touma said. “It is very difficult to know how many (children) are traumatized, but one would imagine every single one is impacted by the horrors, especially with the intensification of the violence in the past week,” she said. So-called bunker-busting bombs, designed to target underground structures, have been widely used, possibly to crush tunnels or bunkers used as refuge by the thousands of rebel fighters defending the districts. But the powerful bombs also threaten the underground shelters where civilians take refuge and where children go to school. For the past several years, most classes have been held in basements because of the constant fighting and threat of airstrikes. “The use of bunker-busting bombs means there is literally nowhere we can keep children safe, ” said Nick Finney of Save the Children, which runs 12 schools in eastern Aleppo, eight of them held underground. “We’re now more likely to see children being pulled from the rubble or treated on the floor of a hospital than sitting at a school desk.” When schools opened across the country this month, they remained closed in eastern Aleppo because of the danger, said Brita Haj, the head of the local council in the rebel-held part of the city. Medics say the death toll among children and other residents may be far higher than reported, since some families bury their dead without taking them to hospitals or morgues, and many victims remain buried in the rubble. Dr. Hatem, a pediatrician, said women and children make up a large percentage of the victims because they are the ones who stay at home. As one of two pediatricians in besieged Aleppo, Hatem said he had an enormous load even before the last week’s intensification of fighting, treating 80 to 120 children a day. Now he’s seeing a spike in wounded children in intensive care, from four or five a month to four or five a day. There is also a rise in aggressive behavior among children and various signs of trauma such as bed-wetting or losing the ability to walk or talk, said Hatem, who gave only his last name out of security fears. Ghazl Qassem was at home with her four siblings, her pregnant mother, cousins and grandmother when the bomb struck Tuesday around midday. Their apartment building is adjacent to a hospital in a neighborhood with a number of specialized clinics; hospitals and clinics have been frequent targets in the recent campaign. The children’s father, Hussein, was not home at the time. Since Tuesday’s attack he has not moved from the rubble as the bodies of his family members have been pulled out one after the other, including his wife and three other children, said a neighbor, Tamim Selim. Ghazl is staying with an aunt. “She is having nightmares. She is still in shock. She sleeps and wakes up, reaches for her mother’s phone and watches photos there and cries,” Selim said. Abdul-Majid Malah, a father of three who lives nearby, rushed to the scene after the bomb. “I only saw the dust. When it settled, the building was all on the ground. It was like dominos,” he said. His children, ages 2, 3 and 4, rush into his arms every time they hear a bomb, he said. Then a minute later, they go back to playing. There is no adequate underground shelter in his building for Malah, his pregnant wife and children to take refuge. “We can only pray that the bombs don’t hit us at home,” he said, adding that he stays up all night tracking where the missiles are hitting. “I won’t be able to change fate, but I am too stressed out to fall asleep.” The park next to their house was bombed last month, so the children have not been allowed to venture outside. On Friday, incendiary bombs hit outside their building, but no one was hurt. “We only survive on hope,” he said.[SEP]Damascus, Syria (CNN) Two hospitals in eastern Aleppo have been bombed "out of service," staff and activists said, as airstrikes continued to pound rebel-held parts of the northern Syrian city on Wednesday. Hospital staff said the city's M2 and M10 hospitals were hit early Wednesday, putting intensive care units out of use. Dr. Mounir Hakimi of the International Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations and UK-based charity Syrian Relief told CNN that an airstrike hit the M10 hospital and shelling the M2. "Anyone offering help to civilians now is being targeted," he said. "It's the message that any humanitarian response is not welcome." At least six people were killed Wednesday morning when an airstrike struck a bakery as people lined up to buy bread, according to activists. They said the death toll was expected to rise. Ground battles also raged Wednesday in Aleppo between the Syrian army and rebels. The Syrian army said it took control of the central Farafra neighborhood in Aleppo's old city Tuesday, bringing it closer to the rebel-held eastern areas. However, rebels and activists inside the besieged city told CNN there had been no ground assault in those areas. There are conflicting reports of how many people were killed Tuesday in airstrikes on eastern Aleppo. The rebel-held Aleppo Health Directorate reported 18 deaths, including six children. The activist group Aleppo Media Center said more than 30 people were killed, but it was unclear if some of those deaths were a result of earlier strikes or bodies pulled out of the rubble. The UN children's agency, UNICEF, said Wednesday that at least 96 children had been killed and 223 injured in eastern Aleppo since Friday. Hundreds of airstrikes have rocked the beleaguered city, home to more than 250,000 people, since the Syrian government, backed by Russia, announced a renewed, "comprehensive" offensive on Thursday. The strikes on two of Aleppo's remaining hospitals likely will only compound the misery of civilians trapped there. Hakimi, a UK-based orthopedic surgeon, told CNN that due to damage to the electricity and oxygen generators and the intensive care unit at M10, "the hospital as we speak is out of service. It's one of the main hospitals in Aleppo, so it's a big blow." There were no casualties in the strike on M10, Hakimi said, but three patients were killed and two members of staff were injured at the M2 hospital. Five artillery shells struck that facility, he said, citing information from medical and humanitarian workers on the ground. "The problem now is that there's no intensive care units in either hospital," Hakimi said. "They were already running at double capacity because during the weekend there was the most intensive airstrikes ever." The remaining hospitals are already running at full capacity, he said. There may be more instances in which doctors perform surgery on patients as they lie on the ground due to lack of space, he said. "We are so close to humanitarian catastrophe in Aleppo," Hakimi said. The Syria Civil Defense group, a volunteer emergency medical service also known as the White Helmets, was also hit in Aleppo on the weekend, he said. UNICEF said the 30 doctors who remain in Aleppo face an increasing number of trauma cases with hardly any medical equipment or medicine to treat the injured. The agency cited a doctor on the ground as saying that children with low chances of survival are often left to die because of a lack of capacity or supplies. "The children of Aleppo are trapped in a living nightmare," said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Justin Forsyth. "There are no words left to describe the suffering they are experiencing." On Wednesday, Pope Francis again appealed for peace in Syria and warned that those responsible for the bombing campaign in Aleppo will be "accountable to God" for their actions, according to Vatican Radio. "In expressing my deep sorrow and lively concern for what is happening in that already battered city -- where children, the elderly, the sick, young and old, all are dying -- I renew my appeal to everyone to commit themselves with all their strength to the protection of civilians as an imperative and urgent obligation," Francis said, speaking at his general audience in Rome. More than 200 airstrikes hit Aleppo over the weekend, killing more than 100 people and injuring hundreds more, according to Ammar al-Selmo of the Syria Civil Defense group.[SEP]A video from besieged eastern Aleppo has shown the moment a young girl, trapped beneath rubble following a deadly bomb attack, is rescued by the Syria Civil Defence, better known as the white helmets. The footage shows the emergency workers breaking through a wall with a drill to access part of the five floor building blown to smithereens by pro-Assad bombs. At first nothing can be seen of the young girl, identified as Ghazal Qasim, covered in dust and trapped under huge pieces of rubble. As White Helmets start removing the pieces of debris from around Ghazal she can be heard screaming violently. Her reaction when she is removed on an orange stretcher and touched on the leg would seem to imply it was broken. As she is torn from the rubble, the pink tracksuit she was wearing at the time of the bombing can just be seen through the thick dust. With her eyes closed and her mouth slightly open Ghazal only moves to scream when she is knocked. In images which have been uncomfortably familiar, as Ghazal is brought into the light of the outside world like Omran Daqneesh whose pictures shocked the world, she is as grey as the bombed-out buildings that surround her. Activists have claimed in unconfirmed media reports that Ghazal was the sole survivor of the wreckage. The video of her rescue from the building lasts just under five minutes but the white helmets have said they were digging for four hours to rescue her. A local activist alleged that bunker buster bombs were used in the attack to destroy buildings in Aleppo's al-Shaar neighbourhood on Tuesday 27 September. 1 of 7 The video emerges as the international community and human rights groups condemn unprecedented violence in eastern Aleppo where the Syrian government and its Russian and Iranian backers appear to be pursuing an end game. In the aftermath of a seven-day-long ceasefire across Syria the Assad regime vowed that it would retake all territory lost over the course of the country's six-year civil war. The UN's children's charity UNICEF has called the effect of the war in Aleppo on children as the worst seen since the conflict began. At least 96 children have been killed and 223 have been injured in Eastern Aleppo since Friday, UNICEF said. "The children of Aleppo are trapped in a living nightmare," said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Justin Forsyth said in a statement. "There are no words left to describe the suffering they are experiencing." The health system in Eastern Aleppo is crumbling with some 30 doctors left, hardly any equipment or emergency medicine to treat the injured, and an ever-increasing number of trauma cases.[SEP]BEIRUT — The 6-year-old girl was found trapped under the rubble of her home, destroyed by an airstrike in Syria’s rebel-held city of Aleppo. “Dust!” she wailed as rescue workers pried away the stones and debris on top of her, finally freeing her and placing her on a stretcher as she screamed for her father. “Forget the dust. I’ll wash your face and give you water. Come on, sweetheart,” one rescuer said. Bruised and battered but alive, Ghazl Qassem was among the lucky survivors of the attack earlier this week. Four days later, rescue workers were still digging Friday through the rubble of the apartment building after pulling out the bodies of 20 people, including nine children, most from Ghazl’s family. They were searching for at least three others believed inside. At least 96 children are among the 320 people killed in Aleppo since a cease-fire collapsed on Sept. 19, according to UNICEF, as Syrian and Russian warplanes barrage the city’s eastern opposition neighborhoods, trying to crush more than five years of resistance there. Almost a third of the 840 people wounded over the same period are children, according to the World Health Organization. “Aleppo is one of the most dangerous places in the world, and in the last week it has become perhaps the most dangerous place in the world for children.” Juliette Touma, regional chief of communications for the U.N children’s agency told The Associated Press. Nearly 300,000 people — including 100,000 children — are trapped in Aleppo’s rebel-held eastern districts, a pocket of resistance some eight miles long and three miles wide that civil defense workers say has been hit by 1,900 bombs in the past week. The campaign has wreaked destruction on hospitals, clinics, residential buildings, water stations and electric generators. Parents desperately struggling to keep their families safe fear the threat of an imminent ground offensive. They hold little hope for the future, with no regular schooling and little access to nutritious food. Images of wounded and screaming children, covered in dust or being pulled out of rubble, have become a daily reality in Aleppo. “We are totally resigned to God’s will,” said Khaled Sakka, a father of 10 children, all under the age of 14. He, his three wives and the children all sleep in one room in the middle of the house, the only safety measure they have against the nightly airstrikes. “The bombs are bringing down five-story buildings. They are even reaching bunkers,” he said. Wounded children are often left untreated, sometimes to die, in Aleppo’s overwhelmed hospitals. Only 30 doctors remain in opposition-held neighborhoods: One physician for every 10,000 people, compared to a peacetime standard of one for every 1,000, Touma said. “It is very difficult to know how many (children) are traumatized, but one would imagine every single one is impacted by the horrors, especially with the intensification of the violence in the past week,” she said. So-called bunker-busting bombs, designed to target underground structures, have been widely used, possibly to crush tunnels or bunkers used as refuge by the thousands of rebel fighters defending the districts. But the powerful bombs also threaten the underground shelters where civilians take refuge and where children go to school. For the past several years, most classes have been held in basements because of the constant fighting and threat of airstrikes. “The use of bunker-busting bombs means there is literally nowhere we can keep children safe, ” said Nick Finney of Save the Children, which runs 13 schools in eastern Aleppo, eight of them held underground. “We’re now more likely to see children being pulled from the rubble or treated on the floor of a hospital than sitting at a school desk.” When schools opened across the country this month, they remained closed in eastern Aleppo because of the danger, said Brita Haj, the head of the local council in the rebel-held part of the city. Medics say the death toll among children and other residents may be far higher than reported, since some families bury their dead without taking them to hospitals or morgues, and many victims remain buried in the rubble. Dr. Hatem, a pediatrician, said women and children make up a large percentage of the victims because they are the ones who stay at home. As one of two pediatricians in besieged Aleppo, Hatem said he had an enormous load even before the last week’s intensification of fighting, treating 80 to 120 children a day. Now he’s seeing a spike in wounded children in intensive care, from four or five a month to four or five a day. There is also a rise in aggressive behavior among children and various signs of trauma such as bed-wetting or losing the ability to walk or talk, said Hatem, who gave only his last name out of security fears. Ghazl Qassem was at home with her four siblings, her pregnant mother, cousins and grandmother when the bomb struck Tuesday around midday. Their apartment building is adjacent to a hospital in a neighborhood with a number of specialized clinics; hospitals and clinics have been frequent targets in the recent campaign. The children’s father, Hussein, was not home at the time. Since Tuesday’s attack he has not moved from the rubble as the bodies of his family members have been pulled out one after the other, including his wife and three other children, said a neighbor, Tamim Selim. Ghazl is staying with an aunt. “She is having nightmares. She is still in shock. She sleeps and wakes up, reaches for her mother’s phone and watches photos there and cries,” Selim said. Abdul-Majid Malah, a father of three who lives nearby, rushed to the scene after the bomb. “I only saw the dust. When it settled, the building was all on the ground. It was like dominos,” he said. His children, ages 2, 3 and 4, rush into his arms every time they hear a bomb, he said. Then a minute later, they go back to playing. There is no adequate underground shelter in his building for Malah, his pregnant wife and children to take refuge. “We can only pray that the bombs don’t hit us at home,” he said, adding that he stays up all night tracking where the missiles are hitting. “I won’t be able to change fate, but I am too stressed out to fall asleep.” The park next to their house was bombed last month, so the children have not been allowed to venture outside. On Friday, incendiary bombs hit outside their building, but no one was hurt. “We only survive on hope,” he said.[SEP]BEIRUT — The 6-year-old girl was found trapped under the rubble of her home, destroyed by an airstrike in Syria’s rebel-held city of Aleppo. “Dust!” she wailed as rescue workers pried away the stones and debris on top of her, finally freeing her and placing her on a stretcher as she screamed for her father. “Forget the dust. I’ll wash your face and give you water. Come on, sweetheart,” one rescuer said. Bruised and battered but alive, Ghazl Qassem was among the lucky survivors of the attack earlier this week. Four days later, rescue workers were still digging Friday through the rubble of the apartment building after pulling out the bodies of 20 people, including nine children, most from Ghazl’s family. They were searching for at least three others believed inside. At least 96 children are among the 320 people killed in Aleppo since a cease-fire collapsed on Sept. 19, according to UNICEF, as Syrian and Russian warplanes barrage the city’s eastern opposition neighborhoods, trying to crush more than five years of resistance there. Almost a third of the 840 people wounded over the same period are children, according to the World Health Organization. “Aleppo is one of the most dangerous places in the world, and in the last week it has become perhaps the most dangerous place in the world for children.” Juliette Touma, regional chief of communications for the U.N children’s agency told The Associated Press. Nearly 300,000 people — including 100,000 children — are trapped in Aleppo’s rebel-held eastern districts, a pocket of resistance some eight miles long and three miles wide that civil defense workers say has been hit by 1,900 bombs in the past week. The campaign has wreaked destruction on hospitals, clinics, residential buildings, water stations and electric generators. Parents desperately struggling to keep their families safe fear the threat of an imminent ground offensive. They hold little hope for the future, with no regular schooling and little access to nutritious food. Images of wounded and screaming children, covered in dust or being pulled out of rubble, have become a daily reality in Aleppo. “We are totally resigned to God’s will,” said Khaled Sakka, a father of 10 children, all under the age of 14. He, his three wives and the children all sleep in one room in the middle of the house, the only safety measure they have against the nightly airstrikes. “The bombs are bringing down five-story buildings. They are even reaching bunkers,” he said. Wounded children are often left untreated, sometimes to die, in Aleppo’s overwhelmed hospitals. Only 30 doctors remain in opposition-held neighborhoods: One physician for every 10,000 people, compared to a peacetime standard of one for every 1,000, Touma said. “It is very difficult to know how many (children) are traumatized, but one would imagine every single one is impacted by the horrors, especially with the intensification of the violence in the past week,” she said. So-called bunker-busting bombs, designed to target underground structures, have been widely used, possibly to crush tunnels or bunkers used as refuge by the thousands of rebel fighters defending the districts. But the powerful bombs also threaten the underground shelters where civilians take refuge and where children go to school. For the past several years, most classes have been held in basements because of the constant fighting and threat of airstrikes. “The use of bunker-busting bombs means there is literally nowhere we can keep children safe, “ said Nick Finney of Save the Children, which runs 13 schools in eastern Aleppo, eight of them held underground. “We’re now more likely to see children being pulled from the rubble or treated on the floor of a hospital than sitting at a school desk.” When schools opened across the country this month, they remained closed in eastern Aleppo because of the danger, said Brita Haj, the head of the local council in the rebel-held part of the city. Medics say the death toll among children and other residents may be far higher than reported, since some families bury their dead without taking them to hospitals or morgues, and many victims remain buried in the rubble. Dr. Hatem, a pediatrician, said women and children make up a large percentage of the victims because they are the ones who stay at home. As one of two pediatricians in besieged Aleppo, Hatem said he had an enormous load even before the last week’s intensification of fighting, treating 80 to 120 children a day. Now he’s seeing a spike in wounded children in intensive care, from four or five a month to four or five a day. There is also a rise in aggressive behavior among children and various signs of trauma such as bed-wetting or losing the ability to walk or talk, said Hatem, who gave only his last name out of security fears. Ghazl Qassem was at home with her four siblings, her pregnant mother, cousins and grandmother when the bomb struck Tuesday around midday. Their apartment building is adjacent to a hospital in a neighborhood with a number of specialized clinics; hospitals and clinics have been frequent targets in the recent campaign. The children’s father, Hussein, was not home at the time. Since Tuesday’s attack he has not moved from the rubble as the bodies of his family members have been pulled out one after the other, including his wife and three other children, said a neighbor, Tamim Selim. Ghazl is staying with an aunt. “She is having nightmares. She is still in shock. She sleeps and wakes up, reaches for her mother’s phone and watches photos there and cries,” Selim said. Abdul-Majid Malah, a father of three who lives nearby, rushed to the scene after the bomb. “I only saw the dust. When it settled, the building was all on the ground. It was like dominos,” he said. His children, ages 2, 3 and 4, rush into his arms every time they hear a bomb, he said. Then a minute later, they go back to playing. There is no adequate underground shelter in his building for Malah, his pregnant wife and children to take refuge. “We can only pray that the bombs don’t hit us at home,” he said, adding that he stays up all night tracking where the missiles are hitting. “I won’t be able to change fate, but I am too stressed out to fall asleep.” The park next to their house was bombed last month, so the children have not been allowed to venture outside. On Friday, incendiary bombs hit outside their building, but no one was hurt. “We only survive on hope,” he said.[SEP]BEIRUT — The 6-year-old girl was found trapped under the rubble of her home, destroyed by an airstrike in Syria’s rebel-held city of Aleppo. “Dust!” she wailed as rescue workers pried away the stones and debris on top of her, finally freeing her and placing her on a stretcher as she screamed for her father. “Forget the dust. I’ll wash your face and give you water. Come on, sweetheart,” one rescuer said. Bruised and battered but alive, Ghazl Qassem was among the lucky survivors of the attack earlier this week. Four days later, rescue workers were still digging Friday through the rubble of the apartment building after pulling out the bodies of 20 people, including nine children, most from Ghazl’s family. They were searching for at least three others believed inside. At least 96 children are among the 320 people killed in Aleppo since a cease-fire collapsed on Sept. 19, according to UNICEF, as Syrian and Russian warplanes barrage the city’s eastern opposition neighborhoods, trying to crush more than five years of resistance there. Almost a third of the 840 people wounded over the same period are children, according to the World Health Organization. “Aleppo is one of the most dangerous places in the world, and in the last week it has become perhaps the most dangerous place in the world for children.” Juliette Touma, regional chief of communications for the U.N children’s agency told The Associated Press. Nearly 300,000 people — including 100,000 children — are trapped in Aleppo’s rebel-held eastern districts, a pocket of resistance some eight miles long and three miles wide that civil defense workers say has been hit by 1,900 bombs in the past week. The campaign has wreaked destruction on hospitals, clinics, residential buildings, water stations and electric generators. Parents desperately struggling to keep their families safe fear the threat of an imminent ground offensive. They hold little hope for the future, with no regular schooling and little access to nutritious food. Images of wounded and screaming children, covered in dust or being pulled out of rubble, have become a daily reality in Aleppo. “We are totally resigned to God’s will,” said Khaled Sakka, a father of 10 children, all under the age of 14. He, his three wives and the children all sleep in one room in the middle of the house, the only safety measure they have against the nightly airstrikes. “The bombs are bringing down five-story buildings. They are even reaching bunkers,” he said. Wounded children are often left untreated, sometimes to die, in Aleppo’s overwhelmed hospitals. Only 30 doctors remain in opposition-held neighborhoods: One physician for every 10,000 people, compared to a peacetime standard of one for every 1,000, Touma said. “It is very difficult to know how many (children) are traumatized, but one would imagine every single one is impacted by the horrors, especially with the intensification of the violence in the past week,” she said. So-called bunker-busting bombs, designed to target underground structures, have been widely used, possibly to crush tunnels or bunkers used as refuge by the thousands of rebel fighters defending the districts. But the powerful bombs also threaten the underground shelters where civilians take refuge and where children go to school. For the past several years, most classes have been held in basements because of the constant fighting and threat of airstrikes. “The use of bunker-busting bombs means there is literally nowhere we can keep children safe, “ said Nick Finney of Save the Children, which runs 12 schools in eastern Aleppo, eight of them held underground. “We’re now more likely to see children being pulled from the rubble or treated on the floor of a hospital than sitting at a school desk.” When schools opened across the country this month, they remained closed in eastern Aleppo because of the danger, said Brita Haj, the head of the local council in the rebel-held part of the city. Medics say the death toll among children and other residents may be far higher than reported, since some families bury their dead without taking them to hospitals or morgues, and many victims remain buried in the rubble. Dr. Hatem, a pediatrician, said women and children make up a large percentage of the victims because they are the ones who stay at home. As one of two pediatricians in besieged Aleppo, Hatem said he had an enormous load even before the last week’s intensification of fighting, treating 80 to 120 children a day. Now he’s seeing a spike in wounded children in intensive care, from four or five a month to four or five a day. There is also a rise in aggressive behavior among children and various signs of trauma such as bed-wetting or losing the ability to walk or talk, said Hatem, who gave only his last name out of security fears. Ghazl Qassem was at home with her four siblings, her pregnant mother, cousins and grandmother when the bomb struck Tuesday around midday. Their apartment building is adjacent to a hospital in a neighborhood with a number of specialized clinics; hospitals and clinics have been frequent targets in the recent campaign. The children’s father, Hussein, was not home at the time. Since Tuesday’s attack he has not moved from the rubble as the bodies of his family members have been pulled out one after the other, including his wife and three other children, said a neighbor, Tamim Selim. Ghazl is staying with an aunt. “She is having nightmares. She is still in shock. She sleeps and wakes up, reaches for her mother’s phone and watches photos there and cries,” Selim said. Abdul-Majid Malah, a father of three who lives nearby, rushed to the scene after the bomb. “I only saw the dust. When it settled, the building was all on the ground. It was like dominos,” he said. His children, ages 2, 3 and 4, rush into his arms every time they hear a bomb, he said. Then a minute later, they go back to playing. There is no adequate underground shelter in his building for Malah, his pregnant wife and children to take refuge. “We can only pray that the bombs don’t hit us at home,” he said, adding that he stays up all night tracking where the missiles are hitting. “I won’t be able to change fate, but I am too stressed out to fall asleep.” The park next to their house was bombed last month, so the children have not been allowed to venture outside. On Friday, incendiary bombs hit outside their building, but no one was hurt. “We only survive on hope,” he said.[SEP]Damascus, Syria (CNN) The United States is making preparations to suspend bilateral talks with Russia on Syria -- unless Moscow takes immediate steps to end the assault on Aleppo and restore a ceasefire, the US State Department said Wednesday. US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a telephone call to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, that the United States and its partners held Russia responsible for a drastic escalation in attacks that have put civilians at great risk. Two hospitals in eastern Aleppo have been bombed "out of service," staff and activists said, as airstrikes pounded rebel-held parts of the northern Syrian city on Wednesday. Hospital staff said the city's M2 and M10 hospitals were hit early Wednesday, putting intensive care units out of use. Dr. Mounir Hakimi of the International Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations and UK-based charity Syrian Relief told CNN that an airstrike hit the M10 hospital and shelling the M2. "Anyone offering help to civilians now is being targeted," he said. "It's the message that any humanitarian response is not welcome." At least six people were killed Wednesday morning when an airstrike struck a bakery as people lined up to buy bread, according to activists. They said the death toll was expected to rise. Ground battles also raged Wednesday in Aleppo between the Syrian army and rebels. The Syrian army said it took control of the central Farafra neighborhood in Aleppo's old city Tuesday, bringing it closer to the rebel-held eastern areas. However, rebels and activists inside the besieged city told CNN there had been no ground assault in those areas. There are conflicting reports of how many people were killed Tuesday in airstrikes on eastern Aleppo. The rebel-held Aleppo Health Directorate reported 18 deaths, including six children. The activist group Aleppo Media Center said more than 30 people were killed, but it was unclear if some of those deaths were a result of earlier strikes or bodies pulled out of the rubble. The UN children's agency, UNICEF, said Wednesday that at least 96 children had been killed and 223 injured in eastern Aleppo since Friday. Hundreds of airstrikes have rocked the beleaguered city, home to more than 250,000 people, since the Syrian government, backed by Russia, announced a renewed, "comprehensive" offensive on Thursday. The strikes on two of Aleppo's remaining hospitals likely will only compound the misery of civilians trapped there. Hakimi, a UK-based orthopedic surgeon, told CNN that due to damage to the electricity and oxygen generators and the intensive care unit at M10, "the hospital as we speak is out of service. It's one of the main hospitals in Aleppo, so it's a big blow." There were no casualties in the strike on M10, Hakimi said, but three patients were killed and two members of staff were injured at the M2 hospital. Five artillery shells struck that facility, he said, citing information from medical and humanitarian workers on the ground. "The problem now is that there's no intensive care units in either hospital," Hakimi said. "They were already running at double capacity because during the weekend there was the most intensive airstrikes ever." The remaining hospitals are already running at full capacity, he said. There may be more instances in which doctors perform surgery on patients as they lie on the ground due to lack of space, he said. "We are so close to humanitarian catastrophe in Aleppo," Hakimi said. The Syria Civil Defense group, a volunteer emergency medical service also known as the White Helmets, was also hit in Aleppo on the weekend, he said. UNICEF said the 30 doctors who remain in Aleppo face an increasing number of trauma cases with hardly any medical equipment or medicine to treat the injured. The agency cited a doctor on the ground as saying that children with low chances of survival are often left to die because of a lack of capacity or supplies. "The children of Aleppo are trapped in a living nightmare," said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Justin Forsyth. "There are no words left to describe the suffering they are experiencing." On Wednesday, Pope Francis again appealed for peace in Syria and warned that those responsible for the bombing campaign in Aleppo will be "accountable to God" for their actions, according to Vatican Radio. "In expressing my deep sorrow and lively concern for what is happening in that already battered city -- where children, the elderly, the sick, young and old, all are dying -- I renew my appeal to everyone to commit themselves with all their strength to the protection of civilians as an imperative and urgent obligation," Francis said, speaking at his general audience in Rome. More than 200 airstrikes hit Aleppo over the weekend, killing more than 100 people and injuring hundreds more, according to Ammar al-Selmo of the Syria Civil Defense group.[SEP]Syrian civilians and a rescue worker evacuate children in the Maadi district of eastern Aleppo after regime aircrafts reportedly dropped explosive-packed barrel bombs on August 27, 2016. At least 15 civilians were reported killed when two bombs fell several minutes apart, near a tent where people were receiving condolences for those killed this week. / AFP PHOTO / AMEER ALHALBI In the besieged parts of the city, children face dire food and medicine shortages, besides air strikes They cannot play, sleep or attend school. Increasingly, they cannot eat. Injury or illness could be fatal. Many just huddle with their parents in windowless underground shelters — which offer no protection from the powerful bombs that have turned east Aleppo into a kill zone. Among the roughly 250,000 people trapped in the insurgent redoubt of the divided northern Syrian city are 100,000 children, the most vulnerable victims of intensified bombings by Syrian forces and their Russian allies. The routine in east Aleppo, where shellshocked children are exhumed from rubble and left writhing in bloody clothes on dirty hospital gurneys, is a confluence of Syria’s young population, failed diplomacy and the reality of a war that appears to be worsening after more than five years. “They’re trapped, and they have no way of escaping,” said Alun McDonald, a spokesman for the Middle East operations of Save the Children, the international charity. “That’s one reason we’re seeing such big numbers of child casualties.” The people living in besieged rebel-held areas of Aleppo have shown a high level of resilience, moving schools and hospitals underground for protection. So too, life has continued on the government-held western side of the city, where, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 49 children were killed by rebel mortar fire in July alone. But lately on the eastern side, Mr. McDonald said, “the bombing has become so intense that even underground shelters aren’t safe any more.” Save the Children has said that at several hospitals and ambulance centres it supports in eastern Aleppo, half of the casualties have been children since the bombings escalated after the collapse of a short-lived cease-fire last week. Hanaa Singer, the UNICEF representative in Syria, said precise numbers of child casualties in east Aleppo had yet to be determined. Nonetheless, she said by telephone from Damascus, “it’s definitely the worst we have seen for children.” Just a few weeks ago, Ms. Singer said, UNICEF planned to publicise how east Aleppo children were enrolled to go back to school, with photos of students walking to class past piles of rubble. That plan was scrapped. “Children are not going to school now,” she said. Children in the besieged parts of Aleppo also face dire food and medicine shortages. Surgery and blood transfusions required for treating bomb wounds are, by many accounts, practically impossible now. Medical workers have left children to die on hospital floors for lack of supplies. The New York Times News Service

The UN's children's charity UNICEF has called the effect of the war in Aleppo on children as the worst seen since the conflict began, and says at least 96 children have been killed and 223 have been injured in Eastern Aleppo September 23.

Chesapeake Energy Corporation's 50 acre campus is seen in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on April 17, 2012. REUTERS/Steve Sisney (Reuters) - Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK.N) said it received a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice seeking information on the accounting methodology for the acquisition and classification of oil and gas properties. Shares of the company fell as much as 9.3 percent in morning trading. The No. 2 U.S. natural gas producer said in May that it had received subpoenas and demands for documents from the DoJ and some state government agencies in connection with investigations into possible violations of antitrust laws relating to the purchase and lease of oil and natural gas rights. Chesapeake had also received subpoenas from the DoJ, the U.S. Postal Service and states, seeking information on how the company pays royalties to landowners. (bit.ly/2dnnspG) The company said in a regulatory filing on Thursday it had engaged in discussions with the DoJ, the U.S. Postal Service and state agency representatives and continue to respond to such subpoenas and demands. (bit.ly/2dnnsWM) Chesapeake had come under scrutiny when former Chief Executive Aubrey McClendon, who helped transform the U.S. energy industry with shale gas, was investigated and charged in March with conspiring to rig bids to buy oil and natural gas leases in Oklahoma. McClendon died a day later, when his car slammed into an overpass. Reuters reported in 2012 that McClendon had taken out more than $1 billion in loans using his personal stakes in thousands of company wells as collateral. Chesapeake shares were down 4.2 percent at $6.46 on Thursday. Up to Wednesday’s close, they had risen 50 percent this year.[SEP]OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into possible antitrust violations by Chesapeake Energy Corp. The Journal Record reports (http://bit.ly/2dwWCJ5 ) the agency has subpoenaed documents related to how the driller pays royalty owners and accounts for oil and gas reserves. Chesapeake disclosed the subpoena Thursday in a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. University of Central Oklahoma economics professor Jeremy Oller, an expert witness on antitrust legal matters, says the Justice Department is likely examining other oil and gas companies as part of the investigation. The filing says the Justice Department and other agencies have asked Chesapeake for documents, testimony and information related to the company’s oil and gas leases and purchases. The company also received subpoenas from the U.S. Postal Service and state agencies.[SEP]The government has slashed natural gas price by 18 per cent to $2.5 per million British thermal unit (mmBtu) for October-March period, a move that will impact revenue of upstream oil and gas companies but would help bulk consumers from fertiliser and power sectors. The price for April-September period was $3.06 per mmBtu. The revised price will be applicable from Saturday. As per the new gas pricing formula approved by the NDA government in October 2014, gas prices are to be revised every six months and the next change is due on April 1. The reduction in natural gas prices would mean lower raw material cost for compressed natural gas (CNG) and natural gas piped to households (PNG) and would translate into reduction in retail prices. It would also mean lower feedstock cost for power generation and manufacturing of fertilisers. Rates were last cut by 20 per cent from April 1. The price of gas between October 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016 was $3.81 per mmBtu and $4.66 in prior six month period. "The price of domestic natural gas for the period October 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 is $ 2.50 per mmBtu on Gross Calorific Value (GCV) basis," said a notification issued by the Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell, which comes under the petroleum ministry. The reduction will hit producers like state-owned ONGC as well as central government whose earnings from royalty and income tax will dip by about Rs 800 crore during the remainder of the fiscal, according to industry estimates. Every dollar dip in gas price results in Rs 4,000 crore hit in revenue of ONGC on an annual basis. The current price reduction would hit its revenue by about Rs 1,000 crore. Government also announced a sharp reduction in cap price based on alternate fuels for undeveloped gas finds in difficult areas like deepsea which are unviable to develop as per the existing pricing formula. The cap for October 1, 2016 top March 31, 2017 will be $5.3 per mmBtu, down from $6.61 in April 1 to September 30 period, PPAC notification said. The government on Friday also set ceiling price for natural gas from difficult blocks such as those in deep water, ultra deep water and high pressure and high temperature areas at $5.3 per million British thermal unit (mmBtu) for October-March period.

The Obama administration through the United States Department of Justice sends a subpoena to natural gas giant Chesapeake Energy regarding the accounting methods for its oil and gas properties.

Image copyright Getty Images Samsung has confirmed it is in talks with US consumer watchdogs after a lawsuit against the firm over "exploding" washing machines. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned of problems with some of Samsung's top-load machines. It comes as a US law firm filed a suit against the South Korean firm, saying the fault can lead to injury or damage. Models sold outside North America are not affected by this issue, a spokesperson said. The problems follow Samsung's global recall of its Note 7 smartphone over "exploding" batteries. Both Samsung and the CPSC said that certain top-loading washing machines from March 2011 to April 2016 were affected. "In rare cases, affected units may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant items," Samsung said. Check your serial number The company advises consumers with affected models to use the lower-speed delicate cycle when washing those materials. Samsung does not name the models, but allows customers to enter the serial number to see whether their machine is among those affected. The firm also faces a suit from a US law firm which alleges that some of its "top-loading washing machines explode in owners' homes," leading to potential injury or damage, according to attorney Jason Lichtman. "Users have reported Samsung top-load washers exploding as early as the day of installation, while other owners have seen their machines explode months or even more than a year after purchase," the firm said in a statement. Image copyright Ariel Gonzalez Image caption A burnt Samsung Galaxy Note 7 The faulty washing machines come right as Samsung is in the midst of a global recall of its flagship smartphone Galaxy Note 7. The company was forced to urge 2.5 million phones to be returned because of faulty batteries causing some phones to catch fire and users reporting "exploding devices". Samsung said on Thursday it would start selling new Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in South Korea this week. The revamped smartphone will start being sold in other markets, including some European countries, on 28 October. A Samsung spokeswoman said: "We would like to reassure everyone that new Note 7 phones are operating properly and pose no safety concerns."[SEP]One Georgia mom was pulling clothes from the dryer, with her 4-year-old son nearby, when she heard the boom and saw the damage. Another woman thought something had crashed through her roof. In one instance, metal shards flung into a hallway and ripped holes in the wall. Laundry rooms have flooded. A whole house shook. The cause of this carnage, according to a federal class action lawsuit filed last month, is another exploding product made by Samsung. It’s not the sort of explosion, as with the lithium ion batteries in phones, caused by chemical reactions. Some washing machines, the suit alleges, vibrate violently under heavy loads causing the tub to “become unfastened, resulting in a dramatic centrifugal explosion that destroys the machine and nearby property.” The lawsuit alleges that Samsung has known of its exploding washing machine problem for years and did little to warn consumers. The plaintiffs — three women from Texas, Indiana and Georgia — demanded, among other things, the immediate release of a safety warning about the top-loading washing machines in question. On Wednesday, more than a month after the lawsuit was filed, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a statement about “safety issues” with Samsung washers. In a statement released on its website, CPSC said it is “actively and cooperatively working with Samsung to address safety issues related to certain top-load washing machines made between March 2011 and April 2016.” It did not specify which models are potentially dangerous, but the lawsuit alleged there were at least 11. This warning comes just weeks after Samsung recalled its Galaxy Note 7 cellphone after the gadget began exploding in consumers’ pockets, vehicles and airplanes. The news of another exploding Samsung product offered the internet plenty of fodder. One person tweeted, “I’ve got to be honest. I’m kind of into Samsung’s new EXPLODING design trend. It takes risks, it’s not afraid to think different.” Samsung, for its part, declined to comment on pending litigation, according to CNN, but released a statement on its website addressing the CPSC warning. As of right now, the CPSC and Samsung advise owners of the company’s top-loading washing machines to use lower speeds, such as the delicate cycle, when washing bedding, bulky clothes or water-resistant materials. “There have been no reported incidents when using this cycle,” Samsung said in the statement. Most of the exploding machine examples documented in the lawsuit — from the plaintiff’s experiences, news articles and complaints on the CPSC website SaferProducts.gov — occurred in 2015. In its statement, Samsung called these incidents “rare” and said affected units “may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage.” “It is important to note that Samsung customers have completed hundreds of millions of loads without incident since 2011,” the Samsung statement said. The lawsuit, however, paints a far more dire picture. Photos included in the filing show the tops blown entirely off the washing machines. Some lurched so violently, the lawsuit alleges, that the machines spun and jumped from their original positions. Holes were punched into drywall, and nearby appliances were dented or scratched. Melissa Thaxton, a plaintiff from Dallas, Georgia, was standing next to her washing machine, unloading clothes from the dryer, when it exploded. Thaxton said it sounded as if “a bomb went off,” according to the lawsuit. Her 4-year-old son was playing nearby. One person wrote that the affected machine was washing a partial load when, during the spin cycle, it “broke free, throwing itself against walls and throwing parts and water everywhere. Had someone been nearby they could have been severely injured.” Another woman said she heard a “violent sounding commotion” coming from the laundry room one night. She yelled for her husband and found her 2-month-old washing machine “lying on its side, the lid completely blown off, the sides of the machine expanded outward, the internal drums now thrown behind the machine on the floor, the machine itself thrown across the room, and shards of metal and plastic lying everywhere.” The floor was covered in water, according to the complaint, and the garage door was dented from the force of the exploding materials. “Samsung knowingly, affirmatively and actively misrepresented and concealed the true character, quality and nature of the washing machines and sold the washing machines into the stream of commerce as if they were safe for use,” the lawsuit alleges. It called on Samsung to take “corrective action” by, in addition to releasing a consumer warning, issuing a national recall, discontinuing the manufacture and distribution of the affected machines and informing the public of the pending class action lawsuit lodged against the company. The lawsuit also accuses Samsung of destroying evidence related to the defective washing machines. In its statements Wednesday, Samsung and CPSC said they are working on a “remedy” that will “help ensure that there are no further incidents” but gave no further information. The safety commission said additional incidents should be reported at SaferProducts.gov, and Samsung provided a link for consumers to check if their serial number matches the models deemed defective. “Your safety is our top concern,” the company said.[SEP]Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said it was working with a U.S. consumer product safety regulator to address safety issues related to some of its top-load washing machines. The world's top smartphone maker is already reeling from a global recall of at least 2.5 million Note 7 smartphones in 10 markets due to faulty batteries causing some phones to catch fire. Samsung said it was in "active discussions" with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to address potential safety issues of some of its top-load washing machines manufactured between March 2011 and April 2016. bit.ly/2db232k "Affected units may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant items," the company said. CPSC said it was advising consumers to only use the delicate cycle when washing bedding, water-resistant and bulky items.bit.ly/2cDhpxx (Reporting by Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru; Editing by Sunil Nair)[SEP]Samsung Electronics, which is already reeling from a global recall of its Note 7 smartphones, said on Thursday it is in talks with a U.S. watchdog to address potential safety problems related to some of its washing machines. The South Korean tech company’s comments came as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned of problems with some of Samsung’s top-load washing machines, following media reports that they had exploded. Certain top-load washing machines made between March 2011 and April 2016 were affected, both the company and the CPSC said. “In rare cases, affected units may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant items,” Samsung said on its website. The company said consumers with affected models should use the lower speed delicate cycle when washing those materials. Samsung did not mention the models impacted but asked customers to enter their washing machine’s serial number to determine if their machine is affected. It was not immediately known how many units were involved, but a Samsung spokesperson said models sold outside North America are not affected by the issue. Samsung is also facing a lawsuit from U.S. customers who, according to a filing in a New Jersey court on Aug. 12., said their machines “explode during normal use.” Samsung, the world’s top smartphone maker, announced on Sept. 2 a global recall of at least 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in 10 markets due to faulty batteries causing some phones to catch fire. Its shares seemed to have shrugged off the latest setback for the company, rising 3.2 percent as of 0327 GMT on Thursday, versus the wider market’s 0.9 percent gain.[SEP]Samsung, which is already in the middle of a massive recall of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, has confirmed the company’s washing machines are now catching fire as well. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a statement on September 28 warning consumers about exploding washing machines from the Korean giant. “It is important to note that Samsung customers have completed hundreds of millions of loads without incident since 2011,” Samsung said in a statement, following the CPSC warning. Samsung and the CPSC said the affected units are all top loading-washing machines manufactured between March 2011 and April 2016. “In rare cases, affected units may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant items,” Samsung said on its website. Samsung advised consumers with affected models to use only the delicate and lower speed cycle when washing these items. Melissa Thaxton, 32, from Georgia, US, said she was standing next to the running machine when it exploded in a special report aired on ABC News. “It was the loudest sound. It sounded like a bomb went off in my ear. There were wires, nuts, the cover actually was laying on the floor,” she said. CPSC and Samsung are working on a remedy for affected consumers but neither have specified the cause of the explosions. It was not immediately known how many units were affected and whether the problem is limited to the United States. Consumers should report any incidents to CPSC via their website www.SaferProducts.gov. A lawsuit filed in New Jersey in August, claims that the company “has moved aggressively to collect and destroy all evidence of the defective machines” after they exploded. US authorities officially recalled one million Samsung phones earlier this month after dozens of the devices blew up. Samsung had previously issued a voluntary recall of the flaming phones, but US regulators have taken matters into their own hands, after almost 100 cases of the phones catching fire, causing injuries and destroying property.[SEP]The South Korean tech company's comments came as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned of problems with some of Samsung's top-load washing machines, following media reports that they had exploded. Certain top-load washing machines made between March 2011 and April 2016 were affected, both the company and the CPSC said. "In rare cases, affected units may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant items," Samsung said on its website. The company said consumers with affected models should use the lower speed delicate cycle when washing those materials. Samsung did not mention the models impacted but asked customers to enter their washing machine's serial number to determine if their machine is affected. It was not immediately known how many units were affected and whether the problem is limited to the United States. Samsung is also facing a lawsuit from U.S. customers who, according to a filing in a New Jersey court on Aug. 12., said their machines "explode during normal use". The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Samsung, the world's top smartphone maker, announced on Sept. 2 a global recall of at least 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in 10 markets due to faulty batteries causing some phones to catch fire. Its shares seemed to have shrugged off the latest setback for the company, rising 3.2 percent as of 0327 GMT on Thursday, versus the wider market's 0.9 percent gain.[SEP]TORONTO — Samsung is warning consumers to take care when using its top-loading washing machines, which can explode during normal use involving large items like bedding. The company, which is working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to address the safety issues, said certain machines made between March 2011 and April 2016 may be affected. The warnings come amid claims that some Samsung washing machines have shaken apart or exploded when heavy loads cause the tub to vibrate dramatically, posing a risk of injury or property damage. The company advises consumers to use the delicate cycle because of the slower spin cycle. A class-action suit filed Aug. 12 in a U.S. district court in New Jersey has three named plaintiffs in the states of Texas, Indiana and Georgia seeking to represent U.S. residents who purchased the machines for household use. Among other things, the suit filed by the law firm Lieff Cabraser seeks declarations that the machines are defective, a recall or warning to prevent injuries and damages, and financial compensation for losses and costs associated with the machines.[SEP]Samsung, maker of the troubled Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, has another problem on its hands. U.S. regulators on Wednesday warned owners of certain top-loading Samsung washing machines of "safety issues" following reports that some have exploded. The warning, from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, covered machines made between March 2011 and April 2016. It did not specify a model. The commission suggested people use only the delicate cycle to wash bedding and water-resistant and bulky items because the lower spin speed "lessens the risk of impact injuries or property damage due to the washing machine becoming dislodged." The agency said it is working with Samsung on a remedy. The warning comes more than a month after Samsung was hit with a federal class-action lawsuit by customers who said their machines had exploded during use. Customers in Texas, Georgia and Indiana all said they were washing clothes when they heard a violent boom. A washer belonging to a McAllen, Texas, woman "exploded with such ferocity that it penetrated the interior wall of her garage," according to court filings. A woman in Dallas, Georgia, said it felt and sounded as if "a bomb went off." The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Jersey, references similar reports collected by local news and filed online with regulators. It also claims Samsung "has moved aggressively to collect and destroy all evidence of the defective machines" after they exploded. Related: Samsung customer says his new Note 7 phone burst into flames Samsung declined comment on the litigation. It directed CNNMoney to a statement on its website that says the company is talking to U.S. authorities about how to address potential safety problems. "In rare cases, affected units may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant items," the statement says. Samsung also said its customers "have completed hundreds of millions of loads without incident since 2011." A call to the law firm that filed the complaint was not immediately returned. Samsung (SSNLF) earlier this month said it would replace 2.5 million of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones after reports of battery fires. And this week, a tech worker in China, which was not part of the recall, told CNNMoney that his device burst into flames while charging.[SEP]Samsung is in discussions about “potential safety issues” concerning some of its washing machines after a class-action lawsuit complained the appliances were exploding, the company said Wednesday. The news comes after the South Korean electronics giant recalled millions of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones following a series of battery explosions. Samsung is “in active discussions” with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission on issues with top-load washing machines manufactured between March 2011 and April 2016, a company statement said. “In rare cases, affected units may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant items,” it said. Samsung recommended consumers use the “lower speed delicate cycle” when washing bedding or bulky items until it can offer additional information or remedies. The safety commission confirmed it is in discussions with Samsung and that they are “working on a remedy for affected consumers.” A US law firm has filed suit in New Jersey “alleging that some Samsung top-loading washing machines explode in owners homes,” leading to potential injury or damage, attorney Jason Lichtman said earlier on Wednesday. “Users have reported Samsung top-load washers exploding as early as the day of installation, while other owners have seen their machines explode months or even more than a year after purchase,” the firm said in a statement. Samsung — the world’s largest maker of smartphones as well as mobile phones in general — suffered a major blow to its prestige when it was forced to recall some 2.5 million of its flagship smartphones after some users complained that batteries had caught fire while charging. The recall affects phones sold in 10 countries, including around one million sold in the United States.[SEP]Samsung says it is working with Health Canada to address potential safety issues with certain top-loading, high-efficiency washing machines that can vibrate to the point where they could pose a risk of injury or property damage. The company says washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant items at certain settings may cause the washers to experience abnormal vibrations, and it is advising customers to only use the delicate cycle when washing those items. The warning applies to washers that were manufactured between March 2011 and April 2016. Samsung says some machines sold under its name and the Kenmore brand may be affected. On its website, Samsung says people can enter their 15-digit serial number located at the rear of the washer to verify whether their washing machine is part of the notice. There have been no reports of personal injury in Canada. Samsung’s Canadian arm also provides a toll-free phone number and links to two special websites with instructions for Samsung and Kenmore machines.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that Samsung washing machines may explode if washing heavy load items at high speeds.

HOBOKEN, N.J. (AP) " The Latest on a commuter train that crashed into a station in New Jersey, killing one person and injuring more than 100 others (all times local): 7:50 p.m. New Jersey Transit has identified the engineer who was behind the controls of a commuter train that crashed at a station, killing one person and injuring more than 100 others. Spokeswoman Nancy Snyder says Thomas Gallagher was the engineer of the train in Thursday's crash. The National Transportation Safety Board says Gallagher was released from a hospital and has cooperated with authorities. She says investigators will be interviewing him. Snyder says Gallagher has worked for the transit agency for 29 years. A union roster shows he started as an engineer about 18 years ago. Police escorted a woman to Gallagher's home in New Jersey to pick up some things earlier in the afternoon. Neighbors describe Gallagher and his family as good people. ___ 6:40 p.m. A former employer of a woman killed when a New Jersey Transit commuter train crashed at a station says it's "profoundly saddened" by her death. Fabiola Bittar de Kroon worked for software company SAP in its legal department in Brazil but left earlier this year. She was standing in a waiting area at the Hoboken (HOH'-boh-kehn) station when the train crashed through a barrier Thursday morning. She was killed by debris. Continued below. Related Content Cartoon: Reality of Rock-star economy Brutal carjacking: Woman still unable to speak to police Cartoon: Purpose of Real Housewives of Auckland SAP spokesman Andy Kendzie says the company is "shaken by the news" of the crash, which injured more than 100 people. He says the company expresses its deepest condolences to de Kroon's family and friends and to all those affected by the "tragic event." The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. It says the train's engineer has been released from a hospital and is cooperating with investigators. ___ 5:45 p.m. The National Transportation Safety Board says the engineer in the fatal New Jersey train crash has been released from the hospital and is cooperating with investigators. NTSB Vice Chairwoman T. Bella Dinh-Zarr said Thursday that the engineer involved in the crash at the Hoboken station was no longer in the hospital. She says investigators will be interviewing him. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had said at a news conference earlier Thursday that the engineer was in critical condition. One woman on the platform was killed and more than 100 other people were injured in the crash during morning rush hour. ___ 5:40 p.m. The National Transportation Safety Board says the investigation into the New Jersey train crash has been hampered by safety issues. NTSB Vice Chairwoman T. Bella Dinh-Zarr said Thursday that the canopy of the more than 100-year-old train station building in Hoboken is resting on top of the car that sped off the tracks and the NTSB is waiting until it's safe to go into that area. She says water has been leaking in all day and there may also be asbestos contamination because of the age of the building. Dinh-Zarr said investigators have access to the train's locomotive and expect to pull the train's data recorder Thursday night. She says the train's engineer was controlling the locomotive from a control cab in the train's front passenger car. ___ 5:25 p.m. A second New Jersey hospital says seven victims of the train crash are still receiving treatment there and are in stable condition. Hoboken University Medical Center said Thursday that it received 23 patients after the train crash in Hoboken during morning rush hour. It says all but seven of those patients have since been released. Jersey City Medical Center said earlier Thursday that it had received 66 patients and all but 13 had already been released. The 13 are trauma patients, and the hospital says none of them are critically injured. A 34-year-old Hoboken woman who was standing on the platform when the train came barreling in was the sole fatality of the crash. The state medical examiner's office identified her as Fabiola Bittar de Kroon. ___ 5:15 p.m. The only person who died in the New Jersey train crash has been identified as a 34-year-old woman from Hoboken. The state medical examiner's office said Thursday that the victim is Fabiola Bittar de Kroon. Gov. Chris Christie says she had been standing on the platform when the train came barreling in and she was struck by debris. The New Jersey Transit train ran off the end of its track as it pulled into the Hoboken station during rush hour Thursday morning, smashing through a concrete-and-steel bumper. Cries and screams could be heard in the wreckage as emergency workers rushed to reach commuters in the tangle of twisted metal and dangling wires. More than 100 other people were injured. Christie says no one else is expected to die. ___ 5 p.m. The mayor of a New Jersey city where a train crashed during the morning rush hour says the woman who died was from Hoboken. Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer confirmed Thursday that the sole victim of the crash was a resident of Hoboken. More than 100 other people were injured, including nearly 75 who were sent to hospitals. Zimmer says her thoughts and prayers go out to the victim's family. She says that she can't give any more information on the woman's identity but noted that "we're in great sadness over that loss." Gov. Chris Christie said earlier that the woman had been standing on the platform and was hit by debris. But he says most of the people who were injured were on the train. ___ 4:50 p.m. A New Jersey hospital says it has 13 patients in guarded condition after a train crash in Hoboken. Jersey City Medical Center says it treated 66 people, including 13 who were trauma patients. The hospital says none of them are critically injured. The hospital says 53 patients were walk-ins with minor injuries. All of them have been released. The update from the hospital came hours after a New Jersey Transit train crashed through a barrier at the busy Hoboken station and lurched across the waiting area during the Thursday morning rush hour. One woman on the platform was killed, and more than 100 other people were injured. Gov. Chris Christie says investigators will be looking into why the train came into the station at a high rate of speed. ___ 3:50 p.m. PATH train service to the Hoboken, New Jersey, rail station from New York City has been restored after a deadly train crash. The transit agency says service from Hoboken to 33rd Street and the World Trade Center stations, however, remains suspended until further notice. The New Jersey Transit train crashed into the Hoboken Terminal during the Thursday morning rush hour, killing one woman and injuring more than 100 other people. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. The train was speeding as it entered the station. ___ 2:45 p.m. The presidential nominees are extending their best wishes to the victims of the New Jersey train crash. Democrat Hillary Clinton said from Iowa on Thursday that she was sending her "thoughts and prayers" to the victims and their families. She says the crash was personal to her as a New York resident, and she called it a "horrible accident." Republican Donald Trump tweeted, "My condolences to those involved in today's horrible accident in NJ and my deepest gratitude to all of the amazing first responders." The New Jersey Transit train crashed into the Hoboken Terminal during the Thursday morning rush hour, killing one woman and injuring more than 100 other people. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. The train was speeding as it entered the station. ___ 2:20 p.m. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says most of the injuries in the Hoboken train crash came from people aboard the train, not standing on the platform. However, Christie noted Thursday at a news conference that the one person who died was a woman who was standing on the platform and was struck by debris. He says 108 people were injured. Christie says there is no reason to believe there will be any more fatalities. Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo say the New Jersey Transit train was going too fast when it came into the station Thursday morning, but it's unclear why. Christie says there's no indication so far that the crash was anything but a "tragic accident," but he noted it was too early to make assumptions. ___ 2 p.m. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says the engineer involved in the train crash in Hoboken is in critical condition. Christie said Thursday at a news conference that the engineer was cooperating with investigators. The New Jersey Transit train crashed during rush hour Thursday morning. Witnesses reported that it came speeding into the station and hit a concrete-and-steel bumper. It apparently knocked out pillars as it ground to a halt in a covered waiting area, collapsing a section of the roof onto the first car. Christie says one woman was killed in the crash and 108 people were injured. Authorities had previously said one person was killed and more than 100 people were injured. Authorities say the cause of the crash wasn't immediately clear. ___ 1:50 p.m. A New Jersey Transit machinist at the Hoboken train station when a train crashed says he saw it coming in at a high rate of speed and strike a bumper block, which caused the front car to go into the air. Michael Larson says the train traveled about 40 feet after going airborne and hit the wall of a waiting room at the station in New Jersey at morning rush hour Thursday. Larson says the bumper blocks are made of concrete and steel. Gov. Chris Christie says one person was killed. Area hospitals report that 74 patients were being treated, including three who suffered traumatic injuries. ___ 1:20 p.m. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has canceled a trip to Israel for Shimon Peres' funeral because of the deadly commuter train crash in New Jersey. The Democratic governor had planned to pay his respects to the former Israeli leader on Friday. Instead he will tour the crash site with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Cuomo says a large number of New Yorkers were on the train when it crashed into the station in Hoboken. One person was killed and 74 others were hospitalized. He says New York State Police are assisting in the response to the crash, along with officials from other local, state and federal agencies. Cuomo says the crash will likely cause "major delays" into New York City. ___ 1:15 p.m. Hospitals in New Jersey say they have received 74 patients from the Hoboken train crash. A spokesman for Jersey City Medical Center says it got 51 injured. Three are trauma patients in serious condition, while eight others are in less serious condition. Forty others were brought in by bus, were triaged and were being treated in its cafeteria. Officials at Hoboken University Medical Center say they received 22 patients. Three of them had broken bones, while the rest had bumps, cuts and other minor injuries. The two hospitals are the primary places taking those injured in the crash, which killed one person. Another patient was taken to Christ Hospital in Jersey City. The New Jersey Transit train overran the end of the tracks in Hoboken and smashed into the station. ___ 11:55 a.m. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says no one is believed to be trapped on the commuter train that crashed in Hoboken. Christie spoke Thursday to Fox News, more than two hours after the New Jersey Transit train overran the end of the line and crashed into the Hoboken station. He confirms that there has been one fatality. More than 100 others were injured. The governor says he, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and New Jersey Transit are coordinating on the response. Christie says all victims are being taken to one of two hospitals in the area: Jersey City Medical Center and Point Care Hospital Center in Hoboken. He says loved ones should contact the hospitals directly to get information on family members who may be hospitalized. ___ 11:40 a.m. The New Jersey Transit train that crashed in Hoboken, killing one person and injuring more than 100 others, was not equipped with a technology that is designed to slow speeding trains. U.S. railroads are under government orders to install the system called positive train control, but the work has gone more slowly than expected. The deadline has been repeatedly extended and is now Dec. 31, 2018. Bob Chipkevich, who formerly headed the National Transportation Safety Board's train crash investigations section, says the agency will be looking at whether the train was exceeding speed limits, both when it was approaching the station and when it entered the station area. Last month, the Federal Railroad Administration said New Jersey Transit had a lot of work yet to do on installing the necessary equipment. New Jersey Transit responded that the report didn't reflect the work it had accomplished. ___ 11 a.m. A state lawmaker says one person was killed and two critically injured when a commuter train plowed into the Hoboken station. Democratic Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, who represents Hoboken, said a transit official confirmed the death to him. A New Jersey Transit spokeswoman, Jennifer Nelson, earlier said that more than 100 people were injured in the crash. The train from New York crashed during the Thursday morning rush hour. It caused serious damage to both the train and station. Witnesses reported injuries, including one woman who was trapped under concrete and many people bleeding. The National Transportation Safety Board is opening an investigation into the crash, and is sending a team of investigators to the scene. ___ 10:20 a.m. A New Jersey Transit spokeswoman says that more than 100 people were injured, some critically, when a commuter train plowed into the Hoboken station. The train from New York crashed during the Thursday morning rush hour. It caused serious damage to both the train and station. Witnesses reported injuries, including one woman who was trapped under concrete and many people bleeding. The spokeswoman, Jennifer Nelson, says she doesn't know yet how fast the train was going when it ran into the rail bumper at the end of the line. ___ 10 a.m. A New Jersey Transit spokeswoman says that a commuter train that crashed into a train station in Hoboken was coming from Spring Valley, New York, on the Pascack Valley Line. Nancy Snyder says there were multiple injuries, but it's not clear how many, after Train No. 1614 crashed into the Hoboken train station around 8:45 a.m. She says the train left Spring Valley at 7:23 a.m. Thursday. TV footage and photos from the scene Thursday morning show damage to the rail car and extensive structural damage to the Hoboken station. A spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration says that investigators have been dispatched to the scene. Passengers heading to New York City transfer from New Jersey Transit trains at Hoboken to board other trains and ferries to get into Manhattan. ___ 9:55 a.m. A passenger says the commuter train that crashed in New Jersey was crowded and plowed through the platform at the end of the line. Bhagyesh Shah told NBC New York he saw a lot of people bleeding and a woman pinned under concrete Thursday morning at New Jersey Transit's Hoboken station. Shah says he was in the back of the train but that many people use the front cars, since it makes for an easier exit. He says the train plowed into the platform. He says it lasted only a couple seconds, "but it felt like an eternity." He tells the TV station that passengers in the second car broke the emergency windows to get out. Images from the scene show damage to the rail car and extensive structural damage, but there's no official word on the number of injuries. ___ 9:30 a.m. A commuter train has crashed into a rail station in New Jersey during the morning rush hour, causing serious damage. TV footage and photos from the scene Thursday morning show damage to the rail car and extensive structural damage to the Hoboken station. Radio station WFAN anchor John Minko told New York radio station WINS that the train "went right through the barriers and into the reception area." Rail service was suspended in and out of Hoboken, which is 7 miles outside New York City. There is no word so far on any injuries. Emergency crews are arriving on the scene. ___ 9:10 a.m. A commuter train has crashed into a rail station in New Jersey. Emergency crews are arriving on the scene in Hoboken on Thursday morning. Photos from the scene show a damaged New Jersey Transit rail car inside the station, surrounded by debris. There is no word on the damage or any possible injuries. Hoboken is across the river from New York City.[SEP]A woman was killed and 108 others were injured when a crowded commuter train crashed through a barrier at the busy Hoboken, N.J. station and lurched across the waiting area during the height of the Thursday morning rush hour. The New Jersey State Medical Examiner's office identified the deceased victim as Fabiola Bittar de Kroon, 34, of Hoboken. She worked for software company SAP in its legal department in Brazil but left earlier this year. SAP spokesman Andy Kendzie said the company was "shaken by the news" of de Koon's death and offered condolences to her family, friends and all those affected by the "tragic event." Earlier, New Jersey Gov. Chris Chrstie told reporters the woman who died had been standing on a nearby platform and was hit by debris from the crash. The New Jersey Transit train ran off the end of its track as it pulled into the station, smashing through a concrete-and-steel bumper. It apparently knocked out pillars as it ground to a halt in the waiting area, collapsing a section of the station roof onto the train. Scene at Hoboken NJ Transit Terminal right now. Tons of police and first responders. https://t.co/GSpyGFO9rx — Noah Zucker (@noahlz) September 29, 2016 "All of a sudden, there was an abrupt stop and a big jolt that threw people out of their seats. The lights went out, and we heard a loud crashing noise like an explosion" as the roof fell, said Ross Bauer, who was sitting in the third or fourth car when the train entered the historic 109-year-old station, a bustling hub for commuters heading to New York City. "I heard panicked screams, and everyone was stunned." Commuter Jim Finan, of River Edge, N.J., told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" that the train barreled into the station in "at full tilt" and "never slowed down." Massive train crash at #Hoboken Path Station. Injuries reported. Train apparently ran full force into station. pic.twitter.com/rgt9pycnL4 — Nicolette (@NewsNicolette) September 29, 2016 William Blaine, an engineer for a company that runs freight trains, was inside the station and ran over to help. He told the Associated Press he saw the train's engineer slumped over the controls. Finan described the crash as feeling like he was "in an off-road vehicle," adding, "It was bumpy. You were getting bounced around and then slammed forward." "People were running up the stairs to get out," with "others pushing to get through first," WFAN Radio sportscaster John Minko, who was at the station, told Fox News. Late Thursday, New Jersey Transit identified the engineer as Thomas Gallagher, a 29-year agency veteran. A union roster shows Gallagher started as an engineer about 18 years ago. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Vice Chairman Bella Dinh-Zarr told reporters Thursday afternoon that Gallagher had been released from the hospital and was cooperating with investigators. "We have no indication that this is anything other than a tragic accident," Christie said. "The train came in at much too high rate of speed," Christie added, "and the question is: 'Why is that?'" Some witnesses said they didn't hear or feel the brakes being applied before the crash. Dinh-Zarr said investigators were being hampered by safety issues, but were expected to retrieve the train's data recorder Thursday evening. She added that water has been leaking in all day and there may also be asbestos contamination because of the age of the station building. CLICK HERE FOR COVERAGE FROM FOX 5 NEW YORK People pulled concrete off bleeding victims and passengers kicked out the windows amid crying and screaming. Jersey City Medical Center received 66 patients from the crash, according to officials who said 13 people were in "guarded" condition. Doctors said they expected all the remaining patients to survive. Hoboken University Medical Center received 23 patients, all but seven of whom had been released Thursday evening. The injuries included broken bones and head wounds. Another patient was recovering at Christ Hospital in Jersey City. "When you see the damage and destruction, and you know how many people were on the platform, it's amazing there was only one fatality," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told Fox News' "Your World with Neil Cavuto." "It could have been much worse." Speaking to Fox News, Christie praised the "seamless, professional" response from emergency workers in the minutes and hours after the crash. None of NJ Transit's trains is fully equipped with positive train control, a safety system designed to prevent accidents by overriding the engineer and automatically slowing or stopping trains that are going too fast. Positive train control relies on radio and GPS signals to monitor trains' positions and speed. The NTSB has been pressing for some version of the technology since at least 1990, and the industry is under government orders to install it, but regulators have repeatedly extended the deadline at railroads' request. The target date is now the end of 2018. "While we are just beginning to learn the cause of this crash, it appears that once again an accident was not prevented because the trains our commuters were riding lacked positive train control," said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y. "The longer we fail to prioritize investing in rail safety technology, the more innocent lives we put in jeopardy." But both Cuomo and Christie said that it is too soon to say whether such technology would have made a difference in the Hoboken crash. Over the past 20 years, the NTSB has listed the lack of positive train control as a contributing factor in 25 crashes. Those include the Amtrak wreck last year in Philadelphia in which a speeding train ran off the rails along a curve. Eight people were killed. NJ Transit trains do have an alerter system — a sort of dead man's device — that can sound a loud alarm and then stop a train if the engineer goes approximately 15 to 20 seconds without adjusting the controls. But it is not clear whether that would have made a difference either. The train was not equipped with an inward-facing camera in the cab that could give a fuller picture of the operator's actions. The train consisted of four passenger cars and a locomotive at the rear. Passengers said it was crowded, with standing room only in the typically popular first few cars, but authorities had no immediate estimate of how many were aboard. The Hoboken terminal handles more than 50,000 train and bus riders daily, many of them headed into New York City. After arriving at Hoboken, they take ferries or PATH commuter trains across the river to the city. More than 100,000 people use NJ Transit trains to commute from New Jersey into New York every day. With the Hoboken station still closed as of Thursday evening, NJ Transit trains out of Penn Station in Manhattan were crowded with commuters forced to find a detour around Hoboken. "My 30-minute commute is turning into at least an hour and a half," said Steve Malfitano, who had to go into New York just to get from one New Jersey city to another. But he added: "It is what it is. It's better than what those people had to go through." In 2011, a PATH commuter train crash at the Hoboken station injured more than 30 people. The train slammed into bumpers at the end of the tracks on a Sunday morning. FoxNews.com's Cristina Corbin, Fox News' Kathleen Foster, Rick Leventhal, Bryan Llenas and The Associated Press contributed to this report.[SEP]At least one person died and more than 100 people were injured when a commuter train from New York barreled into a New Jersey rail station during the Thursday morning rush hour, officials said. Jennifer Nelson, a New Jersey Transit spokeswoman, says some of those injured were in critical condition. Witnesses reported injuries, including one woman who was trapped under concrete and many people bleeding. New Jersey governor Chris Christie confirmed the fatality at a press conference. Ambulances and firetrucks from neighboring cities arrived at Hoboken train station around 10.45am to help transport dozens of injured passengers. Several roads leading to Hoboken were closed by police. Pedestrians in the area meandered around the scene, looking shocked or confused. Near the station, first responders continuously pushed media further back down the Observer Highway, away from the station. The scenes remained chaotic at 11am, with a mix of dozens of emergency vehicles, sirens flashing and media attempting to film evidence of destruction outside the station. TV footage and photos from the scene show damage to the rail car and extensive structural damage to the Hoboken station. Images on social media show a train that appears to have gone through the bumper stop at the end of a track. “The next thing I know, we are plowing through the platform,” passenger Bhagyesh Shah told NBC New York. “It was for a couple seconds, but it felt like an eternity.” He said the train was crowded, particularly the first two cars, because they make for an easy exit into the Hoboken station and onto the Path train. Passengers in the second car broke the emergency windows to get out. “I saw a woman pinned under concrete,” Shah told NBC New York. “A lot of people were bleeding; one guy was crying.” A New Jersey Transit spokeswoman said it wasn’t clear how many people were injured. The train came to a halt in a covered area between the station’s indoor waiting area and the platform. A metal structure covering the area collapsed. “It simply did not stop,” WFAN anchor John Minko, who witnessed the crash, told 1010 WINS. “It went right through the barriers and into the reception area.” The train had left Spring Valley, New York, at 7.23am and crashed into Hoboken Terminal at 8.45am, said NJ Transit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder. The Federal Railroad Administration dispatched investigators to the crash scene, said Matthew Lehner, a spokesman for the agency. Rail service was suspended in and out of Hoboken, which is directly across the Hudson River from New York City. The station is a hub for commuters switching from the NJ Transit system to the Path system to head into Manhattan. Hoboken, which is NJ Transit’s fifth-busiest station with 15,000 boardings per weekday, is the final stop for several train lines and a transfer point for many commuters on their way to New York City. NJ Transit provides more than 200 million passenger trips annually on bus, rail and light rail lines. More than 100,000 people use NJ Transit trains to commute from New Jersey into New York City daily. The Associated Press contributed to this report[SEP]A packed commuter train ploughed into a station in New Jersey during the morning rush hour on Thursday, with three people reported killed and more than 100 injured, many of them in critical condition. IMAGE: NJ Police officers and NJ firefighters arrive to the train terminal after a New Jersey Transit train crashed into the platform at Hoboken Terminal during morning rush hour. Photograph: Pancho Bernasconi/Getty Images The train failed to stop as it pulled into Hoboken station at speed, went up over the blocks at the end of the track and rammed into a wall a few meters away, a New Jersey transit official told AFP at the scene. Michael Larson, another transit employee, told CNN he heard a "bomb-like explosion" as the train hit the bumpers with such force that it went airborne -- hitting the station's roof and causing it to partly collapse. "It was going considerably faster than it should have normally been at the terminal," he said. "It went up and over the bumper block, through the depot... and came to rest at the wall by the waiting room." Video and photos posted on social media showed major damage to the transit hub just over the Hudson river from Manhattan, with the train tangled in wires and debris from what appeared to be caved in portions of the roof. Train #1614 was arriving from Spring Valley when it struck the Hoboken terminal building at around 8.45 am (6.15 pm), New Jersey Transit said in a statement, adding that all services were currently suspended in and out of the station. IMAGE: The roof collapse after a NJ Transit train crashed in to the platform at the Hoboken Terminal. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images Passengers quoted by US media described the train ramming at full speed into the bumper at the end of the track. "We never slowed down," Jim Finan, a commuter from New Jersey, told Fox News. "We ploughed, I mean, right through the bumper." NBC and CBS reported three fatalities from the early morning accident. No official toll was immediately available. "We have 100 plus injuries," Jennifer Nelson, a New Jersey transit spokeswoman, told reporters at the scene, adding that there were "multiple critical injuries." Nelson said there were around 250 passengers on board at the time of the crash, and that it was not known if there were still people trapped on the train. Finan said it was an unusually crowded morning. IMAGE: A NJ Transit train seen through the wreckage after it crashed in to the platform at the Hoboken Terminal. Photograph: Pancho Bernasconi/Getty Images "Afterwards there was some panic. People were trying to smash some windows out." "Everyone who was standing kind of went flying," he said. "I saw a lot of head injuries and kind of people with cuts." Nelson told reporters it was not known how fast the train was travelling as it entered the station, and that an investigation was ongoing. "We're looking at all things that could have caused this accident," she said. Emergency vehicles converged on the scene in response to the crash.[SEP]HOBOKEN: A speeding commuter train that plowed into a New Jersey station during morning rush hour, killing one person and injuring 114, has caused major destruction at the transport hub and gateway to Manhattan. The train entered the Hoboken station “at a high rate of speed” and “crashed through the barriers, bringing it into the interior wall” of the terminal, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said. A 34-year-old resident of Hoboken, who state medical examiners identified as Fabiola Bittar de Kroon, was standing on the platform when she was hit and killed by debris from the crash, Christie told CNN. She was the sole confirmed fatality. The train’s engineer was treated at a local hospital before being released and was cooperating with an investigation into the crash, he said. “We have no indication that this is anything but a tragic accident,” Christie said. “Was it a system failure? Was it human error? Was it a medical emergency involving the engineer? We don’t know.” Video and photos on social media showed serious damage to the transit choke point just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, with the train tangled in wires and debris from what appeared to be caved-in portions of the roof. The Hoboken terminal is a major transfer point for New Jersey trains and buses as well as ferries and the PATH commuter train that take passengers to New York. Kenneth Garay, chief medical officer at Jersey City medical center, said surgeons were “all hands on deck” treating patients with broken bones, internal injuries and lacerations. “None at this point are life-threatening,” he said on CNN. “They’re critical and stable and being carefully monitored.” A total of 114 people were injured, Christie told the station. Of those, 55 were treated by emergency responders, while another 22 were transported to hospitals and 37 were walk-ins. He said he had been contacted by the White House and was working with federal, state and local authorities to “make sure this investigation is seamless and coordinated.” Structural damage and the possible presence of asbestos had prevented investigators from accessing the train cars, Bella Dinh-Zarr, vice chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters. Investigators would spend seven to 10 days on site, she added, saying they hoped to find the train’s event recorder — which would contain information about speed and braking — later in the day. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said she “was terribly upset this morning.” “It’s a horrible accident,” the former New York senator said at a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa. “I just want to send our thoughts and prayers.” Donald Trump also expressed his sympathies with the victims on Twitter. “My condolences to those involved in today’s horrible accident in NJ and my deepest gratitude to all of the amazing first responders,” the Republican candidate said. Appearing alongside Christie was New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who canceled a trip to Israel for the funeral of former president Shimon Peres. “These are difficult times over these past weeks and months, between terrorist attacks and natural disasters,” Cuomo said, referring to a recent string of bombings in New York and New Jersey. Train 1614 was arriving from Spring Valley, New York when it struck the Hoboken terminal building around 8:45 am (1245 GMT), the New Jersey Transit agency said in a statement. Passengers described a scene of chaos with dazed and bloodied people making their way to safety. “We crashed and the lights went out. A few people screamed,” Leon Offengenden told CNN. “It was pretty chaotic,” he added. “And people just in shock and everybody has photos and cameras out and iPads. It was pretty intense.” Passengers described the train — which was carrying around 250 people — ramming full speed into the bumper at the end of the track. “We never slowed down,” Jim Finan, a commuter from New Jersey, told Fox News. “We plowed, I mean, right through the bumper.” Investigators will be looking for similarities to a 2011 PATH commuter train crash at Hoboken that injured several dozen people, Dinh-Zarr said. Christie said engineers were examining the structural integrity of the Hoboken terminal, which underwent lengthy repairs after being hit during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The last major train crash in the United States took place in May 2015, when an Amtrak train linking Washington to New York derailed in Philadelphia, killing eight and injuring 200. In December 2013, a New York suburban train derailed in the Bronx while traveling at several times the speed limit, leaving four people dead and more than 60 injured. AFP[SEP]New Jersey train crash leaves over 100 people injured, three dead HOBOKEN, New Jersey -- A packed commuter train crashed into a station in New Jersey during the morning rush hour Thursday, officials said, killing three with more than 100 reportedly injured. The train failed to stop as it pulled into the transit hub of Hoboken, just over the Hudson river from New York, according to early photographs of the accident released by AFP. "Due to a NJ Transit train derailment at #Hoboken Station, NJ, all PATH train service in and out of Hoboken Station is suspended," New York's official emergency information system tweeted. New Jersey's emergency management system was reporting more than 100 people injured, while the New Jersey transit service said there were "multiple" injuries, ABC News reported. Images on social media showed serious damage to the train station, with part of the roof apparently caved in. Video showed the station in shambles with the train tangled in wires and debris from what appeared to be collapsed portions of the roof. Emergency vehicles converged on the scene in response to the crash. TV footage and photos from the scene Thursday morning show damage to the rail car and extensive structural damage to the Hoboken station. Images on social media show a train that appears to have gone through the bumper stop at the end of a track. The train came to a halt in a covered area between the station's indoor waiting area and the platform. A metal structure covering the area collapsed. "It simply did not stop," WFAN anchor John Minko, who witnessed the crash, told 1010 WINS. "It went right through the barriers and into the reception area." Rail service was suspended in and out of Hoboken, which is directly across the Hudson River from New York City. Hoboken, which is New Jersey Transit's fifth-busiest stations with 15,000 boardings per weekday, is the final stop for several train lines and a transfer point for many commuters on their way to New York City.[SEP]A commuter train from New York barreled into a New Jersey rail station without stopping and crashed during the Thursday morning rush hour, injuring more than 100 people, some of them critically, authorities said. Witnesses reported seeing one woman trapped under concrete and many people bleeding after the New Jersey Transit train crashed at the Hoboken station. “We have multiple injuries, multiple critical injuries right now,” said Jennifer Nelson, a spokeswoman for NJ Transit. “The terminal is shut down.” She said she doesn’t know yet how fast the train was going when it ran into the rail bumper at the end of the line. TV footage and photos from the scene show damage to the rail car and extensive structural damage to the Hoboken station. “The next thing I know, we are plowing through the platform,” passenger Bhagyesh Shah told NBC New York. “It was for a couple seconds, but it felt like an eternity.” Nancy Bido, a passenger on the train, told WNBC-TV in New York that train didn’t slow as it pulled into the station. “It just never stopped. It was going really fast and the terminal was basically the brake for the train,” she said. He said the train was crowded, particularly the first two cars, because they make for an easy exit into the Hoboken station and onto the PATH train. Passengers in the second car broke the emergency windows to get out. “I saw a woman pinned under concrete,” Shah told NBC New York. “A lot of people were bleeding; one guy was crying.” The train came to a halt in a covered area between the station’s indoor waiting area and the platform. A metal structure covering the area collapsed. “It simply did not stop,” WFAN anchor John Minko, who witnessed the crash, told 1010 WINS. “It went right through the barriers and into the reception area.” The train had left Spring Valley, New York, at 7:23 a.m. and crashed into Hoboken Terminal at 8:45 a.m., said NJ Transit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder. She said authorities are investigating what might have caused the train to crash. The National Transportation Safety Board was opening an investigation into the crash and will send a team of investigators to the scene, said Keith Holloway, a spokesman for the board. The Federal Railroad Administration also dispatched investigators to the crash scene, said spokesman Matthew Lehner. Rail service was suspended in and out of Hoboken, which is directly across the Hudson River from New York City. The station is a hub for commuters switching from the NJ Transit system to the PATH system to head into Manhattan. Hoboken, which is NJ Transit’s fifth-busiest stations with 15,000 boardings per weekday, is the final stop for several train lines and a transfer point for many commuters on their way to New York City. NJ Transit provides more than 200 million passenger trips annually on bus, rail and light rail lines. More than 100,000 people use NJ Transit trains to commute from New Jersey into New York City daily. A crash at the same station on a different train line injured more than 30 people in 2011. The PATH commuter train crashed into bumpers at the end of the tracks on a Sunday morning.[SEP]NEW YORK — A train crashed into the station in Hoboken, New Jersey, on Thursday morning and there were reports of injuries, New York’s NBC affiliate reported on its website. Officials from the local police, fire department and New Jersey Transit could not immediately be reached for comment. Many commuters posted pictures on social media that appeared to show the station with part of its roof collapsed.[SEP]A New Jersey transit train that derailed and crashed through the station is seen in Hoboken, New Jersey, US (Reuters photo) HOBOKEN, United States — A packed commuter train crashed into a station in New Jersey during the morning rush hour Thursday, with three people reported killed and more than 100 injured, many of them in critical condition. The train failed to stop as it pulled into Hoboken station, causing major damage to the transit hub just over the Hudson River from Manhattan. Michael Larson, a New Jersey transit employee, told CNN the train hit a concrete block at the end of the line with such force that it went airborne — hitting the roof and causing it to partly collapse. “We have 100 plus injuries,” Jennifer Nelson, a New Jersey transit spokeswoman, told reporters at the scene, adding that there were “multiple critical injuries”. NBC and CBS reported three fatalities from the early morning accident. No official toll was immediately available. Nelson said there were around 250 passengers on the train at the time of the crash, which occurred at around 9:00am (1300 GMT), and that it was not known if there were still people trapped on board. Passengers quoted by US media described the train ramming at full speed into the bumper at the end of the track. “We never slowed down,” Jim Finan, a commuter from New Jersey, told Fox. “We ploughed, I mean, right through the bumper.” “Afterwards there was some panic. People were trying to smash some windows out.” Finan said it was an unusually crowded morning. “Everyone who was standing kind of went flying,” he said. “I saw a lot of head injuries and kind of people with cuts.” Nelson told reporters it was not known how fast the train was travelling as it entered the station, and that an investigation was ongoing. “We’re looking at all things that could have caused this accident,” she said. Emergency vehicles converged on the scene in response to the crash. Pancho Bernasconi, Getty’s director of photography for news who arrived at the station just after the crash, told AFP he saw people running as he arrived on the scene. There was “a lot of damage” to the station. “Part of the roof has collapsed.” Video on social media showed the station in shambles with the train tangled in wires and debris from what appeared to be collapsed portions of the roof. Other passengers described a scene of chaos with dazed and bloodied people making their way to safety. “We crashed, and the lights went out. A few people screamed,” Leon Offengenden told CNN. “It was pretty chaotic. And people just in shock and everybody has photos and cameras out and iPads. It was pretty intense. I took a few snaps and video posted online,” he said. The last major train crash in the United States was in May 2015, when an Amtrak train linking Washington to New York derailed in Philadelphia, leaving eight dead and 200 injured.[SEP]HOBOKEN, N.J. — A commuter train barreled into a New Jersey rail station during the Thursday morning rush hour, causing serious damage. Initial reports said more than 100 people were injured and others were trapped in the wreckage. TV footage and photos from the scene Thursday morning show damage to the rail car and extensive structural damage to the Hoboken station. Images on social media show a train that appears to have gone through the bumper stop at the end of a track. The train came to a halt in a covered area between the station’s indoor waiting area and the platform. A metal structure covering the area collapsed. “It simply did not stop,” said WFAN radio station anchor John Minko, who witnessed the crash. “It went right through the barriers and into the reception area.” Rail service was suspended in and out of Hoboken, which is directly across the Hudson River from New York City. The station is a hub for commuters switching heading into Manhattan. Hoboken, which is New Jersey Transit’s fifth-busiest stations with 15,000 boardings per weekday, is the final stop for several train lines and a transfer point for many commuters on their way to New York City.

A commuter train accident at the Hoboken Terminal in New Jersey leaves one woman dead and 114 others injured. Major structural damage occurs to the station with portions of the roof collapsed.

Hurricane Matthew is seen here in AVN Color Infrared Loop satellite imagery. Photo courtesy of NOAA Hurricane Matthew is projected by the National Hurricane Center to reach Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas as at least a Category 2 hurricane. Map by National Weather Service MIAMI, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- The National Hurricane Center upgraded Matthew to a hurricane Thursday afternoon and said it is projected to hit Jamaica, and then Cuba and the Bahamas. The fifth Atlantic hurricane of the season and 13th storm was about 190 miles northeast of Curacao and was traveling west at 15 mph with 75 mph sustained winds, according to the center. Storms become hurricanes when they hit 74 mph. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center. Tropical-storm-force winds are up to 205 miles outward. According to the hurricane center, Matthew was expected to strengthen gradually over the next 48 hours and then turn northwestward. Tropical storm conditions Thursday are possible in Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba, according to the center. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches are expected over those areas through Saturday. The center warned it could bring life-threatening mudslides and flash floods to the Lesser Antilles -- the string of smaller islands of the eastern Caribbean -- on Thursday. Up to 2 inches of rain is forecast to fall in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. RELATED Dozens missing after Typhoon Megi causes landslide in China Residents of Jamaica, Haiti and eastern Cuba should anticipate the possibility of at least a Category 2 hurricane early next week, according to Weather Underground. Matthew is projected to reach the Bahamas on Tuesday. It was uncertain whether it would hit Florida. "The exact track is, of course, still uncertain," senior National Hurricane Center specialist Richard Pasch told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "We have differing computer models that are showing some different solutions. We do think it's going to strengthen." RELATED Tourists trapped on erupting Indonesian volcano On Wednesday, Matthew pounded Barbados with heavy winds.[SEP]000 WTNT34 KNHC 240234 TCPAT4 BULLETIN Post-Tropical Cyclone Chantal Advisory Number 13 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL042019 1100 PM AST Fri Aug 23 2019 ...CHANTAL BECOMES A REMNANT LOW... ...THIS IS THE LAST ADVISORY... SUMMARY OF 1100 PM AST...0300 UTC...INFORMATION ----------------------------------------------- LOCATION...35.6N 40.9W ABOUT 785 MI...1265 KM W OF THE AZORES MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...30 MPH...45 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...S OR 185 DEGREES AT 6 MPH...9 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1014 MB...29.95 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect. DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK ---------------------- At 1100 PM AST (0300 UTC), the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Chantal was located near latitude 35.6 North, longitude 40.9 West. The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the south near 6 mph (9 km/h). A turn toward the southwest and west is expected over the weekend, followed by a slow motion toward the northwest Sunday night and Monday. Maximum sustained winds are near 30 mph (45 km/h) with higher gusts. Gradual weakening is anticipated and Chantal is forecast to dissipate on Monday. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1014 mb (29.95 inches). HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- None. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- This is the last public advisory issued by the National Hurricane Center on Chantal. Additional information on this system can be found in High Seas Forecasts issued by the National Weather Service, under AWIPS header NFDHSFAT1, WMO header FZNT01 KWBC, and online at ocean.weather.gov/shtml/NFDHSFAT1.php $$ Forecaster Zelinsky[SEP](CNN) Here is a look at the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season . The 2016 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The areas covered include the North Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Last Look: Can you control a hurricane? Last Look: Can you control a hurricane? 01:29 Last Look: Can you control a hurricane? The National Weather Service defines a hurricane as "an intense tropical weather system with well-defined circulation and sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher." Hurricanes are rated according to intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale A indicates the possibility that a region could experience hurricane conditions within 48 hours. A indicates that sustained winds of at least 74 mph are expected within 36 hours. Hurricane Alex January 14, 2016 - Subtropical Storm Alex develops into a hurricane, the first hurricane to form in January since 1938. January 15, 2016 - Weakens to a post-tropical cyclone. Tropical Storm Bonnie May 28, 2016 - Tropical Storm Bonnie develops about 120 miles southeast of South Carolina. May 29, 2016 - Downgraded to a tropical depression before making landfall near Charleston, South Carolina. Tropical Storm Danielle June 20, 2016 - Tropical Storm Danielle forms in the Bay of Campeche, and later makes landfall north of Tuxpan, Mexico. Danielle is the earliest fourth-named Atlantic storm on record. June 21, 2016 - Dissipates over east-central Mexico. Tropical Storm Fiona August 18, 2016 - Tropical Storm Fiona forms over the central Atlantic. August 21, 2016 - Weakens to a tropical depression without making landfall. Hurricane Gaston August 22, 2016 - Tropical Storm Gaston forms about 450 miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. August 25, 2016 - Gaston becomes a Category 1 hurricane and later weakens to a tropical storm. August 27, 2016 - Gaston strengthens back into a Category 1 hurricane about 655 miles east-southeast of Bermuda. August 28, 2016 - Intensifies into a Category 3 hurricane. Hurricane Hermine August 31, 2016 - Tropical Storm Hermine forms about 395 miles south-southwest of Apalachicola, Florida. September 1, 2016 - Strengthens to a hurricane. September 2, 2016 - east of St. Marks, Florida. At least one man dies during the storm when he is struck by a tree in Marion County. Hermine weakens to a tropical storm later in the day. September 3, 2016 - One person dies when a tractor-trailer overturns while crossing a bridge in eastern North Carolina amid high winds from Hermine. Tropical Storm Hermine forms about 395 miles south-southwest of Apalachicola, Florida.Strengthens to a hurricane. Hermine makes landfall east of St. Marks, Florida. At least one man dies during the storm when he is struck by a tree in Marion County. Hermine weakens to a tropical storm later in the day.One person dies when a tractor-trailer overturns while crossing a bridge in eastern North Carolina amid high winds from Hermine. Tropical Storm Ian September 12, 2016 - Tropical Storm Ian forms over the central Atlantic Ocean. September 16, 2016 - Weakens to a post-tropical cyclone. Tropical Storm Julia September 13, 2016 - Tropical Storm Julia forms over the northeastern coast of Florida. September 16, 2016 - Weakens to a tropical depression off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina. Tropical Storm Karl September 15, 2016 - Tropical Storm Karl forms over the far eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean. September 25, 2016 - Weakens to a post-tropical cyclone over the north Atlantic Ocean. Tropical Storm Lisa September 20, 2016 - Tropical Storm Lisa forms over the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean. September 24, 2016 - Weakens to a tropical depression.[SEP]BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (Reuters) – Tropical Storm Matthew brought flooding and felled trees to islands in the eastern Caribbean yesterday and forecasters said the 13th cyclone of the 2016 Atlantic season would reach hurricane force later this week. Matthew moved over the Windward Islands, causing flooding in coastal areas of volcanic St. Lucia and knocking out power lines and trees in Barbados. Airports in tourist hotspots Barbados and St Lucia were closed because of the storm, which the U.S. National Hurricane Center said packed maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour (100 kph). “Strengthening is expected during the next couple of days, and Matthew is forecast to become a hurricane by tomorrow,” before possibly turning towards Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba, the Miami-based centre said. In Barbados, which is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands and rarely suffers major storms, schools, courts and businesses closed yesterday, as resident hunkered down for the first big storm since 2010. “We ask all persons to remain indoors for your safety,” said Kerry Hinds, the director of the Department of Emergency Management. Tropical storm warnings were in effect in Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia, Dominica, Barbados, St. Vincent, and the Grenadine Islands, the Hurricane Center said. The Dutch Caribbean islands of Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba – home to Venezuelan oil refineries and storage terminals – were on storm watch, the center said. It warned that expected rainfall of up to 8 inches (20.32 cm) could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides as the storm makes its way across the region.[SEP]Santo Domingo.- Tropical Storm Matthew has formed next to the Windward Islands with winds of 95kph and is expected to become a hurricane Friday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center US (NHC) announced Wednesday. Dominican Republic’s Weather Bureau said TS Matthew will affect the country on Friday. On Wednesday the islands of Guadeloupe, Barbados, Dominica, St. Vincent & Grenadines, St. Lucia and Martinique posted tropical storm warnings. The tropical is currently around 35 miles (55 kilometers) southeast of St. Lucia.[SEP]BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — Tropical Storm Matthew has formed in the eastern Caribbean and is lashing the Windward Islands with heavy rain and wind. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Matthew has sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph) as it moves west. It's expected to bring rainfall of 4-8 inches (up to 15 ) across the Windward Islands and the southern portion of the Leeward Islands. Tropical Storm warnings are in effect for Guadeloupe, Martinique, Barbados, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia. Schools and most public offices have been closed across the region due to the storm. Matthew was about 35 miles (55 ) east-northeast of St. Vincent and was moving west at 21 mph (33 kph) at 11 a.m. EDT Wednesday.[SEP]Santo Domingo.- An active tropical wave near the Windward Islands, Lesser Antilles, with a 90% chance of becoming a cyclone, will affect Dominican Republic on Friday and the weekend, the National Weather Office forecast on Wednesday. It said it monitors the displacement of the system associated with a tropical disturbance located some 200 kilometers east / southeast of the Windward Islands, moving quickly westward around 28 kph. For its part the National Hurricane Center in Miami says the system’s winds are from 40 to 45 kph. Reports from an Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft indicate that the strong tropical wave located near Barbados is producing winds of 40 to 45 mph. Regardless of whether or not the system becomes a tropical storm before it moves through the Lesser Antilles, tropical-storm-force winds and heavy rains will spread across Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, and St. Lucia today. Satellite and surface observations suggest that the circulation associated with the system has become better defined, and the reconnaissance aircraft is beginning its mission to determine if a tropical storm has formed. The system is moving westward to west-northwestward at around 15 mph, and is expected to pass over the Lesser Antilles later today, and move over the southeastern Caribbean Sea tonight and Thursday. Interests in the Windward and southern Leeward Islands should consult products issued by your national meteorological service, including possible tropical storm warnings or watches.[SEP]KAILUA-KONA — Tropical Storm Ulika continues to weaken Wednesday morning far east-southeast of the Big Island. Shortly before 11 a.m. Hawaii time, Ulika was packing 60 mph winds and tracking north at 7 mph about 1,125 miles east-southeast of Hilo. Tropical storm-force winds extend outward just 45 miles from the storm’s center, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, which is monitoring the storm after it re-entered the Eastern Pacific basin Tuesday. The now-tropical storm had seen a spat of intensification late Tuesday, reaching hurricane status with 75 mph winds before starting to weaken early Wednesday as wind shear picked up in the area. Forecasters expect the storm to continue weakening and will likely downgrade Ulika to a remnant low by Friday. Behind Ulika, Tropical Depression Roslyn also continues to weaken. Located several hundred miles off the southern tip of Baja California, the weather system was packing 60 mph winds as it headed north at 7 mph. Forecasters expect to downgrade Roslyn to a remnant low pressure area Wednesday evening.[SEP]6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, Japan time: Chaba has been upgraded to a tropical storm. It's continuing to move west away from the Marianas, and remains on track for a near-direct hit on Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, come Monday evening, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 3 p.m., Chaba was 228 miles west-northwest of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, headed west at 16 mph, with sustained 46-mph winds and 58-mph gusts at center. If Chaba remains on its current course, it's due to pass almost directly over Kadena at 6 p.m. Monday, at its forecast wind peak of 110-mph sustained winds and 132-mph gusts at center. Model guidance has come into slightly better agreement on a curve northeast toward Japan's main islands next week. But not much better; a vast spread yet remains. The biggest questions center around the curve's timing and Chaba's forecast intensity. PST remains on it. Noon Thursday, Sept. 29, Japan time: Which way will it go? That remains the question in the long term regarding Chaba, which remains a tropical depression as it tracks away from Guam. Chaba was still holding steady at 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts at center, 157 miles west-northwest of Andersen Air Force Base as of 9 a.m. One thing on which model guidance agrees: Chaba will eventually turn north and northeast toward Japan's main islands. But exactly where and how soon that curve takes place? Or will it curve at all? That's hard to say. And it gives a picture of just how unpredictable tropical cyclones -- or any form of weather -- can be. Models are suggesting anywhere between a straight run toward Taiwan (again!), to finally giving Okinawa its long-awaited "big one" that the island has avoided all season, to sharply curving northeast, even bypassing Japan's main islands. The only thing certain ... remains uncertainty. For the moment, Joint Typhoon Warning Center projects a path that would take Chaba 16 miles west of Kadena Air Base at 7 p.m. Monday, packing 98-mph sustained winds and 121-mph gusts at center -- equal to a Category 2 hurricane in the States. But all that could change. Very good chance of it changing, and repeatedly, as Chaba enters its second day as a tropical cyclone. Stay tuned. 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, Japan time: The flood watch for the Marianas islands has been canceled, according to the National Weather Service on Guam. 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, Japan time: Tropical storm watch has been canceled for the Marianas Islands but a flash flood watch remains in effect. Chaba remains a tropical depression for the moment, but is expected to begin intensifying as it moves west and away from the Marianas islands, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 3 a.m., Chaba was 77 miles northwest of Andersen Air Force Base, moving west at 13 mph, still holding steady at 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts. It’s forecast to be come a tropical storm by afternoon, and remains on course to pass 21 miles west of Kadena Air Base at 4 p.m. Monday, packing 98-mph sustained winds and 121-mph gusts at center. There remains a spread among model solutions, most agreeing on a curve northeast toward Japan’s main islands, but a question of timing and location remains. The extended outlook from Shogunweather.com, Kadena’s 18th Wing Weather Flight Web site, calls for gusts up to 85 mph on Monday with a 50-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. 12:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, Guam time: Chaba’s forecast peak intensity has bumped up slightly; it’s expected to cap at 110-mph sustained winds and 132-mph gusts at center as it approaches Okinawa, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. But will it? That remains the $64,000 question. The latest JTWC update also states that the spread among model solutions – where Chaba will actually go – has also increased to a cool 75- miles. Fairly vast. Stretching from Taiwan to Japan’s main islands. And it’s still early in the life of a storm, less than a day old. Thus, the only thing certain … is uncertainty. At 10 p.m., Chaba was 37 miles north-northeast of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, tracking west at 21 mph, still packing 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts at center. Wind and sideways rain continue to pelt the Marianas islands, and it’s expected to continue through later Thursday morning, perhaps afternoon as well. If it remains on its forecast track – a big if, at this point – Chaba should pass 22 miles west of Kadena Air Base at about 2 p.m. Monday, packing sustained 104-mph winds and 127-mph gusts at center as it roars past. All of this can change, pending Chaba’s intensity and track. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: Next up on Tropical Depression Chaba's itinerary: Okinawa, if the latest Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast track offers up an indication. If it remains on its current course, Chaba should be 63 miles south of Kadena Air Base at mid-afternoon Monday as a Category 2-equivalent typhoon, packing 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts at center. Model guidance has come into slightly better agreement on a curve northeast toward Japan's main islands. But there remains a vast spread, of 575 miles at this point, regarding the timing of such a curve and how close Chaba might actually come to Okinawa. That remains to be seen. For the moment, Guam remains Chaba's first target. Tropical storm watch, flood watch, small-craft and high-surf advisories remain in effect. Gonna be a gusty, sideways-rainy Wednesday evening on Guam. 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: Tropical Depression Chaba continues bearing down on Rota, just north of Guam, with a near-direct hit on the tiny island forecast for 2 a.m. Thursday, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. A tropical storm watch remains in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan, according to the National Weather Service on Guam. A flood watch is in effect for Guam and Rota. A high-surf and small-craft advisory remains in effect as well. Winds of 35-mph sustained and 46-mph gusts are forecast through Wednesday into Thursday. On Guam, a heavy thunderstorm with frequently dangerous lightning is occuring until 7 p.m. between Hagatna Bay down to Agat and Orote Point, near Naval Base Guam. 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: Perhaps it might finally happen. After a whole season without a visit by a significant tropical cyclone, Okinawa might finally get a long-awaited typhoon, by early next week if Chaba remains on its initial forecast track. At 10 a.m., Chaba, Thai for tropical flower, was 223 miles east of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, headed west at 16 mph, with 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts at center. A small-craft advisory is in place for Saipan and Tinian and a high-surf advisory for the main Marianas Islands, including Guam, until 6 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service on Guam. The Marianas are also under a Tropical Storm Watch. There's a vast spread among dynamic model guidance. Some models have Chaba turning northeast toward Japan, while others show a straight run into Taiwan.< Joint Typhoon Warning Center's initial forecast track takes Chaba northwest. By 9 a.m. Monday, Chaba is projected to be about 200 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, packing 75-mph sustained winds and 92-mph gusts at center. Shogunweather.com, Kadena's 18th Wing Weather Flight official Web site, depicts winds picking up by Sunday, 21-mph sustained and 31-mph gusts, with between a 40- and 50-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Note that this is an initial track. It's very, very early in the life of a tropical cyclone. Much can change over the course of a storm's first day or two. 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: Tropical Depression Chaba has formed east of Guam. Initial model guidance and the first Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast track indicates a path toward Okinawa once it exits the Marianas. This post will be updated. 7 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: A tropical cyclone formation alert has been issued on a disturbance 322 miles east-southeast of Guam. The disturbance is forecast to pass through the Marianas Wednesday into Wednesday evening, bringing showers and winds between 30 and 35 mph into Wednesday evening. PST is keeping an eye on this developing system.[SEP](Press Release) — Based on information received from the National Weather Service and compiled at the CNMI Emergency Operations Center-State Warning Point, a tropical storm watch remains in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan. Tropical storm conditions, including winds of 39 mph or more, are possible Wednesday night and Thursday morning. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, the center of Chaba was located by satellite near latitude 14.3 degrees north and longitude 146.3 degrees east and .moving west at 16 mph. This was about 65 miles southeast of Saipan and Tinian, about 75 miles east of Rota and about 120 miles east-northeast of Guam. Chaba was expected to maintain a general westward track through Thursday and turn to the northwest on Friday with a slight decrease in forward motion. Maximum sustained winds remain at 35 mph. Chaba was expected to maintain this intensity through late Wednesday night and will begin to intensify Thursday morning, possibly becoming a tropical storm early Thursday morning. Because of the anticipated threat of Chaba, Gov. Ralph Torres is advising residents to maintain necessary precautionary measures for gusty strong winds, heavy rain showers and possible flooding. Residents should also secure all loose objects around the house that need to be strapped down or removed and secured to prevent them from being picked up and propelled by the strong winds. Also, now is a good time to clear drainage areas and un-block clogged storm drains in your area to minimize the chance of flooding. Updated advisories will be available through local media sources and the NOAA weather radio broadcast on 162.5 megahertz. You may also call 237-8000 or 664-8000.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center issues a Tropical Storm Watch for Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao islands in the Caribbean Sea, and for the northwest South American coast.

حق نشر عکس Reza Pahlavi Facebook جمشید آموزگار، نخست‌وزیر پیشین ایران، در سن ۹۳ سالگی درگذشت. رضا پهلوی در حساب فیسبوک خود ضمن اعلام این خبر نوشته است: "خدمات وی به کشورمان ایران قابل ستایش است." در سال ۱۳۵۵ آقای آموزگار به عنوان دومین دبیرکل "حزب رستاخیز ایران‌" (حزبی که توسط محمد رضا پهلوی به عنوان یگانه حزب ایران تاسیس شده بود) و مشاور نخست وزیر به کنگره حزب معرفی گردید. وی سپس در شهریور ماه ۱۳۵۶ و تقریبا همزمان با اوج گرفتن اعتراضات علیه رژیم پهلوی به عنوان نخست وزیر ایران سکان هدایت دولت را برعهده گرفت. به اعتقاد برخی از ناظران، شاه با انتخاب آقای آموزگار در صدد بر آمده بود تا خود، با مشارکت بخشیدن به مخالفانش، فرصت بحران زایی در ایران را از منتقدانش بگیرد. اما عملا در دوران نخست وزیری آموزگار مخالفت‌ها در کشور بالا گرفت و انتشار مقاله‌ای در ۱۷ دی ماه ۱۳۵۶ علیه آیت الله خمینی از سوی دولت به اعتراض خیابانی طرفداران او انجامید. بسیاری از شهرهای ایران را موجی از اعتراضات در قالب راهپیمایی در برگرفت. در پی این تحولات و افزایش اعتراضات، وی در نهایت از مقام نخست‌وزیری و دبیرکلی حزب رستاخیز استعفا کرد. هفت روز پس از استعفای آقای آموزگار، محمدرضا پهلوی، حزب رستاخیز را منحل کرد. آقای آموزگار در آذر ماه ۱۳۵۷ ایران را به مقصد آمریکا ترک کرد. پس از آن فعالیت‌های آقای آموزگار بر اقتصاد جهانی و صندوق بین المللی پول متمرکز بود. پیشینه آقای آموزگار متولد چهارم تیر ماه ۱۳۰۲ استهبان فارس بود. پدرش حبیب‌الله خان آموزگار از قضات وزارت عدلیه رضا شاه بود. جمشید آموزگار، دانش آموخته حقوق و اقتصاد در دانشگاه تهران و فارغ التحصیل مقطع دکترای مهندسی هیدرولیک از دانشگاه واشنگتن بود. وی عضو مجلس مؤسسان و دوره ‌های دوم و سوم مجلس سنا بود و در کابینه حسین علاء وزارت فرهنگ را بر عهده داشت. وی دوران ابتدایی و متوسطه را در تهران گذراند و تحصیلات دانشگاهی اش با جنگ دوم جهانی مقارن شد. او تحصیل در رشته های حقوق و اقتصاد دانشگاه تهران را رها کرد و به آمریکا رفت. در دانشگاه کرنل لیسانس مهندسی راه و ساختمان را گرفت. در رشته مهندسی هیدرولیک در دانشگاه واشنگتن ادامه تحصیل داد و با اخذ مدرک دکترا از آنجا فارغ التحصیل شد. در سال ۱۳۲۸ فعالیت های اجرایی خود را با سمت کارشناسی در سازمان ملل آغاز کرد. سال ۱۳۳۰ به ایران بازگشت و دو سال بعد، معاون مهندسی وزارت بهداشت شد و پس از آن به مدت بیش از هفده سال در کابینه های دکتر منوچهر اقبال، حسنعلی منصور و هویدا فعالیت داشت. او سابقه وزارت بهداشت، کشور، کار، کشاورزی، دارایی و در نهایت، نخست وزیری کشور را در کارنامه خود دارد. در سال ۱۳۴۶ کارشناس بانک جهانی و صندوق بین المللی پول بود. در همین سال به ریاست مجمع سالانه این بانک برگزیده می شود. تدوین و تصویب نخستین قانون کار کشور، لوایح قوانین امور استخدامی، تلاش در جهت تثبیت قیمت نفت ایران و تزریق در آمدهای حاصل از فروش نفت به ارکان و زیر ساخت های اقتصادی کشور، خاصه اقتصاد کشاورزی ایران از جمله اقدامات در دوره نخست وزیری او در فاصله سال های۱۳۵۶ تا ۱۳۵۷ بود.[SEP]OPEC agreed on modest oil output cuts in the first such deal since 2008, with the group's leader Saudi Arabia softening its stance on arch-rival Iran amid mounting pressure from low oil prices. “OPEC made an exceptional decision today ... After two and a half years, OPEC reached consensus to manage the market,” said Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh, who had repeatedly clashed with Saudi Arabia during previous meetings. He and other ministers said the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would reduce output to a range of 32.5-33.0 million barrels per day. OPEC estimates its current output at 33.24 million bpd. “We have decided to decrease the production around 700,000 bpd,” Mr. Zanganeh said. However, how much each country will produce is to be decided at the next formal OPEC meeting in November, when an invitation to join cuts could also be extended to non-OPEC countries such as Russia. Many traders said they were impressed OPEC had managed to reach a compromise but others said they wanted to see the details. “This is the first OPEC deal in eight years! The cartel proved that it still matters even in the age of shale! This is the end of the ‘production war' and OPEC claims victory,” said Phil Flynn, senior energy analyst at Price Futures Group. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Tuesday that Iran, Nigeria and Libya would be allowed to produce “at maximum levels that make sense” as part of any output limits.[SEP]Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Tuesday Iran, Nigeria and Libya would be allowed to produce "at maximum levels that make sense" as part of any output limits which could be set as early as the next OPEC meeting in November. That represents a strategy shift for Riyadh, which has previously said it would reduce output only if every other OPEC and non-OPEC producer followed suit. Iran has argued it should be exempt from such limits as its production recovers after the lifting of EU sanctions. The Saudi and Iranian economies depend heavily on oil but in a post-sanctions environment, Iran is suffering less pressure from the halving in crude prices since 2014. Riyadh, on the other hand, faces a second year of record budget deficits and is being forced to cut the salaries of government employees. "Does the salary cut indicate the Saudis are ready for a fight or does it indicate that they are ready for a deal," said an OPEC source from a Middle Eastern producer, when asked about the Saudi shift. Saudi Arabia is by far the largest OPEC producer with output of more than 10.7 million barrels per day (bpd), on par with Russia and the United States. Together, the three largest global producers extract a third of the world's oil. Iran's production has been stagnant at 3.6 million bpd in the past three months, close to pre-sanctions levels although Tehran says it wants to ramp up output to more than 4 million bpd when foreign investments in its fields kick in. "Iran is not losing as much as Saudi. They are in a stronger position," an OPEC source traveling to Algeria this week said when asked about the shifting dynamic within OPEC. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will hold informal talks at 1400 GMT on Wednesday followed by a formal, regular meeting on Nov. 30. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Tuesday OPEC would try to reach a deal by November, while ruling out a compromise this week to address the glut. At $45 per barrel, oil prices are well below the budget requirements of most OPEC nations. But attempts to reach an output deal have also been complicated by political rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which are fighting several proxy-wars in the Middle East, including in Syria and Yemen. OPEC sources have said Saudi Arabia offered to reduce its output from summer peaks of 10.7 million bpd to around 10.2 million if Iran agreed to freeze production at around current levels of 3.6-3.7 million bpd. For Gary Ross, a veteran OPEC watcher and founder of U.S.-based think tank PIRA, the offer was clearly unacceptable for Iran given that the Saudis have raised production steeply in recent years to compete for market share with U.S. shale production while Iran's output was limited by sanctions. "Given the anti-Iranian sentiment in the kingdom, it is very difficult for Saudi Arabia to do anything in OPEC which looks too beneficial to Iran," Ross said. “The salary cut highlights the urgency of the national transformation plan. If the Saudis did something aggressive to oil prices at this time, it would go against this urgency." Falih said on Tuesday he saw no need for significant output cuts as the market was rebalancing itself. He added that Saudi Arabia was investing in additional spare capacity and could withstand the current trend in oil prices.[SEP]The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ headquarters in Vienna. This is the first OPEC deal in eight years. PHOTO | AFP OPEC agreed on Wednesday modest oil output cuts in the first such deal since 2008, with the group's leader Saudi Arabia softening its stance on arch-rival Iran amid mounting pressure from low oil prices. "OPEC made an exceptional decision today ... After two and a half years, OPEC reached consensus to manage the market," said Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh, who had repeatedly clashed with Saudi Arabia during previous meetings. He and other ministers said the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would reduce output to a range of 32.5-33.0 million barrels per day. OPEC estimates its current output at 33.24 million bpd. However, how much each country will produce is to be decided at the next formal OPEC meeting in November, when an invitation to join cuts could also be extended to non-OPEC countries such as Russia. Oil prices jumped more than 5 per cent to trade above $48 per barrel as of 2015 GMT. Many traders said they were impressed OPEC had managed to reach a compromise after years of wrangling but others said they wanted to see the details. "This is the first OPEC deal in eight years! The cartel proved that it still matters even in the age of shale! This is the end of the ‘production war' and OPEC claims victory," said Phil Flynn, senior energy analyst at Price Futures Group. Jeff Quigley, director of energy markets at Houston-based Stratas Advisors, said the market had yet to discover who would produce what: "I want to hear from the mouth of the Iranian oil minister that he’s not going to go back to pre-sanction levels. For the Saudis, it just goes against the conventional wisdom of what they’ve been saying.". Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Tuesday that Iran, Nigeria and Libya would be allowed to produce "at maximum levels that make sense" as part of any output limits. That represents a strategy shift for Riyadh, which had said it would reduce output to ease a global glut only if every other OPEC and non-OPEC producer followed suit. Iran has argued it should be exempt from such limits as its production recovers after the lifting of EU sanctions earlier this year. The Saudi and Iranian economies depend heavily on oil but in a post-sanctions environment, Iran is suffering less pressure from the halving in crude prices since 2014 and its economy could expand by almost 4 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. Riyadh, on the other hand, faces a second year of budget deficits after a record gap of $98 billion last year, a stagnating economy and is being forced to cut the salaries of government employees.[SEP]Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Tuesday Iran, Nigeria and Libya would be allowed to produce "at maximum levels that make sense" as part of any output limits which could be set as early as the next OPEC meeting in November. That represents a strategy shift for Riyadh, which has previously said it would reduce output only if every other OPEC and non-OPEC producer followed suit. Iran has argued it should be exempt from such limits as its production recovers after the lifting of EU sanctions earlier this year. The Saudi and Iranian economies depend heavily on oil but in a post-sanctions environment, Iran is suffering less pressure from the halving in crude prices since 2014 and its economy could expand by almost 4 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. Riyadh, on the other hand, faces a second year of budget deficits after a record gap of $98 billion last year, a stagnating economy and is being forced to cut the salaries of government employees. "Does the salary cut indicate the Saudis are ready for a fight or does it indicate that they are ready for a deal," said an OPEC source from a Middle Eastern producer, when asked about the Saudi shift. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Wednesday talks about a deal to cap output were ongoing. OPEC will hold an informal meeting at 1400 GMT, following by a formal, regular gathering on Nov. 30. Oil prices were up around 1.5 percent, with Brent crude LCOc1 nearing $47 per barrel by 1125 GMT. Saudi Arabia is by far the largest OPEC producer with output of more than 10.7 million barrels per day (bpd), on par with Russia and the United States. Together, the three largest global producers extract a third of the world's oil. Iran's production has been stagnant at 3.6 million bpd in the past three months, close to pre-sanctions levels although Tehran says it wants to ramp up output to more than 4 million bpd when foreign investments in its fields kick in. "Iran is not losing as much as Saudi. They are in a stronger position," an OPEC source traveling to Algeria this week said when asked about the shifting dynamic within OPEC. Saudi oil revenue has halved over the past two years, forcing Riyadh to liquidate billions of dollars of overseas assets every month to pay bills and cut domestic fuel and utility subsidies last year. "The Iranians have lived with a very tough macro backdrop for many years, and are not used to the government’s benevolence - whether subsidies, employment or spending contracts - in the manner the Saudis are," said Raza Agha, chief Middle East economist at investment bank VTB Capital. "So a sustained drop in oil prices has a more difficult social impact on Saudi." However, with unemployment in double digits, Tehran is also facing calls to maximize oil revenues and President Hassan Rouhani is under pressure from conservative opponents to deliver a faster economic recovery. "The nation is still grappling with the sanctions overhang and an inability to create the jobs it needs, on top of longer-term structural issues,” said Emad Mostaque, strategist at London-based consultancy Ecstrat. Iran's Zanganeh said on Tuesday OPEC would try to reach a deal by November, ruling out a compromise this week to address the glut. At $45 per barrel, oil prices are well below the budget requirements of most OPEC nations. But attempts to reach an output deal have also been complicated by political rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which are fighting several proxy-wars in the Middle East, including in Syria and Yemen. OPEC sources have said Saudi Arabia offered to reduce its output from summer peaks of 10.7 million bpd to around 10.2 million if Iran agreed to freeze production at around current levels of 3.6-3.7 million bpd. For Gary Ross, a veteran OPEC watcher and founder of U.S.-based think tank PIRA, the offer was clearly unacceptable for Iran given that the Saudis have raised production steeply in recent years to compete for market share with U.S. shale production while Iran's output was limited by sanctions. "Given the anti-Iranian sentiment in the kingdom, it is very difficult for Saudi Arabia to do anything in OPEC which looks too beneficial to Iran," Ross said. “The salary cut highlights the urgency of the national transformation plan. If the Saudis did something aggressive to oil prices at this time, it would go against this urgency." Falih said on Tuesday he saw no need for significant output cuts as the market was rebalancing itself. He added that Saudi Arabia was investing in additional spare capacity and could withstand the current trend in oil prices.[SEP]Two sources in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said the group would reduce output to 32.5 million barrels per day from current production of 33.24 million bpd. "OPEC made an exceptional decision today ... After two and a half years, OPEC reached consensus to manage the market," Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh was quoted by Iran's SHANA news agency as saying, without giving details. OPEC's informal meeting in Algeria was still continuing after five hours. How much each country will produce is to be decided at the next formal meeting of OPEC in November, when an invitation to join cuts could also be extended to non-OPEC countries such as Russia, sources said. Oil prices jumped more than 5 percent to trade above $48 per barrel as of 1924 GMT. Many traders said they were impressed OPEC had managed to reach a deal but others said they wanted to see the details. "This is the first OPEC deal in eight years! The cartel proved that it still matters even in the age of shale! This is the end of the 'production war' and OPEC claims victory," said Phil Flynn, senior energy analyst at Price Futures Group. Jeff Quigley, director of energy markets at Houston-based Stratas Advisors, said the market had yet to discover who would produce what: "I want to hear from the mouth of the Iranian oil minister that he's not going to go back to pre-sanction levels. For the Saudis, it just goes against the conventional wisdom of what they've been saying.". Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Tuesday that Iran, Nigeria and Libya would be allowed to produce "at maximum levels that make sense" as part of any output limits which could be set as early as the next OPEC meeting in November. That represents a strategy shift for Riyadh, which has said it would reduce output to ease a global glut only if every other OPEC and non-OPEC producer followed suit. Iran has argued it should be exempt from such limits as its production recovers after the lifting of EU sanctions earlier this year. The Saudi and Iranian economies depend heavily on oil but in a post-sanctions environment, Iran is suffering less pressure from the halving in crude prices since 2014 and its economy could expand by almost 4 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. Riyadh, on the other hand, faces a second year of budget deficits after a record gap of $98 billion last year, a stagnating economy and is being forced to cut the salaries of government employees. Saudi Arabia is by far the largest OPEC producer with output of more than 10.7 million bpd, on par with Russia and the United States. Together, the three largest global producers extract a third of the world's oil. Iran's production has been stagnant at 3.6 million bpd in the past three months, close to pre-sanctions levels although Tehran says it wants to ramp up output to more than 4 million bpd when foreign investments in its fields kick in. Saudi oil revenue has halved over the past two years, forcing Riyadh to liquidate billions of dollars of overseas assets every month to pay bills and cut domestic fuel and utility subsidies last year. "The Iranians have lived with a very tough macro backdrop for many years..." said Raza Agha, chief Middle East economist at investment bank VTB Capital. "So a sustained drop in oil prices has a more difficult social impact on Saudi." However, with unemployment in double digits, Tehran is also facing calls to maximize oil revenues and President Hassan Rouhani is under pressure from conservative opponents to deliver a faster economic recovery. Oil prices are well below the budget requirements of most OPEC nations. But attempts to reach an output deal have also been complicated by political rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which are fighting several proxy-wars in the Middle East, including in Syria and Yemen. OPEC sources have said Saudi Arabia offered to reduce its output from summer peaks of 10.7 million bpd to around 10.2 million if Iran agreed to freeze production at around current levels of 3.6-3.7 million bpd. Riyadh has raised production in recent years to compete for market share while Iran's output was limited by sanctions. Minister Zanganeh has said Iran wanted an output cap of close to 4 million bpd.[SEP]Rashid Husain Syed is a journalist, energy analyst and consultant based in Toronto. For almost 25 years, he served as vice-president of a leading Saudi trading and consulting house. Proving pundits wrong and overcoming skepticism, two days of round-the-clock deliberations in Algiers brought about a landmark agreement in which the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed to slash output. The decision marks the end of the battle for market share. “This is the end of the ‘production war’ – OPEC claims victory,” Phil Flynn, analyst at Chicago-based brokerage Price Futures Group, told Reuters. “The cartel proved that it still matters, even in the age of shale.” Output will be slashed to 32.5 million barrels a day. In August, OPEC averaged 33.24 million barrels a day. “We have decided to decrease the production around 700,000 [barrels a day],” Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh told reporters after the meeting. “OPEC made an exceptional decision today. … After 2 1/2 years, OPEC reached consensus to manage the market,” he emphasized. Apparently a sense of urgency had crept into OPEC ranks as officials sat down in Algiers for the marathon talks. “Our expectations about the rebalancing process have shifted,” OPEC president Mohammed Bin Saleh al-Sada said in his inaugural address, before the closed-door session. “It is evident that there is now a greater degree of urgency to ensure the market returns to balance as quickly as possible,” he said. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih, the most influential voice in the meeting room, also added his weight. “We need a gentle adjustment to reassure the market,” he said at a briefing while flanked by Russian counterpart Alexander Novak. With many predicting the cartel’s end, OPEC needed to act – a fact both realized and conceded. Behind the scenes, diplomacy was in overdrive. Mr. Novak, Russia’s Energy Minister, met Mr. Zanganeh on Tuesday in what was reported to be a “new attempt to persuade Tehran to play ball.” Several other sources quoted by Reuters said Algeria and Qatar were also talking to Iran in a bid to rescue a deal. The results were evident even before formal news of deal. For the first time, Iran indicated that it was ready. Mr. Zanganeh said his country would agree to curb production at close to four million barrels a day. The remarks represented a narrowing of the gap between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Earlier Tuesday, Mr. al-Falih publicly conceded that Iran, Nigeria and Libya would be allowed to produce “at maximum levels that make sense” as part of any output limits, which could be set as early as the next OPEC meeting in November. That represented a strategic shift in Riyadh’s position, too. Until then, the Saudis had emphasized that they would reduce output to ease a global glut only if all other OPEC and non-OPEC producers followed suit. Iran, however, had argued that it should be exempted from such limits as its production recovers after the lifting of sanctions on its oil trade. Michael Wittner, global head of oil research at Société Générale in New York, thus had a point when he told a reporter that the deal to reduce output could “potentially be very significant” – not just for the number of barrels it could take out of production, but also because it signals that Saudi Arabia is considering a return to active supply management. “To me, the significance is way beyond that – they all sat down in a room and made a decision.” The decision had an immediate impact. Markets surged. Prices spiked by almost 6 per cent. By Wednesday evening, Brent crude settled up by $2.72 (U.S.) – 5.9 per cent – at $48.69 a barrel, after hitting a two-week-plus high of $48.96. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude also rose by $2.38 – 5.3 per cent – to settle at $47.05, after a peak of $47.45, its highest since Sept. 8. Interestingly, on the day OPEC acted, the U.S. Energy Information Administration also released its oil reserves data, underlining that U.S. crude supplies fell by 1.9 million barrels in the week ending Sept. 23. To some, it reflected tightening markets, especially if OPEC succeeds in implementing the true spirit of Algiers. Despite all the obituaries, the cartel remains alive. OPEC is still relevant.[SEP]OPEC could announce an output-freeze deal on Wednesday in Algeria, although full details are unlikely to be firmed up before a formal meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in November, two OPEC sources said. They spoke on condition of anonymity as no decision had yet been reached at OPEC's informal meeting in Algiers. The meeting has been going on for more than two hours.[SEP] • Nigeria, Iran, Libya may be allowed to produce at maximum levels The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) wednesday agreed to cut its oil output for the first time since 2008, with Saudi Arabia softening its stance on arch-rival Iran amid mounting pressure from low oil prices, reported AFP. According to reports, two sources in OPEC said the group would reduce output to 32.5 million barrels per day (mbpd) from current production of 33.24mbpd. How much each country will produce is to be decided at the next formal meeting of OPEC in November, when an invitation to join cuts could also be extended to non-OPEC countries such as Russia, sources said. Responding to the news, oil prices jumped more than five per cent to trade above $48 per barrel after the outcome of OPEC’s informal meeting in Algeria took traders by surprise. Still, many said they wanted to see the details of the deal. “We don’t know yet who is going to produce what. I want to hear from the mouth of the Iranian oil minister that he is not going to go back to pre-sanction levels. “For the Saudis, it just goes against the conventional wisdom of what they’ve been saying,” said Jeff Quigley, director of energy markets at Houston-based Stratas Advisors. Saudi Energy Minister, Khalid al-Falih, said on Tuesday that Iran, Nigeria and Libya would be allowed to produce “at maximum levels that make sense” as part of any output limits which could be set as early as the next OPEC meeting in November. That represents a strategy shift for Riyadh, which had said it would reduce output to ease a global glut only if every other OPEC and non-OPEC producer followed suit. Iran also argued that it should be exempted from such limits as its production recovers after the lifting of EU sanctions earlier this year. The Saudi and Iranian economies depend heavily on oil, but in a post-sanctions environment, Iran is suffering less pressure from the halving in crude prices since 2014 and its economy could expand by almost four per cent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, faces a second year of budget deficits after a record gap of $98 billion last year, a stagnating economy and is being forced to cut the salaries of government employees.[SEP]ALGIERS, Algeria – OPEC’s unexpected understanding to trim production shows the cartel still has the resolve – and even desperation – to try to guide energy markets higher. But don’t expect triple-digit oil prices anytime soon. Ministers from the oil cartel reached a preliminary deal Wednesday in Algeria to cut production for the first time since the global financial crisis eight years ago. The size of the cut was modest – to between 32.5 million and 33 million barrels per day from just below current levels of around 33.2 million barrels per day. Though limited, the decision came as something of a surprise – expectations were that once again the regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran would create a stalemate. Oil prices shot up by around 5 percent in the wake of the cut. On Thursday, markets stabilized, with the benchmark New York rate 23 cents lower at $46.82 a barrel and the international standard, Brent, 34 cents lower at $48.87. Any failure to enact the agreement could lead to a renewed drop. And that risk remains – the deal, after all, is not done yet. Output levels for individual countries will have to be finalized at a meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna in November. OPEC agreed that Nigeria, Iran, and Libya would be exempted from making big cuts as their economies are already stymied by conflicts or sanctions. The main concern ahead of the meeting centered on Iran, which has been resistant to cutting production, as it’s trying to restore its oil industry since emerging from international sanctions over its nuclear program earlier this year. “We see this more as an act of desperation,” Commerzbank analyst Barbara Lambrecht said. “Saudi Arabia appears willing to bear the main brunt of the burden.” Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest producer, played a key role in the OPEC policies that helped push oil prices sharply lower over the past couple of years. In the summer of 2014, oil prices were trading above $100 a barrel but increased output from non-OPEC countries, particularly the U.S., created an oversupply in the market. Instead of cutting production, OPEC opted to pump at high volumes to maintain market share and, seemingly, to drive U.S. shale oil and gas producers, who have higher operating costs, out of business. Crude prices plunged, and in January of this year fell below $30 for the first time in more than a decade. The lower prices have hit many oil-producing countries hard, particularly poorer OPEC members Venezuela and Nigeria, but also non-OPEC states Russia and Brazil. It’s also taken a toll on Saudi Arabia – its public finances are not as strong as they were and the country’s credit rating has been downgraded. Oversupply isn’t the only reason oil prices have remained under pressure. Weaker economic growth in energy-hungry China, for example, has had a big impact. Earlier this month, the International Energy Agency said growth in oil demand had slowed significantly during the third quarter. OPEC’s hope now is that it will be able to get non-OPEC members, such as Russia, to get aboard its strategy to trim output. “Good luck with that one!” quipped Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets. Moscow is still smarting from economic sanctions and the period of low prices, which have caused a painful recession and blown a hole in its state budget. One potential impact of the understanding forged in Algiers is that any material increase in oil prices could encourage U.S. shale oil and gas producers back into the market, thereby offsetting any impact in prices – in the longer-term as it takes time to kick start production given financial constraints. Once the OPEC deal is confirmed, Marino Valensise, Head of Multi Asset at Barings Asset Management, said oil prices will likely drift higher to between $55 and $60. “At those levels, shale producers in the States will inevitably increase production and there will be no potential through that price level,” he said.

Former Prime Minister of Iran and one of the founders of OPEC Jamshid Amouzegar, who was involved in the 1975 OPEC siege, dies at the age of 93.

Tommy Wright signed a new contract as Barnsley assistant boss in the summer Barnsley have sacked assistant boss Tommy Wright after he was named in a Daily Telegraph investigation alleging corruption in football. The report included footage of Wright apparently accepting money in return for allegedly helping persuade the Championship club to sign players. He was suspended on Wednesday while the club investigated the allegations. But the 50-year-old has now been sacked with immediate effect after a meeting with chief executive Linton Brown. A Barnsley statement read: "After considering Mr Wright's response to allegations in today's Daily Telegraph about breaching FA rules over player transfers, Mr Wright was dismissed. "The club was unaware of such matters or involved in any wrongdoing. The club will continue to fully investigate the issues at hand and will co-operate with the regulatory authorities as necessary." As part of an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in football, the newspaper claims Wright accepted £5,000 at a meeting in Leeds in August. A spokesman for Wright has said: "Any suggested acts contrary to criminal law or those of the Football Association and Fifa are categorically denied." Wright joined Barnsley in February 2015 as number two to former boss Lee Johnson, and continued in the role under current head coach Paul Heckingbottom. The latest allegations come a day after the Telegraph claimed eight current or former Premier League managers had taken bribes for player transfers. Sam Allardyce left his post as England manager on Tuesday after claims in the newspaper that he offered advice on how to "get around" rules on player transfers. The FA, Premier League and EFL have pledged to investigate this week's newspaper allegations. In a joint statement, they said: "English football takes the governance of the game extremely seriously with integrity being of paramount importance. "Any substantive allegations will be investigated with the full force of the rules at our disposal, which are wide-ranging and well-developed. In addition, should we find any evidence of criminality we would inform and seek the support of the appropriate statutory authorities." The League Managers' Association (LMA) has accused the newspaper of holding up any investigation because it has yet to hand over any evidence. It said in a statement it wanted "full and complete unconditional disclosure of all the information it has, immediately". The Telegraph has said it will pass on all relevant material to the football authorities. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was appointed QPR manager in December 2015 In a separate meeting, QPR manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was filmed apparently negotiating a fee to travel to Singapore to speak to the Far East firm. The Dutchman, 44, also allegedly discusses the possibility of signing players from them. He has not been suspended by the Championship club who say "there will be a thorough internal investigation regarding this matter". QPR's statement added: "However, we have every confidence in our manager and the robust systems and processes the club has in place." Former Chelsea striker Hasselbaink also issued a statement in which he denied "any accusations of wrongdoing on my part". "I was approached by Mr McGarvey and Ms Newell of the Telegraph purporting to be players' agents. They offered me a fee to make a speech in Singapore. "I do not see anything unusual in being offered to be paid to make a speech. "I did not make any promises in return. I did not ask QPR to purchase any of the players who were said to be managed by Mr McGarvey and Ms Newell and did not and would not recommend the purchase of a player for my personal gain." Cellino recently took 100% control of Leeds United Controversial Leeds owner Massimo Cellino, meanwhile, was filmed by the Telegraph offering undercover reporters posing as an investment firm a way to get around FA and Fifa third-party ownership rules. In a meeting at Leeds' ground, arranged by football agent Pino Pagliara, Cellino apparently offered to sell shares in the Championship club as a means of funding the purchase of players. The Italian proposed the fictitious firm buy 20% of the club, in return for which it would receive the same percentage of future player sell-on fees. In the video, Cellino says: "I tell you, I spend eight million this year... on new players. "You want to finance that? You want to come 20% in that? You got 20% of the player - it's the only way. "As a shareholder you can finance the club, asking everything you want - percentage - you are allowed to do it in England." Leeds claimed the footage of their owner amounted to a "non-story" as Cellino "made a perfectly proper suggestion which is entirely consistent with the FA's regulations". The statement added: "If a company commits money to a club by way of investment, taking on the potential for profit but also the risk for loss, then that is a normal, everyday corporate process. "This is plainly not a suggestion as to how to circumvent the rules, but rather, an accurate albeit concise explanation of how to operate within the confines of the rules and effectively become 'the club'."[SEP]BARNSLEY have dismissed assistant head coach Tommy Wright following allegations of corruption. The 50-year-old Scot had been suspended last night “pending an internal investigation” after the Daily Telegraph alleged he had accepted a £5,000 payment from undercover reporters to help place players at the south Yorkshire club. WATCH: Barnsley maintain focus on derby with Leeds after suspension of Tommy Wright Video footage released by the Telegraph as part of its investigation into corruption in football appears to show Wright accepting the money during a series of meetings with a fake Far East firm, in which he agreed to help sign players part-owned by the firm. Wright has denied any wrongdoing. Today, however, Barnsley released the following statement. It read: “Barnsley FC today terminated the contract of assistant head coach Tommy Wright with immediate effect. “A meeting between the club and Mr Wright was held this morning attended by Chief Executive Linton Brown. After considering Mr Wright’s response to allegations in today’s Daily Telegraph about breaching FA rules over player transfers, Mr Wright was dismissed. “The club was unaware of such matters or involved in any wrongdoing. The club will continue to fully investigate the issues at hand and will co-operate with the regulatory authorities as necessary.”[SEP]Barnsley have suspended assistant head coach Tommy Wright following allegations that he accepted a £5,000 cash bung from a fake Far Eastern firm. Wright was this evening named by the Daily Telegraph - along with Queens Park Rangers manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino - as part of their investigation into corruption in football. In a short statement, Barnsley said: “Barnsley FC is aware of allegations made by the Telegraph against Tommy Wright. “The club has today suspended Tommy pending an internal investigation into these allegations.” Wright ended his playing career at Doncaster Rovers in 2000 and also had a spell at Chesterfield as assistant manager and caretaker manager. The 50-year-old was filmed allegedly receiving a bung of £5,000 in order to help a fake Far Eastern company that wanted to profit from transfers. Wright reportedly accepted bundles of £20 notes handed to him in an envelope during a meeting in Leeds last month. Despite denying any wrongdoing, Paul Heckingbottom’s assistant has been suspended whilst the club look into the allegations. Wright allegedly agreed to help the agent sign up Reds’ players and to recommend that the club sign other players represented by the consortium. Wright was introduced to undercover reporters by two football agents and sat down for a ‘series of meetings’, according to the Daily Telegraph. Barnsley players Alfie Mawson [now at Swansea City] and Conor Hourihane as well as Aberdeen player Joe Nuttall - none of whom knew they were the subject of the conversations - were discussed during the meeting in a hotel in Leeds. It seems as if Wright has broken FA rules, which bans officials from accepting “any consideration” from intermediaries in return for “any benefit, service [or] favour” related to their work. It looks like Wright could have created a conflict of interest between employers Barnsley and the fictitious Far East firm. Instead of looking for the best possible players for the Oakwell club, the assistant manager could have put himself in a position to be accused of putting the firm’s interests ahead of Barnsley’s. There are no suggestions the club were aware of either the payment Wright received or his involvement with the firm. On Wednesday a spokesman for Wright told the Daily Telegraph: “Any suggested acts contrary to criminal law or those of the FA and Fifa are categorically denied.” The accusations come a day after Sam Allardyce lost his ‘dream job’ as England boss after an undercover sting revealed he agreed to offer advice on how to “get around” rules on player transfers. It is claimed former Chelsea player Hasselbaink agreed to fly to the Far East to talk to investors for £55,000 a time, whilst controversial Italian Cellino reportedly discussed a way that his club could get around Football Association rules on third-party ownership of players.[SEP]Barnsley have sacked assistant manager Tommy Wright after he was implicated in a newspaper sting operation. Wright is accused of accepting a £5,000 cash "bung" from undercover Daily Telegraph reporters to help a fake Far East firm profit from the Championship club's transfer dealings. The South Yorkshire club said in a statement: "Barnsley FC today terminated the contract of assistant head coach Tommy Wright with immediate effect. "A meeting between the club and Mr Wright was held this morning attended by club chief executive Linton Brown. After considering Mr Wright’s response to allegations in today’s Daily Telegraph about breaching FA rules over player transfers, Mr Wright was dismissed. "The club was unaware of such matters or involved in any wrongdoing. The club will continue to fully investigate the issues at hand and will co-operate with the regulatory authorities as necessary." Wright was filmed by the Daily Telegraph newspaper apparently being given an envelope of money as part of discussions with the fictitious firm. "I can just recommend players to you that I've gone and seen, and you will have to do your spicy dealing, whatever you do," Wright is filmed saying. The revelations are part of the same "Football for Sale" sting which led to Sam Allardyce leaving his post as England manager after being accused of offering advice on how to circumvent Football Association rules on third party ownership. Former Chelsea striker and current Queens Park Rangers manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is also accused of negotiating a £55,000 fee to work for an agency which wanted to sell players to his club. Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino, meanwhile, was reportedly filmed offering to sell shares to the fake firm in order to help the undercover reporters get around third party ownership rules. The Italian is said to have suggested the firm become shareholders in Leeds and in return he would ensure they would receive a percentage of his players’ sell-on fees.[SEP]Barnsley have sacked their assistant head coach Tommy Wright after reports that he took a £5,000 payment from undercover reporters posing as football agents. The 50-year-old Scot, who has denied wrongdoing, was suspended immediately after the allegations in the Daily Telegraph came to light on Wednesday but the Championship club have terminated his contract with immediate effect. A statement published on the Barnsley website said: “A meeting between the club and Mr Wright was held this morning attended by club chief executive Linton Brown. After considering Mr Wright’s response to allegations in today’s Daily Telegraph about breaching FA rules over player transfers, Mr Wright was dismissed. “The club was unaware of such matters nor was it involved in any wrongdoing. The club will continue to fully investigate the issues at hand and will cooperate with the regulatory authorities as necessary.” A spokesman for Wright was quoted as saying after the allegations surfaced: “Any suggested acts contrary to criminal law or those of the FA and Fifa are categorically denied.” The former Leeds, Leicester and Oldham winger was filmed by the newspaper apparently telling reporters posing as representatives of a bogus Asian investment firm that he could place players at the Championship club in return for illicit payments. “I can just recommend players to you … that I’ve gone and seen, and then you’ll have to do your spicy dealing, whatever you do,” he is filmed saying. According to the newspaper, when Wright was offered at a subsequent meeting an envelope which it claims contained banknotes, he said “cheers, just put it there”, indicating an adjacent seat. Barnsley’s swift response to the Telegraph’s report came within an hour of the League Managers Association saying it was frustrated with the newspaper for failing to hand over all of its evidence to the football authorities.[SEP]PAUL HECKINGBOTTOM has pledged that he and his Barnsley staff and players will firmly focus on Saturday’s derby at Leeds United - amid the fall-out of assistant manager Tommy Wright’s suspension after he was named in a Daily Telegraph investigation alleging corruption in football. Wright is filmed apparently being given an envelope of money in return for allegedly helping persuade Barnsley to sign players from a fake Far East firm. The newspaper claims he accepted £5,000 at a meeting in Leeds in August. The Championship club say he has been suspended “pending an internal investigation into these allegations”. The Daily Telegraph’s investigation involved Wright being introduced to members of the Far East firm, who were undercover reporters, by two football agents. On the situation, Heckingbottom said: “I cannot talk about it. It is just a football press conference and the club and myself will make statements later as there are still things ongoing. “We have to do things properly and speak about things in the right time and right way as it is not nice for anyone. “Everyone has seen that Tommy has been suspended due to the ongoing investigations and allegations and that is as far as we have got. “Things are always rolling. But my focus is on the players and the team and that it is. “There will be a time for me to speak about it later on. At this moment in time, everything I am doing is focused on the players and team, just as it always is. “I will tell the players that I can’t let my focus slip and that’s my job.” Heckingbottom says that developments with Wright will affect plans for the weekend game at Elland Road, with a meeting to be held this morning with players about the situation following the suspension of the Reds’ No 2. He said: “The plan is different. I had one thing sorted this week and it goes out on the window. My focus is the players and on them being alright and comfortable with what is going off and understand their role going forward. Then it will be a case of training and me watching them and chats and conversations. “My role this morning in terms as a coach will not be tactical things, but more personable things and making sure everyone is okay.”[SEP]An English Championship football team has suspended its Scottish head coach following allegations he took a £5,000 payment to help place players at his club. Queens Park Rangers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino have also been shown in new video footage from the Daily Telegraph as part of its undercover investigation into corruption in football. Hasselbaink has denied any wrongdoing, while Leeds rejected the allegations and described the report as a “non-story”. Barnsley said it has launched an investigation into claims in the Daily Telegraph that Dunfermline-born head coach Tommy Wright accepted £5,000 during a series of meetings with a fake Far East firm. The coach allegedly agreed to help sign players part-owned by the firm and took a bundle of £20 notes in an envelope. The club said: “Barnsley FC is aware of allegations made by the Telegraph against Tommy Wright. The club has today suspended Tommy pending an internal investigation into these allegations.” The Telegraph alleged that Hasselbaink requested a fee of £55,000 to work for a fake Far Eastern firm seeking to sell players to the club. In video footage collected by the newspaper, Hasselbaink is seen asking his suitors to “come up with a nice figure” for a role, which the newspaper says he is told would involve a number of trips to meet the firm in Singapore. Hasselbaink says: “You said the word business. That’s all, it’s business, so it depends what you put down, you know ... at the end of the day, it has to be worthwhile to go all that way.” QPR has not suspended Hasselbaink, saying it has “every confidence” in him, but adding the 44-year-old will be subjected to a “thorough internal investigation”. QPR said: “The club is aware of the allegations made against QPR manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in the Telegraph. “First and foremost, the club takes very seriously any alleged breach of the rules. “With this in mind, the club can confirm that there will be a thorough internal investigation regarding this matter. “However, we have every confidence in our manager and the robust systems and processes the club has in place.” In addition, Hasselbaink denied any impropriety and said he saw nothing “unusual” in the prospective deal. Hasselbaink said: “I have today, through my lawyers, responded in full to the accusations levelled against me by the Telegraph. “I was approached by Mr McGarvey and Ms Newell of The Telegraph purporting to be players’ agents. They offered me a fee to make a speech in Singapore. “I do not see anything unusual in being offered to be paid to make a speech. “I did not make any promises in return. I did not ask QPR to purchase any of the players who were said to be managed by Mr McGarvey and Ms Newell and did not and would not recommend the purchase of a player for my personal gain. “I deny any accusations of wrongdoing on my part.” The Telegraph said it had obtained footage which appears to show the owner of Leeds United explaining to representatives of a fictitious Far East firm how they can circumvent FA and Fifa transfer rules. The footage reportedly shows Mr Cellino suggesting they become club shareholders in order to receive a portion of players’ sell-on fees. FA and Fifa rules ban third-party ownership of players, and third parties receiving any percentage of a player’s transfer fees. The club described the allegations relating to Mr Cellino as a “non-story”. It said: “The club has reviewed the supposed ‘evidence’ that the Daily Telegraph have published tonight. “At no time in this video clip has Mr Cellino suggested getting around the FA’s rules on third-party ownership of players. “In complete contrast to what has been suggested, Mr Cellino has made a perfectly proper suggestion which is entirely consistent with the FA’s regulations, as the only parties entitled to take benefit from ownership of a player is the club itself. “If a company commits money to a club by way of investment, taking on the potential for profit but also the risk for loss, then that is a normal, everyday corporate process. “This is plainly not a suggestion as to how to circumvent the rules, but rather, an accurate albeit concise explanation of how to operate within the confines of the rules and effectively become ‘the club’. “The club intends to make no further comment on this non-story.” The allegations form part of the Telegraph’s undercover investigation into corruption in football, which on Tuesday led to the departure of England manager Sam Allardyce. The newspaper has also alleged that 10 as-yet-unnamed managers took bribes in player transfers.[SEP]Photography major Michelle Wright found herself at an interesting crossroad in life a few years back. One day, the mother of three realized that her children weren’t too far away from completing their high school years, and for her that posed somewhat of a problem. “I could not have my kids graduate before I did,” she said. Wright grew up in a small town near Peoria before moving with her family to Normal just prior to her freshman year in high school. By the time she was a junior, Wright dropped out for personal reasons. While it isn’t a decision she regrets, throughout her adult years she often felt as though she was missing something, so at 35 Wright decided it was time to get her GED. “Getting my GED at the age of 35 was out of exhaustion,” Wright said. “I was tired of lying to employers, tired of feeling like I was not good enough to even graduate from high school.” Soon after earning her GED, Wright realized that she hadn’t just completed something, but rather she had just started something new. Before long, she had enrolled at Parkland and began her pursuit of a degree in fine arts. “My major at Parkland is photography,” she said. “I think it chose me. Everywhere I look, I see a picture.” Wright’s studies have become a new passion for her. When she isn’t busy being a wife and mother, or putting in the hours at her job, Wright finds her peace in her art. “I really enjoy still-life photography,” she said. “My passion is in the darkroom though. The art does not stop at the click of a button; it takes a lot of skill, practice and trial and error to get a good print in the darkroom.” Wright has found that her patience towards her work has paid off. Last semester, Wright received a Merit Award for work that had been accepted into the juried student art show at Giertz Gallery, and she had several pieces selected for inclusion in Parkland’s Images magazine. Wright has some advice for others who may be starting their college studies later in life. “Always take time for yourself,” she said. “Even if it is going for a 10-minute country drive, a walk in the park, or hiding out in the bathroom. Learn to accept the chaos. Remind yourself that it will be over in [a few] semesters.” As far as her outlook on life, Wright offers some insight: “Work hard. Work smart. Love and be loved. Be kind to one another, and be kind to this earth. It is our home.”[SEP]FOOTBALL authorities will brace themselves for an escalation in the game’s corruption crisis today after the latest series of allegations led to Championship club Barnsley suspending assistant head coach Tommy Wright with immediate effect. Following footage which led to the departure of England chief Sam Allardyce, and a report claiming 10 as-yet unnamed managers have been involved in illicit payments, the Daily Telegraph unleashed new footage detailing alleged impropriety on Wednesday night. THAT video: Leeds United owner Cellino ‘showing investors how to evade FA rules’ Wright - who denies any wrongdoing - is alleged to have taken a £5,000 ‘bung’ to help a group of Far East investors place players at his club. QPR chief and former Leeds striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Leeds owner Massimo Cellino were also implicated in separate controversies. Hasselbaink is alleged to have requested a fee of £55,000 to work for a fake Far East firm seeking to sell players to the club, while footage appears to show Cellino explaining to representatives of a fictitious Far East firm that they can circumvent FA and FIFA rules by becoming club shareholders in order to receive a portion of players’ sell-on fees. FA and FIFA rules ban third-party ownership of players, and third parties receiving any percentage of a player’s transfer fees. Barnsley acted swiftly to suspend Wright pending an internal investigation, after he was filmed apparently telling reporters posing as members of a prospective Far East investment firm: “I can just recommend players to you... that I’ve gone and seen, and then you’ll have to do your spicy dealing, whatever you do.” At a later meeting, when an envelope was offered that the Telegraph said contained bank notes, Wright said: “Cheers, just put it there” - indicating a seat alongside him. QPR and Leeds issued robust defences of Hasselbaink and Cellino, respectively. QPR said the 44-year-old would be subjected to a “thorough internal investigation” but added: “We have every confidence in our manager and the robust systems and processes the club has in place.” Video footage shows Hasselbaink seemingly asking his suitors to “come up with a nice figure” for a role, which the newspaper says he is told would involve a number of trips to meet with the firm in Singapore. Leeds called the allegations concerning Cellino a “non-story”. The Italian appears to suggest to members of a fictitious Far East firm that they become shareholders in the club in order to receive portions of players’ transfer fees. But the club responded: “This is plainly not a suggestion as to how to circumvent the rules but rather an accurate, albeit concise, explanation of how to operate within the confines of the rules.” The League Managers Association said earlier on Wednesday that it was “extremely concerned” by the allegations involving the 10 Premier League and Championship managers. A statement from the trade union for managers from the English Football League and Premier League read: “The LMA is extremely concerned by the current situation of allegations made against a number of managers. “We take the allegations very seriously as they are obviously damaging to the game. “We know the FA has requested full disclosure from the Telegraph of all the relevant information it has and we are working with the FA in dealing with the allegations, following the correct processes and procedures.” The Telegraph has reported that it contacted all of the managers named by the agents and five of them responded with denials of taking bungs - the rest have not replied, the newspaper said.[SEP]PAUL HECKINGBOTTOM has stressed that he and his Barnsley players will ‘stay strong’ amid unsavoury national headlines that culminated in the club’s dismissal of assistant head coach Tommy Wright following corruption allegations. Wright was sacked after a club investigation having being filmed by undercover Daily Telegraph reporter, when he appeared to accept a £5,000 cash ‘bung’ after allegedly agreeing to help Barnsley sign players from a fake Far East firm. The newspaper had filmed the operation as part of a 10-month investigation into alleged corruption in football. Wright has denied any wrongdoing. He was introduced to undercover reporters by two football agents and reportedly agreed in a series of meetings to identify players who could be “put into” Barnsley and help get players to sign up with the fictitious firm. Video footage appeared to show Wright accept “a bundle of £20 notes” handed to him in an envelope during a meeting in Leeds on August 11. The Telegraph also reported that club owner Patrick Cryne had agreed to meet a representative of that purported Far Eastern company looking to invest in football, together with head coach Heckingbottom and Wright. But there was no suggestion that Cryne, Heckingbottom or anyone connected with the club had been aware of the payment to Wright or his arrangements with the bogus firm. The club announced the decision to terminate Wright’s contract with immediate effect via a statement yesterday lunch-time, with the Reds’ assistant coach having earlier met with chief executive Linton Brown. A statement read: “After considering Mr Wright’s response to allegations in today’s (Thursday’s) Daily Telegraph about breaching FA rules over player transfers, Mr Wright was dismissed. “The club was unaware of such matters or involved in any wrongdoing. The club will continue to fully investigate the issues at hand and will co-operate with the regulatory authorities as necessary.” Heckingbottom spoke to the players about the whole issue at a team meeting yesterday morning before trying to draw a line under the matter ahead of tomorrow’s derby at Leeds United. The Reds’ head coach has pledged that the events of a difficult last day or so for the club will not impact on the players come kick-off at Elland Road – or serve as a potential excuse. He said: “Our job is on the pitch and we have to stay strong and focused. We have shown that we are good at that, whether in game pressure situations or things rumbling on in the background. “Some things are really hard to deal with. But you deal with them and get on with it and that is what we will do again. “There are loads of distractions that do not come out. Some are not nice to deal with, some are minor. There are always things going off – that is the nature of it. “Whether it is big news or personal issues for people, there’s always difficult things to deal with. It is just the nature of the job. “Obviously, this is a big nationwide thing at the minute and everyone is interested and rightly so; it is a big deal. “But we cannot get carried away with anything going off and we have to keep doing our job and preparing properly. “If our focus shifts, we will come unstuck. It is our job that everyone is on task. “If you want an excuse to fail, you can find one. You can find one every day, if you want. “The people who succeed and go on to be great in whatever they do find an excuse why they are not going to fail.” Weekend opponents Leeds were also the subject of newspaper allegations, with owner Massimo Cellino filmed by undercover reporters where he appeared to offer an investment deal to a fictitious firm as a way of avoiding Football Association rules on third-party ownership of players. Leeds swiftly dismissed the report as a “non-story” in a statement, insisting that Cellino had breached no regulations during the conversation. Head coach Garry Monk stressed that he also felt that the club’s response was “appropriate”, with no case to answer. But in terms of the wider topic of corruption in football, which is hogging the headlines in the wake of the allegations that saw Sam Allardyce lose his job as England manager, Monk believes that everyone connected with football need to do what it takes to preserve the game’s integrity. He said: “If these things are proven right, it needs to be cleaned and wiped out of football. What is important to me is the integrity of football. “I grew up as a young kid watching football and have been a fan in the stands and lucky enough to have a professional career and seen every single league, the struggles and the highs. “The biggest part of that is the integrity in what we do and honesty in which we do it and we have always been very conscious of that in this country. “Football needs to be taken care of. We all have that responsibility; managers, players, agents, fans, owners – everyone involved. “We have a responsibility to make sure this game is held in the highest regard.”

Barnsley F.C. fires assistant manager Tommy Wright as further allegations of corruption in English football are reported.

Southampton assistant manager Eric Black gave undercover reporters advice on how to bribe officials at other clubs, the Daily Telegraph has claimed. Black, 52, was filmed apparently naming staff at other clubs who could be induced to pass on information about players to a company for money. Such payments would be against Football Association rules. Black, who oversaw Aston Villa’s final seven Premier League matches last season, has denied the allegations. “It doesn’t take too much to get these people involved,” Black says in the covert recording. “They won’t have an awful lot of money.” Former Aberdeen striker Black quotes a figure of “a couple of grand”, which the Telegraph claims was his suggestion of a suitable payment to an unnamed assistant coach at a Championship side in return for introducing players to the undercover reporters’ fictitious agency. Black denies suggesting that any football official should be paid, saying that his “couple of grand” comment related to a freelance scout that an agency looking to break into the football industry might approach. Under FA rules, intermediaries “must not give, offer or seek to offer, any consideration of any kind” to a club official “in return for any benefit, service, favour or any kind of preferential treatment”. A spokesperson for Black said his client did not recall the possibility of bribing officials being mentioned. “This was not the purpose of the meeting so far as our client understood it. Any suggestion that he was complicit in such discussions is false,” the spokesperson added. Southampton said they were “fully committed” to investigating the claims and intend to work closely with the Premier League and FA on them. Black has held permanent managerial posts at Motherwell and Coventry, as well as having caretaker spells at Birmingham, Sunderland, Blackburn, Rotherham and Villa. He played for Aberdeen and French side Metz and won three caps for Scotland before he became a coach at Celtic. The allegations about Black are the latest from the Daily Telegraph’s investigation into corruption in football. On Thursday, Barnsley assistant boss Tommy Wright was sacked over claims he took cash for trying to engineer certain transfers. Wright has “categorically denied” the claims. Sam Allardyce left his post as England manager on Tuesday, making a “whole-hearted apology” in the wake of allegations in the newspaper that he offered advice on how to “get around” rules on player transfers. The FA said it has been liaising with The Daily Telegraph and City of London Police over the allegations, adding it would meet police next week.[SEP]Eric Black was in charge of Aston Villa when their top-flight relegation was confirmed last season Southampton assistant manager Eric Black gave undercover reporters advice on how to bribe officials at other clubs, the Daily Telegraph has claimed. Black, 52, was filmed apparently naming staff at other clubs who could be induced to pass on information about players to a company for money. Such payments would be against Football Association rules. Black, who oversaw Aston Villa's final seven Premier League matches last season, has denied the allegations. "It doesn't take too much to get these people involved," Black says in the covert recording. "They won't have an awful lot of money." Black (right) has been assistant to Southampton boss Claude Puel (left) since June. There is no suggestion that Puel is involved in the latest allegations. Former Aberdeen striker Black quotes a figure of "a couple of grand", which the Telegraph claims was his suggestion of a suitable payment to an unnamed assistant coach at a Championship side in return for introducing players to the undercover reporters' fictitious agency. Black denies suggesting that any football official should be paid, saying that his "couple of grand" comment related to a freelance scout that an agency looking to break into the football industry might approach. Under FA rules, intermediaries "must not give, offer or seek to offer, any consideration of any kind" to a club official "in return for any benefit, service, favour or any kind of preferential treatment". A spokesperson for Black said his client did not recall the possibility of bribing officials being mentioned. "This was not the purpose of the meeting so far as our client understood it. Any suggestion that he was complicit in such discussions is false," the spokesperson added. Southampton said they were "fully committed" to investigating the claims and intend to work closely with the Premier League and FA on them. Black has held permanent managerial posts at Motherwell and Coventry, as well as having caretaker spells at Birmingham, Sunderland, Blackburn, Rotherham and Villa. He played for Aberdeen and French side Metz and won three caps for Scotland before he became a coach at Celtic. Black scored in Aberdeen's European Cup Winners' Cup triumph over Real Madrid in 1983 The allegations about Black are the latest from the Daily Telegraph's investigation into corruption in football. On Thursday, Barnsley assistant boss Tommy Wright was sacked over claims he took cash for trying to engineer certain transfers. Wright has "categorically denied" the claims. Sam Allardyce left his post as England manager on Tuesday, making a "whole-hearted apology" in the wake of allegations in the newspaper that he offered advice on how to "get around" rules on player transfers. The FA said it has been liaising with The Daily Telegraph and City of London Police over the allegations, adding it would meet police next week.[SEP]Eric Black, the assistant manager at Southampton, has become the latest individual to be implicated in football’s on-going corruption scandal. Black was filmed by an undercover reporter from The Daily Telegraph while appearing to offer advice on giving bribes to officials at other clubs. The former Sunderland and Aston Villa assistant coach allegedly claimed that “a couple of grand” would be enough to persuade others within the game to disclose information about footballers to agencies. Black named another football coach during his conversation with the reporter, who was posing as a representative of an East Asian business firm, and claimed that it would not "take too much to get these people involved" as they do not have "an awful lot of money." Southampton revealed Black’s implication in the sting prior to the story’s publication. “Southampton Football Club has today been made aware by The Daily Telegraph that, as part of their on-going investigation, the club's assistant first team manager Eric Black will feature as part of an article in tomorrow's paper,” the south coast club said in a statement. “The club immediately requested to be sent, by The Daily Telegraph, the details of this article, but the newspaper declined to share any further information. “We have today contacted The FA and The Premier League, and intend to work closely with both bodies on this matter when the facts become clear. “Southampton Football Club is fully committed to investigating any situation that directly or indirectly relates to our club, employees or the wider community.”[SEP]Southampton have pledged to assist the English Football Association and Premier League after releasing a statement saying assistant manager Eric Black was to be named in the Daily Telegraph’s ongoing investigations into football. Saints pre-empted the latest round of articles under the strapline ‘Football For Sale’ by saying they had requested details from the Telegraph – a request they said had been turned down. The club’s statement read: “Southampton Football Club has today been made aware by The Daily Telegraph that, as part of their ongoing investigation, the club’s assistant first team manager Eric Black will feature as part of an article in tomorrow’s paper. “The club immediately requested to be sent, by The Daily Telegraph, the details of this article, but the newspaper declined to share any further information. “We have today contacted The FA and The Premier League, and intend to work closely with both bodies on this matter when the facts become clear. “Southampton Football Club is fully committed to investigating any situation that directly or indirectly relates to our club, employees or the wider community.” Black was appointed to Southampton’s coaching staff during the summer as assistant to Claude Puel.[SEP]Southampton assistant manager Eric Black became the latest figure in English football to be accused of corruption Thursday in a newspaper sting that forced Sam Allardyce to quit his post as England boss. According to the Daily Telegraph, Black suggested that "a couple of grand" might persuade a colleague at another club to pass on information about players to a company that wanted to represent footballers. Prior to Thursday's publication of the Telegraph's latest revelations, Premier League side Southampton issued a statement saying: "Southampton Football Club has today been made aware by The Daily Telegraph that, as part of their ongoing investigation, the club's assistant first team manager Eric Black will feature as part of an article in tomorrow's (Friday's) paper. "The club immediately requested to be sent, by The Daily Telegraph, the details of this article, but the newspaper declined to share any further information. "We have today contacted The FA and The Premier League, and intend to work closely with both bodies on this matter when the facts become clear. "Southampton Football Club is fully committed to investigating any situation that directly or indirectly relates to our club, employees or the wider community." Earlier on Thursday, Championship club Barnsley said they had sacked assistant manager Tommy Wright as a result of a previous Telegraph story. Wright was suspended by the second-tier club on Wednesday after the Telegraph alleged he had accepted a £5,000 ($6,500, 5,800 euro) "bung", or illegal payment, during a series of meetings with undercover reporters posing as representatives of a fake Far East company. But the biggest 'scalp' of all came with the Telegraph's initial revelation that saw Allardyce's reign as England manager sensationally brought to an abrupt close after just one game following an indiscreet discussion with the undercover reporters. The 61-year-old was secretly filmed giving advice on how to circumvent transfer rules and mocking his England predecessor Roy Hodgson's speech impediment. Allardyce, appointed England manager in July on a £3 million-a-year contract, also agreed to travel to Singapore and Hong Kong as an ambassador for their fictitious firm for £400,000. The Telegraph has also alleged that eight current and former Premier League managers took bribes during player transfer deals.[SEP]The Football Association is awaiting “full and unfettered disclosure of all available material from the Daily Telegraph” as the corruption allegations engulfing football saw Southampton assistant manager Eric Black implicated. The newspaper’s latest claims surround Black, who allegedly offered advice on how to bribe officials at other clubs. He was filmed apparently saying staff at other clubs could possibly be persuaded to give information about a player to a management company for money. He has denied the allegations. Click here for the latest results, fixtures and stats>>> The FA said it had yet to receive the requested material and wanted to investigate matters fully as soon as possible, after a Telegraph spokesperson said it remained the newspaper’s intention to release the information - but that the police had asked to review it first. City of London Police later confirmed that discussions had already taken place with the FA and the Telegraph. The FA’s statement came just hours after Barnsley coach Tommy Wright lost his job following the Telegraph’s report that he took a £5,000 payment from undercover reporters posing as representatives of fake investors from the Far East. The 50-year-old Scot, who maintains his innocence, was suspended after the allegation came to light on Wednesday but the South Yorkshire club terminated his contract with immediate effect. Wright becomes the second man named by the Telegraph in its undercover investigation into corruption in football to lose his job, following England’s now ex-manager Sam Allardyce. Barnsley’s swift response to the report came within an hour of the League Managers Association saying it was frustrated with the newspaper for failing to hand over all of its evidence. The newspaper has published several allegations over the last three days, including claims that 10 unnamed managers have taken so-called ‘bungs’ in transfer deals. Southampton pre-empted the implicating of Black with a statement which said the club “intends to work closely with both bodies (The FA and Premier League) on this matter when the facts become clear. “Southampton Football Club is fully committed to investigating any situation that directly or indirectly relates to our club, employees or the wider community.” According to the Telegraph, Black - a distinguished player with Aberdeen during his career - attended a meeting arranged by Scott McGarvey, the football agent who also teed-up the Allardyce meeting. At the meeting, the Telegraph claims the pair explain to an undercover reporter they believe to be a potential investor how club officials could be persuaded to pass on information to a management company. FA rules state that intermediaries “must not give, offer or seek to offer, any consideration of any kind” to a club official “in return for any benefit, service, favour or any kind of preferential treatment”. A spokesman for Black told the Telegraph: “[Mr Black] does not recall Mr McGarvey making suggestions that football officials should be paid during transfer negotiations - this was not the purpose of the meeting so far as our client understood it. Any suggestion that he was complicit in such discussions is false.” McGarvey also denies the allegations with a spokesman saying he will “vigorously defend his reputation”. QPR manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Leeds owner Massimo Cellino have also been implicated in separate controversies. Hasselbaink is alleged to have requested a fee of £55,000 to also work for a phoney Far East firm seeking to sell players to the club. A club statement confirmed it has started an internal investigation into the matter, with chief executive Lee Hoos and director of football Les Ferdinand meeting the 44-year-old Dutchman at their Harlington training ground. “First and foremost, the club reiterates that we take these allegations very seriously,” the statement read. “As part of the ongoing investigation, the club will need to view an unedited version of the video footage and full transcript of the discussions that took place.” Hasselbaink has strongly denied the claims and is understood to be deeply upset by them. Meanwhile, Leeds dismissed the Cellino allegations as a “non-story”. The Italian, who denies any wrongdoing, appears to suggest to members of a fictitious Asian firm that they become shareholders in the club in order to receive portions of players’ transfer fees. “This is plainly not a suggestion as to how to circumvent the rules but rather an accurate, albeit concise, explanation of how to operate within the confines of the rules,” a club statement read. READ MORE - Rumour Mill: Arsenal and Bayern eye Moussa Dembele | Celtic can reach last 16 | Rangers statement Keep up to date with all our sport news on The Scotsman’s Sport page on Facebook DOWNLOAD THE SCOTSMAN APP ON ITUNES OR GOOGLE PLAY[SEP]Former Wigan Athletic assistant manager Eric Black is the latest person to be featured in the Daily Telegraph’s investigations into corruption in football. The Telegraph claim that Black, who is now at Southampton had offered advice on how to bribe officials at other clubs. He was filmed apparently saying there are staff at other clubs who possibly be persuaded to give information about a player to a management company for money. He has denied the allegations. The Telegraph posted a video of Black, 52, meeting an undercover reporter in a hotel, the journalist purporting to be a representative of a Far East firm looking to invest in English football. According to the report, the meeting was arranged by Scott McGarvey, the football agent who also teed-up Sam Allardyce’s now ill-fated meeting with undercover reporters which cost him his job as England manager. McGarvey also denies any wrongdoing. The video appears to show Black and McGarvey discussing managers and coaches in the lower leagues and how they could possibly be persuaded to identify players who could be signed up on management contracts. FA rules state that intermediaries “must not give, offer or seek to offer, any consideration of any kind” to a club official “in return for any benefit, service, favour or any kind of preferential treatment”. A spokesman for Black told the Telegraph: “[Mr Black] does not recall Mr McGarvey making suggestions that football officials should be paid during transfer negotiations - this was not the purpose of the meeting so far as our client understood it. Any suggestion that he was complicit in such discussions is false.” The club’s statement read: “Southampton Football Club has today been made aware by The Daily Telegraph that, as part of their ongoing investigation, the club’s assistant first team manager Eric Black will feature as part of an article in tomorrow’s paper. “The club immediately requested to be sent, by The Daily Telegraph, the details of this article, but the newspaper declined to share any further information. “We have today contacted the FA and The Premier League, and intend to work closely with both bodies on this matter when the facts become clear. “Southampton Football Club is fully committed to investigating any situation that directly or indirectly relates to our club, employees or the wider community.” Black was assistant to Steve Bruce when he was Latics boss and was then brought back for a second spell by Uwe Rosler. A spokesman for McGarvey said there would be no immediate comment in addition to a statement released earlier this week. Then, Graham Small, a partner at Manchester-based JMW Solicitors, representing McGarvey, said: “Mr McGarvey has admitted being eager to impress what he believed to be prospective employers and, in doing so, had perhaps embellished certain comments made during the meetings in question.” “However, he vehemently denies making remarks which are being attributed to him. Some, including his apparently having done business with certain club managers, are simply not borne out by fact. “Mr McGarvey had merely helped arrange meetings in good faith to further what he believed to be a legitimate business venture. “He was so convinced by the job offer made to him that, far from profiting from these exchanges, he even incurred debts trying to support the development of the new project. “As soon as a series of allegations were put to him, he responded immediately and in full and, furthermore, has made clear his willingness to help those leading the investigation announced by the Football Association establish the truth of what happened. “Given that he is still involved in the football industry, he is rightly concerned about the possibility of his good name being impugned and he intends to vigorously defend his reputation.” Earlier in the day, Black’s club chairman, Ralph Krueger, revealed his dismay at the current allegations of corruption in English football and called for tighter regulation of player transfers. The 57-year-old Canadian told ESPN that this week’s reports had “shocked” and “upset” the Saints board. But Krueger said the Premier League club’s recent success has been built on “honest and open” values and he now hoped that the rest of football would follow suit. “We’ve been a club that’s been driving, wanting to get control of the evolving agent world around us and we believe we’re going to have ears now,” said Krueger, a former ice hockey player who went on to coach Switzerland and the National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers. “We’re going to use this, for sure, as a club, to fight for change and to fight for more regulation. “We are all for regulation, and we are one of the most disciplined clubs in English football in terms of the way we deal with agents and youth academy players.” Black was appointed to Southampton’s coaching staff during the summer as assistant to Claude Puel. A former Scotland international, he had a distinguished playing career with Aberdeen and as a coach has worked for the likes of Celtic, Birmingham, Sunderland, Blackburn, Wigan, Rotherham and Aston Villa.[SEP]ERIC CANTONA has thrown his beret into the ring to be England ’s next manager. The Manchester United legend made an hilarious pitch to succeed the disgraced Sam Allardyce. He has vowed Harry Kane will never again take a crucial free-kick that "hits the f****** moon" and promises to bring Sir Alex Ferguson to the Three Lions. "I, Eric Cantona, future manager of England, promise never to lose against a small frozen island where the goalkeeper is a movie director and the assistant coach a dentist! "I, Eric Cantona, future manager of England, will pray to the gods of football to end the curse of the English goalkeeper! "I, manager of England, will ask the giant Harry Kane not to hit crucial free-kicks or corners but to go on the end of it for the header. "Especially if you are going to hit the f****** free-kick to the moon." • Gordon Strachan once took Southgate’s job at Boro and now could finish him off as England boss too

Undercover press reporters make allegations of corruption against Southampton F.C. assistant manager Eric Black.

Image copyright AFP Image caption A Rafale fighter takes off from the Charles de Gaulle in the Mediterranean sea the day before the operation France has begun air operations over Iraq from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, reports say. A number of Rafale fighter planes took off from the carrier early on Friday, news agency AFP said. The Charles de Gaulle, France's only aircraft carrier, was sent to the region earlier in September. This is its third mission with the US-led coalition since France stepped up military operations after the January 2015 Paris attacks. Iraqi forces have gained significant ground in the battle for Mosul, which was occupied by IS in June 2014, and are expected to launch an offensive to retake the city soon. AFP quoted an officer on board, who said the planes would take part in an attack on Mosul, an IS stronghold in Iraq. However, a French defence official told the Associated Press that Friday's mission was "in no way" the start of a battle for Mosul. He said the ministry would not provide details of the operation for the security reasons. French radio station RTL reported (in French) that 24 aircraft will take part in today's operation, with a sortie every three minutes, on average. It also said the fighters were armed with four 250kg laser-guided bombs each. The Charles de Gaulle is a 38,000-tonne ship powered by two nuclear reactors. It has more than 1,900 crew, and is 260 metres (850ft) long.[SEP]A Marine Rafale fighter jet is catapulted from the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle on the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday as part of the Operation Arromanches III (AFP photo) PARIS — French warplanes are flying over Iraq after the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier rejoined the US-led fight against Daesh extremists — and as the coalition prepares to try to take back the key city of Mosul. France, which has suffered repeated attacks at home from Daesh-linked extremists, is ramping up its military presence in Iraq ahead of the offensive in Mosul, the largest city held by the extremists. The Iraqi government has been gearing up with support from the United States and other allies for the mission, which could mark a turning point in the fight against Daesh. A French defence official said Friday's mission "in no way" constitutes the beginning of the battle for Mosul. The French official, speaking anonymously in line with defence policy, said preparations are still under way with the US and other partners to coordinate the Mosul offensive. She would not provide details of Friday's operation for the security of the pilots. French planes have flown 32 missions over the past week, with Rafale jets destroying four targets with air strikes and backing up Iraqi ground forces, according to a French military statement. The Charles de Gaulle returned to the zone last week after undergoing maintenance in France, and is now on its third mission in the region since the French military started targeting Daesh two years ago in Iraq. France expanded its air strikes to Daesh targets in Syria last year. After an attack on Nice on Bastille Day in July killed 86, French President Francois Hollande ordered an artillery battery sent to Iraq to bolster the operation. About 150 French forces with 4 Caesar artillery systems are now in the area around Qayara, 48 kilometres south of Mosul, according to the defence ministry. They are performing tactical missions for the coalition, and training Iraqi forces, according to military officials, but are not expected to engage in combat. French medical and logistics teams are also in place.

France conducts airstrikes against ISIL positions in Iraq from the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.

FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) - A report that Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) was close to a cut-price settlement with U.S. authorities over the sale of toxic mortgage bonds helped to fuel a recovery in its shares on Friday after its chief executive said the group remained stable. Deutsche, which is Germany’s largest bank and employs around 100,000 people, has been engulfed by crisis after being handed the demand for up to $14 billion earlier in September by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for misselling mortgage-backed securities before the financial crisis. Deutsche shares, which hit a record low earlier on Friday, extended their recovery after the AFP news agency said the bank was near to a settlement for $5.4 billion. Deutsche and the German finance ministry declined to comment on the report. The bank is fighting the fine but would have to turn to investors for more money if it is imposed in full. The German government this week denied a newspaper report that it was working on a rescue plan for the bank. Worries over a major bank in Europe’s largest economy and talk of a government rescue have stirred painful memories of the 2007-2009 financial crisis and sent tremors through global markets. Chief Executive John Cryan had tried to rally staff with a letter addressing reports of the departure of a few hedge fund clients, hitting out at “forces” that wanted to weaken trust in the bank. People familiar with the matter had earlier told Reuters that one large hedge fund in Asia had pulled out collateral from Deutsche amounting to $50 million in the last two days, while other sources said this had happened elsewhere, albeit on a small scale. Cryan sought to put the moves into perspective. “We should look at the complete picture,” Cryan said in the letter to the bank’s workers, adding that Deutsche had more than 20 million customers and reserves of more than 215 billion euros. “We are and remain a strong Deutsche Bank.” SHARES SEESAW Deutsche shares were volatile again, initially falling around 8 percent in Frankfurt to a record low below 10 euros before bouncing back to close six percent higher at 11.57. The bank’s U.S.-listed shares (DB.N) were up 13.7 percent at $13.05 in heavy midday trading in New York. The shares have lost half their value this year and the bank’s market capitalization has fallen to around 15 billion euros ($16.8 billion). Trading volume in Deutsche’s debt has more than doubled this week and soared 15-fold in a month as investors rushed to offload the troubled German lender’s bonds. A statue is seen next to the logo of Germany's Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, Germany, January 26, 2016. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo Deutsche is much smaller than Wall Street rivals such as JPMorgan (JPM.N) and Citigroup (C.N) . But it has significant trading relationships with all of the world’s largest finance houses and the International Monetary Fund this year identified it as a bigger potential risk to the wider financial system than any other global bank. Following the financial crisis, banks are now required to have plans showing how they would respond to a major market shock, with improved controls on liquidity. Regulators also draw up plans on how lenders could be smoothly closed down in the event of impending failure. Italy, whose banks have their own troubles caused by soured loans, called for swift action on Deutsche. “Just like the problem of bad bank loans must be solved within a reasonable time frame, so it should be for Deutsche Bank’s problems,” Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan told Italian daily La Stampa. With Germany facing elections next year, there is little political appetite for helping a group disliked by many Germans because of its pursuit of investment banking abroad that resulted in billions of euros of penalties for wrongdoing. However, the German government faces a delicate balancing act with a deeper crisis for Deutsche Bank potentially spilling over into its economy. The problems of Deutsche, once Germany’s flagship on Wall Street, are awkward for Berlin, which has berated many euro zone peers for economic mismanagement and pushed for countries such as Ireland and Greece to cope with their banking problems alone. Deutsche Bank CEO John Cryan addresses the bank's annual general meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, May 19, 2016. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who chairs meetings of euro zone finance ministers, said on Friday that Deutsche Bank must survive “on its own”, without assistance from the German state. German banks have found their profits squeezed by the European Central Bank’s ultra-low interest rates and Commerzbank, the country’s second largest lender, is cutting almost 10,000 jobs.[SEP]Deutsche Bank is throwing its energies into reaching a settlement before next month’s presidential election with US authorities demanding a fine of up to $14 billion for mis-selling mortgage-backed securities. The threat of such a large fine has pushed Deutsche shares to record lows and a cut-price settlement is urgently needed to reverse the trend and help to restore confidence in Germany’s largest lender. A media report late on Friday that Deutsche and the US Department of Justice (DoJ) were close to agreeing a settlement of $5.4 billion lifted the stock to close 6 per cent higher, but that report has not been confirmed. “Clearly, so long as a fine of this order of magnitude ($14 billion) is an even remote possibility, markets worry,” UniCredit’s chief economist, Erik F Nielsen, wrote in a note on Sunday. Deutsche is much smaller than Wall Street rivals such as JPMorgan and Citigroup. But it has significant trading relationships with all of the world’s largest finance houses and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this year identified it as a bigger potential risk to the wider financial system than any other global bank. Deutsche chief executive John Cryan will be in Washington this week for the annual meeting of the IMF, and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported that other executives would join him to try to negotiate a settlement with the US authorities. Like fellow large European banks also under investigation for mis-selling mortgage-backed securities, Credit Suisse and Barclays, Deutsche will want to get a deal done with the current administration still in power. A new administration, to be installed after the November 8th election, will bring unknown risks and likely delays. At home, Deutsche Bank is fighting a rearguard action, seeking to shore up confidence among the public, politicians and regulators who say the bank brought many of its problems upon itself by overreaching itself and then reacting too slowly to the 2008 financial crisis. It suffered a further blow to its image this weekend with a third IT outage in the space of a few months on Saturday that prevented some customers getting access to their money for a short time. German business leaders from companies including BASF, Daimler, E.ON, RWE and Siemens defended the bank in a front-page article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. “German industry needs a Deutsche Bank to accompany us out into the world,” BASF chairman Juergen Hambrecht said. A spokesman for a blue-chip company that did not feature in the article said he had been asked by Deutsche for an executive to provide a similar supportive comment. Deutsche Bank and the government in Berlin have had to play a delicate balancing act, emphasising the substance and importance of the bank without implying any need for state aid or willingness to supply it. The bank has a market capitalisation of only around €15.9 billion and would almost certainly have to raise fresh cash to pay the full DoJ demand. Both the bank and Berlin this week denied reports that the government was preparing a rescue plan. The Bild am Sonntag newspaper wrote on Sunday that Deutsche’s chairman had informed Berlin just before it disclosed the potential $14 billion fine but had not asked for help. The same newspaper quoted the president of the Bavarian Finance Centre, Wolfgang Gerke, as saying the German government should step in and buy a 20 per cent stake in the bank before its value fell any further. The group represents financial services companies in the southern German state. “Fundamentally, I’m against state interventions,” he told the newspaper, but added that in this case a government stake would be “a signal that could turn the whole market”.[SEP]Germany's largest lender said about two weeks ago it would fight a $14 billion demand from the U.S. Department of Justice to settle claims it missold the securities. An agreement could be announced in the next couple of days, a person familiar with the matter told AFP. The final amount of the settlement could be slightly different, the source said. (yhoo.it/2dfHX74) Deutsche Bank declined to comment on the report and a spokesman for the DoJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The bank's U.S.-listed shares were up 13.7 percent at $13.05 in heavy midday trading. The stock rose as much as 15.16 percent, its best intraday percentage gain in nearly five years.[SEP]Deutsche Bank executives are heading to the United States in the coming days to negotiate a settlement over a fine of up to $14 billion for misselling mortgage-backed securities, the Frankfurter Allegemeine Zeitung reported. The potential fine, announced two weeks ago, has sent shares in Germany’s biggest lender into freefall. On Friday, the stock partially recovered after a media report that the two sides were close to a settlement of $5.4 billion. The FAZ did not cite any sources for its report.Shares in the troubled bank closed at €11.57, up 6.4 per cent, the biggest gain since April. Agence France-Presse reported that the lender is nearing a settlement with the DoJ in an investigation tied to residential mortgage-backed securities, citing an unidentified source. Spokesmen for the Frankfurt-based lender and the DoJ declined to comment. Deutsche Bank’s stock and debt have been under pressure after the justice department earlier this month requested $14 billion to settle an investigation into residential mortgage-backed securities. While Deutsche has said it does not expect to pay a figure anywhere near the $14 billion demanded, the department is pushing to agree a trio of settlements ahead of the US election in November. In a memo to staff earlier on Friday, chief executive John Cryan noted that rivals had reached far lower settlements with US regulators over misdemeanours in the past. “Even the uncertainty over the outcome of our legal process in the US is not a reason for the pressure on our share price, if we take the settlements of our peers as a benchmark,” he wrote. “The amount would be very good news, below what consensus expects now,” said Jerome Legras, an investor at Axiom Alternative Investments, who holds a short position on the lender. “Deutsche Bank has dropped so much as there is so much speculation circulating – at some point people just want to make a profit on short positions.” Analysts at JPMorgan Chase wrote in a note to clients earlier this month that a US settlement of $3 billion to $3.5 billion would leave the German lender room to settle other legal issues. Any additional $1 billion in litigation charges would erode capital by 24 basis points, it said. The bank’s common equity Tier 1 ratio stood at 10.8 per cent at the end of June. Deutsche Bank has long struggled to adapt to an era of tougher capital requirements and diminished trading revenue. Mr Cryan has already said that the lender may fail to be profitable this year, calling it a peak restructuring year, as he eliminates thousands of jobs and cuts risky assets. But he added that, excluding one-off costs, the bank had made a pre-tax profit of €1.7 billion in the first half of the year, and drew attention to the strength of Deutsche’s liquidity reserves, which stand at €215 billion. The shares had been pushed to a fresh record low earlier on Friday after reports that some hedge fund clients had reduced their financial exposure to the bank. Deutsche Bank has lost about 49 per cent of its market value this year.[SEP]Germany's Finance Ministry declined to comment on Friday on a report that Deutsche Bank was close to a $5.4 billion settlement with U.S. authorities over alleged misselling of mortgage-backed securities. "We have no comment on this," Finance Ministry spokesman Juerg Weissgerber said in an emailed comment to Reuters. Agence France Presse reported that Deutsche Bank was near a $5.4 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. News last week that the U.S. government would levy a fine as high as $14 billion sent Deutsche's share price plummeting to record lows.[SEP]No matter how hard it tries, Deutsche Bank’s subprime chickens keep coming home to roost. This week’s crisis: the aftershocks of a $14 billion fine imposed by the United States to punish Germany’s biggest lender for mis-selling subprime mortgage products. Disputed reports of a state aid rebuff for Deutsche from Chancellor Angela Merkel pushed the bank’s shares down this week to their lowest level in 30 years. On paper, Deutsche Bank is worth more than €60 billion but is currently valued at less than a quarter of that. After posting record losses of €6.8 billion last year, the Frankfurt colossus suffered a serious credibility crisis in February over a miscommunicated bond-buyback. In hindsight, all of that may have been the overture to the current drama. It’s a been a long, painful fall for Deutsche Bank. Its shares are now trading at just €10.40 – down from €32 last year and almost €80 in 2007. Insurance on Deutsche credit defaults has spiked to levels not seen since the financial crisis. Covering a Deutsche demand of €100,000 now costs €2,420 annually – up from €589 in March 2015. After flying high in the early 2000s on Wall Street, joining the international big league of high-risk, high-yield financial products, Deutsche Bank has spent the current decade nursing a post-crash hangover that won’t lift. This is no ordinary hangover, however, nor is this an ordinary bank. This is Deutsche Bank, a year older than modern Germany itself, and, since 1870, the glue holding together Europe’s largest economy. But years of legal battles and restructuring woes have seen investors asking whether the Frankfurt giant is coming unstuck. Last year, three generations of Deutsche chief executives lined up in a German courtroom to face charges that their loose talk had ruined Kirch, one of Germany’s largest media empires. All three were exonerated, but only after damaging court testimony exposed the bank’s inner workings. Relief at shaking off the Kirch case was overshadowed by the simultaneous news of a record $2.5 billion fine to US and British authorities for manipulating the Libor interbank borrowing rate. The Libor scandal has yet to run its course. Former Deutsche traders were indicted last June in New York and one, Timothy Parietti, has admitted rigging the benchmark rate linked to trillions of dollars in securities and loans as part of a deal with prosecutors to help the US justice department with an investigation that it has signalled may yet claim more senior Deutsche scalps. With all this going on, the average German would be forgiven for thinking that Deutsche, once a dull-but-serious bank with an occasional scandalous sideline, is now an institutional scandal with a sideline in banking. Which takes us to the latest drama: the $14 billion put forward by the US justice department as the price for putting to bed Deutsche Bank’s subprime mortgage mis-selling of a decade ago. Based on previous settlements with other errant banks, the Germans are confident the final deal will be significantly lower than this opening bid. But even a reduced fine could swallow in one gulp the entire €5.5 billion Deutsche has set aside for its legal battles that, according to one source, number in excess of 6,000. Apart from the mortgage fine and currency manipulation probes, it is being investigated for its precious-metals trading and billions of dollars of transfers out of Russia. Deutsche has liquidity reserves of about €200 billion but, preparing for the worst, has begun selling off assets to raise more cash. Another option, selling more shares, would dilute existing stock and spook already nervous investors. That is not something Deutsche Bank is considering “at present”, chief executive John Cryan told Bild on Wednesday. The only other option is state aid, something Deutsche has resisted in the past. In Bild, the British-born chief executive bristled with indignation at claims he went cap-in-hand to Dr Merkel over the summer – and was rebuffed. “At no point did I ask the chancellor for help, I didn’t even hint at anything of the sort,” he said, insisting the bank was financially sound. Some in Germany have drawn parallels to the Volkswagen diesel scandal: another blue-chip brand laid low by dirty dealings. But others see conspiracy theories, suggesting Deutsche is the latest firm to be dragged into a transatlantic tit-for-tat after VW and Apple . As the finger-pointing starts, it’s worth remembering that Deutsche Bank has dug this hole for itself. The go-to read for this is the 2011 US Senate report Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse. In emails quoted here, Deutsche’s one-time top global trader Greg Lipmann described his bank’s own security-backed products as “crap” but confessed to enjoying the challenge of trying to “dupe someone” into buying them. Even in June 2006, as Mr Lipmann was warning his colleagues of the looming disaster, he admitted that it was difficult to quit the gambling table. “We are looking for ways to get out of this risk but, for now, the view has been: ‘We like the fees’.” A colleague of his called Rocky Kurita, apparently a Vanilla Ice fan, put it another way in an email to Mr Lipmann a year earlier: “If there is a problem, yo, we’ll solve it/Check out the spreads while my structurer revolves it.” Deutsche Bank’s US financial dealings involved, in butchery terms, repackaging low-grade offal as high grade round steak mince, offloading the “crap” before it began to stink, and pocketing the difference. Only after the crash did many German banks in New York find out that they were the running joke of the street, viewed by other institutions as the useful idiots worth approaching to offload financial products no one else wanted to buy. German financial analysts suggest many of the country’s banks were happy to take greater risks than the competition because their hybrid status – US investment banks with a continued domestic financing foothold – meant Germany would not let them fail. But that is the question that has come to a head this week: does Germany’s implicit guarantee still hold for Deutsche? On paper, the European Union’s post-crisis bailout rules, implemented in Germany last year, lay out a clear liability cascade for struggling banks that put the taxpayer right at the end. But Deutsche Bank is not just a fallen star of Wall Street, it is a financier of Germany’s Mittelstand – the small- and medium enterprises that form the backbone of the domestic economy. They need a strong Deutsche Bank, as do the companies they trade with around Europe. With elections looming next year, bailing out Germany’s largest bank would be an economic and political disaster for Angela Merkel – and at odds with her entire line in the years of crisis. But the ambiguous words of wisdom – and warning – on the lips of countless Berlin politicians this week: Deutsche Bank is bigger than Lehman Brothers. The level of fear in Frankfurt can be gauged by the utter lack of Schadenfreude among Deutsche’s private-bank competitors. In a worst-case scenario, next to Deutsche’s own investors, they would be on the bail-in hook to cover Deutsche’s losses through Germany’s private-bank deposit-insurance fund. In public, though, they insist there is no problem. “We are not facing a compensation claim through Deutsche Bank,” said Thomas Schlüter, spokesman for the Association of German Banks, (Bankenverband), representing more than 200 private institutions. “There’s been a lot of speculation in the last days but everything has been repudiated.” However, an analyst at one Frankfurt bank, who asked not to be named, said everyone was “shaken up” by the $14 billion fine. Can Germany’s largest bank shoulder such a burden, they wonder, and how much time and energy will that and other legal battles sap from bank managers who are supposed to be steering a radical restructuring effort to future-proof the institution? “When a reputation takes as much damage as Deutsche, things can become a self-fulfilling prophecy,” said one banking analyst. “It is a question of trust. Do capital markets and private customers trust Deutsche Bank? If not, Germany – and Europe – has a big problem.”[SEP]Deutsche Bank ( ) executives are heading to the United States in the coming days to negotiate a settlement over a fine of up to $14 billion for misselling mortgage-backed securities, the Frankfurter Allegemeine Zeitung reported. The potential fine, announced two weeks ago, has sent shares in Germany's biggest lender into freefall. On Friday, the stock partially recovered after a media report that the two sides were close to a settlement of $5.4 billion. The FAZ did not cite any sources for its report. Deutsche Bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Chief Executive John Cryan's travel plans.[SEP]The government denied a newspaper report on Wednesday that it was working on a rescue plan for Germany's biggest bank, as its shares went into a tailspin fueled by a demand for up to $14 billion from U.S. authorities for misselling mortgage-backed securities before the financial crisis. Germany, which has insisted Italy and others accept tough conditions in tackling their problem lenders, can ill afford to be seen to go soft on its flagship bank, the Frankfurter Allgemeine wrote. "Of course Chancellor Merkel doesn't want to give Deutsche Bank any state aid," it wrote in a front-page editorial. "She cannot afford it from the point of view of foreign policy because Berlin is taking a hard line in the Italian bank rescue." The Munich-based Sueddeutsche Zeitung wrote that Merkel would be breaking a promise to taxpayers if she were to bail the bank out, which could spell disaster for her re-election bid next year as the anti-immigration AfD party gains ground. The AfD is already benefiting from a backlash against Merkel's open-door refugee policy, making huge gains in two regional elections last month and hitting an all-time high of 16 percent support in an opinion poll last week. "A state aid package would drive voters into the arms of the AfD," the Sueddeutsche wrote in an editorial. "Domestic political considerations make it unlikely that Berlin would play this joker. Even more unlikely is that the European Commission would agree. The political risk would be simply too high." Shares in Deutsche Bank recovered somewhat on Friday from a record low early in the day after a report that it was close to a cut-price settlement of $5.4 billion instead of $14 billion. The bank, the U.S. Department of Justice and the German finance ministry all declined to comment on the report. The crisis also prompted Deutsche Bank's normally reticent Chief Executive John Cryan to publish a letter seeking to reassure staff the bank was stable and hitting out at "forces" that wanted to weaken trust in the bank. The Stuttgarter Zeitung wrote on Saturday: "Deutsche Bank has to win back ground here because as exaggerated as the reports of an existential danger to the bank may have been, just as obvious are its continuing difficulties."[SEP]Pressure on Deutsche Bank has increased since the lender revealed two weeks ago the US Justice Department is asking for $14 billion to settle a probe tied to residential mortgage-backed securities the bank traded before the 2008 financial crisis. Amid concerns about the bank’s finances, about 10 hedge funds that use its prime brokerage service moved part of their listed derivatives holdings to other firms this week, according to an internal bank document Bloomberg News has seen. Germany’s biggest lender is firing workers, dumping unprofitable clients and exiting businesses. Still, doubts remain about whether it has the resources to cope with multiple legal probes without raising capital -- though Deutsche Bank and the German government have said the company can stand on its own. As the saga unfolds, here are 10 people who will be instrumental in deciding Deutsche Bank’s fate: The US Justice Department’s No. 3 official is calling the shots in the Deutsche Bank talks. An antitrust lawyer by training, Baer was previously chief of the division that oversees reviews of mergers and acquisitions, where he gained a reputation for aggressively opposing deals the department deemed anticompetitive. Baer last year secured guilty pleas and $6 billion in penalties from a group of lenders over currency-market rigging. While he hasn’t directly commented on Deutsche Bank, Baer says banks are to blame for slow progress in mortgage settlement talks. “Each prolonged the period in which a cloud of uncertainty hung over the institution,” Baer said in a speech this week. “And each paid a lot more than it would have if it had cooperated early on.” Deutsche Bank’s chief executive officer is trying to shore up capital buffers and profitability while selling assets, cutting jobs, and suspending dividends. Cryan faces headwinds from volatile markets, negative interest rates and tougher regulatory scrutiny. Cryan this week told Germany’s Bild newspaper that raising capital is “currently not an issue” and said he has no interest in government support. The chairman of Deutsche Bank’s supervisory board is known for his deep contacts across the industry. He chose Cryan to pick up the pieces after previous leaders failed to root out the misconduct that had drawn the wrath of prosecutors from New York to London. But Achleitner’s star has begun to fade as investors grow impatient with a plunging share price and continuing turmoil. The chinks became visible in April, when he became embroiled in a boardroom feud over probes into alleged wrongdoing. The German chancellor would make the final decision on any state aid for Deutsche Bank. Having steered Germany through the 2008-2009 financial crisis, she’s a veteran of bank rescues. That experience has also given her an acute awareness of the political pitfalls of assisting the financial sector, especially as Germany prepares for national elections next year. Cautious by nature, this week she said she hopes the bank “can develop well.” The German finance minister, the country’s elder statesman and Merkel’s chief lieutenant on financial matters, would craft and execute any government rescue of Deutsche Bank. In February he said he has “no concerns about Deutsche Bank.” These days, he’s avoiding public comment -- though on Wednesday his ministry denied a report in Die Zeit that the government was working on a rescue plan. The European Central Bank president would likely become involved before a lender is liquidated or broken up. While decisions of the ECB’s supervisory arm are usually rubber-stamped by the Governing Council, in this case policy makers may want to weigh the gravity of a bank’s woes against the potentially crippling effects that dissolving a lender would have on the euro and Europe’s economic recovery. Draghi has said he doesn’t “share the view” that low interest rates -- the root of many of Deutsche Bank’s problems -- pose systemic risk. The chair of the European Central Bank’s Supervisory Board is in charge of scrutinising Deutsche Bank’s activities and balance sheet. She will have the final say in setting the bank’s capital requirements for 2017, and would make the initial call on whether a struggling bank is no longer viable. She has suggested that Europe’s banking sector is ripe for consolidation. The chairwoman of the Single Resolution Board in Brussels would manage any eventual liquidation or breakup of Deutsche Bank. Koenig is the first chief of the agency, established in December 2014 as a clearinghouse for plans to mitigate the negative impact of any major bank failure. As the former chief of Germany’s banking supervisor, she’s well acquainted with Deutsche Bank’s difficulties. The president of BaFin, Germany’s financial markets watchdog, works with his Bundesbank and ECB colleagues to monitor banks. While Germany’s representatives on the ECB’s Supervisory Board include Bafin and the Bundesbank, only Hufeld has voting rights. He hasn’t commented on Deutsche Bank specifically, but Hufeld has said low interest rates are devastating bank profits and that institutions must cut costs to survive. “Things can’t continue as they have,” he said at a conference in Berlin on Wednesday. The former Danish finance minister is now in charge of competition and state aid for the European Union’s executive arm. She would need to scrutinise any government rescue plan to check that it doesn’t fall afoul of the EU’s strict limits on giving companies public support.[SEP]The latest lurch came after Bloomberg reported that a number of hedge funds that clear derivatives trades with Deutsche had withdrawn some excess cash and adjusted positions held at the lender, a sign that counterparties are wary of doing business with it. Barry Bausano, chairman of Deutsche's hedge fund business, told CNBC that its prime brokerage division, which services hedge funds, was "still very profitable" but said there was, "no question we have a perception issue." Fabrizio Camelli, head of the Deutsche wealth management business, said the bank was seeking to reassure customers and had not seen "any noticeable outflow of client funds." “Of course some of our customers are asking what is up with Deutsche Bank at the moment. We are telling them that we are doing better than it might seem from outside," he told Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily. In a statement, Deutsche said its trading clients remained largely supportive. "We are confident that the vast majority of them have a full understanding of our stable financial position, the current macro-economic environment, the litigation process in the U.S. and the progress we are making with our strategy," it said. The immediate cause of Deutsche's crisis is a fine, disputed by Deutsche, of up to $14 billion by the U.S. Department of Justice over its sale of mortgage-backed securities. Profits at Germany's lenders have been squeezed by the European Central Bank's money-printing policy. They have been seeking to boost revenue by passing on costs to corporate customers and increasing fees for retail depositors. Deutsche's U.S.-listed shares fell more than 9 percent in New York on Thursday after touching a record low in Europe this week. Berlin has denied planning any repeat of the taxpayer-funded bailouts that Germany and other Western states staged during the global financial crisis. This followed a newspaper report earlier in the week that the government had made provisional plans to rescue Deutsche. Politicians are reluctant to back a group disliked by many Germans because of its pursuit of investment banking abroad that resulted in billions of euros of penalties for wrongdoing. Eckhardt Rehberg, parliamentary budget spokesman for the ruling conservatives, signalled he would oppose any support. "At the present time I would rule out any capital help. That would not be the right way to go," he told Reuters, echoing similar comments by Hans Michelbach, who heads the conservatives in the parliamentary finance committee. But Jeffrey Gundlach, chief executive of DoubleLine Capital, said investors betting that Berlin would not rescue Deutsche could find themselves nursing big losses. "The market is going to push down Deutsche Bank until there is some recognition of support. They will get assistance, if need be," said Gundlach, who oversees more than $100 billion at Los Angeles-based DoubleLine. Chancellor Angela Merkel's popularity has declined because of her open-door policy for migrants, and if Deutsche Bank were to require state help, her standing as the leader who successfully steered Germany through the financial crisis could also be called into question. Deutsche got through the global crisis without state aid, but Commerzbank, Germany's second-biggest lender, needed an 18.2 billion euro bailout in 2008 and the state still holds a 15 percent stake. The problems of Deutsche, once Germany's flagship on Wall Street, are awkward for Berlin, which has berated many euro zone peers for economic mismanagement and pushed for countries such as Ireland and Greece to cope with their banking problems alone. Austrian finance minister Hans Joerg Schelling also sought to play down fears over Deutsche, saying the case could not be compared with Lehman Brothers, the U.S. investment bank whose collapse in 2008 sent shock waves around the world. "We have all the measures in place at a European level to stabilise financial markets," he told Reuters. Like many of its peers, Deutsche has faced a series of lawsuits that often trace back to the boom years before the crash. Its litigation bill since 2012 has already hit more than 12 billion euros ($13.5 billion). In July the bank barely scraped through European stress tests - designed to gauge its ability to withstand a crisis - and has warned it may need deeper cost cuts to turn itself around.

The Obama administration through the United States Department of Justice lowers the fine against Germany's Deutsche Bank to a settlement of US$5.4 billion after being handed a demand for up to $14 billion earlier this month over the sale of toxic mortgage bonds.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A powerful Hurricane Matthew moved slowly across the Caribbean Sea Sunday on a track that authorities warned could trigger devastation in parts of Haiti. The storm had winds of 140 mph (220 kph) as it moved northwest and the center was expected to pass across or very close to the southwestern tip of Haiti late Monday before reaching Cuba, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. A hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti. Forecasters said the southern Haitian countryside around Les Cayes could see the worst of it. "Wherever that center passes close to would see the worst winds and that's what's projected to happen for the western tip of Haiti," said John Cangilosi, a hurricane specialist at the center. "There is a big concern for rains there and also a big concern for storm surge." Matthew is one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history and briefly reached the top classification, Category 5, becoming the strongest hurricane here since Felix in 2007. The hurricane center said it appeared to be on track to pass east of Florida through the Bahamas, but it was too soon to predict with certainty whether it would reach the coast United States. The government of Haiti opened 1,300 emergency shelters across the country, enough to hold up to 340,000 people. Authorities broadcast warnings over the radio and across social media, trying to counter a common tendency for people to try to stay in their homes to protect them during natural disasters. "The shelters are open but I don't believe we have anyone inside them just yet," said Joseph Edgard Celestin, a spokesman for the civil protection agency. Teams of civil protection officials were walking the streets of Les Cayes urging residents to secure their homes, prepare emergency kits and warn their neighbors. Many Haitians appeared unaware of the looming hurricane. "No, I haven't heard anything about a bad storm coming here," farmer Jean-Bernard Mede said with a concerned expression as he took a break from walking three cows along a dirt track outside the town of Leogane. "I'll do what I can for my animals and my family." Forecasters said Matthew was expected to dump 15 to 25 inches (40 to 60 centimeters) of rain over southern Haiti, with a few places getting as much as 40 inches (100 centimeters). The impoverished country is particularly vulnerable to devastating floods because of the steep terrain, with hillsides and mountains often devoid of the trees that hold back the water because they have been cut down to make charcoal for cooking fires. Many people often live in houses that are not able to withstand a storm, typically built of scraps of plywood with flimsy corrugated steel roofs. As of 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), the storm was centered about 350 miles (565 kilometers) south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It was traveling north-northwest at 3 mph (6 kph). The hurricane earlier had been projected to move closer to Jamaica, but the risk to the island seems to have diminished somewhat. "The center of the system is looking more likely that it will pass to the east of Jamaica but it won't miss it by that much, so they are still going to see impacts," Cangilosi said. "The impacts are maybe going to be a little lower there than they would be in Haiti and eastern Cuba." After passing Jamaica and Haiti, Matthew is expected to reach Cuba, potentially striking near the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, where authorities were evacuating non-essential personnel, including about 700 family members of those serving there. Everyone remaining behind was being told to take shelter, said Julie Ann Ripley, a spokeswoman. There are about 5,500 people living on the base, including 61 men held at the detention center. The forecast track would also carry Matthew into the Bahamas. Cangilosi said the storm appeared to tracking toward the U.S., but it was too soon to say if it would affect Florida or parts of the East Coast. "The message we have for people in Florida is just closely monitor Matthew," he said. "We can't rule out any significant impacts just yet but the indications at this point are that the center of it will move to the east." Associated Press writers Ben Fox in Miami and Evens Sanon in Haiti contributed to this report.[SEP]Hurricane Matthew has rapidly strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm, and a hurricane watch has now been issued for Jamaica. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Matthew is packing top sustained winds of 140 mph (220 kph) after gaining new strength Friday over the central Caribbean. The storm is located about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Punta Gallinas, Colombia, and about 465 miles (750 kilometers) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. The center says that as of 5 p.m. Friday, the storm is moving west-southwest at 9 mph (15 kph). In addition to a hurricane watch for Jamaica, authorities also issued a tropical storm watch for the southwestern coast of Haiti. The tropical storm watch is in effect from Haiti's southern border with the Dominican Republic to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. Forecasters say Matthew is expected to turn toward the west-northwest by Saturday night and then toward the northwest on Sunday. The center says the storm's expected path over the central Caribbean is forecast to bring Matthew near Jamaica on Sunday.[SEP]KINGSTON, Jamaica — Hurricane Matthew weakened slightly on Saturday as it headed towards Jamaica and Cuba, but with winds reaching 155 miles per hour forecasters said the storm was still powerful enough to wreck homes as islanders braced for its arrival. Matthew, the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean since Felix in 2007, was forecast to make landfall as a major storm on Monday on Jamaica’s southern coast, home to the country’s capital, Kingston, and its only oil refinery. It could also affect tourist destinations such as Montego Bay in the north. With Matthew about 420 miles southeast of Kingston, the U.S. National Hurricane Center downgraded its designation to a Category 4, from the top Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity, but Jamaican authorities said they were taking all possible precautions. “The government is on high alert,” said Robert Morgan, director of communications at the prime minister’s office. “We hope that the hurricane does not hit us, but if it does hit us, we are trying our very best to ensure that we are in the best possible place,” he said. Disaster coordinators, police and troops are on standby and shelters are being opened across the island, Morgan said. The center of the storm will move away from the Guajira Peninsula early on Saturday, across the central Caribbean Sea on Saturday and approach Jamaica late on Sunday, the NHC said. Despite sunny weather and only a few scattered clouds, many Kingstonians stocked up on water and food on Friday. Jamaica was hard hit by hurricane Gilbert in 1988, and the last major hurricane in the region was Sandy, in 2012. Matthew could be the most powerful storm to cross the island since records began, meteorologist Eric Holthaus said on Twitter. Tenaj Lewis, 41, a doctor who was stocking up with groceries in Kingston on Friday, said Jamaica was much better-prepared for hurricanes than when Gilbert struck. “The country literally shut down for months,” she said. Since then, hurricanes have brought a few days of power outages but have not been nearly as destructive and many Jamaicans were unflustered. Peter Silvera, who owns the Longboarder Bar & Grill in the Roselle, a small hamlet on the southeastern coast of the island, said he was surfing all morning. “This is when we get the best waves,” he said, but added he would be bringing in his outdoor tables and “battening down the hatches” to ride out the storm. Southwest Airlines warned that flights to Montego Bay might be disrupted and said customers could reschedule. Matthew is also forecast to skim past the southern coast of Haiti on Monday and officials said preparation efforts were focused in the south. “We will prepare with drinking water for the patients, with medication, with generators for electricity (and) vehicles to go look for people at their homes,” said Yves Domercant, the head of the public hospital in Les Cayes in the south. In Cuba, which has a strong record of protecting residents when storms strike, people in the eastern coastal city of Santiago de Cuba said they were following the news closely, although the sky was still blue. “We don’t know yet exactly where it will go, so we’re still waiting to see,” said Marieta Gomez, owner of Hostal Marieta. “We Cubans are well prepared.”[SEP]Matthew, with winds at about 150 miles per hour (240 kph), is expected to make landfall as a major storm on Jamaica's southern coast, home to the capital, Kingston, and its only oil refinery. Stormy weather could begin on Sunday. Simultaneously. the storm is forecast to lash southern Haiti, dumping up to 40 inches (101 cm) of rain there and up to 25 inches (64 cm) in Jamaica, possibly triggering life-threatening landslides and floods, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Albert Moulion, Haiti's interior ministry spokesman, said authorities had started voluntary evacuations of residents of small, exposed sandy islands in the south as a precaution. "We have already started evacuations," he said. "The national center of emergency operations has been activated." By early Tuesday, Matthew is due in eastern Cuba, with a path that could take it over the colonial city of Santiago de Cuba and the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo. The U.S. ordered the mandatory evacuation of approximately 700 spouses and children from the base on Saturday, saying it was airlifting them to a station in Pensacola, Florida. Cuban President Raul Castro visited Santiago de Cuba on Saturday to oversee storm preparations, Cuban TV footage showed. The ferocity of the storm, the strongest in the Carribbean since Hurricane Felix in 2007, has led to concerns of economic devastation in the poor countries in its path. "The hurricane will cause an interruption, obviously, in our economic activities here," Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness told Reuters in an interview on Saturday, saying that tourism and agriculture could be most affected. "We have allocated all the resources we can given our fiscal restraints and I think that the country is prepared for the hurricane," Holness said. Cash-strapped Jamaica has been suffering a long economic slowdown and is under an International Monetary Fund program to tackle high debt. In Kingston, residents stocked up on canned foods, water and flashlights in preparation for the storm, while banks and offices boarded up their windows. Fishermen were told not to go to sea. In MegaMart, a supermarket, Ennis St. Patrice and his wife, Monique, bought big bottles of water. "We’ve had these kind of occurrences in the past and it is generally bad, because Jamaica does not have proper infrastructure,” said St Patrice, a trade unionist for Jamaica's meteorological office. “In simple rainfall, we have flooding.”[SEP]Hurricane Matthew has strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale while moving west- southwestward over the Caribbean Sea, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Friday. Matthew was located about 495 miles (800 kilometers) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica with maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h), the Miami-based weather forecaster said. The center of Matthew will pass north of the Guajira Peninsula later Friday and remain over the central Caribbean Sea through early Sunday, the NHC said.[SEP]KINGSTON, Jamaica — Hurricane Matthew is roaring across the Caribbean Sea as a monster Category 5 storm on a course that puts Jamaica, as well as parts of Haiti and Cuba, in the path of its potentially devastating winds and rain. The U.S. National Hurricane Center called it the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Felix in 2007, and said Matthew will be approaching Jamaica late Sunday night. It is expected to reach the eastern part of the island on Monday. Jamaicans began clearing out store shelves as they stocked up emergency supplies and Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Friday called an urgent meeting of Parliament to discuss preparations for the storm. "I left work to pick up a few items, candles, tin stuff, bread," 41-year-old Angella Wage said at a crowded store in the Half Way Tree area of the capital, Kingston. "We can never be too careful." Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica's National Meteorological Service, said the first effects of the storm may be felt as early as Saturday. "We do consider it serious," Thompson said. "We are all on high alert." Jamaicans are accustomed to intense tropical weather but Hurricane Matthew looked particularly threatening. With wind speeds of 160 mph (260 kph), it was more powerful than Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall on the island in September 1988 and was the most destructive storm in the country's modern history. "Hurricane Matthew could rival or possibly exceed Gilbert if the core of the strongest winds does actually move over Jamaica," said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the hurricane in Miami. "There is no certainty of that at this point." Matthew was expected to bring heavy rainfall especially to the eastern tip and higher elevations, which could trigger flooding and landslides, Thompson said. Forecasters said rainfall totals could reach 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 ) with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches (63 ) in Jamaica and southwestern Haiti. Kingston is in the southeastern corner of Jamaica and is expected to experience flooding. The government issued a hurricane watch on Friday, and a tropical storm watch was issued for Haiti's southwest coast form the southern border it shares with the Dominican Republic to the capital of Port-au-Prince. As of 11 p.m. EDT (0300 GMT), the storm was about 440 miles (710 ) southeast of Kingston. It was moving west at 7 mph (11 kph). It brought extremely high tides, storm surge and heavy rain to Colombia, prompting authorities to declare an alert as local TV broadcast images of cars and tree trunks surging though flooded streets in coastal areas. Local media in La Guajira province reported that one person died in flooding.[SEP]Haiti also began evacuating residents by boat from outlying islands in preparation for Hurricane Matthew, which threatens to wreak widespread damage in the region with flash floods and winds of about 150 miles per hour. Matthew is expected to make landfall as a major storm on Jamaica's southern coast, home to the capital, Kingston, and its only oil refinery. Stormy weather could begin on Sunday. Simultaneously, the storm is forecast to lash southern Haiti, possibly dumping up to 40 inches of rain there and up to 25 inches in Jamaica, which could trigger life-threatening landslides and floods, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Albert Moulion, Haiti's interior ministry spokesman, said authorities had started voluntary evacuations of residents of small, exposed sandy islands in the south as a precaution. "We have already started evacuations," he said. "The national center of emergency operations has been activated." By early Tuesday, Matthew is due in eastern Cuba, with a path that could take it over the colonial city of Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo province, where the U.S. operates a naval base and a military prison. The U.S. Navy said some 700 spouses and children were to be airlifted to Florida to wait out the storm. "The remaining military and civilian personnel will shelter in place and be able to support recovery efforts once safe to do so following the storm's passage," the Navy said in a statement. Later in the week, the storm could affect the Bahamas and the east coast of the United States, although forecasts so far out are often inaccurate. Florida Gov. Rick Scott said residents of the state should prepare for the storm. Matthew was about 340 miles southeast of Port-Au-Prince on Sunday morning and the U.S. National Hurricane Center ranked it at Category 4 of the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale ofhurricane intensity. Earlier it had been ranked at the top Category 5. The ferocity of the storm has led to concerns of economic devastation in the poor countries in its path. "The hurricane will cause an interruption, obviously, in our economic activities here," Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness told Reuters in an interview on Saturday, saying that tourism and agriculture could be most affected. "We have allocated all the resources we can given our fiscal restraints and I think that the country is prepared for the hurricane," Holness said. Cash-strapped Jamaica has been suffering a long economic slowdown and is under an International Monetary Fund program to tackle high debt. The hurricane could affect tourist destinations such as Montego Bay in Jamaica's north In Kingston, residents stocked up on canned foods, water and flashlights in preparation for the storm, while banks and offices boarded up their windows. Fishermen were told not to go to sea. "We’ve had these kind of occurrences in the past and it is generally bad, because Jamaica does not have proper infrastructure," said the trade unionist for Jamaica's meteorological office. "In simple rainfall, we have flooding."[SEP]KINGSTON, Jamaica — One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history weakened a little on Saturday as it roared across the Caribbean on a course that put Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba in the path of potentially devastating winds and rain. Matthew briefly reached the top hurricane classification, Category 5, and was the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Felix in 2007. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said its winds had slipped to a still-devastating 155 mph and it was expected to reach the eastern part of Jamaica on Monday. Jamaicans began clearing out store shelves as they stocked up emergency supplies and Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Friday called an urgent meeting of Parliament to discuss preparations for the storm. "I left work to pick up a few items, candles, tin stuff, bread," 41-year-old Angella Wage said at a crowded store in the Half Way Tree area of the capital, Kingston. "We can never be too careful." Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica's National Meteorological Service, said the first effects of the storm may be felt as early as Saturday. "We do consider it serious," Thompson said. "We are all on high alert." Jamaicans are accustomed to intense tropical weather but Hurricane Matthew looked particularly threatening. At its peak, it was more powerful than Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall on the island in September 1988 and was the most destructive storm in the country's modern history. "Hurricane Matthew could rival or possibly exceed Gilbert if the core of the strongest winds does actually move over Jamaica," said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the hurricane center in Miami. "There is no certainty of that at this point." Matthew was expected to bring heavy rainfall especially to the eastern tip and higher elevations, which could trigger flooding and landslides, Thompson said. Forecasters said rainfall totals could reach 10 to 15 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches in Jamaica and southwestern Haiti. Kingston is in the southeastern corner of Jamaica and is expected to experience flooding. The government issued a hurricane watch on Friday, and a tropical storm watch was issued for Haiti's southwest coast form the southern border it shares with the Dominican Republic to the capital of Port-au-Prince. As of 8 a.m. EDT, the storm was centered about 400 miles southeast of Kingston. It was moving west at 7 mph. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 45 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles. It brought extremely high tides, storm surge and heavy rain to Colombia, prompting authorities to declare an alert as local TV broadcast images of cars and tree trunks surging though flooded streets in coastal areas. Local media in La Guajira province reported that one person died in flooding. Matthew caused at least one death when it entered the Caribbean on Wednesday, with officials in St. Vincent reporting a 16-year-old boy was crushed by a boulder as he tried to clear a blocked drain.[SEP]Matthew, with winds at about 150 miles per hour (240 kph), is expected to make landfall as a major storm on Jamaica's southern coast, home to the capital, Kingston, and its only oil refinery. Stormy weather could begin on Sunday. Simultaneously. the storm is forecast to lash southern Haiti, dumping up to 40 inches (101 cm) of rain there and up to 25 inches (64 cm) in Jamaica, possibly triggering life-threatening landslides and floods, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Albert Moulion, Haiti's interior ministry spokesman, said authorities had started voluntary evacuations of residents of small, exposed sandy islands in the south as a precaution. "We have already started evacuations," he said. "The national center of emergency operations has been activated." By early Tuesday, Matthew is due in eastern Cuba, with a path that could take it over the colonial city of Santiago de Cuba and the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo. The U.S. ordered the mandatory evacuation of approximately 700 spouses and children from the base on Saturday, saying it was airlifting them to a station in Pensacola, Florida. Cuban President Raul Castro visited Santiago de Cuba on Saturday to oversee storm preparations, Cuban TV footage showed. The ferocity of the storm, the strongest in the Carribbean since Hurricane Felix in 2007, has led to concerns of economic devastation in the poor countries in its path. "The hurricane will cause an interruption, obviously, in our economic activities here," Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness told Reuters in an interview on Saturday, saying that tourism and agriculture could be most affected. "We have allocated all the resources we can given our fiscal restraints and I think that the country is prepared for the hurricane," Holness said. Cash-strapped Jamaica has been suffering a long economic slowdown and is under an International Monetary Fund program to tackle high debt. In Kingston, residents stocked up on canned foods, water and flashlights in preparation for the storm, while banks and offices boarded up their windows. Fishermen were told not to go to sea. In MegaMart, a supermarket, Ennis St. Patrice and his wife, Monique, bought big bottles of water. "We’ve had these kind of occurrences in the past and it is generally bad, because Jamaica does not have proper infrastructure,” said St Patrice, a trade unionist for Jamaica's meteorological office. “In simple rainfall, we have flooding.”[SEP]KINGSTON, Jamaica — Hurricane Matthew has been downgraded to a Category 4 storm as it continues roaring across the Caribbean Sea on a course that puts Jamaica, as well as parts of Haiti and Cuba, in the path of its potentially devastating winds and rain. The U.S. National Hurricane Center called it the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Felix in 2007, and said Matthew will be approaching Jamaica late Sunday night. It is expected to reach the eastern part of the island on Monday. Jamaicans began clearing out store shelves as they stocked up emergency supplies and Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Friday called an urgent meeting of Parliament to discuss preparations for the storm. "I left work to pick up a few items, candles, tin stuff, bread," 41-year-old Angella Wage said at a crowded store in the Half Way Tree area of the capital, Kingston. "We can never be too careful." Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica's National Meteorological Service, said the first effects of the storm may be felt as early as Saturday. "We do consider it serious," Thompson said. "We are all on high alert." Jamaicans are accustomed to intense tropical weather but Hurricane Matthew looked particularly threatening. With wind speeds of 160 mph (260 kph), it was more powerful than Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall on the island in September 1988 and was the most destructive storm in the country's modern history. "Hurricane Matthew could rival or possibly exceed Gilbert if the core of the strongest winds does actually move over Jamaica," said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the hurricane center in Miami. "There is no certainty of that at this point." Matthew was expected to bring heavy rainfall especially to the eastern tip and higher elevations, which could trigger flooding and landslides, Thompson said. Forecasters said rainfall totals could reach 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches (63 centimeters) in Jamaica and southwestern Haiti. Kingston is in the southeastern corner of Jamaica and is expected to experience flooding. The government issued a hurricane watch on Friday, and a tropical storm watch was issued for Haiti's southwest coast form the southern border it shares with the Dominican Republic to the capital of Port-au-Prince. As of 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT), the storm was centered about 420 miles (675 kilometers) southeast of Kingston. It was moving west at 7 mph (11 kph). Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 45 miles (75 kilometers) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles (335 kilometers). It brought extremely high tides, storm surge and heavy rain to Colombia, prompting authorities to declare an alert as local TV broadcast images of cars and tree trunks surging though flooded streets in coastal areas. Local media in La Guajira province reported that one person died in flooding. Matthew caused at least one death when it entered the Caribbean on Wednesday, with officials in St. Vincent reporting a 16-year-old boy was crushed by a boulder as he tried to clear a blocked drain.

Hurricane Matthew becomes a category-5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds up to 160 mph, the strongest hurricane to form over the Caribbean Sea since Hurricane Felix in 2007. It is expected to impact parts of Haiti, Jamaica and eastern Cuba.

[SEP]MANILA — Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to liken himself to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler on Friday and said he would “be happy” to exterminate 3 million drug users and peddlers in the country. Although the administration of President Barack Obama played down the remark, Duterte’s comments triggered shock and anger among Jewish groups in the United States, which could create pressure on the U.S. government to take a tougher line with the Philippines leader. State Department spokesman Mark Toner on Friday said Duterte’s comments, in a rambling speech on his arrival in Davao City after a visit to Vietnam, were “a significant departure” from America’s partnership with the Philippines “and we find them troubling.” Duterte told reporters that he had been “portrayed to be a cousin of Hitler” by critics. Noting that Hitler had murdered millions of Jews, Duterte said, “There are 3 million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I’d be happy to slaughter them. “If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have …,” he said, pausing and pointing to himself. “You know my victims. I would like (them) to be all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition.” U.N. special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng, expressed alarm at Duterte’s comments and urged the Philippines leader to exercise restraint in his use of language, a U.N. statement said. Dieng also called on Duterte to support an investigation into the reported rise in killings resulting from his anti-drug campaign, the statement said. In August, Duterte threatened to withdraw the Philippines from the United Nations after it called for an end to the killings. In Washington, a State Department spokeswoman, Anna Richey-Allen, had repeated concerns about reports of extrajudicial killings in the southeast Asian country but offered no response to Duterte’s comment referring to Hitler. A White House official on Friday stuck to a strategy of stressing Washington’s long-standing ties with Manila, saying, “We continue to focus on our broad relationship with the Philippines and will work together in the many areas of mutual interest.” How relations between the U.S. and the Philippines evolve will depend more on what Duterte does than on what he says, administration officials have said. In Hawaii on Friday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter met with the defense chiefs of southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, and U.S. officials said they would use the forum to clarify comments by Duterte that throw into doubt his commitment to military ties with the United States, including joint exercises and patrols. Carter, speaking before Duterte’s remarks in Davao, said Washington had an “ironclad” alliance with Manila. Since Duterte took office on June 30, more than 3,100 people have been killed since then, mostly alleged drug users and dealers, in police operations and vigilante killings. Duterte, who was elected in May on the back of a vow to end drugs and corruption in the country of 100 million people, has insulted Obama and in a number of remarks he has undermined the relationship between Manila and Washington. On Friday, reacting to critical comments on his war on drugs by U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy and Benjamin Cardin, Duterte said, “Do not pretend to be the moral conscience of the world. Do not be the policeman because you do not have the eligibility to do that in my country.” Rabbi Abraham Cooper, head of the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Digital Terrorism and Hate project, called them “outrageous.” “Duterte owes the victims (of the Holocaust) an apology for his disgusting rhetoric,” Cooper said. The Anti-Defamation League, an international Jewish group based in the United States, said Duterte’s comments were “shocking for their tone-deafness.” “The comparison of drug users and dealers to Holocaust victims is inappropriate and deeply offensive,” said Todd Gutnick, the group’s director of communications. “It is baffling why any leader would want to model himself after such a monster.” Duterte has said there will be no annual war games between the Philippines and the United States until the end of his six-year term, and his hostility may make Washington’s strategy of rebalancing its military focus toward Asia in the face of an increasingly assertive China more difficult to achieve. Murray Hiebert, a Southeast Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington, said Obama was “taking the long view” in dealing with Duterte. Obama leaves office in January. Malcolm Cook, a senior fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, said the U.S-Philippines alliance was not necessarily at risk, but Washington could seek to focus on ties elsewhere in the region. “We are all in some sense becoming, by necessity, desensitized to Duterte’s language,” he said. “Diplomatically, the U.S. would say they’ll continue to work with him and the alliance is strong. But it’s whether they’ll continue to strengthen that alliance or not.”[SEP]MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte does not want to be branded another Hitler but he is willing to kill three million people in his crime war, his spokesman said Saturday. Duterte has faced international condemnation after on Friday likening his anti-drugs crackdown, which has left more than 3,000 dead, to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s efforts to exterminate Jews. “We do not wish to diminish the profound loss of six million Jews in the Holocaust,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement. “The president’s reference to the slaughter was an oblique deflection of the way he has been pictured as a mass murderer, a Hitler, a label he rejects.” Nevertheless, Abella confirmed Duterte had intended to say he wanted to kill millions of people in the Philippines to achieve his mission of eradicating illegal drugs. “Duterte was referencing to his ‘willingness to kill’ three million criminal drug dealers – to save the future of the next generation and the country,” Abella said. On Friday Duterte raised the example of Hitler’s genocidal campaign to eliminate Jews, while discussing his anti-drugs crackdown. “There are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I’d be happy to slaughter them,” Duterte said. “At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have,” he said, then paused. “But you know, my victims, I would like to be (sic) all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition.” Senior US officials, a UN rights envoy, the German government and Jewish groups quickly condemned Duterte’s comments. The United Nations special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng, warned Duterte may be in danger of committing crimes against humanity. Dieng called on Duterte to “exercise restraint in the use of language that could ‘exacerbate discrimination, hostility and violence and encourage the commission of criminal acts which, if widespread or systematic, could amount to crimes against humanity'”, a UN statement said. Duterte, 71, won elections in May in a landslide after a campaign dominated by his pledge to eradicate drugs in society by killing tens of thousands of people. He has said the Philippines is in danger of becoming a narco state. Since Duterte came to power on June 30, police have killed more than 1,200 people and about 1,800 others have died in unexplained circumstances, according to official figures. Before his Hitler comments, Duterte had faced a barrage of criticism from Western governments and rights groups over the apparent extrajudicial killings. Duterte has reacted defiantly and often with abusive language to the criticism, while insisting he is not doing anything illegal. Duterte has branded US President Barack Obama a “son of a whore”, called UN chief Ban Ki-moon a “fool” and said “f*** you” to the European Union while raising his middle finger. – AFP[SEP]MANILA - Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to liken himself to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler on Friday and said he would "be happy" to exterminate three million drug users and peddlers in the country. His comments triggered shock and anger among Jewish groups in the United States, which will add to pressure on the U.S. government to take a tougher line with the Philippines leader. Duterte recently insulted President Barack Obama and in a series of remarks he has undermined the previously close relationship between Manila and Washington. In a rambling speech on his arrival in Davao City after a visit to Vietnam, Duterte told reporters that he had been "portrayed to be a cousin of Hitler" by critics. Noting that Hitler had murdered millions of Jews, Duterte said: "There are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I'd be happy to slaughter them. "If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have...," he said, pausing and pointing to himself. "You know my victims. I would like (them) to be all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition." Duterte was voted to power in a May election on the back of a vow to end drugs and corruption in the country of 100 million people. He took office on June 30 and over 3,100 people have been killed since then, mostly alleged drug users and dealers, in police operations and in vigilante killings. His comments were quickly condemned by Jewish groups. Rabbi Abraham Cooper, head of the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Digital Terrorism and Hate project, called them "outrageous". "Duterte owes the victims (of the Holocaust) an apology for his disgusting rhetoric." The Anti-Defamation League, an international Jewish group based in the United States, said Duterte's comments were "shocking for their tone-deafness". "The comparison of drug users and dealers to Holocaust victims is inappropriate and deeply offensive," said Todd Gutnick, the group's director of communications. "It is baffling why any leader would want to model himself after such a monster." Two days before the Philippines election, outgoing President Benigno Aquino had warned that Duterte's rising popularity was akin to that of Hitler in the 1920s and 1930s. "I hope we learn the lessons of history," Aquino said in widely reported remarks. "We should remember how Hitler came to power." Duterte has been scathing about criticism of his anti-drugs campaign and has insulted the United Nations and the European Union, as well as Obama, at various times in recent weeks. On Friday, reacting to critical comments on his war on drugs by U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy and Benjamin Cardin, Duterte said: "Do not pretend to be the moral conscience of the world. Do not be the policeman because you do not have the eligibility to do that in my country." He also reiterated there will be no annual war games between the Philippines and the United States until the end of his six-year term, placing the longstanding alliance under a cloud of doubt. It also may make Washington's strategy of rebalancing its military focus towards Asia in the face of an increasingly assertive China much more difficult to achieve. Still, U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter, speaking before the latest remarks from Duterte, said Washington had an "ironclad" alliance with Manila. A senior U.S. defense official, also speaking earlier, told reporters that the United States had a long enduring relationship with the Philippines regardless of who was president. "It's going to continue to survive based on what we think are strong U.S.-Philippines common security interests, so we’ll be engaging President Duterte further," the official said. Malcolm Cook, a senior fellow at Singapore's ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, said the U.S-Philippines alliance was not necessarily at risk, but Washington could seek to focus on ties elsewhere in the region. "We are all in some sense becoming, by necessity, desensitized to Duterte's language," he said. "Diplomatically, the U.S. would say they'll continue to work with him and the alliance is strong. But it's whether they'll continue to strengthen that alliance or not."[SEP]Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte appeared to liken himself to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler on Friday and said he would ‘be happy’ to exterminate three million drug users and peddlers in the country. In a rambling speech on his arrival in Davao City after a visit to Vietnam, Duterte told reporters that he had been ‘portrayed to be some cousin of Hitler’ by critics. Noting that Hitler had murdered millions of Jews, Duterte said: ‘There are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I’d be happy to slaughter them.’ ‘If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have…,” he said, pausing and pointing to himself. ‘You know my victims. I would like (them) to be all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition.’ Duterte was voted to power in a May election on the back of a vow to end drugs and corruption in the country of 100 million people. He took office on June 30 and over 3,100 people have been killed since then, mostly drug users and peddlers, in police operations and in vigilante killings.[SEP]MANILA (Reuters) - Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to liken himself to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler on Friday and said he would "be happy" to exterminate three million drug users and peddlers in the country. His comments triggered shock and anger among Jewish groups in the United States, which could add to pressure on the U.S. government to take a tougher line with the Philippines leader. Duterte recently insulted President Barack Obama and in a number of remarks he has undermined the previously close relationship between Manila and Washington. In a rambling speech on his arrival in Davao City after a visit to Vietnam, Duterte told reporters that he had been "portrayed to be a cousin of Hitler" by critics. Noting that Hitler had murdered millions of Jews, Duterte said, "There are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I'd be happy to slaughter them. "If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have ...," he said, pausing and pointing to himself. "You know my victims. I would like (them) to be all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition." Duterte was voted to power in a May election on the back of a vow to end drugs and corruption in the country of 100 million people. He took office on June 30 and over 3,100 people have been killed since then, mostly alleged drug users and dealers, in police operations and vigilante killings. Rabbi Abraham Cooper, head of the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Digital Terrorism and Hate project, called them "outrageous". "Duterte owes the victims (of the Holocaust) an apology for his disgusting rhetoric," Cooper said. The Anti-Defamation League, an international Jewish group based in the United States, said Duterte's comments were "shocking for their tone-deafness". "The comparison of drug users and dealers to Holocaust victims is inappropriate and deeply offensive," said Todd Gutnick, the group's director of communications. "It is baffling why any leader would want to model himself after such a monster." United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Friday that any use of "the Holocaust and the suffering of the Holocaust in comparison to anything else, frankly, is inappropriate and needs to be rejected." He said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had made clear that the fight against illegal drugs must be done "in accordance with human rights standards, with international law, with a focus on the users and rehabilitation." While the Obama administration has criticized Duterte over the extra-judicial killings, U.S. officials offered no immediate condemnation of his latest comments and instead stuck to a strategy of stressing long-standing ties with Manila. "We continue to focus on our broad relationship with the Philippines and will work together in the many areas of mutual interest," a White House official said when asked about Duterte's Hitler comments. Two days before the Philippines election, outgoing President Benigno Aquino had warned that Duterte's rising popularity was akin to that of Hitler in the 1920s and 1930s. "I hope we learn the lessons of history," Aquino said in widely reported remarks. "We should remember how Hitler came to power." Duterte has been scathing about criticism of his anti-drugs campaign and has insulted the United Nations and the European Union, as well as Obama, at various times in recent weeks. On Friday, reacting to critical comments on his war on drugs by U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy and Benjamin Cardin, Duterte said: "Do not pretend to be the moral conscience of the world. Do not be the policeman because you do not have the eligibility to do that in my country." He also reiterated there will be no annual war games between the Philippines and the United States until the end of his six-year term, placing the longstanding alliance under a cloud of doubt. It also may make Washington's strategy of rebalancing its military focus towards Asia in the face of an increasingly assertive China much more difficult to achieve. Still, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, speaking before the latest remarks from Duterte, said Washington had an "ironclad" alliance with Manila. A senior U.S. defense official, also speaking earlier, told reporters that the United States had a long enduring relationship with the Philippines regardless of who was president. Another U.S. defense official pointed to participation by the USS Germantown in an amphibious exercise with the Philippines military on Friday as a sign that military ties remained unaffected by Duterte’s latest comments. Malcolm Cook, a senior fellow at Singapore's ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, said the U.S-Philippines alliance was not necessarily at risk, but Washington could seek to focus on ties elsewhere in the region. "We are all in some sense becoming, by necessity, desensitized to Duterte's language," he said. "Diplomatically, the U.S. would say they'll continue to work with him and the alliance is strong. But it's whether they'll continue to strengthen that alliance or not."[SEP]Video: Philippines' president invokes Hitler, says 'happy' to slaughter millions of drug users Rodrigo Duterte appears to liken himself to Adolf Hitler, saying that he would kill three million drug addicts in the Philippines similar to the Holocaust[SEP]Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte raised the rhetoric over his bloody anti-crime war to a new level Friday, comparing it to Hitler and the Holocaust and saying he would be “happy to slaughter” 3 million addicts. Duterte issued his latest threat against drug dealers and users early Friday on returning to his hometown in southern Davao city after visiting Vietnam, where he discussed his anti-drug campaign with Vietnamese leaders and ways for their governments to fight transnational crimes, including illegal drugs. Duterte has said his public death threats against drug suspects are designed to scare them to stop selling drugs and to discourage would-be users. But his latest remarks took that crime-busting approach to a different level. He said he had been “portrayed or pictured to be a cousin of Hitler,” without elaborating. Moments later he said, “Hitler massacred 3 million Jews ... there’s 3 million drug addicts. There are. I’d be happy to slaughter them.” He was referring to a Philippine government estimate of the number of drug addicts in the country. Historians say 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis under Hitler before and during World War II. During the presidential election campaign earlier this year and during the three months he has held office, the tough-talking Duterte has threatened to drown drug suspects to fatten the fish in Manila Bay. He also threatened to execute drug traffickers by hanging – because he didn’t want to waste electricity on them – until their heads were severed from their bodies. While Hitler’s victims were innocent people, Duterte said his targets are “all criminals” and that getting rid of them would “finish the (drug) problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition.” Germany’s government slammed Duterte’s comments as unacceptable, and called in the Philippine ambassador to the Foreign Ministry over the matter. “It is impossible to make any comparison to the unique atrocities of the Shoah and Holocaust,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer in Berlin. World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder said Duterte’s remarks were “revolting” and demanded that he retract them and apologize. “Drug abuse is a serious issue. But what President Duterte said is not only profoundly inhumane, but it demonstrates an appalling disrespect for human life that is truly heartbreaking for the democratically elected leader of a great country,” Lauder said in a statement issued from Jerusalem, where he was attending the funeral of former Israeli leader Shimon Peres. Philippine Rep. Teodoro Baguilat wondered if the president was suggesting that “it’s open season now for all addicts, no more rehabilitation, just kill them systematically like what the Nazis did with the Jews.” He expressed fears that Jewish businesspeople might boycott the Philippines. Also critical was Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director for Human Rights Watch, who said it was baffling why anyone would want to compare themselves to “one of the largest mass murderers in human history.” Robertson said that in today’s context, Hitler would be accused of crimes against humanity. “Is that what Duterte wants? Does he want to be sent to the international criminal court? Because he’s working his way there,” Robertson said. Amnesty International said Duterte “has sunk to new depths” and urged governments around the world to condemn his “extremely dangerous outburst.” A spokesman for Yad Vashem, the Jerusalem-based world centre for Holocaust research and commemoration, declined to comment on Duterte’s remarks. Duterte’s campaign promise to end corruption and crime, especially illegal drugs, within six months of taking office on June 30 carried him to an overwhelming victory in May’s presidential election. Since the vote, more than 3,000 suspected drug dealers and users have been killed and nearly 700,000 others have surrendered in his crackdown. Duterte has asked for a six-month extension to finish the job. His supporters and many Filipinos exasperated with widespread crime have welcomed his tough approach, but a growing number of critics, including U.N. officials, the European Union and the United States, have voiced concerns over the widespread killings and human rights violations. He reacted Friday by calling critics from the European Union a “group of idiots in the purest form.” Duterte lashed out at the U.S., his country’s longtime treaty ally, and the E.U. for finding fault with his methods, saying European countries were hypocrites for not doing enough to help the large numbers of refugees fleeing from the violence in the Middle East. “There are migrants escaping from the Middle East. You allow them to rot and then you’re worried about the deaths of about 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 (people in the Philippines),” he said.[SEP]Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has raised the rhetoric over his bloody anti-crime war to a new level, comparing it to Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust and saying he would be “happy to slaughter” three million addicts. He issued his latest threat against drug dealers and users early on Friday after returning to his home town in southern Davao city after visiting Vietnam, where he discussed his anti-drugs campaign with Vietnamese leaders and ways for their governments to fight transnational crimes, including illegal substances. Mr Duterte has said his public death threats against drug suspects are designed to scare them into stopping selling drugs and to discourage would-be users. But his latest remarks took that crime-busting approach to a different level. “Hitler massacred three million Jews ... there’s three million drug addicts. There are. I’d be happy to slaughter them,” he said, referring to a Philippines government estimate of the number of drug addicts in the country. Historians say six million Jews were killed by the Nazis under Hitler before and during the second World War. During the presidential election campaign earlier this year and in the three months he has been in office, the tough-talking Mr Duterte has threatened to drown drug suspects to fatten the fish in Manila Bay. He also threatened to execute drug traffickers by hanging - because he did not want to waste electricity on them - until their heads were severed from their bodies. While Hitler’s victims were innocent people, Mr Duterte said his targets are “all criminals” and that getting rid of them would “finish the (drug) problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition”. His campaign promise to end corruption and crimes, especially illegal drugs, within six months of taking office on June 30th carried him to an overwhelming victory in the presidential election. And since he won the election in May, more than 3,000 suspected drug dealers and users have been killed and nearly 700,000 others have surrendered in his crackdown, but he has asked for a six-month extension to finish the job. His supporters and many Filipinos exasperated with widespread crime have welcomed his tough approach, but a growing number of critics, including UN officials, the European Union and the United States, have voiced concerns over the widespread killings and human rights violations. He reacted on Friday by calling critics from the European Union a “group of idiots in the purest form”. He lashed out at the US, his country’s longtime treaty ally, and the EU for finding fault with his methods, saying European countries were hypocrites for not doing enough to help the large numbers of refugees fleeing from the violence in the Middle East. “There are migrants escaping from the Middle East. You allow them to rot and then you’re worried about the deaths of about 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 (people in the Philippines).”[SEP]JERUSALEM — Israel’s Foreign Ministry says it’s “unfortunate” that President Rodrigo Duterte chose to invoke Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust in his bloody anti-crime war. Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon says Saturday Israel is convinced that President Duterte “will find a way to clarify his words.” On Friday, the outspoken Duterte said “Hitler massacred 3 million Jews … there’s 3 million drug addicts. There are. I’d be happy to slaughter them.” Duterte, under fire for extra-judicial killings in the drug war, was referring to the estimated number of drug addicts in the country. The U.S. has warned the president’s violent rhetoric could affect aid. The Nazis and their allies killed 6 million Jews during World War II as part of a campaign to obliterate European Jewry.

President Rodrigo Duterte likens himself to Adolf Hitler saying he would "be happy" to kill 3 million drug users and dealers in the country. United Nations adviser Adama Dieng cautions Duterte that his use of language could lead to "crimes against humanity".

A Chinese man has confessed to killing his parents in an argument over money and then killing 17 neighbours in an attempt to cover up his crime, state media reported. The youngest victim of the murderous rampage in a remote village in southwest China was three, the oldest 72. They were members of six families. Suspect Yang Qingpei, aged in his 20s, went to his home village on Wednesday. He was arrested in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, on Thursday. The Xinhua state news agency report did not say how the villagers were killed. Mass killings are rare in China and access to firearms is tightly controlled.[SEP]BEIJING (AP) — Police say a villager in southwest China killed his parents and then 17 neighbors in an attempt to cover up his crime, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Friday. An investigation found that Yang Qingpei argued with his parents over money on Wednesday evening and killed them, Xinhua said. Fearing he would be identified as the killer, he then murdered 17 neighbors in the village of Yema, it said, citing police in southwestern Yunnan province where the village is located. Xinhua didn’t say how Yang, aged 26 or 27, allegedly killed the villagers. He was arrested in the provincial capital of Kunming, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) away, on Thursday, a few hours after the bodies from different households were discovered. The deaths are one of the bloodiest mass slayings in recent years in China, where deadly random attacks on schools and public transport have been blamed on people bearing grudges against their families, neighbors or society in general. Because firearms are tightly controlled in China, mass killings are usually carried out with knives, poison, homemade explosives or by arson.[SEP]A ‘socially awkward’ Chinese man from southwest China has confessed to killing 17 of his neighbors after killing his own parents in a conflict over money. The 27-year-old had returned to his hometown village of Yema in China’s mountainous Yunnan Province to ask his parents for some money to settle gambling debts. Cops say Yang Qingpei, 27, argued bitterly with his parents over his finances. The Chengdu Economic Daily reported that the “socially awkward” Yang had racked up massive gambling debts. Xinhua reported that when his parents refused to bail him out financially, Yang exploded, killing them in a demonic rage. But the young man apparently feared he would be pegged as the killer. So cops believe he slaughtered 17 neighbours — including three children — in the tiny village of Yema, in Yunnan province, apparently to eliminate witnesses. Cops have not said what instruments were used to commit the vile deeds. He was later arrested in Kunming — about 200 kilometres away — just hours after the neighbours’ corpses were discovered. China’s dictatorship has been busy playing down the slayings to the point there is almost no coverage at all. One expert told the New York Times that the country’s leadership is increasingly cracking down on the press. “It doesn’t have to raise a red flag politically or ideologically for them to censor it,” David Bandurski told the Times.[SEP]A man in China killed his parents then massacred 17 neighbours in an attempt to cover up the crime, police have said. The mass killing is one of the worst in China in recent years, but the story appears to have been heavily censored in the country, leading to some complaints on social media. Mr Yang became involved in an argument with his parents over money on 28 September. Local reports claim he was a gambler, leading to speculation he had racked up debts. The argument escalated and resulted in the murder of both his parents. Fearing being identified as the killer, police said, Mr Yang went on to murder a number of his neighbours in the remote village of Yema, Yunan province. After the crime, Mr Yang fled to Kunming, the regional capital, where he worked, but was arrested. Police have not said how the murders were carried out, but that there were 19 victims aged between three and 72, including four children. Gun ownership is strictly restricted in China and murders are often carried out using knives or other methods. Despite the apparent lack of political motive to the mass killing, state censors have restricted reporting of the story, with official outlets reproducing a short statement but no further details. The Communist government is known for its attempts to control any major stories which could reflect badly on the country.[SEP]A blood-drenched massacre that left 19 people dead in southwest China may have been triggered by a family dispute over money. Cops say Yang Qingpei, 27, argued bitterly with his parents over his finances. The Chengdu Economic Daily reported that the “socially awkward” Yang had racked up massive gambling debts. Xinhua reported that when his parents refused to bail him out financially, Yang exploded, killing them in a demonic rage. But the young man apparently feared he would be pegged as the killer. So cops believe he slaughtered 17 neighbours -- including three children -- in the tiny village of Yema, in Yunnan province, apparently to eliminate witnesses. Cops have not said what instruments were used to commit the vile deeds. He was later arrested in Kunming -- about 200 kilometres away -- just hours after the neighbours’ corpses were discovered. China’s dictatorship has been busy playing down the slayings to the point there is almost no coverage at all. One expert told the New York Times that the country’s leadership is increasingly cracking down on the press. “It doesn’t have to raise a red flag politically or ideologically for them to censor it,” David Bandurski told the Times.[SEP]Chinese police have arrested a man suspected of killing 19 people, including three children, who were found dead in different locations in a remote south-western village. Mass killings are rare in China and the incident dominated discussion on social media platforms. It was not immediately clear how the victims were killed, or what the motive was. Yang Qingpei, born in 1989, was arrested in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province and about 124 miles (200km) from the site of the murders in Yema, Yunnan police said. The victims were members of six families, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The bodies were found on Thursday at different locations in the village, according to a state-backed news website, ThePaper.cn, which said the suspect had given authorities some details. The public security bureau in the nearby city of Qujing told Reuters it was investigating.[SEP]KUNMING: Police in southwest China’s Yunnan Province arrested a suspect Thursday afternoon, hours after 16 people, including three children, were found dead in their village homes, China’s Xinhua news agency reported. The man was detained in the provincial capital of Kunming, about 200 km from the crime scene, local police said. The county’s public security bureau received report of the case in Yema Village, Huize County, at 7:39 am Friday. The 16 victims including males and females were from six households.[SEP]A suspect was arrested Thursday following the discovery of 19 dead bodies in six homes in a southwestern Chinese village, police and state media said. Police in Yunnan province identified the "major criminal suspect" as Yang Qingpei. It said he came from the same village in Huize county where the "criminal case" occurred earlier Thursday, but didn't give any details on how the deaths took place. Police said the suspect was arrested in the provincial capital of Kunming, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from where the bodies were found. The official Xinhua News Agency said the dead included men, women and three children. Xinhua described the deaths as a killing spree but provided no details. If they were murders, the deaths would be one of the bloodiest mass slayings in China in recent years. Because firearms are tightly controlled in China, mass attacks are usually carried out with knives, poison or homemade explosives.

China arrests a man, Yang Qingpei, for killing his parents and then killing 17 neighbors in an attempt to cover up his crime in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province.

Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has been suspended from the bench for telling probate judges to defy federal orders regarding gay marriage. It's the second time Moore has been removed from the chief justice job for defiance of federal courts - the first time in 2003 for refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state judicial building. The Alabama Court of the Judiciary (COJ) issued the order Friday suspending Moore from the bench for the remainder of his term after an unanimous vote of the nine-member court. "For these violations, Chief Justice Moore is hereby suspended from office without pay for the remainder of his term. This suspension is effective immediately," the order stated. The court found him guilty of all six charges of violation of the canons of judicial ethics. Moore's term is to end in 2019, but because of his age, 69, he cannot run for the office again. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley will not have an appointment, said Yasamie R. August, press secretary for the governor. Justice Lyn Stuart will continue in the role of Acting Chief Justice and that court will continue with eight justices, she said. The reason there won't be a replacement is because Moore was suspended, not removed from office, she said. Moore is filing an appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court, his attorney said. Moore issued this statement: "This decision clearly reflects the corrupt nature of our political and legal system at the highest level. After the Attorney General of Alabama declined to prosecute this case, the JIC employed the former legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) which filed the charges against me, at a cost of up to $75,000.00 to the taxpayers of Alabama. During the trial which lasted approximately four hours, the JIC produced no witnesses, no affidavits, and no evidence to meet their burden of proving by "clear and convincing" evidence that the Administrative order of January 6, 2016 violated the Canons of Judicial Ethics. This was a politically motivated effort by radical homosexual and transgender groups to remove me as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court because of outspoken opposition to their immoral agenda. This opinion violates not only the legal standards of evidence but also the rule of law which states that no judge can be removed from office except by unanimous vote." In its order, the COJ wanted to make sure people understood what Moore's case was and was not about. "At the outset, this court emphasizes that this case is concerned only with alleged violations of the Canons of Judicial Ethics," the COJ states. "This case is not about whether same-sex marriage should be permitted: indeed, we recognize that a majority of voters in Alabama adopted a constitutional amendment in 2006 banning same-sex marriage, as did a majority of states over the last 15 years." The COJ also stated it is also not a case to review or to editorialize about the United States Supreme Court's 5-4 split decision in June 2015 to declare same-sex marriage legal nationwide in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges. Moore was tried Wednesday before the COJ on the charges that centered on a Jan. 6 administrative order to the state's 68 probate judges. The canons of judicial ethics Moore was found guilty of violating are: Canon 1, in that he failed to uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary. Canon 2, in that he failed to avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all his activities. Canon 2A, in that he failed to respect and comply with the law and failed to conduct himself at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary. Canon 2B, in that he failed to avoid conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice that brings the judicial office into disrepute. Canon 3, in that he failed to perform the duties of his office impartially. Canon 3A(6), in that he failed to abstain from public comment about a pending proceeding in his own court. Prosecutors with the Judicial Inquiry Commission, which filed the charges, said Moore's order sought to have probate judges defy the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that declared gay marriage legal nationwide and halt the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Moore testified that it was only a "status report" to probate judges. In its 50-page order on Friday, the COJ stated it did not find credible Moore's claim that the purpose for the Jan. 6 order was "merely to provide a 'status update' to the state's probate judges." "We likewise do not accept Chief Justice Moore's repeated argument that the disclaimer in paragraph 10 of the January 6, 2016, order - in which Chief Justice Moore asserted he was 'not at liberty to provide any guidance ... of the effect of Obergefell on the existing orders of the Alabama Supreme Court' - negated the reality that Chief Justice More was in fact 'ordering and directing' the probate judges to comply with the API orders regardless of Obergefell or the injunction in Strawser (federal case in Alabama)." Moore's attorney, Mat Staver, stated in a press release that the COJ couldn't agree on an outright removal of Moore from the bench so it decided to suspend him for the rest of his term. "To suspend Chief Justice Moore for the rest of his term is the same as removal. The COJ lacked the unanimous votes to remove the Chief, so the majority instead chose to ignore the law and the rules," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. The COJ decision states: "A majority of this court also agrees with the JIC that the only appropriate sanction for Chief Justice Moore is removal from office. Removal of a judge from office, however, requires 'the concurrence of all members sitting ... It is clear there was not a unanimous concurrence to remove the Chief from office, so the COJ suspends him for the remainder of his term. In other words, the COJ did what the rules say they cannot do. There is no meaningful difference between suspension for the remaining of the term and removal from office." The nine-member Court of the Judiciary had several options - acquit Moore, remove him from the bench, suspend him without pay for as many months as it wished, or issue a statement of censure expressing disapproval. Removal from the bench required a unanimous decision and any of the other sanctions require a minimum 6-3 vote. Other judges in the past have been suspended by the COJ for the remainder of their terms. Richard Cohen, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which filed the original complaint against Moore that led to the JIC charges against the chief justice stated this moring that the COJ "has done the citizens of Alabama a great service by suspending Roy Moore from the bench." "He (Moore) disgraced his office and undermined the integrity of the judiciary by putting his personal religious beliefs above his sworn duty to uphold the U.S. Constitution," Cohen stated. "Moore was elected to be a judge, not a preacher. It's something that he never seemed to understand. The people of Alabama who cherish the rule of law are not going to miss the Ayatollah of Alabama." COJ says Moore had a similar defiance strategy in 2003 The COJ also stated that Moore's "arguments that his actions and words mean something other than what they clearly express is not a new strategy." The COJ quoted from the court's order from 2003 removing Moore from the bench for defying the federal court order to remove the 10 Commandments from the courts building. That 2003 order quoted Moore as saying then that: "I did what I did because I upheld my oath. And that's what I did, so I have no apologies for it. I would do it again. I didn't say I would defy the court order. I said I wouldn't move the monument. And I didn't move the monument, which you can take as you will." "Just as Chief Justice Moore's decision that he wouldn't 'move the monument" was, in fact, defiance of the federal court order binding him, a disinterested reasonable observer, fully informed of all the relevant facts, would conclude that the undeniable consequence of the January 6, 2016, order was to order and direct the probate judges to deny marriage licenses in direct defiance of the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Obergefell and the Strawser injunction." Despite the 2003 removal Moore was re-elected to the chief justice job in 2012. The current controversy arose in January 2015 after a federal judge in Mobile, Callie Granade, issued an order declaring unconstitutional Alabama's marriage laws, which prohibited same-sex marriage. Moore, a staunch opponent of gay marriage, issued letters and orders to probate judges telling them not to issue the licenses in the days following Granade's order. Then on March 3, 2015 the Alabama Supreme Court issued an order telling the probate judges not to issue the licenses. Moore recused himself from that order. The state supreme court's order was issued based on a petition filed by the Alabama Policy Institute (API) and other groups that opposed gay marriage. Granade later ordered the probate judges to issue the licenses, but suspended her order until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Obergefell case. The U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) issued that ruling declaring same-sex marriage legal nationwide on June 26, 2015. Days following the SCOTUS ruling the Alabama Supreme Court issued a request for parties in the API petition to submit briefs on how the SCOTUS decision affected its order to probate judges in the API case by July 6, 2015. But the Alabama Supreme Court didn't rule immediately. Moore granted interviews about the SCOTUS ruling declaring same-sex marriage legal and by fall had written two letters to his colleagues on the state supreme court asking them to issue an order either way in the API case. Then on Jan. 6 Moore issued his administrative order telling judges that the state supreme court's from March 2015 order was still in place and they are still required to follow it. But he also included a line in it that he wasn't able to provide any guidance to the probate judges on the effect of Obergefell on the Alabama Supreme Court order. The Southern Poverty Law Center filed several complaints against Moore in 2015 to the Judicial Inquiry Commission (JIC) regarding Moore's public comments about gay marriage and the orders and letters he filed. The SPLC filed another one after Moore's Jan. 6 order. It was that last complaint that led the JIC to file the charges against Moore. Moore testified Wednesday that the Jan. 6 order was just a status report to the probate judges and he wasn't ordering them to defy the federal courts. But at the end of the administrative order it states: "Until further decision by the Alabama Supreme Court, the existing orders of the Alabama Supreme Court that Alabama probate judges have a ministerial duty not to issue any marriage license contrary to the Alabama Sanctity of Marriage Amendment or the Alabama Marriage Protection Act remain in full force and effect." Cohen, of the SPLC, said after Wednesday's trial that Moore had been playing "word games."[SEP]MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore was suspended from the bench Friday for defying the U.S. Supreme Court on gay marriage, more than a decade after he was ousted for disobeying a federal order to take down a 2½-ton monument to the Ten Commandments. The nine-member Alabama Court of the Judiciary suspended Moore without pay for the remainder of his term. While the court stopped short of outright removing him as they did in 2003, the punishment has the same effect, ending his rule as Alabama's top jurist. His term ends in 2019, and Moore, now 69, will be barred by law from running again at that time because of his age. The judiciary court ruled that Moore defied law already clearly settled by the high court's Obergefell v. Hodges ruling when he told Alabama's 68 probate judges six months later that they were still bound by a 2015 state court order to deny marriage licenses to gay couples. "Beyond question, at the time he issued the January 6, 2016, order, Chief Justice Roy Moore knew about Obergefell and its clear holding that the United States Constitution protects the right of same-sex couples to marry," the court wrote in the unanimous decision. [INTERACTIVE MAP: History of gay marriage and the courts] They said Moore also flouted a federal judge's order that enjoined the judges from enforcing Alabama's same-sex-marriage ban after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision. The 50-page decision indicated that a majority of justices wanted to completely remove Moore -- not just suspend him without pay -- but they lacked unanimous agreement. Moore said the decision violates the standards of evidence and the requirement of a unanimous vote to remove a judge, and his lawyer announced an appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court. It "clearly reflects the corrupt nature of our political and legal system at our highest level," Moore said in a statement. "This was a politically motivated effort by radical homosexual and transgender groups to remove me as chief justice of the Supreme Court because of outspoken opposition to their immoral agenda." In his 93-page order in January, Moore had condemned the gay-rights movement as leading to a "wasteland of sexual anarchy" and wrote, in the context of the U.S. Supreme Court decision, of the "duty to disregard illegal orders." The fight over same-sex marriage in Alabama was already underway when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision. But Moore wrote that federal decision was not binding on Alabama directly. Without a final ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court, he said, the question was still open, and he informed the state's probate judges that they had a "ministerial duty" to refuse licenses to same-sex couples until a state-level decision was handed down. Moore's punishment comes amid upheaval in all three branches of Alabama's government. The Republican speaker of the state House of Representatives was removed from office this summer for criminal ethics violations. A legislative committee is weighing whether Gov. Robert Bentley should be impeached over a sex scandal involving a top aide. The president of the civil-rights organization that filed the ethics complaint against Moore in 2003 and 2016 praised the decision as a victory for the state. "Moore was elected to be a judge, not a preacher. It's something that he never seemed to understand," said Richard Cohen of the Southern Poverty Law Center. "My parting words are good riddance to the Ayatollah of Alabama." "The rule of law should trump political agendas. Sadly, today that is not the case. What this decision tells us today is that Montgomery has a long way to go to weed out abuse of political power and restore the rule of law," said Staver, who also represented Kentucky clerk Kim Davis in her refusal to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. Moore had already been suspended from the bench since May, when the state's Judicial Inquiry Commission accused him of violating judicial ethics. By the end of his term in 2019, he'll be beyond the age limit of 70 for judges, unless voters raise the limit in November. The Republican judge has long been a polarizing figure, known for conservative legal views that sometimes seem to mix with theology. Soon after his first election as chief justice, he installed the boulder-sized Ten Commandments monument in the rotunda of the state judicial building. Moore called the federal judge's order to remove it unlawful and said it infringed on his right to "acknowledge God." Moore's stands have won him loyal followers and passionate critics. Supporters gave him a standing ovation as he entered the ornate courtroom to testify on Wednesday, while critics waved rainbow flags and signs outside saying "Y'all means All," and more simply, "Bye." Testifying in his defense, Moore contended that his January order did not represent defiance, and that he merely intended to clarify that the Alabama Supreme Court still had to decide what to do with its earlier order upholding the state's gay-marriage ban in light of the Obergefell decision. "I gave them a status in the case, a status of the facts that these orders exist. That is all I did," Moore testified. But lawyers for the Judicial Inquiry Commission told the court that Moore -- who once referred to judicial rulings allowing gay marriage as "tyranny" -- had been on a mission to block gay marriage in Alabama. "We are here 13 years later because the chief justice learned nothing from his first removal. He continues to defy the law," attorney John Carroll argued. In the years after his first removal, Moore ran twice for governor, though he finished far behind in the Republican primaries. He considered running for president in 2012 but decided instead to run again for chief justice. His victory without a runoff in the 2012 Republican primary rattled the state's political establishment, and many high-profile Republicans openly supported the Democrat in the general election. He won with a slim majority. What Moore will do next is a matter of speculation in Montgomery: Some say he may run for attorney general, others say governor. But most everyone agrees that he will remain in the public eye. "The last time he was kicked off as chief justice, he ran for governor," said Jack Campbell, a Republican consultant and a former spokesman for the state Supreme Court. "I don't think he's done." Information for this article was contributed by Kim Chandler of The Associated Press and by Campbell Robertson of The New York Times.[SEP](CNN) Alabama's chief justice Roy Moore was suspended without pay Friday for the rest of his term for directing probate judges to enforce the state's ban on same-sex marriage. The state Court of the Judiciary, in a 50-page decision, cited Moore's "disregard for binding federal law" as a reason for the suspension. Moore's administrative order to probate judges was issued in January -- seven months after a landmark Supreme Court ruling legalized gay and lesbian nuptials nationwide. Moore's term runs through January 2019. He is 69 and will be ineligible to run for re-election because of his age. Friday's ruling also cited Moore's "history with this court," saying it was the second time he had been brought before the judiciary court for "actions grossly inconsistent with his duties as Chief Justice." The chief justice made national headlines in 2003 when he defied a federal court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from a public judicial building on the grounds that it was an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. Both times, Moore's actions made him a hero to evangelicals, enraged liberals and caught the attention of the state judicial commission. "The result in both instances has been a lengthy, costly proceeding for this court, the (Judicial Inquiry Commission), and, most unfortunately, the taxpayers of the State," the judiciary court ruling said. Though Moore's defiance in 2003 cost him his job, he recaptured the top judicial post in a statewide election in 2012. The Liberty Counsel -- a nonprofit legal and education organization that promotes religious freedom -- said in a statement that the suspension was "an unbelievable violation of the law" and "de facto removal from the bench." "The rule of law should trump political agendas," said Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel chairman and one of Moore's attorneys. "Sadly, today that is not the case," he said. "What this decision tells us today is that Montgomery has a long way to go to weed out abuse of political power and restore the rule of law." Staver said Moore's administrative order directing probate judges to enforce the state ban on same-sex marriage "did not change the status quo." "It did not create any new obligation or duty," he said in a statement. "To suspend Chief Justice Moore for the duration of his term is a miscarriage of justice and we will appeal this case to the Alabama Supreme Court. This case is far from over." "Until further decision by the Alabama Supreme Court, the existing orders of the Alabama Supreme Court that Alabama probate judges have a ministerial duty not to issue any marriage license contrary to the Alabama Sanctity of Marriage Amendment or the Alabama Marriage Protection Act remain in full force and effect," Moore wrote at the time. In February 2015, he ordered lower court judges in Alabama not to implement a federal court ruling that overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage. He later disputed a federal court order that directed all probate judges to cease enforcement of Alabama's marriage ban. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a religious liberty watchdog group, on Friday praised the judiciary court ruling. "The people of Alabama are better off without Roy Moore on the court," the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United, said in a statement. "He is an embarrassment to the state, and his antics long ago became tiresome."[SEP]Embattled Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, top right, testifies during his ethics trial before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary at the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday Sept. 28, 2016. MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore was removed from the bench Friday for defying the U.S. Supreme Court on gay marriage, more than a decade after he was ousted for disobeying a federal order to take down a 2 ½-ton monument to the Ten Commandments. The nine-member Alabama Court of the Judiciary suspended Moore for the remainder of his term. Although the court stopped short of outright removing him as they did in 2003, the punishment has the same effect, ending his period as Alabama's top jurist. The judiciary court ruled that Moore defied law already clearly settled by the high court's Obergefell vs. Hodges ruling when he told Alabama's probate judges six months later that they were still bound by a 2015 state court order to deny marriage licenses to gays and lesbians. "Beyond question, at the time he issued the January 6, 2016, order, Chief Justice Roy Moore knew about Obergefell and its clear holding that the United States Constitution protects the right of same-sex couples to marry," the court wrote in the unanimous decision. They said Moore also flouted a federal judge's order that enjoined the judges from enforcing Alabama's same-sex marriage ban after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision. The 50-page decision indicated that a majority of justices wanted to completely remove Moore, not just suspend him without pay, but they lacked unanimous agreement. Moore told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that he was shocked by the decision. "I think it's clear it was politically motivated," he said. In a separate statement, Moore called his removal "a politically motivated effort by radical homosexual and transgender groups to remove me as chief justice of the Supreme Court because of outspoken opposition to their immoral agenda." With Moore's punishment, leaders of two of Alabama's three branches of government have been removed for ethics violations this year, and a third is possible. The Republican House speaker was removed this summer. A legislative committee is weighing whether Gov. Robert Bentley should be impeached over a scandal involving a top aide. The president of the civil rights organization that filed complaints against Moore in 2003 and 2016 praised the decision as a victory for the state. "Moore was elected to be a judge, not a preacher. It's something that he never seemed to understand," said Richard Cohen, of the Southern Poverty Law Center. "My parting words are good riddance to the Ayatollah of Alabama," Cohen said. Moore's attorney, Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel, called it a "miscarriage of justice" and said they will appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court. "The rule of law should trump political agendas. Sadly, today that is not the case. What this decision tells us today is that Montgomery has a long way to go to weed out abuse of political power and restore the rule of law," said Staver, who also represented Kentucky clerk Kim Davis in her refusal to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. Moore, 69, had already been suspended from the bench since May, when the state's Judicial Inquiry Commission accused him of violating judicial ethics. By the end of his term in 2019, he'll be beyond the age limit of 70 for judges, unless voters raise the limit in November. The Republican judge has long been a polarizing figure, known for conservative legal views that sometimes seem to mix with theology. Soon after his first election as chief justice, he installed the boulder-sized Ten Commandments monument in the rotunda of the state judicial building. Moore called the federal judge's order to remove it unlawful and said it infringed on his right to "acknowledge God." Moore's stands have won him loyal followers and passionate critics. Supporters gave him a standing ovation as he entered the ornate courtroom to testify on Wednesday, while critics waved rainbow flags and signs outside saying "Y'all means All," and more simply, "Bye." Testifying in his defense, Moore contended that his January order merely intended to clarify that the Alabama Supreme Court still had to decide what to do with its earlier order upholding the state's gay marriage ban in light of the Obergefell decision. "All of told them was the order was still in effect," Moore said Friday, adding that he "didn't tell them to disobey" the federal injunction against Alabama's same-sex marriage ban. But lawyers for the Judicial Inquiry Commission told the court that Moore — who once referred to judicial rulings allowing gay marriage as "tyranny" — had been on a mission to block gay marriage in Alabama. "The Chief Justice learned nothing from his first removal. He continues to defy the law," attorney John Carroll argued.[SEP]Chief Justice Roy Moore had gone on trial Wednesday on charges that he violated Alabama's canons of judicial ethics with a Jan. 6 order that said probate judges were bound by state law banning gay marriage. The Alabama Court of the Judiciary suspended Moore, effective immediately, without pay for the remainder of his term, saying in a ruling that it had found "clear and convincing evidence" of ethical violations. Moore's attorney said in a statement that he planned to appeal the decision to the Alabama Supreme Court. The judiciary court's decision said Moore's Jan. 6 order to the probate judges showed "disregard for binding federal law." This followed the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark June 2015 decision giving gay and lesbian couples the right to marry in all 50 states. The chief justice, an outspoken opponent of same-sex unions, has insisted there was uncertainty among the state's probate judges after conflicting opinions on gay marriage from state and federal courts. "To suspend Chief Justice Moore for the duration of his term is a miscarriage of justice and we will appeal this case to the Alabama Supreme Court. This case is far from over," said Mat Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, which is representing Moore, in a statement. The ruling also noted Moore's history with the state's judiciary court. In 2003, Moore was removed from the bench for defying a federal order to take down a Ten Commandments Monument he had installed in the state's judicial building. Voters re-elected him as chief justice in 2012. The charges against him came after a series of ethics complaints filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which has said Moore should be removed from office.[SEP]MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama judicial court suspends chief justice Roy Moore for rest of term over his defiance of gay marriage.[SEP]Embattled Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore testifies during his ethics trial before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary at the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday Sept. 28, 2016. (Mickey Welsh/Montgomery Advertiser via AP) MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore was removed from the bench Friday for defying the U.S. Supreme Court on gay marriage, more than a decade after he got in trouble for refusing federal orders to move a Ten Commandments monument. By suspending Moore for the rest of his term, the nine-member Alabama Court of the Judiciary has effectively removed him from office for the second time. The outspoken Christian conservative was ousted from office in 2013 for his stand in defense of the 2 ½ ton monument he had installed in the state judicial building, but voters later re-elected him. The judiciary court ruled that Moore defied law already clearly settled by the high court's Obergefell vs. Hodges ruling when he told Alabama's probate judges six months later that they were still bound by a 2015 state court order to deny marriage licenses to gays and lesbians. "Beyond question, at the time he issued the January 6, 2016 order, Chief Justice Roy Moore knew about Obergefell and its clear holding that the United States Constitution protects the right of same-sex couples to marry," the court wrote in the unanimous decision. They said Moore also flouted a federal judge's order that enjoined the judges from enforcing Alabama's same sex marriage ban after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision. The 50-page decision indicated that a majority of justices wanted to completely remove Moore — not just suspend him without pay — but they didn't have the unanimous agreement. The effect, though, is the same. Moore is off the bench. Moore's punishment comes as all three branches of Alabama's government face upheaval. The Republican speaker of the state House of Representatives was removed from office this summer for criminal ethics violations. A legislative committee is weighing whether Gov. Robert Bentley should be impeached over a scandal involving a top aide. The president of the civil rights organization that filed the ethics complaint against Moore praised the decision as a victory for the state. "Moore was elected to be a judge, not a preacher. It's something that he never seemed to understand. The people of Alabama who cherish the rule of law are not going to miss the Ayatollah of Alabama," said Richard Cohen, of the Southern Poverty Law Center. A lawyer for Moore called the decision a "miscarriage of justice" and announced an appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court. "The rule of law should trump political agendas. Sadly, today that is not the case. What this decision tells us today is that Montgomery has a long way to go to weed out abuse of political power and restore the rule of law," said attorney Mat Staver, who also represented Kentucky clerk Kim Davis in her refusal to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. Moore, 69, had already been suspended from the bench since May, when the state's Judicial Inquiry Commission accused him of violating judicial ethics. By the end of his term in 2019, he'll be beyond the age limit of 70 for judges, unless voters raise the limit in November. Testifying under oath Wednesday, Moore said he was simply noting a fact — that the Alabama Supreme Court's order affirming the state's marriage ban had not been lifted. "I gave them a status in the case, a status of the facts that these orders exist. That is all I did," Moore testified. But lawyers for the Judicial Inquiry Commission told the court that Moore — who once referred to judicial rulings allowing gay marriage as "tyranny" — had been on a mission to block gay marriage from coming to Alabama. "We are here 13 years later because the Chief Justice learned nothing from his first removal. He continues to defy the law," argued John Carroll, a lawyer representing the commission.[SEP]MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Latest on Chief Justice Roy Moore's removal from Alabama Supreme Court bench over gay marriage (all times local): Roy Moore has issued a statement after being permanently suspended as Alabama chief justice for ethics violations. Moore is calling his punishment Friday by Alabama's Court of the Judiciary the result of a "politically motivated effort by radical homosexual and transgender groups," who targeted him because of what he calls his "outspoken opposition to their immoral agenda." Moore was found to have defied the U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage nationwide. Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore was removed from the bench Friday for defying the U.S. Supreme Court on gay marriage, more than a decade after he got in trouble for refusing federal orders to move a Ten Commandments monument. By suspending Moore for the rest of his term, the nine-member Alabama Court of the Judiciary has effectively removed him from office for the second time. The outspoken Christian conservative was ousted from office in 2013 for his stand in of the 2 ton monument he had installed in the state judicial building, but voters later re-elected him. The judiciary court ruled that Moore defied law already clearly settled by the high court's Obergefell vs. Hodges ruling when he told Alabama's probate judges six months later that they were still bound by a 2015 state court order to deny marriage licenses to gays and lesbians.[SEP]Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore will be suspended from the rest of his term on the Alabama Supreme Court for urging his state to defy court rulings in favor of same-sex marriage, the Alabama judicial court ruled Friday. In a 50-page decision, the nine-member Alabama Court of the Judiciary unanimously determined, among other things, Moore “failed to uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary” and “failed to abstain from public comment about a pending proceeding in his own court.” The panel suspended Moore from the bench without pay effective immediately. “Based upon the clear and convincing evidence of Chief Justice Moore’s violations of the Canon of Judicial Ethics, his disregard for binding federal law exhibited in the January 4, 2016, order, and his history with this court, it is the unanimous judgment of this court that Chief Justice Moore should be suspended without pay for the remainder of his term,” the decision says. In May, the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission filed a complaint with the Alabama Court of the Judiciary against Moore for violating judicial ethics by ordering the state to ignore federal court rulings in favor of same-sex marriage. Those actions, the commission maintained, undermined the principle of federal supremacy over the states in U.S. government. After U.S. District Judge Callie V. Granade ruled Alabama’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional in 2015, Moore wrote a letter to probate judges instructing them to ignore the decision and continue denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Later, the Alabama Supreme Court, in a decision from which Moore recused himself, ruled Alabama’s ban on same-sex marriage remains in effect despite federal court decisions. In response, Granade joined as a class all plaintiffs in Alabama who couldn’t obtain same-sex marriage licenses, then enjoined probate judges from refusing marriage licenses to them. The federal court stayed its ruling until a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court on the issue nationwide. After the U.S. Supreme Court in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide a few months later, Moore’s position didn’t change. In a Jan. 6 letter, Moore wrote probate judges “have a ministerial duty not to issue any marriage license contrary to the Alabama Sanctity of Marriage Amendment or the Alabama Marriage Protection Act” until further decision from the Alabama Supreme Court. The state high court later dismissed all pending motions in a related lawsuit. “We find that, when coupled with the intentional omission of binding federal authority, the clear purpose of the Jan. 6, 2016, order was to order and direct the probate judges — most of whom have never been admitted to practice law in Alabama — to stop complying with binding federal law until the Alabama Supreme Court decided what effect that federal law would have,” the Alabama Court of the Judiciary writes. Richard Cohen, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, said the Alabama Court of the Judiciary did “the citizens of Alabama a great service” by suspending Moore. “He disgraced his office and undermined the integrity of the judiciary by putting his personal religious beliefs above his sworn duty to uphold the U.S. Constitution,” Cohen said. “Moore was elected to be a judge, not a preacher. It’s something that he never seemed to understand. The people of Alabama who cherish the rule of law are not going to miss the Ayatollah of Alabama.” It’s the second time Moore has been dismissed from the Alabama Supreme Court for violating judicial ethics. In 2003, Moore was removed from the bench for refusing to remove a monument to the Ten Commandments despite an order from the Alabama Judicial Building. In 2012, Moore won election back to the office of Alabama Chief Justice. Moore’s term was set to expire in 2018. Unlike last time, he’ll be unable to run again for the office of Supreme Court justice because after that time he’ll be past the office’s age restriction. Eva Kendrick, state manager for the Human Rights Campaign, Alabama, said Moore brought the fate upon himself for “using his position of power to push a personal, radically anti-LGBTQ agenda.” “We are thrilled that justice has been done today and he will no longer be able to use the bench to discriminate against people he had taken an oath to to protect,” Kendrick said. “Roy Moore’s bigoted rhetoric and unethical actions harmed LGBTQ Alabamians and emboldened those who would seek to hurt us further. We hope this is a turning point for our state. We must focus on electing politicians and judges who will move us forward, not backward.” Alabama is one of the places in the United States where same-sex couples still aren’t assured a marriage license more than one year after the Obergefell decision. Twelve of the state’s 67 counties have stopped issuing marriage licenses altogether. It remains to be seen whether Moore’s suspension will have an impact on the issuing of these licenses.[SEP]MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore's defiance of federal court rulings on gay marriage violated judicial ethics, a disciplinary court ruled on Friday before suspending him for the rest of his term. The punishment effectively removes Moore from office without the nine-member Alabama Court of the Judiciary officially ousting him. Given his age, he will not be able to run for chief justice again under state law. Moore was found to have encouraged probate judges to deny marriage licenses to gay couples six months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that everyone has a fundamental right to marry in all 50 states. Moore vehemently denied that his administrative order was an act of defiance and said his personal beliefs had nothing to do with it. The same panel removed the outspoken Republican in 2003 because he refused to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state judicial building. Voters later re-elected him as chief justice after he lost a race for governor. This time, Moore sent an administrative order to the state's 68 probate judges, maintaining that the Alabama Supreme Court's gay marriage ban remained in "full force and effect" despite the ruling from the nation's highest court. Moore testified that his personal beliefs had nothing to do with it, and that his January order merely provided judges with a status report on a technical aspect of the law. Moore, 69, had already been suspended from the bench since May, when the state's Judicial Inquiry Commission accused him of violating judicial ethics. By the end of his term in 2019, he'll be beyond the age limit of 70 for judges, unless voters raise the limit in November.

The Alabama Court of the Judiciary finds Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore guilty of six charges of violation of canon of judicial ethics and suspends him for the remainder of his term which is slated to end in 2019. The judge told other judges to ignore the Supreme Court of the United States ruling on gay marriage (Obergefell v. Hodges).

The Rosetta spacecraft has crashed into a comet, bringing to an end one of the most important space missions in recent history. Final preparations were made to send the craft into the comet that it has spent months circling, destroying the probe and ending operations on the £1bn mission. The quest ended at around midday UK time, when the Rosetta craft hit the comet’s surface and Earth lost contact with it. Before then, scientists hoped to get their last pieces of information – some of which might be the most important ever spotted, since Rosetta will be able to get so close to the surface. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. Scientists working on the mission have spent recent days preparing to say goodbye to the craft, which they have been designing and steering through the solar system for years. Tributes included a special box of tissues – ready for those scientists moved to tears by the poignant final stage of the mission – shaped like Rosetta itself. Final commands were sent to the Rosetta craft, ordering it to begin a descent that saw it land on the rock’s surface. It is now destroyed and will lie on the comet’s surface, alongside the Philae lander, for millions of years as it flies around the sun. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Show all 22 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: European Space Agency's Rosetta mission 1/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Image of Comet 67P/CG taken by the Philae lander from a distance of approximately 3km from the surface 2/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Rosetta's lander Philae took this parting shot of its mothership shortly after separation 3/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Parting shot of the Philae lander after separation, captured by one of Rosetta's cameras 4/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission A technician celebrates after the successful landing of the Philae lander, in the control room at the ESA headquarters in Darmstadt Reuters 5/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Scientists celebrate at a mission observation centre in Toulouse, southern France as they receive information that Philae has landed on the Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet AP 6/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Astronomer Klim Ivanovych Churyumov, who discovered the comet 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 1969, reacts after the successful landing of the Philae lander on the comet Reuters 7/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission A model demonstrates how the landing device Philae, of the space probe Rosetta, stands on the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at the press center of the satellite control center of the European Space Agency in Darmstadt, Germany EPA 8/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission An artist impression of Rosetta's lander Philae on the surface of comet Getty Images 9/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Picture taken on October 28 by the navigation camera on Rosetta shows the boulder-strewn neck region of comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko. It was captured from a distance of 9.7 km from the center of the comet Getty Images 10/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Picture taken on October 24 shows a raised plateau on the larger lobe of the comet Getty Images 11/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission The probe is supposed to fly to a comet and put down a small laboratory on the top of it 12/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission A scientist from the European Space Agency with an airworthy copy of space probe 'Rosetta' in the control center in Darmstadt, Germany 13/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Maneuvers designed for the actual space probe are simulated with the replica. 'Rosetta' will be woken up from an energy saving hibernation after 957 days 14/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission A European Space Agency employee sits in the control room for the Rosetta mission in Darmstadt, Germany 15/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Scientists at the European Space Agency are expecting their comet-chasing probe Rosetta to wake from almost three years of hibernation 16/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Europe's Rosetta probe on a NASA mission 17/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission NASA is participating in the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission, whose goal is to observe one such space-bound icy dirt ball from up close for months on end 18/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission An impression of the Philae lander 19/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission ESA probe Rosetta with Mars in the background. The three-tonne probe blasted off aboard an an Ariane V rocket from Kourou, French Guiana in 2004 20/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Rosetta orbiter deploying the Philae lander to comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, the spacecraft measures 32 m across including the solar arrays, while the comet nucleus is thought to be about 4 km wide 21/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission The spacecraft, festooned with 25 instruments between its lander and orbiter (including three from NASA), is programmed to 'wake up' from hibernation 22/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission An Ariane V carrying the three-tonne probe Rosetta blasting off from Kourou, beginning a decade-long quest to hunt a comet in the depths of the Solar System and shadow it around the Sun in a bid to tease out secrets of how life began on Earth 1/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Image of Comet 67P/CG taken by the Philae lander from a distance of approximately 3km from the surface 2/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Rosetta's lander Philae took this parting shot of its mothership shortly after separation 3/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Parting shot of the Philae lander after separation, captured by one of Rosetta's cameras 4/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission A technician celebrates after the successful landing of the Philae lander, in the control room at the ESA headquarters in Darmstadt Reuters 5/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Scientists celebrate at a mission observation centre in Toulouse, southern France as they receive information that Philae has landed on the Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet AP 6/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Astronomer Klim Ivanovych Churyumov, who discovered the comet 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 1969, reacts after the successful landing of the Philae lander on the comet Reuters 7/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission A model demonstrates how the landing device Philae, of the space probe Rosetta, stands on the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at the press center of the satellite control center of the European Space Agency in Darmstadt, Germany EPA 8/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission An artist impression of Rosetta's lander Philae on the surface of comet Getty Images 9/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Picture taken on October 28 by the navigation camera on Rosetta shows the boulder-strewn neck region of comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko. It was captured from a distance of 9.7 km from the center of the comet Getty Images 10/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Picture taken on October 24 shows a raised plateau on the larger lobe of the comet Getty Images 11/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission The probe is supposed to fly to a comet and put down a small laboratory on the top of it 12/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission A scientist from the European Space Agency with an airworthy copy of space probe 'Rosetta' in the control center in Darmstadt, Germany 13/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Maneuvers designed for the actual space probe are simulated with the replica. 'Rosetta' will be woken up from an energy saving hibernation after 957 days 14/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission A European Space Agency employee sits in the control room for the Rosetta mission in Darmstadt, Germany 15/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Scientists at the European Space Agency are expecting their comet-chasing probe Rosetta to wake from almost three years of hibernation 16/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Europe's Rosetta probe on a NASA mission 17/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission NASA is participating in the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission, whose goal is to observe one such space-bound icy dirt ball from up close for months on end 18/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission An impression of the Philae lander 19/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission ESA probe Rosetta with Mars in the background. The three-tonne probe blasted off aboard an an Ariane V rocket from Kourou, French Guiana in 2004 20/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission Rosetta orbiter deploying the Philae lander to comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, the spacecraft measures 32 m across including the solar arrays, while the comet nucleus is thought to be about 4 km wide 21/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission The spacecraft, festooned with 25 instruments between its lander and orbiter (including three from NASA), is programmed to 'wake up' from hibernation 22/22 European Space Agency's Rosetta mission An Ariane V carrying the three-tonne probe Rosetta blasting off from Kourou, beginning a decade-long quest to hunt a comet in the depths of the Solar System and shadow it around the Sun in a bid to tease out secrets of how life began on Earth Rosetta started its “collision manoeuvre” at 9.50pm UK time on Thursday. From that point, its course was set – there was no turning back for Rosetta on its way down to the rock’s surface. The spacecraft was due to fly towards the comet and hit the ground at 11.40am UK time on Friday. But it took around 40 minutes for confirmation of that, because of the time it takes for the radio signals to get back to Earth. The worry for those behind the mission was that there would not be enough time for all of the useful information to be communicated back to Earth before the craft was destroyed. Scientists decided to crash the craft because the comet is now getting so far away from the sun that the solar panels will not be able to generate enough power to keep it functioning. But by crashing it, they hope to get some last glimpses of the comet – taking what are expected to be stunning images and important data as it heads towards the surface. Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Enter your email address Continue Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. Log in to update your newsletter preferences Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive morning headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts by email Update newsletter preferences The European Space Agency will share those pictures starting on 30 September, through its special picture page and on its social media channels. Rosetta arrived at its comet – known as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko – in August 2014, after a 10-year journey. Three months later it dropped a lander called Philae onto the surface, which had been sending back information until scientists lost contact with it – and then found it again, earlier this month.[SEP]– The Rosetta spacecraft's high-resolution camera took this image of the Philae lander on September 2, 2016. The lander is wedged into a dark crack on a comet, named 67P/Churyumov--Gerasimenko, hurtling through space. The discovery comes less than a month before the Rosetta mission's end. Philae is wedged in a dark corner of Rosetta – "We are so happy to have finally imaged Philae, and to see it in such amazing detail," says Cecilia Tubiana of the OSIRIS camera team. She was the first person to see the images when they were downlinked from the Rosetta probe, according to the European Space Agency. – The image is detailed enough that viewers can pick out features of Philae's 3-foot-wide (1 meter) body. Even two of its three legs can be seen. This image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by Rosetta on July 8, 2015 as the spacecraft and comet headed toward their closest approach to the sun. Rosetta was about 125 miles (201 kilometers) from the comet when it took this image. Philae wakes up! Mission managers posted this cartoon of the lander yawning after it came out of hibernation on June 13, 2015. They also sent a series of tweets between the lander and its mothership, Rosetta. Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is a Jupiter-family comet. Its 6.5 year journey around the Sun takes it from just beyond the orbit of Jupiter at its most distant, to between the orbits of Earth and Mars at its closest. The comet hails from the Kuiper Belt, but gravitational perturbations knocked it towards the Sun where interactions with Jupiter's gravity set it on its present-day orbit. The Rosetta Mission is tracking Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on its orbit around the sun. This image was taken on May 3, 2015 at a distance of about 84 miles (135 km) from the comet's center. A camera on Rosetta took this picture of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 22, 2014, from a distance of about 19 miles (31 kilometers). The nucleus is deliberately overexposed to reveal jets of material spewing from the comet. The 2.5-mile-wide (4-kilometer) comet has shown a big increase in the amount of water its releasing, according to NASA. The space agency says about 40 ounces (1.2 liters) of water was being sprayed into space every second at the end of August 2014. The Rosetta spacecraft's Philae lander is shown sitting on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko after becoming the first space probe to land on a comet on November 12, 2014. The probe's harpoons failed to fire, and Philae bounced a few times. The lander was able to send back images and data for 57 hours before losing power. Philae snapped these images after landing, and mission scientists used them to create a panoramic view of the landing site. A graphic shows where the probe would be sitting in the photograph. The image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by a camera on the Philae lander during its descent to the comet on November 12, 2014. The lander was about 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) from the surface at the time. Philae touched down on the comet about seven hours later. The spacecraft sent this image as it approached the comet on August 6, 2014. From a distance of nearly 81 miles (130 kilometers), it reveals detail of the smooth region on the comet's "body" section. The comet's "head" can be seen in the left of the frame as it casts a shadow over the "body" in this image released August 6, 2014. Rosetta is named after the Rosetta Stone, the black basalt that provided the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. Scientists think the mission will give them new clues about the origins of the solar system and life on Earth. The mission is spearheaded by the European Space Agency with key support from NASA. This image was taken by an instrument on Rosetta's Philae lander just minutes before the spacecraft made its closest approach to Mars. Part of Rosetta and its solar arrays are visible. Look closely at the top of this picture. See that dot? That's Saturn. Rosetta snapped the picture of asteroid Lutetia and captured Saturn in the background. After taking pictures of Earth, Mars and asteroids, Rosetta was put into hibernation in May 2011 after it reached the outer part of the solar system. Mission managers woke it January 20, 2014.[SEP](CNN) Here's the challenge: Land a spacecraft that was designed to be an orbiter on the surface of a speeding comet that is millions of miles away and carry out pioneering science on the way down. It's difficult -- but the Rosetta mission has continued to surprise and delight those who have followed its epic 12-year, comet-chasing journey. Mission controllers from the European Space Agency (ESA), which is leading the Rosetta mission consortium, are aiming to find out more about the lumpy structures they are calling "goosebumps." Collected in the wall of pits on the comet's surface, scientists believe they may be the original pieces of material that bonded together to form the body and date to when the solar system was young. After taking pictures of Earth, Mars and asteroids, Rosetta was put into hibernation in May 2011 after it reached the outer part of the solar system. Mission managers woke it January 20, 2014. After taking pictures of Earth, Mars and asteroids, Rosetta was put into hibernation in May 2011 after it reached the outer part of the solar system. Mission managers woke it January 20, 2014. Look closely at the top of this picture. See that dot? That's Saturn. Rosetta snapped the picture of asteroid Lutetia and captured Saturn in the background. Look closely at the top of this picture. See that dot? That's Saturn. Rosetta snapped the picture of asteroid Lutetia and captured Saturn in the background. On July 10, 2010, Rosetta flew about 1,864 miles from asteroid Lutetia, which is 10 times larger than asteroid Steins. On July 10, 2010, Rosetta flew about 1,864 miles from asteroid Lutetia, which is 10 times larger than asteroid Steins. This image was taken by an instrument on Rosetta's Philae lander just minutes before the spacecraft made its closest approach to Mars. Part of Rosetta and its solar arrays are visible. This image was taken by an instrument on Rosetta's Philae lander just minutes before the spacecraft made its closest approach to Mars. Part of Rosetta and its solar arrays are visible. Rosetta took this image of Mars as it looped through the solar system. Rosetta took this image of Mars as it looped through the solar system. Rosetta passed asteroid Steins in September 2008, giving scientists amazing close-ups of the asteroid's huge crater. The asteroid is about 3 miles in diameter. Rosetta passed asteroid Steins in September 2008, giving scientists amazing close-ups of the asteroid's huge crater. The asteroid is about 3 miles in diameter. Rosetta snapped this image of Earth in November 2009. The spacecraft was 393,328 miles from Earth. Rosetta snapped this image of Earth in November 2009. The spacecraft was 393,328 miles from Earth. After its closest approach to Earth in November 2007, Rosetta captured this image of the planet. After its closest approach to Earth in November 2007, Rosetta captured this image of the planet. Rosetta has massive solar wings to power the spacecraft. They were unfurled and checked out at the European Space Agency's test facilities before being packed up for liftoff. Rosetta has massive solar wings to power the spacecraft. They were unfurled and checked out at the European Space Agency's test facilities before being packed up for liftoff. This photo shows Rosetta being tested before it was wrapped in insulating blankets and loaded on a rocket for launch. This photo shows Rosetta being tested before it was wrapped in insulating blankets and loaded on a rocket for launch. Rosetta is named after the Rosetta Stone, the black basalt that provided the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. Scientists think the mission will give them new clues about the origins of the solar system and life on Earth. The mission is spearheaded by the European Space Agency with key support from NASA. Rosetta is named after the Rosetta Stone, the black basalt that provided the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. Scientists think the mission will give them new clues about the origins of the solar system and life on Earth. The mission is spearheaded by the European Space Agency with key support from NASA. Rosetta's mission started on March 2, 2004, when it was launched on a European Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana. Rosetta's mission started on March 2, 2004, when it was launched on a European Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana. This image of the comet was taken on August 1, 2014, as Rosetta closed in its target. This image of the comet was taken on August 1, 2014, as Rosetta closed in its target. The comet's "head" can be seen in the left of the frame as it casts a shadow over the "body" in this image released August 6, 2014. The comet's "head" can be seen in the left of the frame as it casts a shadow over the "body" in this image released August 6, 2014. This image, captured August 7, 2014, shows the diversity of surface structures on the comet's nucleus. This image, captured August 7, 2014, shows the diversity of surface structures on the comet's nucleus. The spacecraft sent this image as it approached the comet on August 6, 2014. From a distance of nearly 81 miles (130 kilometers), it reveals detail of the smooth region on the comet's "body" section. The spacecraft sent this image as it approached the comet on August 6, 2014. From a distance of nearly 81 miles (130 kilometers), it reveals detail of the smooth region on the comet's "body" section. Rosetta took this image of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on September 15, 2014. The box on the right shows where the lander was expected to touch down. Rosetta took this image of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on September 15, 2014. The box on the right shows where the lander was expected to touch down. This mosaic is made of four individual images taken about 20 miles (31.8 kilometers ) from the center of the comet on November 4, 2014. This mosaic is made of four individual images taken about 20 miles (31.8 kilometers ) from the center of the comet on November 4, 2014. Rosetta's lander Philae took this parting shot of its mother ship shortly after separation on November 12, 2014, as Philae headed for a landing on Comet 67P. While Philae is the first probe to land on a comet , Rosetta is the first to rendezvous with a comet and follow it around the sun. The image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by a camera on the Philae lander during its descent to the comet on November 12, 2014. The lander was about 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) from the surface at the time. Philae touched down on the comet about seven hours later. The image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by a camera on the Philae lander during its descent to the comet on November 12, 2014. The lander was about 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) from the surface at the time. Philae touched down on the comet about seven hours later. Philae snapped these images after landing, and mission scientists used them to create a panoramic view of the landing site. A graphic shows where the probe would be sitting in the photograph. Philae snapped these images after landing, and mission scientists used them to create a panoramic view of the landing site. A graphic shows where the probe would be sitting in the photograph. Rosetta's lander, Philae, wasn't able to get a good grip on the comet after it touched down. This mosaic shows Philae's movements as it bounced across the comet. Rosetta's lander, Philae, wasn't able to get a good grip on the comet after it touched down. This mosaic shows Philae's movements as it bounced across the comet. The Rosetta spacecraft's Philae lander is shown sitting on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko after becoming the first space probe to land on a comet on November 12, 2014. The probe's harpoons failed to fire, and Philae bounced a few times. The lander was able to send back images and data for 57 hours before losing power. The Rosetta spacecraft's Philae lander is shown sitting on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko after becoming the first space probe to land on a comet on November 12, 2014. The probe's harpoons failed to fire, and Philae bounced a few times. The lander was able to send back images and data for 57 hours before losing power. Rosetta took this picture of a section of the comet's two lobes from a distance of about 5 miles (8 kilometers) on October 14, 2014. Rosetta took this picture of a section of the comet's two lobes from a distance of about 5 miles (8 kilometers) on October 14, 2014. A camera on Rosetta took this picture of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 22, 2014, from a distance of about 19 miles (31 kilometers). The nucleus is deliberately overexposed to reveal jets of material spewing from the comet. The 2.5-mile-wide (4-kilometer) comet has shown a big increase in the amount of water its releasing, according to NASA. The space agency says about 40 ounces (1.2 liters) of water was being sprayed into space every second at the end of August 2014. A camera on Rosetta took this picture of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 22, 2014, from a distance of about 19 miles (31 kilometers). The nucleus is deliberately overexposed to reveal jets of material spewing from the comet. The 2.5-mile-wide (4-kilometer) comet has shown a big increase in the amount of water its releasing, according to NASA. The space agency says about 40 ounces (1.2 liters) of water was being sprayed into space every second at the end of August 2014. Rosetta snapped this wide-angle view of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in September 2014. Rosetta was about 107 million miles (172 million kilometers) from Earth and about 92 million miles (148 million kilometers) from the sun when the photo was released. Rosetta snapped this wide-angle view of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in September 2014. Rosetta was about 107 million miles (172 million kilometers) from Earth and about 92 million miles (148 million kilometers) from the sun when the photo was released. This image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken on April 15, 2015. This image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken on April 15, 2015. The Rosetta Mission is tracking Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on its orbit around the sun. This image was taken on May 3, 2015 at a distance of about 84 miles (135 km) from the comet's center. The Rosetta Mission is tracking Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on its orbit around the sun. This image was taken on May 3, 2015 at a distance of about 84 miles (135 km) from the comet's center. Rosetta's navigation camera took this image of the comet on June 1, 2015. Rosetta's navigation camera took this image of the comet on June 1, 2015. This image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by Rosetta on June 5, 2015, while the spacecraft was about 129 miles (208 kilometers) from the comet's center. This image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by Rosetta on June 5, 2015, while the spacecraft was about 129 miles (208 kilometers) from the comet's center. Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is a Jupiter-family comet. Its 6.5 year journey around the Sun takes it from just beyond the orbit of Jupiter at its most distant, to between the orbits of Earth and Mars at its closest. The comet hails from the Kuiper Belt, but gravitational perturbations knocked it towards the Sun where interactions with Jupiter's gravity set it on its present-day orbit. Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is a Jupiter-family comet. Its 6.5 year journey around the Sun takes it from just beyond the orbit of Jupiter at its most distant, to between the orbits of Earth and Mars at its closest. The comet hails from the Kuiper Belt, but gravitational perturbations knocked it towards the Sun where interactions with Jupiter's gravity set it on its present-day orbit. Philae wakes up! Mission managers posted this cartoon of the lander yawning after it came out of hibernation on June 13, 2015. They also sent a series of tweets between the lander and its mothership, Rosetta. Philae wakes up! Mission managers posted this cartoon of the lander yawning after it came out of hibernation on June 13, 2015. They also sent a series of tweets between the lander and its mothership, Rosetta. This image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by Rosetta on July 8, 2015 as the spacecraft and comet headed toward their closest approach to the sun. Rosetta was about 125 miles (201 kilometers) from the comet when it took this image. This image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by Rosetta on July 8, 2015 as the spacecraft and comet headed toward their closest approach to the sun. Rosetta was about 125 miles (201 kilometers) from the comet when it took this image. The Rosetta spacecraft captured this image of a jet of white debris spraying from Comet 67P/Churyumov--Gerasimenko on July 29, 2015. Mission scientists said this was the brightest jet seen to date in the mission. The debris is mostly of ice coated with dark organic material. One of the primary objectives of the Rosetta mission was to drop the Philae lander onto the comet. The probe was successfully deployed in November 2014, becoming the first probe to land on a comet. But Philae failed to grab onto the comet and bounced around. It fell silent a few days later. Then on June 13, 2015, Philae came out of hibernation and "spoke" to mission managers at the European Space Agency for 85 seconds. This photo above was taken by the lander's mothership, the Rosetta orbiter, after the lander started its descent to the comet. The image is detailed enough that viewers can pick out features of Philae's 3-foot-wide (1 meter) body. Even two of its three legs can be seen. Philae found using images from Rosetta – The image is detailed enough that viewers can pick out features of Philae's 3-foot-wide (1 meter) body. Even two of its three legs can be seen. "We are so happy to have finally imaged Philae, and to see it in such amazing detail," says Cecilia Tubiana of the OSIRIS camera team. She was the first person to see the images when they were downlinked from the Rosetta probe, according to the European Space Agency. Philae is wedged in a dark corner of Rosetta – "We are so happy to have finally imaged Philae, and to see it in such amazing detail," says Cecilia Tubiana of the OSIRIS camera team. She was the first person to see the images when they were downlinked from the Rosetta probe, according to the European Space Agency. The Rosetta spacecraft's high-resolution camera took this image of the Philae lander on September 2, 2016. The lander is wedged into a dark crack on a comet, named 67P/Churyumov--Gerasimenko, hurtling through space. The discovery comes less than a month before the Rosetta mission's end. Philae has been found! – The Rosetta spacecraft's high-resolution camera took this image of the Philae lander on September 2, 2016. The lander is wedged into a dark crack on a comet, named 67P/Churyumov--Gerasimenko, hurtling through space. The discovery comes less than a month before the Rosetta mission's end. ESA describes the latest phase as the "biggest challenge yet" as it tries to maneuver the orbiter into position for the descent and impact on the comet on September 30. The agency says Rosetta will try to gather images and other data on the gas, dust and plasma very close to the comet. Rosetta has already returned spectacular images and science discoveries from Comet 67P/Churyumov--Gerasimenko as it followed its orbit around the sun. And millions followed the drama when the landing craft Philae separated from Rosetta and bounced across the comet after its thruster and grappling harpoons designed to anchor it to the surface failed in November 2014. The accident proved to be something of a blessing though as Philae was able to carry out some of its objectives in two locations. The instruments discovered 16 organic compounds, including four that had been never detected on comets, before Philae's batteries drained. Scientists were excited by the results because some of those chemicals form the building blocks of the ingredients for life. Mission controllers believed Philae was trapped under a cliff but were unable to find exactly where it ended up after going silent in its resting place. Then just weeks ago Philae returned from the cosmic dead when scientists had a stroke of luck. After months of searching they discovered the probe with their last opportunity to photograph from Rosetta a possible location for the craft. It's important too because as lander system engineer Laurence O'Rourke explained, they now have "perfect contextual data" for the measurements Philae made. "It couldn't have been in a more difficult location -- quite literally between a rock and a hard place," he told CNN. But the engineer said he was thrilled to find out the fate of Philae after working on the campaign for so long. "It was like drinking a gallon of adrenaline," O'Rourke said. "I was astounded by the quality of the picture. It was magnificent." Now mission controllers are preparing for the last act at 67P. "We are not trying to gain science from hitting the comet," said O'Rourke. "We are trying to gain science before we hit it. "This is a controlled descent and impact." Now that the comet and the orbiter have traveled so far away from the sun there will come a point where there isn't enough solar power to run the heaters and computers. O'Rourke told CNN that as the probe would die anyway the decision was made to try to capture more data including very high resolution images of the pit structures. "We don't have enough power to keep it alive. We wanted to take control of the end," he said. The engineer said he would miss the mission, especially the public enthusiasm for Rosetta but added: "The legacy will be there for many generations." Astronomer Dan Brown, who lectures at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, said the Rosetta mission had been an "astonishing" engineering feat but also inspirational. "The Rosetta mission has helped us gain an insight into the activity of comets, how comets were created and to some extent if they could have been the source for water on our early Earth," he told CNN. "The presence of complex molecules, some of which previously unknown to exist on comets, still allows comets to be a possible source of introducing complex molecules and enable the formation of life on Earth. "The image that does it for me is seeing the surface of the comet and the lander together. Such imagery inspires as much as the Moon landings and drives us to go and discover, achieve and face challenges on our never-ending quest for knowledge." The end of the mission also brings to a close the Twitter chat that has endeared followers to Rosetta and Philae, and their surreal and strangely touching conversations, especially when the landing craft bounced and disappeared. Asked if he would change anything, O'Rourke said: "Philae couldn't have been designed better than it was ... but I think I would have added LEDs that flash so it could have been detected wherever it landed."[SEP]BERLIN -- After 12 years of hurtling through space in pursuit of a comet, the Rosetta probe ended its mission Friday with a slow-motion crash onto the icy surface of the alien world it was sent out to study. Mission controllers lost contact with the probe, as expected, after it hit the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at 5:39 a.m. Central time Friday, the European Space Agency said. "Farewell Rosetta, you've done the job," said mission manager Patrick Martin. "That is space science at its best." Agency chief Jan Woerner called the $1.57 billion mission a success. Aside from sending a lander onto the surface of comet 67P in November 2014 -- a cosmic first -- the Rosetta mission has collected vast amounts of data that researchers will spend many years analyzing. Scientists have already heralded several discoveries from the mission that offer new insights into the formation of the solar system and the origins of life on Earth. Spectacular images taken by the orbiter and its comet lander revealed a desert-like landscape on the comet with wide, featureless regions but also high cliffs and sinkholes that were more than a hundred yards across. The shape of 67P itself -- two orbs connected by a "neck" that have been likened to a giant rubber duck -- surprised scientists when Rosetta first got up close. Researchers now believe the orbs formed independently and later merged into one. Jessica Sunshine, a senior scientist on NASA's Deep Impact and Stardust comet missions, said the way the comet was formed has implications for the model of how other objects in the solar system, including Earth, formed about 4.5 billion years ago. Scientists were also surprised to find that the surface of 67P is changing, not just due to steady erosion as particles are released into the void, but also from sudden large events such as landslides. "We see evidence of mass movement of materials on this comet," said Sunshine, who wasn't directly involved in the Rosetta mission. "That's nothing like what we imagined." One of the crucial differences between Rosetta and previous missions was the probe's ability to study one comet for an extended period of time. While Deep Impact fired a projectile into comet Tempel 1 back in 2005 and studied the crater for 15 minutes, Rosetta spent 786 days flying alongside 67P, observing its evolution across several "seasons" as it raced toward and then away from the sun. "Rosetta is what I would call a Cadillac mission that had all the right instruments and stayed reasonably close to the comet since fall 2014," said Mike A'Hearn, an emeritus professor at the University of Maryland who worked on the Rosetta mission. "It's the first detailed study of a comet," he said. "We have collected a wealth of data that has come in so fast we haven't even had a chance to look at some of it, let alone analyze it properly." Data from the probe also has challenged some existing scientific theories, such as those about the origins of water on Earth and how best to hunt for extraterrestrial life. "Rosetta has blown it all open," said Matt Taylor, the mission's project scientist. "It's made us have to change our ideas of what comets are, where they came from and the implications for how the solar system formed and how we got to where we are today." Scientists decided to crash-land the probe on the comet because Rosetta's solar panels would not have been able to collect enough energy as it flew away from the Sun along 67P's elliptical orbit. After receiving its final command late Thursday, Rosetta fired its thrusters for 208 seconds and performed a last series of scientific measurements as it swooped toward the surface of the 2.5-mile wide comet. Because of the vast distance between the comet and Earth -- almost 447 million miles -- confirmation of the probe's crash took about 40 minutes to reach mission control in Darmstadt, Germany. The controlled descent took place at about one yard per second-- roughly half of walking speed. That gave Rosetta a chance to snap some unprecedented low-altitude images of the comet that could reveal surface features as small as a grape. Fans of the mission -- which was promoted heavily with cartoons, short films, music and social media -- may be disappointed to learn there's no chance of a Rosetta revival when the comet itself swings back toward the sun. "It will not be possible to reactivate it again," said ESA's head of mission operations, Paolo Ferri. "We wanted a clean end." Still, Rosetta guards one last message. On board is a small metal plate with texts etched in more than 1,000 languages.[SEP]BERLIN (AP) — Europe's comet-chasing space probe Rosetta performed its final task Friday, dipping out of orbit for a slow-motion crash onto the icy surface of the alien world it's been following for more than a decade. Mission controllers lost contact with the probe as expected after it hit the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, marking the planned end of a 12-year mission, the European Space Agency said. "Farewell Rosettta, you've done the job," said mission manager Patrick Martin. "That is space science at its best." Scientists sent their final command to the probe late Thursday, ordering Rosetta to fire its thrusters for 208 seconds and perform a last series of scientific measurements as it swooped toward the surface of the 4-kilometer-wide (2.5 miles) comet. Because of the distance between the comet and Earth, confirmation of the impact at 1039 GMT took about 40 minutes to reach ESA's mission control in Darmstadt, Germany. Jan Woerner, the head of the European Space Agency, said the 1.4 billion euro ($1.57 billion) mission was already a success. Aside from sending a lander onto the surface of comet 67P in November 2014 — a cosmic first — the Rosetta mission has collected vast amounts of data that researchers will spend many more years analyzing. Scientists have already heralded a number of discoveries about the chemical composition of the comet that provide crucial insights into the formation of the solar system and theories about the origin of life on Earth. The controlled descent took place at about 90 centimeters per second — roughly half walking speed — giving Rosetta a chance to snap some unprecedented low-altitude images of the comet that could reveal surface features as small as an inch (2.5 centimeters). Andrea Accomazzo, the spacecraft operations manager, said the mission had been a huge challenge and should be considered an achievement "not just for ESA, but for mankind." Should Earth ever be threatened by an asteroid, the experience gained from the Rosetta mission would prove valuable, he said.[SEP]The Rosetta spacecraft has crash landed onto the surface of the distant comet it has been exploring for the past two years. European Space Agency (Esa) controllers burst into applause when the crunch ending to the £1 billion mission was confirmed at 12.20pm, UK time. Rosetta had already been lying in its lonely resting place 485 million miles away on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko for nearly an hour, because of the 40 minutes it took for radio signals travel to Earth. A decision was taken to carry out the “controlled impact” because the comet is taking Rosetta so far from the Sun that soon its solar panels will not be able to generate sufficient power. The spacecraft came down in the rugged Ma’at region of the comet, which is littered with boulders and deep active pits known to produce jets of gas and dust. Despite travelling at just 1.1mph the craft was not designed for landing and had no chance of survival. Esa’s head of mission operations Paolo Ferri said: “I think everybody’s very sad. On the other hand the end of the mission had to come. It was a spectacular way to do it, and we’re quite convinced it was the right thing to do.” Scientists chose to crash Rosetta on the smaller of the three-mile-long rubber duck-shaped comet’s two lobes, just a few kilometres from where its tiny lander Philae is lodged in a deep crevice. Rosetta reached comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on August 6, 2014, after an epic 10-year journey across four billion miles of space. The spacecraft and its lander, which bounced onto the surface of the comet on November, 2014, have produced a wealth of data providing valuable clues about the origins of the solar system and life on Earth. Key discoveries include an unusual form of water not common on Earth and carbon-containing organic molecules that are the building blocks of life. ’Like’ The Scotsman on Facebook for regular updates DOWNLOAD THE SCOTSMAN APP ON ITUNES OR GOOGLE PLAY[SEP]The European Space Agency’s most ambitious mission yet has come to an end as the Rosetta spacecraft collided with the comet’s surface today. Some space missions go out with a bang, others with a victorious return to Earth, but Rosetta’s final moment was marked simply by radio silence. After twelve-and-a-half years in space, the European Space Agency spacecraft finally met the surface of the duck-shaped mass of dust, ice and rock, switched off its transmitters and hung up the phone to its controllers on Earth. Patrick Martin, Rosetta’s mission manager, said: “This is the culmination of tremendous scientific and technical success for this mission. It was historic, it was pioneering and it is revolutionising how we see comets. Farewell Rosetta, you’ve done the job, that was space science at its best.” Scientists faced a nail-biting 40 minute wait for confirmation that it had touched down and to see the last images captured by Rosetta, taken around 15 metres from the comet’s surface. The spacecraft touched down on the “head” of the comet at a speed of about 90 centimetres per second - around a walking pace. Mission scientists described this as a “controlled descent” rather than a crash. Although the surface is soft - something akin to the texture of a soft snow-drift - the lander is likely to get damaged in the collision and could even bounce off the surface, as the Philae lander did. Even if its solar panels and other hardware remain intact, the craft has been pre-programmed to shut down its systems on contact, marking the end of a mission that has gripped the world. Its precise fate will never be known, because Rosetta is now switched off for good and there are no telescopes on Earth powerful enough to see it. “We won’t know, because we turn off when we touch the surface,” said Professor Mark McCaughrean, a senior science advisor at ESA. “This is space, anything can happen out there ... It’s a bit like does a tree make a sound in the forest if no one is there to hear it?” Ahead of the landing, the flight team estimated that the craft would impact just 40 metres away from their original target on the Ma’at region of the head, which marked by large pits and “goose bump” structures. The last images sent back may look like dust-covered rocks, but measurements sent back from Rosetta show that the comet is extremely porous - about 70% of its interior is empty space. “When you see these beautiful images of the comet you should not think of it as rock,” said Björn Davidsson, a Rosetta scientist based at Nasa’s jet propulsion laboratory. “It’s something like spun sugar or cotton candy – something very, very fluffy.” Rosetta arrived at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in August 2014, after spending a decade chasing down the comet. In the two years since, it has sent back spectacular photographs of the comet’s dramatic landscapes as well as reams of scientific data measuring its composition, density and magnetic field. In terms of sheer drama, the mission’s climax came when a small robotic probe, Philae, was dispatched onto the comet’s surface in November 2014 to gather surface samples. Comet 67P is now heading out towards the orbit of Jupiter, and as it speeds away from the sun, Rosetta’s solar power supply was set to run out. Matt Taylor, ESA Rosetta project scientist, said that rather than hobbling on in a sub-optimal state, the team decided to commit to some final close-up observations. “I’ve seen certain rock bands with certain singers that can’t sing anymore. They should have stopped when they were fully functioning,” he said, ahead of the mission’s end. “And that is what we are doing here with Rosetta. It is maximising what we can do with the spacecraft at this time. This plunge is the only way to get this science.” These are thought to be the original icy boulders that formed in the solar system more than four billion years ago and then came together to form this comet. In short, the goose bumps are some of the most ancient unaltered objects from the beginning of the solar system. They contain all the ingredients that were available to form life on Earth. McCaughrean told BBC Radio 4 it was a sad day as he reflected on what the Rosetta mission had achieved “It’s giving us a real insight into the building blocks of the solar system and the material which could have formed life on the earth, not life itself but the raw building blocks,” he said. “But more importantly for me, it’s engaged the public in a way which is just unparalleled for a robotics space mission. The enthusiasm I see on the faces of kids around the world when I give talks and the public following online it’s going to be very sad day but a very proud day for everyone that’s been involved.”[SEP]BERLIN – After 12 years of hurtling through space in pursuit of a comet, the Rosetta probe ended its mission Friday with a slow-motion crash onto the icy surface of the alien world it was sent out to study. Mission controllers lost contact with the probe, as expected, after it hit the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at 6:39 a.m. Friday, the European Space Agency said. “Farewell Rosetta, you’ve done the job,” said mission manager Patrick Martin. “That is space science at its best.” ESA chief Jan Woerner called the $1.57 billion mission a success. Aside from sending a lander onto the surface of comet 67P in November 2014 – a cosmic first – the Rosetta mission has collected vast amounts of data that researchers will spend many years analyzing. Scientists have already heralded several discoveries from the mission that offer new insights into the formation of the solar system and the origins of life on Earth. Spectacular images taken by the orbiter and its comet lander revealed a desert-like landscape on the comet with wide, featureless regions but also high cliffs and sinkholes that were more than 110 yards across. The shape of 67P itself – two orbs connected by a “neck” that have been likened to a giant rubber duck – surprised scientists when Rosetta first got up close. Researchers now believe the orbs formed independently and later merged into one. Jessica Sunshine, a senior scientist on NASA’s Deep Impact and Stardust comet missions, said the way the comet was formed has implications for the model of how other objects in the solar system, including Earth, formed about 4.5 billion years ago. Scientists were also surprised to find that the surface of 67P is changing, not just due to steady erosion as particles are released into the void, but also from sudden large events such as landslides. “We see evidence of mass movement of materials on this comet,” said Sunshine, who wasn’t directly involved in the Rosetta mission. “That’s nothing like what we imagined.” One of the crucial differences between Rosetta and previous missions was the probe’s ability to study one comet for an extended period of time. While Deep Impact fired a projectile into comet Tempel 1 back in 2005 and studied the crater for 15 minutes, Rosetta spent 786 days flying alongside 67P, observing its evolution across several “seasons” as it raced toward and then away from the Sun. “Rosetta is what I would call a Cadillac mission that had all the right instruments and stayed reasonably close to the comet since fall 2014,” said Mike A’Hearn, an emeritus professor at the University of Maryland who worked on the Rosetta mission. “It’s the first detailed study of a comet,” he said. “We have collected a wealth of data that has come in so fast we haven’t even had a chance to look at some of it, let alone analyze it properly.” Data from the probe has also challenged some existing scientific theories, such as those about the origins of water on Earth and how best to hunt for extraterrestrial life.[SEP]“Comets, importing change of times and states, brandish your crystal tresses in the sky,” Shakespeare wrote in Henry VI, Part 1, in a nod to the age-old belief in the divine influence of the small, icy bodies. When the Rosetta spacecraft touches down on the surface of its chosen chunk of dust, ice and rock on Friday, it will mark the end of the mission that has dispelled the cloud of mystery and superstition that has surrounded comets for millennia. Since the craft arrived at 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in August 2014, the $1bn European Space Agency (ESA) mission has revealed what comets look like (sometimes duck-shaped), what they’re made of and that - far from being portents of doom - comets helped seed life on Earth. But it was probably the sheer audacity of attempting to land Rosetta’s tiny robotic probe, Philae, on an irregular lump of dust, ice and rock 405m kilometres (252m miles) from Earth, that won the world over two years ago. “Rosetta has been comparable to the moon landing,” said Andrea Accomazzo, ESA’s spacecraft operations manager. “It’s that order of magnitude. As a child, I could only have dreamt something like this. It’s interesting to see how many emotions landing on a comet still triggers in very many people.” Comet 67P is now heading out towards the orbit of Jupiter, and as it speeds away from the sun, Rosetta’s solar power supply is flagging, leaving the craft with only enough energy for one final manoeuvre. Late on Thursday, Accomazzo and his team at ESA headquarters in Darmstadt in western Germany placed Rosetta on a collision course with the “head” of the comet, aiming for a region marked by pits, “goosebump” structures and jets of gas. In the final moments of its descent, around noon on Friday (BST), Rosetta will train its cameras on 67P and take its last image around 15 metres from the surface, before (hopefully) softly touching down and switching off its transmitter. About 40 minutes later, mission control will receive the last close-up photograph of 67P. Then radio silence will mark the end of Rosetta’s 12-and-a-half year voyage through space. Mission controllers will never be certain of the probe’s fate, but are aiming for a gentle landing that will leave it resting on the surface. “We could have abandoned it in space or let it bounce off the comet and just switched it off. It wouldn’t have created any problem,” said Accomazzo. “Landing it is more a psychological thing.” As scientists switch their attention away from the delicate task of controlling a very distant spacecraft to analysing its data, some of Rosetta’s most impressive findings may lie in the future. It has already provided some remarkable insights. An early surprise was simply the appearance of 67P – the comet’s “dirty snowball” nickname had led even scientists to expect something more bland and uniform in appearance. Professor Monica Grady, a space scientist at the Open University who works on Ptolemy, one of Philae’s gas and dust detectors, recalls being “knocked out” by the first detailed surface imagery. “You’d expect them to be dusty and eroded, not these startling landscapes,” she said. “You try to interpret things in terms of what we know on Earth, like glaciers or river valleys, but that’s just not happened on the comet. We need to work out how these landscapes formed. And certainly no one expected it to be duck-shaped.” Björn Davidsson, a Rosetta scientist based at Nasa’s jet propulsion laboratory, said the mission had revealed 67P was extremely porous, with around 70% of its volume being empty space. “When you see these beautiful images of the comet you should not think of it as rock,” he said. “It’s something like spun sugar or cotton candy – something very, very fluffy.” Mission scientists were also caught off-guard by jets of dust from the comet, so vigorous that at one stage Rosetta’s star trackers, which help it navigate, were “blinded” and the craft had to be moved away to a safe distance. Understanding the composition of comets gives scientists a snapshot of the materials that were blowing around in the clouds of dust and gas from which the planets in our solar system formed around 4.6bn years ago. Comets have essentially been in a deep freeze ever since, making them valuable time capsules. Joel Parker, who works on Rosetta’s Alice instrument, an ultraviolet spectrograph, said: “Comets formed in the cold frozen wastelands of the outer solar system. They’re the remnants of the early solar system that didn’t get to form into planets.” Before Rosetta, scientists speculated that comets may have delivered up to half the water on Earth during the heavy bombardment 4bn years ago, when comets and asteroids rained down onto the Earth’s surface (the rest of the water being released from the Earth’s interior). However, measurements of 67P showed that its ice has a much higher fraction of deuterium – a heavy form of hydrogen – than water found on Earth. Scientists regard the heavy water ratio as a kind of astronomical fingerprint. Gerhard Schwehm, Rosetta’s former mission manager, said: “It now looks like comets weren’t the objects that brought water to Earth, or not the main objects at least.” Observations of the fuzzy cloud of dust and gas – the “coma” – that envelops 67P, have also revealed traces of the chemical building blocks of life. The findings support the notion that comets delivered some necessary ingredients for life to Earth, and also allow scientists to re-imagine exactly which chemicals were being stirred into the mix. The Rosina instrument, a mass spectrometer on board Rosetta, detected the amino acid glycine, as well as the chemicals from which it is formed, methylamine and ethylamine. It also found phosphorus, a key component of DNA. “This is what must have been in the primordial soup,” said Schwehm. Schwehm, who has worked on the mission since its inception, said ESA’s original plan had been to bring comet samples back to Earth, but this was eventually deemed too expensive and risky. “We decided if we could not get the comet to the laboratory, we’d get the laboratory to the comet,” he said. “Surprisingly, it worked.” The mission has not been without hair-raising moments for those involved. For Accomazzo, nerves peaked when Rosetta’s internal hardware tripped and rebooted as it came out of a three-year period in hibernation mode in early 2014, causing a 15-minute delay in scientists receiving the craft’s “phone home” confirmation that it was still alive. Despite knowing that all the technical groundwork had been laid, he admits thinking: “This is crazy, how can this thing fly for three years on its own through space?” For Grady, the highlight was the Philae landing, in November 2014, when footage of the eminent space scientist whooping and eventually weeping with joy went viral on Twitter. Aside from the birth of her son, she admits, “nothing is ever going to top that”. After the initial celebrations, mission scientists later realised that Philae had bounced across the surface before coming to land in a shady spot beneath a cliff. Philae’s batteries drained within a couple of days and, after briefly waking up again a couple of times as the comet approached the sun, it was never heard from again. Despite things not going entirely to plan, Grady estimates that Philae still carried out 80-85% of the work it was scheduled to do. And in a moment that mission scientists described as “emotional closure”, Rosetta finally managed to spot the washing machine-sized lander on the surface earlier this month. As dust settles on the Rosetta craft – assuming the landing goes to plan – mission scientists are holding a celebratory barbecue to avoid things getting too maudlin. “It will be very sad”, Grady said. “It’s been a big part of our lives for such a long time.” she adds. “In six years, the comet will be back again. We won’t be able to speak to it, but you’ll be able to look up and know Rosetta’s a bit closer to us.”[SEP]During its final descent, Rosetta will gather close-range information about the comet and hastily beam data back to Earth before its main transmitter shuts off for good. It was conceived when Ronald Reagan was in the White House. It launched a few weeks after Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook in his Harvard dorm. It spent a full decade looping around the solar system. When it finally caught up with its target, it deployed the first probe to land on a speeding comet and survive. Now the long, dramatic journey of the Rosetta space orbiter is about to end. After logging 4.9 billion miles, the craft is set to fall early Friday to the surface of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the mountain-size comet it has been following for the past two years. But first it has just a bit more science to do. During its final descent, Rosetta will gather close-range information about the comet and hastily beam data back to Earth before its main transmitter shuts off for good. “It’s kind of bittersweet,” said Paul Weissman, a comet scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Ariz., who worked on Rosetta for 20 years. “You’d like to keep going, but it is also very satisfying. It’s been a tremendously successful mission.” The $1 billion mission has been full of suspense. Its many plot twists began before the spacecraft left Earth, when a faulty rocket postponed the launch by two years and caused mission planners at the European Space Agency (ESA) to abandon their original comet and select a different one. The new comet, 67P, was four times larger than the initial target, and meeting up with it required a longer flight than originally planned. Between March 2004 and January 2014, Rosetta made three Earth flybys and one close pass by Mars, using the planets’ gravity to give it a boost. Along the way, it imaged two asteroids and endured a hibernation of two years, seven months and 12 days. Engineers programmed four alarm clocks to wake the spacecraft from its epic slumber. Everything hinged on its ability to boot back up, said Rosetta Flight Director Andrea Accomazzo. “Either we had a mission, or we had no mission at all,” he said. Scientists are fascinated by comets because they believe the mysterious bodies were formed in the earliest days of the solar system, and that frozen into their icy nuclei are the same primordial materials that make up the planets. As Rosetta closed in on its target, researchers were dazzled by the strange and unexpected shape that gradually came into focus. The comet was roughly 2.5 miles across and had two distinct lobes that resembled a rubber duck with a head, thin neck and bulbous body. In time, Rosetta’s instruments revealed a dramatic world of towering cliffs, deep pits and massive boulders. “It was a big surprise,” said Claire Vallat, a scientist at the agency’s European Space Astronomy Center. After officially entering 67P’s orbit on Aug. 6, 2014, Rosetta spent several months mapping the surface to find the best spot to send Philae, its 220-pound washing-machine-size lander. The mission team ultimately selected what the late NASA scientist Claudia Alexander described as “the least-worst option”: a site that got enough sunlight to power Philae’s solar panels and that appeared to have shallower slopes and fewer boulders than other areas. On Nov. 12, 2014, scientists were once again on the edge of their seats as Philae made a slow, seven-hour descent to the surface of 67P. It was humanity’s first attempt to make a soft landing on a comet. The unprecedented maneuver did not go exactly as planned. The lander’s harpoons failed to fire, and Philae bounced twice before coming to rest in what remained an unknown location for nearly two years. It soon became clear that Philae’s solar panels would not receive enough sunlight to keep powering the onboard instruments, so it was able to conduct experiments for only 60 hours before shutting down. But mission scientists insist Philae was no failure. “Philae sent back quite a bit of information for three days,” said Weissman, of the Planetary Science Institute. “We didn’t learn everything we wanted to from the lander, but we did learn a lot.” In the meantime, Rosetta continued to orbit the comet as it made its closest approach to the sun in August 2015. From a safe distance of 186 miles, it watched as 67P became more active, with streams of dust and gas shooting off its surface. The comet’s display subsided as it flew farther from the sun. “Rosetta had a major goal in mind, which was to rendezvous with a comet far from the sun and watch it wake up and then let it die down again,” said Laurence O’Rourke, a lander-systems engineer at ESA. “Overwhelmingly, we have met that goal.” The drama was not over. Less than one month before the mission’s end, Rosetta’s cameras finally spotted Philae wedged into a dark crack on the comet’s surface. Two of its legs were sticking up in the air. Finding Philae after all that time “was like drinking a bottle of adrenaline,” O’Rourke said. “I couldn’t sleep for the whole night.” Now Rosetta has reached the end of its journey. Comet 67P is on its way toward the orbit of Jupiter, and soon Rosetta’s 100-foot solar panels will be too far from the sun for the spacecraft to function. “Operating Rosetta beyond this point wouldn’t be possible,” Accomazzo said. Experts say there is no chance the orbiter will survive its Friday collision with the comet. Although the last few minutes of its life are difficult to predict, researchers expect it to hit 67P at a walking pace of slightly less than 3 feet per second. When it lands, it will tumble and bounce before settling into its final resting place on the small lobe of the comet. The impact will kick up a few clouds of dark, powdery dust. Then a preprogrammed computer command will turn off its transmitters forever. The final death dive will not be made in vain. The lander will be pointed toward the Ma’at region, which is home to several intriguing pits that released jets of dust when the comet was closer to the sun and more active. In addition, researchers have spotted lumpy structures on the pit walls that might be cometessimals, the building blocks of the comet. Scientists are eager to get a closer look. “The plan is to go as low as possible and transmit as late as possible,” Vallat said. On Earth, meanwhile, hundreds of scientists and engineers will gather at the European Space Operations Center in Darmstadt, Germany, to watch for the flattening of the radio signal that will let them know Rosetta has gone offline forever.

The European Space Agency's Rosetta space probe ends its 12-year mission studying comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in a "collision maneuver" into the comet's surface.

It’s just a game. It offers no solutions to many of the struggles of everyday life. It does not cure illnesses or solve major geopolitical issues. And yet, football has broken through barriers, it has nurtured friendships, challenged outdated ideologies and even offered brief respites from war. No matter your cultural background, gender or belief-system, football gives you the chance to express yourself and connect with others through the universal language of human movement accompanied by a few basic elements - the ball, a pitch, two teams. The Kingdom of Jordan, like all of FIFA’s 211 member associations, believes in this power of football, which is why the Middle East nation rallied, invested and laboured for years to deliver the biggest sports event of their history and the first ever FIFA women’s football tournament in the region – the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Jordan 2016. On 30 September, as fans filled the 17,351 available seats at Amman International Stadium for the tournament’s opening ceremony, 250 unassuming girls shuffled excitedly into their seats among the crowd. On the pitch in front of them, 11 young women wearing Jordan’s national team jerseys were embarking on their first ever World Cup experience. Meanwhile, just a few rows behind them, Spain legend and 2010 FIFA World Cup™ winner Xavi was waving and smiling. The football story for these unknown 250 girls starts back in August, when the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Trophy visited the Al Zaatari Refugee Camp as part of an official nationwide tour. Al Zaatari, established in 2012 to provide shelter to thousands of Syrian refugees, is a sober reminder of the challenges facing the Middle East as armed conflict continues to tear apart homes, families and strip thousands of Syrians of basic human rights and dignities. Al Zaatari’s football loving girls were ecstatic about the distraction the trophy visit provided. At the day’s end, they headed back to their temporary homes. Even this young, they were aware that the tournament was something that would happen outside the camp, in some other reality unavailable to them. Leaving the camp is currently an almost impossible exercise, and many of Al Zataari’s citizens have never done so. Thanks to the support of the Jordanian Authorities, FIFA, the United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP), the UEFA Foundation and the Jordan 2016 Local Organizing Committee, the 250 football loving girls of Al Zaatari were able to do the unexpected - attend Jordan’s opening match at the Amman International Stadium. "'It's the first time I'm able to get out of the refugee camp," said Raghda, sitting next to two of her younger friends. "I feel like I want to fly high from happiness." ''When I came here on the bus I was thinking about how I will enjoy this game." said Haneen, ''I will never ever forget this in my life." It was a small gesture and a simple day in the greater context of their lives, but for the girls, the chance to be a part of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, to watch young women play international football, to cheer and sing and forget the weight of problems forced upon their small young shoulders for a brief 90-minute interlude, was significant. "Freedom and peace, that's all I want." Haneen told FIFA.com. Laila quickly interrupted her twin sister, to add her own wish. "I dream of becoming a football player one day," she said. "I want to be the captain of the team and be able to play like the girls on the pitch." ‘’These children have lost everything, they are confined in refugee camps everyday under very difficult conditions, but today is different. Today they are football fans just like everyone else here cheering in the stadium. Today, they can feel free,” said Honey Thaljieh, FIFA’s Corporate Communications manager. As the co-founder and captain of Palestine’s first ever women’s national football team, Honey is well aware of the barriers facing young women in the Middle East and the profound impact sport can play in shaping a young girls character and future. “This is the power of football in integrating people and bringing them together, regardless of their conditions. Our message is loud and clear, football is for all,” added Honey. In an effort to help spread football throughout the Kingdom, FIFA and the Jordan Football Association announced on the opening day that for every goal scored during the tournament, 150 footballs will be donated to vulnerable communities across the country. The joint-initiative by FIFA and the Jordan Football Association, with the support of the Asian Football Development Project and adidas, aims to simply offer that first step – the ball, to anyone wanting to play. The preparations; the social initiatives; the financial investment in facilities; the efforts of football’s world governing body and a Local Organising Committee comprised mainly of Jordanian women, have kick-started something. The beginnings of what the JFA and FIFA believe will be a long and rich legacy in the region, shaping the future of football for all men and women in Jordan and the Middle East.[SEP]The FIFA 17 demo has been with us for a little while now and while it will take some getting used to, it’s certainly very familiar. That doesn’t mean there aren’t a whole host of new features- The spot kick systems have all had complete overhauls, which can be read about in more detail in this review of the demo. FIFA 17 will also run on the Frostbite engine for the first time, which has supposedly changed how players move and react in every single way. This is all very interesting but the most important thing about FIFA 17 is that you can hit the dab. Not sure what that means? Where have you been? Educate yourself via the medium of gif. Fortunately, the dab is very straightforward. Once you've bagged a worldie, all you have to do is hold R1 or RB and double-tap either Triangle or Y button. This will see you pull off what is comfortably the most famous celebration in world football.[SEP]Ahead of their group phase clash with Brazil tomorrow, at the 5th FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingoes resumed training on Wednesday afternoon at the Al Wehdat Training Field, Amman with all 21 players participating actively. The girls were also scheduled to train at the same venue thursday. The Nigeria team had arrived Amman on Tuesday morning, after flying from Abuja to Dubai and connecting another Emirates Airline flight from Dubai to the Jordanian capital. Earlier on Wednesday, officials of world football –governing body FIFA conducted the team arrival meeting where Captain Rasheedat Ajibade was presented with Nigeria’s plaque and all the players were given Certificate of Participation. Also at the team arrival meeting, every member of the team was accredited, while various issues on the tournament like venue contact information, stadium and training facilities, pre and post match conferences and laws of the game were discussed in detail. The 5th FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup will start today. A total of 16 countries will battle for honours in the three Jordanian cities of Amman, Irbid and Al Zarqa.[SEP]Ghana made a disastrous start to their FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup campaign after suffering a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of defending champions Japan on Saturday. Riko Ueki fired the Young Nadeshiko into an early lead on seven minutes. Jun Endo then scored two quickfire goals to spring Japan into a 3-0 lead and five minutes later, Saori Takarada got on the scoresheet.[SEP]Holders Japan defeated Ghana 5-0 on matchday two of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup at the Prince Mohammed International Stadium in Zarqa. U-17 Women’s World Cup holders Japan were too much to handle for perennial tournament participants Ghana from the start. Riko Ueki fired the Young Nadeshiko into an early lead on seven minutes taking Japan’s goals tally in the history of the tournament to 80, the most of any nation. Jun Endo then scored two quickfire goals to spring Japan into a 3-0 lead. Endo’s first strike was particularly impressive as she scored with a well-struck, left-footed effort to find the top opposite corner. Japan never looked like they were going to slow down with wave after wave in attack overwhelming Ghana’s frazzled defensive line. Five minutes after Endo’s second, it was Saori Takarada’s turn to get on the scoresheet. After superb work on the right wing, Riko Ueki evaded her defenders and made space for herself before looking up and finding Takarada with a perfect cross and Ueki made no mistake with a firm header that sailed past Ghana keeper Barikisu Issahaku. It wasn’t until the last quarter of an hour in the first half that Ghana were able to catch their breath and prevent Japan from creating any clear goalscoring opportunities. That carried into the second half as Ghana almost held Japan to a goalless 45 minutes until Remina Chiba made it five late on. In the end, it was a comfortable win for the holders as they claim three points early in Group D play ahead of matches against Paraguay and USA later in the tournament. Ghana is the only African nation to have reached the semi-finals in the tournament’s history, so coach Evans Adotey and his team will be needing to bounce back from the defeat, starting with their meeting with USA on Tuesday, if they are going to replicate or better that performance.[SEP]Women of the World will meet on Monday, October 10, 2016, at noon, at the Church of Universal Fellowship, 82 Main Street, Orono. Traditional Cuban food will be served, and a presentation will follow the meal. Volunteers are needed to help set up at 11:15 am and for clean up after the meal. WOW is a group of international women, including Americans, who gather once a month around an ethnic lunch; a cultural program featuring the country/theme represented usually follows. WOW is a great place to meet women from around the world and the perfect opportunity to learn about other cultures and discover new cuisine. Lunch fees: women and children over 10: $5, children 6-10: $2.00; children under 6, no cost to attend with their mother. Lunches are held at noon at the Church of Universal Fellowship, 82 Main Street, Orono. For more information on WOW, please call Mireille Le Gal at 581-3423. WOW is sponsored by the Office of International Programs at the University of Maine This post was contributed by a community member. Submit your news →[SEP]THE St John Ambulance and Pacific International Hospital will provide ambulance services during the Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Port Moresby form Nov 13-Dec 3. The various trips and meetings by the Fifa medical team to the country since early this year have culminated to the signing of a service agreement with the two medical organisations. Local organising committee chief executive officer, Seamus Marten said in order to meet Fifa requirements and standards, the LOC would be purchasing medical equipment to provide to St John to use and they would then be kept to use after the tournament to serve the residents of Port Moresby. “St John has been a long-time supporter of football in PNG so we feel this is appropriate. “The tournament will leave behind a legacy and one of them is through the purchase of medical equipment that will be used by St John for the general public after the tournament,” he said. St John provide nine Australian paramedics and 60 volunteers to provide services to the teams and spectators at both the match and training venues, including team hotels. PIH will be providing two fully-equipped emergency ambulances to operate at the venues on match days. They will also be on stand-by for emergency calls if required.

2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, the first ever FIFA women’s football tournament in the Middle East, kicks off in Jordan.

DOHA (Reuters) - A Saudi-led force in Yemen said it rescued passengers on Saturday from a vessel being used by the United Arab Emirates military that was attacked by Houthi fighters in a strategic Red Sea shipping lane. “The coalition rescued civilians from a vessel targeted by Houthi militias ... that was transferring medical aid to the city of Aden and evacuating wounded civilians for treatment,” the coalition said in a statement on Saudi state news agency SPA. Hundreds of Emirati soldiers in an Arab alliance have been fighting Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthis, who control the capital, and training Yemeni troops in Aden to help rebuild a state loyal to exiled president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The UAE military said on Saturday one of its vessels had been involved in an “incident” near the Bab al-Mandab strait off Yemen’s southern coast but none of its crew had been hurt. The Houthis, however, said on Saturday their forces had destroyed a UAE military vessel that was advancing toward the Red Sea port of Al-Mokha. “Armed forces destroyed with a missile a military vessel belonging to the forces of the UAE,” a military official was quoted as saying by the Saba Yemeni news agency, run by the dominant Houthi movement since it seized Sanaa last year. In 2013, more than 3.4 million barrels of oil per day passed through the 20 km (12 mile) wide Bab al-Mandab strait, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. A senior Emirati commander was among dozens killed in a Tochka rocket strike in 2015 on an army camp near Bab al-Mandab, one of the bloodiest setbacks for Gulf forces in months of fighting.[SEP]Yemeni forces have targeted and destroyed an Emirati military vessel in a rocket attack near the Red Sea port city of Mokha, al-Masirah TV says. A military source said Ansarullah fighters and allied army forces launched rockets at an HSV-2 Swift hybrid catamaran operated by the Emirati navy off the shores of the Red Sea port city of Mokha early on Saturday, al-Masirah television reported. The catamaran was reportedly a high-speed logistical ship capable of locating mines, controlling military operations and transporting troops and equipment. The vessel formerly belonged to the US navy, al-Masirah said. Ansarullah fighters working in cooperation with the Yemeni army have so far destroyed several hostile warships and boats. On October 10, 2015, Yemeni army forces destroyed a Saudi warship in a missile attack in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. That development came only three days after Yemeni forces managed to destroy another Saudi vessel in the area. Emirati casualties The United Arab Emirates has been suffering heavy casualties in Yemen, where Ansarullah fighters and allied military units have been fighting back the Saudi-led invaders. On Jun 13, an Emirati military helicopter crashed near the al-Buraiqeh coast of the southern Yemeni port city of Aden, killing its two pilots. Yemeni boys hold a part of an Emirati Mirage warplane that crashed in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden, March 14, 2016. (Photo by Reuters) On March 14, two Emirati pilots died when their Mirage fighter jet crashed while conducting military operations in the same Yemeni district. A senior Emirati military commander and three Saudi-backed foreign mercenaries had been killed in an attack by Yemeni forces in the Dhubab district of the southwestern province of Ta’izz two months earlier. The biggest casualties, however, came last September, when the UAE confirmed that at least 52 of its soldiers had been killed in a barrage of missiles fired by Yemeni forces at Saudi-led foreign troopers in the central Ma’rib Province. At least 70 soldiers were also injured in the missile attack. The official Saudi Press Agency, meanwhile, reported the death of one of its border guards, who was killed after a mortar shell fell on the southwestern border region of Jizan in Saudi Arabia from the direction of Yemen on Thursday. In a separate development, a massive bombing reportedly targeted the Craiter district in the southwestern Yemeni province of Aden, killing two people and injuring three others.[SEP]The vessel, an Australian-built high speed logistics catamaran under lease to the United Arab Emirates military, was attacked by Houthi fighters near the Bab al-Mandab strait off Yemen's southern coast on Saturday. The coalition rescued its civilian passengers. No crew were hurt. In a statement late on Saturday, the coalition said the vessel belonged to the UAE Marine Dredging Company "on its usual route to and from Aden to transfer relief and medical aid and evacuate wounded civilians to complete their treatment outside Yemen." "Coalition air and naval forces were targeting Houthi militia boats involved in the attack," it said. The coalition said the incident showed that Houthi tactics involved what it called "terrorist attacks" against civilian international navigation in the waterway. Hundreds of Emirati soldiers in an Arab alliance have been fighting Yemen's Iran-allied Houthis, who control the capital, and training Yemeni troops in Aden to help rebuild a state loyal to exiled president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The Houthis, however, said on Saturday their forces had destroyed a UAE military vessel that was advancing toward the Red Sea port of Al-Mokha. "Armed forces destroyed with a missile a military vessel belonging to the forces of the UAE," a military official was quoted as saying by the Saba Yemeni news agency, run by the dominant Houthi movement since it seized Sanaa last year. In 2013, more than 3.4 million barrels of oil per day passed through the 20 km (12 mile) wide Bab al-Mandab strait, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. A senior Emirati commander was among dozens killed in a Tochka rocket strike in 2015 on an army camp near Bab al-Mandab, one of the bloodiest setbacks for Gulf forces in months of fighting.[SEP]Hundreds of Emirati soldiers in a Saudi-led coalition have been fighting Yemen's Iran-allied Houthis who control the capital and training Yemeni troops in the port of Aden to help rebuild a state loyal to exiled president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. "General Command of the Armed Forces said one of its leased vessels suffered an incident in the Bab al-Mandab strait this morning during a return trip from a mission in Aden. No injures were caused," UAE state news agency WAM said in a statement. The armed forces are investigating the cause of the incident, it added. In a statement on Saturday the Houthis said their forces had destroyed a UAE military vessel that was advancing towards the the Red Sea port of Al-Mokha. "Armed forces destroyed with a missile a military vessel belonging to the forces of the UAE," a military official was quoted as saying by the Saba Yemeni news agency, which has been run by the dominant Houthi movement since it seized Sanaa last year. In 2013, more than 3.4 million barrels of oil per day passed through the 20 km (12 mile) wide Bab al-Mandab, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition could not be immediately reached for comment. A senior Emirati commander was among dozens killed in a Tochka rocket strike in 2015 on an army camp near Bab al-Mandab, one of the bloodiest setbacks for Gulf forces in months of fighting.[SEP]Yemeni rebels claimed they hit a vessel Saturday operated by the Emirati military, which is part of a Saudi-led coalition fighting in support of Yemen’s government. The UAE military said a boat under its command was involved in an “incident” in the Bab al-Mandab strait. It said there were no casualties. “Rockets targeted an Emirati warship as it approached the coast of Mokha,” on the Red Sea, the Iran-backed Huthi rebels said in a statement on their sabanews.net website. “It was completely destroyed,” they said. In a statement published by the official WAM news agency, the Emirati military said the boat was on a routine trip from Aden, further south, and that it had launched an investigation. It said the boat was hired, but did not provide more details or say if the vessel was damaged. The UAE is a key member of the Saudi-led coalition that has been battling Iran-backed Huthi rebels and their allies since March last year in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi’s internationally recognised government. Since March 2015, the coalition has pushed the rebels out of much of Yemen’s south, but they still control nearly all of the country’s Red Sea coast as well as swathes of territory around the capital Sanaa. Loyalist forces recaptured Perim island in the Bab al-Mandab strait in October last year, gaining a foothold on the strategic shipping lane which connects the Suez Canal and Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. But the rebels still control some of the heights which overlook the strait from the mainland, where there has been fierce fighting in recent days. Military sources in Yemen told AFP that the rebels shelled a loyalist military camp in the Bab al-Mandab area on Saturday. More than 6,700 people, including civilians, have been killed in the Yemeni conflict since the coalition began its air campaign in March 2015, the UN says.[SEP]A Houthi spokesperson told CNN the Iranian-allied group was responsible for Saturday's attack, which occurred as the vessel headed for the port city of Aden. The Saudi-led Arab coalition, which has been fighting in support of the Yemeni government under President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, called the attack a "dangerous indication" and launched a rescue mission for those aboard the stricken ship. The vessel, owned by the UAE's National Marine Dredging Company, was reportedly delivering medical aid and other supplies when it came under fire in the Bab al-Mandab Strait -- which lies between the southern tip of Yemen and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa -- according to the WAM report. ''This comes as a serious indicator to confirm the orientation of these militias to carry out terrorist operations targeting the international navigation and relief ships in Bab al-Mandab Strait," the coalition said in a statement posted on WAM. But Mohammed Al Bukhaiti, a spokesman for the Houthi fighters, said he did not believe the ship was carrying aid material. "In any case, the Yemeni people consider the Emiratis and Saudis their enemies and so anything belonging to them is a legitimate target," said al-Bukhaiti, speaking to CNN by phone Sunday from the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, which is run by Houthi rebels since they seized it last year. The Houthi-run Al Masirah TV published a video that purported to show the moment of attack. CNN could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage. The southern port city of Aden functions as the de facto capital of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government after they were pushed out of Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition, which is made up of several Arab countries including the UAE, began a military campaign aimed at restoring the Yemeni government and preventing the Houthis and forces loyal to deposed President Ali Abdullah Saleh from taking power. US military distances itself from Saudi-led war in Yemen Sanaa has suffered some 45 airstrikes over the past 24 hours, according to multiple witnesses. That's the most intense barrage on Sanaa since last June, according to Yemeni Journalist Hakim Almasmari. At this time there is no indication of a connection between the strike on the Emirati vessel and the Sanaa airstrikes. At least 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since the conflict began in March 2015, according to UN figures. The violence has also displaced three million Yemenis and forced 200,000 to seek refuge abroad.

Houthi forces launch rockets that hit and reportedly destroy HSV-2 Swift, a military vessel belonging to the United Arab Emirates Navy, off the coast of Yemen, near the strategic Red Sea port of Mokha.

In this August 27 photo provided by the Syrian anti-government activist group Aleppo Media Center (AMC), shows a Syrian man carrying a girl away from the rubble of a destroyed building after barrel bombs were dropped on the Bab al-Nairab neighborhood in Aleppo, Syria. Nearly 100 children were killed in a single week in Aleppo as Syrian and Russian warplanes sought to bombard into submission the rebel eastern districts of the city that have held out against Syrian government forces for five years. Without hope for the future, no regular schooling and little access to nutritious food, the children of Aleppo and their parents struggle to survive and fear the threat an imminent ground offensive.(Aleppo Media Center via AP)[SEP]AMMAN (Reuters) - Russian warplanes and their Syrian government allies battered rebel-held areas in and around Aleppo on Saturday, and rebels and aid workers accused them of destroying one of the city’s main hospitals and killing at least two patients. M10, the city’s main trauma hospital, in eastern Aleppo, was struck as the United States and its allies urged Russia, which is trying to crush resistance to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to halt the bombing and reach a diplomatic resolution. Saturday’s air strikes focused on major supply lines into rebel-held areas of Aleppo - the Castello Road and Malah district and around the Handarat camp. Fighting also raged in the city in the Suleiman al Halabi neighborhood, the front line to the north of Aleppo’s Old City and in the residential Bustan al Basha quarter. Rebels and rescuers said at least seven missiles were dropped on the hospital, more commonly known as Sakhour, by both Russian jets and Syrian helicopters. An American relief organization said two patients were killed and 13 injured in the attack, which was the second on the hospital in less than a week. “The hospital is now out of service completely. There’s destruction to walls, infrastructure, equipment and generators. There are no more guards or staff left. It’s complete darkness,” said Mohammad Abu Rajab, a radiologist in the hospital. Footage of the bombed hospital on social media showed extensive damage. The attack drew immediate condemnation from France and Germany. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the shelling of healthcare structures and personnel in Aleppo amounted to war crimes, adding: “Their perpetrators will be held to account.” “The bombing of Aleppo needs to finally stop! Whoever wants to fight terrorists does not attack hospitals!” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier tweeted. The U.S envoy to the United Nations last week called Russia’s actions in Syria “barbarism,” not counter-terrorism. An official for U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration condemned the bombing, citing “total disregard” for medical professionals and those needing their help. “Reports of yet another hospital being destroyed further demonstrates the total disregard for the lives of medical professionals and their patients who need critical care because of the Assad regime and Russia’s relentless campaign against the Syrian people.” Rebels said Moscow and the Syrian army have for months been targeting power plants, hospitals and bakeries to force into surrender the nearly 250,000 believed trapped in the city. Hundreds of people have been killed in indiscriminate bombing of residential areas and many hundreds more wounded, with little access to treatment in hospitals that lack basic supplies. The army, aided by hundreds of Iranian-backed militias who have arrived in Aleppo, have backed up the air campaign with a ground offensive on several frontlines. “The regime is spearheading an attack on all fronts and is trying to open more than one major front and of course there are a lot of amassing of troops mostly based in Handarat,” Abu Haidar, a commander in Fastaqim, one of the rebel groups inside Aleppo, said via internet messaging. In a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was ready to consider more ways to normalize the situation in Aleppo, the ministry said. A man walks on the rubble of damaged buildings after an airstrike on the rebel held al-Qaterji neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail But Lavrov criticized Washington’s failure to separate moderate rebel groups from those the Russians call terrorists, which had allowed forces led by the group formerly known as the Nusra front to violate the U.S.-Russian truce agreed on Sept. 9. The United States made clear it would not, at least for now, carry through a threat made on Wednesday to halt the diplomacy if Russia did not take immediate steps to end the violence. Moscow and Assad spurned the ceasefire to launch the new offensive, potentially the biggest and most decisive battle of the civil war, which is now in its sixth year. BACK AND FORTH An army source quoted in state media said its forces had made advances, which was denied by rebels. A news commentary by the state-run Ikhbariyah said “high level coordination from the air and ground by Syrian and Russian warplanes” had allowed the two allies to “successful hit locations where terrorist groups had dug in.” But rebels said Syrian troops backed by fresh reinforcements from Iranian-backed militias were struggling to make any gains in a ground offensive in a key frontline in the old city. “They are shelling the old city heavily after another failed attempt to gain ground. They have lost several fighters and we are steadfast,” said Abu Hamam, a rebel from the Failaq al-Sham group. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group that monitors the war, reported heavy bombardment by government forces and “back and forth” fighting in the Suleiman al-Halabi neighborhood. Rebels led by the main Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham said on Saturday they had regained several areas in the Bustan al-Pasha district seized a day before, a strategic point that would allow the army to press into the heart of the rebel held eastern sector. Slideshow (6 Images) Russia joined the war exactly a year ago, tipping the balance of power in favor of Assad, who is also supported by Iranian ground forces and Shi’ite militia from Lebanon and Iraq. The army said it would press its advantage after retaking last Thursday the strategic Handarat camp north of Aleppo that had already changed hands once since the start of the attack.[SEP]The M10 hospital was hit by two barrel bombs, two cluster bombs and at least one rocket, Adham Sahloul, a spokesman for the Syrian American Medical Society, told CNN. The hospital, which Sahloul's group supports, had just reopened to offer basic emergency care Friday, he said, following an airstrike two days earlier that had shut down the facility, including its desperately needed intensive care unit. The city's M2 hospital was put out of service after also being hit Wednesday. On Friday alone, the M10 hospital saw 84 cases, including 22 children, Sahloul said. Sixteen of those died, including five children. Aleppo's medical services are under appalling pressure. About 30 doctors remain in eastern Aleppo, Sahloul said, for a population of some 300,000 at a time of urgent need. More than 450 people have been killed since a US-Russia brokered ceasefire collapsed September 22, he said. Most in the city's eastern districts also lack access to clean water following infrastructure damage from shelling and bombing, he added. Aleppo saw more aerial bombardments and clashes Saturday following the deaths of 36 people the day before, UK-monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. At least 20 people, including six children, were killed then in airstrikes on neighborhoods of rebel-held eastern Aleppo, the group reported. Separately, at least 16 people, including women and children, were killed Friday in shelling by rebel forces on regime-held parts of western Aleppo, it said. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency, or SANA, said 13 people died Friday in Aleppo due to "terrorist rocket attacks." Rebel-held districts of Aleppo have suffered intense aerial bombardment by Syrian and Russian warplanes for more than a week, while the Assad regime prepares to take the northern city. Regime forces shelled areas of Aleppo's Old City on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Regime forces and rebel fighters also engaged in violent clashes in the neighborhoods of Bustan al-Basha and Sheikh Khodr. A Syrian family leaves the area following a reported airstrike on Friday, September 23, in rebel-held east Aleppo. Following the airstrike, recovery teams from Syria Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, began working to free the trapped and recover the dead, including small children. This photo was released by the volunteer group Syria Civil Defense of the bodies of a man, with his knee pulled up near his face, and a child covered in dust after they were killed in the airstrike. The volunteers work to recover the bodies the man and child. A Syrian man carries the body of his nephew, recovered from the rubble. The volunteers remove an infant's body from the destroyed building. A Syrian woman carries the body of her infant after he was recovered. The activist group Aleppo Media Center said at least one person was killed and several wounded Saturday in airstrikes by helicopters in eastern Aleppo's Al-Sakhour neighborhood. The group also reported artillery shelling by regime forces. SANA, quoting a police official, reported that at least 13 people were injured in rocket fire in the al-Maydan residential neighborhood in regime-held western Aleppo. Kerry in leaked audio: 'I lost the argument' on Syria Meanwhile, an estimated 10,000 Syrian-led troops have gathered in advance of what is believed to be perhaps a final ground assault by Syrian forces against rebels in Aleppo. The past week's assault on rebel-held areas of the key city involved some of the worst violence since the start of the war in 2011.[SEP]Russian war planes struck rebel held areas north of Aleppo on Saturday as the army shelled the besieged old quarter in a major offensive, rebels and a monitoring group said. The air strikes focused on major supply lines into rebel-held areas - the Castello Road and Malah district - while fighting raged in the Suleiman al Halabi neighbourhood, the front line to the north of Aleppo’s Old City. An army source quoted in state media said its forces had made advances, which was denied by rebels who say they had repelled a new assault. “They are shelling the old city heavily after another failed attempt to gain ground. They have lost several fighters and we are steadfast,” said Abu Hamam, a rebel from the Failaq al-Sham group. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group that monitors the war, reported heavy bombardment by government forces and “back and forth” fighting in the Suleiman al-Halabi neighbourhood. The army said it would press its advantage after retaking the strategic Handarat camp north of Aleppo on Thursday. On Friday, civil defence sources said air strikes on rebel held residential areas killed at least 30 people with the use of incendiary and phosphorous bombs causing extensive damage and fires. The Observatory said at least 20 were killed by sustained Russian and Syrian army strikes and artillery shelling on Friday and into the early hours of Saturday. State media said rebel mortar attacks on government-held Midan and other areas in the city killed at least 20 people. The Syrian military and its allies launched a Russian-backed offensive nearly 10 days ago aimed at capturing rebel-held districts of eastern Aleppo that are home to more than 250,000 people. Aleppo, Syria’s largest city and commercial hub before civil war began in 2011, has been divided into government and opposition sectors for four years.[SEP]The M10 hospital was hit by two barrel bombs, two cluster bombs and at least one rocket, Adham Sahloul, a spokesman for the Syrian American Medical Society, told CNN. The hospital, which Sahloul's group supports, had just reopened to offer basic emergency care Friday, he said, following an airstrike two days earlier that had shut down the facility, including its desperately needed intensive care unit. The city's M2 hospital was put out of service after also being hit Wednesday. On Friday alone, the M10 hospital saw 84 cases, including 22 children, Sahloul said. Sixteen of those died, including five children. Aleppo's medical services are under appalling pressure. About 30 doctors remain in eastern Aleppo, Sahloul said, for a population of some 300,000 at a time of urgent need. More than 450 people have been killed since a US-Russia brokered ceasefire collapsed September 22, he said. Most in the city's eastern districts also lack access to clean water following infrastructure damage from shelling and bombing, he added. Aleppo saw more aerial bombardments and clashes Saturday following the deaths of 36 people the day before, UK-monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. At least 20 people, including six children, were killed then in airstrikes on neighborhoods of rebel-held eastern Aleppo, the group reported. Separately, at least 16 people, including women and children, were killed Friday in shelling by rebel forces on regime-held parts of western Aleppo, it said. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency, or SANA, said 13 people died Friday in Aleppo due to "terrorist rocket attacks." Rebel-held districts of Aleppo have suffered intense aerial bombardment by Syrian and Russian warplanes for more than a week, while the Assad regime prepares to take the northern city. Regime forces shelled areas of Aleppo's Old City on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Regime forces and rebel fighters also engaged in violent clashes in the neighborhoods of Bustan al-Basha and Sheikh Khodr. A Syrian family leaves the area following a reported airstrike on Friday, September 23, in rebel-held east Aleppo. Following the airstrike, recovery teams from Syria Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, began working to free the trapped and recover the dead, including small children. This photo was released by the volunteer group Syria Civil Defense of the bodies of a man, with his knee pulled up near his face, and a child covered in dust after they were killed in the airstrike. The volunteers work to recover the bodies the man and child. A Syrian man carries the body of his nephew, recovered from the rubble. The volunteers remove an infant's body from the destroyed building. A Syrian woman carries the body of her infant after he was recovered. The activist group Aleppo Media Center said at least one person was killed and several wounded Saturday in airstrikes by helicopters in eastern Aleppo's Al-Sakhour neighborhood. The group also reported artillery shelling by regime forces. SANA, quoting a police official, reported that at least 13 people were injured in rocket fire in the al-Maydan residential neighborhood in regime-held western Aleppo. Kerry in leaked audio: 'I lost the argument' on Syria Meanwhile, an estimated 10,000 Syrian-led troops have gathered in advance of what is believed to be perhaps a final ground assault by Syrian forces against rebels in Aleppo. The past week's assault on rebel-held areas of the key city involved some of the worst violence since the start of the war in 2011.[SEP]Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Dr Abu Rajan shows cameras around the bombed M10 hospital in rebel-held Aleppo Russian and Syrian air raids on the rebel-held eastern half of the city of Aleppo have forced the closure of the largest hospital in the area and killed two people, a medical charity says. The Syrian American Medical Society, which supports the hospital, said it had been struck by barrel bombs. There are also reports of Russian-backed Syrian government forces hitting Aleppo's historic Old City. Clashes between government troops and rebels are occurring in several areas. Russian and Syrian air forces resumed attacks on the rebel-held east of the city after a partial truce lapsed on 19 September. Government forces have also launched a ground offensive against the rebels. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Hospitals in the east of Aleppo have been razed to the ground Image caption Two people people were killed and about 10 reported injured at the hospital The mounting civilian death toll has sparked international protests. The US says Russia is driving moderate rebels into the arms of jihadists. Once Syria's commercial and industrial hub, Aleppo has been divided roughly in two since 2012. The UN says at least 400 civilians, including many children, have been killed in the city this week as a result of Russian and Syrian government attacks. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Aleppo: Key battleground in Syria's civil war Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Drone footage shows children playing football among Aleppo's ruins On Saturday, air raids hit Aleppo's main trauma M10 hospital for the third time in a matter of days, medical workers say. "The hospital is now out of service completely," radiologist Mohammad Abu Rajab was quoted by Reuters as saying. "There's destruction to walls, infrastructure, equipment and generators. There are no more guards or staff left. It's complete darkness." Hospital manager Dr Abu Rajan told local media that about 10 people at the hospital had been injured after it was hit by barrel bombs - improvised devices dropped from helicopters - cluster munitions, and a chlorine bomb. Two patients were killed, while others have now been transferred to alternative facilities, the Syrian American Medical Society said. A spokesman for US President Barack Obama condemned the bombing, which he said showed "total disregard" for medical professionals and patients. "Reports of yet another hospital being destroyed further demonstrates the total disregard for the lives of medical professionals and their patients who need critical care because of the Assad regime and Russia's relentless campaign against the Syrian people." French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault also condemned the bombing, saying the shelling of healthcare structures and personnel constituted war crimes - and the perpetrators would have to be held to account. 'Shelling heavily' The Syrian army says it is gaining ground but the rebels deny this. "They are shelling the Old City heavily after another failed attempt to gain ground," Abu Hamam, from the Failaq al-Sham group, was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. "They have lost several fighters and we are steadfast." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, also reported government barrel bomb and jet attacks on the Ghouta area outside Damascus on Saturday. In another development, it said government forces were battling fighters from the Islamic State group in Homs region. War of words Washington and Moscow have continued to spar over Syria, with the US dismissing Russian accusations that it was protecting a jihadist group in its bid to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the US had broken its promise to separate the powerful Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly known as al-Nusra Front) and other extremist groups from more moderate rebels. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Russia's claim is "absurd", says state department spokesman Mark Toner State department spokesman Mark Toner said the Russian allegations were "absurd". He told reporters the US had not targeted al-Nusra for months because they had become "intermingled" with other groups and civilians. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Sergei Lavrov: "We believe the plan was to spare Nusra" At least 250,000 people have been killed in the conflict since it began in March 2011 with the Observatory estimating the true number to be about 430,000. More than 4.8 million people have fled abroad, and an estimated 6.5 million others have been displaced within the country, the UN says.[SEP]In this August 27 photo provided by the Syrian anti-government activist group Aleppo Media Center (AMC), shows a Syrian man carrying a girl away from the rubble of a destroyed building after barrel bombs were dropped on the Bab al-Nairab neighborhood in Aleppo, Syria. Nearly 100 children were killed in a single week in Aleppo as Syrian and Russian warplanes sought to bombard into submission the rebel eastern districts of the city that have held out against Syrian government forces for five years. Without hope for the future, no regular schooling and little access to nutritious food, the children of Aleppo and their parents struggle to survive and fear the threat an imminent ground offensive.(Aleppo Media Center via AP)[SEP]Syrian government and allied forces advanced north of Aleppo, pressing their week-old offensive to take the insurgent-held, eastern part of the city after dozens of overnight air strikes. The Syrian Army told rebels to leave the area, offering safe passage and aid supplies. The Syrian military, supported by Iranian-backed militias and Russian air power, began their push to take the whole of the divided city after a ceasefire collapsed last month. Healthcare destroyed The assault has nearly destroyed eastern Aleppo's healthcare system, the U.N said. An air campaign by the Syrian government and its allies was reinforced by a ground offensive targeting the besieged eastern half of the city where insurgents have been holding out. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Syrian military said the Army and its allies had advanced south from the Handarat refugee camp north of Aleppo city, which they took earlier this week, taking the Kindi hospital and parts of the Shuqaif industrial area. Air strikes and shelling continued on Sunday, the Observatory said. The Syrian Army said on Sunday that rebel fighters should vacate east Aleppo and it would guarantee them safe passage and necessary aid. The relentless Russian and Syrian air campaign in east Aleppo has damaged hospitals and water supplies. East Aleppo came under siege in early July after its main supply route, the Castello Road, fell under government control. On Saturday, the largest trauma and intensive care centre in eastern Aleppo was badly damaged by air strikes and had to close. Two patients were killed. The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), which partly supported the hospital, said the hospital had been hit seven times since July, with three attacks this week alone.[SEP]BEIRUT — Syrian government and allied forces have advanced towards Aleppo, pursuing their week-old offensive to take the rebel-held part of the city after dozens of overnight airstrikes. The Syrian army told the insurgents to leave their positions, offering safe passage and aid supplies. Syrian forces supported by Iranian-backed militias and Russian air power began their push to take the whole of the divided city after a ceasefire collapsed last month. An air campaign by the Syrian government and its allies has been reinforced by a ground offensive against the besieged eastern half of Aleppo, where insurgents have been holding out. Hospitals have been badly hit in the assault, medics say. While Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone to discuss normalization of the situation, Britain said the bombing of hospitals by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad made it impossible talk about peace. “It is the continuing savagery of the Assad regime against the people of Aleppo and the complicity of the Russians in committing what are patently war crimes — bombing hospitals, when they know they are hospitals and nothing but hospitals — that is making it impossible for peace negotiations to resume,” British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Syrian military said Sunday that the army and its allies had advanced south from the Handarat refugee camp north of the city, taking the Kindi hospital and parts of the Shuqaif industrial area. Zakaria Malahifji of the Aleppo-based rebel group Fastaqim told Reuters there were clashes in this area Sunday. The Observatory said airstrikes and shelling continued Sunday, and there was fierce fighting all along the front line that cuts the city in two. The Syrian army said that rebel fighters should vacate east Aleppo in return for safe passage and aid supplies. “The army high command calls on all armed fighters in the eastern neighborhood of Aleppo to leave these neighborhoods and let civilian residents live their normal lives,” a statement carried by state news agency SANA said. East Aleppo came under siege in early July after its main supply route, the Castello Road, fell under government control. International attempts to establish ceasefires to allow in United Nations humanitarian aid have failed, although other aid groups have brought in limited supplies. The relentless Russian and Syrian air campaign has badly damaged hospitals and water supplies. U.N Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Stephen O’Brien said he was “deeply alarmed by the ferocious pummeling of eastern Aleppo” and reiterated U.N. calls for a pause in fighting, medical evacuations and access for aid. “The health system is on the verge of total collapse with patients being turned away and no medicines available to treat even the most common ailments.” “With clean water and food in very short supply, the number of people requiring urgent medical evacuations is likely to rise dramatically in the coming days,” he said. The European Union announced an initiative for Aleppo aimed at allowing humanitarian organizations to do their work and civilians to be rescued and protected. “The EU calls on all parties to urgently provide the necessary authorizations for aid delivery and for medical evacuations to proceed,” a statement said. On Saturday, the largest trauma and intensive care center in eastern Aleppo was badly damaged by airstrikes and had to close. Two patients were killed. The Syrian American Medical Society, which partly supported the hospital, said the hospital had been hit seven times since July, with three attacks this week alone. “The situation in Aleppo is beyond dire … People are stuck under the rubble and we can’t get to them because of the intensity of the shelling. We are pleading for help to stop the bombing,” Mohamed Abu Rajab, a medical society nurse at the hospital, said. The Syrian American Medical Society said only five hospitals remained operational in east Aleppo. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by state media that the participation of Russia’s air force in the conflict now in its sixth year had “tightened the noose on terrorist groups and reduced their ability to spread terror to other countries.” The Syrian government refers to all groups fighting against it as terrorists.[SEP](CNN) Russia warned the United States about taking direct action against the Syrian regime, saying it would cause negative consequences across the Middle East, Russia's state-run Sputnik news agency reported Saturday. Meanwhile, intense fighting continued in the besieged Syrian city Aleppo on Saturday, with one of the main hospitals bombed by Russian-backed Syrian forces. She said the United States risked creating a power vacuum in Syria were it to depose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Such a power vacuum would be filled by "terrorists of all sorts," Sputnik reported. Secretary of State John Kerry, in a meeting with a group of Syrian civilians last week, expressed sympathy for their demands that the United States intervene more forcefully amid Syrian and Russian airstrikes, according to an audio recording obtained by CNN. He told the group that he "lost the argument" for using military force against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "I've argued for the use of force. I'm the guy who stood up and announced that we're going to attack Assad for the use of weapons," Kerry is heard telling the Syrian attendees, referring to internal deliberations within the administration of President Barack Obama that followed Assad's use of chemical weapons in 2013. The facility was struck by a "torrent" of weapons including two barrel bombs, two cluster bombs and at least one rocket, said Adham Sahloul, spokesman for the Syrian American Medical Society. One person died and 15 were wounded in the bombings, according to an activist with the opposition-aligned group Aleppo Media Center. Some patients hurt in the attack were also wounded when bombs struck the same facility Wednesday, the activist said. M10, the largest surgical hospital in Aleppo, is now out of service, the activist said. The hospital had just reopened to offer basic emergency care Friday, Sahloul said, following the airstrike earlier in the week that also shut down its desperately needed intensive care unit. The city's M2 hospital was also put out of service by shelling Wednesday, activists said. The Syrian American Medical Society supports both hospitals. The attacks on M2 and M10 have left only two surgical hospitals in Aleppo, the media center activist said. On Friday alone, the M10 hospital saw 84 cases, including 22 children, Sahloul said. Sixteen of those died, including five children. Aleppo's medical services are under appalling pressure. About 30 doctors remain in eastern Aleppo, Sahloul said, for a population of some 300,000 at a time of urgent need. Doctors have resorted to triage, prioritizing those they believe have the best chance of survival, the activist said. Another three medical facilities in al-Shaar neighborhood -- a women's hospital, a children's hospital and the central blood bank -- were also hit Friday, Sahloul said. More than 450 people have been killed since a US-Russia brokered ceasefire collapsed September 22, he said. Syrian government war jets have targeted gathering places such as markets, hospitals and mosques for three days, the Aleppo Media Center activist told CNN. The United Nations' aid chief Stephen O'Brien repeated a call for a 48-hour weekly pause in the fighting so that aid could enter the city. "The health system is on the verge of total collapse, with patients being turned away and no medicines available to treat even the most common ailments," O'Brien said in a statement. "Hundreds of critical medical evacuations are urgently required. With clean water and food in very short supply, the number of people requiring urgent medical evacuations is likely to rise dramatically in the coming days." Most in the city's eastern districts lack access to clean water following infrastructure damage from shelling and bombing, Sahloul said. Aleppo saw more aerial bombardments and clashes Saturday following the deaths of 36 people the day before, UK-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. At least 20 people, including six children, were killed then in airstrikes on neighborhoods of rebel-held eastern Aleppo, the group reported. Separately, at least 16 people, including women and children, were killed Friday in shelling by rebel forces on regime-held parts of western Aleppo, it said. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency, or SANA, said 13 people died Friday in Aleppo due to "terrorist rocket attacks." Regime forces shelled areas of Aleppo's Old City on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Regime forces and rebel fighters also engaged in violent clashes in the neighborhoods of Bustan al-Basha and Sheikh Khodr. Aleppo Media Center said at least one person was killed and several wounded Saturday in airstrikes by helicopters in eastern Aleppo's Al-Sakhour neighborhood. The group also reported artillery shelling by regime forces. SANA, quoting a police official, reported that at least 13 people were injured in rocket fire in the al-Maydan residential neighborhood in regime-held western Aleppo. Meanwhile, an estimated 10,000 Syrian-led troops have gathered in advance of what is believed to be a possible final ground assault by Syrian forces against rebels in Aleppo. The past week's assault on rebel-held areas of the key city involved some of the worst violence since the start of the war in 2011.

Russian and Syrian government attacks on rebel-held east Aleppo kill two people and injure 13 others. The Syrian American Medical Society reports the city's main trauma hospital closes.

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali Islamist group al Shabaab bombed a restaurant frequented by members of the security forces in Mogadishu on Saturday, killing at least three people, officials and the group said. Police said a suicide car bomb rammed the Blue Sky restaurant in the capital, which is located near a detention center, known as Jilaow, where militants are often held in underground cells. Al Shabaab frequently launches attacks in Mogadishu in its bid to topple the Western-backed government. Abdifatah Omar, a spokesman for Mogadishu’s local government, said at the scene that three people had been confirmed dead so far and four others were injured. “We targeted the security forces and officers of the underground Jilaow cell who were there,” Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, told Reuters, adding that at least 10 people were killed. He did not say whether a suicide car bomb was used in the attack, although the group often uses such tactics. Casualty figures given by al Shabaab and officials often differ.[SEP]Story highlights Four people are killed and five injured in blast in Mogadishu, Somalia Car bomb explodes near prison where militant Al-Shabaab suspects are questioned Mogadishu, Somalia (CNN) The Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for a car bombing that killed four people Saturday in the Somali capital. A vehicle packed with explosives detonated near a prison run by the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency in Mogadishu, Col. Hamza Ali, a senior police officer, told CNN. The car had been parked at the Blue Sky restaurant near Godka Jili'ow prison, a heavily protected facility where Al-Shabaab suspects are questioned. Five people were injured in the attack, Ali said. A statement posted on a pro-Al-Shabaab website said the car bomb had targeted a Somali intelligence officer at the restaurant. Al-Shabaab is a Somali extremist group that seeks to turn the country into a fundamentalist Islamic state. It has carried out repeated attacks against Somalia's government and military targets.[SEP]A vehicle packed with explosives detonated near a prison run by the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency in Mogadishu, Col. Hamza Ali, a senior police officer, told CNN. The car had been parked at the Blue Sky restaurant near Godka Jili'ow prison, a heavily protected facility where Al-Shabaab suspects are questioned. Five people were injured in the attack, Ali said. A statement posted on a pro-Al-Shabaab website said the car bomb had targeted a Somali intelligence officer at the restaurant.[SEP]A car burns after an explosion in Mogadishu Somalia, on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Somali police officer says a car bomb blew up at the entrance of a restaurant in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, killing two people. Capt. Mohamed Hussein said the blast Saturday occurred at the Blue Sky restaurant close to the presidential palace. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing but the Islamic extremist group of al-Shabab often carries out such attacks. Al-Shabab, al-Qaida's East African affiliate, is fighting to impose a strict version of Islam in this Horn of Africa nation. Despite losing a lot of ground in recent years, the extremist group continues to carry out lethal attacks in many parts of the country, especially in the capital. Recent attacks have focused on the capital's hotel industry, which is remerging from decades of conflict.[SEP]At least two people were killed and five injured Saturday when a car loaded with explosives blew up near a restaurant in Mogadishu, a security official and witnesses said. The car was parked in front of the Blue Sky restaurant, near a busy road close to the headquarters of the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) in the southern district of the capital. The blast was detonated remotely outside the restaurant, security forces spokesman Mohamed Dahir told AFP, adding that "information we have gotten so far indicates that two civilians were killed in the blast". Sources said the restaurant is frequented both by security personnel and civilians. "I saw two dead bodies and five wounded, most of them civilians who were passing by the area," added eyewitness Abdukadir Shilow. "There is chaos around the restaurant and Somali forces sealed off the road after the blast." There was no immediate claim of responsibility although immediate suspicion fell on the Al-Qaeda linked Islamist group Shabaab, locked in battle against the Somali government and which regularly mounts attacks in the city. Despite being driven out of the capital in 2011 by an African Union force deployed in 2007 the group still control vast swathes of outlying rural areas from which they launch guerrilla operations. Somalia is due to hold a delayed presidential on October 30 as the country targets a long-awaited return to stability.[SEP]Residents said the restaurant was frequented by members of the national security forces. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Islamist group al Shabaab has launched many similar attacks in Mogadishu in the past in its bid to topple the Western-backed government. "A suicide car bomb rammed into Blue Sky restaurant," police Major Abdikadir Hussein told Reuters shortly after the blast. Abdifatah Omar, a spokesman for Mogadishu's local government, said at the scene that three people had been confirmed dead so far and four others were injured. "The investigation for further details continues," he said.

A car bomb at a Mogadishu restaurant near the Jilaow detention center kills four people and injures another five. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for the attack.

A Somali regional government official has demanded an explanation from the US after 22 civilians and Somali soldiers were reportedly killed in an airstrike. Officials in the semi-autonomous region of Galmudug accused neighbouring Puntland of misleading the US into believing they had targeted extremists. The Somali military confirmed its soldiers were killed in the strike. Washington says the strike killed nine al-Shabab militants, but that it was investigating. Residents in the city of Galkayo in the Galmudug region protested against the strike by burning American flags on Thursday. "The cabinet requests the US government give a clear explanation about the attack its planes carried out on the Galmudug forces," a government statement said. Al-Shabab had said it did not have any of its supporters in the area during the time of the bombing which took place late on Tuesday night. A Somali military general confirmed their statement on Thursday, saying there were no militants in the area.[SEP]MOGADISHU, Somalia — The Somali government has accused U.S. forces of carrying out an airstrike earlier this week which killed 13 Somali soldiers. The Somali government on Thursday demanded an explanation from the U.S. for the airstrike, expressing concerns that American forces may have acted on a false tipoff from the rival, semi-autonomous Puntland state. The confusion over who launched the attack in the early hours of Wednesday deepened after the Pentagon denied it targeted Somali forces but said it did carry out an airstrike in the same area that killed nine Islamic extremist fighters from al-Shabab. Photos of the aftermath of the attack showed the burned out shells of two armored vehicles and bodies burned beyond recognition. The bodies, covered in white shrouds, were later buried outside Galkayo town, as hundreds of mourners protested the attack and vowed retaliation for the soldiers' deaths. Galkayo is a town divided between the rival states of Puntland and Galmudug. "We believe that such behavior will not serve the positive spirit and energy of fighting terrorism," said a statement from the Galmudug administration. It asked the U.S. for an apology and compensation for the victims. The Galmudug state also warned that the strike would divert attention from fighting Islamic extremism to a political rivalry, apparently with its rival Puntland state. In an earlier airstrike the U.S. killed four al-Shabab extremists on Monday. The attack was conducted after extremists launched attacks on Somali troops and their U.S. advisers on Monday near the port city of Kismayo, the U.S. Africa command said in a statement. U.S. forces have carried out several airstrikes in Somalia in recent years, killing many al-Shabab leaders. The extremist group is now mostly active in rural regions but continues to launch lethal attacks in many parts of this Horn of Africa nation, including the capital.

A Somalian regional government demands an explanation from the United States after an airstrike kills 22 civilians and other soldiers instead of the targeted Al-Shabaab militants in Galmudug.

Volkswagen has agreed to pay its U.S. dealers up to $1.2 billion to compensate them for losses suffered as a result of the company’s emissions cheating scandal, according to a settlement agreement filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco. The dealers are expected to receive about $1.85 million each, but they can choose to opt out of the deal and pursue their own lawsuits against Volkswagen. A judge still has to approve the settlement before it can go into effect. Volkswagen’s U.S. sales have fallen since the scandal first came to light a year ago, and the agreement will help compensate dealers for what they said was a loss in value of their dealerships. Several Los Angeles-area Volkswagen dealerships declined to comment about the settlement, with some referring questions to their attorneys. Advertisement “The Volkswagen-branded franchise dealer class action settlement filed today represents an outstanding result for Volkswagen’s 652 franchise dealers as of Sept. 18, 2015,” said the dealers’ lead counsel Steve Berman, in a statement. Volkswagen declined comment beyond a statement it issued Friday noting that the settlement “is not intended to apply to or affect Volkswagen’s obligations under the laws or regulations of any jurisdiction outside the United States.” The automaker previously reached an agreement with attorneys for U.S. vehicle owners. That deal calls for it to spend up to $10 billion buying back or repairing about 475,000 vehicles involved in its scandal and paying their owners an additional $5,100 to $10,000 each. That settlement also includes more than $2.5 billion for unspecified environmental mitigation and an additional $2 billion to promote zero-emissions vehicles. Advertisement The dealer payout is yet another financial hit for Volkswagen, which disclosed in April that the scandal had cost the company $18.2 billion in 2015 alone. Karl Brauer, executive publisher at Kelley Blue Book, said the billions Volkswagen is paying related to the emissions scandal sends a strong message to the industry about sidestepping regulations. “This is a massive tab,” Brauer said. “Does this represent a strong enough message to Volkswagen and all other manufacturers? I think it does.” While the dealers’ cut is a fraction of the overall payout, Brauer said they are receiving a substantial benefit from the agreement, which will be disbursed over 18 months. “It’s hard to have but so much sympathy for the dealers when they’re going to get $100,000 a month for a year and a half,” Brauer said. Also on Friday, attorneys for vehicle owners said in a court filing that more than 311,000 people have registered for compensation under automaker’s vehicle-owner deal and less than 3,300 people have opted out. “There is resounding support for this consumer class settlement and the substantial benefits it provides,” Elizabeth Cabraser, lead attorney for Volkswagen owners, said in a statement. U.S. District Court Judge Charles R. Breyer gave the vehicle owners’ deal preliminary approval in July, and he is expected to make a final decision on Oct. 18. Advertisement It does not cover about 85,000 more-powerful Volkswagens and Audis with 3-liter engines also caught up in the emissions scandal. The scandal erupted in September 2015 when the California Air Resources Board and the EPA said they had discovered software in certain 2-liter VW diesel vehicles that made the engines run more cleanly during emissions testings. In regular driving, the vehicles were found to spew up to 40 times the legally allowed amount of nitrogen oxide. Regulators later said the software, called a defeat device, also was installed in some Volkswagen and Audi 3.0-liter diesel vehicles. Last month, more details about the scandal emerged when a longtime Volkswagen engineer from Southern California pleaded guilty in federal court to charges he helped design and implement the software. James Robert Liang, 62, a Newbury Park resident, pleaded guilty in federal court in Detroit to a single charge of conspiring to defraud the United States, commit wire fraud and violate the Clean Air Act. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Liang had worked in Volkswagen’s diesel development department in Wolfsburg, Germany, starting in 1983, before transferring to the company’s test facility in Oxnard. In 2006, he and other VW employees started work on a new diesel engine for U.S. vehicles, the plea agreement said. When they realized they could not design an engine that would adhere to the strict U.S. standards while also delivering solid road performance, they created the defeat devices, according to court papers. If the software detected the vehicle was undergoing a test, it told the car to emit only enough nitrogen oxide to pass the inspection. Otherwise, court papers said, it permitted the cars to pump substantially more nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere. Advertisement Liang said he and his co-conspirators “misrepresented” that the VW diesel vehicles met U.S. emissions standards during certification meetings for new cars with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board and “hid the existence of the defeat device from regulators,” according to the plea agreement. Liang is cooperating with the government in an ongoing criminal investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice said last month. Such cooperation is generally a sign that federal prosecutors are seeking to charge others in a case. The Associated Press and staff writers Samantha Masunaga and Del Quentin Wilber contributed to this article. UPDATES: 3:30 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from the dealers’ attorney and industry expert Karl Brauer, as well as some additional details on the settlement. 1 p.m.: This article was updated with information about a plea agreement last month and additional financial details. This article was originally published at 11:10 a.m.[SEP]SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Volkswagen has agreed to pay its U.S. dealers up to $1.2 billion to compensate them for losses they said they suffered as a result of the company’s emissions cheating scandal. Attorneys for the carmaker and dealers included the figure in a settlement agreement filed in federal court in San Francisco on Friday. Under the terms of the deal, dealers can also choose to opt out and pursue their own lawsuits against Volkswagen. A judge still has to approve the settlement before it can go into effect. Volkswagen previously reached an agreement with attorneys for car owners. That deal calls for it to spend up to $10 billion buying back or repairing about 475,000 vehicles involved in its scandal. Attorneys for vehicle owners said in a court filing on Friday that more than 311,000 people have registered for the deal.[SEP]WOLFSBURG (dpa-AFX) - Volkswagen AG (VKW.L, VLKAF.PK, VOW.BE) confirmed late Friday in a federal court filing that it has agreed to pay up to $1.21 billion to settle claims of its 652 U.S. dealerships related the emissions scandal. The settlement, which reflects an average payout of $1.85 million to dealers, must still be approved by a judge in San Francisco. The US dealers had suffered huge losses in the past year after the German carmaker's sales in US plunged after the firm admitted that it had equipped about 11 million diesel vehicles with illegal software to cheat on American pollution tests. The latest settlement is separate from a recent $14.7 billion agreement between the company, the U.S. government, California regulators and diesel car owners. According to a court filing Friday, 311,209 US diesel car owners among the total affected owners of 475,000, have registered for the settlement offer. Meanwhile, some 3,298 Volkswagen owners opted out of the deal. The company has also agreed to take back the affected diesel cars still owned by dealers at the same terms offered to consumers. Meanwhile, in late September, Volkswagen shareholders filed new lawsuits in Germany seeking a total of 8.2 billion euros or about $9.2 billion in damages, as they lost billions as the carmaker's share value plunged post the scandal. As per reports, more than 1,400 complaints were filed in a regional court in Germany's Braunschweig, near Volkswagen's headquarters in Wolfsburg. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX[SEP]SAN FRANCISCO — Volkswagen has agreed to pay its U.S. dealers up to $1.2 billion to compensate them for losses they said they suffered as a result of the company’s emissions cheating scandal, according to a settlement agreement filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco. Under the terms of the deal, dealers can choose to opt out and pursue their own lawsuits against Volkswagen. A judge still has to approve the settlement before it can go into effect. Volkswagen previously reached an agreement with attorneys for car owners. That deal calls for it to spend up to $10 billion buying back or repairing about 475,000 vehicles involved in its scandal and paying their owners an additional $5,100 to $10,000 each. Details about the vehicle repairs have not been finalized. Attorneys for vehicle owners said in a court filing on Friday that more than 311,000 people have registered for the deal and less than 3,300 people have opted out. “There is resounding support for this consumer class settlement and the substantial benefits it provides,” Elizabeth Cabraser, lead attorney for Volkswagen owners, said in a statement. The settlement also includes $2.7 billion for unspecified environmental mitigation and an additional $2 billion to promote zero-emissions vehicles. U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer gave the deal preliminary approval in July, and he is expected to make a final decision on Oct. 18. The deal does not cover about 85,000 more-powerful Volkswagens and Audis with 3-liter engines also caught up in the emissions scandal.[SEP]San Francisco. German auto giant Volkswagen has agreed to pay US suppliers some $1.2 billion to settle claims emanating from the “Dieselgate” pollution scandal, the firm and suppliers said late yesterday. Volkswagen issued a statement saying it had reached an agreement in principle with VW-branded suppliers after more than a month finalizing the accord. “Under the proposed agreement, Volkswagen has agreed to make a maximum total of $1.208 billion in cash payments to eligible dealers and to provide additional benefits to resolve alleged past, current and future claims of losses in franchise value,” the statement read. Both parties had announced an agreement in principle on August 25. The finalized accord was filed with the district court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco where it is subject to the approval of a judge. The cash -- half up front and half in monthly instalments over 18 months -- will be shared among 652 dealers, lawyers representing them said, for an average settlement of around $1.9 million. Volkswagen has also agreed to buy back affected vehicles still in dealer lots. The deal comes on top of the $14.7 billion in US compensation and fines Volkswagen has already agreed to pay regarding some 480,000 two-liter models. The firm has yet to find a solution regarding a further 80,000 3-liter models affected by the scam. US authorities have given the company until the end of this month to show if they can be fixed. Volkswagen has been struggling to rise above the fallout of a scandal which emerged in September 2015 when it admitted installing so-called “defeat devices” in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide, which increase exhaust treatment when the car detects it is undergoing regulatory off-road tests.[SEP]VW's dealers will receive an average of $1.85 million each on average over 18 months under the settlement that was first announced in principle in August. Separately, the U.S. Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and lawyers for owners of 475,000 polluting diesel cars filed legal papers late Friday asking a federal judge to grant final approval to buy-back offers and diesel remediation efforts at an Oct. 18 court hearing. A filing by lawyers for company dealers says Volkswagen won't sell any U.S. diesel vehicles for the 2016 and 2017 model years. The company, which has been barred from selling all diesel vehicles in the United States since late 2015, said earlier this month it is uncertain whether it will ever sell diesel vehicles in the United States again. As part of the settlement with VW brand dealers, the company will continue making some incentive payments to dealers, buy back diesel vehicles that dealers can't sell and suspend capital improvements for two years that it wanted dealers to make. A federal judge must still approve the settlement. Volkswagen still faces billions of dollars in potential civil and potential criminal U.S. fines for violating emissions laws, as well as a possible costly buy-back of 85,000 vehicles equipped with 3.0 liter diesel engines if it can't convince regulators that they can be fixed. The Justice Department said Friday in a court filing that regulators are still working on "a technical solution that reduces the emissions of these vehicles." Reuters reported that Volkswagen has held talks in recent months with the Justice Department about settling the criminal investigation. "The United States will continue to vigorously pursue its claims for civil penalties to fully hold (Volkswagen) accountable," the Justice Department filing said Friday. VW has admitted it installed improper software that deactivated pollution controls on more than 11 million diesel vehicles sold worldwide. In June, VW agreed buy back 475,0000 U.S. vehicles equipped with 2.0 liter engines at a cost of up to $10.03 billion or offer fixes if regulators approve. To date, about 311,000 owners have already registered to take part in the settlement and only about 3,300 owners have opted out. VW also agreed to spend up to $5.3 billion to address claims by federal regulators and 44 U.S. states. VW is still in talks with the Justice Department about winning approval for proposed fixes for the 2.0 vehicles. Under the Justice Department deal, VW will provide $2 billion over 10 years to fund programs to promote construction of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, development of zero-emission ride-sharing fleets and other efforts to boost sales of cars that do not burn petroleum. VW also agreed to put up $2.7 billion over three years to enable government and tribal agencies to replace old buses or to fund infrastructure to reduce diesel emissions and award states about $600 million. The Justice Department said it received nearly 1,200 comments on the proposed consent decree but said it was making only some minor mostly technical changes to the agreement.

Volkswagen agrees to pay its U.S. dealers up to US$1.2 billion to compensate them for their losses resulting from the company's emissions cheating scandal.

Mexico's Colima volcano erupts, forcing nearby communities to evacuate Updated Mexico's Colima volcano has erupted, spewing a large plume of ash and thick black smoke into the sky and forcing the evacuation of two nearby villages. Chief of National Emergency Services, Luis Felipe Puente, said some 350 villagers living in the shadow of the volcano in the towns of La Yerbabuena and La Becerrera had been evacuated to a nearby shelter. The volcano is located in western Mexico between the states of Colima and Jalisco, about 500 kilometres from Mexico City. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the country and Central America. Colima, also known as fuego — or fire — has had more than 30 periods of eruption since 1585, including several significant eruptions in the late 1990s. Scientific monitoring of the volcano began 20 years ago. Reuters Topics: volcanic-eruption, mexico First posted[SEP]Mexico's Colima volcano erupted on Friday, spewing a large plume of ash and thick black smoke into the sky and provoking the evacuation of two nearby villages. The volcano is located in western Mexico between the states of Colima and Jalisco and is one of the country's most active. Luis Felipe Puente, head of national emergency services, told Reuters that some 350 villagers living in the shadow of the volcano in the towns of La Yerbabuena and La Becerrera have been evacuated to a nearby shelter.[SEP]Residents in the state of Colima, Mexico have been forced to evacuate their homes as one of the most active volcanoes in Central America started to violently erupt on Friday spewing a large plume of ash and thick black smoke into the sky. The Colima volcano known as the volcano of fire has been erupting slowly since early September. More than 300 people were ordered on Friday to evacuate from two villages in the foothills of Volcan de Fuego, the 3,839-meter mountain which towers over the states of Jalisco and Colima. A timelapse taken from a webcam observing the peak shows its most recent fiery outburst, raining molten rock and ash on the surrounding area. Late Friday, Colima State Governor Jose Ignacio Peralta ordered people to evacuate from the nearby villages of La Becerrera and La Yerbabuena because of lava and noxious gases being emitted by the volcano. Members of the National Civil Protection, Mexico’s Army and the State Civil Protection Unit have been deployed to transport residents to emergency hostels away from the danger, according to the local government website. People are also being warned to stay away from rivers and ravines close to the volcano, for fear the lava could take a path of least resistance and rush downhill.[SEP]MEXICO CITY — Eruptions at the Colima volcano in western Mexico have led authorities to evacuate two small hamlets on the volcano's slopes. The government of the state of Colima said 230 people had been evacuated from the hamlet of La Becerra and 80 from Yerbabuena. Civil officials said some went to a shelter in the town of Comala. Authorities in the state of Jalisco evacuated residents of another hamlet, known as Juan Barragan. Friday's eruption sent lava or glowing rocks down the volcano's flanks and a column of ash and into the air. Also known as the Volcano of Fire, the 12,533-foot (3,820-meter) volcano is 430 miles (690 ) northwest of Mexico City.

Mexico's Volcán de Colima erupts forcing the evacuation of two nearby villages.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Pedro Sanchez had refused to make a deal The leader of Spain's opposition Socialists, Pedro Sanchez, has resigned, in a move that could end months of political deadlock. Mr Sanchez stood down after losing a vote by the party's federal committee over supporting the formation of a conservative-led governing coalition - a move he had strongly opposed. The past week had already seen almost half of the party's executive resign. Spain has been in a political limbo for the past nine months. The results of a general election in December 2015 left a hung parliament. The majority Popular Party (PP) under acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has sought to form a coalition government but Mr Sanchez repeatedly blocked their attempts. In attempt to break the stalemate, a second election was held on 26 June 2016 but, again, no party won an absolute majority. The Socialist Party (PSOE) has long been divided between supporters of Mr Sanchez and those who want to end the stalemate by supporting a coalition. Many delegates at Saturday's federal committee meeting at party headquarters in Madrid had turned up hoping to force Mr Sanchez out. On Wednesday, 17 of the 35 members of the PSOE executive resigned in protest at Mr Sanchez's stance.[SEP]A caretaker executive has taken control of the Spanish Socialist Party, as it struggles to unite following a split which has led to the resignation of its leader, Pedro Sánchez. Mr Sánchez stepped down on Saturday night after losing a vote by the party’s federal committee on his proposal to stage a snap leadership primary, followed by a national party convention. After a week of open civil war in the party, Saturday’s vote in the Socialist headquarters in Madrid was expected to be key for the leader. The result – 132 votes against his proposal, 107 in favour – made Mr Sánchez’s position untenable but it also reflected the scale of the party’s division. “I call on all true Socialists to be proud of being part of the Socialist Party, today more than ever,” Mr Sánchez (44), who became leader in the summer of 2014, said in his resignation speech. “That is how I say goodbye, sure of the fact that it has been an honour to be secretary general of the Socialist Party.” Pressure had started to build on Mr Sánchez following disappointing results in December and June’s inconclusive general elections. When the party performed poorly again in regional elections in Galicia and the Basque country last weekend, he sought to wrong-foot his critics by calling the primary for later this month. However, the resignation mid-week of half the Socialist executive in protest at his leadership unleashed an all-out conflict in the party. Many in the party have also been unhappy at Mr Sánchez’s insistence on refusing to ease the investiture of conservative Mariano Rajoy as prime minister, in order to end a nine-month political impasse. Mr Sánchez had instead insisted on trying to form a leftist alternative government, although that had looked increasingly unlikely. A 10-strong caretaker executive headed by Javier Fernández, premier of the Asturias region, is now leading the party, until it chooses a new leader. Susana Díaz, the premier of Andalusia who has long been seen as a rival to Mr Sánchez, is a favourite to fill the post. Mrs Díaz had been at the centre of Saturday’s tense and often unruly federal committee meeting, which took place as demonstrators from both sides clashed outside the party headquarters. “I appeal to you to think of the spectacle – not just national, but international, spectacle – that we are making of ourselves,” she told her colleagues at one point. The deadline for a new government to be formed looms at the end of October, when a third election in 12 months could be called if the political stalemate does not end. The Socialists’ caretaker executive must now decide whether to support Mr Rajoy in a new bid to form an administration – and risk angering traditional party supporters – or sit tight and compete in the new election. Ximo Puig, the Socialist premier of the Valencia region and an outspoken Sánchez critic, said that “two [general elections] are enough and if that’s not the case, then probably all the parties should think about whether we should change candidate”.[SEP]Hopes for an end to Spain’s nine-month political deadlock have risen after the shattered Socialist Workers’ party deposed its leader over his pointblank refusal to allow the acting prime minister to form a government. Pedro Sanchez, who had fought to retain the leadership of the PSOE since a coup against him erupted this week, stepped down after a long and bitter meeting of the party’s federal executive committee on Saturday. His plan to hang on to his job by holding a leadership contest in three weeks’ time was eventually rejected by 132 votes to 107 at the end of an 11-hour session that laid bare the chaos and anger at the heart the PSOE. Shortly afterwards, Mr Sanchez announced his resignation and the party was put in the hands of a caretaker leadership that will have to decide soon on its next step as a deadline looms for avoiding Spain’s third general election in just over a year. Mr Sanchez had consistently argued that the party would not do anything to support or facilitate the return to government of Mariano Rajoy’s conservative People’s party, on the grounds that the PP had wrought too much damage on Spanish society and was hopelessly mired in corruption scandals. It was a stance that infuriated not only many voters - and the media - but also his adversaries within the PSOE who blamed him for the party’s disastrous electoral performance. “As I said yesterday and as I’m saying again today, my parents taught me that the most important thing is keeping your word,” Mr Sanchez said. “That was my word, which I gave to all the members and to the federal committee, too, when it came to the party’s position on Rajoy’s investiture process.” On Wednesday, hours before half of the executive committee resigned to try to force Mr Sanchez out, the party’s former leader Felipe Gonzalez accused him of going back on an assurance that he would allow Mr Rajoy to form a minority government following a second inconclusive election in June. Like many in the party, Mr Gonzalez urged Mr Sanchez to let Mr Rajoy govern. Susana Diaz, the leader of the PSOE in Andalusia and the candidate most frequently touted as Mr Sanchez’s successor, also insisted that the needs of the country had to come before the needs of the party. The PSOE now has a month to regroup and re-evaluate its position before King Felipe could dissolve parliament and call new elections to be held at Christmas. Although the removal of Mr Sanchez could help end the political paralysis, his departure is likely to prove a pyrrhic victory for Ms Diaz and her supporters. The civil war that has torn the socialists apart will only serve to strengthen Mr Rajoy’s hand and boost the appeal of Podemos, the anti-austerity party that has long dreamed of replacing the PSOE as the strongest voice of the Spanish left. Pablo Simon, a political science professor at Madrid’s Carlos III University, said the PSOE had been left “mortally wounded” by the week’s events and in no mood for third elections in which they would suffer even further. “The Socialist party is so weakened, so destroyed and so ripped apart that all it can do is limp on,” he said. “If it’s going to negotiate, it can only do so with its hands up.” Reports suggest the PP will ask the socialists for far more than just a smooth investiture. Safe in the knowledge that he could use fresh elections to crush his party’s longstanding rivals, Mr Rajoy is likely to extract the maximum possible gains from any deal. “His conditions are going to be very harsh,” said Mr Simon. “It seems he’s going to look for their support to make sure he has four easy years in office.” He predicted those who had helped oust Mr Sanchez were unlikely to find their efforts rewarded. “There’s a whole generation of socialist leaders who have damaged themselves with this move: Susana Diaz, Guillermo Fernandez Vara [the PSOE president of Extremadura] and Eduardo Madina [a former leadership candidate] are all divisive figures within the party now,” he said. “Whoever leads the party into the next phase needs to be someone completely new and unstained by the conspiracy.” Mr Simon said Mr Sanchez’s replacement faced an almost insurmountable task. “The wound the PSOE has sustained is going to be very hard to cure and will need many electoral cycles to heal. I get the feeling that we’re heading for a long cycle of government by the right in Spain. ”[SEP]Long-time socialist voter Francisco Gómez chained himself to the railings outside his party’s local headquarters in the city of Mérida, in western Spain this week. He was protesting about the rebellion against his party’s leader, Pedro Sánchez. A few hours earlier, 17 members of the socialist executive had resigned in a bid to unseat the leader, and as Sánchez and another 17 loyalists stood firm, an all-out, very public, war had been unleashed in the heart of the party. “They’ve been pulling the rug from under Pedro Sánchez for ages,” Gómez said, warning that he and other grassroots members of the party would not let it be turned into a “brothel”. Gómez’s direct action reflects the scale of the drama within the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). Founded in 1879, it has a long and illustrious history and has governed for 21 of the last 34 years. But the party’s current woes represent its biggest crisis since the transition to democracy of the late 1970s and early 1980s. “During the Spanish transition there was a common saying, which still applies today,” Juan Francisco Fuentes , a historian of the Socialist party, told The Irish Times. “There are three kinds of enemies: enemies, arch enemies and party colleagues.” The PSOE is currently taking political self-destruction to unbelievable extremes.” This crisis was triggered by the results of two regional elections last Sunday. The socialists lost ground in both, slipping to third place in Galicia and fourth in the Basque Country. It was the latest in a series of electoral disasters for the party, following a worst-ever result in the inconclusive December 2015 general election, and an even poorer one in the June rerun. Sánchez responded to complaints about the weekend’s performance and his leadership by calling a snap leadership election for later this month, hoping his enemies in the party would not have time to prepare a rival candidacy. But on Wednesday, Felipe González, a former Socialist prime minister, publicly accused Sánchez of “betraying” him by not abstaining in a congressional investiture vote earlier this month, despite allegedly promising that he would. The abstention would have allowed conservative Mariano Rajoy to end a nine-month political stalemate in Spain and form a new government. However, it would also have run the risk of alienating traditional socialist voters. Soon afterwards, Sánchez’s rivals broke cover, as the 17 rebels resigned, calling on him to do the same. Sánchez and his team refused, even locking Antonio Pradas, until a few hours earlier the party’s national policy chief, out of the socialist headquarters in Madrid. In a fierce editorial, El País newspaper, traditionally a supporter of the Socialist party, described Sánchez as “an unscrupulous fool” whose personal ambitions have been holding the country to ransom. Comparisons have been made with Labour’s split in the UK over Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, especially in light of Sánchez’s own tendency to appeal to grassroots supporters for backing. But ideology has barely figured in the Spanish socialists’ current hostilities. Instead, this is a conflict born of personal clashes and confusion generated by a new electoral landscape. The powerful regional premier of Andalucía, Susana Díaz, is widely seen as being behind the putsch. Her ambition and thinly veiled disdain for Sánchez’s leadership have undermined him ever since he emerged as a relative unknown to take the party’s reins in the summer of 2014. But Sánchez has also had to contend with the arrival, in that same year, of Podemos as a major rival on the left. Under the leadership of Pablo Iglesias and, buoyed by its status as a relatively untainted new force, Podemos has inevitably hurt the socialists. Sánchez made his own attempt at forming a government in March, with the support of the liberal Ciudadanos, but fell well short of the votes needed in Congress. Since then, he has refused to help Rajoy do the same, while insisting he can still reach out and form a leftist alternative. The party is split over this plan and over whether to help Rajoy by abstaining in a future vote, or to sit tight until a December general election and risk losing even more ground. The party’s economic chief, Manuel de la Rocha , is one of the members of the executive who have remained loyal to Sánchez. “His position is firm that the socialist party should never facilitate a PP government,” he told The Irish Times following a meeting of loyalists on Thursday. As for the prospect of forming a leftist government with Podemos and other parties, De la Rocha admitted it was “always difficult and now looks even harder”. However, the most immediate challenge for Sánchez, the man many blame for Spain’s unprecedented political impasse, is to survive an emergency meeting of the party’s federal committee today.[SEP]‘Can someone in Spain explain to me exactly what’s going on with PSOE?” wrote Guardian columnist Owen Jones last Wednesday on his Twitter feed. His bafflement is understandable. It is as if hell has broken loose in the 137-year-old Spanish socialist party, which is bitterly divided in ways that recall the current schism in British Labour. Half the organisation no longer recognises secretary general Pedro Sánchez as its leader and considers him ousted by the executive committee. But fuzzy party rules leave this open to interpretation. So Sánchez, with the support of the other half of the PSOE, has been barricading himself – quite literally, until this week − inside the party’s headquarters in Madrid. Outside the building a plaque recalls that it was in this very house where the founder of the Spanish socialist workers’ party, Pablo Iglesias Posse, passed away. Considering the stakes, the immediate cause of this bitter argument seems a trifle: a mere difference of opinion on a matter of strategy. But it’s one that touches the core of the party’s identity. Spain has been in a deadlock for nine months now. After two indecisive elections it has been impossible to form a government, and a new vote looms in December. The socialists have been doing badly in all previous polls, and Sánchez’s critics think it would be better to avoid a new defeat – even if that means abstaining in parliament to allow the formation of a minority conservative government, and preventing the election from going ahead. On the other hand, Sánchez and his followers believe the socialists have a duty to oppose the right, regardless of the cost. They are even ready to form a difficult leftist coalition with the party Podemos and, more controversially, with the support of the Catalan pro-independence parties who are opposed by some socialists as strongly as they are by conservatives. Deep down, here are two ways of understanding the role of the socialist party in Spain. One view is of the PSOE as a player in a two-party system with the conservative People’s party (PP). The socialists haven’t won this time, so they think it’s fair to let their rivals govern until their own turn comes. These are the rules to which all supporters of two-party systems, including most of the British Labour and Conservative parties, subscribe. Sánchez, though, believes we have entered a new political landscape, one in which new forces in the centre (Ciudadanos party) and the left (Podemos) have broken the old consensus – much as some are arguing that the two-party system is broken in the UK. In the case of Spain, both arguments have their flaws. Sánchez is right in his diagnosis of a new political landscape, but it is one that affects mostly the socialists. The PP remains relatively strong in spite of an endless series of corruption scandals, and is regaining support. Sánchez is also, perhaps, too optimistic about the flexibility of his electorate. While he can count on most of the membership to support him in forging an alliance with Podemos, socialist voters are typically more moderate than members, and many of them would abstain or switch sides if Sánchez accepted the support of the Catalan nationalists. There’s also a more superficial aspect to this quarrel. Those who oppose Sánchez are mostly nostalgic party grandees plus regional office-holders more interested in ending Spain’s political stalemate than in how it is ended. As for Sánchez, his newly acquired leftist persona is unconvincing. When he won his leadership contest two years ago he was the establishment candidate, handpicked by the same party heavyweights who now want him out. Personal ambition is not unknown in politics, but Sánchez’s is so conspicuous that it weakens his case. Two things could happen now, and neither looks good for the socialists. Sánchez may survive the coup, but the leftist coalition that could have made him PM is definitely off the table. Now it’s obvious that he can’t count on the support of his own parliamentary party. But if he’s ousted the critics may not get what they want either. They would be free at last to help the conservatives into government and thus avoid a new election, but after all that’s already happened this could destroy their party. And as things stand, the conservatives have every incentive to call new elections. It could yield them an absolute majority, or close to it. Many expect the conflict to benefit Podemos, which has been in a downward spiral. This is possible. The PSOE has already lost many votes to them and could give up a few more if Sánchez is fired. But this is unlikely to offset the gains of the conservatives, and a coalition with the PSOE would then be out of the question. A lot was expected from the “new political landscape” in Spain. As it turns out, new factors don’t necessarily mean different outcomes.

The leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, Pedro Sánchez, resigns.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A long-planned transfer of the internet’s technical management from the U.S. government to a global community of stakeholders is expected to take place on Saturday despite last-minute attempts by conservative politicians and officials to delay the changeover. The U.S. Department of Commerce is due to cede stewardship of ICANN, or the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, as scheduled after a lawsuit seeking to halt the transition was denied by a federal judge in Texas on Friday. The U.S. government has been the primary manager of the internet’s address book since 1988 largely because it was invented in the country. Critics of the handover have attempted to block or delay it on grounds it could jeopardize free speech online, claims that the Obama administration and technology companies have said lack merit. The lawsuit filed on Wednesday against the federal government by the Republican states of Arizona, Texas, Nevada and Oklahoma argued the handover was unconstitutional and required congressional approval. ICANN, a California-based nonprofit, manages the database for top-level domain names such as .com and .net and their corresponding numeric addresses that allow computers to connect. After the transfer, ICANN will be governed by a collection of academics, technical experts, private industry and government representatives, public interest advocates and individual users around the world, in what it calls a “multi-stakeholder process.” Federal officials began discussing a plan to move ICANN under international oversight in the 1990s, and rolled out a formal plan in March 2014. Conservatives in the U.S. Congress, led by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, sought to prevent the handover earlier in September by attaching an amendment to an unrelated stop-gap funding bill for the U.S. government. Cruz called the transfer a “giveaway to Russia” and other governments, but his effort failed to gain traction. A delay would have backfired by undermining U.S. credibility in international negotiations over internet standards and security, the Obama administration and technical experts have said. Asked whether the four states which had sued the administration would appeal Friday’s court ruling, Monica Moazez, a spokeswoman for Nevada’s attorney general, responded in an email that they were weighing options. The other states could not be immediately reached. The transfer is “a symbolic, but important step in preserving the stability and openness of the Internet, which impacts free speech, our economy and our national security,” Ed Black, chief executive of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, said in a statement.[SEP]The US government has ceded control of the technical management of the internet, in what has been called the “most significant change in the internet's functioning for a generation”. Following a long legal battle, the California-based NGO Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will gain control over the organisation of unique online identifiers. The change will not affect ordinary internet users but is a reflection of the rapidly shifting online landscape and attitudes to it. ICANN manages the database for top-level domain names such as .com and .net and the corresponding numeric addresses that allow computers to connect. The group’s work will be governed by a collection of academics, technical experts, private industry and government representatives, public interest advocates and individual users around the world. “This transition was envisioned 18 years ago, yet it was the tireless work of the global internet community, which drafted the final proposal, that made this a reality,” said ICANN Board Chair Stephen D Crocker. “This community validated the multi stakeholder model of internet governance. It has shown that a governance model defined by the inclusion of all voices, including business, academics, technical experts, civil society, governments and many others is the best way to assure that the internet of tomorrow remains as free, open and accessible as the internet of today.” IT journal The Register said it was a “historic moment” and the “most significant change in the internet's functioning for a generation”. Ed Black, chief executive of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, said the transfer was "a symbolic, but important step in preserving the stability and openness of the internet, which impacts free speech, our economy and our national security." The US government has been the primary manager of the internet's address book since 1988 largely because it was invented in the country. Critics of the handover have attempted to block or delay it on grounds it could jeopardize free speech online, claims that the Obama administration and technology companies have said lack merit. Federal officials began discussing a plan to move ICANN under international oversight in the 1990s, and rolled out a formal plan in March 2014. But conservative politicians, including former Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, tried to stop the move, saying it was unconstitutional and required congressional approval. Mr Cruz called the transfer a "giveaway to Russia" and other governments, but his effort failed to gain traction. A delay would have backfired by undermining US credibility in international negotiations over internet standards and security, the Obama administration and technical experts have said.[SEP]It's been a couple of weeks. That means it's time for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to sue the federal government again. This time, he's picking up his fellow Texan Ted Cruz' fight against what they both claim is the Obama administration's turning over control of the internet to a mysterious foreign entity. Cruz has railed against the Obama administration's plan to halt U.S. oversight of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) on Oct. 1, turning supervision of the organization over to private organizations and businesses. All of this raises a few obvious questions. 1. What is ICANN? — ICANN is, effectively, the internet's traffic cop. It manages IP addresses across the world, ensuring that when you type dallasobserver.com into your web browser, the browser actually pulls down and displays dallasobserver.com. It coordinates how IP addresses are assigned, making sure no two websites have the same address. ICANN describes what it does as providing “universal resolvability,” which means, according to ICANN, "that wherever you are on the network – and hence the world – that you receive the same predictable results when you access the network. Without this, you could end up with an internet that worked entirely differently depending on your location on the globe." ICANN also regulates things like USB ports, making sure your peripheral devices work across the world. 2. Why is it run by the U.S. government? — The U.S. was one of the first countries to develop significant internet infrastructure. ICANN was created in 1998 to ensure communication across the burgeoning internet structures and placed under the authority of the U.S. Commerce Department. 3. Why kick ICANN from federal oversight? — Since ICANN's formation, the plan has always been to turn it over to the private entities that help create and shape the internet. President Obama announced plans to finalize the process this year in 2014. ICANN is already run by a 21-member board of directors — 15 nominated by an independent nominating and six chosen from the support organizations that help ICANN do what it does. The federal government is ending its oversight of ICANN. 4. Why is Paxton so upset about what's happening? — Cruz says that the Obama administration is turning over the internet to foreign powers. Because some of the private organizations that already help run ICANN are based in China, Russia and Iran, Paxton believes that free speech on the internet will be threatened, despite the fact that the internet is already censored in those countries and the fact that ICANN has — so far — never had anything to do with the internet's content. "When ICANN escapes from government authority, ICANN escapes from having to worry about the First Amendment, having to worry about protecting your rights or my rights," Cruz told Congress in September. 5. What grounds is Paxton suing on? — Paxton says that Obama is giving away U.S. property without congressional approval, violating the Constitution's property clause. Obama is also violating the First Amendment, Paxton says, by chilling free speech. “Trusting authoritarian regimes to ensure the continued freedom of the internet is lunacy,” Paxton said. “The president does not have the authority to simply give away America’s pioneering role in ensuring that the internet remains a place where free expression can flourish.” ICANN is not commenting on the impending takeover, but the White House has claimed the Cruz arguments don't make sense. “Cruz' argument doesn’t withstand scrutiny,” one spokesman said at a press conference earlier this month. “It also strikes me as a curious position for a self-described small government conservative to shut down the government to ensure that the federal government can continue to control the internet. It doesn’t make any sense.”[SEP]CARSON CITY — Nevada has joined three other states to file a lawsuit to prevent the federal government from transferring internet oversight from U.S. control to an international organization. Attorney General Adam Laxalt said the transfer to the unregulated, nongovernmental body could jeopardize free speech and invite censorship. The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court on Thursday in Texas by Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona. Since its founding, the U.S. Commerce Department has overseen the operations of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. However, the federal government plans to allow ICANN to become fully independent once its contract expires Friday. ICANN, the nonprofit organization running the database, will then become autonomous and be accountable to international stakeholders. The lawsuit says the change would allow for private parties to control the internet and could seriously undermine free speech on the internet domain. The lawsuit argues that the decision violates the First Amendment, the Property Clause and the Administrative Procedure Act. The parties are asking for an injunction to stop the transfer. “By relinquishing its oversight of the internet to a nongovernmental and unregulated international organization, the Commerce Department is seriously jeopardizing free speech and inviting censorship on the internet where there should be a free exchange of ideas,” Laxalt said. “In asking for an injunction, if successful, we hope to halt this transfer in order to give policy makers time to evaluate the possible consequences of this decision.” Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3820. Follow @seanw801 on Twitter.[SEP]Forty-seven years of U.S. government authority over the Internet's most basic functions is slated to end Saturday, not with a celebration or a wake but with the quiet expiration of a contract. The agreement essentially gives a California-based nonprofit group the sole authority to organize cyberspace's address book. And though this entity, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), has played this vital role for years, the retreat of U.S. control has sparked charges that President Barack Obama's administration is abandoning the final vestiges of a crucial - if rarely exercised - oversight position. The complaints have had a decidedly partisan cast. The campaign of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has bashed the idea. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has sought to halt the move through legislation. Four Republican state attorneys general on Friday unsuccessfully sought a restraining order from a federal judge. "President Obama intends to give increased control of the Internet to authoritarian regimes like China, Russia, and Iran," Cruz said in a statement this week, after he tried and failed to add legislation to a congressional funding measure. "Like Jimmy Carter gave away the Panama Canal, Obama is giving away the Internet." The Internet, as technical experts have pointed out, is not owned by the United States and can't be given away. Yet the symbolism of the moment is powerful. The network began as a Pentagon program during the Cold War, just months after the first moon landing in 1969. The United States is now retreating at a time when concerns over online crime and cyberwarfare are growing, and critics worry that rival nations such as China and Russia are posing a greater online threat to American national security interests. ICANN's executives and board of directors, who oversee the organization day to day, will now report to what the group calls the Internet's "stakeholder community" - a lightly defined mix of corporate interests, government officials, activists and experts spread across four international bodies. The United States, for example, will have one seat on the 164-member Governmental Advisory Committee, theoretically equal in power to Barbados or Luxembourg. While the Internet itself was designed to function without a central authority, ICANN has played a small but crucial role since its founding in 1998 at the urging of the Clinton administration, replacing a program run under the authority of the Defense Department. ICANN oversees the process of assigning domain names and the underlying Internet Protocol, or IP, addresses, allowing users and anyone on the Internet to navigate to sites such as Washingtonpost.com. Private companies called registrars and approved by ICANN - such as GoDaddy.com or Name.com - sell the domain names to companies or individuals. The role played by the U.S. Commerce Department in recent years largely has been perfunctory, approving technical updates to the domain-name system. The oversight exerted by the U.S. government "was more symbolic than practical," said Christopher Mondini, an ICANN vice president. "The U.S. government and every administration since 1998 always intended for this contract to lapse." Yet even though the oversight activity was modest, the U.S. government asserted a degree of control simply by extending the contract to ICANN. U.S. officials had the authority, if they wanted, to rescind the contract and offer it to another group. This arrangement long has had some international critics - more than 90 percent of the world's 3.6 billion Internet users live in other countries - but complaints sharpened in 2013, after Edward Snowden's revelations about the extent of U.S. spying on global Internet traffic. Even among those who favored U.S. oversight, ICANN's actions have sometimes sparked controversy. The rapid expansion of what are called top-level domain names - such as .com and .org - has frustrated critics, who question decisions to designate .sex or .navy to private companies to manage. "Somebody has to be responsible for this. This is a common space," said Garth Bruen, a Boston-based cybersecurity expert who sits on an ICANN advisory board and is worried about the withdrawal of U.S. government authority. "There's no checks and balances anymore. . . . Before, there was a threat of accountability." Supporters of ending the U.S. government's role speak of the oversight potential of the "stakeholder community," which while diffuse has gained more official powers in recent years in anticipation of its expanded authority over ICANN. Though this community theoretically has the power to fire ICANN's board of directors or revoke its authority altogether, all actions are supposed to be done by consensus. Advocates of this approach say that the many interests will work together to keep the Internet stable and free. Most major technology and telecommunications companies have endorsed the transition. They say that fears of other nations taking control of the Internet are overblown. "There is absolutely no way that this is going to imperil freedoms. There is absolutely no way that this is going to allow Russia or Iran or anybody to take control of the Internet. This has nothing to do with that," said Matthew Shears, director of Global Internet Policy for the Center for Democracy and Technology, a Washington-based advocacy group largely supported by the tech industry. Yet even Shears and other supporters of this model say it is without precedent. Critics, meanwhile, say it is unworkable, potentially allowing ICANN's own staff and corporate interests to run amok with no feasible mechanism for reigning it. The effort by the four attorneys general - from Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma and Nevada - probably was the last stand for those resisting the relinquishing of U.S. authority. The request for a temporary restraining order, which was heard in a federal court in Galveston, Texas, Friday afternoon, alleged that the action overstepped U.S. government authority and would harm users of .gov domains, including the states that filed the lawsuit. The judge ruled against the request. ICANN will remain subject to state law in its home of California — at least as long as the international group keeps its headquarters there.[SEP]A judge in Texas has put the kibosh on a last-minute legal attempt to block the controversial decision for the US to give up control of one of the key systems that powers the internet. It’s a move being breathlessly described by some as the US “giving up the internet” to the likes of China, Russia and the Middle East. It’s the weekend, so if you’re keen to save yourself several hundred words and get on with whatever you like to do with your free time, then here we go: No, the US hasn’t given away the internet. Don’t be absurd. The long answer, naturally, is more complicated than that – and one mired in mistrust of one of the internet’s key organisations, the detail of which I’ll dig into in a moment. For starters, while they can take the credit for inventing the underlying technology, the US never “had the internet” to begin with. Nobody did. It’s a, duh, network. Decentralised. That’s what makes it so powerful. But there are bits of internet infrastructure that some people and governments do have control over, and that’s what this row is all about. One of them is the DNS – Domain Name System. This is the system for looking after web addresses. Thanks to the DNS, when you type bbc.com, you’re taken to the correct servers for the BBC website. It saves you the grief of having to remember a string of numbers. That pairing of names and numbers is kept in one great big master file, the land registry of the web. The only organisation that can make changes is Icann, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. As of Saturday 1 October 2016, Icann will no longer be under US government oversight. Instead, it’s now a fully “multi-stakeholder” non-profit that will take on board the views of companies, experts, academics and, yes, nation states, in how the naming system of the web is run. Here’s a crucial bit: as a user of the internet, you won’t notice any difference whatsoever. And that’s because Icann isn’t a new entity. It’s been doing precisely this job since 1998 before the vast majority of us were even online. The switch ends a transition that has essentially been in the works for around two decades, removing a dominate power the US had by circumstance rather than intention, and one which was causing friction in the international community. Back when there were only a handful of websites, a man named Jon Postel – nicknamed “god of the internet” – was in control of DNS. His task was assigning the easy-to-remember names to those bothersome numbers. It was a crucial step in accelerating the popularity of the world wide web. When it became clear this was clearly not a job for one man, however godly, a new body was set up to take over the task. They called it the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, IANA. In 1998, control of IANA was given to the newly-formed Icann. It was given the power over internet naming globally. Experts saw Icann as a good blend of interests and expertise. One which they felt would keep the internet as open and useful as possible. One quirk of this set-up, though, was that all the while the US’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), part of the Department of Commerce, kept its final say over what the IANA did. In short, if Icann did something the US government didn’t like, it could step in and knock it on the head. With the handover, that power is lost – though it was very sparingly used. As with most political tussles in the US, both sides say they are fighting for freedom. Opponents of the plan, the likes of which include presidential candidate Donald Trump and his former rival Ted Cruz, say giving up the power amounts to handing it over to countries like China and Russia. In one hearing, Senator Cruz asked if Icann – an international organisation – was bound by the First Amendment to the US constitution defending freedom of speech. No, came the reply from Icann’s chief executive, Goran Marby. Evidence enough, the senator argued, that by giving Icann complete complete control over the internet’s naming system, it could use that power to disrupt and censor communications online. And so this week, at the eleventh hour, district attorneys representing four US states filed a legal challenge in Texas. They had hoped to argue that the root file, the big directory of domain names and their associated servers, was US government property – and therefore required congressional approval before being “given away”. In court documents filed on Thursday, they also argued that without US control, well established domains like .gov and .mil (for government and military-related websites, respectively) could be tampered with. In other words, a fully independent Icann could not be trusted and may act unpredictably once free of US oversight. But others, including some of the web’s founding fathers, believe blocking the handover is a far bigger risk to the internet’s long term well-being. Because if the US didn’t handover its power to Icann, it may have been cornered into doing something far riskier. Unnerved by US power, many countries, particularly Russia and China, have pushed for the DNS to be looked after by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which is part of the UN. This came to a vote in 2012, but failed. The US, UK, Canada and Australia were the dissenters, refusing to back a new treaty on the grounds it could be abused to affect internet governance, and by extension, content. In other words, the four countries were worried by sharing out ownership of the internet’s core systems, more states could act like China and clamp down on internet use on their own countries - and all would be fair under the UN. The US opposition drew heavy criticism – as it was essentially saying no countries can be trusted to look after the internet. Except the US. That didn’t go down well. That said, given the US was responsible for creating the internet, it did have a valid argument in taking its time in handing over DNS. But it knew time was running out – ownership of the internet’s naming system was fast becoming a diplomatic headache the US needed to solve sooner rather than later. The handover to Icann is a compromise that appears to suit the country very nicely, and not just because Icann will remain in Los Angeles. It has the backing of many influential experts who, to counter the likes of Senator Cruz and Mr Trump, argue those opposed to it simply have no clue what they’re talking about. On Friday, an amicus brief was filed to the Texas court by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), a group which represents the tech industry en masse. Its president, Dean Garfield, said: “This effort by a small number of attorneys general is misguided and inconsistent with the founding values of the Internet. “It is an ironic endeavor because the transition will actually keep the internet an open and flourishing engine of innovation and open global communication.” So when it comes to domain names, it’s true. The US no longer has the keys to the kingdom. But the important thing to remember is: neither does anyone else. –bbc.com

The Obama administration through the United States Department of Commerce transfers oversight of the technical management of the Internet by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to an international consortium of stakeholders.

Dublin's Kevin McManamon and Mayo's Aidan O'Shea fight for the ball in the All-Ireland final replay at Croke Park Defending champions Dublin held out a strong Mayo side to claim their 26th All-Ireland title by a single point, winning 1-15 to 1-14. Manager Jim Gavin, celebrating his fourth anniversary of becoming manager, expertly used the strength in depth of his panel with some great substitutions to withstand a brave Mayo fight under the floodlights of Croke Park. Dublin captain Stephen Cluxton lifts the All-Ireland Football Championship trophy after beating Mayo at Croke Park Dublin captain Stephen Cluxton lifts the All-Ireland Football Championship trophy after beating Mayo at Croke Park The victory earned Dublin back-to-back All-Ireland titles and confirmed their status as one of the best sides of the last 20 years but for Mayo, it's the third time in five years they have lost a final by a single point and their quest for Sam Maguire will go into a 66th year. Bernard Brogan and Dean Rock give their thoughts after Dublin clinch the All-Ireland Football final against Mayo Bernard Brogan and Dean Rock give their thoughts after Dublin clinch the All-Ireland Football final against Mayo Both teams made changes to their named side, with Mayo surprisingly replacing goalkeeper David Clarke with Robert Hennelly. It was a cruel blow for Clarke, who made a number of fine saves in the first game. However, Hennelly was shown a black card after failing to catch a short ball in and giving away a penalty in the 40th minute when he pulled down Paddy Andrews who looked certain to score. Clarke came on and his first bit of action was to pick out Diarmuid Connolly's penalty from the back of his net. Diarmuid Connolly scores a penalty past David Clarke of Mayo during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final Replay For Dublin, Jim Gavin dropped Bernard Brogan, Michael Darragh Macauley and David Byrne, starting with Michael Fitzsimons, Paul Mannion and Paddy Andrews instead. With the defending champions going in at the break 0-10 to 1-9 up, referee Maurice Deegan was the one who needed the break more than anyone as the game threatened to boil over on a number of occasions. In first-half injury time, there was an occasion where three different on-field arguments were going on at the same time. Deegan could have handed out numerous black cards but otherwise allowed the game to flow as best he could. One man who did get a black card from the Laois official was Keegan. The goalscorer was carded for needlessly pulling back Connolly just before half-time. This was a massive loss to the Connacht side, especially as Keegan scored the opening goal in the 18th minute. The Westport player raced away from Connolly and collected a good pass by O'Shea before drilling the ball by Cluxton into the bottom left hand corner. Lee Keegan of Mayo celebrates after scoring Mayo's goal during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final replay That goal put them into the lead for the first time in the game as Dublin started brightly and were 0-4 to no-score up after five minutes. Dean Rock had a day to forget two weeks ago but he was back to his best and scored three quick scores to add to Kevin McMamamon's point but Mayo responded well through Patrick Durcan, Cillian O'Connor (2) and Andy Moran to level the game. Dublin's John Small was lucky to not get a black card for pulling back Moran and Mayo supporters will query the consistency in which black cards were handed out. Rock had scored five of Dublin's six scores by the time Keegan got his goal and things got worse for the champions when Jonny Cooper was black carded. This was just after Mayo scored their goal and the Connacht side were attacking Dublin's defence with pace and great frequency. However, they overplayed the ball once or twice in this period and Dublin clawed their way back into it with a magnificent point from Connolly to make it 0-9 to 1-5 in the 33rd minute. The game turned when Keegan brought down Connolly and was black carded. This allowed Connolly more freedom but injury time in the first half was mainly taken up with outbreaks of fighting. Connolly, Donal Vaughan and John Small all got yellow cards and as the players ran in at half-time, most in Croke Park expected to see some tussles heading down the tunnel. Much to Deegan's relief that didn't take place. Dublin and Mayo players tussle during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final Replay. Mayo scored two quick frees to put themselves into the lead but then Hennelly had his moment to forget and with five minutes played in the second half, Dublin were winning 1-11 to 1-8. The Mayo players looked exhausted going into the final 15 minutes but they were still only two points behind. Dublin substitute Cormac Costello came on and scored three great points, as well as Brogan who pointed within 10 minutes of coming on. Dublin's Kevin McManamon and Mayo's Aidan O'Shea fight for the ball in the All-Ireland final replay at Croke Park Mayo got the deficit back to a point on two occasions in the last 10 minutes as Dublin went 12 minutes without scoring but Costello got his third point in the 71st minute. However, six minutes of injury time had to be played and in the 74th minute, O'Connor slotted over a free to make it a one-point game again. The Ballintubber forward then had a great opportunity to force the game into extra-time but his free, about 40 yards out on the left hand side, agonisingly sailed to the left and wide, much to the delight of the Dubs on Hill 16. It will haunt O'Connor for a long time but his 0-9 from frees were one of the main reasons Mayo still had hope in this game right up to the death. The Dublin team celebrate with the Sam Maguire cup after the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final replay For Dublin, they claim back-to-back All-Ireland's for the first time since 1977 and they are the first team to achieve this since Kerry in 2006 and 2007. They are now 11 All-Ireland titles behind their Munster rivals and will hope that number continues to shrink in the next few years. Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; Michael Fitzsimons, Philly McMahon, Jonny Cooper, James McCarthy, Cian O'Sullivan, John Small, Brian Fenton, Paul Flynn, Ciaran Kilkenny, Kevin McManamon 0-1, Diarmuid Connolly 1-1, Paul Mannion, Dean Rock 0-9 (7 frees), Paddy Andrews. Subs: David Byrne for Jonny Cooper (21, black card), Bernard Brogan(0-1) for Paddy Andrews (47), Michael Darragh Macauley for Paul Mannion (52), Cormac Costello (0-3) for kevin McManamon (56), Eric Lowndes for John Small (60), Darren Daly for Cian O'Sullivan (72). Mayo: Robert Hennelly, Brendan Harrison, Donal Vaughan, Keith Higgins, Lee Keegan (1-0), Colm Boyle, Patrick Durcan (0-2), Seamus O'Shea, Tom Parsons, Kevin McLoughlin (0-1), Aidan O'Shea, Diarmuid O'Connor (0-1), Jason Doherty; Andy Moran (0-1), Cillian O'Connor 0-9 (9 frees). Subs: Stephen Coen for Lee Keegan (35, black card), Barry Moran for Tom Parsons (35+8 -blood sub), Conor O'Shea for Donal Vaughan (HT), David Clarke for Robert Hennelly (41, black card), Barry Moran for Andy Moran (55), Alan Dillon for Jason Doherty (60), Chris Barrett for Colm Boyle (71). Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois).[SEP]Mayo were aiming to win their first All-Ireland football title since 1951 Mayo's 65-year wait for an All-Ireland Senior Football title goes on after holders Dublin edged a 1-15 to 1-14 win in the final replay at Croke Park. The key moment was a fumble by Mayo keeper Robert Hennelly early in the second half which gifted Dublin a penalty scored by Diarmuid Connolly. Hennelly was a late inclusion in place of David Clarke but the move backfired. Deep in injury-time, Cillian O'Connor missed a difficult free which would have levelled the scores. Lee Keegan's goal put Mayo ahead midway through the first period but Dublin regrouped to lead 0-10 to 1-6 by half-time. Hennelly struggled badly with his kick-outs early on with one of his misdirected clearances leading to the black carding of the influential Keegan late in the first half in what was a huge blow for the Connacht county. Earlier, Dublin's Jonny Cooper was also black carded and a number other players from both sides - notably Dublin's John Small - were fortunate not to suffer the same fate. In the end, Dublin's stronger bench proved decisive as Cormac Costello came on to kick the champions' three final scores from play. Cillian O'Connor's ninth point of the contest left the minimum between the teams with three minutes of injury-time left but the Mayo free-taker then missed a high-pressure free from 40 metres which would have levelled the scores again. Mayo were suffering a fifth All-Ireland final defeat in 12 years As Dublin celebrated back-to-back titles for the first time since the county's triumphs in 1976 and '77, Mayo's players looked crestfallen as they attempted to come to terms with a fifth All-Ireland final defeat in 12 years. With Hennelly struggling to pick out team-mates from his kick-outs, Dublin moved into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead by the sixth minute which included three Dean Rock points - two of which were from play. But Mayo were on terms within six minutes after a run of four points started by Patrick Durcan's superb point. Two Rock frees edged Dublin ahead again but Mayo were suddenly in the lead as the over-lapping Keegan took a perfectly weighted pass from Aidan O'Shea before hammering past Stephen Cluxton from 14 yards. Cooper's black carding moments later for a hand trip appeared a further boost for Mayo but the Dubs outscored them 0-4 to 0-2 during the remainder of the first period to lead 0-10 to 1-6 at the break. Mayo regained the lead within two minutes of the restart but were soon three in arrears after another Rock free was followed by Hennelly's howler as he was forced to concede a penalty after spilling a harmless looking ball, with his inevitable black carding followed by Connolly superbly stroking past Clarke. Mayo cut Dublin's lead to the minimum on four occasions during the remaining half hour of action but their habitual woes of errant shooting and a lack of composure prevented them from getting on terms. Once again, Aidan O'Shea was not the force that Mayo would have hoped for despite his good work for their first-half goal. Mayo: R Hennelly, B Harrison, D Vaughan, K Higgins, L Keegan, C Boyle, P Durcan, S O'Shea, T Parsons, K McLoughlin, A O'Shea, D O'Connor, J Doherty. A Moran, C O'Connor. Dublin: S Cluxton; P McMahon, J Cooper, M Fitzsimons; J McCarthy, C O'Sullivan, J Small; B Fenton, P Mannion; P Flynn, K McManamon, C Kilkenny; D Rock, D Connolly, B Brogan.[SEP]Behold the Invincibles. The Rising centenary has been marked by the city football team. Dublin started and finished the year as All-Ireland football champions and did not lose a single match in league or championship. What a game. The 2016 championship, that big, sprawling beast of a tournament came down to single heart-stopping moment and on its closing sound – a sustained note of Dublin ecstasy – it served out measures of heaven and heartbreak in its usual impartial way. To the victor – to Dublin: everything. To Mayo: an ocean of tears. It finished 1-15 to 1-14: just a single kick divided these extraordinarily deep teams but by the final whistle the counties might as well have existed in different solar systems. Just like the draw, this match was a trip into the elsewhere. An 85-minute encounter full of wildness, packed with mistakes and strange moments and ending with the endlessly cruel sight of Cillian O’Connor, Mayo’s captain and the man who brought the teams back here, curling a difficult free just short of the post on the Hill 16 end of the stadium. Did Mayo deserve a draw and an extended shot for glory through extra time? Possibly. But would that added period merely have prolonged the ultimate agony? Probably. Yet again, Mayo could not kick and think their way into the open country of a lead in this second half and were constantly chasing scores, chasing Dublin runners and, at last, chasing ghosts in those last unbearable moments. Because Dublin just kept on coming, from minute one until minute last. They didn’t yield and they knew they had more answers, more options: more scorers. “What is pleasing about this result is that they went at it,” reflected Jim Gavin after the Sam Maguire had been raised and the city went into Saturday night fever mode. “They drove harder at Mayo and met a very resilient Mayo team and just got over the line. They deserved nothing. They had to go out and earn it and I thought they did that today. I saw Keith Higgins there at the end and you couldn’t but have respect and admiration for that man and his players. But I am just happy the cup is back in Dublin tonight.” So the championship ended as many predicted, with Gavin’s dauntlessly brilliant and tough city team reclaiming their title and claiming their place among the teams shaded by various decades of history. Yes, Philip Lynott’s voice rung out across the north inner city as the sun fell across the rooftops but the 1970s gang – Kevin Heffernan’s be-flared and long-haired heroes – have good company in this millennial generation. The old cliché applied: Dublin’s quality of reserves is endless. Cormac Costello, seemingly a peripheral figure in Gavin’s imagination all summer, trotted into the bedlam of a chaotic All-Ireland final and contributed a tidy 0-3. Bernard Brogan, held in reserve here, fired a warning point upon his introduction. Those four scores from play exceeded the total from play concocted by Mayo’s starting front six. Winning an All-Ireland final with a forward unit scoring just 0-3 from play is an exceedingly tough task. And it didn’t happen: yet another single, tortuous one-point defeat for Mayo’s masses to dream about through another long, deep winter. Starring in one of the great All-Ireland contests is no consolation to Mayo but for the rest of the country, this was exceptional sport. The mind games began around four o’clock. Word around the capital was that Cillian O’Connor was a major doubt for the game, having rolled his ankle on a Friday night run around. Shortly before kick-off, it was confirmed that Mayo goalkeeper Rob Hennelly would replace David Clarke, the Ballina veteran who had been enjoying an All-Star calibre season. The presumption was that Hennelly had been called up because of his Howitzer capability with long-range frees. Logic dictated that he would kick them because of O’Connor’s injury. But that never happened. The Mayo captain started and kicked 0-8 from placed balls. Gavin, meantime, shuffled the cards, with Brogan, Michael Darragh Macauley and David Byrne all hooked from the starting 15. Paul Mannion, Paddy Andrews and Michael Fitzsimons were the three incoming players. Of all the changes, however, Mayo’s proved calamitous. It was obvious after 20 minutes that whatever the rationale behind the Mayo’s goalkeeper swap, it backfired spectacularly. Hennelly, facing the notorious Dublin press on his kick-outs, struggled to find green and red shirts throughout the first half and then delivered a short kick-out just before half-time which led to a turnover and a foul on Connolly by his alter-ego Lee Keegan. The local crowd bayed. Maurice Deegan called the Mayo man over and issued a black card. The decision cost Mayo their best player and that card proved to be the closing act in the riveting private duel between Connolly and Keegan. For the previous half hour, the pair had been locked into their own world, Keegan shadowing Connolly and watching him obsessively, the Vincent’s man unable to buy a yard of space. There was no talk, just move and counter-move. Then, in the 18th minute, Keegan had the impetuosity to break forward, tearing into a gap created by a brilliant pivot-turn by Aidan O’Shea, who took possession and turned inside Cian O’Sullivan in one movement. Keegan took the ball at full stride and with James McCarthy and Brian Fenton converging fired a beautiful bullet of a shot past Stephen Cluxton’s right hand. It was a goal Mayo desperately needed: the aesthete in Connolly might have privately admired it. The competitor in him was livid. His response? To post up on the edge of Mayo’s square, coming out on the turn to meet a low ball and belting an outrageous point with his right foot. The sequence of play was the apex of a duel which was so compelling in that it was threatening to overshadow the final itself. But the card intervened. It looked like an iffy call but Stephen Rochford declined to criticise it afterwards. “On Maurice Deegan’s angle, I am sure he thought it was a pull down. In fairness, Dublin lost Jonny Cooper. I am not going to be hypocritical and get into a conversation about the referees. They are in a tough position. The margins are tight, like. There is nothing easy in any of the officials and I thought in fairness to Maurice he did as good a job as anyone.” Deegan is a fine, experienced referee but at times here he resembled a mild-mannered barman trying to cope with a thirsty gang of Hell’s Angels at last orders. Some of his calls were fussy while elsewhere, the exchanges were loose and furious. Cooper found himself black carded minutes after he was poleaxed by a Mayo player following Keegan’s goal. He must have wondered at the justice in that. The match was level at 0-11 to 1-8 when poor Hennelly’s miserable day was made complete when he dropped a ball he has caught a million times, which resulted in his black card foul on Andrews and a penalty which Connolly fired past Clarke seconds after he had fastened his gloves. In a contest of incredibly fine margins, Mayo had somehow managed to gift Dublin with another goal that was arguably more damaging than the two freak scores they conceded in the drawn match. “We did our analysis with Dublin and they were pushing four guys inside and were trying to cut off our short kick-out and were getting more reward off that,” Rochford said of the reason for the goalkeeping change. “We felt that was something they were going to maximise further and Robbie’s kick-out gave us more length and option.” Connolly later made light of the immense pressure of his penalty kick. “Just take a breath. Put it in the corner. And walk away. That’s all it is, you know,” he said with a grin afterwards before summing up Dublin’s attitude to this season. “We weren’t going to defend the Sam Maguire, we were going to attack it and try and win it.” And they did that in abundance, fearless in the way they steamed through the centre of Mayo’s defence in those gripping, draining last 10 minutes and keeping their noses in front. Somehow the challengers stayed in touch through instinct and muscle-memory: a thunderous point from the blue by the wonderful Patrick Durcan, another neat effort from Kevin McLoughlin. It was enough to keep the collective Mayo dream alive – right until the very second when it was all over and Dublin joy spread across the field, across the city. “You know, the majority of that group have been in four All-Ireland finals and three defeats,” Rochford said of his players. “They are very crestfallen. Devastated. You don’t put the last nine or 10 months of your life into an intercounty scene to get absolute dejection. I couldn’t be prouder of them. We had a free there to draw and we could still be out there looking at them playing. We will see how we regroup.” Dublin will rightly be favourites to become the first football team to win three All-Ireland titles in a row since Kerry in the mid 80s. And needless to say Mayo, faraway and so close, will return as obstacles in chief next year. You would say that this has become unbearable for Mayo – except that it reached that stage many years ago. Jim Gavin should permit himself a bow. These are rare times for city football, auld and new.[SEP]Imagine, so, the scene across Mayo on Friday morning, the last sun of September not fully risen over the gridlocked commuter sprawl of the Bangor-Erris freeway or over the i-podded morning joggers along the Carrowbeg in Westport or the tens of thousands of homes caught in the morning school rush; the whoops in the factory canteens of Castlebar or the gossip in the dining room of the Downhill Hotel and see Paddy Prendergast nodding over the morning coffee down in his home in Tralee when, on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland radio show comes a Kerry voice with a slow, lilting but crystal clear prediction that Sam Maguire “might be heading West tomorrow night”. The old county must have stopped in its tracks for that second. This wasn’t from a meaningless source: this was Kerry’s Tomás Ó Sé declaring his belief in Mayo; the same Ó Sé who, as a marauding wing back, had been one of the instigators-in-chief of Mayo’s very worst All-Ireland final day-mares in 2004 and 2006. This was one of the Kerry men who had witnessed up close the effect of the eviscerating heat of All-Ireland expectation can have on Mayo football players. And here he was, on the national airwaves no less, admitting he could see it, the whole mad bloody carnival heading for the plains with the big silver cup in possession. A county liberated and understandably at a loss as to how to handle it all. Mayo supporters have gone to Dublin for All-Irelands with an impressive arsenal of psychological tools required to cope with losing. But has any Mayo supporter even vaguely steeled themselves against the consequences of winning tonight? It was significant that Ó Sé didn’t mention Mayo by name in his clinching line: it was the articulation of a general vision– a vague green and red bolt of ecstasy headed west – which native football supporters have learned through bitter experience to suppress and keep to the margins of their minds. The easy and safe thing for any of the ex-boys of summer who have moved on to the broadcast booths is to advise a probable win for Dublin. The generally observed point about the All-Ireland champions is beyond any reasonable doubt: they will play better than they did in the drawn game. Their qualities have been lauded so often that even the dogs can recite them. But perhaps the Dublin quality least cited is the most important. They despise not winning. Since 2011, they have developed the mindset common to all habitual champions. Their flinty composure in the crucial minutes of big games has become accepted as fact. So it would be easier and arguably smarter to offer plaudits to Mayo while predicting that the Dubs will edge it. But one of the many intriguing elements of this replay has been the stark divide it has brought about between rationalists and those who go with impulse and instinct. All the arguments based on Dublin winning are founded on the reliability of their form line as champions: their consistent ability to produce performances which have sometimes obliterated the morale of other teams and, for the last three years, have produced an overwhelming percentage of wins. The basis for believing in a Dublin win is predicated on their doing what they do. The basis for believing in a Mayo win is based more on a feeling – that they might be about to do what no Mayo team has managed since the year that Dr Noel Browne resigned his seat; since The Catcher in the Rye was first published; since Bobby Thomson hit his home run in the Polo Grounds; since Enda Kenny was born. Predicting that Mayo are going to win requires a leap of faith. And that, of course, harks back to 1989, when this All-Ireland odyssey really began and John O’Mahony, Mayo’s manager, kept telling people to “keep the faith” once the excitement began to go off the charts. It became a mantra in the following decades. Keep the faith. But who did, as the big-day losses began to accumulate? Even if you take it as read that the there has been nothing mythical or fateful about each of Mayo’s All-Ireland defeats – that those Mayo teams happened to encounter teams that were sometimes marginally or sometimes majorly better – who has, beyond whatever team was in the dressing room, travelled to see Mayo play All-Ireland finals in a state of true optimism? So much of the pressure is on the Dublin team this evening. They are not so much expected as obliged to click into the beautiful monster role, dominating the field with their swift, expansive attacking football and their athleticism and their collective self-belief. The demand for a return to that form has been insistent in the fortnight since the replay. It overlooks the fact that the Dubs went out in the drawn match fully intent on giving just that performance. For whatever reason, it didn’t happen. The general presumption that it will happen automatically this time around contains its own pressures. And it implies a kind of acquiescence from Mayo: that the challengers accept the theory that their best chance has already passed. Maybe it is true that previous Mayo teams flattered to deceive. There is rarely a summer when they don’t look good; when they don’t catch the eye. This crowd is different. When he was chatting with the Second Captains team, Mike Quirke said he felt that if some Mayo forward could do something “mad” and go kick 0-4, then he had a feeling it could be a famous day. Paul Galvin has also gone on record to say that he saw something in Mayo in the draw that made him believe. Maybe this is just Kerry shamanism: Kingdom men willing themselves to believe in any alternative to a GAA world coloured sky blue; Dublin brilliance confirmed and more to come. But maybe it comes down to the more prosaic and genuine belief that all Mayo people on their way to the city this morning or watching in London or Chi- cargo are going to have to confront before throw-in at five o’clock: that this time they have a team that’s good enough. In an odd way, there is no pressure on Mayo because if their team loses, then nobody will be surprised because, well, that’s what is supposed to happen. Until, of course, the day comes that it doesn’t. After the decades of talk about some magical September, it would take Mayo to end this thing in October. Two teams left standing, then, and a 70-minute wormhole between Mayo and that other place. Before they dive in, they should allow themselves to think about what the world – or the parts of it named Swinford, Foxford, Toormakeady etc – might be like by seven o’clock tonight, on the other side of it.[SEP]Once more unto the breach as the fans of Dublin and Mayo travel to Croke Park with trepidation and hope in equal measure. Once again there is not a seat to be had and two corporate tickets on eBay had risen to €8,100 for the pair and had attracted 35 bids at the time of writing. The consensus is that Dublin left it behind them the last day. So did Mayo. Dublin can play better; so can Mayo. It is hard to separate the teams and the weather might not be very different. The final was played in wet conditions, the forecast for the replay is not dissimilar with a showery afternoon in prospect. For Dublin it is the goal of two in a row. For Mayo it will be the eighth final since the last time they won in 1951. Undaunted by this seemingly eternal wait, Mayo’s superfans will still travel en masse. Among the vast Mayo diaspora to dig deep is John Gardiner Jr, a native of Birmingham with Mayo parents, who has spent €25,000 following Mayo over the last six years. He missed the All-Ireland semi-final against Tipperary as his infant son Willie Joe (named after former Mayo All Star Willie Joe Padden, who else?) became ill. The figure for this year is €4,000 and counting. He jokes that The Auld Triangle, a watering hole on the way to Croke Park, is now his local. He will be there again today. “My wife is long suffering but she knows we are all on the chase for the holy grail, the Sam Maguire. I will be able to die a happy man though I’m only 35 years of age.” Much closer to home the McAuley-McDonald family in Cabra have only a short walk to Croke Park. Their home in Broomridge Road is a shrine to the Dubs. You can hardly miss the light blue and navy streamers and the replica of the Sam Maguire on top of the porch. Rosemary McAuley (50), her husband and four of her adult children will be in Croke Park. There are just two survivors of the Mayo team that won the All-Ireland final in 1951. Paddy Prendergast was the full-back on that fabled team, and he has no time for loose talk about the fabled curse that has dogged the county since 1951. What would he do if Mayo finally won Sam after all these years? “I would die happy. That’s all I can say,” he told Irish TV.[SEP]Mayo have named an unchanged team for Saturday’s All-Ireland final replay against Dublin in Croke Park. Mayo prepare to do battle with the reigning champions for the fourth time in a championship game in just over 12 months, and manager Stephen Rochford has resisted the urge to make any changes after his team’s hard fought draw two weeks’ ago. Cillian O’Connor was the man who stepped up and converted a late point to seal that draw, and he will again lead his team out this weekend. Saturday will see three time All-star Keith Higgins make his 125th Mayo appearance having made his debut against Dublin back in 2005.[SEP]1: Robert Hennelly is straightaway walking on thin ice: Come throw-in, the dogs on Jones’ Road knew Mayo were swapping goalkeepers, Hennelly starting instead of David Clarke, and Dublin quickly test that bold and somewhat bizarre decision. Dean Rock scores two from play, then a Hennelly kick-out is won by Kevin McManamon and sent straight back between the posts, helping Dublin go four points clear before Mayo have had a single attack. Mayo soon manage to claw those four points back, to level up after 13 minutes, yet Hennelly’s confidence has clearly been chipped at. How badly though? 2: Mayo then ask the first big question of Dublin: After 18 minutes, Aidan O’Shea collects a ball on the 45m line, spins away from Cian O’Sullivan, and out of nowhere comes Lee Keegan to fetch the ball and with that score a stunning goal, shooting low and just perfectly left past the helpless Stephen Cluxton. Minutes later, Jonny Cooper is black-carded for blatantly dragging down Donie Vaughan, and so Dublin lose their best defender from the drawn game. Now trailling Mayo 1-7 t 0-6, the All-Ireland champions need to call on all their nerve and experience. Can they? 3: Key play-maker Lee Keegan is black-carded for Mayo: Referee Maurice Deegan is letting nothing go, although his inconsistency with the black card is most glaring. Dublin’s John Small is one man lucky to be still on the field, but after another confusing kick-out from Hennelly, Keegan is seen to pull down on Diarmuid Connolly, not to the ground it seems, but enough to earn a black card nonetheless. Another massive psychological blow to Mayo, another fillip in Dublin’s game, then not long into the second half, Hennelly’s confidence cracks completely, when he fumbles a short ball from Paul Flynn, and with that pulls down Paddy Andrews, earning himself a black-card. Diarmuid Connolly buries the penalty, and now Mayo have another small mountain to climb, trailing 1-11 to 1-8. Can they rise to it? 4: On and up steps Cormac Costello. Mayo have that mountain climbed it seems, back to a one-point game, Dublin up 1-12 to 1-11, thanks to a massive points from Patrick Durcan, and apparently Mayo have the momentum too. Only on 58 minutes, Mick Fitzsimons makes another brilliant intervention in the Dublin defence, and with that sets up Costello for his first of three majestic left-footers over the bar, having come on for McManamon. His second point comes less than a minute later, and Dublin are three up, leaving Mayo with their backs to wall once again. Can they stick them there? 5: The last-chance equalising free for Mayo goes wide. So, six minutes of added time announced, Dublin up by two, and Mayo knowing they need something special. Cillian O’Connor has been playing a captain’s role all evening, and when Barry Moran is fouled, makes no mistake with the free, his now ninth in all. What next? Dublin have a chance to go two clear, only for Bernard Brogan’s shot to be blocked down, which leaves time for one last chance for Mayo. It comes with another free, about 35m out, but noticeably left of the posts. Time is effectively up, 76 minutes on the clock, and up steps O’Connor, a little hastily perhaps, yet moments after the ball leaves his boot it’s clearly drifting left and wide. Deegan actually plays on for another minute but Dublin hold up possession before their back-to-back All-Ireland winning whistle is blown.[SEP]After the drawn All-Ireland final I couldn’t help wondering about Dublin. They have been on the road now for a long time, demolishing so many opponents, that maybe it is catching up with them. The Dubs success is largely dependent on a high-intensity running game, sustained relentlessly over 70-plus minutes, seemingly unbreakable due to the introduction of subs that all teams, including Kerry, have been unable to cope with. That enduring pace has been their chief weapon. But after the draw I felt Mayo had become the exception to Dublin rule. They are clearly capable of matching their intensity. What the game also told me is the new generation of Dublin footballers – Brian Fenton David Byrne and particularly Ciarán Kilkenny – have, despite their young age, become central figures in Jim Gavin’s team. Kilkenny has made himself the go-to player, he sets up the plays now, dictates the tempo, especially at wing back when James McCarthy has been absent. It is not the usual Dublin rhythm though. Mayo managed Kilkenny quite well by forcing him laterally instead of allowing him to orchestrate the direct, offensive strategy we associate with Dublin. Bernard Brogan is suffering the most. The slower more predictable ball inside allowed Brendan Harrison, who had a fine game, get to grips with Bernard. Maybe Brogan, Paul Flynn and particularly Michael Darragh Macauley are showing the effects of many long hard years at the top. They are certainly not the three influential footballers we have seen in other campaigns. So I’m leaning towards Mayo. I just feel they are in a better place mentally. They can justifiably believe they were the superior team over 78 minutes of the draw. They can take heart from how they responded at the end, especially Cillian O’Connor’s three unanswered points to reel Dublin back in. And that was them playing it safe, without committing players forward as they adhered to a solid defensive structure. On review they should see that was where their opportunity to win fell away. Both teams will be annoyed with the number of unforced errors. The weather can be blamed but both defences were firmly in control. Just look at the amount of scoreless forwards from Bernard Brogan and Kevin McManamon to Aidan O’Shea and Diarmuid O’Connor. Dublin’s full-back line was brilliantly protected by Cian O’Sullivan. Apart from Andy Moran’s goal chance, they looked impenetrable. Diarmuid looked tired after a long season that included the under-21s campaign. If he finds his form Mayo will profit immensely. All this leads to Mayo creating shooting chances further out the field. They must show more composure, recycle that extra ball to create clear-cut opportunities. This requires patience and leadership. An improved Aidan O’Shea performance remains crucial if Mayo are to finally win the All-Ireland. O’Shea is capable of being an inspirational leader. He was anything but 13 days ago. The solution, to my mind, is his role must be clearly defined. He is most effective switching predominantly from centre forward into full forward. When he drifts out the field he becomes a potential liability that can be exposed by Dublin’s pace. Aidan didn’t lead the last day and even became agitated with the referee when a few calls didn’t go his way. That’s energy sapping behaviour that must be eradicated for Mayo to benefit from his enormous power. That is how Dublin can be exposed but Stephen Rochford must also devise a plan to track Fenton’s incisive runs from midfield. Because that’s how Dublin will create a goal. The Mayo midfielders lack pace to stay with him so Kevin McLoughlin or even Donal Vaughan may need to pick him up. Diarmuid Connolly is of similar importance. I could see Connolly best serving Dublin as an inside forward. Drag Lee Keegan out of his comfort zone at wing back. The reverse argument is that Keegan needs to contribute to Mayo moving forward. Perhaps both these tactical switches will happen and the pair will part ways. But if Dublin’s running game isn’t checked, as Mayo did before, then Fenton, Small, James McCarthy and Connolly will bring the Dubs pattern – or as Gavin calls it: the process – to bear on this contest. We know they can dismantle any team. It is the rhythm of Dublin that must be disrupted. Because all that passing over the shoulder at pace leads to frees within Dean Rock’s previously unerring range. If Rock rediscovers the accuracy we had seen all summer then Dublin can pull away. Surely McManamon will have a better day or Paul Mannion, Eoghan O’Gara and Paddy Andrews will prove the difference late in the game. Yet I’m still leaning towards Mayo. They have shown the work ethic and know-how to finally win that elusive All-Ireland. We know this Dublin team, as they showed when misfiring so badly in the first match, will not release Sam Maguire without a bitter struggle.[SEP]Disastrous selection. His floating kick outs gifted Dublin at least three points, contributed to Lee Keegan’s black card while his inability to gather a routine high ball and subsequent dragging down of Paddy Andrews saw Diarmuid Connolly rifle the penalty that crushed Mayo’s dream. Contributed enough to be an All-Ireland winner. What a curse it is. Enormous credit for the early man marking job he did on Paddy Andrews while his second point fell from the heavens Showed up when Mayo needed a leader to drive them forward but Dean Rock had the better of him and landed two in the opening six minutes. It could have been 1-1 but Higgins recovered like he always does. What a talent. Bettered the silencing of Bernard Brogan in the draw by minding Paul Mannion and there was the pick-pocketing of Kevin McManamon at the moment that a goal would have seen a five point chasm opened between the sides. Blacked carded just before half-time, it’s an unfair place where Mayo footballers exist. Was doing more than keeping tabs on Connolly, who could have been black carded for an earlier incident Maurice Deegan missed, turning his bitter rival into a defender and plundering a magnificent goal. Absolute warrior for 71 minutes, mixing with any Dub who would have him, combining man marking duties on Kevin McManamon and a ball carrying threat through midfield. Took over Diarmuid Connolly duties after Keegan walked and was unable to return for the second half after taking heavy punishment including a horrendous dunt when running at the aforementioned man of steel. Strange to see the eldest O’Shea brother play to the death but he was inspirational during Mayo’s third quarter refusal to wilt. There is a season or two left in those legs yet. Lacked the pace to beat James McCarthy to a loose ball with a five metre head start. But his one gear did himself or Mayo no shame at all. Kicked a nice score to ignite Mayo’s second half assault but was lucky to avoid a card of some hue for some wild behaviour in the vicious period of this match. Needed to score more than 0-1, didn’t. Prototype of the modern footballer. Covered miles of grass switching from sweeper to chief raider, kicking a point on 53 minutes that was vital to stem the leakage following Connolly’s penalty. Replaced by Alan Dillon on the hour. Didn’t shirk the violent patches and could have been sanctioned but he worked as hard as any man on the field. Problem is Mayo needed a score or two from him to prevail. Last Mayo man to leave the pitch. Pulled this magnificent, lonely furrow season from a deep well of footballing excellence but that may be it for the 32 year old. Great point after sending Cian O’Sullivan one way then the other. Not enough. Not from a man of his power, his natural footballing talent. Did glide so cleverly in front of O’Sullivan to set up Lee Keegan's goal but at the end the Dublin defenders swallowed him whole on square’s edge. On his shoulders Mayo were carried. Ten shots at the posts, nine made it through, the last one faded away. A great footballer but that greatness comes as much from his resilience and desire to win as talent. Conor O’Shea did well but Alan Dillon couldn’t roll back the years while Barry Moran, possibly, and David Clarke, certainly, should have started. Dublin’s replacements won them the game.[SEP]What a cruel and wonderful GAA world we live in. Dublin have retained the All-Ireland. The first county to keep Sam Maguire since Kerry in 2007. There’s so much more: this modern dynasty have now surpassed the great side Kevin Heffernan offered to Hill 16 in the 1970s. These Dublin boys have four All-Irelands since 2011. Heffo’s unsmiling men only won three. Sons passing out their fathers. As it should be. “This is what football is all about,” said Philly McMahon. “Two teams bringing the best out of each other.” It is football but this was a war. And another All-Ireland final to haunt Mayo people. The decision by manager Stephen Rochford to drop his No 1 David Clarke from draw to replay back-fired spectacularly. Come to the 36th minute with us: Diarmuid Connolly is apoplectic. Screaming at Maurice Deegan. “A card! A ******* card!” Connolly is roaring and gesturing, inches from the referee’s beak. The Stradbally man seemed genuinely frightened. Of course he was nothing of the sort. Scroll down for more Connolly. Presumably Deegan has had nightmares about All-Ireland final replays descending into open warfare like this did in a 44 minute first half. Chaos was only marginally replaced by a marvellous sporting spectacle. Anyway, Deegan was not afraid to brandish his notebook. Jonny Cooper – with 19 minutes clocked and well on his way to being man of the match – walked for grabbing Donal Vaughan’s ankle. Dublin under Jim Gavin don’t mess about. David Byrne instantly raced into the fray to ensure Cillian O’Connor didn’t have a blade of grass to himself. Rapid thinking from the Gavin machine. Poor Lee Keegan. A while before his black card, Keegan took an awful belt from his old pal Connolly that Tyrone linesman Sean Hurson could not have missed. Hurson also saw John Small haul down Andy Moran. We know because he told Deegan about it. Maybe the referee wanted to see his black cards for himself. Keegan walked after 35 minutes when another dodgy Hennelly kick out (scroll down for more Hennelly) that Dean Rock, the unerring Dean Rock, broke for the onrushing Connolly. Keegan dragged him down. Diarmuid went apoplectic as their engrossing mano-a-mano came to a premature conclusion. Rock brought his tally to 0-8 with his sixth free. Barney’s son was himself again. Almost flawless, finished out with 0-9. Gave Keith Higgins an awful time. Especially after his two scores from play. The animosity born of familiarity reached a new low here. But all 82,249 of us loved it. We should tell you about the game itself, the reel of scores and eventually Deegan’s spray of three yellow cards just before they disappeared under the Hogan stand. There was even a preamble littered with rumours. Some true, some not. Bernard Brogan had been dropped for Paddy Andrews while Paul Flynn moved to midfield instead of Michael Darragh MacAuley as Paul Mannion also started. Byrne made way for Michael Fitzsimons, who was superb at corner back and was named man of the match. All six of them eventually ran about this vast green field. Most surprising of all was Hennelly in the Mayo goal as Clarke was dropped. Dublin hammered Mayo for his inaccurate kick-outs. They also started like the juggernaut they are. Rock had 0-3, ignoring a goal opportunity, before Mayo could draw breath while Kevin McManamon dismissed his form from the last day with a typically efficient score. Mayo were being overrun. Of course they know not how to die. They responded with 0-4 of their own. Cillian O’Connor refused to blink from frees, until he did when it mattered most (scroll down), while Andy Moran turned Cian O’Sullivan inside then out to kick a gorgeous point. Dublin eased clear again – Rock, always Rock – until Keegan told Connolly he’d be back in a second. The wing back suddenly appeared on Aidan O’Shea’s shoulder, after the otherwise anonymous Breaffy giant got in front of O’Sullivan, to slide a lovely shot into Stephen Cluxton’s right corner. 0-8 to 1-5. All square and pandemonium was promised. You could see it brimming all over the place. Rock made it 0-10 to 1-5 after Keegan exited the stage. O’Connor kept Mayo apace to leave one between them at the break. Then Connolly met Donal Vaughan. Connolly clipped him, Vaughan turned and took a run at Connolly. It was like a lorry smashing into a wall. Vaughan didn’t reappear for the second half. Deegan had his head turned as another mill broke out 50 metres away when Small body slammed himself onto O’Connor. Deegan talked to his officials before flashing three yellows. Wise decision. The officials needed the break as much as the players. Mayo came back for the second half possessed with the zeal of champions. Diarmuid followed his brother Cillian onto the score sheet. Then Flynn lobbed a ball towards Andrews that any intercounty goalkeeper worth his jersey should handle without fuss. Hennelly dropped it. Not finished yet, Hennelly pulled down Andrews. Penalty. Black card number three. In came David Clarke but Connolly’s penalty was perfect. Same spot Keegan put his goal. Dublin by three now. Of course O’Connor responded for Mayo. McManamon hared up field and looked certain to deliver one of his Croke Park specials until Brendan Harrison picked his pocket. Mayo refused to go quietly. Never. After a scoreless nine minutes Kevin McLoughlin pointed. Then Patrick Durcan hit one from the gods. The champions have ammunition the likes of which Gaelic football has never seen. Cormac Costello came in from the cold to land two quick points. Dublin by three. 10 minutes to play. Ball after ball was dropped into Aidan O’Shea but each time he was hounded by blue clad men and disposed. Mayo had to rely on O’Connor frees as Dublin kept closing the door in their face. He made it a two-point game as they turned into the home straight. Through it all Gavin sat serenely in his control chair, occasionally talking into his microphone or Mick Deegan’s ear as the selector raced about with orders. Flynn gave O’Connor his easiest chance of all when jumping into a throw-up. All Mayo now. Conor O’Shea, the youngest of the three brothers all out there together, took aim but the ball only found Cluxton’s gloves. Watching through fingers now, Fitzsimons made a block he knew nothing about to deny McLoughlin. Dublin kept playing the Dublin way. Byrne put a foot pass across his own defence neatly onto Brian Fenton’s chest. Just as six minutes of injury time was announced, Costello lashed over his third point despite a Mayo man hanging from him. Calling Mayo chokers feels wrong. But we saw it again. O’Connor brought it back to the minimum before fate, yet again, the ’51 curse, whatever you like, came back at them. Costello fouled Patrick Durcan from behind. Free from wide on the left, about 40 metres out. Dublin survive a thriller as Mayo return to dark rooms in their house of pain. “This is for everybody,” said Connolly. “Ah, just put it in the corner and walk away. We weren’t going to defend the All-Ireland we were going to attack it and win it.” This they did. DUBLIN: S Cluxton; M Fitzsimons, P McMahon, J Cooper; J McCarthy, C O’Sullivan, J Small; B Fenton, P Flynn; C Kilkenny, K McManamon (0-1), D Connolly (1-1); P Mannion, D Rock (0-9, seven frees), P Andrews. Subs: D Byrne for Cooper (21, black card), B Brogan (0-1) for Andrews (47), MD Macauley for Mannion (52), C Costello (0-3) for McManamon (56), E Lowndes for Small (60), D Daly for O’Sullivan (72). MAYO: R Hennelly, P Durcan (0-2), K Higgins, B Harrison; L Keegan (1-0), C Boyle, D Vaughan; S O’Shea, T Parsons; D O’Connor (0-1), K McLoughlin (0-1), J Doherty; A Moran (0-1), A O’Shea, C O’Connor (0-9 all frees). Subs: S Coen for Keegan (35+1, black card), B Moran for Parsons (35+8 - h/t, blood), C O’Shea for Vaughan (h/t), D Clarke for Hennelly (41, black card), B Moran for A Moran (55), A Dillon for Doherty (60), C Barrett for Boyle (71).

Dublin defeats Mayo in the 2016 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, retaining the Sam Maguire Cup for the first time since 1977.

AFL grand final: Western Bulldogs' moments of magic that decided the 2016 premiership Updated Grand finals are made of moments, each of which is pored over for months and years in the search for the whys of the day. No team wins all of them on grand final day, but usually the team that wins the most will go home with the cup. On the biggest stage in 2016, it was the Western Bulldogs who made the little moments matter. When reflecting on what a classic grand final, there will likely be too much good to choose from, but a handful do stand out from the rest. These are the moments that won the 2016 grand final for the Western Bulldogs. Easton Wood wins his 50-50 It was early days and a goal apiece in the first quarter, when a squaring kick hung at half-forward for the Bulldogs. Isaac Heeney was in pole position. You can bet Easton Wood knew his team-mates were looking at him for leadership in this moment, and so he unflinchingly committed to the cause. He did not take the mark, but he won the ball. Lachie Hunter profited on Wood's commitment and spotted up Tory Dickson, who made no mistake. Wood stood up time and again during the game, but the skipper made his biggest mark earliest and the Bulldogs never looked back. Picken ends a Harlem Globetrotters play The Bulldogs have combined toughness with exhilarating flair during the 2016 season, and it was important they didn't sacrifice one for the other on the big day. They proved their toughness early, but had a little bit of trouble turning their attacking play into results. By midway through the second quarter, that had all changed. The Bulldogs ran the ball the length of the field before it found its way to Picken in the pocket. His exchange with Hunter — which included an audacious over-the-head handball —ended in a perfect snap for goal. At the time the Dogs looked to be pulling away, and though they did not (not at that point, anyway) they had laid down a marker to the Swans and proved they were not going to be scared into their shells. McLean beats the buzzer The Swans had the momentum and a handy lead in the closing stages of the second-quarter. But their half-time lead was trimmed and their momentum obliterated when Toby McLean bobbed up — not unlike a cork in the ocean — to manufacture a snap and goal. It would have sent John Longmire mad. The Swans were 11 seconds away from surviving to the break but McLean changed everything. Morris stops Kennedy in his tracks Josh Kennedy dominated the first half like few ever have in a grand final. He had 22 disposals and two goals to the long break, and looked a sure bet for the Norm Smith. His influence waned in the third quarter, but his danger did not. Midway through the third term, with the game completely in the balance, he popped up in the same sort of spot he had been dobbing goals from all day. But this time Dale Morris, a veteran Bulldog surely still disbelieving of how far this team has come, threw everything he had at the ball and Kennedy. The smother stopped the attack, and Kennedy never threatened in the same way again. Boyd caps coming out party with game-breaker Make no mistake, Tom Boyd was an absolute revelation in his first grand final. Anyone who still has any doubts over this former number one draft pick, or questions if he is worth the money he is paid must surely have been silenced. He clunked mark after mark in his sticky mitts, competed brilliantly in the ruck, won clearances and crucially kicked three goals, the last of which sealed the flag. Norm Smith winner Jason Johannisen had just had a goal overturned, and there was a risk the setback would trouble the Dogs. Not today. Morris again stepped up with a tackle on Lance Franklin that stopped the big Swan in his tracks and caused a spillage, at which point Boyd seized his moment. One step from 60 metres, bang. The flag belonged to the Bulldogs. Topics: australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, footscray-3011, vic, sydney-2000, nsw, australia First posted[SEP]Bulldogs players reacts after winning the AFL Grand Final between the Sydney Swans and the Western Bulldogs at the MCG in Melbourne, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. (AAP Image/Julian Smith) UPDATE: A selfless gesture from premiership-winning coach Luke Beveridge has brought more tears to the eyes of injured Western Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy. At the end of his acceptance speech, Beveridge invited Murphy onto the stage before handing him his premiership medal. Described as the spiritual leader of the club, the 32-year-old has been sidelined for much of the season with a knee injury. Murphy has played 295 AFL Premiership games for the club, which is now celebrating its first grand final win since 1954. AUSSIE RULES: There was scenes of pure jubilation at the Melbourne Cricket Ground moments ago as the Western Bulldogs claimed the club's first premiership since 1954. The celebrations started when Liam Picken kicked a goal with less than three minutes left on the clock. The final score was Bulldogs 13.11 (89) to Sydney 10.7 (67). Jason Johannisen was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for his man-of-the-match performance.[SEP]Western Bulldogs are the 2016 premiers. This statement, so unlikely at so many points of an improbable campaign, is the product of the Bulldogs outlasting the Sydney Swans 13.11 (89) to 10.7 (67) in a pulsating AFL grand final. No less than 99,981 fans crammed into the MCG to witness the Bulldogs’ first grand final since 1961 and their first premiership since 1954. It caps the most remarkable of seasons for the club and the competition. From seventh on the ladder and handicapped by a succession of cruel injuries, the Bulldogs have dominated this finals series, riding an unstoppable wave of momentum. Luke Beveridge deserves the highest acclaim. This is his triumph. Beveridge’s ability to channel the energy within his group over the past two seasons and harness the goodwill pouring his club’s way in recent weeks has been a peerless coaching accomplishment. “We’ve ridden on your wings,” he told supporters from the dais, before draping his Jock McHale medal around the neck of a tearful Robert Murphy. The coach then stood aside to allow Murphy and Easton Wood to lift the premiership cup for only the second time in the club’s history. In keeping with the finals campaign, Beveridge masterminded a team victory. Tom Boyd came of age as a power forward, Liam PIcken showed he’s a jack of all trades and master of most and Jason Johannisen, with a team high 33 disposals, took home the Norm Smith medal. But there were contributors everywhere you looked. Easton Wood and Dale Morris spoiled everything in defence. Clay Smith laid 11 tackles. Tory Dickson kicked three goals in a faultless performance in front of goal. You got the feeling Beveridge could throw a guernsey on a member of the cheer squad and they would deliver decisive contribution. There were six lead changes throughout the game, and the margin stood at just one point midway through the final quarter. Each side threatened to run away with it at different points. Only in the closing stages did the Dogs do so, decisively. As magnificent as the contest was, it wasn’t a celebration of precise football. The winning team went inside 50 on 59 occasions for only six marks. Dane Rampe and Heath Grundy snaffled 20 of those between them. But what was lacking in polish was more than made up for in industry. It was a brutal affair for three and a half quarters, but when the late afternoon haze began to shimmer through the MCG it was the Dogs who had the run to kick their way home. The tone was set from the opening bounce and two minutes of preposterous, stoppage-free demolition derby action, with bodies hurled at pace into contact and neither side able to control possession. So hot was the footy, the first goal took 12 minutes to arrive. Luke Parker took the honours but its genesis was one of the great grand final marks by Kieren Jack. Running with the flight towards the arc, the Swans co-captain flew like a cannon ball, secured the grab, and then had the stuffing thumped out of him by Wood’s shoulder. By this point Lance Franklin had already been off the ground for five minutes after rolling his ankle in a marking contest. Best on ground when these sides met earlier in the season, the injury-blunted the spearhead for the remainder of the game. The Bulldogs took to the first break with a four-point advantage courtesy of goals from Tory Dickson and Zaine Cordy. They should have been further ahead. True to prematch form the balance of play was in Sydney’s defensive territory but the Dogs, so slick by hand, were clumsy by foot. At times they weren’t just missing targets they gave the impression they weren’t even looking for any. Sydney struggled to capitalise on the rebound. As well as Franklin’s issues, Xavier Richards and George Hewett struggled to get into the game and whenever a marking chain threatened, a blue defender left his man to spoil. The first quarter reaped only three goals but it was absorbing and intense. The second belched 11 and will rank among the great quarters in grand final history. Boyd, Picken and Dickson marched the Dogs into a 16-point lead but a sharp snap from the excellent Tom Mitchell jump-started the Swans into action. Gary Rohan kicked the most peculiar goal of the day, the game having stopped for an age with the noise too loud for any player in earshot to hear the umpire screaming that the supposed mark had been touched. All of which was a prelude to the Josh Kennedy show. The Swan turned on beast mode for a passage, kicking two, Sydney’s third and fourth in succession to drag the game their way. By half-time the finals specialist had amassed 22 possessions, two goals, and was a monty for best on ground. What should have been a clear half time lead for the Swans was dragged to just two points in the shadow of the siren, and in controversial circumstances. Jack was incorrectly penalised for kicking in danger and fined 50 metres for dissent. The Swan deserved a free-kick of his own for forceful contact below the knees but his cries fell on deaf ears. Toby McLean held his nerve. The third quarter resembled the first, with clear attacking chances at a premium. Dickson and Kennedy exchanged lead changes early on but neither side could break the shackles, setting up a grandstand finale. The finale that began with Daniel Hannebery carried off the ground after his left knee buckled in a ferocious Wood tackle, the latest in a long line of incidents that went against the Sydneysiders. The Bulldogs won the free kick count 20-8. It was an ominous start, and despite Franklin booting the opening goal of the term, the Bulldogs had the ascendancy. Jake Stringer, a peripheral figure all afternoon, snapped accurately to extend the lead back to seven, and almost as soon as Hewett replied, Picken restored belief. The game was unravelling as a structured contest. Bodies strewn all over the turf, the Sherrin bobbling of its own accord. Through the chaos, Boyd strode like a man with his own forcefield to wallop the sealer. Win or lose there would be Bulldog tears. They’re that kind of a group; it’s been that kind of a year. But when Beveridge and Murphy moved boundaryside two minutes before the final siren, the emotion was already overwhelming. It was as pure a scene as you could design in the heat of battle, capped moments later by the coach’s generosity – a fairytale ending to a magical story.[SEP]Sydney Swans player Lance Franklin takes part in a open training session and fan day, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, in Sydney, Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. The Sydney Swans will play the Western Bulldogs in the AFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) NO ARCHIVING AUSSIE RULES: This afternoon's AFL grand final has the makings of a classic, with the Western Bulldogs set to take on the Sydney Swans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It can often be hard to keep up with everything you need to know about the big game. HOW DID THEY GET THERE? WHAT ARE THE ODDS? Rugby league finals, the start of the cricket season, spring racing and the Ryder Cup have all fought for their share of screen time this weekend. So if you need to catch up before this afternoon's big game, here's some key things to consider about the 2016 AFL grand final. The Sydney Swans - once the South Melbourne Football Club - will take on the Western Bulldogs - formerly Footscray - in the game which will decide the 2016 AFL Premiership. The game starts at 2.30pm at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and will be broadcast live on Channel 7. The Swans finished first on the premiership ladder this season and will be led by Kieren Jack, the son of former Australian rugby league great, Gary Jack. Western Bulldogs finished 7th in the regular season and will be led by stand-in skipper Easton Wood. The club's regular skipper Bob Murphy is sidelined with a knee injury. HOW DID THEY GET HERE? The Bulldogs played an elimination final against the West Coast Eagles in finals week one, winning comfortably (99-52). The following week they caused the upset of the season when downing triple defending premiers Hawthorn at the MCG (107-84). Last weekend they were locked in a thriller with Greater Western Sydney, but prevailed (89-83) to book their spot today. Sydney also played three matches en-route to the finals, going down to GWS (91-55) in week one of the finals, before bouncing back against Adelaide (118-82) the following week. Last weekend they beat Geelong 97-60 and booked their second grand final ticket in three years. This will be just the sixth time the sides have met since 2012 and the Bulldogs hold the upper-hand in recent matches. The last two encounters between the sides were decided by only four points. The most recent encounter was in Round 15 this year, with the Bulldogs coming away 83-79 victors at the Sydney Cricket Ground. That time, Dogs defender Jason Johannisen kicked the winning goal in the final moments of the game, with Matthew Boyd, Lachie Hunter and Marcus Bontempelli also starring. The Swans' forward line was also outstanding, with former Hawks premiership winner Lance 'Buddy' Frankling kicking five goals. If the grand final was purely a numbers game, Sydney would have the Western Bulldogs' measure. The Swans lead this year's competition not only on the ladder but also with inside 50s. They also finished second in clearances and disposals. The Bulldogs were the fifth-ranked side for inside 50s, third for clearances but first for disposals. Lance Franklin has kicked 80 goals this season at 60.2% and finished second for most goals kicked in 2016 behind West Coast's Joshua Kennedy (82 goals). You have to go all the way to number 22 on the goal kickers list to find the Western Bulldogs' leading goal kicker, with Jake Stringer booting 41 goals at 65.1%. Although Western Bulldogs led the competition for disposals, it was Sydney's Josh Kennedy and Daniel Hannenbery who take the best average into today's big game. WHO ARE THEY BACKING? Sydney are the warm favourites to take out today's big game, with online bookmaker Ladbrokes keeping them safe at $1.60. The Western Bulldogs are $2.65 to win. Hannenbery (Sydney) is the joint-favourite with Kennedy (Sydney) to take out the Norm Smith Medal for man-of-the-match. Goal-kicker Lance 'Buddy' Franklin is on the second line of betting at $9 with Luke Parker (Sydney). The most favoured Bulldogs player to claim the prize is Marcus Bontempelli, who is also at $9. As the old saying goes: anything can happen on the last Saturday in September (or the first Saturday in October). But all roads lead to Sydney marching onwards to victory in the big clash.[SEP]Josh Kennedy of the Swans (right) reacts after kicking a goal, helping turn a 16-point deficit into a eight point lead. He was imperious in the first half: 22 possessions (nine of them contested), five inside-50s, two clearances and two goals. But there were only two points in it at half-time: Sydney 7.3 (45) vs Bulldogs 7.1 (43)

In Australian Rules football, the Western Bulldogs defeat the Sydney Swans to win their first premiership since 1954.

A Dutch journalist has been killed while covering a government-backed offensive against the Isis jihadist group in the city of Sirte, a medical official has said. Photojournalist Jeroen Oerlemans was shot in the chest by an Isis militant, according to the AFP news agency. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. Dr Akram Gliwan, spokesman for a hospital in Misrata where pro-government fighters are treated, said the photographer was “shot in the chest by an IS sniper while covering battles in Sirte,” 280 miles east of Tripoli. Mr Gliwan added that his body had been transferred to Misrata, 200 kilometres west of Isis’s Libyan stronghold of Sirte. Mr Oerlemans had been working in Libya for a number of organisations, including the Belgian weekly Knack magazine, which confirmed his death. A message posted on Knack's website said Mr Oerlemans was shot on a reporting assignment and that the publication “wishes his family much strength”. Forces allied with Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord launched an assault against the jihadist bastion in May. The Al-Bunyan Al-Marsous media office revealed its forces lost eight fighters in the fight against Isis militants Sunday, in addition to more than 50 injuries, according to the Libyan Express. The report also stated that 10 Isis terrorists were also killed in Sunday attacks. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Show all 10 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte 1/10 Isis in Sirte Isis fighters parade through in Sirte in 2015 2/10 Isis in Sirte Islamic State (IS) group jihadists on the outskirts of Libya's western city of Sirte AFP/Getty 3/10 Isis in Sirte A photo of a billboard in Sirte, Libya, listing seven rules for women's clothing, saying they must be loose-fitting and undecorated HRW/social media 4/10 Isis in Sirte Isis militants process down a street in the coastal city of Sirte in Libya this week; the group has heralded Libya as its ‘strategic gateway’ to attack Europe AFP/Getty Images 5/10 Isis in Sirte An Isis lecture on Sharia at the Ouagadougou complex in Sirte, Libya, in 2016. HRW/social media 6/10 Isis in Sirte A sign reading "The city of Sirte, under the shadow of Sharia" as smoke rises in the background while forces aligned with Libya's new unity government advance on the eastern and southern outskirts of the Islamic State stronghold of Sirte on 9 June. Reuters 7/10 Isis in Sirte Fighters loyal to Libya's GNA prepare to launch attacks against Isis as they continue their resistance on the outskirts of the western city of Sirte Getty 8/10 Isis in Sirte Forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed unity government are seen during clashes with jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) on the western outskirts of Sirte on June 2, 2016. AFP/Getty Images 9/10 Isis in Sirte Forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed unity government fire during clashes with Isis around 14 miles west of Sirte on June 2, 2016. AFP/Getty Images 10/10 Isis in Libya 1/10 Isis in Sirte Isis fighters parade through in Sirte in 2015 2/10 Isis in Sirte Islamic State (IS) group jihadists on the outskirts of Libya's western city of Sirte AFP/Getty 3/10 Isis in Sirte A photo of a billboard in Sirte, Libya, listing seven rules for women's clothing, saying they must be loose-fitting and undecorated HRW/social media 4/10 Isis in Sirte Isis militants process down a street in the coastal city of Sirte in Libya this week; the group has heralded Libya as its ‘strategic gateway’ to attack Europe AFP/Getty Images 5/10 Isis in Sirte An Isis lecture on Sharia at the Ouagadougou complex in Sirte, Libya, in 2016. HRW/social media 6/10 Isis in Sirte A sign reading "The city of Sirte, under the shadow of Sharia" as smoke rises in the background while forces aligned with Libya's new unity government advance on the eastern and southern outskirts of the Islamic State stronghold of Sirte on 9 June. Reuters 7/10 Isis in Sirte Fighters loyal to Libya's GNA prepare to launch attacks against Isis as they continue their resistance on the outskirts of the western city of Sirte Getty 8/10 Isis in Sirte Forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed unity government are seen during clashes with jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) on the western outskirts of Sirte on June 2, 2016. AFP/Getty Images 9/10 Isis in Sirte Forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed unity government fire during clashes with Isis around 14 miles west of Sirte on June 2, 2016. AFP/Getty Images 10/10 Isis in Libya Isis took control of Sirte – Gaddafi's hometown – last year. The militant group turned the city into its North African stronghold, extending its control along Libya's coastline. A recent report by the UK’s Foreign Affairs Committee claimed Britain’s intervention in Libya and the chaos and bloodshed that ensued sparked helped strengthen Isis and al-Qaeda, as well as fuelling conflicts across Africa and the Middle East. The scathing report held David Cameron “ultimately responsible” for failing to stabilise Libya after the death of Muammar Gaddafi.[SEP]Dutch journalist Jeroen Oerlemans, who was covering the clashes in Sirte for the Belgian weekly Knack, was shot dead on Sunday by an Islamic State (IS) sniper. Mr. Oerlemans became the second journalist killed in the fighting in Sirte after Abdelqader Fsouk, a Libyan who died in July. In 2012, Mr. Oerlemans was kidnapped in Syria by militants, but released after a week. The Netherlands’s Ambassador to Libya, Eric Strating, saluted Mr. Oerlemans’ work when tweeting condolences. Meanwhile, forces loyal to Libya’s unity government said on Monday at least 80 jihadists were killed at the weekend in the city of Sirte, a former stronghold of the IS. Forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA), who reported eight soldiers killed and 57 wounded on Sunday, said vehicles, arms and ammunition were seized in the latest round of an assault launched on May 12 and executed in phases to recapture Sirte from IS.[SEP]Fighters loyal to Libya’s Government of National Accord help a wounded comrade after he was shot by a Daesh sniper on the western frontline in Sirte on Sunday (AFP photo) TRIPOLI — A Dutch journalist was killed by sniper fire on Sunday while covering clashes in Libya’s coastal city of Sirte, as unity government forces battled the Daesh terror group holdouts in the city. Dr Akram Gliwan, spokesman for a hospital in Misrata where pro-government fighters are treated, told AFP that photographer Jeroen Oerlemans was “shot in the chest by a Daesh sniper while covering battles in Sirte”, 450 kilometres east of Tripoli. Gliwan said his body had been transferred to Misrata, 200 kilometres west of Sirte. Oerlemans was working in Libya for a number of organisations, including the Belgian weekly Knack magazine, which confirmed his death. A message on Knack’s website said Oerlemans was shot while on a reporting assignment and that the publication “wishes his family much strength”. “Oerlemans is a journalist who went where others would not go. He was driven to bring us the news through his pictures especially from the world’s trouble spots,” Koenders said in a statement. “That he has now paid the highest price is incredibly sad. I wish his wife, children and family every strength at this great loss. A great photographer is gone.” Forces allied with Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) launched an assault against the extremists in Sirte in May. Daesh militants holed up in the town, birthplace of ousted Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi, responded with suicide bombings and sniper fire, slowing the government-backed advance. Fighting on Sunday killed at least 10 Daesh militants and eight pro-government fighters around the extremist bastion, the unity government in Tripoli said. Pro-government forces said they were “progressing” in Sirte, where they have surrounded Daesh militants, prompting some to try to escape. They said loyalist fighters had recovered the bodies of at least 10 militants and were chasing another group that had fled Sirte. Eight soldiers loyal to the GNA were killed, according to the Facebook page of a field hospital set up by their forces in Sirte. Fifty-seven members of the pro-GNA forces were wounded and transferred to the main hospital in Misrata. Daesh said on Twitter that it had killed or wounded 64 members of the pro-GNA forces. On Saturday, GNA aircraft conducted six sorties in preparation for an advance on the extremists’ hideout in the city’s east, said the GNA statement. American aircraft have also carried out some 177 air strikes since early August in support of GNA forces, according to US Africa Command. The fighting has left more than 450 GNA fighters dead and 2,500 wounded. The Daesh death toll is not known. A Daesh defeat in Sirte would be a serious blow to the group, which has faced major setbacks in Iraq and Syria in recent months. Libya was plunged into chaos following the NATO-backed ouster of Qadhafi in 2011, and the control of the country — as well as access to its vital oil wealth — is divided between rival governments and militias. The GNA was formed following a UN-backed deal in December 2015, but it has struggled to impose its power across the country. Oerlemans was the second journalist to be killed in the Sirte offensive, after Libyan journalist Abdelqader Fsouk was killed there in July. British war photographer Tim Hetherington was killed in April 2011 in a mortar attack in the western Libyan city of Misrata. He died alongside Chris Hondros, a 41-year-old US photographer for Getty, as the pair covered intense fighting between Qadhafi’s forces and rebels.[SEP]A fighter loyal to Libya's Government of National Accord fires his weapon in the coastal city of Sirte on September 29, 2016. By Fabio Bucciarelli (AFP/File) Tripoli (AFP) - A Dutch journalist was killed by sniper fire Sunday while covering clashes in Libya's coastal city of Sirte, as unity government forces battled Islamic State group holdouts in the jihadist bastion. Dr Akram Gliwan, spokesman for a hospital in Misrata where pro-government fighters are treated, told AFP that photographer Jeroen Oerlemans was "shot in the chest by an IS sniper while covering battles in Sirte" 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of Tripoli. Gliwan said his body had been transferred to Misrata, 200 kilometres west of Sirte. Oerlemans was working in Libya for a number of organisations, including the Belgian weekly Knack magazine, which confirmed his death. A message on Knack's website said Oerlemans was shot on a reporting assignment and that the publication "wishes his family much strength". Forces allied with Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord launched an assault against the jihadists in Sirte in May. IS fighters holed up in the town, birthplace of ousted Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi, responded with suicide bombings and sniper fire, slowing the government-backed advance. Fighting on Sunday killed at least 10 IS fighters and eight pro-government fighters around the jihadist bastion, the unity government in Tripoli said. Pro-government forces said they were "progressing" in Sirte, where they have surrounded IS militants, prompting some to try to escape. They said loyalist fighters had recovered the bodies of at least 10 jihadists and were chasing another group that had fled Sirte. Eight soldiers loyal to the GNA were killed, according to the Facebook page of a field hospital set up by their forces in Sirte. Fifty-seven members of the pro-GNA forces were wounded and transferred to the main hospital in Misrata. IS said on Twitter that it had killed or wounded 64 members of the pro-GNA forces. On Saturday, GNA aircraft conducted six sorties in preparation for an advance on the jihadists' hideout in the city's east, said the GNA statement. American aircraft have also carried out some 177 air strikes since early August in support of GNA forces, according to US Africa Command (AFRICOM). The fighting has left more than 450 GNA fighters dead and 2,500 wounded. The IS death toll is not known. An IS defeat in Sirte would be a serious blow to the group, which has faced major setbacks in Iraq and Syria in recent months. Libya was plunged into chaos following the NATO-backed ouster of Kadhafi in 2011, and the control of the country -- as well as access to its vital oil wealth -- is divided between rival governments and militias. The GNA was formed following a UN-backed deal in December 2015, but it has struggled to impose its power across a country. Oerlemans was the second journalist to be killed in the Sirte offensive, after Libyan journalist Abdelqader Fsouk was killed there in July. British war photographer Tim Hetherington was killed in April 2011 in a mortar attack in the western Libyan city of Misrata. He died alongside Chris Hondros, a 41-year-old US photographer for Getty, as the pair covered intense fighting between Kadhafi's forces and rebels.[SEP]A Dutch journalist has been killed while covering a government-backed offensive against the Isis jihadist group in the city of Sirte, a medical official has said. Photojournalist Jeroen Oerlemans was shot in the chest by an Isis militant, according to the AFP news agency. Dr Akram Gliwan, spokesman for a hospital in Misrata where pro-government fighters are treated, said the photographer was “shot in the chest by an IS sniper while covering battles in Sirte,” 280 miles east of Tripoli. Mr Gliwan added that his body had been transferred to Misrata, 200 kilometres west of Isis’s Libyan stronghold of Sirte. Mr Oerlemans had been working in Libya for a number of organisations, including the Belgian weekly Knack magazine, which confirmed his death. A message posted on Knack's website said Mr Oerlemans was shot on a reporting assignment and that the publication “wishes his family much strength”. Forces allied with Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord launched an assault against the jihadist bastion in May. The Al-Bunyan Al-Marsous media office revealed its forces lost eight fighters in the fight against Isis militants Sunday, in addition to more than 50 injuries, according to the Libyan Express. The report also stated that 10 Isis terrorists were also killed in Sunday attacks. Isis took control of Sirte – Gaddafi's hometown – last year. The militant group turned the city into its North African stronghold, extending its control along Libya's coastline. A recent report by the UK’s Foreign Affairs Committee claimed Britain’s intervention in Libya and the chaos and bloodshed that ensued sparked helped strengthen Isis and al-Qaeda, as well as fuelling conflicts across Africa and the Middle East. The scathing report held David Cameron “ultimately responsible” for failing to stabilise Libya after the death of Muammar Gaddafi.[SEP]Freelance photojournalist Jeroen Oerlemans was shot in the chest and died immediately, said the spokesman, Reda Essa. In 2012, Oerlemans was kidnapped in Syria by militants, but released after a week. The Netherlands' ambassador to Libya, Eric Strating, saluted Oerlemans' work when tweeting condolences. The Committee to Protect Journalists noted that Oerlemans' death marked at least the 10th journalist, along with one media worker, killed in the Libyan conflict since it began in 2011. "Journalists have recently begun returning in greater numbers to Libya to cover the conflict and political upheaval but it remains an extraordinarily dangerous place," said CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney. "The death of Jeroen Oerlemans is a reminder that those who bring us images and video from the front lines often pay the heaviest price." Smoke rises after a September 28 airstrike on Sirte, the last stronghold of ISIS in the north African country Oerelmans and another photojournalist, John Cantlie, who worked for the Sunday Times of London, were held by militants in Syria from July 17-26, 2012 . A Briton, Shajul Islam, was accused in a British court of having "unlawfully and injuriously imprisoned" the two photographers. The coastal city of Sirte is one of ISIS' last strongholds in Libya, and US-backed militias have been conducting an offensive that has put it in danger of losing the foothold. Al-Bunyan Al-Marsous is the umbrella organization for the militias' military offensive in Sirte. Consequently, ISIS snipers as well as IEDs have been playing even more of a role as the jihadist forces have dug in to their shrinking territory. One doctor explained that ISIS fighters are trying to make sure their targets -- if they don't die -- will not be able to fight again. "The snipers attack usually the spine here. They choose to fire at the spine because brain injury and heart injury if he survived, he's going to fight again," Nabeel Aqoub, a doctor working in Sirte, told CNN in September.[SEP]A fighter loyal to Libya's Government of National Accord fires his weapon in the coastal city of Sirte on September 29, 2016. By Fabio Bucciarelli (AFP/File) Tripoli (AFP) - A Dutch journalist was killed on Sunday while covering a government-backed offensive against the Islamic State group in their Libyan stronghold city of Sirte, a medical official said. Dr Akram Gliwan, spokesman for a hospital in Misrata where pro-government fighters are treated, told AFP that the journalist was "shot in the chest by an IS sniper while covering battles in Sirte" 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of the capital Tripoli.[SEP]A Libyan pro-regime fighter with the Government of National Accord (GNA) fires at Islamic State jihadists during clashes for control of Sirte, on September 3, 2016. By Mahmud Turkia (AFP/File) Tripoli (AFP) - Forces loyal to Libya's unity government said Monday at least 80 jihadists were killed at the weekend in the city of Sirte, a former stronghold of the Islamic State group. "Commanders of front line units have counted at least corpses (of jihadists) killed as they tried in vain to attack behind the lines" of the loyalists, said the media office of forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA). It said in a statement sent to AFP that the bodies of another 25 jihadists were found in alleyways of the battleground coastal city. The pro-GNA forces, who reported eight soldiers killed and 57 wounded on Sunday, said vehicles, arms and ammunition were seized in the latest round of an assault launched on May 12 and executed in phases to recapture Sirte from IS. A Dutch journalist covering the clashes in Sirte, Jeroen Oerlemans who worked for the Belgian weekly Knack, was shot dead on Sunday. Oerlemans became the second journalist killed in the fighting in Sirte after Abdelqader Fsouk, a Libyan who died in July. On Saturday, GNA aircraft conducted six sorties in preparation for another advance on the jihadists' last hideouts in the city's east. American aircraft have also carried out 177 air strikes since August 1 in support of GNA forces, according to US Africa Command (AFRICOM). The fighting has left more than 450 GNA fighters dead and 2,500 wounded. The IS death toll is not known.[SEP]Destroyed buildings in the District 3 neighbourhood of Sirte on September 29, 2016. By Fabio Bucciarelli (AFP) Tripoli (AFP) - Eight Libyan pro-government fighters and at least 10 Islamic State group jihadists died in clashes Sunday as some jihadists tried to flee their besieged stronghold, the unity government said. Pro-government forces said they were "progressing" in Sirte, where they have surrounded IS militants, prompting some to try to escape. They said pro-government fighters had recovered the bodies of at least 10 jihadists and were chasing another group that had fled the coastal town, 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of the capital Tripoli. Eight soldiers loyal to the Government of National Accord were killed, according to the Facebook page of a field hospital set up by their forces in Sirte. Twenty-four members of the pro-GNA forces were wounded and transferred to the main hospital in Misrata. Forces allied with the GNA have cornered the group in Sirte, the birthplace of ousted dictator Moamer Kadhafi, since launching an offensive on May 12. But suicide bombings and sniper fire from the surrounded jihadists have slowed the assault. On Saturday, GNA aircraft conducted six sorties in preparation for an advance on the jihadists' hideout in the city's east, said the GNA statement. American aircraft have also carried out some 177 air strikes since early August in support of GNA forces, according to US Africa Command (AFRICOM). The fighting has left more than 450 GNA fighters dead and 2,500 wounded. The IS death toll is not known. An IS defeat in Sirte would be a serious blow to the group, which has faced major setbacks in Iraq and Syria in recent months.[SEP]The list named six killed fighters, three of them from the city of Misrata. The forces also said that the bodies of at least 10 slain Islamic State militants had been counted. The report could not be verified. Forces dominated by fighters from Misrata and aligned with Libya's U.N.-backed government have been battling to capture Sirte for more than four months. Supported since Aug. 1 by U.S. air strikes, they have taken control of most of the city and have been besieging militants trapped in a thin residential strip near Sirte's seafront for several weeks. Their advance has been slowed by Islamic State snipers, improvised explosive devices and suicide bombings in close quarter street battles. Occasional ground attacks are interspersed by rest periods that allow fighters to regroup and hospitals to clear casualties. The Misrata-led forces said in a statement posted on social media that they had conducted air sorties in preparation for a ground offensive on Sunday in Sirte's neighborhood Number Three. As of Friday, the United States said it had carried out a total of 177 air strikes against Islamic State in Sirte.

An ISIL sniper in Sirte, Libya, shoots dead Dutch photographer and war correspondent Jeroen Oerlemans.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Jamaicans have been stocking up on supplies at supermarkets in advance of Hurricane Matthew's arrival Hurricane Matthew has weakened slightly as it moves towards Jamaica, but is still packing winds of up to 230km/h (145mph), strong enough to wreck houses, forecasters say. It is now a category four storm, the US National Hurricane Center says, after earlier reaching the top category five on a scale of intensity. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has urged citizens to make all necessary preparations. The storm is due to hit land on Monday. It is expected to reach Jamaica's southern coast first, but is also likely to reach Haiti and Cuba. Cuban President Raul Castro has travelled to the eastern city of Santiago to supervise preparations for the storm. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption BBC Weather's Ben Rich looks at the progression and potential impacts of Hurricane Matthew. Officials have warned the high winds could batter Jamaica's main tourist areas including Montego Bay in the north. With the government on high alert, PM Holness said people should expect the worse. "What we have control over is our ability to prepare," he said. "We hold firm to the view that our preparation can reduce loss of life and damage to property." Image copyright Reuters Image caption Supplies of water are in high demand in Jamaica Local emergency teams as well as the police and army are on standby, while shelters are being set up throughout the island, his office said. As the storm approaches, many Jamaicans have been stocking up on water and food. Tropical storm warnings have also been issued for parts of coastal Colombia and Haiti over the weekend. Haitian authorities say the priority is to protect the southern islands of the country, whose inhabitants they have described as "first at risk", according to AFP news agency. Forecasters said up to 38cm (15 ins) of rain could fall across Jamaica and on southern Haiti. While Jamaica was damaged by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, the last major storm in the region was Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Matthew could be the most powerful storm to hit the island since records began, meteorologist Eric Holthaus said on Twitter.[SEP]Hurricanes are unpredictable and although we have come a long way in tracking them and forecasting where they go they are untamed beasts and have a will of their own. Listening to the experts pronounce for days including on Friday that Matthew would not and could not intensify from a Category 2 Hurricane for the next couple of days because it was undergoing dry air and wind shear. Even as the National Hurricane Centre was showing on their website Matthew was increasing in strength to a Category 2 and in minutes was now a Category 4, one of the Miami TV station’s experts was saying it would not intensify until the weekend! It actually then defied everyone again and became a Category 5 storm – the Atlantic’s first in nine years. Can you imagine if this had happened just as Matthew was approaching land in a highly populated area? The very highly respected Jeff Masters, founder of Weather Underground, said in his blog on Saturday (1) morning, “The NHC official forecast and the intensity models failed to predict Matthew’s rapid intensification—though the SHIPS model did give a 12% chance that we would see intensification into a Category 5 hurricane. We don’t have much data over ocean areas to be able to diagnose the detailed flow pattern around the core of a hurricane, and it is likely the shear was actually much lower near Matthew’s center, which allowed the storm to organize more quickly than our models anticipated. The rapid intensification process was also aided by the fact Matthew was moving into a moister atmosphere—the upper-level winds hitting Matthew from the southwest were advecting in air that had high humidity, which did not disrupt the storm like low humidity air would have done. “Another surprise regarding Matthew’s rapid intensification was that the central pressure that supported the Category 5 winds of the storm was relatively high—941 mb. Category 5 storms usually have pressures quite a bit lower. According to meteorologist Sam Lillo, Matthew had the third highest pressure observed in an Atlantic category 5 hurricane. For comparison, Hurricane Andrew had a 933 mb central pressure when it was a Category 5, and Hurricane Felix had a 935 mb central pressure when it achieved Category 5 status. Matthew’s strongest winds have been focused over a relatively narrow region near the core of the storm, which has allowed it to have extreme winds without an extremely low pressure. “An Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft made two passes through the eye of Matthew on Saturday morning, and found that Matthew’s central pressure had risen to 947 mb during their second pass at 8:48 am EDT. Flight-level winds at 10,000 feet hit 135 mph and surface winds measured by their stepped frequency microwave radiometer (SFMR) were as high as 124 mph, which would make Matthew a borderline Category 3/Category 4 storm. Infrared satellite loops on Saturday morning showed that Matthew had weakened some, with the eye less distinct and the cloud tops of the eyewall thunderstorms warmer. At upper levels, high cirrus clouds streaming to the north of Matthew showed the continued presence of a powerful outflow channel, which was helping ventilate the storm and allowing it to fight off the high wind shear of 20 – 30 knots affecting it. Aiding development today were warm ocean waters of 28.5°C (83°F) and 70 – 75% relative humidity at mid-levels of the atmosphere, as analyzed by the SHIPS model. Heavy rains from Matthew were affecting the coast of South America near the Colombia/Venezuela border, as seen on Venezuela radar.” As I write this I am waiting for the right hand turn the experts predict will happen and poor Jamaica and to a lesser extent our Sister Islands are going to get horribly clouted. With the poor call by the experts so far on Monster Matthew I am not placing any money on them being right. By the time you read this you will know one way or the other.[SEP]000 WTNT34 KNHC 240234 TCPAT4 BULLETIN Post-Tropical Cyclone Chantal Advisory Number 13 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL042019 1100 PM AST Fri Aug 23 2019 ...CHANTAL BECOMES A REMNANT LOW... ...THIS IS THE LAST ADVISORY... SUMMARY OF 1100 PM AST...0300 UTC...INFORMATION ----------------------------------------------- LOCATION...35.6N 40.9W ABOUT 785 MI...1265 KM W OF THE AZORES MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...30 MPH...45 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...S OR 185 DEGREES AT 6 MPH...9 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1014 MB...29.95 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect. DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK ---------------------- At 1100 PM AST (0300 UTC), the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Chantal was located near latitude 35.6 North, longitude 40.9 West. The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the south near 6 mph (9 km/h). A turn toward the southwest and west is expected over the weekend, followed by a slow motion toward the northwest Sunday night and Monday. Maximum sustained winds are near 30 mph (45 km/h) with higher gusts. Gradual weakening is anticipated and Chantal is forecast to dissipate on Monday. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1014 mb (29.95 inches). HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- None. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- This is the last public advisory issued by the National Hurricane Center on Chantal. Additional information on this system can be found in High Seas Forecasts issued by the National Weather Service, under AWIPS header NFDHSFAT1, WMO header FZNT01 KWBC, and online at ocean.weather.gov/shtml/NFDHSFAT1.php $$ Forecaster Zelinsky[SEP]Santo Domingo.- The Ntional Hurricane Center upgraded Matthew to a hurricane around noon Thurs. FILE. The Emergency Operations Center (COE) on Wednesday issued an alert for the south region for Hurricane Matthew, which is headed to the central Caribbean Sea and is expected start affecting that area of the country tomorrow Friday. the National Weather Office (Onamet) said the storm could become a category 1 hurricane and could affect Azua, Peravia, San Cristobal, San José de Ocoa, Pedernales and Barahona. Matthew", with sustained winds of 95 kph, is located around 100 kilometers west of Saint Lucia and 835 kilometers southeast of Isla Saona, Dominican Republic moving rapidly westward at around 30 kph. Onamet said the accumulation of rains associated with the storm could be as much as 150 millimeters. The COE meanwhile also issued a maritime alert throughout the country's coasts, where boats should remain in port. The COE said as part of its contingency plan all government agencies have been linked to a central communication network[SEP]In this NOAA handout image, taken by the GOES satellite on Oct. 1, 2016 shows Hurricane Matthew in the Caribbean Sea just south of Cuba and Jamaica. Handout / Getty Images[SEP]Cameras outside the International Space Station capture images of Hurricane Matthew as it makes it way towards Jamaica and Haiti. Matthew, which has sustained winds of 140 mph (220kph), is one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history and briefly reached the top classification, category 5, becoming the strongest hurricane in the region since Felix in 2007[SEP]Hurricane Matthew, a potentially devastating Category 4 storm, swirled across the Caribbean toward Haiti and Jamaica, where residents frantically stocked up on emergency supplies and authorities urged people to evacuate threatened areas. Matthew is one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history and briefly reached the top classification, Category 5, before weakening slightly to a high-end Category 4 storm with winds of 150 mph (240 kph). It is the strongest hurricane here since Felix in 2007. While previous forecasts had Matthew passing near or over the eastern tip of Jamaica, the latest projection has it shifting eastward and possibly striking the southwestern tip of Haiti as a Category 3 hurricane on Monday. A hurricane warning has been issued for the impoverished country which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Deforestation has greatly increased the potential for devastating floods and landslides on Haiti, and combined with the ramshackle structure of many homes and building, this means that Matthew could deal a vicious blow to the country. After passing Jamaica and Haiti, Matthew is expected to reach Cuba on Tuesday, potentially making a direct hit on the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay. A mandatory evacuation of non-essential personnel, including about 700 family members of military personnel, was underway at the base and everyone remaining behind was being told to take shelter, said Julie Ann Ripley, a spokeswoman. There are about 5,500 people living on the base, including 61 men held at the detention center. The forecast track would also carry Matthew into the Bahamas, with an outside chance of a brush with Florida, though that would be several days away. "It's too early to rule out what impacts, if any, would occur in the United States and Florida," said Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman at the Hurricane Center. In Haiti, civil protection officials broadcast warnings of a coming storm surge and big waves, saying the country would be "highly threatened" from the approaching system, which is expected to start affecting Haiti and Jamaica Sunday night. They urged families to prepare emergency food and water kits. Emergency management authorities banned boating, particularly along the impoverished country's southern coastline. In Jamaica, where there is also a hurricane warning, flooding temporarily closed the road linking the capital to its airport. Carl Ferguson, head of the marine police, said people were starting to heed calls to relocate from small islands and areas near rural waterways. Residents of the capital, Kingston, crowded supermarkets to buy bottled water, canned food and batteries. In the coastal town of Port Royal, officials were urging residents to seek refuge in government shelters once they open up on Sunday. Many Jamaicans also began stocking up for the emergency. At the Azan Super Centre, a supermarket in Kingston, shoppers were scooping up flashlights and gas lamps and other key supplies along with food. The kerosene was already sold out. "It has been chaos from the morning," owner Melain Azan said. Shopper Nardia Powell said she was stocking up because she learned a hard lesson when she was unprepared for Hurricane Ivan in 2004, as were many others. "So, I just want to be on the safe side, right?" she said. Jamaicans are accustomed to intense storms, but Hurricane Matthew looked particularly threatening. At its peak, it was more powerful than Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall on the island in September 1988 and was the most destructive storm in the country's modern history. As of 11 p.m. EDT (0300 GMT), the storm was centered about 340 miles (550 kilometers) south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It was traveling north-northwest at 7 mph (11 kph). Earlier, Matthew skimmed past the northern tip of South America where there were reports of at least two deaths. But authorities in the area overall breathed a sigh of relief as damage appeared minimal despite flooding in towns along the La Guajira peninsula of Colombia. Some officials were even grateful for the rain after a multi-year drought in the poverty-stricken area. "Families that evacuated are returning to their homes," said La Guajira Gov. Jorge Velez. "The dikes and wells filled up, the earth is moist, and this benefits agriculture in an area where it hasn't rained for five years, benefiting the community."[SEP]One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history roared over the open Caribbean Sea on Saturday on a course that threatened Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba. Matthew briefly reached the top hurricane classification, Category 5, and was the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Felix in 2007. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Matthew's winds had slipped slightly from a peak of 160 mph (260 kph) to a still-potentially devastating 150 mph (240 kph), a Category 4 storm. It was expected to near eastern Jamaica and southwestern Haiti on Monday. The latest forecast had Matthew's path passing closer to Haiti than before and the center issued a hurricane warning for Jamaica and "much of Haiti," and said life-threatening rainfall was expected in parts of the impoverished Caribbean nation. The forecast track would also carry Matthew across Cuba and into the Bahamas, with an outside chance of a brush with Florida, though that would be several days away. "It's too early to rule out what impacts, if any, would occur in the United States and Florida," said Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman at the Hurricane Center. As Matthew skimmed past the northern tip of South America there were reports of at least one death — the second attributed to the storm. Authorities in the area overall breathed a sigh of relief as the storm triggered heavy flooding in towns along the La Guajira peninsula of Colombia, but damage overall was minimal. Some officials were even grateful for the rain after a multi-year drought in the poverty-stricken area. "Families that evacuated are returning to their homes," said La Guajira Gov. Jorge Velez. "The dikes and wells filled up, the earth is moist, and this benefits agriculture in an area where it hasn't rained for five years, benefiting the community." Authorities say that at least 27 houses were damaged and two roads were washed out. One person, a 67-year indigenous man, was carried away to his death by a flash flood in an area where it hadn't rained for four years. Elsewhere, all across Colombia's Caribbean coastline, authorities have set up emergency shelters, closed access to beaches and urged residents living near the ocean to move inland in preparation for storm surges that they said will reach their most-intense moment sometime Saturday. There's also concern that heavy rain across much of the country this weekend could dampen turnout for a nationwide referendum Sunday on a historic peace accord between the government and leftist rebels. In Jamaica, high surf began pounding the coast and flooding temporarily closed the road linking the capital to its airport. Carl Ferguson, head of the marine police, said people were starting to heed calls to relocate from small islands and areas near rural waterways. Residents of the capital, Kingston, crowded supermarkets to buy bottled water, canned food and batteries, and there was already flooding in the coastal town of Port Royal, where officials were urging residents to seek refuge in government shelters once they open up on Sunday. Many Jamaicans also began stocking up for the emergency. At the Azan Super Centre, a supermarket in Kingston, shoppers were scooping up flashlights and gas lamps and other key supplies along with food. The kerosene was already sold out. "It has been chaos from the morning," owner Melain Azan said. Shopper Nardia Powell said she was stocking up because she learned a hard lesson when she was unprepared for Hurricane Ivan in 2004, as were many others. "So, I just want to be on the safe side, right?" she said. Feltgen said storm force winds and rain will arrive well before the center of the storm. Jamaicans "basically have daylight today, they have tonight and they have daylight tomorrow to take care of what needs to be done," he said. Jamaicans are accustomed to intense storms, but Hurricane Matthew looked particularly threatening. At its peak, it was more powerful than Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall on the island in September 1988 and was the most destructive storm in the country's modern history. In Haiti, civil protection officials broadcast warnings of a coming storm surge and big waves, saying the country would be "highly threatened" from the approaching system. They urged families to prepare emergency food and water kits. Emergency management authorities banned boating starting Saturday, particularly along the impoverished country's southern coastline. Forecasters said rainfall totals could reach 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches (63 centimeters) in Jamaica and southwestern Haiti. The U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is also potentially in the path of the storm. A mandatory evacuation of non-essential personnel, including about 700 family members of military personnel was underway and everyone remaining behind was being told to take shelter, said Julie Ann Ripley, a spokeswoman. There are about 5,500 people living on the base, including 61 men held at the detention center. As of 11 p.m. EDT (0300 GMT), the storm was centered about 340 miles (550 kilometers) south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It was traveling north-northwest at 7 mph (11 kph).. Matthew caused at least one death when it entered the Caribbean on Wednesday. Officials in St. Vincent reported a 16-year-old boy was crushed by a boulder as he tried to clear a blocked drain.[SEP]Vulnerable Haiti braced for flash floods and violent winds from the extremely dangerous Hurricane Matthew as the powerful storm kept on a path early Monday aiming at the hemisphere's poorest country. The eye of the approaching Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph) late Sunday, was expected to pass to the east of Jamaica and then cross over or be very close to the southwestern tip of Haiti late Monday or early Tuesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. It was predicted to hit the lightly populated eastern tip of Cuba on Tuesday afternoon. Forecasters said as much as 40 inches of rain could fall on some isolated areas of Haiti, raising fears of deadly mudslides and floods in the heavily deforested country where many families live in flimsy houses with corrugated metal roofs. "Some of us will die but I pray it won't be a lot," said Serge Barionette in the southern town of Gressier, where a river recurrently bursts its banks during serious storms. A hurricane warning was in effect for Haiti, and Cuba. Rain was already lashing parts of Jamaica and flooding some homes, but forecasters said the southern Haitian countryside around Jeremie and Les Cayes could see the worst of the rains and punishing winds. "Wherever that center passes close to would see the worst winds and that's what's projected to happen for the western tip of Haiti," said John Cangilosi, a hurricane specialist at the U.S. center. "There is a big concern for rains there and also a big concern for storm surge." Matthew is one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history and briefly reached the top classification, Category 5, becoming the strongest hurricane in the region since Felix in 2007. The hurricane center said the storm appeared to be on track to pass east of Florida through the Bahamas, but it was too soon to predict with certainty whether it would threaten any spot on the U.S. East Coast. Officials with Haiti's civil protection agency said there were roughly 1,300 emergency shelters across the country, enough to hold up to 340,000 people. Authorities broadcast warnings over the radio telling people to swiftly heed evacuation warnings, trying to counter a common tendency for people to try to stay in their homes to protect them during natural disasters. In a brief address carried on state radio, interim President Jocelerme Privert urged Haitians to listen closely to official warnings and be ready to move. "To those people living in houses that could collapse, it's necessary that you leave these houses to take refuge in schools and churches," he said. Teams of civil protection officials walked the streets of Les Cayes and other areas urging residents to secure their homes, prepare emergency kits and warn their neighbors. They also evacuated people from some outlying islands. As of 11 p.m. EDT (0300 GMT), the storm was centered about 325 miles (520 kilometers) south-southwest of Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince. It was moving northwest at 5 mph (7 kph). A hurricane warning was posted for the southeastern Bahamas. A hurricane watch was in effect for the central Bahamas and the Turks and Caico Islands, and a tropical storm warning was issued for parts of the Dominican Republic, where authorities began mandatory evacuations of areas at risk for flooding. The hurricane earlier had been projected to be closer to Jamaica, but still was a danger to the island of less than 3 million inhabitants. "The center of the system is looking more likely that it will pass to the east of Jamaica but it won't miss it by that much, so they are still going to see impacts," Cangilosi said. "The impacts are maybe going to be a little lower there than they would be in Haiti and eastern Cuba." After passing Jamaica and Haiti, Matthew was projected to reach Cuba. The center was expected to pass about 50 miles east of the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, where authorities evacuated about 700 spouses and children of service members on military transport planes to Florida. The U.S. installation has a population of about 5,500, including 61 men held at the detention center for terrorism suspects. Navy Capt. David Culpepper, the base commander, said emergency shelters had been set up and authorities were bracing for 80 mph winds and storm surge and heavy rain that could threaten some low-lying areas, including around the power plant and water desalination facility. "We have no choice but to prepare ourselves for to take a frontal assault if you will," Culpepper said.[SEP]One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history weakened a little on Saturday as it drenched coastal Colombia and roared across the Caribbean on a course that still puts Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba in the path of potentially devastating winds and rain. Matthew briefly reached the top hurricane classification, Category 5, and was the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Felix in 2007. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Matthew's winds had slipped from a peak of 160 mph (260 kph) to a still-potentially devastating 140 mph (220 kph) and it was expected to reach the eastern part of Jamaica on Monday. The forecast track would carry it across Cuba and into the Bahamas, with an outside chance of a brush with Florida, though that would be several days away. "It's too early to rule out what impacts, if any, would occur in the United States and Florida," said Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman at the Hurricane Center. As Matthew skimmed past the northern tip of South America there were reports of heavy flooding and at least one death — the second attributed to the storm. Authorities said at least 18 houses were damaged along the La Guajira peninsula of Colombia, which has been suffering from a multi-year drought. They said a 67-year-old man was swept away to his death by a flash flood in an area where it hadn't rained for four years. Local TV broadcast images of cars and tree trunks surging though flooded streets in coastal areas. Colombian authorities closed access to beaches and urged residents living near the ocean to move inland in preparation for storm surges that they said would be most intense on Saturday. There was also concern that heavy rain across much of the country could dampen turnout for Sunday's nationwide referendum on a historic peace accord between the government and leftist rebels. In Jamaica, high surf began pounding the coast and flooding temporarily closed the road linking the capital to its airport. Carl Ferguson, head of the marine police, said people were starting to heed calls to relocate from small islands and areas near rural waterways. Many also began stocking up for the emergency. "I left work to pick up a few items, candles, tin stuff, bread," 41-year-old Angella Wage said at a crowded store in the Half Way Tree area of the capital, Kingston. "We can never be too careful." Feltgen said storm force winds and rain will arrive well before the center of the storm. Jamaicans "basically have daylight today, they have tonight and they have daylight tomorrow to take care of what needs to be done," he said. Jamaicans are accustomed to intense storms, but Hurricane Matthew looked particularly threatening. At its peak, it was more powerful than Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall on the island in September 1988 and was the most destructive storm in the country's modern history. The U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is also potentially in the path of the storm. A mandatory evacuation of non-essential personnel, including family members of military personnel was underway and everyone remaining behind was being told to take shelter, said Julie Ann Ripley, a spokeswoman. There are about 5,500 people living on the base, including 61 men held at the detention center. Forecasters said rainfall totals could reach 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches (63 centimeters) in Jamaica and southwestern Haiti. In Haiti, civil protection officials broadcast warnings of a coming storm surge and big waves, saying the country would be "highly threatened" from the approaching system over the next 72 hours. They urged families to prepare emergency food and water kits. Emergency management authorities banned boating starting Saturday, particularly along the impoverished country's southern coastline, but numerous fishing skiffs could still be seen off the south coast. As of 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT), the storm was centered about 380 miles (615 kilometers) southeast of Kingston. It was meandering, moving south at 2 mph (4 kph), but expected to veer north soon. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 30 miles (45 kilometers) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles (335 kilometers). Matthew caused at least one death when it entered the Caribbean on Wednesday. Officials in St. Vincent reported a 16-year-old boy was crushed by a boulder as he tried to clear a blocked drain.

Hurricane Matthew, at Category 4 strength with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h), temporarily stalls as it heads towards Jamaica and Haiti. Weather forecasters expect tropical storm conditions today with landfall tomorrow. Further, they expect rainfall of 20 inches, with up to 40 inches in some parts of southern Haiti.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Footage shows a huge protest and a panicked stampede Fifty-two people were killed and many more injured in Ethiopia's Oromia region during a protest at a religious festival, the government says. Some died in a stampede after police employed tear gas, rubber bullets and baton charges, witnesses said. Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said rioters had caused "pre-planned mayhem" that led people to fall to their deaths in ravines. He denied reports that the security forces had opened fire. In a national address on state TV, he praised their "great efforts" to protect the public and blamed "evil forces" for the deaths, vowing to bring to justice those responsible.. Thousands had gathered for the religious festival in Bishoftu, 40km (25 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa. Some reports said police responded after anti-government protesters threw stones and bottles, but others said demonstrators were entirely peaceful. An Oromo activist, Jawar Mohamed, was quoted as saying that nearly 300 people had been killed and many more injured. He said troops and a helicopter gunship had opened fire, driving people off a cliff and into a lake. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Security forces said they were responding to protesters throwing bottles and stones Image copyright Reuters Image caption But many said the demonstrators were protesting peacefully about political and economic marginalisation Image copyright Reuters Image caption The US had already expressed concern about excessive use of force against protesters before Sunday's violence There has been a series of deadly clashes in Ethiopia in recent months. People in the Oromia and Amhara regions have complained about political and economic marginalisation. The US has expressed concern about what it termed the excessive use of force against protesters. Crowds at Sunday's Oromo festival, which AP news agency said had attracted two million people, chanted "We need freedom" and "We need justice", witnesses said. Some participants crossed their wrists above their heads, a gesture that has become a symbol of Oromo protests. The unrest was sparked last November by a plan to expand the capital into Oromia. This led to fears that farmers from the Oromo ethnic group, the largest in Ethiopia, would be displaced. The plan was later dropped but protests continued, highlighting issues such as marginalisation and human rights.[SEP]People extract an injured man from a ditch after a deadly stampede in Bishoftu on October 2, 2016. By Zacharias Abubeker (AFP) Bishoftu (Ethiopia) (AFP) - Dozens of people were feared dead in Ethiopia after police fired tear gas at protesters during a religious festival on Sunday, triggering a panicked stampede. Opposition groups said more than 100 people had been killed in the chaos after thousands of people gathered at a sacred lake in the town of Bishoftu near the capital Addis Ababa. The government said only that there had been "loss of lives" at the Irreecha (thanksgiving) ceremony, in which the Oromo community marks the end of the rainy season. "The annual Irreecha festival has been disrupted due to a violence created by some groups... Loss of lives has occurred due to a stampede," said a government statement published by state media. Merera Gudina, chairman of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress, told AFP there had been many fatalities, but there was no independent confirmation. "Bodies are being collected by the government. But what I hear from people on the ground is that the number of dead is more than one hundred," said Gudina. Ethiopia is facing its biggest anti-government unrest in a decade and some festival participants had crossed their wrists above their heads, a gesture that has become a symbol of protest by the Oromo community, according to an AFP photographer. The event quickly degenerated, with protesters throwing stones and bottles and security forces responding with baton charges and tear gas grenades, with some reports of gunfire. The police action sent people fleeing in panic and at least 50 people fell on top of each other into a ditch. The AFP photographer said earlier he saw between 15 and 20 bodies that were not moving, some clearly dead. Police demanded that the photographer leave the scene, where rubber bullets were seen strewn on the ground. Oromo activists called for "five days of rage" to protest the killings while a strong police presence was visible as the news of the day's events spread. "This government is a dictatorship, there is no equality or freedom of speech. There is only TPLF. That's why we must protest today," said Mohamed Jafar, referring to the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front. In 1991 the TPLF, then a rebel group, overthrew Mengistu Haile Mariam's dictatorship and now, as a political party stands accused of monopolising power. Every year millions of people in the Oromo region mark the Irreecha festival on the shores of Lake Harsadi, which they consider sacred. The anti-government protests started in the central and western Oromo region in 2015 and spread in recent months to the northern Amhara region. "For the last 25 years the Oromo people have been marginalised in many things. Today we come together as one to chant for our freedom," said one of the people at the festival, Habte Bulcha. Together, Oromos and Amharas make up 60 percent of the population of the Horn of Africa nation and have become increasingly vocal in rejecting what they see as the disproportionate power wielded by the northern Tigrean minority in government and the security forces.[SEP]Dozens of people were crushed to death Sunday in a stampede after police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse an anti-government protest that grew out of a massive religious festival, witnesses said. The Oromia regional government confirmed the death toll at 52. “I almost died in that place today,” said one shaken protester who gave his name only as Elias. Mud-covered and shoeless, he said he had been dragged out of a deep ditch that many people fell into as they tried to flee. The first to fall in had suffocated, he said. “Many people have managed to get out alive, but I’m sure many more others were down there,” he said. “It is really shocking.” The stampede occurred in one of the East African country’s most politically sensitive regions, Oromia, which has seen months of sometimes deadly demonstrations demanding wider freedoms. Read more: Ottawa urged to advocate for human rights in Ethiopia An estimated 2 million people were attending the annual Irrecha thanksgiving festival in the town of Bishoftu, southeast of the capital, Addis Ababa, when people began chanting slogans against the government, according to witnesses. The chanting crowds pressed toward a stage where religious leaders were speaking, the witnesses said, and some threw rocks and plastic bottles. Police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, and people tried to flee. Some were crushed in nearby ditches, witnesses said. In its statement, the Oromia regional government blamed “evil acts masterminded by forces who are irresponsible,” and it denied that the deaths were caused by any actions by security forces. Mulatu Gemechu of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress told The Associated Press that his sources at hospitals said at least 52 people were dead as of Sunday evening, but he thought the figure would rise. The protesters were peaceful and did not carry anything to harm police, he said. Before the stampede, an AP reporter saw small groups of people walking in the crowd and holding up their crossed wrists in a popular gesture of protest. The reporter also saw police firing tear gas and, later, several injured people. The crossed-wrists gesture has been used widely as a sign of peaceful resistance and is meant to symbolize being handcuffed by security forces. It was in the spotlight at the Rio Olympics, when Ethiopian marathoner Feyisa Lilesa, who is from the Oromia region, crossed his wrists while finishing in second place. He hasn’t returned to the country since, saying his life could be in danger. Ethiopia’s government, a close security ally of the West, has been accused often of silencing dissent, at times blocking Internet access. The months of anti-government protests and the sometimes harsh government response have raised international concern. The United States recently spoke out against what it called the excessive use of force against protesters, describing the situation in Ethiopia as “extremely serious.” On Sunday, many people in Ethiopia turned their Twitter and Facebook profiles to solid black and expressed anger at the government over the deaths. The regional government declared three days of national mourning.[SEP]Bishoftu (Ethiopia) (AFP) - Ethiopia was in mourning Monday after more than 50 people died in a stampede triggered when police clashed with protesters, the latest bloody episode in a wave of anger against the authoritarian government. Authorities have said 52 people were killed in the crush at a religious festival Sunday in the town of Bishoftu, east of Addis Ababa. But a local hospital counted 58 bodies and the opposition believes the death toll could be far higher. The resort town in the Oromia region, popular among tourists for several volcanic lakes, is reeling after the stampede which has been blamed on police who fired tear gas at a crowd of tens of thousands of anti-government protesters. Shoes and items of clothing littered the scene of the disaster, and a small group of angry residents were digging for bodies in a deep ditch that claimed many fleeing festival-goers. "We're digging because people are buried inside the ditch. Fifty-two dead is a lie," said one of the diggers, Dagafa Dame. Members of the group said they had dug up three corpses on Monday, however it was not clear whether these had been factored into the official death toll. Members of the country's largest ethnic group, the Oromo, had gathered at a sacred lake in Bishoftu for a religious festival of thanksgiving called Irreecha to mark the end of the rainy season. However political grievances took over, with Oromo protesters chanting anti-government slogans and crossing their wrists above their heads, a gesture that has become a symbol of protest against a government considered among the most repressive in Africa. A video on social media networks showed one protester clambering onto the stage, grabbing the microphone and shouting "down, down" with the ruling Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) Chaos erupted after police charged the protesters and fired tear gas, sending panic through the heaving crowd. Fedesa Mengesha, a doctor in the town's main hospital, told AFP that his colleagues had registered 58 dead, many bleeding from the mouth and nose. "I don't know if other bodies were taken somewhere else, or taken by their families," he said, adding that despite reports that security forces had fired live bullets at the crowd, there was no evidence of this. The regional government said in a statement that 52 people had died in the ensuing stampede. Merera Gudina, chairman of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress, told AFP he believed there had been many more fatalities than the number officially announced. "What I hear from people on the ground is that the number of dead is more than 100," said Gudina. Three days of national mourning were declared on Monday, with the national flag being flown at half-mast in government institutions and regular radio programmes replaced with music. "If the government hadn't provoked this they would not have to declare three days of mourning. They are responsible. People are angry. Things will get worse," said Baadhada Lami, sitting in a local cafe. The regional government blamed "irresponsible forces" for the disaster. Demonstrations against Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn's administration began in November 2015 over a government plan to expand the boundaries of Addis Ababa into the Oromia region. That project was binned, however a brutal crackdown on the protests kindled simmering anger against iron-fisted leaders who largely hail from the northern Tigray region and represent less than 10 percent of the population. "For the last 25 years the Oromo people have been marginalised in many things. Today we come together as one to chant for our freedom," said one of the people at the festival, Habte Bulcha. The protests in Oromia later spread to the northern Amhara region, and international rights groups estimate at least 500 demonstrators have been killed and hundreds injured over the past 10 months. Together, Oromos and Amharas make up 60 percent of the population of Ethiopia. In 1991 the TPLF (Tigrayan People's Liberation Front), then a rebel group, overthrew dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam. Now as a political party it stands accused of monopolising power and keeping a stranglehold over the media. The West has largely avoided direct criticism of the country's rights record because Ethiopia is credited with beating back Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shabaab militants in Somalia.[SEP]In this image from video, tear gas envelops protesters in background as people march during an annual festival in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, Sunday, Oct.2, 2016, where witnesses report that several dozen people died in a stampede during the religious celebration. According to eyewitness reports, several people at the annual festival in Bishoftu Sunday were crushed to death after police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters chanting anti-government slogans as they pushed toward a stage where leaders were speaking. (AP Photo/Elias Meseret) BISHOFTU, Ethiopia (AP) -- Dozens of people were crushed to death Sunday in a stampede after police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse an anti-government protest that grew out of a massive religious festival, witnesses said. An estimated two million people were attending the annual Irrecha thanksgiving event in Bishoftu town southeast of the capital, Addis Ababa. The event took place in one of the East African country's most sensitive regions, Oromia, which has seen several months of sometimes deadly protests demanding wider freedoms. Ethiopia's government acknowledged deaths during Sunday's event. Through a spokesman, it blamed "people that prepared to cause trouble." The spokesman's office said many people were taken to hospitals. It did not provide figures for deaths or injuries. Witnesses said the crush began as protesters chanted anti-government slogans and pushed toward a stage where religious leaders were speaking. Some threw rocks and plastic bottles. Police responded by using tear gas and firing rubber bullets. People tried to flee, but some were crushed in nearby ditches, witnesses said. Before the stampede, an Associated Press reporter saw small groups of people walking among the massive crowd and holding up crossed wrists in a popular gesture of anti-government protest. The reporter also saw police firing tear gas and, later, several injured people. The crossed-wrists gesture has been widely used as a sign of peaceful resistance and is meant to symbolize being handcuffed by security forces. The gesture was in the spotlight at the Rio Olympics, when Ethiopian marathoner Feyisa Lilesa, who is from the Oromia region, crossed his wrists while finishing in second place. He has not returned to the country since, saying his life could be in danger. Ethiopia's government, a close security ally of the West, is often accused of silencing dissent, at times blocking internet access nationwide. The months of anti-government protests in several parts of Ethiopia and the sometimes harsh government response have raised international concern. The United States recently spoke out against what it called the excessive use of force against protesters, describing the situation in the country as "extremely serious."[SEP]"Troublemakers" at the Oromo Irreechaa festival in Bishoftu physically attacked elders who were making their way to the stage to say their blessings for the new year, Reda said. Police fired warning shots into the air, triggering the stampede at the festival attended by an estimated 2 million people, he said. However, Ethiopia's opposition party disputed that account, saying that police fired live bullets into the crowd and as many as 120 people were killed. Merera Gudina, chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress, said the number of casualties was still unknown. "This goes down as one of the darkest days in modern Oromo history," Gudina told CNN. The Oromo are Ethiopia's largest ethnic group and make up at least a third of the country's 100 million people. But they have been marginalized for decades, with tensions rising recently as the government promoted development that took over Oromo farmland. During the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, athlete Feyisa Lilesa protested against what he said was unfair persecution of the Oromo people by the Ethiopian government. Gudina said the violence broke out after festival attendees refused to listen to speakers from the ruling party. "The ruling party has been trying to control the festival and use it for its own political interests," he said. "The people gathered refused to listen to speeches of the ruling party. In that confrontation the security forces started to shoot and use tear gas and live bullets. That created chaos." What is behind Ethiopia's Oromo protests? Reda vigorously denied the claim, saying the deaths were the result of a stampede. "Of the people's bodies who were collected, they do not have any bullet wounds whatsoever," Reda said. "They were killed in the stampede. The security forces were mostly unarmed and none of them were involved in firing at the people." "There was no force involved on the part of the security forces -- after all, this event was a people's event," he added. Reda blamed diaspora elements for causing the chaos, saying they were trying to "take advantage to promote a political agenda." "We have a diaspora who are trying to drive a wedge in the people in the government who are using all sorts of violent means to achieve it." Gudina said Ethiopians in other parts of Oromia are protesting the deaths, including in Ambo in western Oromia. "The government should negotiate and the government should talk to people. The bullet should not be the answer to people demanding their right," Gudina said.[SEP]BISHOFTU, Ethiopia (AP) — Several dozen people died in a stampede Sunday morning when a religious celebration in Ethiopia turned into an anti-government protest that led police to fire tear gas and rubber bullets. An estimated two million people were attending the annual Irrecha event in Bishoftu town southeast of the capital, Addis Ababa. The event took place in one of the country’s most sensitive regions, Oromia, which has seen several months of sometimes deadly protests demanding wider freedoms. Ethiopia’s government acknowledged deaths during the event and, though a spokesman, blamed “people that prepared to cause trouble” for the chaos. The spokesman’s office said many people were taken to hospitals, but it did not provide any figures. Witnesses said police dispersed protesters chanting anti-government slogans as they pushed toward a stage where religious leaders were speaking. Some threw rocks and plastic bottles. As festival goers fled, some were crushed in nearby ditches. An Associated Press reporter saw people holding up crossed wrists in a popular gesture of anti-government protest and police firing tear gas. The reporter also saw several injured people. The months of anti-government protests in several parts of Ethiopia and the sometimes harsh government response has raised international concern. The United States recently spoke out against what it called the excessive use of force against protesters.[SEP]Scores of people have been reportedly crushed to death in Ethiopia in a stampede after police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse an anti-government protest that grew out of a religious festival. There were conflicting death toll reports following Sunday’s stampede in Bishoftu, a town 40km southeast of the capital Addis Ababa. An AFP news agency photographer at the scene said he saw 15-20 unmoving bodies, some of whom were clearly dead. An Associated Press news agency report said “several dozens” have died. “As a result of the chaos, lives were lost and several of the injured were taken to hospital,” the government communications office said in a statement, without giving exact figures. “Those responsible will face justice.” An estimated two million people were attending the annual Irrecha event in Bishoftu. The event took place in one of the country’s most sensitive regions, Oromia, which has seen several months of sometimes deadly protests demanding wider freedoms. Merera Gudina, chairperson of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress, told Reuters news agency at least 50 people were killed when people fled after police fired tear gas and shots in the air to disperse anti-government protesters at a crowded religious festival. The government and opposition often give different accounts for casualties during protests. Crowds chanted “we need freedom” and “we need justice” and prevented community elders, deemed close to the government, from delivering their speeches at a religious festival, prompting police to fire tear gas that caused the stampede. Protesters chanted slogans against the Oromo People’s Democratic Organisation, one of four regional political parties that make up the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front, which has ruled the nation for quarter of a century. Sporadic protests have erupted in Oromia region in the last two years, initially sparked by a land row and increasingly turning more broadly against the government. Ethnic tensions According to New York-based Human Rights Watch, at least 500 people have been killed by security forces since the demonstrations began in November. Though protests started among the Oromo – Ethiopia’s biggest ethnic group – they later spread to the Amhara, the second-most largest in the country. Both groups say the ruling coalition is dominated by the Tigray ethnic group, which makes up only about six percent of the population. Small protests in Oromia province initially flared in 2014 over a development plan for the capital that would have expanded its boundaries, a move seen as threatening the seizure of farmland. The government has blamed rebel groups and dissidents abroad for stirring up the protests and provoking violence. The government has denied that violence from the security forces is systemic, though a spokesman has previously told Al Jazeera that police officers “sometimes take the law into their own hands”, pledging an independent investigation. The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front last month rejected a UN request to send in observers, saying it alone was responsible for the security of its citizens. The post Ethiopia: ‘Several’ killed in Oromia festival stampede appeared first on African Media Agency.[SEP]Festival goers flee as police fire teargas into the crowd in Bishoftu, near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday, October 2. At least 52 people died during the stampede that followed. An estimated two million people had gathered at a sacred lake to take part in the Irreecha ceremony to mark the Oromo New Year.[SEP]Dozens of people were crushed to death Sunday in a stampede after police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse an anti-government protest that grew out of a massive religious festival, witnesses said. An estimated two million people were attending the annual Irrecha thanksgiving event in Bishoftu town southeast of the capital, Addis Ababa. The event took place in one of the East African country's most sensitive regions, Oromia, which has seen several months of sometimes deadly protests demanding wider freedoms. Ethiopia's government acknowledged deaths during Sunday's event. Through a spokesman, it blamed "people that prepared to cause trouble." The spokesman's office said many people were taken to hospitals. It did not provide figures for deaths or injuries. Witnesses said the crush began as protesters chanted anti-government slogans and pushed toward a stage where religious leaders were speaking. Some threw rocks and plastic bottles. Police responded by using tear gas and firing rubber bullets. People tried to flee, but some were crushed in nearby ditches, witnesses said. Before the stampede, an Associated Press reporter saw small groups of people walking among the massive crowd and holding up crossed wrists in a popular gesture of anti-government protest. The reporter also saw police firing tear gas and, later, several injured people. The crossed-wrists gesture has been widely used as a sign of peaceful resistance and is meant to symbolize being handcuffed by security forces. The gesture was in the spotlight at the Rio Olympics, when Ethiopian marathoner Feyisa Lilesa, who is from the Oromia region, crossed his wrists while finishing in second place. He has not returned to the country since, saying his life could be in danger. Ethiopia's government, a close security ally of the West, is often accused of silencing dissent, at times blocking internet access nationwide. The months of anti-government protests in several parts of Ethiopia and the sometimes harsh government response have raised international concern. The United States recently spoke out against what it called the excessive use of force against protesters, describing the situation in the country as "extremely serious."

Police allegedly attack Oromo protestors at a religious festival in Bishoftu, Ethiopia causing a stampede which kills dozens of people.

Update 8:30 a.m. Monday: National Transportation Safety Board investigators hoped Monday to reach the site of a plane crash near Togiak that killed three people Sunday afternoon. Clint Johnson, the NTSB's Alaska chief, said two investigators – Shaun Williams and Noreen Price — reached Dillingham Sunday evening and consulted with Alaska State Troopers. They planned to fly to Togiak via helicopter Monday morning, using the village as a base of operations from which to visit the crashed Cessna 208B. Troopers were able to initially reach the scene Sunday in steep terrain, Johnson said, by landing nearby then hiking to the site. "They made it in via helicopter — they were contending with less-than-stellar weather conditions," Johnson said. "All we know at this point is that the wreckage is highly fragmented." Investigators based in Washington, D.C., are collecting radar and radio data from the fatal flight, including Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast or ADS-B tracking information being transmitted by the aircraft. Check back for updates on this developing story. Original story: All three people aboard a Ravn Connect flight died Sunday afternoon when the aircraft they were traveling in crashed northwest of Togiak, Alaska State Troopers reported. The Hageland Aviation Cessna 208B, operating as Ravn Connect, was carrying a pilot, a co-pilot and one passenger from Quinhagak to Togiak. Ground controllers from Hageland lost contact with the flight between 1 and 1:30 p.m., said NTSB Alaska Chief Clint Johnson. An emergency locator transmitter was activated aboard the Cessna just before 1:30 p.m., troopers said. Troopers reached the crash site — which Johnson said was located in "steep terrain" about 12 miles northwest of the village of Togiak in Southwest Alaska — later Sunday. "No survivors were located," troopers said in an online dispatch. Federal investigators with the NTSB will travel to the scene early Monday morning, Johnson said. A statement from Ravn Alaska Sunday evening confirmed that there were two pilots and a passenger aboard the plane. The victims of the crash were not immediately identified Sunday pending notification of their families.[SEP]ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A growing consumer demand for Alaska cruises has put the state back in the million-passenger club as it rebounds after a leaner stretch. And next year is expected to be even better with larger-capacity ships added to the Far North lineup. The millionth passenger was recently counted as the Alaska cruise industry’s season was nearing its end. Final passenger totals are expected to be slightly higher. “Alaska’s very popular,” Holland America Line spokesman Erik Elvejord said Friday. “We’ve been getting a lot of interest in it.” Overall visitor numbers also are growing, with a record of more than 2 million travelers in the state last year. This summer’s season is projected to be “just as positive” and expected to continue next year as well, said Sarah Leonard, president of the Alaska Travel Industry Association. “With continued interest by cruise companies including Alaska itineraries and bringing bigger ships to Alaska ports, we expect the growth to continue next summer,” Leonard said Friday in an email. John Binkley, president of Cruise Lines International Association Alaska, says the 2017 season is expected to bring up to 45,000 additional passengers from this year’s tally. That would break the old record set in 2008. The number of sailings also is expected to slightly grow, from 477 this year to 481 next year.[SEP]ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Authorities say rescuers did not find any survivors after a small plane carrying three people crashed in a remote area of western Alaska. Alaska State Troopers say its helicopter crew located wreckage of the plane near the coastal village of Togiak, about 200 miles northwest of Anchorage. The troopers said in a statement that no survivors were found at the crash site, which was in rough terrain about 12 miles northwest of Togiak. National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Clint Johnson tells KTVA that two pilots and a passenger were aboard. He says that the Cessna 208 operated by Ravn Connect was en route to Togiak from Quinhagak, about 70 miles away. The station says another Ravn Connect flight utilizing a Hageland Aviation Services plane crashed in midair with another plane on Aug. 31, killing five people.[SEP]► Watch more adventure on Red Bull TV: http://win.gs/AdventureRBTV Alaska – one of the last great frontiers. Distant, intimidating, and wild, it has a population density of one person for every two square kilometres, and most of that concentrated in the capital city of Anchorage. So when you head into the outback, you’re truly going into the middle of nowhere. That’s one thing that drew pro paraglider pilot Paul Guschlbauer to Alaska. The other thing? He had bought a plane – a 1959 Piper Super Cub – sight unseen. Of course, he’d have to head over to check it out. And once he was there, what would he use it for? To find more places to paraglide, of course. _ Experience the world of Red Bull like you have never seen it before. With the best action sports clips on the web and original series, prepare for your „stoke factor“ to be at an all time high.[SEP]Lowell Thomas Jr., a former Alaska lieutenant governor, author, adventurer, glacier pilot and son of the legendary broadcaster, died Saturday. JUNEAU, Alaska — Lowell Thomas Jr., a former Alaska lieutenant governor, author, adventurer, glacier pilot and son of a legendary broadcaster, has died. His daughter, Anne Donaghy, confirmed his death Monday to The Associated Press. She says her father died Saturday at his home in Anchorage, days shy of his 93rd birthday. He was born in London on Oct. 6, 1923, to Lowell Jackson Thomas and Frances Ryan Thomas. His early childhood was spent in New York City, where his father had a nightly radio broadcast. He was a flight instructor during World War II, and flying and skiing became lifelong passions. He and his wife flew across the world and chronicled their work in articles and a book. They visited Alaska in 1958 and fell in love with it, moving there two years later. Mr. Thomas was a state legislator and later lieutenant governor, a post he held from 1974 to 1978. The family plans a memorial later in Anchorage.[SEP]ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Don’t try to fence in Alaska moose battling for female attention. They’ll bust right through it. Bryan M. Anderson said he and his daughter went looking for moose early Sunday, stumbling upon an unusual sighting in Anchorage’s largest park. Two bull moose on either side of a chain-link fence near a road clashed their massive antlers together, trying to prove their superiority for the benefit of some female moose nearby. At one point, a moose charges through the fence, pulling it off its posts and knocking his rival backward. That moose then pushes the first animal back to its side of the fence, which stayed upright. Anderson caught the fight on his phone during mating season. His Facebook post has been viewed more than a half-million times since Sunday.

A Ravn Alaska Cessna 208B crashes near Togiak, Alaska killing three people.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Theresa May calls for "a truly global Britain" after confirming the deadline for triggering Article 50 to leave the EU The UK will begin the formal Brexit negotiation process by the end of March 2017, PM Theresa May has said. The timing on triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty means the UK looks set to leave the EU by summer 2019. Mrs May told the Tory Party conference - her first as prime minister - the government would strike a deal with the EU as an "independent, sovereign" UK. Voters had given their verdict "with emphatic clarity", she said, and ministers had to "get on with the job". In a speech on the first day of the conference in Birmingham, she also gave details of a Great Repeal Bill which she said would end EU law's primacy in the UK. She attacked those who "have still not accepted the result of the referendum", adding: "It is up to the government not to question, quibble or backslide on what we have been instructed to do, but to get on with the job." She told delegates: "We are going to be a fully independent, sovereign country - a country that is no longer part of a political union with supranational institutions that can override national parliaments and courts. "And that means we are going, once more, to have the freedom to make our own decisions on a whole host of different matters, from how we label our food to the way in which we choose to control immigration." Mrs May said a "truly global Britain is possible, and it is in sight", adding: "We don't need - as I sometimes hear people say - to 'punch above our weight' because our weight is substantial enough already." Reacting to Mrs May's comments about Article 50: The CBI said there was still an "urgent need for answers" on single market access and business regulations The cross-party Open Britain campaign warned Mrs May about being "gung ho" and said she should not "expect any favours from Parliament" on her repeal bill Labour's shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said the Article 50 commitment was "meaningless" without the government saying what it wanted to achieve European Council President Donald Tusk said the announcement brought "welcome clarity" Scotland's Brexit minister warned the Scottish Parliament might block the "Great Repeal Bill" Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was "depressing" that government decisions were "being driven by ideology of the hard Brexiteers, rather than interests of country" Leading Brexit campaigner Iain Duncan Smith said the PM had set a "fairly reasonable" timetable and thought Article 50 could be triggered sooner than March Lib Dem leader Tim Farron called for clarity before Article 50 was triggered, adding: "We can't start the process without any idea of where we're going" Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Theresa May confirms Article 50 deadline The PM, who had previously only said she would not trigger Article 50 this year, ended speculation about the government's timetable on BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning. She said it would be done by "the first quarter of 2017", marking the start of a two-year exit process. The process of leaving the EU would be "quite complex", she said, but added that she hoped there would now be "preparatory work" with the remaining EU members so that "once the trigger comes we will have a smoother process of negotiation". She added: "It's not just important for the UK, but important for Europe as a whole that we're able to do this in the best possible way so we have the least disruption for businesses, and when we leave the EU we have a smooth transition from the EU." The PM also said June's vote to leave the EU had been a "clear message from the British people that they want us to control movement of people coming into the UK". Analysis Image copyright AP By Laura Kuenssberg, BBC political editor Theresa May has appeared dozens of times on Tory conference platforms before, but before she had uttered a word, this afternoon marked an occasion that will matter to the party's history. She may not have been elected as prime minister, but with four years until the next general election, far from sticking to David Cameron's plan, she plans not to waste a minute implementing her agenda. It will be far from easy - former ministers are already muttering about her direction. She has a tiny majority, and no individual mandate for her reforms. But on the biggest challenge before her - taking the UK out of the European Union - Theresa May still is characteristically reticent. Read more from Laura Mrs May also promised a "Great Repeal Bill" in the next Queen's Speech, to remove the European Communities Act 1972 from the statute book and enshrine all existing EU law into British law. The repeal bill will enable Parliament to amend and cancel any unwanted legislation and also end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the UK. Mrs May said this was an "important step", adding: "That means the UK will be an independent sovereign nation, it will be making its own laws." The repeal of the 1972 act will not take effect until the UK leaves the EU under Article 50. European Communities Act 1972 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Theresa May told the BBC's Andrew Marr that repealing the EU act will make the UK "sovereign and independent" In 1972 the UK Parliament passed the European Communities Act It gave direct effect to EU law, so if there is a conflict between an act of the UK Parliament and EU law, Westminster loses out and EU law prevails The European Court of Justice (ECJ) became a kind of Supreme Court of Europe, interpreting EU law with judgements that were binding on all member states Did the UK lose its sovereignty in 1972? Reality Check: How would the UK rid itself of EU law?[SEP]Theresa May will unveil plans to enshrine all European Union regulations that apply to Britain in domestic law when the country leaves the bloc at her first Conservative conference as prime minister. She will tell her party that she intends to pass legislation to transpose EU law on to the UK statute book when Brexit happens. May again ruled out the prospect of an early general election, insisting that she wants stability for the country as she arrived for the gathering in Birmingham. She told the Sunday Times: “We will introduce, in the next Queen’s speech, a ‘great repeal’ bill that will remove the European Communities Act from the statute book. “This marks the first stage in the UK becoming a sovereign and independent country once again. It will return power and authority to the elected institutions of our country. It means that the authority of EU law in Britain will end.” May and the Brexit secretary, David Davis, will use the opening day of the conference to detail plans for their “great repeal” bill that will allow Britain to “take back control” of its legislation. The bill will repeal the 1972 European Communities Act, which gives direct effect to all EU law, and at the same time convert Brussels regulations into domestic law. This will give parliament the power to unpick the laws it wants to keep, remove or amend at a later date, in a move that could be welcomed by MPs who are keen to have a say over the terms of Brexit. The move is also designed to give certainty to businesses and protection for workers’ rights that are enshrined in EU law. Davis will say: “To those who are trying to frighten British workers, saying, ‘When we leave, employment rights will be eroded’, I say firmly and unequivocally, ‘No, they won’t.’” The bill is expected to be brought forward in the next parliamentary session (2017-18) and will not pre-empt the two-year process of leaving the EU, which begins when the government triggers article 50. Davis will tell the conference: “We will follow the process to leave the EU which is set out in article 50. The prime minister has been clear that she won’t start the formal negotiations about our exit before the end of the year. As we prepare for those negotiations in Europe, we also need to prepare for the impact of Brexit on domestic law. “It’s very simple. At the moment we leave, Britain must be back in control. And that means EU law must cease to apply. To ensure continuity, we will take a simple approach. EU law will be transposed into domestic law, wherever practical, on exit day. It will be for elected politicians here to make the changes to reflect the outcome of our negotiation and our exit. “That is what people voted for: power and authority residing once again with the sovereign institutions of our own country.” The repeal bill will also end the primacy of EU law, meaning rulings by the European court of justice will stop applying to the UK once the legislation takes effect. It will also include powers to make changes to the laws using secondary legislation as negotiations over the UK’s future relationship proceed, although more wide-ranging amendments or new laws may come forward in separate bills.[SEP]Britain looks set to leave the European Union by summer 2019 after triggering the formal process to pull out before the end of March next year, Theresa May has said. The Prime Minister said Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty will be triggered in the first three months of 2017, marking the start of the two-year process to enact Brexit. The process can be extended beyond two years if Britain and all other EU countries unanimously agree, but that prospect is seen as unlikely. She made the announcement after revealing plans for a “Great Repeal Bill” to transpose all EU law applying to the UK into domestic law, ready for the day the country leaves the union. Tory former minister Anna Soubry, who is on the liberal pro-Europe wing of the party, said triggering Article 50 so soon “really concerns” her and warned that the EU “holds all the cards” in the negotiation. She warned that companies like Nissan will “pack up and leave” Britain if it cannot negotiate access to the single market and dismissed the repeal Bill as “very technical and not a big deal”. Ms Soubry told Peston: “Triggering Brexit as early as March really concerns me, troubles me hugely, because we won’t have had the French elections, we won’t have had the German elections, and I’m sorry, it is going to take a lot of time and effort to disentangle ourselves and get the right deal. “The other thing that’s got to be said is this - this idea that we hold the cards and that the EU is going to come to us and say ‘do you know what, we’ll give you pretty much what you want’, the idea we’re going to get anything like we’ve got now is rubbish. “We’re going to get something worse, obviously we are, and we don’t hold the cards, the EU does.” Labour shadow minister Jon Ashworth joined Ms Soubry in calling for more clarity over the Government’s Brexit strategy. “Theresa May said she was providing ‘clarity’ but that’s exactly what we aren’t getting from the Tories,” he said. “There were very few answers from her this morning either on the big questions facing us. “She gave very little detail on her supposed big idea of a ‘Great Repeal Act’ other than it’s an ambition; there was no answer on what would be in it, how it would work or, vitally, how she intends to deliver Brexit while protecting our workers and businesses.” ’Like’ The Scotsman on Facebook for regular updates DOWNLOAD THE SCOTSMAN APP ON ITUNES OR GOOGLE PLAY[SEP]Prime minister Theresa May confirms on Sunday that she will trigger Article 50 before the end of March 2017, with plans for a ‘great repeal bill’ following shortly after Brexit. Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, May said she hoped to have some ‘preparation in place’ before March, allowing a smooth process of negotiation • Brexit: Theresa May to trigger article 50 by end of March 2017[SEP]The Prime Minister also warned that she would not allow Scotland’s “divisive nationalists” to undermine the United Kingdom as she confirmed that Article 50 will be triggered by the end of next March. The announcement paves the way for Brexit to take place by the summer of 2019 - a year ahead of the scheduled date of the next general election. In her first party conference speech as Conservative leader, Mrs May also said that the next Queen’s Speech will include a Great Repeal Bill which will give Parliament total jurisdiction to determine new laws. However she confirmed that existing EU employment legislation protecting the legal rights of workers “will continue to be guaranteed in law” for “as long as I am Prime Minister”. This well received speech also made clear that the Government will uphold the result of the June 23 referendum – and that there would not be a vote in both Houses of Parliament before two years of negotiations with the European Union after the formal tabling of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. Mrs May confirmed that Attorney General will represent the Government in the High Court next week when advocates of Britain’s continued membership of the EU will attempt to delay the political process. “People who argue that Article 50 can only be triggered after agreement in both Houses of Parliament are not standing up for democracy, they’re trying to subvert it,” declared Mrs May. “They’re not trying to get Brexit right, they’re trying to kill it by delaying it. They are insulting the intelligence of the British people. That is why, next week, I can tell you that the Attorney General himself, Jeremy Wright, will act for the Government and resist them in the courts. “Likewise, the negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union are the responsibility of the Government and nobody else. Because we voted in the referendum as one United Kingdom, we will negotiate as one United Kingdom, and we will leave the European Union as one United Kingdom. There is no opt-out from Brexit. And I will never allow divisive nationalists to undermine the precious Union between the four nations of our United Kingdom.” Taking the unusual step for a Tory leader of addressing the conference on its opening day, Mrs May rejected the argument Britain must choose between “hard Brexit” - in which it regains control over immigration but loses access to the European single market - and “soft Brexit”, under which access to the single market comes with a requirement to allow free movement of EU workers. “Whether people like it or not, the country voted to leave the EU,” said Mrs May. “That means we are going to leave the EU.” The Prime Minsiter pledged: “We are going to be a fully independent, sovereign country. That means we are going, once more, to have the freedom to make our own decisions from how we label our food to the way in which we choose to control immigration.” To loud applause, she added: “I know some people ask about the ‘trade-off’ between controlling immigration and trading with Europe. But that is the wrong way of looking at things. We have voted to leave the European Union and become a fully independent, sovereign country. We will do what independent, sovereign countries do. We will decide for ourselves how we control immigration. And we will be free to pass our own laws.” She said her aim would be to strike a deal with the UK’s EU partners to include “co-operation on law enforcement and counter-terrorism work and to give British companies “the maximum freedom to trade with and operate in the single market and let European businesses do the same here”. She added: “Let me be clear: We are not leaving the European Union only to give up control of immigration again. And we are not leaving only to return to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. We don’t need – as I sometimes hear people say – to “punch above our weight”. Because our weight is substantial enough already. So let’s ignore the pessimists, let’s have the confidence in ourselves to go out into the world, securing trade deals, winning contracts, generating wealth and creating jobs. Let’s show the country we mean business.” European Council President Donald Tusk welcomed Mrs May’s “clarity” which he said would allow the remaining 27 EU states to “engage to safeguard (their) interests”. No delays as Theresa May says she means ‘business’ over Brexit[SEP]Scotland’s Brexit minister has suggested Holyrood could vote against Prime Minister Theresa May’s Great Repeal Bill. Mike Russell said legislation to transpose all EU law applying to the UK into domestic law would require the consent of the Scottish Parliament, where the majority of MSPs are against it. Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Politics Scotland programme, he called for greater involvement for the devolved administrations in the “meat” of Brexit negotiations. Mr Russell, citing devolved areas such as fishing and agriculture, said: “There are issues which are issues for the Scottish Government, they are not issues for the UK Government. READ MORE: Theresa May to trigger Article 50 before end of March 2017 “A piece of legislation such as Theresa May is now promising, this Great Repeal Act, will require the approval of the Scottish Parliament. A legislative consent motion will be required. “The Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, has a formal role there. We need to make sure that we are in there discussing these matters.” Asked whether the Scottish Parliament would vote against a repeal Bill, he said: “Presently there is a majority against that repeal Bill, that is absolutely obvious. READ MORE: Theresa May to enshrine EU regulations in domestic law “We’ve had three votes in the Scottish Parliament in the last four weeks on European matters. All of them have been in favour of the single market and issues like that, and against what appears to be the current position of the hard Brexiteers who are pushing Theresa May and trying to force her into their camp. “That, at the present moment, would appear to be the case.” Responding to the announcement on Twitter, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was “depressing” that UK Government decisions “are being driven by ideology of the hard Brexiteers, rather than interests of country”. Mr Russell added: “Today’s announcements, I think, are more designed to pacify the Tory right wing. They are not designed to give the clarity that people actually need. “There is some small print in the Government’s announcement today, which seems to imply that we will be asked, the devolved administrations will be asked, for their ideas and their views. “That’s not consultation, that’s certainly not the Theresa May full engagement and full involvement that she promised. “We have to keep arguing for, pressing for and insisting upon the involvement of the Scottish Government and the other devolved administrations in the meat of these matters.” ’Like’ The Scotsman on Facebook for regular updates DOWNLOAD THE SCOTSMAN APP ON ITUNES OR GOOGLE PLAY[SEP]What is the ‘great repeal bill’ proposed by Theresa May? The aim of the legislation will be to end the authority of EU law by converting all its provisions in British law on the day of exit from the bloc. At the same time, the 1972 European Communities Act giving direct effect to all EU law will be repealed. What is the point of leaving the EU if we are transposing its laws into British law? May says there will be an opportunity to scrutinise, amend, repeal or improve any aspect of EU law in the future. There will almost certainly be a huge number of requests for changes from MPs, peers and third parties with vested interests in getting rid of EU provisions. However, it is not entirely clear whether this will happen during the passage of this bill or ministers and parliament will be given powers to throw out bits of EU legislation at a later date. Will it pass through parliament unchallenged? The bill would probably make it through the House of Commons as it would have the overwhelming support of the Conservatives, and Labour would find it difficult to oppose. But it might have a trickier ride through the House of Lords and the process could be lengthy given the number of amendments likely to be demanded. When will it happen? The legislation will be introduced in the next parliamentary session, which starts with the Queen’s speech next May. It would need to be ready by the day the UK leaves the EU, which is now likely to be before March 2019. How does it fit in with the article 50 process? May has just confirmed the EU will be informed that Britain formally wants to leave the EU before the end of March 2017. That is called triggering article 50, starting up to two years of negotiations with Brussels – which can be extended by mutual agreement. The examination of the “great repeal bill” will be an entirely separate process for the UK alone, as the legislation will be prepared by Whitehall, brought forward by ministers and debated by MPs and peers. Could it mean a weakening of workers’ rights, environmental standards and other protections governed by the EU? This is a possibility that has long been warned about by pro-remain campaigners in Labour and the trade unions. During the parliamentary process, the government says it will be possible to amend, repeal or improve any law after appropriate scrutiny and debate. However, David Davis, the Brexit secretary, has insisted this is not the aim. “To those who are trying to frighten British workers, saying, ‘When we leave, employment rights will be eroded,’ I say firmly and unequivocally, ‘no they won’t’.” Are there any other implications? The legislation will end the jurisdiction of the European court of justice in the UK. One argument against the EU made by leave campaigners was the EU law had become sovereign over British law.[SEP]LONDON (AP) — Britain will trigger the formal process for leaving the European Union before the end of March, Prime Minister Theresa May said Sunday, putting to rest weeks of speculation on the timing of the move. May outlined her vision for a post-EU Britain at her Conservative Party’s annual conference in Birmingham and took the first steps to making a British exit — or Brexit — a reality. As her fellow lawmakers applauded wildly, May made it clear that the British people expected to see the moment “on the horizon” when Britain would leave — and that she was going to deliver. “We will invoke it when we are ready, and we will be ready soon,” she said. “We will invoke Article 50 no later than the end of March next year.” While the prime minister previously had hinted she planned to initiate Britain’s EU exit early next year, many observers had speculated she would wait until France’s presidential election ends in May or perhaps even the Germany elections, set for the late summer or fall of next year. But May insisted there would be no unnecessary delays in bringing it to pass — and that it would fight any legal challenges intended to derail the move. She sternly rejected the idea that the government would circumvent the result, making a face as she raised the idea to underscore her disdain. Britain voted in a June referendum to leave the EU, but has not formally notified the bloc of its intentions by invoking the article of the EU treaty that would trigger negotiations. Doing so will launch two years of talks to work out the details of Britain’s future relationship with the single market. While the two-year timetable is mandated by the EU treaty, it can be extended by a unanimous vote of the remaining members of the bloc. The prime minister also said she would ask Parliament to repeal the European Communities Act, which automatically makes EU rules the law of the land in Britain. May said her government instead would incorporate all EU laws into British law and then repeal measures as necessary on a case-by-case basis. “That means that the United Kingdom will be an independent, sovereign nation,” she said. “It will be making its own laws.” May said that by offering a timetable now, she hopes to encourage the two sides to engage in preliminary work that would help the negotiations go smoothly once they begin. EU leaders so far have rejected any such discussions. The president of the 28-nation EU’s governing European Council, Donald Tusk, offered a tweet in support of her position. He had told her at a recent Downing Street meeting that the “ball is now in your court.” “PM May’s declaration brings welcome clarity on start of Brexit talks,” he tweeted Sunday. “Once Art. 50’s triggered, EU27 will engage to safeguard its interests.” One of the biggest sticking points in any talks will be immigration. The free movement of labor is a founding principle of the EU, and millions of EU citizens live and work in Britain. The perception that immigrants have strained public services and changed the face of many communities was a factor for many British citizens who voted to leave the EU. May said that she intends to heed public opinion on that point. “Apart from the message of leaving the European Union, I think there was also a clear message from the British people that they wanted us to control movement of people from the EU coming into the UK, so we will deliver on that,” she said. May also flatly rejected the idea that elements within the United Kingdom might be able to negotiate a deal for themselves. The message was clearly aimed at Scotland, which only narrowly rejected an independence move in 2014 and had voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU. Scotland wants a place at the table because of its numerous trade ties with the EU. “We will negotiate as one United Kingdom and we will leave the European Union as one United Kingdom. There is no opt-out for Brexit,” May told the conference. “I will never allow divisive nationalists to undermine the precious union between the four nations of our United Kingdom.” Critics quickly pounced on the first tangible moves on the process in weeks. Conservative Anna Soubry, a former minister who is in the Tory pro-Europe wing of the party, told ITV that she was concerned that May would trigger the article so soon, warning that companies such as Nissan might leave without a deal on the single market. “Triggering Brexit as early as March really concerns me, troubles me hugely, because we won’t have had the French elections, we won’t have had the German elections, and I’m sorry, it is going to take a lot of time and effort to disentangle ourselves and get the right deal,” she said. “The other thing that’s got to be said is this — this idea that we hold the cards and that the EU is going to come to us and say ‘do you know what, we’ll give you pretty much what you want’, — the idea we’re going to get anything like we’ve got now is rubbish.” The opposition Labour Party asked for more clarity on the proposals. Stephen Kinnock, a member of Parliament from Aberavon, said May has yet to say what leaving will mean in practice. “The Brexit process will give this government more power to re-shape Britain than any government has had since the Second World War,” he said in a statement. “And yet what Brexit means is still unclear, and the government has no specific mandate for its negotiating position, assuming that it has one.”[SEP]Britain looks set to leave the European Union by summer 2019 after triggering the formal process to pull out before the end of March next year, Theresa May has said. The Prime Minister said Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty will be triggered in the first three months of 2017, marking the start of the two-year process to enact Brexit. The process can be extended beyond two years if Britain and all other EU countries unanimously agree, but that prospect is seen as unlikely. She made the announcement after revealing plans for a “Great Repeal Bill” to transpose all EU law applying to the UK into domestic law, ready for the day the country leaves the union. Ahead of her speech on Brexit at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Mrs May told BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show: “As you know, I have been saying that we wouldn’t trigger it before the end of this year so that we get some preparation in place. “But yes, I will be saying in my speech today that we will trigger (Article 50) before the end of March next year.” Mrs May added: “The remaining members of the EU have to decide what the process of negotiation is. “I hope, and I will be saying to them, now that they know what our timing is going to be - it’s not an exact date but they know it will be in the first quarter of next year - that we’ll be able to have some preparatory work so that once the trigger comes we have a smoother process of negotiation. “It’s not just important for the UK but important for Europe as a whole that we’re able to do this in the best possible way so we have the least disruption for businesses, and when we leave the EU we have a smooth transition from the EU.” Mrs May said Parliament will be kept informed, adding: “This is not about keeping silent for two years, but it’s about making sure that we are able to negotiate, that we don’t set out all the cards in our negotiation because, as anybody will know who’s been involved in these things, if you do that up front, or if you give a running commentary, you don’t get the right deal.” The Prime Minister was challenged on how she will seek to control immigration post-Brexit. Asked if a work permit system would be adopted for skilled workers, Mrs May said: “We will look at the various ways in which we can bring in the controls that the British people want, and ensuring, as we have been in our immigration policy generally, that the brightest and best can come to the UK.” Mrs May will later tell the Tory party conference that her “Great Repeal Bill” will scrap the 1972 European Communities Act, which gives direct effect to all EU law, and at the same time convert Brussels regulations into domestic law. This will give Parliament the power to unpick the laws it wants to keep, remove or amend at a later date, in a move that could be welcomed by MPs keen to have a say over the terms of Brexit. The move is also designed to give certainty to businesses and protection for workers’ rights that are part of EU law. Brexit Secretary David Davis will also tell the conference: “To those who are trying to frighten British workers, saying ‘when we leave, employment rights will be eroded’, I say firmly and unequivocally, ‘no they won’t’.” The Bill is expected to be brought forward in the next parliamentary session (2017-18) and will not pre-empt the two-year process of leaving the EU, which begins when the Government triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. Mr Davis will say: “It’s very simple. At the moment we leave, Britain must be back in control. And that means EU law must cease to apply. “To ensure continuity, we will take a simple approach. EU law will be transposed into domestic law, wherever practical, on exit day. “It will be for elected politicians here to make the changes to reflect the outcome of our negotiation and our exit. “That is what people voted for: power and authority residing once again with the sovereign institutions of our own country.” The repeal Bill will end the primacy of EU law, meaning rulings by the European Court of Justice will stop applying to the UK once the legislation takes effect. It will include powers to make changes to the laws using secondary legislation as negotiations over the UK’s future relationship proceed, although more wide-ranging amendments or new laws may come forward in separate Bills. Sir Craig Oliver, David Cameron’s former spin doctor, expressed his frustration over Mrs May’s stance during the EU referendum. Sir Craig, who has released a book entitled Unleashing Demons: The Inside Story Of Brexit, told the BBC: “It was very difficult in the lead-up to that campaign having a Home Secretary not reveal which side she was on. “When she did reveal which side she was on, it was 51-49 and was very equivocal.” He added: “It’s perfectly legitimate for Theresa May to do that. What the book is doing is recounting what was it like being in Downing Street to be part of this tumultuous situation.”[SEP]The Government will introduce a “Great Repeal Bill” to Parliament that aims to end the authority of European law in Britain from the very first moment the country has left the EU. The historic proposal will scrap the European Communities Act, absorbing parts into UK law while giving ministers powers to ditch other elements they want rid of. Prime Minister Theresa May and Brexit Secretary David Davis plan to introduce the Bill as early as the spring, with its passage through Parliament set to take place in parallel to withdrawal negotiations in Brussels. The announcement is the centrepiece of the first day of Conservative Conference, with Mr Davis set to tell the party faithful the change will mean “power and authority” returned to the UK. But it also sets the scene for a major clash in Parliament, as the Government will have to pass the Bill through a House of Lords where the Tories are in a minority and even some Conservative peers suggest they may try and delay Brexit legislation. Ms May is expected to implement Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, formally triggering Brexit talks, early in 2017. That starts a two-year countdown in which a withdrawal deal must be struck before the UK departs the EU. Mr Davis will say: "As we prepare for those negotiations in Europe, we also need to prepare for the impact of Brexit on domestic law. It’s very simple. At the moment we leave, Britain must be back in control. And that means EU law must cease to apply. "To ensure continuity, we will take a simple approach. EU law will be transposed into domestic law, wherever practical, on exit day. It will be for elected politicians here to make the changes to reflect the outcome of our negotiation and our exit. "That is what people voted for - power and authority residing once again with the sovereign institutions of our own country." The Great Repeal Bill will, on day one of Brexit, end the authority of EU law by abolishing the 1972 European Communities Act - the legislation which means all law formed in Europe has primacy in the UK. Currently if there is a clash between Parliament and EU law, the European Court of Justice decides on the matter and has in the past delivered judgments binding on the UK. The Government’s planned Bill will end ECJ jurisdiction in Britain. At the same time, the new Bill will convert existing EU law into domestic law, while allowing Parliament to amend or repeal any other EU law after scrutiny and debate. The Bill will also include powers for ministers to make some changes by secondary legislation, which is not voted on by the Commons in the same way a piece of primary legislation would be. Ministers already have such powers to implement parts of EU law. Officials say the powers are necessary to give the Government flexibility and to take account of the negotiations with the EU as they proceed. But Mr Davis will dismiss any suggestion that ministers intend to use Brexit to ditch workers' right and in his speech will seek to highlight areas, including annual and parental leave, where UK law goes further than minimum EU standards. He will say: "To those who are trying to frighten British workers, saying ‘when we leave, employment rights will be eroded’, I say firmly and unequivocally ‘no they won’t’.”

Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announces March 2017 as the deadline for triggering Article 50 and says that her government will introduce a "Great Repeal Bill" that will repeal the European Communities Act 1972 once the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.

Police in Japan are investigating whether a serial poisoner is responsible for killing as many as 48 elderly patients by injecting disinfectant into their intravenous drips. Suspicions began after an autopsy showed two elderly patients had been poisoned in Oguchi Hospital, Yokohama. Sozo Nishikawa and Nobuo Yamaki, both 88, died on 18 and 20 September respectively, after having a drip administered. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. Investigators found 10 unused intravenous drip bags with small holes in their rubber seals on the fourth floor of the hospital, where the two elderly patients had died, The Japan Times reports. Police believe the suspect may be an insider with medical knowledge. Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures Show all 50 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures 1/50 9 September 2019 A firefighter assesses the fire spreading across land on Long Gully Road in the town of Drake, Australia. A number of homes have been destroyed by bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland. EPA 2/50 8 September 2019 Damaged homes after hurricane Dorian devastated Elbow Key Island in Hope Town, Bahamas. The hurricane hit the island chain as a category 5 storm and battered them for two days before moving north. Getty 3/50 7 September 2019 An artist performs on Tverskaya street during celebrations marking the 872nd anniversary of the city of Moscow. AFP/Getty 4/50 6 September 2019 Children play football next to a defaced portrait of Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Harare on the day he died, aged 95. The former leader was forced to resign in 2017, after a 37-year rule, whose early promise was eroded by economic turmoil, disputed elections and human rights violations, has died. AP 5/50 5 September 2019 Authorities work at the scene of a train crash in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. According to media reports, more than 30 people were injured after a train hit a track at a crossing. EPA 6/50 4 September 2019 A police office removes burning tires from the road, as protesters set up fires to block traffic along Airport Road in Abuja, Nigeria. Reuters 7/50 3 September 2019 A riot police officer throws a teargas canister as looters make off with goods from a store in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, South Africa. Police had earlier fired rubber bullets as they struggled to stop looters who targeted businesses as unrest broke out in several spots in and around the city. AP 8/50 2 September 2019 A boat off the island of Santa Cruz in California burns in the early hours of Monday morning. More than 30 people were on board the boat, which is thought to have been on a three-day diving trip. EPA 9/50 1 September 2019 Flowers are laid in a hole in a wall as people gather in the gym of a school, the scene of the hostage crisis, in memory of victims on the fifteenth anniversary of the tragedy in Beslan, North Ossetia region, Russia. More than 330 people, including 186 children, died as a result of the terrorist attack at the school. AP 10/50 31 August 2019 A man sits in front of riot officers during the rally 'Calling One Hundred Thousands Christians Praying for Hong Kong Sinners' in Hong Kong, China. EPA 11/50 30 August 2019 A migrant forces his way into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Over 150 migrants made their way into Ceuta after storming a barbed-wire border fence with Morocco. AFP/Getty 12/50 A beagle jumps through hoops during a show at the Pet Expo Championship 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. Although the four-day expo is primarily dog oriented it features a wide array of stalls catering to pet owners' needs as well as showcasing a variety of animals including reptiles, birds, ferrets, and rabbits. EPA 13/50 28 August 2019 Baby elephants rub their trunks against a tree at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Countries that are part of an international agreement on trade in endangered species agreed on Tuesday to limit the sale of wild elephants, delighting conservationists but dismaying some of the African countries involved. AP 14/50 27 August 2019 Burning rubbles in the market of Bouake, central Ivory Coast, after a fire broke overnight. AFP/Getty 15/50 26 August 2019 French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, second from left, sits between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as they take part in a meeting at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France. The Canadian Press via AP 16/50 25 August 2019 A Brazillian Air Force jet drops water to fight a fire in the Amazon rainforest in the state of Rondonia, Brazil. EPA 17/50 24 August 2019 A police officer prepares to strike a protester as clashes erupt during a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay. AFP/Getty 18/50 23 August 2019 Oxfam activists in costumes depicting leaders of the G7 nations protest in Biarritz, France on the day before the summit is due to be held there. AFP/Getty 19/50 22 August 2019 A vendor sits as she sells models of the Hindu deity Krishna on display at a roadside ahead of the 'Janmashtami' festival in Chennai. 20/50 21 August 2019 A girl reacts next to Pope Francis as he leads the weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican. Reuters 21/50 20 August 2019 A masked dancer takes part in the Nil Barahi mask dance festival, an annual event during which dancers perform while posing as various deities that people worship to seek blessings, in Bode, Nepal. Reuters 22/50 19 August 2019 Protesters take to the street to face off with Indonesian police in Manokwari, Papua. The riots broke out, with a local parliament building being torched, as thousands protested allegations that police tear-gassed and arrested students who supported the restive region's independence. AFP/Getty 23/50 18 August 2019 People survey the destruction after an overnight suicide bomb explosion that targeted a wedding reception in Kabul, Afghanistan. At least 63 people, mostly wedding guests from the Shi'ite Muslim community, were killed and more than 180 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a wedding hall. EPA 24/50 17 August 2019 A man retrieves his prize after climbing up a greased pole during a competition held as part of Independence Day celebrations at Ancol Beach in Jakarta. Indonesia is celebrating its 74th anniversary of independence from the Dutch colonial rule. AP 25/50 16 August 2019 Swiss pianist and composer Alain Roche plays piano suspended in the air at dawn during the 20th "Jeux du Castrum", a multidisciplinary festival in Switzerland. AFP/Getty 26/50 15 August 2019 Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako bow during a memorial service ceremony marking the 74th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two, in Tokyo, Japan. Reuters 27/50 14 August 2019 A woman walks with a Kashmir's flag to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir, during a ceremony to celebrate Pakistan's 72nd Independence Day at the Mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi, Pakistan. Reuters 28/50 13 August 2019 The extraordinary moment a volcano erupted, shooting luminous hot lava from the surface, as a lightning bolt striked the centre of the mountain. Photographer Martin Reitze, 55, captured rare images of volcanic ash escaping from the Ebeko volcano in Russia whilst the lightning froze the ash cloud in time. Martin, from Munich, was standing around a kilometre away from the northern crater of the volcano when it erupted. The volcano expert said: "The strong lightning which shows in the image is a very rare exception, as it was much stronger than usual." Martin Reitze/SWNS 29/50 12 August 2019 People swim in a public bath pool in Zalakaros, Hungary. Some regions of the country have been issued the highest grade of warning by the National Meteorological Service as the temperatures may reach 33-38 centigrade. EPA 30/50 11 August 2019 A pro-democracy protester is held by police outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police station during a demonstration against the controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong. AFP/Getty 31/50 10 August 2019 Muslim pilgrims make their way down on a rocky hill known as Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. AP 32/50 9 August 2019 Waves hit a sea wall in front of buildings in Taizhou, China's eastern Zhejiang province. China issued a red alert for incoming Super Typhoon Lekima which is expected to batter eastern Zhejiang province early on August 10 with high winds and torrential rainfall. AFP/Getty 33/50 8 August 2019 A herder struggles with his flock across a motorway at the city cattle market, ahead of the Eid al-Adha in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Eid al-Adha is the holiest of the two Muslims holidays celebrated each year, it marks the yearly Muslim pilgrimage (Hajj) to visit Mecca, the holiest place in Islam. Muslims slaughter a sacrificial animal and split the meat into three parts, one for the family, one for friends and relatives, and one for the poor and needy. EPA 34/50 7 August 2019 Kazakh servicemen perform during a ceremony opening the International Army Games at the 40th military base Otar in Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan. Reuters 35/50 6 August 2019 Paleontologist Naturalis Anne Schulp takes part in the construction of the skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Rex called Trix in Naturalis in Leiden, The Netherlands. After a month-long tour of Europe, Trix is home in time for the opening of the new museum. AFP/Getty 36/50 5 August 2019 Flowers paying tribute to the eight-year-old boy who died after he was pushed under a train at Frankfurt am Main's station. The horrific crime happened last week and has led politicians to call for heightened security. AFP/Getty 37/50 4 August 2019 Mourners take part in a vigil near the border fence between Mexico and the US after a mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso killed 20 people. The suspected gunman behind shooting is believed to be a 21-year-old white man called Patrick Crusius. Reuters 38/50 3 August 2019 Pramac Racing's rider Jack Miller in action during a practice session at the Motorcycling Grand Prix of the Czech Republic. The race will take place on 4 August. EPA 39/50 2 August 2019 An extremely rare Pink Meanie jellyfish on display at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. The Pink Meanie was discovered during a nightlight jellyfish dive by the collections team in the waters around Robben Island and in Cape Town Harbour. Pink Meanies are jellyvorous, meaning they feed on other jelly species by reeling them in with their long tentacles. Discovering the Pink Meanie in its early ephyra stage meant the team could study its growth rate which turned out to be very quick as it grew to the metaephyra stage in about a week and a half. The Mexican pink meanie (Drymonema larsoni) was only discovered in the year 2000. A Mediterranean relative, known as the Big Pink Jellyfish (Drymonema dalmatinum) has been known to science since the 1800s but when spotted in 2014 it had been almost 70 years since the last sighting. These jellies are incredibly rare and this new South African species is no exception. EPA 40/50 1 August 2019 Palestinian men breathe fire on the beach as entertainment for children during the summer vacation in Gaza City. AFP/Getty 41/50 31 July 2019 A woman rows a boat through the lotus plants on the waters of Dal Lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir. The lake is a popular tourist destination because of its floating gardens and lotus flowers. EPA 42/50 30 July 2019 An effigy of demon Ghantakarna is burnt to symbolize the destruction of evil and belief to drive evil spirits and ghost, during the Ghantakarna festival at the ancient city of Bhaktapur, Nepal. Reuters 43/50 29 July 2019 Hundreds of hot air balloons take part in the Great Line at the Mondial Air Ballons festival, in an attempt to break the 2017 record of 456 balloons aligning in an hour during the biggest meeting in the world, in Chambley, France. Reuters 44/50 28 July 2019 Anti-extradition bill protesters with umbrellas attend a rally against the police brutality in Hong Kong. EPA 45/50 27 July 2019 A general view of stalls closed following yesterday's volcanic eruption at the tourism area of Mount Tangkuban Parahu in the north of Bandung, West Java province, Indonesia. Reuters 46/50 26 July 2019 Protesters rally against a controversial extradition bill in the arrivals hall at the international airport in Hong Kong. AFP/Getty 47/50 25 July 2019 The pack rides in a valley during the eighteenth stage of the 106th edition of the Tour de France cycling race between Embrun and Valloire. AFP/Getty 48/50 24 July 2019 Former special counsel Robert Mueller is sworn in to testify before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the investigation into Russian Interference of the 2016 Presidential Election. Reuters 49/50 23 July 2019 People cool down at the fountains of Trocadero during a heatwave in Paris. EPA 50/50 22 July 2019 Activists burn an effigy of President Rodrigo Duterte, depicted as a sea monster, during a protest near congress. This is to coincide with his state of the nation address in Manila. AFP/Getty 1/50 9 September 2019 A firefighter assesses the fire spreading across land on Long Gully Road in the town of Drake, Australia. A number of homes have been destroyed by bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland. EPA 2/50 8 September 2019 Damaged homes after hurricane Dorian devastated Elbow Key Island in Hope Town, Bahamas. The hurricane hit the island chain as a category 5 storm and battered them for two days before moving north. Getty 3/50 7 September 2019 An artist performs on Tverskaya street during celebrations marking the 872nd anniversary of the city of Moscow. AFP/Getty 4/50 6 September 2019 Children play football next to a defaced portrait of Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Harare on the day he died, aged 95. The former leader was forced to resign in 2017, after a 37-year rule, whose early promise was eroded by economic turmoil, disputed elections and human rights violations, has died. AP 5/50 5 September 2019 Authorities work at the scene of a train crash in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. According to media reports, more than 30 people were injured after a train hit a track at a crossing. EPA 6/50 4 September 2019 A police office removes burning tires from the road, as protesters set up fires to block traffic along Airport Road in Abuja, Nigeria. Reuters 7/50 3 September 2019 A riot police officer throws a teargas canister as looters make off with goods from a store in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, South Africa. Police had earlier fired rubber bullets as they struggled to stop looters who targeted businesses as unrest broke out in several spots in and around the city. AP 8/50 2 September 2019 A boat off the island of Santa Cruz in California burns in the early hours of Monday morning. More than 30 people were on board the boat, which is thought to have been on a three-day diving trip. EPA 9/50 1 September 2019 Flowers are laid in a hole in a wall as people gather in the gym of a school, the scene of the hostage crisis, in memory of victims on the fifteenth anniversary of the tragedy in Beslan, North Ossetia region, Russia. More than 330 people, including 186 children, died as a result of the terrorist attack at the school. AP 10/50 31 August 2019 A man sits in front of riot officers during the rally 'Calling One Hundred Thousands Christians Praying for Hong Kong Sinners' in Hong Kong, China. EPA 11/50 30 August 2019 A migrant forces his way into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Over 150 migrants made their way into Ceuta after storming a barbed-wire border fence with Morocco. AFP/Getty 12/50 A beagle jumps through hoops during a show at the Pet Expo Championship 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. Although the four-day expo is primarily dog oriented it features a wide array of stalls catering to pet owners' needs as well as showcasing a variety of animals including reptiles, birds, ferrets, and rabbits. EPA 13/50 28 August 2019 Baby elephants rub their trunks against a tree at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Countries that are part of an international agreement on trade in endangered species agreed on Tuesday to limit the sale of wild elephants, delighting conservationists but dismaying some of the African countries involved. AP 14/50 27 August 2019 Burning rubbles in the market of Bouake, central Ivory Coast, after a fire broke overnight. AFP/Getty 15/50 26 August 2019 French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, second from left, sits between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as they take part in a meeting at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France. The Canadian Press via AP 16/50 25 August 2019 A Brazillian Air Force jet drops water to fight a fire in the Amazon rainforest in the state of Rondonia, Brazil. EPA 17/50 24 August 2019 A police officer prepares to strike a protester as clashes erupt during a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay. AFP/Getty 18/50 23 August 2019 Oxfam activists in costumes depicting leaders of the G7 nations protest in Biarritz, France on the day before the summit is due to be held there. AFP/Getty 19/50 22 August 2019 A vendor sits as she sells models of the Hindu deity Krishna on display at a roadside ahead of the 'Janmashtami' festival in Chennai. 20/50 21 August 2019 A girl reacts next to Pope Francis as he leads the weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican. Reuters 21/50 20 August 2019 A masked dancer takes part in the Nil Barahi mask dance festival, an annual event during which dancers perform while posing as various deities that people worship to seek blessings, in Bode, Nepal. Reuters 22/50 19 August 2019 Protesters take to the street to face off with Indonesian police in Manokwari, Papua. The riots broke out, with a local parliament building being torched, as thousands protested allegations that police tear-gassed and arrested students who supported the restive region's independence. AFP/Getty 23/50 18 August 2019 People survey the destruction after an overnight suicide bomb explosion that targeted a wedding reception in Kabul, Afghanistan. At least 63 people, mostly wedding guests from the Shi'ite Muslim community, were killed and more than 180 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a wedding hall. EPA 24/50 17 August 2019 A man retrieves his prize after climbing up a greased pole during a competition held as part of Independence Day celebrations at Ancol Beach in Jakarta. Indonesia is celebrating its 74th anniversary of independence from the Dutch colonial rule. AP 25/50 16 August 2019 Swiss pianist and composer Alain Roche plays piano suspended in the air at dawn during the 20th "Jeux du Castrum", a multidisciplinary festival in Switzerland. AFP/Getty 26/50 15 August 2019 Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako bow during a memorial service ceremony marking the 74th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two, in Tokyo, Japan. Reuters 27/50 14 August 2019 A woman walks with a Kashmir's flag to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir, during a ceremony to celebrate Pakistan's 72nd Independence Day at the Mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi, Pakistan. Reuters 28/50 13 August 2019 The extraordinary moment a volcano erupted, shooting luminous hot lava from the surface, as a lightning bolt striked the centre of the mountain. Photographer Martin Reitze, 55, captured rare images of volcanic ash escaping from the Ebeko volcano in Russia whilst the lightning froze the ash cloud in time. Martin, from Munich, was standing around a kilometre away from the northern crater of the volcano when it erupted. The volcano expert said: "The strong lightning which shows in the image is a very rare exception, as it was much stronger than usual." Martin Reitze/SWNS 29/50 12 August 2019 People swim in a public bath pool in Zalakaros, Hungary. Some regions of the country have been issued the highest grade of warning by the National Meteorological Service as the temperatures may reach 33-38 centigrade. EPA 30/50 11 August 2019 A pro-democracy protester is held by police outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police station during a demonstration against the controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong. AFP/Getty 31/50 10 August 2019 Muslim pilgrims make their way down on a rocky hill known as Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. AP 32/50 9 August 2019 Waves hit a sea wall in front of buildings in Taizhou, China's eastern Zhejiang province. China issued a red alert for incoming Super Typhoon Lekima which is expected to batter eastern Zhejiang province early on August 10 with high winds and torrential rainfall. AFP/Getty 33/50 8 August 2019 A herder struggles with his flock across a motorway at the city cattle market, ahead of the Eid al-Adha in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Eid al-Adha is the holiest of the two Muslims holidays celebrated each year, it marks the yearly Muslim pilgrimage (Hajj) to visit Mecca, the holiest place in Islam. Muslims slaughter a sacrificial animal and split the meat into three parts, one for the family, one for friends and relatives, and one for the poor and needy. EPA 34/50 7 August 2019 Kazakh servicemen perform during a ceremony opening the International Army Games at the 40th military base Otar in Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan. Reuters 35/50 6 August 2019 Paleontologist Naturalis Anne Schulp takes part in the construction of the skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Rex called Trix in Naturalis in Leiden, The Netherlands. After a month-long tour of Europe, Trix is home in time for the opening of the new museum. AFP/Getty 36/50 5 August 2019 Flowers paying tribute to the eight-year-old boy who died after he was pushed under a train at Frankfurt am Main's station. The horrific crime happened last week and has led politicians to call for heightened security. AFP/Getty 37/50 4 August 2019 Mourners take part in a vigil near the border fence between Mexico and the US after a mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso killed 20 people. The suspected gunman behind shooting is believed to be a 21-year-old white man called Patrick Crusius. Reuters 38/50 3 August 2019 Pramac Racing's rider Jack Miller in action during a practice session at the Motorcycling Grand Prix of the Czech Republic. The race will take place on 4 August. EPA 39/50 2 August 2019 An extremely rare Pink Meanie jellyfish on display at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. The Pink Meanie was discovered during a nightlight jellyfish dive by the collections team in the waters around Robben Island and in Cape Town Harbour. Pink Meanies are jellyvorous, meaning they feed on other jelly species by reeling them in with their long tentacles. Discovering the Pink Meanie in its early ephyra stage meant the team could study its growth rate which turned out to be very quick as it grew to the metaephyra stage in about a week and a half. The Mexican pink meanie (Drymonema larsoni) was only discovered in the year 2000. A Mediterranean relative, known as the Big Pink Jellyfish (Drymonema dalmatinum) has been known to science since the 1800s but when spotted in 2014 it had been almost 70 years since the last sighting. These jellies are incredibly rare and this new South African species is no exception. EPA 40/50 1 August 2019 Palestinian men breathe fire on the beach as entertainment for children during the summer vacation in Gaza City. AFP/Getty 41/50 31 July 2019 A woman rows a boat through the lotus plants on the waters of Dal Lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir. The lake is a popular tourist destination because of its floating gardens and lotus flowers. EPA 42/50 30 July 2019 An effigy of demon Ghantakarna is burnt to symbolize the destruction of evil and belief to drive evil spirits and ghost, during the Ghantakarna festival at the ancient city of Bhaktapur, Nepal. Reuters 43/50 29 July 2019 Hundreds of hot air balloons take part in the Great Line at the Mondial Air Ballons festival, in an attempt to break the 2017 record of 456 balloons aligning in an hour during the biggest meeting in the world, in Chambley, France. Reuters 44/50 28 July 2019 Anti-extradition bill protesters with umbrellas attend a rally against the police brutality in Hong Kong. EPA 45/50 27 July 2019 A general view of stalls closed following yesterday's volcanic eruption at the tourism area of Mount Tangkuban Parahu in the north of Bandung, West Java province, Indonesia. Reuters 46/50 26 July 2019 Protesters rally against a controversial extradition bill in the arrivals hall at the international airport in Hong Kong. AFP/Getty 47/50 25 July 2019 The pack rides in a valley during the eighteenth stage of the 106th edition of the Tour de France cycling race between Embrun and Valloire. AFP/Getty 48/50 24 July 2019 Former special counsel Robert Mueller is sworn in to testify before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the investigation into Russian Interference of the 2016 Presidential Election. Reuters 49/50 23 July 2019 People cool down at the fountains of Trocadero during a heatwave in Paris. EPA 50/50 22 July 2019 Activists burn an effigy of President Rodrigo Duterte, depicted as a sea monster, during a protest near congress. This is to coincide with his state of the nation address in Manila. AFP/Getty They are now also investigating the deaths of 46 elderly patients since July, who were being treated on the same floor as the two deceased men. Hospital staff told the newspaper there had been no outbreaks of infection which could account for the deaths. The two patients died around a lightly staffed three-day public holiday. The entrance to the hospital was locked and guarded at night. Last month, a staff member’s lips became blistered after they consumed a drink that may have been laced with bleach, The Japan Times said in another report. It is unknown whether the incidents are related. The investigation comes two months after the killing of 19 people at a facility for the disabled near Tokyo.[SEP]Police in Japan are investigating whether a serial poisoner is responsible for killing as many as 48 elderly patients by injecting disinfectant into their intravenous drips. Suspicions began after an autopsy showed two elderly patients had been poisoned in Oguchi Hospital, Yokohama. Sozo Nishikawa and Nobuo Yamaki, both 88, died on 18 and 20 September respectively after having a drip administered. Investigators found 10 unused intravenous drip bags with small holes in their rubber seals on the fourth floor of the hospital, where the two elderly patients had died, The Japan Times reports. Police believe the suspect may be an insider with medical knowledge. They are now also investigating the deaths of 46 elderly patients since July, who were being treated on the same floor as the two deceased men. Hospital staff told the newspaper there had been no outbreaks of infection which could account for the deaths. The two patients died around a lightly staffed three-day public holiday. The entrance to the hospital was locked and guarded at night. Last month, a staff member's lips became blistered after they consumed a drink that may have been laced with bleach, The Japan Times said in another report. It is unknown whether the incidents are related. The investigation comes two months after the killing of 19 people at a facility for the disabled near Tokyo.[SEP]A MAN believed to be in his 80s has been taken to hospital after being hit by a car about 5.15am. Paramedics were called to David Low Way, Coolum Beach, to reports a pedestrian and vehicle had collided. The elderly man received soft tissue injuries and was taken to Nambour General Hospital.[SEP]More than a quarter of Japan's population is aged 65 and above, putting a strain on medical and nursing facilities, where long hours and low pay discourage workers, a problem the government has vowed to tackle. September's deaths follow the stabbing deaths of 19 residents of a home for the disabled in July, and the indictment of a former worker of a nursing home for killing three residents by throwing them off a balcony. Police have said autopsies showed poisoning as the cause of death of two 88-year-old male patients on Sept. 18 and 20. Media said the men died as they received intravenous drip injections on the fourth floor of a Yokohama hospital. A task force has been set up to conduct an investigation, police in the Kanegawa prefecture, south of the capital, said in a statement on Sept. 23. Police believe someone probably injected disinfectant into their drip feed bags, media said, adding that no arrest had been made, and police were checking if the deaths could be linked to others on the same floor. Replying to a query from Reuters whether police had told the hospital of autopsy findings that a surfactant, widely used in disinfectant and cleaning products, was present in the bodies, Yuki Uehara, a lawyer for the hospital, said, "Yes". He did not elaborate. From July until Sept. 20, as many as 46 other patients died on the same floor, or an average of 18 a month. That outstrips the monthly average of eight deaths on that floor during the 12 months to June, Uehara said. He added, however, that the number of seriously ill patients in the hospital had risen from April onwards, which could partially explain the increase in the number of deaths. Japan's social security system is creaking as the numbers of old people grow. Health ministry data show that abuse of elderly patients by nursing facility workers rose 36 percent in the year ending March 2015, to hit a record of 300 cases.

Authorities arrest a Japanese man for killing as many as 48 elderly patients at the Oguchi Hospital in Yokohama.

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Almost all Hungarians who voted in Sunday’s referendum rejected the European Union’s migrant quotas but turnout was too low to make the poll valid, frustrating Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s hopes of a clear victory with which to challenge Brussels. Hungarian women wearing traditional costumes attend a referendum on EU migrant quotas in Veresegyhaz, Hungary, October 2, 2016. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo Hungary’s maverick right-wing leader, whose hardline policy on migration has been criticized by human rights groups but is popular at home, nevertheless said EU policymakers should heed the “outstanding” referendum outcome. Orban said more Hungarians had rejected the migrant quotas than had voted for European Union membership in a referendum ahead of Hungary’s 2004 accession to the bloc. Some 3.249 million votes were cast rejecting the quotas, compared with 2003’s 3.056 million votes in favor of joining the EU. “Thirteen years after a large majority of Hungarians voted at a referendum to join the European Union, today Hungarians made their voices heard again in a European issue,” Orban said. “We have achieved an outstanding result, because we have surpassed the outcome of the accession referendum,” he told a news conference at which he did not take questions. The National Election Office said on its website that 98.3 percent of those who voted had rejected the quotas with 99.97 percent of votes counted. Just 40 percent of around 8.26 million eligible people had cast a valid vote, however, less than the 50 percent needed to legitimize the result. Final results are expected next week. Along with other ex-Communist countries in Eastern Europe, Hungary opposes a policy that would require all EU countries to take in some of the hundreds of thousands of people seeking asylum in the bloc after arriving last year. Orban, who responded to the influx by sealing Hungary’s southern borders with a razor-wire fence and thousands of army and police, says deciding whether to accept migrants is a matter of national sovereignty. He says Hungary — with its Christian roots — does not want to take in Muslims in large numbers as they pose a security risk. In power since 2010 and with his Fidesz party still firmly ahead in opinion polls, Orban will use the referendum to keep the issue of migration on the political agenda in the run-up to 2018 elections. Some opposition parties seized on the fact that turnout had fallen short of the threshold needed to validate the vote, with radical nationalist Jobbik calling the referendum “a fiasco” and calling on Orban to quit. Leftist opposition party DK also said Orban should step down. Related Coverage Hungary PM hails 'outstanding' referendum result Early on Sunday, after he cast his vote in Budapest, Orban had played down the importance of voter turnout, saying what mattered was that “No” votes rejecting the quotas should exceed the number of “Yes” votes. Later, he said he would submit an amendment to Hungary’s constitution to put the result of the plebiscite into law. But the invalid vote could blunt Orban’s efforts to force Brussels to change its migration policies, some analysts said. “Obviously the government tries to sell this as a success, but this is not success: it shows Fidesz could not mobilize more voters than its own voter base plus the Jobbik voters,” said Republikon Institute analyst Csaba Toth. Toth said the government would keep the issue of migration on the agenda both at home and abroad as “the more the political discourse was about migrants, the better for Fidesz”. HARDLINE Orban has been at the forefront of opposition in Europe to the position taken by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has said EU countries have an obligation to take in refugees. But his go-it-alone approach to migration is not welcomed by all. Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni was among the first to react to the referendum, tweeting: “Nice to see a quorum was not reached.” Earlier Gentiloni told RAI TV: “The Orban government is sending out the wrong message with this referendum. We must realize that immigration is a permanent phenomenon. You can’t leave this to single countries to sort out, it has to be confronted by all of Europe.” While Budapest says immigration policy should be a domestic matter, human rights groups have criticized the government for stoking fears and xenophobia with an aggressive campaign ahead of the referendum, and for mistreating refugees on the border. Slideshow (12 Images) Last year, hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and beyond crossed Hungary on their way to richer countries in Western Europe. This year Hungary has recorded around 18,000 illegal border crossings. Erzsebet Virag, voting on Sunday near Budapest’s eastern railway station, where a year ago thousands of migrants camped outside waiting to get on trains toward Vienna, said: “I voted (No) because there are a lot of poor people in our country too and if more poor people come in we will be even poorer and have to work even more.”[SEP]Image copyright AP Image caption Prime Minister Viktor Orban called on EU leaders to note the result Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has declared victory in a referendum on mandatory EU migrant quotas, despite a low turnout that rendered it invalid. Nearly 98% of those who took part supported the government's call to reject the EU plan. But only 40.4% cast valid ballots - short of the required 50% threshold. A government spokesman said the outcome was binding "politically and legally", but the opposition said the government did not have the support it needed. Mr Orban urged EU policymakers to take note of the result and said he would change Hungary's constitution to make the decision binding. The controversial EU plan to relocate 160,000 migrants across the bloc would mean Hungary receiving 1,294 asylum seekers. Ferenc Gyurcsany, leader of the opposition Democratic Coalition, said the low turnout showed that most people did not support the government. "According to this result with such low turnout, the people do not support the government. And this is good." There were 220,000 spoilt ballots. The number rejecting the EU scheme was 3.3 million, while 55,000 backed it. Image copyright AP Image caption Opposition supporters rallied in Budapest on Sunday But a government spokesman said the result could not be regarded as invalid. "The government initiated the referendum, so both politically and legally the outcome is binding," he said. "The 50% would have made a difference because parliament could have no alternative but to make a decision. But parliament is behind the government regarding the decision. This is a reinforced mandate for the government." Analysis - BBC News Europe editor, Katya Adler The referendum result is both a crushing defeat and an emphatic victory for Hungary's prime minister. On the one hand, Viktor Orban led a prominent, expensive and relentless anti-EU and anti-migrant referendum campaign but failed to persuade most Hungarians to vote. On the other hand, those who did vote sided with him almost unanimously, allowing him to trumpet that a higher percentage of Hungarians voted against EU migrant quotas than voted for EU membership 13 years ago. Mr Orban says he is leading what he calls a counter-revolution against EU centralisation, a pushback against Brussels bossiness. He views himself as the man of the moment, speaking for the people of Europe. He had hoped other countries would follow suit and hold their own referendum on migrant quotas. In fact other EU countries are simply ignoring the quotas. What Hungary's prime minister is not calling for is "Huxit" - a Hungarian exit from the EU. Mr Orban is all too aware the his economy relies on EU subsidies. During last year's migrant crisis, Hungary became a transit state on the Western Balkan route to Germany and other EU destinations. In an effort to curb the influx, it sealed its border with Serbia and Croatia. The measure was popular at home but criticised by human rights groups. Voters were asked: "Do you want the European Union to be able to mandate the obligatory resettlement of non-Hungarian citizens into Hungary even without the approval of the National Assembly?" The EU proposal was meant to ease pressure on Greece and Italy, the main entry points for migrants and refugees into the bloc. In December Hungary filed a court challenge against the EU plan, which would see relocations over two years.[SEP]The Hungarian government has failed to achieve a referendum result rejecting EU-imposed quotas on migrant numbers, after an insufficient number of people turned out to vote. Hungarians overwhelmingly supported the government in a referendum on Sunday called to oppose any mandatory European Union quotas for accepting relocated asylum seekers, but nearly complete official results showed the ballot was invalid due to low voter turnout. While the government claimed a “sweeping victory”, analysts said the result was an “embarrassing but not totally catastrophic defeat” for Prime Minister Viktor Orban. With 99.25 per cent of the votes counted, more than 3.2 million voters — or 98.3 per cent of those who cast valid ballots — backed the government. But turnout stood at 43.9 per cent, the National Election Office said. Fifty-percent-plus-one-vote was needed for the referendum to be valid. About four per cent of the votes were spoiled — twice as many as in any of the other four referenda held since 1997 — driving down the number of valid votes to just below 40 per cent. The referendum asked: “Do you want the European Union to be able to prescribe the mandatory settlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary even without the consent of Parliament?” Orban's right-wing, anti-immigrant Fidesz party claimed victory immediately after voting stations closed, saying its own projections based on exit polls showed that 95 per cent of voters supported the government position despite an expected turnout of only 45 per cent. Vice-chairman of Fidesz, Gergely Gulyas, said: “Today is a sweeping victory for all those who reject the EU's mandatory, unlimited quotas. “It is a sweeping victory for all those who believe that the foundations of a strong European Union can only be the strong nation states.” At the same time, analysts said the relentless government campaign against the EU's refugee relocation schemes had oversaturated citizens. Tamas Boros, an analyst at Policy Solutions, a political research and consultancy firm, said: “Orban was able to dominate public discourse with an issue in which the majority was on his side. “But it seems he went too far and overestimated how much people's opinions are transformed into votes.” With a weak opposition in parliament and practically limitless campaign spending to promote the government position, the referendum's lack of validity was considered distressing for the government. Mr Boros added: “Considering there was hardly any counter-campaign, that they spent some 50 million euros ($56.1 million) and everyone on the right took up the issues wholeheartedly, it's an embarrassing but not totally catastrophic defeat for Mr Orban. “It is his first national defeat since 2006, the first time in a decade that the prime minister cannot impose his will.” Mr Orban argued that “No” votes favored Hungary's sovereignty and independence. If a majority of voters agree, Hungary's parliament would pass legislation to advance the referendum's goal whether or not turnout was sufficient for a valid election, he said. While the referendum has no binding legal consequences for the EU, Mr Orban hoped its passage would increase pressure on Brussels. He said after casting his own vote: “The most important issue next week is for me to go to Brussels, hold negotiations and try with the help of this result — if the result if appropriate— achieve for it not to be mandatory to take in the kind of people in Hungary we don't want to.” Mr Orban, who wants individual EU member nations to have more power in the bloc's decision-making process, said he hopes anti-quota referendums would be held in other countries. He said: “We are proud that we are the first. Unfortunately, we are the only ones in the European Union who managed to have a (referendum) on the migrant issue.” The invalid result because of the low turnout would make Mr Orban's quest to persuade Brussels to drop the refugee quotas more difficult. Mr Boros said: “With an invalid result, it is harder for Mr Orban to claim he holds all the aces [against Brussels]. The EU will see that while there is a majority against the quota, it's not the most important issue for Hungarians.” Separately from the referendum, the Mr Orban government is also suing at the European Court of Justice because of the EU's 2015 decision to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers from overburdened Greece and Italy. Under the original plan, 1,294 asylum seekers would be moved to Hungary. Polls show that the relentless campaign urging citizens to “send a message to Brussels” while associating migrants with terrorism has increased xenophobia in Hungary. Several opposition and civic groups have called on citizens to stay home and boycott the vote. Others urged casting invalid ballots that would not count in the final tally, but still could be interpreted as rejecting the government's “zero migrants” policies. Nearly 400,000 migrants passed through Hungary last year while making their way toward Western Europe. Razor-wire fences erected on the border with Serbia and Croatia, along with new expulsion policies, have reduced the numbers significantly this year. Last month, police reported either zero or just one migrant breaching Hungary's border area on 13 different days. Hungary last year rejected over 80 per cent of the asylum claims made in the country, one of the highest rates in the EU, according to Eurostat, the EU's statistical office. The country granted asylum to 508 refugees, rejected 2,917 applications and had nearly 37,000 claims still being processed.[SEP]BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungarians were voting Sunday in a referendum called by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government to bolster its opposition to any future, mandatory European Union quotas for accepting relocated asylum seekers. The government's position is expected to find wide support among voters, but 90 minutes before voting stations were to close, analysts forecast the ballot would be invalid because voter turnout would likely fail to exceed the 50-percent-plus-one vote necessary threshold. Nearly 8.3 million citizens were eligible to cast ballots between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. (0400-1700 GMT) on Sunday. Turnout had reached 39.9 percent by 5:30 p.m. (1530 GMT), the National Election Office said. Based on that figure, analysts at the Political Capital research and consultancy institute projected final turnout between 43.9 and 45.9 percent. The referendum asks: "Do you want the European Union to be able to prescribe the mandatory settlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary even without the consent of Parliament?" Orban has argued that "No" votes favor Hungary's sovereignty and independence. If a majority of voters agree, Hungary's parliament would pass legislation to advance the referendum's goal whether or not turnout was sufficient for a valid election, he said. Orban also said he would resign if the "Yes" votes won, but the vow was seen mostly as a ploy to boost turnout by drawing his critics to the polls. While the referendum has no binding legal consequences for the EU, Orban hoped its passage would increase pressure on Brussels. "The most important issue next week is for me to go to Brussels, hold negotiations and try with the help of this result - if the result if appropriate- achieve for it not to be mandatory to take in the kind of people in Hungary we don't want to," Orban said after casting his vote in an elementary school in the Buda hills. Orban, who wants individual EU member nations to have more power in the bloc's decision-making process, said he hopes anti-quota referendums would be held in other countries. "We are proud that we are the first" he said. "Unfortunately, we are the only ones in the European Union who managed to have a (referendum) on the migrant issue." Separately from the referendum, the Orban government is also suing at the European Court of Justice because of the EU's 2015 decision to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers from overburdened Greece and Italy. Under the original plan, 1,294 asylum seekers would be moved to Hungary. Polls show that the relentless campaign urging citizens to "send a message to Brussels" while associating migrants with terrorism has increased xenophobia in Hungary. Several opposition and civic groups have called on citizens to stay home and boycott the vote. Others urged casting invalid ballots that would not count in the final tally, but still could be interpreted as rejecting the government's "zero migrants" policies. Nearly 400,000 migrants passed through Hungary last year while making their way toward Western Europe. Razor-wire fences erected on the border with Serbia and Croatia, along with new expulsion policies, have reduced the numbers significantly this year. Last month, police reported either zero or just one migrant breaching Hungary's border area on 13 different days. Hungary last year rejected over 80 percent of the asylum claims made in the country, one of the highest rates in the EU, according to Eurostat, the EU's statistical office. The country granted asylum to 508 refugees, rejected 2,917 applications and had nearly 37,000 claims still being processed.[SEP]Hungarians are voting in a referendum called by Prime Minister Viktor Orban seeking support for his opposition to any future European Union quotas to relocate refugees. Nearly 8.3 million citizens can cast ballots on Sunday and “No” votes supporting the government position are expected to be in the majority. However there is uncertainty whether turnout will exceed the 50 per cent plus-one-vote threshold needed to be valid. The referendum’s question is: “Do you want the European Union to be able to prescribe the mandatory settlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary even without the consent of Parliament?” Polls show that the relentless campaign urging citizens to “send a message to Brussels” while associating migrants with terrorism has increased xenophobia in Hungary.[SEP]BUDAPEST, Hungary — The Latest on Hungary's referendum to oppose mandatory European Union quotas for accepting relocated asylum seekers (all times local): The president of the European Parliament is accusing Hungary of playing a "dangerous game" by holding a referendum on whether to accept mandatory European Union quotas for relocating asylum seekers. Martin Schulz said in an interview published Sunday that Hungary would have to take in about 2,000 migrants under the quotas. Schulz told Germany's Funke newspaper group that the referendum called by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's challenges the legitimacy of European laws. He also suggested that countries that fail to show solidary with the rest of the EU on the migrant issue may see their financial support from the bloc cut. Schulz called on European leaders to make clear to Eastern European countries that "solidarity isn't a one-way street," but rejected calls to eject Hungary from the EU. Hungarians are voting in a referendum called by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government seeking support for its opposition to any future, mandatory European Union quotas to relocate asylum seekers. Nearly 8.3 million citizens can cast ballots Sunday between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. (0400-1700 GMT). "No" votes supporting the government position are expected to be in the great majority, though there is uncertainty whether turnout will exceed the 50 plus-one-vote threshold needed to be valid. The referendum's question is "Do you want the European Union to be able to prescribe the mandatory settlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary even without the consent of Parliament?" Polls show that the relentless campaign urging citizens to "send a message to Brussels" while associating migrants with terrorism has increased xenophobia in Hungary.[SEP]BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Hungarians were voting Sunday in a referendum called by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government to seek support for its opposition to any future, mandatory European Union quotas for accepting relocated asylum seekers. The government's position is expected to find wide support among voters, though there was uncertainty whether turnout would exceed the 50 percent plus-one-vote threshold needed for the referendum to be valid. The referendum asks: "Do you want the European Union to be able to prescribe the mandatory settlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary even without the consent of Parliament?" Orban has argued that "No" votes favor Hungary's sovereignty and independence. If that position secures a majority of ballots, Hungary's parliament would pass legislation to bolster the referendum's goal whether or not turnout was sufficient for a valid election, he said. Orban also said he would resign if the "Yes" votes won, but the vow was seen mostly as a ploy to boost turnout by drawing his critics to the polls. "The most important issue next week is for me to go to Brussels, hold negotiations and try with the help of this result — if the result if appropriate — achieve for it not to be mandatory to take in the kind of people in Hungary we don't want to," Orban said after casting his vote in an elementary school in the Buda hills. Orban, who wants individual EU member nations to have more power in the bloc's decision-making process, said he hopes the anti-quota referendums would be held in other countries. "We are proud that we are the first" he said. "Unfortunately, we are the only ones in the European Union who managed to have a (referendum) on the migrant issue. I would be happy to see other countries to follow." Nearly 8.3 million citizens were eligible to cast ballots between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday. Polls show that the relentless campaign urging citizens to "send a message to Brussels" while associating migrants with terrorism has increased xenophobia in Hungary. Several opposition and civic groups have called on citizens to stay home and boycott the vote. Others urged casting invalid ballots that would not count in the final tally, but still could be interpreted as rejecting the government's "zero migrants" policies. Nearly 400,000 migrants passed through Hungary last year while making their way toward Western Europe. Razor-wire fences erected on the border with Serbia and Croatia, along with new expulsion policies, have reduced the numbers significantly this year.[SEP]Hungarians will vote Sunday in a referendum which Prime Minister Viktor Orban hopes will give his government the popular support it seeks to oppose any future plans by the European Union to resettle asylum seekers among its member states. Here's a look at what's at stake: Orban wants to stop the influx of large numbers of Muslim migrants into Europe, arguing they threaten Hungary and Europe's Christian identity and culture. Midway through his third term as prime minister, he suggested last week that the EU should build a "gigantic refugee city" in Libya, to where migrants would be deported from Europe to file their asylum claims. Orban says the EU needs to strengthen its borders to keep out migrants, like Hungary did last year by building fences on its southern borders with Serbia and Croatia. The referendum's question is "Do you want the European Union to be able to prescribe the mandatory settlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary even without the consent of Parliament?" Orban says "no" votes favor Hungary's sovereignty and independence. He also hopes popular pressure will encourage other EU countries to take similar steps. Critics say poll results showing rising xenophobia and anti-migrant feelings among Hungarians are linked to the government's referendum campaign. At least 50 percent plus one of Hungary's 8.27 million voters need to cast valid ballots for the referendum to be valid. Despite an unprecedented barrage of government billboards, advertisements and personal appearances by ministers and lawmakers nationwide urging people to vote, polls show validity is by no means assured, even though "no" votes are expected to be in the large majority. The far-right Jobbik party supports the government's anti-migrant position, while most of the other opposition parties and many civic groups are asking voters to either stay home on Sunday or cast invalid ballots. "It's important to show as a citizen that you want to take part," says Marta Pardavi, co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee advocacy group. "However, given the vile nature of this referendum question, we are calling for people to cast an invalid vote." Nearly 400,000 migrants passed through Hungary last year, making their way toward Western Europe. Yet, the criticized razor-wire fences and new expulsion policies have proven effective. During the first four weeks of September, police reported either zero or just one migrant breaching the border area on 12 different days. Last year, Hungary granted asylum to only 508 refugees and a similar number is expected this year. The satirical Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party is putting up posters and distributing leaflets mocking the referendum. One of their slogans is that the average Hungarian sees more UFOs in his or her lifetime than migrants. For the record, Hungary's Federation of UFO Research says it receives about two dozen reports a year of UFO sightings across the country. The disadvantaged Roma minority, struggling pensioners, young families with children and people living in municipal housing are among those being warned repeatedly of what could happen if Hungary is required to take in refugees. According to government officials, they may face subsidy or pension cuts, become victims of terrorism and violent acts or be forced to give up their homes if that happens. The government, assisted by state television, is constantly rehashing often months' old stories about migrant attacks. "The image of large migrant groups nearly 'darkening the sky' last year is still present in many people, no doubt reinforced by the government propaganda," says Attila Tibor Nagy of the Center for Fair Political Analysis. "The government is also assisted by the attacks in Germany and France, which it very much likes to invoke to show that migrants are dangerous." The referendum's technical costs, including printing the ballots and manufacturing ballot boxes, total 4.9 billion forints ($17.8 million). The government says it will reveal how much it spent on the billboard and media campaign after the vote, but partial data shows expenditures of at least 13 billion forints ($47.3 million). In contrast, the Two-Tailed Dog Party and a few other opposition groups are working with campaign budgets of around $100,000, gathered from small donations. The government has not said what consequences a valid referendum supporting its position will have. It has mentioned possible amendments to the constitution but is shying away from specifics. Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs brushed off suggestions that an invalid referendum would hurt Orban, saying a large number of "no" votes would be enough to bolster the official position against the refugee quotas even with a low turnout. "The referendum can never become a failure," Kovacs says. "Full stop." But Jobbik president Gabor Vona says Orban should resign in case of an invalid ballot and former Socialist Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany says it would weaken Orban's "infallibility." "Brussels has already priced in the referendum and knows well that Hungarian public opinion does not like the migrants," said Csaba Toth, strategic director of the Republikon Institute think tank. "Domestically, nonetheless, a low turnout would be a serious defeat for the prime minister, especially after such a huge campaign."[SEP]BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarians are voting in a referendum called by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government seeking support for its opposition to any future, mandatory European Union quotas to relocate asylum seekers. Nearly 8.3 million citizens can cast ballots Sunday between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. (0400-1700 GMT). “No” votes supporting the government position are expected to be in the great majority, though there is uncertainty whether turnout will exceed the 50 percent plus-one-vote threshold needed to be valid. The referendum’s question is “Do you want the European Union to be able to prescribe the mandatory settlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary even without the consent of Parliament?” Polls show that the relentless campaign urging citizens to “send a message to Brussels” while associating migrants with terrorism has increased xenophobia in Hungary.[SEP]BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungarians will vote Sunday in a referendum which Prime Minister Viktor Orban hopes will give his government the popular support it seeks to oppose any future plans by the European Union to resettle asylum seekers among its member states. Here's a look at what's at stake: Orban wants to stop the influx of large numbers of Muslim migrants into Europe, arguing they threaten Hungary and Europe's Christian identity and culture. Midway through his third term as prime minister, he suggested last week that the EU should build a "gigantic refugee city" in Libya, to where migrants would be deported from Europe to file their asylum claims. Orban says the EU needs to strengthen its borders to keep out migrants, like Hungary did last year by building fences on its southern borders with Serbia and Croatia. The referendum's question is "Do you want the European Union to be able to prescribe the mandatory settlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary even without the consent of Parliament?" Orban says "no" votes Hungary's sovereignty and independence. He also hopes popular pressure will encourage other EU countries to take similar steps. Critics say poll results showing rising xenophobia and anti-migrant feelings among Hungarians are linked to the government's referendum campaign. Despite an unprecedented barrage of government billboards, advertisements and personal appearances by ministers and lawmakers nationwide urging people to vote, polls show validity is by no means assured, even though "no" votes are expected to be in the large majority. The far-right Jobbik party supports the government's anti-migrant position, while most of the other opposition parties and many civic groups are asking voters to either stay home on Sunday or cast invalid ballots. "It's important to show as a citizen that you want to take part," says Marta Pardavi, co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee advocacy group. "However, given the vile nature of this referendum question, we are calling for people to cast an invalid vote." Nearly 400,000 migrants passed through Hungary last year, making their way toward Western Europe. Yet, the criticized razor-wire fences and new expulsion policies have proven effective. During the first four weeks of September, police reported either zero or just one migrant breaching the border area on 12 different days. Last year, Hungary granted asylum to only 508 refugees and a similar number is expected this year. The satirical Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party is putting up posters and distributing leaflets mocking the referendum. One of their slogans is that the average Hungarian sees more UFOs in his or her lifetime than migrants. The disadvantaged Roma minority, struggling pensioners, young families with children and people living in municipal housing are among those being warned repeatedly of what could happen if Hungary is required to take in refugees. According to government officials, they may face subsidy or pension cuts, become victims of terrorism and violent acts or be forced to give up their homes if that happens. "The image of large migrant groups nearly 'darkening the sky' last year is still present in many people, no doubt reinforced by the government propaganda," says Attila Tibor Nagy of the Center for Fair Political Analysis. "The government is also assisted by the attacks in Germany and France, which it very much likes to invoke to show that migrants are dangerous." The referendum's technical costs, including printing the ballots and manufacturing ballot boxes, total 4.9 billion forints ($17.8 million). The government says it will reveal how much it spent on the billboard and media campaign after the vote, but partial data shows expenditures of at least 13 billion forints ($47.3 million). The government has not said what consequences a valid referendum supporting its position will have. It has mentioned possible amendments to the constitution but is shying away from specifics. Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs brushed off suggestions that an invalid referendum would hurt Orban, saying a large number of "no" votes would be enough to bolster the official position against the refugee quotas even with a low turnout.

Voters in Hungary go to the polls for a referendum on whether to accept mandatory European Union quotas on relocating migrants. While an overwhelming majority of voters reject the EU's migrant quotas, turnout was too low to make the poll valid.

BOGOTA, Colombia — A referendum defeat for a peace deal with leftist rebels leaves Colombians with no Plan B to save an accord that sought to bring an end to a half century of hostilities. Instead of winning by an almost two-to-one margin Sunday as pre-election polls had predicted, those favoring the accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia lost by a razor-thin margin, 49.8 percent to 50.2 percent for those against the deal. Both President Juan Manuel Santos and leaders of the FARC, after four years of negotiations, vowed to push ahead, giving no hint they want to resume a war that has already killed 220,000 people and displaced 8 million. "I won't give up. I'll continue search for peace until the last moment of my mandate," Santos said in a televised address appealing for calm. Santos has ordered his negotiators to return to Cuba on Monday to confer with FARC's top leaders. "The FARC deeply regret that the destructive power of those who sow hatred and revenge have influenced the Colombian people's opinion," the FARC's top commander, a guerrilla known as Timochenko, told reporters. Foreign leaders had heralded the accord as a model for a world beset by political violence and terrorism. Many heads of state as well as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry were present when Santos and Timochenko signed the deal less than a week ago. Norway, which along with Cuba co-sponsored the talks, said it would be willing to further facilitate peace talks.[SEP]Colombia’s referendum over a peace accord with Marxist rebels went down to the wire on Sunday, jeopardizing a deal that would end 52 years of war and allow FARC fighters to re-enter society and form a political party. With results in from 90.66 per cent of voting stations, the “no” vote was marginally ahead at 50.10 per cent, versus 49.89 per cent for “yes,” according to Colombia’s election authority. That confounded opinion polls that had predicted a comfortable victory for the “yes” camp promoted by President Juan Manuel Santos. He has said his government will go back to war if the deal is rejected. Read more: Colombia’s undecided: Can all be forgiven after so much pain and loss? Read more: Colombia’s peace deal with FARC rebels reaps first fragile benefits In photos: A look at Colombia's long civil war The vote asked for a simple “yes” or “no” on whether Colombians support the accord signed last Monday by Santos, who has staked his legacy on peace, and the rebel commander known as Timochenko. “We must end a 52-year war and open the way to peace, a peace that will take us to a better future ... peace is the way to ensure our children and grandchildren have a better country,” Santos said after voting. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, whose numbers were halved to about 7,000 in recent years because of a U.S.-backed military offensive, has agreed to turn in weapons and fight for power at the ballot box instead of with bullets. After four years of negotiations in Havana, the final agreement was applauded around the world. Recent opinion polls show about two-thirds of voters are likely to ratify it. Influential former President Alvaro Uribe led the “no” camp, arguing that rebels should pay for crimes in jail and never be given congressional seats. But most Colombians, including some who see the accord as too soft on the FARC, seem convinced an imperfect peace is better than more war. “This country needs a change and it has to be today,” Fabiel Cruz, 31, an administrator, said after voting yes. “It’s the only chance we have. If it’s not today it will be never.” Under the accord, the FARC, which began as a peasant revolt in 1964, can compete in the 2018 presidential and legislative elections and will have 10 unelected congressional seats guaranteed through 2026. It will give up its role in the lucrative illegal drug trade and take part in reforming rural Colombia, most of which is poor and undeveloped. Details of the FARC’s political platform have not yet been revealed but its Marxist rhetoric goes very much against the beliefs of the largely conservative Colombian population, and most, including Santos, think it will have difficulty finding a political footing. Colombia’s Senate has 102 members and the House of Representatives has 166, so the FARC’s 10 seats are not enough to sway legislation. But some Colombians are still outraged. “I voted no. I don’t want to teach my children that everything can be forgiven,” said Alejandro Jaramillo, 35, angered that the rebels will not serve jail time. “The accord gives a lot of concessions to the guerrillas. They changed their strategy from arms to politics but the goal is still socialism,” said Javier Milanes, 34, a restaurant owner who also voted no. For decades, the FARC bankrolled the longest-running conflict in the Americas through the illegal drug trade, kidnapping and extortion, spreading a sense of terror that left few Colombians unaffected. The conflict took more than 220,000 lives and displaced millions of people. Colombians are tired of the bloodshed, which at its worst saw the FARC positioned close to the capital and the state on the verge of collapse. Battles between the guerrillas, paramilitaries, drug gangs and the army raged in the countryside and there were atrocities committed on all sides. A major concern for Colombians is that the FARC amassed a fortune from the cocaine trade. If the group does not hand over all its assets to victim reparations as promised, it could have a political war chest that arguably puts it at an advantage over other political movements. If the peace accord is approved on Sunday, Santos likely will turn his focus toward a much-needed tax reform and other measures to compensate for a drop in oil income, as well as possible talks with the smaller ELN rebel group.[SEP]On Monday, the country's currency and stocks reacted negatively. Colombia's peso fell 2.6% Monday. Stocks fell too -- the MSCI Colombia, which represents the country's largest publicly-traded companies -- quickly shed 3% once markets opened. "The rejection of the proposed peace deal was not expected nor discounted by the market," says Alberto Ramos, head of Latin America research at Goldman Sachs. In a referendum vote on Sunday, Colombians voted against a peace deal with the rebel guerrilla army known as FARC that would have ended a 52-year civil war. The conflict killed an estimated 220,000 people and displaced millions. Related: What's next for Colombia after failed peace deal It took four years for the Colombian government and FARC leaders to reach a deal. Colombia's president, Juan Manuel Santos, wanted the Colombian people to ratify the peace deal in a referendum vote. But Colombians narrowly rejected the deal, with 50.22% voting against it. Many Colombians believed the deal would have been too lenient on FARC leaders who committed war crimes. Colombia's economy already faced a litany of headwinds despite being one of the best performing economies in Latin America. The peso fell 18% and 25% against the dollar in 2014 and 2015 respectively. It had started to regain momentum this year. But now things appear uncertain. Related: Opinion: Colombia must keep pushing for peace After growing at 6.6% in 2011, Colombia's economy slowed down over the years, only growing 3.1% last year. Its chief export is oil and low crude prices have hurt its growth prospects. Santos -- along with many economists -- argued that peace had major economic benefits. They anticipated that peace would increase stability, encouraging more foreign investment and the development of FARC-controlled territory. Although the failed deal isn't expected to cause an economic crisis soon, the shocking outcome raises concerns, experts say. "There is still a lot of uncertainty about what comes next," says Adam Collins an economist who covers Colombia at Capital Economics, a research firm. The no vote "does raise political risks."[SEP]Instead of winning by an almost two-to-one margin on Sunday as pre-election polls had predicted, those favoring the accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia lost by a razor-thin margin, 49.8 percent to 50.2 percent for those against the deal. Both President Juan Manuel Santos and leaders of the FARC, after four years of grueling negotiations, vowed to push ahead, giving no hint they want to resume a war that has already killed 220,000 people and displaced 8 million. “I won’t give up. I’ll continue search for peace until the last moment of my mandate,” Santos said in a televised address appealing for calm. But it’s not clear how the already unpopular Santos can save the deal after the stunning political defeat. He has ordered his negotiators to return to Cuba on Monday to confer with FARC’s top leaders, who watched the results with disbelief after ordering drinks and cigars at Club Havana, once Cuba’s most exclusive beach club. “The FARC deeply regret that the destructive power of those who sow hatred and revenge have influenced the Colombian people’s opinion,” the FARC’s top commander, a guerrilla known as Timochenko, told reporters. The loss for the government was even more shocking considering the huge support for the accord among foreign leaders, who have heralded it as a model for a world beset by political violence and terrorism. Many heads of state as well as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry were present when Santos and Timochenko signed the deal less than a week ago in an elaborate, emotion-filled ceremony. Norway, which along with Cuba co-sponsored the talks, said it would be willing to further facilitate peace talks. “I am very disappointed, and the result shows a very polarized and split Colombia,” Norway’s Foreign Minister Borge Brende told the NTB news agency. “We have told both parties that we will be at their disposal and are available,” he said. “We must also involve the opposition who say they want peace and hear what they think might be the solution.” With the outlook uncertain, all eyes are on Santos’ former boss and chief rival: Alvaro Uribe, the powerful former president who led the grass-roots campaign against the accord. With none of the government’s huge PR machine, an angry Uribe gave voice to millions of Colombians, many of them victims of the FARC like him, who bristled at provisions in the 297-page accord sparing rebels jail time if they confessed their crimes and instead reserved them 10 seats in Congress. Uribe, in prepared remarks from his ranch outside Medellin after the results were in, called for a “big national pact” and insisted on “correctives” that guarantee respect for the constitution, respect for private enterprise and justice without impunity. But he didn’t specify whether he would join Santos in trying to salvage the deal, and took more swipes at the FARC, demanding it end drug trafficking and extortion. “The entire accord was full of impunity,” said Ricardo Bernal, 60, celebrating the victory for the “no” side in a Bogota neighborhood where opponents were gathered. “We all want peace but there have to be adjustments made.” Across town, hundreds of supporters of the peace deal who had gathered in a hotel ballroom for what they expected would be a victory party with Santos wept in despair. The FARC’s 7,000 guerrilla fighters are unlikely to return to the battlefield any time soon. For now, a cease-fire remains in place. One option for Santos would be to reopen negotiations, something he had ruled out previously and his chief negotiator said would be “catastrophic.” The president, who has a little under two years left in office, could also seek to bypass another popular vote and ratify the accord in Congress or by calling a constitutional convention, something both the FARC and Uribe have previously favored. “I’ve always believed in a wise Chinese proverb, to look for opportunities in any situation. And here we have an opportunity that’s opening up, with the new political reality that has demonstrated itself in the referendum,” Santos said Sunday night at the presidential palace. But bringing Santos and Uribe together might be harder than achieving peace with the FARC. Santos served as Uribe’s defense minister, when they worked together with the U.S. to drive the FARC to the edge of the jungles, but the two haven’t spoken for years and frequently trade insults. One of the reasons for the surprise defeat was low turnout, with only 37 percent of the electorate bothering to vote, a further sign to some analysts that Colombians’ enthusiasm for the ambitious accord was lacking. Heavy rains from Hurricane Matthew especially dampened voting along the Caribbean coast, where the government’s electoral machinery is strongest and the “yes” vote won by a double-digit margin. While urban voters who were being leaned on to pay for the peace largely voted against the accord, the areas hardest hit by the conflict overwhelmingly endorsed it. In the town of Bojaya, where a FARC mortar attack on a church killed dozens of civilians in 2002, the ‘yes’ vote won with 96 percent of the vote. The campaign exposed deep rifts in Colombian society, dividing many families and making clear the road to reconciliation would have been long and torturous even had the accord passed. Colombians overwhelmingly loathe the FARC, which the U.S. considers a terrorist group, and many considered the accord an insult to victims of the long-running conflict. “In the end, hate toward the FARC won out over hope for the future,” said Jason Marczack, an expert on Latin America at the Washington-based Atlantic Council.[SEP]BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombians rejected a peace deal with leftist rebels by a razor-thin margin in a national referendum Sunday, scuttling years of painstaking negotiations and delivering a major setback to President Juan Manuel Santos, who vowed to keep a cease-fire in place and forge ahead with his efforts to end a half-century of war. With more than 99 percent of polling stations reporting, 50.2 percent of ballots opposed the accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia while 49.8 percent favored it — a difference of less than 57,000 votes out of a total of 13 million. Pre-election polls had predicted the “yes” vote would win by an almost two-to-one margin. “I won’t give up. I’ll continue search for peace until the last moment of my mandate,” Santos said in a televised address appealing for calm and in which he tried to reassure voters he was in complete control of the situation. To save the accord, Santos ordered his negotiators to return to Cuba on Monday to consult with FARC leaders who watched the results come in from the communist island. He also promised to listen to opponents in a bid to strengthen the deal, which he said is Colombia’s best chance for ending a conflict that has killed 220,000 people and driven almost 8 million people from their homes. “I’ve always believed in a wise Chinese proverb to look for opportunities in any situation. And here we have an opportunity that’s opening up, with the new political reality that has demonstrated itself in the referendum,” he said before descending to the steps of the presidential palace to address a small group of supporters waving white flags symbolizing peace. The shock outcome, comparable to Britain’s decision to leave the European Union in the Brexit vote, opens an uncertain outlook for the peace accord that was signed less than a week ago by Santos and the FARC in a ceremony attended by heads of state, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Opposition to the accord, led by influential former President Alvaro Uribe, argued that the government was appeasing the FARC and setting a bad example that criminal gangs would seize on by sparing rebels jail time if they confess their crimes and guaranteeing the group 10 seats in congress through 2026. If the “no” vote prevailed, Uribe said, the government should return to the negotiating table. But that is an option that Santos has previously ruled out. With the government’s ability to govern now in question all eyes have turned to Uribe, who remains the country’s most-popular politician and whose almost decade-long military offensive forced the FARC to the negotiating table. He made no immediate comment on the results but his former vice president, Francisco Santos, the current president’s cousin, rejected claims that Uribe supporters oppose peace. “What we want is an agreement for all Colombians,” he said. President Santos served as Uribe’s defense minister but the two haven’t spoken for years, leading many pundits to joke that bringing the two former allies together is harder than achieving peace with the FARC. Early in the day, FARC leaders, including Timochenko and Ivan Marquez, sat in leather recliners at Club Havana, once Cuba’s most exclusive beach club, watching the referendum results on a flat-screen TV. Initially the atmosphere was festive, with the guerrillas laughing and joking while snacking on cheese-and-olive hors d’oeuvres, smoking cigars and visiting an open bar. But the mood soured as results began to come in, and the rebel commanders talked in hushed tones on cellphones, conferred quietly and asked journalists to leave the room. “The FARC deeply regret that the destructive power of those who sow hatred and revenge have influenced the Colombian people’s opinion,” Timochenko told reporters later. He said the rebel group’s commitment to peace remains intact. “The FARC reiterates its desire for peace and our willingness to use only words as a weapon for building the future,” he said. Turnout was low, with only 37 percent of the electorate bothering to vote, a further sign to some analysts that Colombians’ enthusiasm for the ambitious accord was lacking. Heavy rains from hurricane Matthew especially dampened turnout along the Caribbean coast, where the “yes” vote won by a comfortable double-digit margin. The campaign exposed deep rifts in Colombia’s society, dividing many families and making it clear to even supporters of the accord that the road to reconciliation would have been long and torturous. Colombians overwhelmingly loathe the FARC, which the U.S. considers a terrorist group, and many considered the accord an insult to victims of the long-running conflict. In the past month, ever since the deal was announced in Cuba after four years of grueling negotiations, the government spent heavily on television ads and staged concerts and peace rallies around the country to get out the vote. It even enrolled the help of U2’s Bono and former Beatle Ringo Starr. And for the first time in an election, it made ballots available in Braille so blind Colombians could vote. The FARC, however, has made an effort to show its commitment to peace is real. Twice this week leaders of the group traveled to areas hit hard by violence to apologize for massacres committed by their troops and discuss with communities how they can compensate victims. Even ahead of implementation, they voluntarily destroyed in front of United Nations observers 620 kilograms of grenades and light explosives.[SEP]Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Opponents of the peace agreement celebrated as the surprise result was announced Voters in Colombia have rejected a landmark peace deal with Farc rebels in a shock referendum result, with 50.2% voting against it. The deal was signed last week by President Juan Manuel Santos and Farc leader Timoleon Jimenez after nearly four years of negotiations. But it needed to be ratified by Colombians in order to come into force. Addressing the nation, President Santos said he accepted the result but would continue working to achieve peace. How did it happen? Colombians were asked to endorse or reject the peace agreement in a popular vote on Sunday. Image copyright AFP Image caption Voters were asked to vote "yes" or "no" to the peace agreement signed last week The "yes" campaign had the backing not just of President Santos but of a wide array of politicians both in Colombia and abroad, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. But there was also a vocal campaign for a "no" vote, led by former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. Polls conducted ahead of Sunday's vote suggested a comfortable win for the "yes" campaign. But in a surprise result, 50.2% of voters rejected the agreement compared with 49.8% who voted for it. The difference with 98.98% of the votes counted was less than 54,000 votes out of almost 13 million ballots. Turnout was low with fewer than 38% of voters casting their votes. Who voted how? Colombia was divided regionally with most of the outlying provinces voting in favour of the agreement and those nearer the capital and inland voting against it. In Choco, one of the provinces hardest hit by the conflict, 80% of voters backed the deal. In the town of Bojaya, where at least 119 people were killed when a church was hit by Farc mortar bombs, 96% of residents voted "yes". Colombia's capital, Bogota, also voted "yes" with 56%. The province of Vaupes, in the east of the country, also registered strong support for the deal, with 78% voting in favour. Vaupes has also seen its share of conflict, including the attack on the town of Mitu, which the rebels seized control of in 1998 after taking a large number of police officers hostage. Some of the officers were held hostage by the Farc for 12 years before being freed by the army in 2010. In the eastern province of Casanare on the other hand, 71.1 % voted against the deal. It is an area where farmers and landowners have for years been extorted by the Farc and other illegal groups. In Antioquia, the home state of ex-President Uribe, 62% rejected the deal. Why did people vote 'no'? Most of those who voted "no" said they thought the peace agreement was letting the rebels "get away with murder". Image copyright Getty Images Image caption "No" voters said the agreement was too lenient with the rebels Under the agreement, special courts would have been created to try crimes committed during the conflict. Those who confessed to their crimes would have been given more lenient sentences and would have avoided serving any time in conventional prisons. This, for many Colombians, was one step too far. They also balked at the government's plan to pay demobilised Farc rebels a monthly stipend and to offer those wanting to start a business financial help. "No" voters said this amounted to a reward for criminal behaviour while honest citizens were left to struggle financially. Many also said that they simply did not trust the rebels to keep their promise to lay down arms for good. They pointed to previous failed peace negotiations when the rebels took advantage of a lull in fighting to regroup and rearm as evidence that the Farc had broken their word before. Others were unhappy that under the agreement, the Farc would be guaranteed 10 seats in the Colombian Congress in the 2018 and 2022 elections. They said this would give the newly created party an unfair advantage. Read more about the deal's most contentious points What will happen next? President Santos said that the bilateral ceasefire between government forces and the Farc would remain in place. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption President Juan Manuel Santos: "I am the guarantor of Colombia's stability" He has told government negotiators to travel to to Cuba to consult Farc leaders on the next move. President Santos has promised to "continue the search for peace until the last moment of my mandate because that's the way to leave a better country to our children". "I won't give up," he said. The Farc leader known as Timochenko also said that the rebels remained committed to securing an end to the conflict. "The Farc reiterates its disposition to use only words as a weapon to build toward the future," he said after the result. "Count on us, peace will triumph." But before the vote, President Santos had told the BBC that there was "no Plan B" for ending the conflict, which has killed an estimated 260,000 people. He said he would meet all political parties on Monday to discuss the next steps and "open space for dialogue". Read more: Viewpoint: What next for Colombia after 'no' vote? What does the 'no' campaign want? The main proponent of the vote against the agreement was former President Alvaro Uribe. Image copyright AP Image caption Former President Alvaro Uribe said the deal offered rebels who had committed crimes "impunity" Following the "no" vote, Mr Uribe insisted that he was not opposed to peace but that he wanted to renegotiate some of the agreement, which he said needed "corrections". Among the "corrections" he has demanded are, among others: That those found guilty of crimes be barred from running for public office That Farc leaders serve time in prison for crimes committed That the Farc use their illicit gains to pay their victims compensation That no changes be made to the Colombian constitution He said he wanted "political pluralism which can't be perceived as a reward for crimes committed, social justice without risk to honest enterprise". "We want to contribute to a national accord and be heard," he said. However, it is not clear whether the Farc would agree to the "corrections" Mr Uribe wants or if they would even consider renegotiating the deal which took four years of formal negotiations and two years of secret talks to reach. What has been the reaction? One of surprise, as even Mr Uribe, the main backer of the "no" vote, had predicted that the "yes" vote would win. Image copyright AFP Image caption Supporters of the deal were shocked when the "no" won Image copyright EPA Image caption Some just could not believe the result Some of those who had gathered to watch the result on giant screens expressed their disappointment. One woman in Medellin told Caracol radio: "I never thought I could be this sad. I haven't got any victims in my family, nor any siblings who've joined the guerrilla, but I think of my country, of the young people and my heart breaks into a thousand pieces." Farc leader Timochenko expressed his disappointment with the result which he blamed on "the destructive power of those who sow hatred and revenge" and "have influenced the Colombian people's opinion". Opponents of the agreement, however, took to the streets to celebrate their unexpected win. Many said that "justice has won" and expressed their relief at the result. One Colombian woman told BBC Mundo that Colombians had not forgotten that the path of the Farc was "paved with kidnappings, killings and drug trafficking". Did you vote in the referendum? How do you feel about the result? Tell us your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. You can also contact us in the following ways:[SEP](CNN) A narrow win for Colombia's opponents to a government peace deal with FARC rebels has thrown the country into disarray, leading one journalist to starkly declare, "Nobody really knows what will happen tomorrow." Likened to the fallout from the United Kingdom's "Brexit" referendum, the vote's unexpected failure has left the Colombian political classes reeling and unsure how to respond in order to save four years of hard negotiation with the Marxist militia. And while a meeting of the deal's principals is scheduled for Monday morning, FARC's financial disclosures -- and possibly a disarmament campaign that began last week-- have been questioned. Why did they reject it? In the weeks leading up to Sunday's vote, many Colombians were angered by what they saw as insufficient punishment for those who perpetrated a litany of crimes against their people. It's estimated 220,000 were killed in the 52-year conflict which displaced as many as 5 million people. At the height of its terror campaign, the armed group seized territory, attacked government forces and conducted high-profile kidnappings. The rebels also hijacked planes, made millions trafficking cocaine and forced children to fight. For just over half of those who voted, the FARC's past crimes were too much to forgive. The rejection of the plan has left the administration of President Juan Manuel Santos wrongfooted and, as the president himself said, "without a plan B." Now the rebels and the Colombian government, facilitated by international leaders, will have to go back to the drawing board to re-imagine a peace that is acceptable to the people of Colombia, speaking on behalf of the victims of murder, extortion and kidnapping. "I hear those that said 'no' and those that said 'yes' and we all want peace. Tomorrow we will get all our political parties together to continue dialogues and finding alternatives for peace. I will not give up, I will continue to fight for peace," Santos said. What happens now? It is largely unclear what the path forward looks like. Santos said Sunday a ceasefire will remain in place and negotiations will continue in Havana, Cuba, while his counterpart, FARC leader Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri, agreed that the referendum result would not sway the former rebels from the path of peace. "With today's result, we know that our challenge as a political movement is even greater and demands for us to be stronger, to build up a durable and stable peace," Londoño, who also goes by the alias Timoleón "Timochenko" Jiménez, said Sunday night. "The FARC-EP maintains the willingness for peace and they reaffirm their disposition to use only the word as a constructive weapon towards the future. To the Colombian people who dream with peace, they can count on us. Peace will triumph." Can a new deal be agreed? The country is divided, says Virginia Bouvier, Senior Advisor for Latin American Programs at the US Institute of Peace, and while the accord represented a "unique and very exciting endeavor to hold accountable those who have committed horrific crimes," opponents of the deal reduced it to an oversimplified outcome: whether former rebels would see the inside of a jail cell. Regardless of the outcome, "the path of peace will continue and both sides will follow it," Bouvier told CNN via Skype. "Santos... speaking as president of all those who voted, said that he recognized that he had put it to a vote but maintained that he would be convening all political sectors to enter in dialogue and take that back to Havana. "Trying to implement something that half of the population is against it is very difficult," she said, adding that in Colombia today there are deep divisions and the country polarized. "I think this gives an option to go back to the drawing board to tweak to see what works for the entire population. I wish the (dealmakers) tremendous stamina for the next stage," she said. Will there be political repercussions? Almost without doubt. The 'no' vote was seen as somewhat of a referendum on Santos, who lost support through his agreement to sit down with the rebels. The 'no' campaign was led by his predecessor, Álvaro Uribe, who would like to run again as president. "This is a huge blow to the political future of President Santos," Journalist Simone Bruno told CNN. "Just a few days ago we saw him signing this important agreement with the FARC leader and had huge support from the international community. "He was one of the main candidates for the Nobel Prize and now he has to go back again. What he said is that he will never lose the chance to negotiate until the last day of his mandate. Now he wants to keep on going, keep on negotiating but of course of things are changing and nobody really knows what will happen tomorrow." What could a new deal look like? It's unlikely that the FARC leadership would give up former rebels to jail time to satisfy the demands of the slim majority which rejected the deal. FARC members and supporters already feel that the group has conceded too much in its quest for a settlement. Santos has called a meeting of the principals of the imperiled deal for Monday morning in Bogota to decide what step to next take. One thing is for sure; no one wants a return to all-out conflict between government troops and a dwindling band of rebels in Colombia's jungles. As so little is known about what comes next, it is unclear if the process to get the derailed deal back on track will happen quickly or slowly. The president still holds a majority in congress and will do so for the two remaining years of his term, so while the vote result is politically damaging he still has a lot of sway in congress. It is unlikely that the whole deal will be scrapped, but rather the contentious clause which keeps former rebels out of jail will be renegotiated.[SEP]BOGOTA, Colombia | A stunning referendum defeat for a peace deal with leftist rebels leaves Colombians with no Plan B to save an accord that sought to bring an end to a half century of hostilities. Instead of winning by an almost two-to-one margin on Sunday as pre-election polls had predicted, those favoring the accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia lost by a razor-thin margin, 49.8 percent to 50.2 percent for those against the deal. Both President Juan Manuel Santos and leaders of the FARC, after four years of grueling negotiations, vowed to push ahead, giving no hint they want to resume a war that has already killed 220,000 people and displaced 8 million. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos prepares to cast his ballot in a referendum to decide whether or not to support the peace deal he signed with rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) Opposition Senator and former President Alvaro Uribe reads a statement at his house in Rionegro, Colombia, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016. Colombians rejected a peace deal with leftist rebels by a razor-thin margin in a national referendum. Opposition to the accord, led by Uribe, argued that the government was appeasing the FARC and setting a bad example by sparing rebels jail time if they confess their crimes and guaranteeing the group 10 seats in congress through 2026. Back right is Senator Ivan Duque. (AP Photo/Luis Benavides) Supporters of the peace accord between the Colombian government and rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, follow on a giant screen the results of a referendum to decide whether or not to support the peace accord, in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016. Colombia's peace deal with leftist rebels was on the verge of collapsing, with those opposing the deal leading by a razor-thin margin with almost all polling stations reporting results. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) Opponents to the peace deal signed between the Colombian government and rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, celebrate as they listen to the results of the referendum to decide whether or not to support a peace accord to in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016. The peace deal was expected to end more than 5 decades of conflict between the FARC and the government. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) A supporters of the peace accord between the Colombian government and rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, follows on a giant screen the results of a referendum to decide whether or not to support the peace deal in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016. The peace deal is expected to end more than 5 decades of conflict between the FARC and the government. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) Opponents to the peace deal signed between the Colombian government and rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, celebrate as they listen to the results of the referendum to decide whether or not to support a peace accord to in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016. A referendum on Colombia's peace deal with leftist rebels was going far worse than expected for the government Sunday, with those favoring the deal leading by a razor-thin margin with more than half the votes counted. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) Supporters of the peace accord between the Colombian government and rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, follow on a giant screen the results of a referendum to decide whether or not to support the peace accord in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016. The peace deal is expected to end more than 5 decades of conflict between the FARC and the government. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) “I won’t give up. I’ll continue search for peace until the last moment of my mandate,” Santos said in a televised address appealing for calm. But it’s not clear how the already unpopular Santos can save the deal after the stunning political defeat. He has ordered his negotiators to return to Cuba on Monday to confer with FARC’s top leaders, who watched the results with disbelief after ordering drinks and cigars at Club Havana, once Cuba’s most exclusive beach club. “The FARC deeply regret that the destructive power of those who sow hatred and revenge have influenced the Colombian people’s opinion,” the FARC’s top commander, a guerrilla known as Timochenko, told reporters. The loss for the government was even more shocking considering the huge support for the accord among foreign leaders, who have heralded it as a model for a world beset by political violence and terrorism. Many heads of state as well as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry were present when Santos and Timochenko signed the deal less than a week ago in an elaborate, emotion-filled ceremony. Norway, which along with Cuba co-sponsored the talks, said it would be willing to further facilitate peace talks. “I am very disappointed, and the result shows a very polarized and split Colombia,” Norway’s Foreign Minister Borge Brende told the NTB news agency. “We have told both parties that we will be at their disposal and are available,” he said. “We must also involve the opposition who say they want peace and hear what they think might be the solution.” With the outlook uncertain, all eyes are on Santos’ former boss and chief rival: Alvaro Uribe, the powerful former president who led the grass-roots campaign against the accord. With none of the government’s huge PR machine, an angry Uribe gave voice to millions of Colombians, many of them victims of the FARC like him, who bristled at provisions in the 297-page accord sparing rebels jail time if they confessed their crimes and instead reserved them 10 seats in Congress. Uribe, in prepared remarks from his ranch outside Medellin after the results were in, called for a “big national pact” and insisted on “correctives” that guarantee respect for the constitution, respect for private enterprise and justice without impunity. But he didn’t specify whether he would join Santos in trying to salvage the deal, and took more swipes at the FARC, demanding it end drug trafficking and extortion. “The entire accord was full of impunity,” said Ricardo Bernal, 60, celebrating the victory for the “no” side in a Bogota neighborhood where opponents were gathered. “We all want peace but there have to be adjustments made.” Across town, hundreds of supporters of the peace deal who had gathered in a hotel ballroom for what they expected would be a victory party with Santos wept in despair. The FARC’s 7,000 guerrilla fighters are unlikely to return to the battlefield any time soon. For now, a cease-fire remains in place. One option for Santos would be to reopen negotiations, something he had ruled out previously and his chief negotiator said would be “catastrophic.” The president, who has a little under two years left in office, could also seek to bypass another popular vote and ratify the accord in Congress or by calling a constitutional convention, something both the FARC and Uribe have previously favored. “I’ve always believed in a wise Chinese proverb, to look for opportunities in any situation. And here we have an opportunity that’s opening up, with the new political reality that has demonstrated itself in the referendum,” Santos said Sunday night at the presidential palace. But bringing Santos and Uribe together might be harder than achieving peace with the FARC. Santos served as Uribe’s defense minister, when they worked together with the U.S. to drive the FARC to the edge of the jungles, but the two haven’t spoken for years and frequently trade insults. One of the reasons for the surprise defeat was low turnout, with only 37 percent of the electorate bothering to vote, a further sign to some analysts that Colombians’ enthusiasm for the ambitious accord was lacking. Heavy rains from Hurricane Matthew especially dampened voting along the Caribbean coast, where the government’s electoral machinery is strongest and the “yes” vote won by a double-digit margin. While urban voters who were being leaned on to pay for the peace largely voted against the accord, the areas hardest hit by the conflict overwhelmingly endorsed it. In the town of Bojaya, where a FARC mortar attack on a church killed dozens of civilians in 2002, the ‘yes’ vote won with 96 percent of the vote. The campaign exposed deep rifts in Colombian society, dividing many families and making clear the road to reconciliation would have been long and torturous even had the accord passed. Colombians overwhelmingly loathe the FARC, which the U.S. considers a terrorist group, and many considered the accord an insult to victims of the long-running conflict. “In the end, hate toward the FARC won out over hope for the future,” said Jason Marczack, an expert on Latin America at the Washington-based Atlantic Council. Associated Press writer Michael Weissenstein in Havana contributed to this report, AP Writer Matti Huuhtanen contributed from Helsinki, Finland. Joshua Goodman is on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjoshgoodman. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/journalist/joshua-goodman . Andrea Rodriguez is on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARodriguezAP. Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/andrea-rodriguez .[SEP]FARC Commander Timoleón "Timochenko" Jiménez said Monday that his group would maintain the ceasefire with Colombia's government that was put into effect last June. Timochenko said FARC would follow the peace deal that was signed last week between him and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. "The FARC-EP remains faithful to the agreement," he said In a televised statement on Colombia's state-run TV. "Peace with dignity is here to stay." Santos also said the government would respect the ceasefire and that negotiations would continue in Havana, Cuba. Colombia's political representatives -- including Congress leaders, Senate leaders, party leaders and government negotiators -- met Monday in Bogota with Santos. Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, who had been leading the campaign against the referendum, did not attend. But there was no indication of what came out of the Monday meeting. Colombia was thrown into confusion after voters narrowly rejected a referendum on the deal brokered between the government and FARC, a Marxist rebel group. Final results showed a little more than 50% voted no. What happens next in Colombia? The rejection was a shock because the agreement had taken more than four years to negotiate and would have ended five decades of war that left an estimated 220,000 people dead. Also on Monday, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said he would send his special envoy, Jean Arnault, to Havana for talks on the peace agreement. He said he was encouraged that both sides appeared to want to end armed conflict. "After more than five decades of war, the Colombian people deserve no less," he said through a spokesperson. US State Department spokesman John Kirby commended the peaceful election and said "difficult decisions are going to have to be taken in the days ahead." He said the United States supports Santos' efforts for a broad dialogue. The referendum appeared to fail because Colombians thought the deal didn't do enough to punish the FARC rebels. FARC had seized territory, attacked government forces and conducted high-profile kidnappings. The rebels also hijacked planes, made millions trafficking cocaine and forced children to fight.[SEP]Colombians on Sunday narrowly rejected a peace deal that seeks to end Latin America’s longest-running war. Voters rejected the agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia by a 50.2-49.7 percent margin. The referendum took place six days after President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC Commander Rodrigo “Timochenko” Londoño signed the historic agreement during a ceremony in the city of Cartagena that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry attended. More than 200,000 people have died in the conflict that began in 2012. Representatives of Colombia Diversa and Caribe Afirmativo — two LGBT advocacy groups — took part in the peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC that began in Havana in 2012. Santos, who has sought an end to the decades-long conflict since his 2010 election, said in a televised-address that he accepts the referendum results. Media reports indicate his government’s negotiators will travel to Havana on Monday to meet with FARC leaders who were awaiting the results from there. “I will continue seeking peace until the last minute of my mandate,” said Santos. “This is the path towards leaving a better country to our children.” Former President Álvaro Uribe and others sharply criticized the deal because it would allow FARC members who admit their crimes during the conflict to not serve any prison time. “We want to contribute to a great national pact,” said Uribe in a statement on the referendum results. “It is fundamental to us that risks to our values — freedom, institutional justice, pluralism, confidence in private enterprise accompanied with universal and quality education as the base of social policy — are not made in the name of peace.” The peace deal that was formalized in August in Havana specifically acknowledges the conflict’s LGBT victims. It notes the “fundamental rights” of LGBT Colombians and other vulnerable groups and calls for the creation of a “democratic culture and participation” in the country. Colombia Diversa, Caribe Afirmativo and more than 100 LGBT advocacy groups launched a campaign that urged Colombians to vote for the peace deal. “The peace agreement will allow for the construction of a more inclusive Colombia,” wrote Caribe Afirmativo Director Wilson Castañeda last week in an op-ed for the Washington Blade. Castañeda described the referendum results to the Blade as a “very painful historical moment.” “We are very surprised,” he said from the city of Barranquilla. Laura Weinstein, a transgender rights advocate in the Colombian capital of Bogotá, expressed a similar sentiment. “People are very sad,” she told the Blade on Sunday. Hunter T. Carter of the New York City Bar Association, who lives part-time in Medellín with his Colombian husband, described the referendum results as “awkward.” Religious and conservative groups reportedly pressured Santos’ government to abandon efforts to extend adoption rights to gays and lesbians in exchange for their support of the deal. Castañeda told the Blade that Uribe and Inspector General Alejandro Ordóñez, who has challenged efforts to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples in the country, urged Colombians to oppose the peace agreement because it “put the stability of the family at risk.” Carter noted on his twitter page that Uribe and Ordóñez “decried” the 140 LGBT-specific references in the deal. “We reiterate our respect for liberty, the privacy of every citizen and reiterate the need to stimulate family values without putting them at risk,” said Uribe in his statement on the referendum results.

Referendum voters in Colombia narrowly fail to ratify a peace deal between the Government of Colombia and FARC.

CHASKA, Minn. — This was not eight years in the making. It was two decades. Two decades worth of frustration was pent up inside the American team room when it arrived to Hazeltine National this week for the 41st Ryder Cup. And two decades worth of relief was released with the force of popping champagne corks when the Americans put the finishing touches on a 17-11 rout of the Europeans Sunday, capturing the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2008 and only the third time since 1999. After eight losses in the last 10 Ryder Cups, including the last three, the Americans decided enough was enough. “We got kicked around for so long,’’ U.S. captain Davis Love III said. “You keep losing and you feel like you’ve got to do something different.’’ Massive changes had been made. A “task force’’ was formed with a goal in mind to right all the wrongs that had been supposedly holding back the Americans, who entered the week having won the Ryder Cup only twice since 1993. The Europeans publicly and privately snickered at the Americans, seeing the task force as an act of desperation. If we’re being honest, they had an arrogance about them when they crowed about how “flattered’’ they were that Americans were “copying’’ their formula for success. The Europeans acted as if they had all the answers. Well, this week in a suburb about 30 minutes west of the Twin Cities, it was the Americans who had more answers. They took a 9 ½ to 6 ½ lead into Sunday’s 12 singles. There was not a single player or captain on the U.S. side who had taken victory for granted overnight considering the fact that the Europeans stunned the Americans in 2012 after trailing 10-6 entering the singles. Certainly not U.S. captain Davis Love III. He was, after all, also the captain of that 2012 team and had felt the sting of that European comeback ever since … until Sunday. With all the pressure on them, the Americans extended their lead and won 7 ½ of the 12 singles points, extended the lead to a lopsided win — their second-largest margin of victory, behind only 1981, when they won 18½ to 9½. There were so many elements to the week that made this U.S. victory monumental beyond the fact that for at least these next two years before the Ryder Cup is contested again, in France in 2018, they put an end to the European dominance. The task force, until further notice, has been validated. So, too, has Phil Mickelson. His public undressing of 2014 captain Tom Watson right after the matches ended in U.S. defeat in Scotland was the catalyst to the changes made. New stars were born on the U.S. team, too, with Patrick Reed, who was a revelation at Gleneagles as a rookie, taking over as “Captain America.’’ Reed has not won a major championship, but he has asserted himself as the best U.S. Ryder Cupper. He’s now is 6-1-2 in his two Ryder Cups, and he was the top points earner for the Americans this week with a 3-1-1 record. It was Reed who Love sent out in the opening match against Rory McIlroy in an effort for the U.S. to stave off any early European comeback. And he defeated Europe’s best player 1-up in an utterly scintillating 18 holes of golf in which the two players should have been playing in a steel cage with boxing gloves on, because it was full-contact golf. “Yeah, it does hurt,’’ McIlroy said. “We would definitely like to be feeling what the Americans are feeling right now. But saying that, they haven’t felt this in awhile.It’s been eight years since they felt this feeling. They deserve their moment. We’ll come back better and stronger in Paris.’’ The clinching point could not have come from a more fitting player, Ryan Moore, who was the 12th and final player selected to the team. Moore, one of two rookies on the U.S. team, did not even arrive to Hazeltine until Monday afternoon. It was his 1-up victory over Lee Westwood that closed out the Euros. “This is unbelievable right now to actually get the point that clinched it for us, I guess you can say it was fitting,’’ Moore said. “I’m just so proud of these guys,’’ Love said. “They had a lot of pressure on them for the last two years. I’ve never seen a team come together like a family like this. So much has happened over the last week. Unbelievable golf. The Europeans played just some stunning golf.’’ But, as European captain Darren Clarke put it: “The Americans played better than we did. “They holed putts when they had to and we lipped out. But that’s happened the other way around for quite some time.’’ Eight long years to be exact.[SEP]Chaska, Minn. (AP) — Patrick Reed shook his fists with fury for every big putt he made. Phil Mickelson leaped higher than when he won his first Masters. Ryan Moore delivered the final point in this American masterpiece Sunday at the Ryder Cup. The 17-11 victory over Europe was their biggest rout in 35 years at the Ryder Cup. Only this was more than just three days of exquisite golf at Hazeltine. This victory began two years ago in Scotland, when Phil Mickelson publicly criticized U.S. captain Tom Watson and a process that he felt put the Americans in position to fail far too often. “When put in the right environment, the U.S. team brought out some amazing golf,” Mickelson said. “And we’re bringing back the Ryder Cup because of it.” Sure enough, that 17-inch gold trophy was gleaming on a table, right next to a couple of champagne bottles on ice. This wasn’t about being maybe the best team ever assembled. The Americans were a team, and that was all that mattered. For the first time since 1975, every U.S. player won at least one match. And for the first time since 2008, the Ryder Cup is staying in America. Four years after Davis Love III saw his team blow a 10-6 lead at Medinah, he watched them make more birdies and eagles than he could count as they filled the scoreboard with American red and took any suspense out of the outcome. “There was a lot of pressure on these guys over the last couple years,” Love said. “We haven’t had a good run lately, and I’m thrilled for them that they got the win. … This team has been questioned and beat up for a long time, and I’m proud of the way they came together.” Europe, going for its fourth straight victory, never really had a chance. Reed outdueled and outshouted Rory McIlroy in a match so dynamic that they halved three straight holes with birdies. McIlroy holed a 60-foot putt up the slope on the par-3 eighth and cupped his hand to his ear to a loud an occasionally obnoxious crowd. Reed followed with a 35-foot birdie putt, wagging his finger at McIlroy. They bumped fists and patted each other on the back. McIlroy’s putter went cold, and Reed holed a 7-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to secure the 1-up victory. Mickelson and Sergio Garcia combined for 19 birdies, eight of them over the last five holes. Mickelson made an 18-foot birdie on the final hole, crouched and then leaped in the air, capping off a big week under more pressure than usual because of his strong voice in all these changes. One of the changes from the Ryder Cup Task Force that Europe mocked was to spread out the captain’s picks until the very end. The last one went to Moore, who was added to the team only last Sunday. A week later, he was celebrating a 1-up victory over Lee Westwood that clinched the cup. “You’re only as strong as your 12th man right there,” Brandt Snedeker said to him. There wasn’t much Europe could do. Thomas Pieters had the best showing of any European rookie by going 4-1. That was a lone bright spot. “They did everything I asked of them. They tried their hearts out. They worked hard. They fought hard,” European captain Darren Clarke said. “The American Ryder Cup team deserved to win. And we’re all gutted and disappointed. And we will be back stronger to fight in two years’ time in Paris.” Mickelson already was looking ahead. He had said the work of the task force — primarily for players and former captains to have more input in an event run by the PGA of America — was not about this year but the next 10 years of the Ryder Cup. Even so, it was sweet to see that trophy just a few feet away. “We need to build on this,” Mickelson said. “Otherwise, it’s all for naught. We created a very solid foundation this year. … Yes, it’s great that we had success this week, but it’s not about one year or one Ryder Cup. It’s about a multitude, for decades to come.” About that time, Love popped the cork off a bottle of champagne. “That’s my cue to shut up,” Mickelson said. The Americans stood atop a bridge to the left of the 18th green and sprayed champagne on themselves and the crowd, an enormous gathering that sent endless cheers of “U-S-A” and “Red, white, blue” across Hazeltine for three straight days. For Europe, Westwood was among four players who ended the week without a point. The Ryder Cup Task Force was dismantled after Love was named captain for the second time, though Mickelson and Tiger Woods remain on a committee for the next Ryder Cup in 2018 in France. Europe has not lost consecutive Ryder Cups since 1993.[SEP]Phil Mickelson led the Americans behind the scenes. Patrick Reed powered them with his passion on the golf course. And it was Ryan Moore, the final captain's pick who wasn't even on the team until a week ago Sunday, who delivered the cup-clinching point at Hazeltine. Moore finished eagle-birdie-par for a 1-up victory over Lee Westwood, and the celebration was on. "When put in the right environment, the U.S. team brought out some amazing golf," Mickelson said. "And we're bringing back the Ryder Cup because of it." There was no meltdown like Medinah four years ago, when the Americans blew a 10-6 lead under captain Davis Love III. Europe never really had a chance. Reed outdueled and outshouted Rory McIlroy for a 1-up victory, and by then the back end of the scoreboard was filled with American red. The final score was 17-11, the biggest rout for the United States since 1981. That U.S. team is considered the best team ever assembled with 11 major champions. In a radio interview going into the Ryder Cup, Love was trying to explain that the Americans didn't have to do anything "super human" when he said, "This is the best team maybe ever assembled." Ultimately, this wasn't about measuring against the past as much as it was building to the future. The Americans lost for the third straight time in 2014 at Gleneagles, and it was team divided over everything from how the captain was selected to how the team should be built. Mickelson put his image on the line by publicly challenging captain Tom Watson at the closing press conference in Scotland, and he was the strongest voice among five players on a task force that was assembled to figure out why the Americans couldn't seem to win. Mickelson was under pressure all week and delivered 2 1/2 points, including a halve with Sergio Garcia in which both birdied the final two holes. "You keep losing, you feel like you have to do something different," said Love, who avoided becoming the first U.S. captain to lose the Ryder Cup twice. "They had a lot of pressure on them for the last two years. And every time we picked a guy, there was more and more pressure on the team and more and more questions. And I'm just proud the way every one of them played. It was a great team effort." Reed faced the tallest order in the leadoff match with Rory McIlroy, and the quality of golf was as high as it gets. Reed squared the match by driving the fifth green to 8 feet for eagle, and he kept the tee until the 18th. Reed matched McIlroy's birdie on No. 6, McIlroy matched Reed's birdie on No. 7 and the par-3 eighth hole was as sensational as it gets in a Ryder Cup. McIlroy holed a 60-foot birdie putt, leapt into the air and cupped his hand to his ear, mocking the American crowd to yell even louder. Reed then holed a birdie putt from 35 feet, charging the crowd before turning to wag his finger at McIlroy. They bumped fists and patted each other on the back, both 5 under through eight holes. Their standard of gold dipped after that, perhaps because they spent so much energy pumping fists, and Reed finally took his first lead when McIlroy bogeyed the 12th hole. McIlroy's putter went cold, and Reed closed him out with a 7-foot birdie on the 18th. Mickelson made 10 birdies, and Garcia made nine birdies against no bogeys in their match. Among the lone bright spots for Europe was Thomas Pieters, the Belgian rookie who had the best debut of any European rookie by going 4-1. He took down J.B. Holmes in the third match, right after Henrik Stenson dismantled Jordan Spieth. By then, it was ominous. There would be no comeback like Medinah. There would be no celebrating for Europe, which it had done eight of the last 10 times. The Americans stood atop a bridge to the left of the 18th green and sprayed champagne on themselves and the crowd, an enormous gathering that sent endless cheers of "U-S-A" and "Red, white, blue" across Hazeltine for three straight days. For Europe, Westwood was among four players who ended the week without a point. The Ryder Cup Task Force was dismantled after Love was named captain for the second time, though Mickelson and Tiger Woods remain on a committee for the next Ryder Cup in 2018 in France. Europe has not lost consecutive Ryder Cups since 1993.[SEP]The United States topped the Europeans 17-11 to reclaim the Ryder Cup Sunday afternoon at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, MN. It was the widest margin of victory for the U.S. since it won by nine points in 1981. The winning point was delivered by Ryan Moore, who wasn't a member of the team until last Sunday evening, when U.S. Captain Davis Love III selected him with his final captain's pick. The victory vindicated the Task Force the U.S. assembled in an attempt to end recent European domination. Europe had won seven of the previous nine cups. The next Ryder Cup will be played in 2018 at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France.[SEP]The American Ryder Cup team celebrates after defeating Europe 17-11 at Hazeltine on Sunday. Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson lead fans in a chant before various players uncork bottles of champagne in celebration. It marks the first time since 2008 that the United States has won the Ryder Cup • Ryder Cup 2016: USA sweep to victory as Rory McIlroy and Europe taste defeat[SEP]Degenerating into a trash-talking drunkard-fest isn’t one of them. Yes, Saturday’s Ryder Cup at Hazeltine featured some straight-up jags. Guys (and they were all guys) saying stuff you just shouldn’t say in public. Even at a pro wrestling match. Maybe these were otherwise nice guys were acting like jerks because that’s how they get when they drink or hang out with their otherwise nice-guy pals. I don’t know. I never quite caught up to any. Because there weren’t many. And they generally hid behind the throngs and shouted from the back, cheap shots from the cheap seats. Sometimes the hecklers weren’t insulting, but they were Noonan!-ing. I wish that was fine in golf. If a guy can drill two free throws with 40,000 people screaming and waiving foam noodles behind his target, he ought to be able to drill a 2-foot putt amid some noise. But since hushed galleries are the norm in golf, the odd shriek — and apparently even cell phone beep or camera shutter — can distract a golfer and change the final destination of a little white ball. Or so they say. Fine. But rhetorical ridicule and backswing blurts are different from several thousand fans — all of whom came to cheer for their team to win — cheering when something happens that helps their team win. Like Rory McIlroy plunking his ball in the water. If you’re a USA! chanting fan and you’re not psyched when your nemesis puts one in the drink, you’re probably lying to yourself. Yet this offends some people. Golf people. Who believe that you should only cheer good play, because the only way you want to win is by playing great, not merely better than your opponent. • Gophers ask for support after coach Jay Johnson’s father dies • Ryder Cup cell phone police out in force at Hazeltine • Gophers coach Tracy Claeys stands up for game after hit on Penn State kicker • Brian Murphy: Saturday’s high drama at Ryder Cup sets up Hollywood finish on Sunday How quaint. Kind of like golf is quaint to legions of Americans who never understood the game or its Miss Manners demands, which forget that golf is a game best played fun. Sucking the fun out of golf is a great way to continue golf’s steady decline in popularity. Besides, with his bowing and chest-thumping, McIlroy himself is bringing a fistful of WWF into the Ryder Cup. Which is why it’s so fun.[SEP]CHASKA, Minn. — This wasn’t about being maybe the best team ever assembled. The Americans were simply a team, and they finally won back the Ryder Cup. Phil Mickelson led the Americans behind the scenes. Patrick Reed powered them with his passion on the golf course. And it was Ryan Moore, the final captain’s pick who wasn’t even on the team until a week ago Sunday, who delivered the cup-clinching point at Hazeltine. Moore finished eagle-birdie-par for a 1-up victory over Lee Westwood, and the celebration was on. “When put in the right environment, the U.S. team brought out some amazing golf,” Mickelson said. “And we’re bringing back the Ryder Cup because of it.” There was no meltdown like Medinah four years ago, when the Americans blew a 10-6 lead under captain Davis Love III. Europe never really had a chance. Reed outdueled and outshouted Rory McIlroy for a 1-up victory, and by then the back end of the scoreboard was filled with American red. The final score was 17-11, the biggest rout for the United States since 1981. That U.S. team is considered the best team ever assembled with 11 major champions. In a radio interview going into the Ryder Cup, Love was trying to explain that the Americans didn’t have to do anything “super human” when he said, “This is the best team maybe ever assembled.” Ultimately, this wasn’t about measuring against the past as much as it was building to the future. The Americans lost for the third straight time in 2014 at Gleneagles, and it was team divided over everything from how the captain was selected to how the team should be built. Mickelson put his image on the line by publicly challenging captain Tom Watson at the closing press conference in Scotland, and he was the strongest voice among five players on a task force that was assembled to figure out why the Americans couldn’t seem to win. Mickelson was under pressure all week and delivered 2 1/2 points, including a halve with Sergio Garcia in which both birdied the final two holes. “You keep losing, you feel like you have to do something different,” said Love, who avoided becoming the first U.S. captain to lose the Ryder Cup twice. “They had a lot of pressure on them for the last two years. And every time we picked a guy, there was more and more pressure on the team and more and more questions. And I’m just proud the way every one of them played. It was a great team effort.” Reed faced the tallest order in the leadoff match with Rory McIlroy, and the quality of golf was as high as it gets. Reed squared the match by driving the fifth green to 8 feet for eagle, and he kept the tee until the 18th. Reed matched McIlroy’s birdie on No. 6, McIlroy matched Reed’s birdie on No. 7 and the par-3 eighth hole was as sensational as it gets in a Ryder Cup. McIlroy holed a 60-foot birdie putt, leapt into the air and cupped his hand to his ear, mocking the American crowd to yell even louder. Reed then holed a birdie putt from 35 feet, charging the crowd before turning to wag his finger at McIlroy. They bumped fists and patted each other on the back, both 5 under through eight holes. Their standard of gold dipped after that, perhaps because they spent so much energy pumping fists, and Reed finally took his first lead when McIlroy bogeyed the 12th hole. McIlroy’s putter went cold, and Reed closed him out with a 7-foot birdie on the 18th. Mickelson made 10 birdies, and Garcia made nine birdies against no bogeys in their match. Among the lone bright spots for Europe was Thomas Pieters, the Belgian rookie who had the best debut of any European rookie by going 4-1. He took down J.B. Holmes in the third match, right after Henrik Stenson dismantled Jordan Spieth. By then, it was ominous. There would be no comeback like Medinah. There would be no celebrating for Europe, which it had done eight of the last 10 times. The Americans stood atop a bridge to the left of the 18th green and sprayed champagne on themselves and the crowd, an enormous gathering that sent endless cheers of “U-S-A” and “Red, white, blue” across Hazeltine for three straight days. For Europe, Westwood was among four players who ended the week without a point. The Ryder Cup Task Force was dismantled after Love was named captain for the second time, though Mickelson and Tiger Woods remain on a committee for the next Ryder Cup in 2018 in France. Europe has not lost consecutive Ryder Cups since 1993. Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, United States, def. Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson, Europe, 3 and 2. Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler, United States, def. Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan, Europe, 1 up. Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson, United States, def. Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer, Europe, 4 and 2. Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar, United States, def. Thomas Pieters and Lee Westwood, 5 and 4. Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson, Europe, def. Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, United States, 5 and 4. Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera Bello, Europe, def. J.B. Holmes and Ryan Moore, United States, 3 and 2. Brandt Snedeker and Brooks Koepka, United States, def. Martin Kaymer and Danny Willett, Europe, 5 and 4. Rory McIlroy and Thomas Pieters, Europe, def. Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar, United States, 3 and 2. Rory McIlroy and Thomas Pieters, Europe, def. Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson, United States, 4 and 2. Brandt Snedeker and Brooks Koepka, United States, def. Henrik Stenson and Matt Fitzpatrick, Europe, 3 and 2. Justin Rose and Chris Wood, Europe, def. Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson, United States, 1 up. Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera Bello, Europe, halved with Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, United States. Rory McIlroy and Thomas Pieters, Europe, def. Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, United States, 3 and 1. J.B. Holmes and Ryan Moore, United States, def. Danny Willett and Lee Westwood, Europe, 1 up. Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar, United States, def. Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia, Europe, 2 and 1. Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, United States, def. Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson, Europe, 2 and 1.[SEP]BY the time you’re reading this on Sunday morning, we will be into the final day of this year’s Ryder Cup, the closest thing golf has to a World Cup. Personally, if we’re losing, I’ll be praying for a Sunday like the Miracle at Medinah in 2012, when a supercharged Ian Poulter, roaring like a bull that’s been shot full of steroids, ignited the European team, inspiring them to overhaul an unthinkable 10-6 deficit in order to win 14 ½ to 13 ½ at the end of the day. The equivalent in tennis would be a player two sets down and losing the third set five games to one coming back to win the match in a fifth set tie-break. It was a victory I watched in tears at the time and which can still bring me close to the verge of blubbing four years on. • I didn’t watch game shows, I wanted to party with Joe Strummer and a unicorn, but BBC losing Bake Off leaves a bitter taste Interest in golf is never higher than during the Ryder Cup. (This might be because it is the closest golf – the loneliest and most individual of sports – gets to the team euphoria of something like football. Perhaps this is the reason a self-confessed football fan like Poulter flourishes in the Ryder Cup setting.) Oh, and by the way, if you’re a Trump fan watching the Ryder Cup, remember that he’s a known and furious golf cheat. If you’re a Leave-voting Nigel Farage fan supporting the European team, I suggest you have a word with yourself. Or simply get a friend to punch you in the face. My father taught me to play the game when I was five, back in the 70s, at the height of Nicklaus, Player and Trevino. Although I’ve never attained the lofty heights at the game he did – playing off scratch in his prime – I love golf with a deep, fevered passion. Sadly, however, many others do not feel this way. If you tell the average kid in their teens or 20s today that you’re into golf, you might as well be saying to them “I love fox hunting” or “I’m really into bear-baiting”. It seems an old fusty sport from a bygone era. • Where have all the good clubs gone, asks John Niven The Tiger Woods -influenced golf boom among young people has faded away like the game of the man who inspired it and, away from the fervour of the Ryder Cup, my beloved sport is in troubled times. Participation rates in golf are declining around the world. In the UK, the number of active players fell from an estimated 890,000 in 2005 to 740,000 in 2015. The number of 16 to 25-year-olds taking up the sport fell by a quarter in the same period. In America, where half the world’s golf is played, it’s no less drastic. There are six million fewer active players there than a decade ago. I think there are various reasons for this. Golf is an expensive sport. A round takes a long time compared to other sports. It also takes a while to become competent at the game. Golf clubs do not help themselves with their image: witness the shameful decision of Muirfield earlier this year to still refuse admission to female members. Some of the reasons golf is waning are also social and have happened for entirely laudable reasons. Back in my dad’s era, men would think nothing of playing two rounds of golf every weekend, then hanging out in the clubhouse for a few hours afterwards – drinking and gossiping and dissecting their rounds shot by shot while their wives were at home with the children and the dinner staying warm in the oven. Let’s be honest – no guy’s getting away with that nonsense in this day and age. Most clubhouses I poke my head into these days are empty except for a few old boys whose kids are probably in their 50s. The guys my age who have played their rounds are straight into the car and home to take their turn at the childcare or the cooking. And rightly so. • Profit-crazed vultures are preying on Scotland's poorest citizens says John Niven While no right-thinking person wants a return to the Victorian values of the 70s, it saddens me to see golf in decline. For one thing, it teaches you something few other sports do. In a world of football where the motto seems to be “foul as much as you like if you can get away with it”, golf promotes scrupulous honesty. It is a sport where players call penalties upon themselves. Even during the fevered patriotism of the Ryder Cup, golf rarely approaches the hostilities seen at the average football match. Yes, in a world of Trumps and Farages, golf’s vanishing values of sportsmanship and honesty really do seem like relics of a bygone era. I’ll miss them.[SEP]CHASKA, Minnesota (Reuters) - Ryan Moore ended a long wait for U.S. Ryder Cup redemption when he clinched a rousing win over Europe at Hazeltine on Sunday, beating Lee Westwood to allow the Americans to reclaim the golden trophy in golf's top team competition. With Westwood in for bogey at the 18th, Moore rolled his birdie putt to within one foot and the tap-in was conceded to seal a 1-up win and clinch a 15-10 lead for the United States, with 14 1/2 points required for their victory. Team mates, families and friends poured out onto the green to celebrate what ended as a 17-11 thumping. Emotional U.S. assistant captain Bubba Watson wept on the shoulder of captain Davis Love III as the two hugged on the 18th green. "I'm super proud of them," Love said. "We all pulled together for this one. "We've been kicked around for so long, if you keep on losing you feel you've got to do something different," he said about changes the U.S. team made to increase continuity in the team hierarchy and allow more input from the players. "Our guys handled the pressure. Europe came in and played unbelievable golf. The great thing is we didn't battle between all of us, we all pulled together." The Americans had last won the biennial match play event in 2008 as Europe ran off three Cup victories in a row, extending their domination to eight of the last 10 meetings. "At the end of the day, the American guys played better than we did," said European captain Darren Clarke. "They holed the putts when they had to, and we lipped out. But that's happened the other way around for quite some time." Brandt Snedeker, who registered a 3-0 record, set Moore up for the winning point by claiming a 3 and 1 victory over English rookie Andy Sullivan. On a brilliantly sunny day, the U.S. side capitalized on their greater depth to close out victory as they faced four of Europe's six rookies in the late matches, winning all of them. The U.S. victory charge came after some titanic early matches in which Europe, who front-loaded their best players at the top of the order, closed the gap to one point after entering the deciding 12 singles matches trailing by three. Sensational shot-making and scoring made for great theater in front of some 50,000 roaring fans. Patrick Reed and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, the hottest players and most demonstrative competitors on their respective teams, staged an outrageous contest of can-you-top-this in their opening nine. Reed's 1-up win gave him a U.S.-leading 3.5 points from his five matches. Later in the day, Cup veterans Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia waged an epic battle, with 19 birdies between them. After a rousing finish in which the Spaniard closed with four birdies in a row and Mickelson birdied four of the last five holes, they appropriately ended up all square. Henrik Stenson and rookies Thomas Pieters and Rafa Cabrera-Bello closed the gap for Europe, narrowing the U.S. lead to 10 1/2 to 9 1/2, but the Americans held a big edge in the later matches. Sweden's Stenson beat Jordan Spieth, Pieters of Belgium topped JB Holmes and Spain's Cabrera-Bello defeated PGA Championship winner Jimmy Walker -- all by 3 and 2. The 24-year-old Pieters set a European rookie record by registering four points and became the first Ryder debutant since 1999 to play in all five sessions. Reed and McIlroy set the tone for a brilliant day of golf, with the eighth hole producing an outstanding Ryder moment. McIlroy rolled in a long birdie bomb and roared in delight, playing to the suddenly silenced crowd by putting his hand to his ear and shouting, "I can't hear you, I can't hear you," in extravagant fashion. Reed then matched McIlroy by pouring in his 20-foot birdie putt to an explosive celebration by the crowd, and wagged his finger at McIlroy and waved his arms to whoop up even louder cheers. As he walked off the green, Reed was met by a smiling McIlroy, who bumped fists with his rival in a classic Ryder Cup tableau.[SEP]CHASKA, Minn. — His shirt soaked from spraying champagne in a rare Ryder Cup victory, Phil Mickelson already was looking ahead at how to win the next one. Not only was this a scene from Sunday at Hazeltine, it was eight years ago at Valhalla. Paul Azinger was in charge of sweeping changes for the U.S. team. He demanded a new qualifying system based on PGA Tour earnings instead of the archaic method of awarding points for top 10s. He doubled the number of captain’s picks to four players. He broke up his 12 players into three pods based largely on personalities. It worked so well – a 16½-11½ victory over Europe in 2008 – that when someone asked Azinger if he’d like to do it again, Mickelson didn’t give him a chance to answer. “Zinger in 2010,” Mickelson said that day. It didn’t happen. For too many years, the PGA of America treated the Ryder Cup captaincy as a lifetime achievement award. It would be wrong to assume the Americans immediately embarked on another losing streak because of the captain. They lost in Wales because they failed to win any of the six matches in the final team session and never caught up. That’s just bad golf. It happens. Mickelson, however, picked up on something at Valhalla. That was his point when he publicly criticized the authoritative style of Tom Watson during that awkward news conference at Gleneagles in 2014 after a third consecutive U.S. loss, its eighth dating to 1995. Mickelson wondered why the Americans got away from player input that worked so beautifully under Azinger in 2008 and worked every year in the Presidents Cup. “I have been a part of 10 successful Presidents Cups and eight losing Ryder Cups,” he said Sunday during the first of several celebrations. “And it’s very easy to see what the difference is. When put in the right environment, the U.S. team brought out some of their most amazing golf. We’re bringing home the Ryder Cup because of it.” There were snickers all week that Love wasn’t even the captain. This was as much Mickelson’s team, because it was Mickelson who risked his public image at Gleneagles by calling out Watson, a revered figure in golf, even though his message was aimed at the PGA of America. Tiger Woods was on that Ryder Cup Task Force geared toward getting players more involved and had strongest influence of any of the five assistants. Steve Stricker was another assistant captain. He will be the captain of the Presidents Cup team next year that will feature many of the same players. This is what Mickelson wanted in 2008. This is what the Americans have to do now if they want to catch up to Europe. The series now stands at 26-13-2 in favor of the United States, though that includes too many lean years when Britain was rebuilding from World War II. The modern Ryder Cup dates to 1979 when continental Europe was invited, and Europe has a 10-8-1 advantage since then. Mickelson had said the success of the task force could not be measured by results at Hazeltine. This was not about the next Ryder Cup but the next 10 of them. He knew all along that wasn’t the case, which is why the pressure he faced – not to mention the rest of the Americans – was greater than ever. “The pressure started when some dumbass opened his mouth two years ago in the media center,” Mickelson said, self-deprecating in his moment of glory. The pressure doesn’t go away. It was a relief to win, but the Americans haven’t won back to back in the Ryder Cup since 1993, the year Jordan Spieth was born. It’s not about who’s the next captain. It could be Mickelson, Stricker, Woods or Jim Furyk. It doesn’t matter if the final captain’s pick is five days before the matches begin or if all four are made at the same time. What matters — what Europe has had all these years — is that players feel as much a part of the process as the people running the Ryder Cup. “We need to build on this. Otherwise, it’s all for naught,” Mickelson said. “Yes, it’s great that we had success this week. But it’s not about one year or one Ryder Cup. It’s about a multitude, for decades to come.” Timing is everything, and such was the case Sunday night. Love reached for a bottle of champagne as Mickelson spoke and popped the cork. The sound made Mickelson stop, and he looked over at Love with a smile. “That’s my cue to shut up,” Mickelson said. It was time for an American celebration in the Ryder Cup, and one could sense the strong belief they wouldn’t have to wait eight years for another one.

In golf, the United States wins the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2008.

NRL grand final: Cronulla Sharks defeat Melbourne Storm to claim first premiership Updated Sorry, this video has expired Video: Cronulla Sharks defeat Melbourne Storm for first premiership (ABC News) A gritty, lung-busting display from the Cronulla Sharks has seen the club claim its first-ever premiership with a 14-12 win over Melbourne Storm. A 70th-minute try from prop forward Andrew Fifita helped the Sharks overcome a second-half surge from the Storm in front of 83,625 fans at Sydney's Olympic stadium on Sunday night, bringing to an end a 49-year title drought. The Sharks had a sensational first 40 minutes but only led 8-0 at the half-time thanks to a Ben Barba try, before the Storm surged in the second term to wrestle the advantage away from them. Fifita's converted try was enough to take the lead back and some gutsy last-ditch defending from the Sharks saw them send retiring hooker Michael Ennis out a winner and meant captain Paul Gallen has finally claimed some silverware at club level. Will Chambers, whose brilliant second-half try had put the Storm in front with 15 minutes to go, missed a golden opportunity to win the game at the death for his side when he opted against an inside ball to an open Cooper Cronk who could have strolled over the line. "I'm just numb," Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan said after the win. "We got behind then fought our way back with a great try to Andrew and to scramble like we did at the end, it's just unbelievable. "We fought our way back into it. I thought the Storm were coming over the top of us in the second half but we showed so much resilience, so tough and with a crowd like this it's just unbelievable." The Sharks built an 8-0 lead by the half-time whistle, but such was their dominance they could have led by a try or two more. A pattern emerged early, and that consisted of Cronulla's big forwards powering through the middle and the Storm players back-peddling as they attempted to keep pace. James Maloney was superb as he controlled the match from five-eighth, and he played a big part in his side enjoying 60 per cent of possession in the first 40 minutes. His decision-making about whether to pass, kick or sidestep defenders was spot-on from the get-go, and his combination with Cronulla's speedy backs added some salt to the pepper being provided by the likes of Gallen and Fifita. Luke Lewis was a worthy Clive Churchill medal winner; offering a constant attacking menace but also put in a huge shift in defence, with his performance epitomising Cronulla's showing on the night. Melbourne's captain Cameron Smith completed an astonishing 74 tackles, a demonstration of how much pressure the Sharks piled on the Storm across the 80 minutes. Smith was typically gracious in defeat, acknowledging Cronulla's magical moment. "On behalf of the entire Melbourne Storm footy club, I'd like to congratulate the Sharks," he said after the game. "You guys have been waiting a very long time for this moment. It's taken a lifetime ... and I hope you enjoy it." Cronulla starts with a bang The first flare up of the game came when Koroibete collected Chad Townsend around the lower jaw with a swinging arm and the bulk of the players piled into an angry scuffle. The upshot was the Storm winger, who is leaving for rugby union next season, going on report, and the Sharks taking the lead as Maloney converted the penalty. Lewis came desperately close on a slide to the line after Maloney had sliced through, but moments later Cronulla had the opening try courtesy of an old-school scrum-base play. Gallen picked the ball up and handed it to a peeled-off Barba, who scooted in for a brilliantly executed try. It was the kind of play you would expect Melbourne to pull out, but on this occasion it handed the Sharks a handy 8-0 early lead. The team in sky blue had kept up an incredible level of intensity for the first quarter of the game and the Melbourne players already looked exhausted, struggling to keep pace with the play. A Smith knock-on with four minutes to play in the half meant the Storm were forced into more desperation tackling in order to stay in touch on the scoreboard, and some dogged defending saw them remain within eight points at the break. Storm stars emerge from their slumber in second half The Melbourne forwards' lack of impact took its toll on the halves, with Cooper Cronk barely featuring until late in the game. When the Storm finally found themselves in an attacking position early in the second half, Cronk's rushed attacking kick more sideways than forwards, and the Sharks' line remained unbreached. Next set, the Storm did cross that line, though, as Jordan McClean smashed his way to within two metres of the tryline before Jesse Bromwich crashed over for their first try of the game. It was a try out of almost nothing, but after Smith converted, the scoreboard showed the margin had been closed to just two points and Storm had the wind at their tails. A game of thrust and parry developed as the match entered its final 20 minutes, with both defences hanging on. It was the Sharks, who had so much less work to do in the first half, who seemed to have that little bit more in the tank. It was the Storm's key players who stood up, however, with Smith finally taking charge through the middle and Cronk finding his passing and kicking rhythm. The half-back was involved as the Storm took the lead for the first time in the grand final after 65 minutes, but most of the credit must go to the scorer Chambers, who produced the flashiest moves of the Big Dance. From broken play, the Melbourne centre sent Ennis hurling off in the wrong direction and zipped past Gerard Beale as well to score the try of the night. That lead lasted just five minutes until, down the other end, Ennis fed Fifita and the huge prop monstered his way over the line despite the presence of five Storm defenders. Maloney's conversion meant Cronulla had a 14-12 lead with 10 minutes to play. "What a way to end. I thought it had got past me when Chambers scored," Ennis said. "That Melbourne wall, we just couldn't find a way through. And then, we just did it. It's unbelievable." Topics: nrl, rugby-league, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia, melbourne-3000, cronulla-2230 First posted[SEP]Good evening, welcome to this grand final live blog, a blow-by-blow account of the Cronulla Sharks’ attempt to overcome the weight of their own historical mediocrity, and the might of the Melbourne Storm, and win their first ever premiership after 50 years of trying! Alternatively, welcome to this grand final live blog, a blow-by-blow account of the mighty Melbourne Storm’s attempt to snuff out the dreams of perennial losers, the Cronulla Sharks, and win their third (above board) premiership since joining the NRL in 1998! It all depends of what perspective you take, doesn’t it? What about the neutrals’ perspective? The overriding perception is that both teams don’t exactly tug on the heartstrings in the way that, say, a puppy dog rolling in toilet paper does. Or is supposed to. So, many neutrals may be apathetic at this stage as to which team to support. For those who go beyond neutrality, for those who dislike both teams, “hate ’em!” even, well, they’re in a pickle. But at least they’ll have the consolation of seeing one team they loathe lose today. So that’s nice. Strictly speaking, Cronulla are this year’s obligatory fairytale team and should attract the bulk of the support. Indeed, early scenes from the ground show a sea of light blue. Or that could just be the colour of the seats. But as I said in my preview on Friday: Quoting yourself, it’s desperate isn’t it? I suppose I could have spent precious time and said more or less the same thing again but in a slightly different way but sod that, right? So here I go again: If the Sharks aren’t universally loved then neither are the Melbourne Storm who, in NSW at least, will forever be tarred with the Original Sin of being based in Victoria and of being born out of Super League in the way Damien (Omen) was born of a jackal. Oh, and there’s the don’t-mention-the-war matter of the salary cap rorting that saw the Storm stripped of both their 2007 and 2009 premiership titles. Bit negative, right? But I feel it had to be acknowledged. To get it out of the way, like. All this isn’t to say, of course, that there’s no interest in this game. It’s the grand final for crying out loud! I’m interested. You’re interested. It’s why we’re here.* It’s also not to say that once the game gets underway neutrals may just find themselves drawn into a brief flirtation and cheering on one of the teams, just for the evening. Maybe even the haters might find the cloaks of bias and cynicism reefed from their shoulders. Well, two things could happen. The Sharks will finally get something to put in their trophy cabinet (Do they even have a trophy cabinet? If so, what for?), or the Melbourne Storm, as relentless as a Terminator with OCD, will cap their sixth grand final appearance in 11 seasons with another premiership. Join me, email me, tweet me. Share your thoughts, dear reader! *I may also be getting paid. But don’t worry, it’s not much. You heard of shekels?[SEP]FINALLY: Bob Little with his sons Andrew and Michael supporting the Sharks at the NRL grand final. THE FEELINGS of joy Maclean Spar Supermarket owner and Cronulla Sharks tragic Bob Little is experiencing today can be traced back to the club's formation in 1967. Bob and his sons Andrew and Michael are all mad Cronulla fans who flew into Sydney on Sunday hoping against hope that their team could weather the Melbourne Storm. History will show a two-point win for the Sharks, but for those loyal fans who had waited almost 50 years for some silverware, the game was a roller coaster. "After half time when we were eight points up we looked at each and said this could be it, we might win," Bob said. "Then they scored those two tries and it was 'here we go again'. "We score again and had to hang on for those last 20 seconds as they threw everything at us. It felt like it was all going to snatched away. It was the worst 20 seconds of my life." The final siren brought a relief and a sense of disbelief among supporters at the ground. "People were dumbfounded," he said. "The looks on the faces just said it. This is it, we've done it." Of the Little trio only Bob has been alive long enough to see them grand finals. Like many residents of the Shire, the area beyond the Georges River in Sydney, Bob supported St George, which had just won 11 premierships on the trot. "I can tell you this premiership means 11 times more to me than all the premierships Saints won," Bob said. "All those premierships just fade into the background compared to this one." "When the Sharks formed I became a member straight away as did a lot of Saints supporters who lived in the area," he said. "People who lived in the Shire wanted to have their own team. They felt the Shire was separate to the other suburbs." Bob said he let his Sharks membership lapse for a while when his family moved to Maclean, but had rejoined about 10 years ago. "There were a few times when the boys would ask me why I ever started supporting the Sharks," he said. "But the way we're feeling now it was all worth it." YAMBA'S Douglas family has tight connections with the Sharks and is enjoying their success, just quietly. Chris and the late Trish Douglas's oldest son Luke played 146 games for Cronulla and walked around the field on Sunday as one of the group of retiring NRL players. In 2010-11 Chris and Trish ran the Shark House, a dormitory for young players joining the club from the bush. Chris, who watched the grand final with Luke, said Shark's centre Ricky Leutele was at the Shark House, but was the only one of the players he looked after to make the grand final. "Quite a few of them have gone on to play with other clubs," he said. He said the grand final win was a great reward for the many unsung heroes at the club, who put in countless hours making sure the players and coaches had the maximum opportunity to perform. In 2011 Chris was recognised as one of those, winning the Clubperson of the Year award. "It's the title for those who do more than the other for nothing," he said. Chris and his family have been Sharks supporters ever since he moved to the Shire in the late 1960s. "We lived over the road from Sutherland Oval, which was their home ground before the days of Endeavour Field and Shark Park," he said. "There was a hole in the fence about three doors down from our place where we used to sneak in and watch the Sharks play," he said. While the family never regretted the move to Yamba, the stint at the Shark House came at a good time for the Douglas's. "When we moved back to be the house parents at Shark House it was perfect for us," Chris said. "Our three boys (Luke, Kane and Jake) were all living down there in a unit just around the corner. "One was going to uni, one was playing for the Sharks, one was playing for the Waratahs." Chris said while the ebb and flow of the grand final made it exciting, on the balance of play the Sharks deserved the premiership. "The Storm came to life for about 15 minutes and hit the front, but over the whole game the Sharks were the better team," he said. "I'm not one for a lot of emotion, but like about 100,000 other Sharks supporters I had my heart in my mouth at the end. "But you have to give it to the Storm, they are clinical in everything they do. They came right back into it. "Before the game I was saying there could be two points in it. It turned out to be spot on."[SEP]Ben Barba scores the Sharks' first try during the NRL grand final against the Storm at ANZ Stadium. BEN Barba finally has the "monkey off his back" after the Cronulla Sharks' historic grand final win against Melbourne Storm, says proud dad Ken Barba. "It was such a proud moment. It actually brought tears to our (the family's) eyes," he said of the former Mackay junior and his squad's 14-12 win. "Oh mate, I'm very, very delighted. It was a relief, full of excitement. I remember back in 2012 when he was beaten by Melbourne Storm when he played for the Dogs (Canterbury Bulldogs), but now this year Cronulla (Sharks) have won the premiership - the first time in 50 years. "It brought us joy and happiness yesterday, and even leading into yesterday. I knew something special was going to happen when the Sharks beat the Cowboys two weeks ago." Mr Barba said he "always knew Ben would score the first try" during Sunday's match-up. "I could just see it in his body language and how relaxed he was," he said. "The first couple of days leading up to the game, having family and friends, his partner and children, around for support, he looked really relaxed and I knew he was switched on. You could see his focus. "After the win I said to him 'not too many footballers could say they've won a Dally M award, won a NRL grand final'." Mr Barba said his son "was just overjoyed" at finally cinching an NRL premiership. "He couldn't believe it when he didn't win it in 2012," he said. "So, he couldn't put into words how happy he was. He just kept looking at the grand final ring on his finger and shaking his head. "Last night when I left him at the club him and all the boys were still there, enjoying the moment and soaking up the atmosphere of being the 2016 premiers." Mr Barba reckoned "the whole suburb of Cronulla" was likely celebrating alongside his son today. "It was edge of your seat stuff at the stadium. Melbourne had the ball in the last few seconds, I was watching the clock, watching the ball go from one side of the field to the other and I thought it was going to be a heartbreaker," he said. "But the Sharks stopped the momentum in the last few seconds and I just felt relief, excitement, joy." When it came to Ben's future, Mr Barba believes the success story at ANZ Stadium in Sydney will be a prelude of things to come. "I thought to myself 'what more could you do?' but he's determined he's got a lot more football in him yet," he said. "I think the monkey's off his back, he's got an NRL ring and I think the next few years we might see Ben a bit more older, bit more wiser, with a bit better football coming out of him." Three carloads of Ben's family were amongst the crowd of 83,625 at the stadium to see the Sharks' heated 14-12 win on Sunday.[SEP]SYDNEY: Rugby league’s most polarising figure Andrew Fifita helped end rugby league’s longest title drought, leading Cronulla to a 14-12 win over Melbourne in the NRL grand final yesterday. Fifita was brilliant in an extended first-half stint in which he ran for more than 100m and produced when it mattered most in the second half to end the Sharks’ 49-year search for a premiership. With Melbourne leading 12-8 late into the game after a gutsy fightback built on the back of an incredible defensive effort, Fifita produced an on-field performance at ANZ Stadium for which he will be forever remembered. The NSW prop wrestled with four Storm defenders on the Melbourne tryline before spinning his arms free and grounding the ball in the 69th minute. James Maloney converted to give the Sharks a 14-12 lead. But the game was far from over and the Sharks spent much of the final 10 minutes defending valiantly to secure the club’s first title. Suliasi Vunivalu ignored an unmarked Cooper Cronk with two minutes to go before Sharks centre Ricky Leutele killed the Storm’s final attacking play when he tackled Marika Koroibete just short of the Sharks line as the fulltime siren sounded. “I can’t tell you how good I feel,” Sharks skipper Paul Gallen told Channel Nine. “I can’t believe this, after all the hard work we have put it. “It is incredible.” The Sharks’ win comes two years after they claimed the wooden spoon after being rocked by the ASADA scandal. Fifita made headlines earlier this season due to his support of convicted killer Kieran Loveridge. “I am lost for words,” Fifita said. “To score the winning try is incredible, I don’t know where it came from. I was just rolling.” Cronulla dominated early. Marika Koroibete hit Chad Townsend with a high tackle in the sixth minute that was put on report and James Maloney kicked the first points of the match via the ensuing penalty. Six minutes later Cronulla cracked Melbourne’s famed defence as Paul Gallen worked a scrum move from 10m out to put Ben Barba over for an 8-0 lead. Will Chambers beat Gerard Beale out wide in the 64th minute to put Melbourne ahead for the first time in the game. Cameron Smith converted to give the Storm a 12-8 lead. The Storm had held the Sharks out time and time again on their own line in the second half, but finally cracked when Fifita crashed over. Melbourne pressed late but the Sharks held on and secured their fairytale win. – AAP[SEP]It’s not exactly an original saying but the locals call it “God’s country” and right about now Sydney’s Sutherland Shire – The Shire, if you don’t mind – must be feeling every inch of it. Though always content with their lot, which is part of the problem, residents of this wedge of land – one caught between the glittering fingers of the Georges River to the north, the beaches of Cronulla to the east, the heaving lungs of the Royal National Park to the south, and, more or less, Lucas Heights Reactor to the west – have had to endure outsiders looking down at them for what some see as their tacky, nouveau riche, white-bread ways. Goodness knows many in their number didn’t help matters during and after the Cronulla riots in 2005 when, it seemed, a knuckle-headed last bastion of white Australia circled its wagons against the “threat” to its way of life. But long before that the Shire had been maligned, laughed at, and derided, as the cast of Sylvania Waters would attest. Could it really be that everyone in the Shire (the place, not the 2012 reality show by the same name) is a cashed-up bogan and a xenophobe, or might we consider that classism has played a part in the Shire’s reputation? The Cronulla Sharks rugby league team, the Shire’s sporting flag-bearers, have copped similar flak since coming into being in 1967, not all that long after the Shire was considered a part of Sydney as opposed to a holiday destination for Sydneysiders. Just as the Shire grew out of the post-war boom, Cronulla’s birth owed much to the success of its booming neighbour, St George, who had just won their 11th straight title when the wee Sharkies popped up on the scene. Not that St George was happy to share southern Sydney with this unwanted bastard sibling. Nobody loves us, the Sharks learned early on, and nothing much changed. There were brief flirtations with success, most notably in 1973, 1978, 1997 and 1999, but heartbreak was always the result. Or perhaps it was resignation. There were, too, brief flirtations with glamour when, in the early 1990s, pin-up-pretty centre Andrew Ettingshausen was in his pomp and Elle Macpherson, daughter of then-club president Peter Gow, was sashaying about the joint – but only half as well as ET. And then, during the Super League war of the late 1990s, the Sharks swam in a mirage of money, aligning themselves early on with the breakaway venture (treacherous, really, considering the NSWRL had bailed the mismanaged club out time and again). But mostly the Sharks have been sandy-haired battlers with hands like feet, a team the competition rarely needed to worry about it, a team simply making up the numbers. It doesn’t get much more dismissive than that. Those days are gone, at least for now, and now carries a lot of currency in sport. Last night the Cronulla Sharks ended their premiership drought in their 50th year. I was about to write, reflexively, “and no-one can say they didn’t deserve it”, but that would not be true. Not even after all these years of disappointment and failure, not even when the Sharks have been actively building towards this since 2012 when the broom went through the place. No, as the Shire sunshine was tainted by the riots of 2005, Cronulla’s “fairytale” success will be, in the eyes of some, tainted by the much-publicised supplements scandal that almost brought Cronulla to its knees. It could be argued, with some justification, that the Sharks were never punished harshly enough for their supplements program during the 2011 season. This premiership, it will surely be said, was built on a regime of cheating. Another way to look at it is that Cronulla took the medicine they were prescribed. The club was fined and the players, and coach Shane Flanagan, were sanctioned and, in Flanagan’s case, suspended for a year. When the dust settled the club endured a rock-bottom 2014 when it seemed possible the team might be relocated or culled. You could say the club deserved everything they got. But you might also note just how well they put the whole mess behind them. A rabble in 2014 to premiers in 2016. It’s been a monumental change of fortunes. The residents of the Shire, fans of Cronulla, have every right to revel in that. As do all at the Sharks. My favourite part of last night’s grand final came during captain Paul Gallen’s acceptance speech on the dais. In it he made a call out to Sharks players of old, “… all you former players, blokes like ET, guys who busted their backsides for the club and never got to enjoy a moment like this”. I thought of them, too, the likes of Tommy Bishop, Cliff Watson, Greg Pierce, Steve Rogers, Kurt Sorenson, Gavin Miller, David Peachey. None of them managed to get Cronulla over the line but Gallen knew that success does not materialise out of thin air, and the present must pay a debt to the past. Gallen knew, too, of the debt his team had to pay to the people of the Shire, his team’s fanbase. It may not cancel out all the heartbreak, ribbing and jokes they’ve endured over the past 50 years, but the 2016 Provan-Summons premiership trophy is one hell of a down payment.[SEP]Tony and Judy Madden with son Sam after Cronulla's historic grand final win at ANZ Stadium. RUGBY LEAGUE: Rockhampton's Tony Madden now knows nearly every word of the Sharks' anthem, Up Up Cronulla. In fact, the club song is still ringing in his ears after it echoed constantly around ANZ Stadium as the Sharks played their way to an historic grand final win on Sunday night. Tony and his wife Judy were among the 83,000-plus spectators on hand to witness the ground-breaking victory and most importantly to celebrate the integral part their son Sam had played in it. Sam, 30, is the head physiotherapist at the Sharks, who ended their 49-year premiership drought with a gritty 14-12 win over the Melbourne Storm. Tony said it was a proud moment for himself and Judy. "It's a dream come true for Sam and for everyone at the Sharks,” he said from Sydney yesterday morning. "My voice is a little bit croaky and I just about know all the words to Up Up Cronulla now. "It was incredible to see Sam out on the field at the end soaking it all up with the players, the coaching staff and the board members. "They were just slapping each other on the back and you just couldn't get the grin off his face. He just couldn't stop smiling.” Decked out in Cronulla's colours, the Maddens headed to the stadium just after 3pm and settled in to watch the curtain raiser, the State Championship showdown between the Illawarra Cutters and the Burleigh Bears. Tony said the crowd continued to build during that match, with the tide of black, blue and white supporters filling the stadium becoming a torrent about 5.30pm. "The crowd was unbelievable, clapping and singing the whole way through. "The atmosphere was incredible, it was electrifying. "I've been to State of Origins and Test matches before but I've never experienced anything like that sort of atmosphere before.” The Maddens had prime position, sitting on the 20m line on the northern end of the stadium where the three tries were scored. "Cronulla certainly dominated the first half in regards to possession and attack and they really should have had more points on the board to be comfortable at half-time,” he said. "The Storm had a much stronger half and really got back into the game. "When Cronulla got the lead back again, the final hooter couldn't come quick enough for us.” Tony said Luke Lewis was a deserving Clive Churchill medallist, having put in an extraordinary performance. He was also amazed at how the crowd stayed at the stadium for more than an hour after the final finished to pay tribute to their sporting heroes. "The crowd just stayed on and on and the team walked the whole way around the stadium. "It was also wonderful to see the families there joining in. "It was a great contest and a good outcome. "We're still on a high.”[SEP]READY TO WIN: Footy mates David Ahern and Dean Kornbrekke threw a few barbs at each other over the possible outcome of tonights NRL footy grand final. THERE are only a few hours to go until the NRL footy grand final kicks off and after supporting the Sharks for more than 30 years David Ahern is quietly confidant the boys from Cronulla will get the job done. Ever since Mr Ahern got a pair of Shark shorts off his uncle as a kid he's stuck by the club and hopes that tonight the Sharks will finally be able to add a piece of grand final silverware to their trophy cabinet. And if anyone was wondering how devoted Mr Ahern is to his beloved Sharks, the born and bred Queenslander said he even likes Paul Gallen and Michael Ennis. But his mate, Dean Kornbrekke, a storm supporter, doesn't think the Sharks have much hope of winning tonight, as long as the Storm forwards play well. With the Storm slight favourites over the Sharks, it seems as though the bookies are thinking along the same lines as Mr Kornbrekke. For Mr Ahern, he thinks if the Sharks get a few points early then they'll be in with a shot. "I was pretty confident mid-year but then they started to fault towards the end,” Mr Ahern said. "I've always been hopeful but I never get my hopes up too much because they'll break your heart.” Throughout the finals series Mr Ahern said he'd been getting "smashed” by his mates through text messages who kept reminding him how much they hate the Sharks. "Out of this team I like Luke Lewis and he just seems to be getting better,” he said. "We'll need our back three to fire...because when they're on they're hard to stop.” Although Mr Kornbrekke thinks the game will be close, he said the Sharks couldn't match the class of Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk. Both footy lovers have plans to watch the game at home and will probably knock back a few beers. But if the Sharks get up, Mr Ahern said he might just have to go on a bender for two weeks to celebrate.

In Australian rugby league, the Cronulla Sharks defeat the Melbourne Storm 14–12 to win their first premiership after 50 years in the competition.

From there, the final day of work for the iconic baseball voice went into routine mode on a day that was anything but routine. The 88-year-old hunkered down and prepared to announce the regular-season finale between the Giants he grew up loving and the Dodgers he spent his entire adult life bringing to millions of fans through his golden, friendly tones. And when it was over, his sign-off was purely and simply Scully. SAN FRANCISCO -- Vin Scully arrived for his last day at the office Sunday morning wearing a blue sport coat with a red, white and blue tie, and of course his ever-present smile. He and his wife, Sandi, boarded a golf cart that took them to the press elevators and up to Booth 7, the visiting TV booth at AT&T Park, where a microphone awaited the last broadcast of his storied career. SAN FRANCISCO -- Vin Scully arrived for his last day at the office Sunday morning wearing a blue sport coat with a red, white and blue tie, and of course his ever-present smile. He and his wife, Sandi, boarded a golf cart that took them to the press elevators and up to Booth 7, the visiting TV booth at AT&T Park, where a microphone awaited the last broadcast of his storied career. From there, the final day of work for the iconic baseball voice went into routine mode on a day that was anything but routine. The 88-year-old hunkered down and prepared to announce the regular-season finale between the Giants he grew up loving and the Dodgers he spent his entire adult life bringing to millions of fans through his golden, friendly tones. And when it was over, his sign-off was purely and simply Scully. View Full Game Coverage "I have said enough for a lifetime, and for the last time I wish you all a very pleasant good afternoon," Scully said at the end of the Giants' 7-1 victory to clinch a National League Wild Card spot. Video: LAD@SF: Scully montage starts his final broadcast All around him all day long, the tributes from the Giants and their fans included signs saying "Thank You, Vin" handed out to fans and "THX VIN" plugged into one of the spots on the out-of-town scoreboard. He waved and smiled when a pregame ceremony had fans on their feet, but he was in his seat and ready to go for the first pitch, as he had been for 67 years and more than 9,000 broadcasts. :: Farewell, Vin Scully :: This time, he recorded a special rendition of his trademark opening that played on the big screen at AT&T Park to get the game started. "It's time for Dodger-Giant baseball, the greatest rivalry in all of professional sports," said Scully, who was not available for media interviews, choosing to focus on the job at hand and sharing the moment with his family. Charley Steiner, who along with partner Rick Monday normally would share the broadcasting duties with Scully, had one job Sunday, and that was to introduce Scully's final broadcast. Steiner has had a front-row seat for eight days of amazing tributes to Scully, and really an entire season dedicated to honoring the venerable voice. On Sunday, Steiner knew one thing to a certainty. "I think he's the happiest guy at the ballpark," Steiner said. Video: LAD@SF: Giants fans, Willie Mays salute Scully The joy came through as usual in the way Scully described the action. A few examples: • The Giants opened the scoring with a two-run single by Buster Posey: "The sun has broken through the clouds and it is shining on the Giants for the moment." • Matt Moore's attempt at a suicide squeeze: "So the Giants, with a poor-hitting pitcher, decided to try and squeeze, and he was a poor bunter." • The Dodgers' starter was struggling: "It's gray overhead, but for Kenta Maeda, it feels like the sky is falling. He doesn't need Chicken Little to tell him that." • Giants third baseman Conor Gillaspie made a spectacular catch of a foul ball: "Gillaspie went head-first into the photographers' well, and all's well that ends well." • After his family joined him in the booth: "It has been a party, a retirement party, and it has been marvelous." Video: LAD@SF: Picture montage from Scully's early years And baseball fans around the world sighed and laughed and savored every last moment of a friendly voice's depiction of the game for the final time. "He's going out on top of his game, doing something he's done better than anybody else and done longer than anybody else," said Steiner, who called being part of the whole Scully farewell the "highlight of my career." In a special presentation in the middle of the fourth inning, Giants president Larry Baer and Hall of Famer Willie Mays were in the booth with Scully as he waved to the adoring Giants crowd with Frank Sinatra's "My Way" playing and a video presentation of old photos on the video board. At its conclusion, Scully looked into the camera and shared a perfect bit of perspective on this day for this man: "I was sitting here thinking, talking to Willie: Who would ever have thought that little red-headed kid with a tear in his pants and his shirt tail hanging out playing stick ball with a tennis ball and a broom handle would wind up sitting here after 67 years of broadcasting and with my arm around one of the greatest players I ever saw, the great Willie Mays? There are miracles, aren't there, right? Let's go back to this one. I've had enough spotlight for 10 years, 10 lives." But for one last time, the spotlight and the eyes and ears of baseball fans everywhere were transfixed on Vin Scully, his rare and gifted voice finally uttering its last words at a baseball game. Video: LAD@SF: Scully's grandchildren join him in the booth With the game over and the microphone turned off, Scully headed to the press elevator with Sandi alongside him, got on the golf cart and headed out of the ballpark, waving to Dodgers and Giants fans all cheering his exit. But before he left, he had some final words for the fans in his last postgame wrap, words that tell the tale about Vin Scully and the love he has for baseball and its fans. "You and I have been friends for a long time," Scully said, looking into the camera, "but I know in my heart that I've always needed you more than you ever needed me. I'll miss our time together more than I can say. But you know what? There will be a new day and eventually a new year, and when the upcoming winter gives way to spring, rest assured once again it will be time for Dodger baseball. "So this is Vin Scully, wishing you a very pleasant afternoon, wherever you may be."[SEP]By the time Game 1 of the National League Division Series rolls around, Daniel Murphy will have gone three weeks without a start for the Washington Nationals. When the NL East champs host the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday to get things started, one big question will be which team deals better with all the time off since the end of the regular season. Another will be how the Nationals fare without starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg and slugging catcher Wilson Ramos, both sidelined by injuries (Strasburg for the series, Ramos for the season). And yet another will be how key players such as 2015 post-season star (while with the Mets) Murphy, 2015 NL MVP Bryce Harper and franchise stalwart Ryan Zimmerman deal with nagging ailments. “Almost everybody has something,” Washington manager Dusty Baker said. “So our training staff and everybody will be busy working on guys.” After giving his players Monday off, Baker will gather them at Nationals Park on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for workouts. One benefit of waiting until Friday to start their post-season is the extra time for dealing with health issues. Murphy last started a game on Sept. 17, kept out by a strained glute muscle. Since then, he has had only three at-bats, including a flyout as a pinch hitter in Sunday’s regular-season finale. Baker says he expects to have Murphy in the lineup against the Dodgers. What does the player himself say? “It’s tough to guess what’s going to happen on Friday on Sunday,” Murphy said. “But hopefully.” His impact on the Nationals’ success — the nearly wire-to-wire division title, the 95 wins, the home-field advantage in the NLDS — can’t be overstated. A year ago, remember, Murphy starred for the Mets in October, homering in a record six consecutive post-season games and earning NLCS MVP honours. That helped him get a $37.5 million, three-year deal from Washington, with a salary of $8 million in 2016. All Murphy did was hit .347 with 25 homers, 47 doubles and 104 RBIs — all team highs — and really carry the offence for much of what turned out to be a real down season for Harper. The youngest unanimous MVP in baseball history last season, Harper batted only .243 with 24 homers and 86 RBIs in 2016. After hurting his left thumb on a slide in late September, he sat out four games, then returned to go 1 for 11 with eight strikeouts over the last three days of the regular season. Zimmerman, dealing with a bad calf, finished with career lows in batting average (.218), on-base percentage (.272) and slugging percentage (.370). “You’ve got to tighten up little things, because there’s nothing you can about what’s already here. You don’t have Ramos. You don’t have this guy; this guy might not be swinging well; this guy might not be healthy. Or whatever it is. I just have to manage around that. It’s not easy. I’d rather just have everybody healthy and just have a set lineup, and me just sit back. But I’ve never had that. That’s never been the case. So I don’t expect that,” Baker said. “I just burn the midnight oil sometimes and keep that pad by my bed, and when I get a thought, I go with it.”[SEP]Vin Scully’s iconic voice on the videoboard welcomed a sellout crowd to Game No. 162, the regular-season finale, yes, and – more notably – the last of his decorated, Hall of Fame broadcasting career. “It’s time for Giant-Dodger baseball, the greatest rivalry in all of professional sports,” Scully declared. Scully attended morning mass in the ballpark as is his usual Sunday routine and then headed for his booth to work as he has done for an astounding 67 years – exactly 80 years after he became a Giants fan at age 8 in the Bronx. “It was as if it was ordained,” Scully said during San Francisco’s 7-1 win that secured the Giants the second NL wild card. “I hope you’re enjoying it and I hope I’m not interrupting it too much.” San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy cherished his chance to visit with Scully last week at Dodger Stadium, and to be part of Scully’s special farewell Sunday. “This is his last game, and we’re honoured to think he’d come up here, 80 years to the day that he became a Giants fan,” Bochy said. “That’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? Not just a tremendous body of work but how long he’s been doing it and how great he still is. So it’s pretty cool.” Fans in the sellout crowd turned to look up at Scully with their standing ovation and held signs as a Scully video welcomed fans on the scoreboard shortly before first pitch at AT&T Park, where he has been riding in and out of the ballpark on Hall of Famer Willie Mays’s golf cart and had some time to reminisce with the Say Hey Kid on Saturday. The 88-year-old Scully politely declined any kind of on-field celebration offered by the Giants. San Francisco then jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first. “Just as it has been for two years, the Dodgers are in trouble at AT&T Park,” Scully said. “The sun has broken through the clouds and it is shining on the Giants for the moment.” Scully’s booth featured a special security detail all weekend, and Scully had several personal drivers to get around the city. He handled the Giants’ broadcast in the third inning, then said while San Francisco fans might consider it no big deal, it was for him, noting his appreciation of the thoughtful gesture. Scully offered some memorable phrases early in his finale: During Hunter Pence’s first-inning at-bat, Scully noted, “He would make coffee nervous. … He’s just been a wild man swinging the bat this series.” Scully noted later in the broadcast Pence is one of his favourite players because “he tries so hard,” but noted the right fielder is trying too hard right now. “A room-service fly ball to Angel Pagan,” he called Adrian Gonzalez’s fly to left in the second. Later, Scully described Pagan’s “piercing eyes.” Everybody involved seemed to appreciate the moment, being a tiny part of it or simply playing witness to the end of an era in baseball. “It’s hard to repeat what happened last Sunday at Dodger Stadium, but the finality now, Dodgers-Giants, I know there might be a tear in Vin’s eye,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “To be a part of what he’s done in his last game, I’ll give him a little salute at some point.” Afterward, Roberts called it a “huge honour” to be part of Scully’s finale and also “sad day, but it’s something that definitely should be rejoiced. He’s had an amazing career.” Mike Krukow and the other Giants broadcasters told Scully how much they loved him and led Take Me Out to the Ball Game in the adjoining booth from Scully during the seventh-inning stretch. How did Scully finish his career? After pinch-hitter Rob Segedin flied out to left field to end the game in San Francisco, Scully spotted the umpires bidding him farewell from the field. Scully closed his broadcast by telling viewers, “I have said enough for a lifetime and for the last time I wish you a very pleasant good afternoon.” His work wasn’t done just yet. Scully narrated a video of his own career highlights before he returned to the screen with a message that was taped before the game. He told viewers he’d “miss our time together more than I can say.” Then he closed again, reciting a familiar and favourite line among Dodgers fans: “This is Vin Scully wishing you a very pleasant good afternoon wherever you may be.”[SEP]The Washington Nationals were finally able to lock down the second seed in the National League playoffs, an achievement that earned them home field advantage against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the National League West division champs who hold the third seed. The first game of the five-game series is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 7 at the D.C. Nationals Park. In a week that brought plenty of bad weather to the Washington, D.C., there were concerns over whether the Nationals would be able to play out the final games of the season, which were huge since the Dodgers were on a five-game winning streak themselves. The Nationals lost four of five, but fortunately the Dodgers hit a dry spell at the same time. The Nats clinched home field with an Oct. 1 win at home over the Miami Marlins. However, the injury bug has hit the ballclub at the worst possible time. All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos was lost for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, after an errant throw from Ryan Zimmerman caused Ramos to jump for the baseball in rainy conditions and land awkwardly. Losing Ramos could be the death blow for a lineup already missing MVP-candidate Daniel Murphy, who hasn’t played in two weeks, and Bryce Harper, who is nursing a sprained thumb. Along with an injury to starter Stephen Strasburg, four of the team’s six All-Stars from this season are hobbled entering the playoffs. Manager Dusty Baker has attempted to give key regulars some rest going into the playoffs while still keeping the team on a winning rhythm. The postseason rotation hasn’t been set, but conventional wisdom indicates that Max Scherzer would start Game 1 against the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, offering a matchup of former Cy Young award winners. But Baker could also give the start to Tanner Roark, who concluded the regular season with a career-best 16-10 record and a 2.83 ERA in 210 innings one year after he was demoted to the bullpen. He allowed two or fewer runs across at least seven innings in 16 of his 33 starts. Another possible Game 1 starter is Gio Gonzales, as he is a lefty and the Dodgers don’t hit lefties well at all. Most prognostications have the Dodgers defeating the Nationals in the series, due to Washington’s spate of injuries. But one thing that makes the MLB playoffs so great is that unsung heroes make their presence felt every year, powering their team to an extended run. Who could be that guy for the Nats? Could it be someone such as Danny Espinosa, who, besides a six-week run, has been horrible at the plate nearly all season? How about rookie Trae Turner, who in just 72 games has 13 homers and 32 stolen bases while raking at a .342 clip? Could it be one of the backup catchers, season-long backup Jose Loboton or rookie Pedro Severino, who now take center stage following Ramos’ injury? October baseball has arrived, and every team has a chance to win it all. If sports went the way of common prognostications, there would be no reason to lace ‘em up. As former NFL head coach-turned ESPN analyst Herm Edwards once bellowed in a heated press conference, “You play to win the game!,” With Washington’s leadership and the hunger of players who were apart of previous playoff frustrations, Nationals fans should expect the team to give nothing but their collective best efforts.

Vin Scully, broadcaster for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers since 1950, calls his final game.

SAN FRANCISCO — If it is an even-numbered year, the San Francisco Giants find their way into the playoffs San Francisco made it on the final day of the regular season, securing the second NL wild card with a 7-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep of their rival. Denard Span hit a two-run triple among his three hits, and Buster Posey drove in three runs and had three hits. San Francisco, which won Series titles in 2010, ‘12 and ‘14, plays at the defending NL champion New York Mets on Wednesday night in the NL wild-card game, with the winner advancing to a Division Series against the Chicago Cubs. Madison Bumgarner, the 2014 World Series MVP, will face Noah Syndergaard. Los Angeles, the NL West champion, plays Washington in the Division Series. Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully ended his 67-year career, calling his final game 80 years to the day after he fell in love with baseball walking home from school. Midseason acquisition Matt Moore (6-5) allowed one run and three hits in eight innings as San Francisco (87-75) reached the playoffs for the fourth time in seven seasons. The Giants began the day one game ahead of St. Louis. The Dodgers got a scare when center fielder Joc Pederson came up slowly after diving to try for Brandon Crawford’s RBI single in the eighth. San Francisco’s fate came down to Game No. 162, just as it did in 2010. That year, Jonathan Sanchez pitched them Giants past San Diego for the division title. and San Francisco went on to win the franchise’s first World Series since moving West in 1958. After an up-and-down second half and a series of bullpen meltdowns since the All-Star break, San Francisco delivered an impressive offensive performance against Kenta Maeda (16-11), who surrendered five runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings. San Francisco has won 16 of its last 20 home meetings against the Dodgers. Third baseman Conor Gillaspie went over a railing and TV camera and into the photo well to snag Chase Utley’s foul popup to begin the third. “A superior catch, tumbling over the railing,” declared 88-year-old Scully. “Gillaspie refused to quit, eyes riveted on the ball … all’s well that ends well. The Giants are pumped.” NEW YORK — Matt Wieters homered from both sides of the plate, Kevin Gausman gave Baltimore a clutch pitching performance and the Orioles snagged a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season by beating the New York Yankees 5-2 Sunday. Baltimore will play at AL East rival Toronto in the wild-card game Tuesday night for a chance to face AL West champion Texas in a best-of-five Division Series. Zach Britton got five outs and finished perfect in 48 save chances this year with a 0.54 ERA. Wieters had four RBIs and Gausman (9-12) was charged with two runs in 7 1/3 innings as the Orioles closed with their seventh victory in nine games to reach the postseason for the third time in five years. Seeking their first World Series championship since 1983, the Orioles (89-73) barely celebrated on the field after Britton struck out Brett Gardner to end it. Several players hugged each other behind the mound, but others simply walked out of the dugout and formed the customary handshake line. Back in their clubhouse, however, manager Buck Showalter and the Orioles broke into a raucous party complete with spraying beer and champagne. In his final game before retiring, New York slugger Mark Teixeira went 0 for 3 and showed off his Gold Glove form with a couple of slick plays at first base. Honored during a 12-minute ceremony and feted with several gifts before the game, he was removed with one out in the top of the seventh inning so he could soak up the cheers while he walked off the field, fully composed as he hugged his teammates one at a time. “Mentally and emotionally, I kind of prepared for it,” Teixeira said. “It wasn’t as weird as I thought it would be.” Teixeira tipped his cap to the crowd of 33,277 as it offered a standing ovation. He patted his chest with his glove and said, “Thank you.” And with that, one of baseball’s most prolific switch-hitters said goodbye to the game. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more but a win,” Teixeira said. “I got a chance to say goodbye, which was very important.” Braves keep Tigers out of playoffs, say goodbye to Turner Field ATLANTA — The Detroit Tigers were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday when Julio Teheran matched a career high with 12 strikeouts and Freddie Freeman hit a first-inning sacrifice fly that led the Atlanta Braves to a 1-0 victory in the last game at Turner Field. While the Braves focused on sending their home of 20 years out in style before moving to a new suburban stadium in 2017, the Tigers were looking to extend this season with a victory. They needed to win, hope that either Baltimore or Toronto lost, and then win a makeup game against Cleveland on Monday in order to force a tiebreaker for an AL wild card. Instead, Detroit lost its second straight against the last-place Braves. It didn’t matter, anyway, as both the Orioles and the Blue Jays won. Atlanta was never a playoff contender but is feeling a lot better about its prospects heading to SunTrust Park. After an 18-46 start that included the firing of manager Fredi Gonzalez, the Braves went 50-47 the rest of the way under interim manager Brian Snitker, who might have done enough to keep the job in 2017. Teheran (7-10) lasted seven innings, giving up three hits and a walk before a sellout crowd of 51,220 that included former President Jimmy Carter and Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, who threw out ceremonial first pitches in unison. Justin Verlander (16-9) allowed six hits in seven innings, walked one intentionally and struck out eight. Jim Johnson, who agreed to a two-year contract extension before the game, worked the ninth for his 20th save in 23 chances. He ended Detroit’s season by fanning former Braves outfielder Justin Upton on a called third strike with a runner aboard. ST. LOUIS — A win on the final day of the season was not enough for the St. Louis Cardinals, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Matt Carpenter homered and Randal Grichuk keyed a six-run seventh-inning with a two-run double to lead the Cardinals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-4 Sunday. But the Cardinals (86-76) were eliminated while still on the field when San Francisco (87-75) beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-1 and earned the second NL wild card. St. Louis outfielder Matt Holliday was brought into the game momentarily to play left field in the ninth inning. He was given a standing ovation and taken out before the first pitch. The Cardinals announced Friday they plan to decline his 2017 option and allow him to become free agent. St. Louis was a big league-best 100-62 last year but lost to the Chicago Cubs in the Division Series. The Cardinals never led the NL Central at any point this season and finished with a losing record at home (38-43) for the first time since 1999.[SEP]ATLANTA -- Walter Banks posed for pictures, caught up with old friends and turned a bit wistful as he remembered all the good times as an Atlanta Braves usher. It was time to say goodbye. Again. The Braves played their final game at Turner Field on Sunday, ending a run that lasted a mere 20 seasons with a 1-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers. They'll be moving to a new stadium in the suburbs next season. A sellout crowd of some 50,000 turned out for the occasion, while Banks manned his usual position in the box seats near the Atlanta dugout, not far from former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn. Banks was wearing a Braves jersey with No. 51 on the back, marking his seasons of service with the team going back to its move from Milwaukee in 1966. "You save the best to the last," he said. "No matter if they win, lose or draw, you'll always remember this day." Banks spent 31 seasons working as a Braves usher at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium -- though, he was quick to point out, it was actually 32 since he started in 1965 when the Triple-A Crackers called it home while the Braves spent a lame-duck season in Wisconsin. "I've met so many people, so many friends," he said. "A lot of people, I won't get to get see anymore." Banks was on hand for the Braves' final game at their previous home in 1996. The following year, the team moved next door to Turner Field, which began life as the main stadium for the Atlanta Olympics before it was converted into a baseball park. Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium was imploded, clearing the way for a parking lot that served its replacement. That was an easy move for Banks and other longtime stadium employees. He's not sure he'll be heading to SunTrust Park, which is only about 15 miles away in the Cumberland section of the city but isn't served by Atlanta's rapid-transit system. "If they get transportation, it would be a lot better," Banks said. Atlanta's trio of aces from its golden years at Turner Field, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine, threw out the ceremonial first pitches for the final game played at the stadium. Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports The Braves marked the final game at the ballpark affectionately known as "the Ted" -- a nod to its namesake and former Braves owner Ted Turner -- with a rousing ceremony honoring their all-time Turner Field team. One by one, they trotted in through an opening in the center-field wall, beginning with Chipper Jones. He took his former position at third base, followed by shortstop Rafael Furcal, second baseman Marcus Giles, first baseman Adam LaRoche, left fielder Brian Jordan, center fielder Andruw Jones, right fielder Gary Sheffield and catcher Javy Lopez. Finally, the all-time pitchers were introduced -- three of them. Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz strolled out together in their familiar Braves jerseys, the crowd saving its biggest cheer for the remarkable trio. They anchored the team through much of its unprecedented run of 14 straight division titles, the last nine of which came after the move to Turner Field. Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz were fittingly given the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitches in unison -- or, actually, the last pitches. They were joined on the mound by another Hall of Famer, former Braves manager Bobby Cox. A giant American flag was unfurled across the outfield during the national anthem, which was capped off by two military jets roaring overhead on an unseasonably warm afternoon. Tim Landrey was among those attending the final game, bringing along his 12-year-old son, Jack. Landrey moved to Atlanta in 1996 and has been a Braves fan ever since. "I wanted to be part of this last game," he said while watching batting practice. Landrey, who lives in the suburbs north of Atlanta, is eager to attend games at the new stadium. He said it will be a bit closer to his home and there will be more to do at the mall-like complex adjacent to SunTrust Park, which will include restaurants, retail shops and a hotel. The Braves had long complained that the city never followed through on plans to bring development to the struggling neighborhood that surrounds Turner Field. They cited that as a reason for moving, along with some $400 million in public funds that Cobb County kicked in for the new stadium. "I'm looking forward to going to Braves games and hitting a restaurant or a bar before or after the game," Landrey said. "It's something to do as opposed to just coming here, so it's a good move for the Braves." Turner Field is barely older than Braves rookie shortstop Dansby Swanson, who was born in 1994 in suburban Kennesaw and has fond memories of cheering on the Braves as a child. "It's a little bit surreal," Swanson said. "This was pretty much my whole life, what I can remember. You can't really put it into words. I don't know if I've even allowed myself to think about what's going on today and this whole year." Swanson is glad he made it to Atlanta this season, giving him a chance to take part in the Ted's finale before moving on to a new era, one that he's expected to be a huge part of after several years of painful rebuilding. "That was the goal coming in," Swanson said. "I wanted to close out the old one and help open up the new one."[SEP]A look at what’s happening around the majors today: San Francisco holds a one-game lead over St. Louis for the last NL playoff spot going into the final day of the regular season. Matt Moore starts at home for the Giants vs. the Dodgers, and a win gives them the second NL wild-card slot. In St. Louis, Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals need to beat Pittsburgh and hope for a Giants loss to force a one-game tiebreaker. Baltimore, Toronto and Detroit all have a chance to win an AL wild-card berth going into the last day. Adding to the final-day drama: Every game in the majors is scheduled to start within 10 minutes of each other. Famed announcer Vin Scully calls his last game when the Los Angeles Dodgers wrap up the regular season in San Francisco. The 88-year-old Scully began doing Dodgers game in 1950 when he joined Red Barber and Connie Desmond in the Brooklyn radio and television booth. The Giants plan to simulcast his call of the third inning on their TV and radio affiliates. The Atlanta Braves play their final game at Turner Field, called “the Ted” by fans in a nod to past owner Ted Turner. Chipper Jones got the first hit when the former Centennial Olympic Stadium opened for big league baseball in 1997. We’ll see who gets the last hit when Detroit visits Atlanta in the finale. Next year, the Braves will play in the suburbs at SunTrust Park. Mark Teixeira will be honored with a pregame ceremony before winding up his big league career when the Yankees host Baltimore. A three-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove first baseman, the 36-year-old has hit over 400 home runs with Texas, Atlanta, the Angels and Yankees. Popular with teammates and fans, Teixeira was among the most durable players in the majors until injuries took their toll in recent seasons. David Ortiz, Ryan Howard and Matt Holliday will likely play for the last time in the regular season in the uniforms they’ve worn for so long. Ortiz is retiring after this year with the AL East champion Red Sox, the Phillies aren’t expected to bring back Howard and the Cardinals plan to buy out Holliday. All three stars are expected to get big ovations from home fans. Several front-line starters around the majors will be prepping for their postseason assignments. David Price (17-9) pitches for AL East champion Boston against Toronto, while Kenta Maeda (16-10) goes for the Dodgers in San Francisco. Meanwhile, right-handers Kyle Hendricks (16-8, 1.99 ERA) of the Cubs and Max Scherzer of the Nationals (19-7, 2.82, MLB-best 277 strikeouts) make their closing arguments for the NL Cy Young Award. In what will be Washington’s first — and last — entirely meaningless game of 2016, Max Scherzer is eyeing his second 20-win season and an NL Cy Young Award to add to the 2013 AL honor he won for Detroit while going 21-3. “That’s been the pinnacle for pitchers ever since I was in the game — and long before me. It would be forever: ‘He’s a 20-game winner,'” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. Expounding on how he views pitchers’ stats, Baker said: “People put a lot of emphasis on ERA, which is good, but I put emphasis on wins for a guy that knows how to win, whether it’s 7-6 or whether it’s 2-1. Certain guys know how to win.” In Tampa Bay’s finale at Texas, 27-year-old righty Chase Whitley is set to extend the Rays’ majors-leading streak of 398 straight starts by a pitcher under 30. Whitley hasn’t started a big league game since having Tommy John surgery in early 2015. Versatile veteran Martin Prado is getting a new role with Miami for the final day of the regular season — player-manager . Prado will play third base and take managerial duties from Don Mattingly in the finale against Washington, something the Marlins can do because the game has no meaning to either team. Other players will fill the role of pitching and hitting coaches, though those appointments were yet to be made as of Saturday night. “He’s got have his crew,” though, Mattingly said.[SEP]Atlanta (CNN) The first pitch was thrown by Atlanta Braves starter Julio Teheran to Detroit Tigers leadoff hitter Ian Kinsler at 3:13 p.m ET, with the game-time temperature at 80 degrees. And with that, it was the start of the final goodbye to Major League Baseball in downtown Atlanta. On Sunday, the final day of the MLB regular season, the Braves and fans bid farewell to Turner Field, the team's home since 1997, with a 1-0 win against the Tigers. "There's a sentimental significance behind it," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "This place holds a lot of really good memories for a lot of people, and it's great to go out like that." Teheran pitched one of his finest games, going seven innings and giving up three hits, one walk and no runs. He struck out 12, tying his career high. Freddie Freeman drove in Ender Inciarte on a first-inning sacrifice fly. "Being the last game ever at Turner Field, it's kind of an emotional thing," Freeman said. "I've spent seven seasons here, my big league debut and everything. I'm always going to remember this place. It has a lot of special moments and memories for me. I'm just happy we won the last game." The stadium is named after CNN founder Ted Turner, who owned the Braves from 1976-1996. The Braves never won a World Series at the stadium nicknamed "The Ted." The lone title for the franchise in Atlanta was won next door at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in 1995. That stadium was imploded on August 2, 1997, and is now a parking lot. In 2013, the Braves announced they were leaving Turner Field for a new stadium to be built in Cobb County, northwest of the city. At the time, Club President John Schuerholz said that Turner Field needed "hundreds of millions of dollars of upgrades. Unfortunately, that massive investment would not do anything to improve access or the fan experience." In 2014, Turner showed his displeasure with the Braves' move to the suburbs, making a point that the new ballpark isn't in Atlanta. The Braves will vacate Turner Field in December, when their contract with the stadium expires. Their new home, SunTrust Park, is scheduled to open in 2017. After the Braves leave, work will start on converting Turner Field into a football stadium for Georgia State University, which bought the site from the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority for $30 million, with the hopes of it being ready for the 2017 season. The proposal is pending review and approval from the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. The plan also includes a baseball complex, retail, residential and student housing. The Braves, finishing last in the National League East Division, were one of the worst teams in baseball this season, although the team did play well down the stretch, winning 12 of their final 14 games. Many games at The Ted were sparsely attended this year, but it was tough finding an empty seat Sunday. Turner Field was packed. The announced attendance was 51,220, the third sellout at the ballpark this season. In the pregame ceremony, the Braves introduced the All Turner Field Team, with the likes of Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux, Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones entering from center field to huge ovations. Glavine, Smoltz and Maddux, all in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, threw out ceremonial first pitches. Another hall-of-famer, Bobby Cox, represented the All Turner Field Team as manager. A huge flag was unfurled for the playing of "America the Beautiful." Military jets flew over the stadium during the singing of "The Star Spangled Banner." Fans cheered Teheran as he struck out the side to open the first inning, an inning in which Teheran said he was feeling a lot of emotions of the crowd and the former players in the pregame ceremony. "It was really special to see, the crowd looking for a win," Teheran said. "That's the way we all wanted to finish and close this book. I'm proud of myself and the job that I did." Up went a roar for Inciarte's lead-off base hit. After Freeman drove him in, the Tomahawk Chop was in full force. In the stands, former President Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalynn, longtime attendees at Braves games, were captured on the kiss cam in the fifth inning, sparking cheers. Before the sixth inning, Cox peeled off the number "1" at the left-field wall, where the number of games left at The Ted had been posted. He revealed a sign for SunTrust Park, with the words "Opening Day April 14, 2017." The fans cheered, though not quite as loudly as for the Carters on the kiss cam. In the top of the ninth with two outs, the Tomahawk Chop broke out for a final time with Braves closer Jim Johnson on the hill and Justin Upton at the plate. It continued throughout the at-bat. And on a 3-2 count, the final out at Turner Field was recorded: Johnson struck out Upton, cementing a win for Turner Field's final Braves game. It was 6 p.m. ET. Finally, at the postgame ceremony, the greatest former Brave of them all, Hank Aaron, threw out the final pitch. He held home plate in his 82-year-old hands, pushing it up into the air. Then he boarded a bus on the field. He and the dish were off for SunTrust Park. Home plate was heading to its new home.[SEP]ATLANTA (AP) — Turner Field has aged well. It’s got all the expected amenities of a modern big league ballpark, from luxury boxes to a mammoth video board to the restaurant that hovers above right field to concession stands selling all manner of food and drink. Want a gourmet steak sandwich? Step right up. Craft beer? No problem. Hash browns from local favorite Waffle House? Make ’em scattered and smothered. Of course, at 20 years old, it’s not exactly a baseball relic. But its time in the big leagues is over. The Braves are heading to the suburbs next season, trading the ballpark affectionately known as “the Ted” — a nod to former owner and namesake Ted Turner — for 41,500-seat SunTrust Park , hastily being assembled some 15 miles away as part of a mall-like complex that will generate even more money for the team. “It’s a little weird,” Atlanta catcher Tyler Flowers said. “But that’s kind of the modern day. Everybody has the expectation of the newest and biggest and baddest and greatest thing.” Even with a plethora of new facilities that have popped up around Major League Baseball, 13 of 29 ballparks are older. At least two teams — Oakland and Tampa Bay — would gladly take Turner Field over their current stadiums. “I love this place,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker, gazing out from the home dugout during the final week of the season. “I think it’s one of the best ballparks in the National League.” Not surprisingly, the move has sparked puzzled reactions around the country and plenty of debate in Atlanta, especially since it goes against the trend of teams moving closer to the inner city, not farther away. Turner Field is located just south of downtown, within site of the state Capitol at essentially the geographic center of the sprawling metropolitan area and the junction of three major highways, but the Braves say they will be closer to the bulk of their fan base in the mostly white suburbs north of the city. Cobb County’s decision to fork over some $400 million in public funding to help build the new stadium, with only minimal debate and no vote of the electorate, helped send its top official, Tim Lee, to defeat in his re-election bid. There are fears of hellish traffic, since Cobb has a limited bus system and isn’t served by Atlanta’s rapid transit system, and concerns that the Braves are cutting themselves off from large portions of the gridlocked metro area. There’s no turning back now, though. Only 11 stadiums in the sport’s modern ballpark era hosted fewer major league seasons than Turner Field, and seven of those — from still-in-use Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to Houston’s long-forgotten Colt Stadium — were merely temporary homes for transplanted teams or expansion franchises. As for the others, Miami’s newly renamed Hard Rock Stadium and Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium were more suited for football and quickly faced calls to be replaced, while Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium and Washington’s RFK Stadium both lost teams to other cities. None of those was an issue at Turner Field. But the Braves complained that promised development in the low-income neighborhood around the stadium never materialized, leading team officials to explore other options. Not long after the city of Atlanta reached a deal to build a new retractable-roof football stadium for the NFL’s Falcons, the Braves stunningly announced in November 2013 they were moving to the ‘burbs, having pulled off secret negotiations that caught nearly everyone off guard. Turner Field will apparently live on in some downsized form, thanks to an expected deal in which the city will sell the stadium and adjacent land to Georgia State University and a development company. The plan is to convert the Ted into a 30,000-seat football stadium for the Panthers’ fledgling program (perhaps with a new corporate name to help defray costs) and surround it with dormitories and athletic facilities, as well as private housing and retail space. In a way, the next phase will take the park back to its not-so-deep roots. Transformation was the plan all along. Turner Field began its life as Centennial Olympic Stadium, an 85,000-seat facility that hosted track and field as well as the opening and closing ceremonies at the 1996 Summer Games. Muhammad Ali — stricken with Parkinson’s disease, his hands trembling as he held the torch — memorably lit the cauldron to start the games. Michael Johnson ran to a world record in golden shoes. Carl Lewis capped his brilliant career with the last of nine gold medals. But the stadium was designed with baseball in mind, in hopes of avoiding the sort of white elephants that have plagued Olympic cities before and since. As soon as the games ended, work began to convert Turner Field into the 50,000-seat home of the Braves. By the following spring, it carried a new name and was ready for opening day. In contrast to today’s 90-plus-loss team, those Braves had been to four of the previous five World Series, winning it all in 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. They would never reach those heights in their new digs, even while winning nine more NL East titles through 2005 to extend their unprecedented streak of division championships to 14 in a row. The Braves played only one World Series at the Ted, getting swept by the New York Yankees in 1999. Bitter disappointment became par for the course in October, along with a reputation for not selling out playoff games. They lost 12 of 17 postseason series, including the last eight. Their playoff record was 15-23, including 2-9 in decisive games played at home. Turner Field was the place where other teams came to celebrate, including the Chicago Cubs in 2003 after clinching their first postseason triumph in 95 years. There were a few highlights for the home team. Most notably, Game 6 of the 1999 NL Championship Series. After going up 3-0 on the New York Mets, the Braves lost two straight games at Shea Stadium and returned home suddenly on the ropes. The pressure only intensified when they blew an early 5-0 lead, falling behind in the eighth and 10th innings. But Atlanta rallied both times, and won in the 11th when Kenny Rogers walked Andruw Jones with the bases loaded for a series-clinching 10-9 victory. Chipper Jones will always remember getting the first hit at Turner Field. “That ball is still on my mantel,” said Jones, who retired in 2012 after a career spent entirely with the Braves. Now, it’s time for the final hit. After Sunday’s last game against Detroit, the Ted will be nothing but a memory. Far sooner than anyone would’ve expected. Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .

The Atlanta Braves play their final game at Turner Field. They now move to the new SunTrust Park for the 2017 season.

Taliban fighters have mounted a co-ordinated assault on the northern Afghan city of Kunduz overnight, attacking from four directions and entering the city itself. Sheer Ali Kamal, commander of the 808 Tandar police zone in Kunduz, said the attack began around midnight (0630 AEDT Monday) and fighting was still going on in and around the city. "We are putting all our efforts together to push them back," he said. Military helicopters were flying overhead and gunfire could be heard in the city. Kunduz, which fell briefly to the Taliban a year ago, has seen repeated bouts of heavy fighting as the insurgents have sought to repeat their success of 2015. Monday's attack, a day before the start of a major donor conference in Brussels, underlines the precarious security situation in Afghanistan, where government forces are estimated to have control over no more than two thirds of the country. "A massive operation started on Kunduz capital from four directions early this morning," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in his official Twitter account. He said the Nawabad area with four checkpoints had been captured and a number of soldiers had been killed. It was not immediately possible to verify the claim. A Reuters reporter saw at least five Taliban fighters armed with AK-47 assault rifles, machines guns and rocket-propelled grenades in the city. The attack came as the Taliban have stepped up operations in different parts of Afghanistan, including the strategic southern province of Helmand, where they have been threatening the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah. The fall of Kunduz last year was one of the most serious blows suffered by the Western-backed government in Kabul since the withdrawal of most international troops at the end of 2014. Although the insurgents abandoned the city after a few days, the demonstration that they were able to take a provincial capital underlined their growing strength and exposed serious flaws in Afghan security forces. A Taliban raid on Tarin Kot, the provincial capital of Uruzgan in the south, on September 8 also sparked fears of another collapse like that in Kunduz last year. Mujahid said in the Taliban statement that the militants were pressing ahead with their assaults on Helmand and Uruzgan. Afghanistan's international partners are due to start a two-day conference in Brussels on Tuesday, where they are expected to approve maintaining billions of dollars in funding for the government over the next four years.[SEP]Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) Afghan government forces are fighting on the ground and from the air to defend the northern city of Kunduz following a pre-dawn offensive by Taliban militants Monday. "This time, the Taliban won't be able to capture any part of Kunduz," said Mahfoz Akbari, spokesman for the police in Kunduz, speaking to CNN by telephone. Akbari was referring to the Taliban's brief capture of the strategically important city in September 2015. A Taliban spokesman and Afghan government officials gave similar descriptions of how militants launched a pre-dawn attack on the city from four different directions. "Our Mujahideen are advancing rapidly inside Kunduz," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed in a phone call with CNN. An aid worker living in Kunduz described an eruption of gunfire early Monday morning. "Heavy fighting is still going on," Ehsanullah Sadiqi told CNN, speaking by phone from Kunduz. He said traumatic memories are still fresh for much of the city's population after the Taliban capture of Kunduz in late September 2015. "A lot of people who fled Kunduz last year at this time when the Taliban had taken over the city returned to Kunduz. So the number of people trying to flee again today was huge," Sadiqi said. He described city streets that are almost completely deserted. The US military in Afghanistan appears to be downplaying the likelihood of Kunduz falling once again. "We are not observing evidence via our internal means to support the reports that Kunduz is under significant attack," Brigadier General Charles Cleveland wrote in an email to CNN. He characterized the current clashes in Kunduz as "ongoing sporadic fighting." The Taliban claimed Monday to have the capital cities of two southern provinces, Helmand and Uruzgan, surrounded and "under severe military operations." The US is approaching the 15th anniversary of its war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. It is the longest foreign conflict in US history. But US forces have carried out more than 700 airstrikes in the first eight months of 2016 in large part to support Afghan troops on the ground. "We believe that there has been a 20% increase in ANDSF [Afghan National Defense and Security Forces] casualties, so far this year compared to this time in 2015," wrote Colonel Michael Lawhorn, Director of Public Affairs for US Forces Afghanistan, in an email to CNN.[SEP]ISLAMABAD — Fighting erupted in northern Afghanistan after Taliban insurgents staged a pre-dawn coordinated offensive on the strategically important city of Kunduz, which they briefly overran a year ago. Local officials say the Islamist insurgency assaulted the provincial capital from four directions and fought their way into the city. Residents told VOA that when they woke up Monday they saw Taliban fighters in the streets of Khakani, a western neighborhood of the provincial capital, where insurgents had taken up positions in civilian houses and were firing at Afghan security forces. Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri told VOA national security forces backed by air power in a counter offensive pushed back the insurgents and fighting was still raging on the outskirts of Kunduz. “Their (Taliban) attacks have been repulsed and they have suffered heavy casualties and there is no serious threat to the Kunduz city,” Waziri asserted. The United States military backed the government claims, saying it is closely monitoring the situation in Kunduz and coordinating with Afghan partners to assist, but it also played down reports of any immediate threat to the city. “At this point, we are not observing evidence via our internal means to support the reports that Kunduz is under significant attack,” U.S. military spokesman Brigadier General Charles Cleveland told VOA. He said that both the NATO-led Resolute Support mission and the U.S. military continue to train, advise and assist Afghan forces and “will continue to do so and position our capabilities, to include air support, throughout the area as needed.” For its part, a spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed its fighters inflicted heavy casualties on Afghan forces and were still in control of parts of Kunduz. Separately, the Taliban also launched attacks on the Nawa district of the largest Afghan province of Helmand where insurgents are in control of several districts. The provincial government in a statement confirmed killing of the district police chief in the fighting but denied reports any state installation was overrun by the Taliban. Afghan forces, it said, killed at least 45 insurgents, including their district commander in the fighting. Defense ministry spokesman Waziri acknowledged intense fighting in the southern province has been raging but dismissed concerns its capital city, Lashkar Gah, is on the verge of collapse to the Taliban. The Taliban captured Kunduz in late September, 2015, dealing a blow to internationally-trained Afghan forces. This was the first time the Islamist group had overrun a provincial capital after it was ousted from power by a U.S.-led military coalition in 2001. The latest fighting comes as President Ashraf Ghani and his governing partner Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah left for Brussels to participate in Tuesday’s conference on Afghanistan to secure financial aid from the international community for next four years to support reconstruction efforts in their war-torn nation. The European Union and Afghanistan are co-hosting the conference focusing on conflicts in Syria and Iraq as well as the worst migration crisis in decades is driving international attention from the Afghan problem. Afghan leaders plan to brief the gathering on progress they have achieved in addressing challenges of security, corruption, economic and human development. While efforts to engage the Taliban in peace talks have not yet produced results, Ghani is expected to present last week’s peace deal he signed with the second largest Afghan insurgent group, Hizb-e-Islami, as a major step towards ending the conflict. • No consensus in Afghanistan on how to deal with Taliban[SEP]In this photograph taken on Monday, Afghan National Army commandos take position during a military operation in Helmand province (AFP photo) KUNDUZ, Afghanistan — Taliban fighters entered the northern Afghan city of Kunduz on Monday, almost exactly a year after they briefly seized it in their biggest success of the 15-year war, while heavy fighting in the south underscored the country's deteriorating security. Sheer Ali Kamawal, commander of the 808 Tandar police zone in Kunduz, said the attack began at around midnight and fighting was going on in and around the city. Some Taliban fighters had entrenched themselves in homes. The fighters appear to have slipped through a defensive security line set up around Kunduz, entering the city itself from four directions before clashes broke out, witnesses in the city said. In Kabul, Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, spokesman for Afghanistan's NATO-led force, said it was ready to provide support if needed. "At this point, we are not observing evidence via our internal means to support the reports that Kunduz is under significant attack," he said in an e-mailed statement. With fighting intensifying across the country, the attack on Kunduz, a day before a major donor conference in Brussels, underlined Afghanistan's precarious security situation and the Taliban's ability to strike against important targets. Government forces, fighting with limited NATO-force support following the end of the main international combat mission in 2014, are estimated to have control over at most two-thirds of the country. In Kunduz, police spokesman Mahfozullah Akbari said security forces were preparing to drive out the fighters, who had infiltrated the Khak Kani area in the city's southwest. "The Taliban are inside some civilian houses and we have to carry out operations very carefully," he said. Military helicopters flew overhead and gunfire could be heard in Kunduz, where a year ago to the day, Afghan troops backed by US air strikes and special forces were battling to drive out Taliban who had raised their flag in the city centre. Residents piled into cars and trailers to escape the city centre and shops were shut. Several checkpoints were burned out but there was little actual fighting as security forces held back from confrontation in the city centre. However, witnesses saw Taliban fighters armed with AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades walking around the deserted streets of the city, entering homes and taking up position on rooftops. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in his official Twitter account that four government checkpoints in Kunduz had been captured and some soldiers had been killed. "A massive operation started on Kunduz capital from four directions early this morning," he said. The renewed attack on Kunduz forced officials to cancel a ceremony planned for Monday to commemorate the first anniversary of a US air strike that destroyed a hospital run by the international charity Médecins Sans Frontières during the fighting. The assault on Kunduz came as the Taliban have stepped up attacks in different parts of Afghanistan, including the southern province of Helmand, where they have been threatening the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah. On Monday, Taliban fighters, positioned just across the Helmand river from the centre of Lashkar Gah, also took control of Nawa district to the south, killing a district police chief, officials said. Heavy fighting has also continued along the main road to Tarin Kot, the provincial capital of Uruzgan, also in the south, where a Taliban raid on September 8 sparked fears of another collapse like that in Kunduz last year. The raid on Tarin Kot was beaten back but alarmed security officials because the militants were able to enter the city without significant resistance after police abandoned dozens of checkpoints. The fall of Kunduz last year was one of the most serious blows suffered by the Western-backed government in Kabul since the withdrawal of most international troops in 2014. Although the insurgents abandoned Kunduz after a few days, the capture of a provincial capital underlined their growing strength and exposed flaws in Afghan security forces and the city has remained effectively besieged ever since. "Every day the militants come to the city and are pushed back by security forces," said Amruddin Wali, a member of the provincial council as he stood with security forces on the edges of the city. "There is killing and fighting every day."[SEP]Sheer Ali Kamawal, commander of the 808 Tandar police zone in Kunduz, said the attack began at around midnight (1930 GMT Sunday) and fighting was going on in and around the city. Some Taliban fighters had entrenched themselves in homes. The fighters appear to have slipped through a defensive security line set up around Kunduz, entering the city itself before clashes broke out, witnesses in the city said. In Kabul, Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, spokesman for Afghanistan's NATO-led force, said he was aware of reports of sporadic fighting in Kunduz but said he had not seen evidence of a major Taliban offensive. "At this point, we are not observing evidence via our internal means to support the reports that Kunduz is under significant attack," he said in an emailed statement. Police spokesman Mahfozullah Akbari said security forces were preparing to drive out the fighters, who had infiltrated the Khak Kani area in the city's southwest. "The Taliban are inside some civilian houses and we have to carry out operations very carefully," he said. The interior ministry said reinforcements were being sent. Military helicopters flew overhead and gunfire could be heard in Kunduz, where a year ago to the day, Afghan troops backed by U.S. air strikes and special forces battled to drive out Taliban who had raised their flag in the city center. On Monday, a Reuters reporter saw at least five Taliban fighters armed with AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades in the city. He saw fighters entering homes and taking up position on roofs. The attack, a day before the start of a major donor conference in Brussels, underlines Afghanistan's precarious security. Government forces are estimated to have control over at most two-thirds of the country. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in his official Twitter account four government checkpoints in Kunduz had been captured and some soldiers had been killed. "A massive operation started on Kunduz capital from four directions early this morning," he said. The attack came as the Taliban have stepped up attacks in different parts of Afghanistan, including the southern province of Helmand, where they have been threatening the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah. On Monday, Taliban fighters, positioned just across the Helmand river from the center of Lashkar Gah, also took control of Nawa district to the south, killing a district police chief, officials said. Heavy fighting has also continued along the main highway to Tarin Kot, the provincial capital of Uruzgan, also in the south, where a Taliban raid on Sept. 8 sparked fears of another collapse like that in Kunduz last year. The raid on Tarin Kot was beaten back but alarmed security officials because the militants were able to enter the city without significant resistance after police abandoned dozens of checkpoints. The fall of Kunduz last year was one of the most serious blows suffered by the Western-backed government in Kabul since the withdrawal of most international troops at the end of 2014. Although the insurgents abandoned Kunduz after a few days, their capture of a provincial capital underlined their growing strength and exposed flaws in Afghan security forces. Afghanistan's international partners are expected to approve maintaining billions of dollars in funding for the government over the next four years at the two-day Brussels meeting.[SEP]Taliban insurgents launched an assault on Kunduz on Monday, triggering intense fighting and forcing residents to hide in their homes, one year after the militants briefly took control of the strategic Afghan city. Government helicopters were targeting gunmen from the air in a bid to repel the attack, a day before President Ashraf Ghani is due to meet world powers at a major donors conference in Brussels. “People of Kunduz are panicked and trying to flee but they are caught in the middle of fighting,” Ghulam Rabbani Rabbani, Kunduz provincial council member, told AFP. “Please help us to get rid of this chaos and crises, or our people will be killed,” he said, warning that the province was on the verge of collapse. Kunduz resident Abdullah, 28, said he was unable to move. “We are very hungry and we do not have access to food at the moment. The city is deserted, the shops are closed… The whole city is surrounded by the Taliban. The insurgents, who are known to exaggerate their claims, said they had killed multiple soldiers and were making “rapid” progress. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attack had been launched from four directions, and that the insurgents had also captured four police checkpoints and were spreading throughout the city’s neighbourhoods. “We are making rapid advances; a number of enemy forces were killed and wounded, and the rest are on the verge of fleeing and are flustered,” he said. Mahmood Danish, a spokesman for the Kunduz governor told AFP Taliban fighters “are using civilian houses as shelters,” adding there were militants in the southern part of the city, including near Kunduz regional hospital. Kabul officials downplayed the strength of the attack, but admitted that one policeman had been killed and four injured. NATO said it was aware of “ongoing sporadic fighting” and was working to assist Afghan forces in the area, including with air support. “At this point, we are not observing evidence via our internal means to support the reports that Kunduz is under significant attack,” said NATO spokesman Brigadier General Charles Cleveland. The attack comes just over a year after the Taliban overran Kunduz, the only provincial capital to have fallen into their hands since they were ousted from power in 2001. Government control of the city has been shaky ever since. During that attack Afghan forces were in disarray and US Green Beret special operations troops ended up helping the fight over several gruelling days, according to a declassified US military report. On Monday, however, the Afghan interior ministry said security forces were “fighting bravely against the terrorists”. Ghani will meet with world leaders in Brussels on Tuesday and Wednesday in a bid to secure financial aid from the international community up to 2020. The meeting, 15 years after the US invasion of 2001, will try to drum up support despite donor fatigue compounded by conflicts in Syria and Iraq plus the worst migration crisis since World War II. US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon are among those who will join hosts Ghani and EU President Donald Tusk. Financial support is “crucial”, officials said ahead of the conference. “Nobody can afford for Afghanistan to destabilise again,” a senior EU official added. On Sunday, the Taliban issued a statement accusing foreign contractors of pocketing aid money, and calling for the conference to result in the withdrawal of international forces. After seizing Kunduz on September 28, 2015, the Taliban held the city for two days and eventually announced they were withdrawing from the outskirts on October 15. The United Nations said the assault left 289 people dead and hundreds more wounded. A US airstrike during the battle to dislodge the jihadists hit a hospital operated by aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres on October 3, killing 42 people.[SEP]KUNDUZ, Afghanistan: The Taliban launched an assault on Kunduz, which was the scene of intense fighting on Monday, one year after the Islamist militia briefly took over the northern Afghan city following a lightning offensive, an AFP correspondent said. The assault came just a day before President Ashraf Ghani is due to meet world powers at a major donors conference in Brussels. The attack began in the early hours at the southern and eastern approaches to the provincial capital where the militants were engaged in battles with government forces, he said. Two Afghan army helicopters were flying over the city, which was deserted, with streets empty and shops closed. The attack comes just over a year after the Taliban overran Kunduz, the only provincial capital to have fallen into their hands since they were ousted from power in 2001. Government control of the city has been shaky ever since. Ghani will meet with world leaders in Brussels on Tuesday and Wednesday in a bid to secure financial aid from the international community up to 2020 to rebuild his war-ravaged country. The meeting will try to drum up support from an international community suffering from aid fatigue as it grapples with conflicts in Syria and Iraq plus the worst migration crisis since World War II. US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon are among those who will join hosts Ghani and EU President Donald Tusk. The conference comes as Afghanistan struggles to negotiate peace with a resurgent Taliban and other militant groups who continue to wage a bloody insurgency nearly 15 years after the US invasion. In September, Kabul signed a peace deal with notorious warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who heads the largely dormant Hezb-i-Islami militant group, a move that will have little impact on security but is a symbolic victory in efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. Financial support is “crucial” in order “to bring about a new strategic shift towards stabilisation and possibly peace” in Afghanistan, despite the country not having “been in the headlines for many years”, officials said ahead of the Brussels conference. “Nobody can afford for Afghanistan to destabilize again,” a senior EU official added. After seizing Kunduz on September 28, 2015, the Taliban held the city for two days and eventually announced they were withdrawing from the outskirts on October 15. The United Nations said that battle left 289 people dead and hundreds more wounded. A US air strike during the battle to dislodge the jihadists hit a hospital operated by aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres on October 3, killing 42 people including patients and medical staff.[SEP]KABUL, Afghanistan — Fierce gunbattles raged for a second day Tuesday across Afghanistan's embattled northern city of Kunduz after the Taliban launched a new, multipronged attack on the city they had briefly captured last year, officials said. Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said Afghan security forces were "trying to secure the city" but that Taliban gunmen are hiding in residential homes, making progress slow and difficult. The Taliban began their attack from all directions early the previous day. They briefly raised a flag over a main intersection before being repelled from the city center. Mohammad Yusouf Ayubi, the head of the Kunduz provincial council, said the city has become a battlefield, with fighting going on in many different areas on Tuesday. "We can't go to our (council) office because the area is under the control of the Taliban," he said, adding that council members instead were gathering at a location about 1.5 kilometers (about a mile) from the city. Taliban militants have planted mines in different areas of the city, making movement extremely difficult, he said. "Local people are trapped in their homes." The city fell to the Taliban a year ago before the insurgents were beaten back by Afghan forces with the help of U.S. airstrikes. It is the capital of Kunduz province, a breadbasket region that borders Tajikistan to the north and sits on a major crossroad in the country. Kunduz's fall last year sent shockwaves across the country and among Afghanistan's backers in the international community as it marked the Taliban's first capture of an urban center since the group was driven from power in 2001. The city came under threat again in April, when U.S.-backed Afghan forces pushed the Taliban back into surrounding districts. U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan, Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland said the Afghan military had moved reinforcements into Kunduz overnight. "While there is sporadic fighting, the government controls Kunduz," he said, adding that "U.S. forces ... will provide support as needed." While Cleveland said there had been no U.S. airstrikes overnight, "there was one US air-to ground engagement by helicopter on the outskirts of Kunduz city to defend friendly forces."[SEP]KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan officials say that Taliban insurgents have launched a coordinated attack on Kunduz in the northeast of the country. Mahmod Danish, spokesman for the provincial governor in Kunduz, said Afghan forces had repelled the Monday morning attack. The insurgents launched attacks from different directions but security forces pushed them back, Danish said. Mohammadullah Bahej, head of the police coordination office in Kunduz, says his forces were battling Taliban fighters on the outskirts of the city. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the Taliban had captured several checkpoints in the city. Kunduz was overrun by the Taliban in September last year, the first time the insurgents had taken a major urban center since launching their insurgency 15 years ago. But government forces took back the city within days.[SEP]KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan forces battled the Taliban in the northern city of Kunduz for the third straight day on Wednesday and American helicopters provided air support to troops on the ground in the wake of the multipronged attack on the city launched by insurgents this week. The fighting in Kunduz, which fell briefly to the Taliban a year ago, came as Afghanistan's leaders and officials from over 70 nations gathered in Brussels, seeking to drum up billions of dollars for the cash-strapped Kabul government as it battles the powerful Taliban insurgency and rampant corruption. Afghan Gen. Qasim Jungalbagh, the provincial police chief, said Taliban gunmen launched fresh attacks on Afghan forces in Kunduz from the south and east early on Wednesday. He said "clearance operations" have begun inside the city but that heavy clashes continue on the outskirts. "Once again insurgents attacked our forces from two different directions and heavy battles are taking place to the south and east of the city," Jungalbagh said. Since pushing into Kunduz on Monday and briefly hoisting their flag at a main intersection, the Taliban were pushed back but their fighters hunkered down in residential homes, slowing the counter-offensive by the Afghans. The U.S. military was providing air support to Afghan forces fighting Wednesday to secure a number of areas in the city, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Charlie Cleveland said. The U.S. military spokesman described the fighting as "sporadic," saying that since Tuesday night, "U.S. forces have conducted two engagements from the air to defend friendly forces." He did not provide further details. Jungalbagh said 42 insurgents have been killed and more than 25 others wounded in the battles. Earlier, the Defense Ministry said five Afghan security personnel were killed and 13 others wounded. Mohammad Yusouf Ayubi, head of the Kunduz provincial council, said food prices have almost tripled since the attack began and that food, water and electricity are all in short supply. The Taliban said in a statement emailed to media that they have taken the Kunduz office of the national intelligence agency but the claim could not be immediately confirmed and the insurgents regularly exaggerate battlefield successes. Kunduz, a major crossroads in the country's north, briefly fell to the Taliban a year ago before they were beaten back by Afghan forces with the help of U.S. airstrikes. Associated Press writer Lynne O'Donnell in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report.

The Taliban launches an offensive entering the city of Kunduz which they briefly captured last year.

AMMAN (Reuters) - A bomb killed at least 20 people at a Kurdish wedding in the northeast Syrian city of Hasaka on Monday, a Kurdish militia and a monitoring group said, while state media said the casualties had risen to at least 30 dead. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 22 died in the blast, adding that many of the wounded were in a critical condition. Among those killed were the groom and a leading Kurdish party figure, the Observatory said. Scores of wounded were rushed to the city’s hospitals, which appealed for blood donations, it said. The Kurdish YPG, or People’s Protection Units, said in a statement at least 20 people were killed and dozens injured, adding it was not clear whether the blast was caused by a explosive device or a suicide bomber. Syrian state media said at least 30 were killed and 90 injured in the blast. A statement by Amaq news agency, which is close to Islamic State militants, said a suicide bomber had attacked a gathering of Kurdish YPG fighters on the edge of the city with machineguns and an explosive vest. They did not give further details. Earlier on Monday two suicide bombers killed a number of people in the Syrian government-held city of Hama, the state news agency SANA reported.[L5N1C92R3] The first blew himself up using an explosive belt in a square in the city’s al-Hader district, followed 15 minutes later by a second in the same location, SANA reported, citing a police source. Some unconfirmed reports said a woman suicide bomber may have been behind the Hasaka attack. Hasaka is mainly in the hands of the YPG militia after it evicted the Syrian army in August. The incident took place in early evening at a public hall on the highway between Hasaka and Kurdish-controlled Qamishli city, further northeast. Islamic State militants have been driven out of most of Hasaka province, but the group continues to wage hit-and-run attacks on Kurdish forces. Washington considers the Kurds its main ally against the militants, arming and equipping them.[SEP]BEIRUT — Syrian activists and a Kurdish news agency say a suicide bomber has struck a wedding hall just outside the northeastern Syrian city of Hassakeh. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists inside Syria, says the attack killed 14 people, with the toll expected to rise. The Kurdish Hawar news agency confirmed the attack but did not provide a toll. Syrian Kurdish forces control most of the Hassakeh province, but the Syrian government maintains some strongholds there. Islamic State militants have repeatedly targeted the Kurds, who have proven to be among the most effective ground forces battling the extremist group. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.[SEP]At least 22 people area dead after an Isis suicide bomber targeted a Kurdish wedding party in northeast Syria, a monitor has said. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of contacts across the country, revised the death toll from Monday’s attack in Hasekeh province up from 12 to 22. Dozens of people were wounded, Rami Abdulrahman of SOHR said. Kurdish media put the numebr of wounded at 47. The ceremony in the Kurdish-controlled village of al-Tal was for a member of the mostly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an umbrella group which has been fighting Isis in the north of the country. The groom was reported as among the dead. Isis claimed responsibility for the incident online across several social media accounts with a statement which said a militant ambushed the Kurdish party inside a hall with a machine gun, and after running out of ammunition used a suicide vest on the “PKK [Kurdish Workers’ Party] apostates." Graphic video from Kurdish news sites purportedly showing the aftermath of the attack show broken glass and concrete everywhere. The floor of the hall is covered in blood. Isis previously attacked a wedding party in Gaziantep in the Kurdish region of Turkey in August. 54 people died in the blast, which President Recep Erdogan said was carried out by a child aged between 12-14, although Isis did not claim responsibility. The terror group has lost swathes of its territory on the Turkish/Syrian border to advances by Kurdish and Turkish-backed Syrian rebels since Turkey launched Operation Euphrates on August 24th. Free Syrian Army groups are currently advancing on Dabiq, a village in northwest Syria of extreme ideological importance to Isis. Losing control of Dabiq would be a significant morale blow to the group.[SEP]A suicide bomber has struck a wedding in northeast Syria as the bride and groom were exchanging vows, killing 32 people and wounding dozens, a medical source and witnesses said. The bomber blew himself up late Monday in the village of Tall Tawil in Hasakeh province where a Kurdish party official was getting married. Rows of seats in the wedding hall were still covered in blood on Tuesday morning, according to an AFP photographer at the scene. “As the bride and groom were exchanging their vows I saw a man wearing a thick black jacket pass beside me,” a witness named Ahmad said. “I thought he looked strange and a few seconds later there was an enormous explosion. “People had fallen on the ground and I saw bodies torn to bits.” About 100 people were wounded, according to the medical source in Hasakeh city who gave the updated toll. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, gave a slightly lower toll of 31 people killed. The Islamic State (IS) jihadist group said in a statement that one of its fighters had fired on a “large gathering” of Kurdish fighters near Hasakeh city before blowing himself up. The claim, which did not mention a wedding, said 40 people had been killed. Both the groom and bride were safe, but the groom’s father and brother were killed in the attack, a relative told AFP. “The groom’s wounds are light, and he and his new wife are staying at a relative’s home. He doesn’t want to see anyone,” he said. “They are really shaken up by this.” The groom, Zaradesht Mustafa Fatimi, hails from a prominent family deeply involved in the autonomous administration run by Kurdish factions in Syria’s north. According to an official from the autonomous administration, Fatimi works for a local Kurdish party. The Observatory said he is also a member of the Syrian Democratic Forces, an Arab-Kurdish coalition battling IS in northern Syria. Hasakeh city is almost entirely held by Kurdish forces but Syria’s regime still holds some districts. The city has often been targeted by IS jihadists.[SEP]At least 22 people were killed and dozens more wounded in the explosion near the city of Hasaka, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The groom was among those killed, SOHR founder Rami Abdulrahman said. The group cited sources as saying a suicide bomber set off the explosion inside a wedding hall in the village of Tal Tawil, which is under the control of Syrian Kurdish forces. Kurdish forces are playing a key role in fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement that was posted on Twitter and retweeted by several ISIS supporters. The statement said an ISIS suicide bomber ambushed a Kurdish Workers' Party gathering on the outskirts of Hasaka with a machine gun, and after he ran out of ammunition, the attacker blew up his explosive vest among the "PKK apostates." Citing a recent spate of attacks by Russia and its Syrian regime allies on hospitals and other civilian areas in Aleppo, the United States accused Russia of failing to uphold a ceasefire and trying "to bomb civilian populations into submission," in the process preventing humanitarian aid from reaching people in need. Government forces now control the strategic area around al-Kindi Hospital in northern Aleppo, pro-regime media and activists said, strengthening their push toward the rebel-held eastern part of the city. The past week's assault on rebel-held areas of the key city involved some of the worst violence since the start of the war in 2011. Sunday, the Syrian military called on rebels to leave the besieged eastern areas of Aleppo, saying the Syrian and Russian armies "guarantee their safety," according to a statement from the Syrian Armed Forces. Terrorist groups including ISIS have taken advantage of country's instability to mount their own attacks.[SEP]A suicide bomber killed at least 13 people when an explosive device was detonated inside a Kurdish wedding hall in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasaka, state media and a monitor said on Monday. State television, quoting a police source in the city, said the initial toll also included 55 injured. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 14 were killed in the blast, adding the number was expected to rise with many of the wounded in critical condition. The city is mainly in the hands of the Kurdish YPG militia after it evicted the Syrian army last August and leaving them with a symbolic foothold in a security zone in the center of the city.

A suspected female suicide bomber kills at least 20 people at a Kurdish wedding in the Syrian city of Al-Hasakah.

Image copyright Al-Manarah al-Bayda Image caption The Egyptian cleric was reportedly killed in Idlib province A senior jihadist militant has reportedly been killed in a US air strike in north-western Syria. Abu al-Faraj al-Masri died in Idlib province, according to a statement from Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which was known as al-Nusra Front until it formally broke off ties with al-Qaeda in July. Masri, an Egyptian cleric, served on the group's Shura Council. A Pentagon statement confirmed a US air strike had targeted him, but said that it was "still assessing the results". Masri was "one of al-Qaeda in Syria's most senior leaders and a legacy al-Qaeda terrorist who previously had ties to Osama Bin Laden", it added. "His death, if confirmed, would disrupt and degrade co-ordination among senior [al-Qaeda] leaders and extremists. The United States military will continue to target." Who are Jabhat Fateh al-Sham? US 'protecting Syria jihadist group' The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, reported on Monday that Masri was killed when the vehicle he was travelling in was hit near the border with Turkey. Jabhat Fateh al-Sham is one of the most powerful armed groups seeking to overthrow the government of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. In July, its leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani claimed he was ending its affiliation with al-Qaeda and forming a new body with "no ties with any foreign party". But analysts dismissed it as a public relations move, and the US immediately said it would continue to target the group, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN. Masri, whose real name is Ahmed Salama Mabrouk, appeared alongside Jolani in the video announcing the name change. Russia, which backs Syria's president, has accused the US of sparing Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and of failing to persuade the mainstream rebels it supports to distance themselves from the jihadist group. Last month, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham's top military commander was killed in an air strike in the northern province of Aleppo.[SEP]A leading figure in al Qaeda who became a prominent member of its Syrian Jabhat al-Nusra offshoot was killed in a drone attack on Monday, the group and jihadist sources said. They said Sheikh Abu al Faraj al Masri, who spent years in prison in his native Egypt on charges of plotting with fundamentalist Islamist groups and later left for Afghanistan, died when the vehicle in which he was travelling was hit in rebel-held Idlib in Syria's northwest. "May God accept him as a martyr who was killed in a Crusader raid," said a jihadist named Abu Mohammad al Shami. The US Defense Department said in a statement that Masri was the target of a US air strike near Idlib on Monday. "We are still assessing the results of the strike," it said. Since the US-led coalition launched operations in Syria, primarily against Isis militants, air strikes have also targeted al-Nusra figures, killing scores. Syria's militant Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly the Jabhat al-Nusra, confirmed the death of the Egyptian cleric in an air strike. In one of Masri's last public appearances, he was alongside former Nusra leader Abu Mohamad al-Jolani when the group announced in July it was renaming itself Jabhat Fateh al-Sham to deny Washington and other powers a pretext to attack it. Washington dismissed that move as cosmetic and said it would continue to target it as a terrorist group. Last month, Abu Hajer al Homsi, the group's top commander, was killed in an air strike in rural Aleppo province. Masri, 60, whose real name was Sheikh Ahmad Salamah Mabrouk, had been one of the leading companions of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Afghanistan in the late 1980s, according to a jihadist source. Masri was one of the early leaders of the radical militant Egyptian Islamic Jihad movement. He was arrested after the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1981 and spent seven years in prison. Masri was also held secretly under a CIA rendition scheme after his arrest in Azerbaijan in 1998. The source said that like some other jihadists, he came to Syria to join Nusra Front after being freed from an Egyptian prison during the rule of President Mohamed Mursi, an Islamist toppled by the military in 2013 after mass protests against his rule.[SEP]Syrian men search for people under the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib (AFP Photo/Omar haj kadour) Washington (AFP) - A US air strike targeted a "prominent" Al-Qaeda leader in Syria on Monday, the Pentagon said, amid reports a senior leader of the group was killed near Idlib. "We can confirm that we targeted a prominent Al-Qaeda member in Syria, and we are assessing the results of the operation at this time," Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said. "This is a prominent Al-Qeada leader," he added. Word of the strike came as regional news reports and social media postings said Ahmed Salama Mabrouk, an Egyptian also known by his nom de guerre Abu Faraj, had been killed. Davis said he was unable to discuss the target's identity until the Pentagon could confirm the strike was successful. "Each time we remove a significant Al-Qaeda leader, we disrupt and degrade their command and control and halt their expansion," he said. Mabrouk was born in 1956 in Egypt's Giza province. He is known as a veteran Al-Qaeda leader and a commander of the Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front following a break with Al-Qaeda.[SEP]A senior commander in Syria's rebranded al-Qaida affiliate, who was close to the global network's top leader Ayman al-Zawahri, has been killed in an airstrike, the group said Monday. The Fatah al-Sham Front, previously known as the Nusra Front, announced the death of Ahmed Salama Mabrouk shortly after the Pentagon said the U.S. had targeted a prominent member of the group in Syria. In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said Mabrouk was targeted in the airstrike by U.S. forces, but did not confirm his death, saying that the results of the strike are still being assessed. "His death, if confirmed, would disrupt and degrade coordination among senior AQ leaders and extremists," Cook said. A Twitter account run by the Fatah al-Sham Front said that Mabrouk, a veteran Egyptian jihadist also known as Abu Farag al-Masri, was killed in the northern Idlib province, which is controlled by an insurgent alliance that includes the Fatah al-Sham Front. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists inside Syria, said Mabrouk was killed when his vehicle was struck near the border with Turkey. Another senior commander from the group, Abu Omar Saraqib, was killed in an airstrike last month. Mabrouk was imprisoned in his native Egypt in 1981 in the sweep following the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. He later traveled to Afghanistan, where he became close to al-Zawahri before traveling to Syria earlier this year. Fatah al-Sham recently announced it was changing its name and severing ties with al-Qaida in a video in which Mabrouk sat next to the group's top leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani. But in part because of the presence of al-Qaida veterans like Mabrouk among its ranks, most experts still view the group as an al-Qaida affiliate, and both the United States and Russia have vowed to keep striking it.[SEP]BEIRUT (AP) — A senior commander in Syria’s rebranded al-Qaida affiliate, who was close to the global network’s top leader Ayman al-Zawahri, has been killed in an airstrike, the group said Monday. The Fatah al-Sham Front, previously known as the Nusra Front, announced the death of Ahmed Salama Mabrouk shortly after the Pentagon said the U.S. had targeted a prominent member of the group in Syria. Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, declined to provide further details. A Twitter account run by the group said that Mabrouk, a veteran Egyptian jihadist also known as Abu Farag al-Masri, was killed in the northern Idlib province, which is controlled by an insurgent alliance that includes the Fatah al-Sham Front. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists inside Syria, said Mabrouk was killed when his vehicle was struck near the border with Turkey. Another senior commander from the group, Abu Omar Saraqib, was killed in an airstrike last month. Mabrouk was imprisoned in his native Egypt in 1981 in the sweep following the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. He later traveled to Afghanistan, where he became close to al-Zawahri before traveling to Syria earlier this year. Fatah al-Sham recently announced it was changing its name and severing ties with al-Qaida in a video in which Mabrouk sat next to the group’s top leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani. But in part because of the presence of al-Qaida veterans like Mabrouk among its ranks, most experts still view the group as an al-Qaida affiliate, and both the United States and Russia have vowed to keep striking it.

A United States Air Force drone strike kills a senior leader in the Syrian militant group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Egyptian-born Abu al-Faraj al-Masri, in Jisr al-Shughur, Idlib Governorate.

(Reuters) - Bass Pro Shops said on Monday it will acquire Cabela’s Inc CAB.N for $5.5 billion, combining two meccas for outdoor enthusiasts, even as the deal may face antitrust scrutiny given that the hunting and fishing retailers overlap in several U.S. states. A customer looks through the in-store sales advertisements inside a Cabela's store on the shopping day dubbed "Black Friday" in Fort Worth, Texas November 27, 2009. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi The deal, first reported by Reuters, will combine Cabela’s 85 stores, which have a stronger U.S. Northwest presence, with Bass Pro’s roughly 100 stores that are concentrated in the U.S. Southeast. Their overlap in Texas, Missouri and Kansas will likely raise antitrust concerns. “Both Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops used promotions to drive store traffic and market share, especially in contested geographic regions. As a combined entity, we see potential for a more rational promotional environment to emerge, benefiting all industry participants, “D. A. Davidson & Co said in a research note. Cabela’s had said it would explore a sale last December after pressure from activist hedge fund Elliott Management Corp, which said the shares were undervalued. Cabela’s shares ended up 15 percent at $63.18 on the New York Stock Exchange, close to the $65.50 per share in cash that the deal with Bass Pro values the company. Elliott now stands to make a profit of $419.2 million, nearly double what it paid to buy an 11.1 percent stake in the company, according to regulatory filings. Sydney, Nebraska-based Cabela’s and Springfield, Missouri-based Bass Pro have been serving outdoor enthusiasts since their respective foundings in 1961 and 1971. As the broader industry has struggled to compete with internet retailers such as Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), Bass Pro and Cabela’s have been targeting customers seeking a one-stop shop for entertainment, expert advice and shopping. Cabela’s has grappled with declining sales of apparel and footwear and has reported same-store sales growth in only one quarter in more than three years. Still, the company maintains a loyal following, with many customers willing to drive miles to shop at stores, as well as dine at its restaurants and visit its shooting ranges. The companies have at times also benefited from their significant hunting-gun businesses, but the industry has seen steep swings in sales amid uncertainty around gun law changes. Both companies are closely associated with their founders, Johnny Morris at Bass Pro and Dick, Mary and Jim Cabela at Cabela’s. Dick Cabela died in 2014 and was succeeded by his brother Jim as chairman of Cabela’s. Johnny Morris, who still owns a majority of Bass Pro, will be chief executive of the combined company. Cabela’s also agreed to sell its credit card business called “World’s Foremost Bank” to Capital One Financial Corp (COF.N), which will forge a 10-year partnership with Bass Pro to issue credit cards to Cabela’s customers. Bass Pro will finance the acquisition through preferred equity financing commitments of $1.8 billion from Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) and $600 million from buyout firm Pamplona Capital Management. JPMMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) advised Bass Pro Shops and Guggenheim Securities advised Cabela’s on the deal.[SEP]U.S. fishing and hunting equipment store chain Cabela’s Inc said it agreed to be bought by rival Bass Pro Shops in a deal valued at $5.5 billion. The deal would unite two of the country’s largest hunting and fishing retailers and likely face antitrust scrutiny. It would come close to a year after Cabela’s said it would explore strategic alternatives, including a potential sale, after coming under pressure from activist fund Elliott Management Corp. The exact price the Bass Pros consortium was offering for Cabela’s could not be immediately learned. But the deal is set to value Cabela’s well in excess of $4 billion, according to the sources. The consortium consists of Bass Pro Shops, Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s private equity arm and Capital One Financial Corp., according to people familiar with the matter. The Bass Pro consortium has so far prevailed over a rival bid from private equity firm Sycamore Partners, which had teamed up with U.S. credit card company Synchrony Financial to make an offer, the people said. While it is still possible that the outcome changes, a deal could be announced as early as this week, the sources said. The sources asked not to be identified because the deliberations are confidential. Cabela’s on Monday confirmed news of the sale agreement. Cabela’s has a store in Scarborough and the nearest Bass Pro Shops store is in New Hampshire. Sidney, Nebraska-based Cabela’s and Springfield, Missouri-based Bass Pro have been meccas for outdoor enthusiasts since their respective foundings in 1961 and 1971. As the broader retail industry has struggled to compete with internet retailers such as Amazon.com, Bass Pro and Cabela’s have been targeting customers seeking a one-stop shop for entertainment, expert advice and shopping. The companies have also at times benefited from their significant hunting-gun businesses, as the industry experiences steep swings in sales amid uncertainty around gun law changes. Both retailers have a foothold across the United States, with overlap in states that include Texas, Missouri and Kansas. Still, Cabela’s roughly 80 stores have a stronger Northwest presence, while Bass Pro’s approximately 100 stores are more concentrated in the U.S. Northeast. Reuters reported last week that Bass Pro and Goldman Sachs had teamed up with Capital One, which is interested in the credit card business of Cabela’s, which is called World’s Foremost Bank. That had nearly 2 million accounts with roughly $5 billion in loans and $502 million in revenue in 2015, according to the company’s latest annual report.[SEP](Reuters) - Cabela's Inc said it agreed to be bought by Bass Pro Shops in a deal valued at $5.5 billion that will combine the top two hunting and fishing retailers in the United States. Springfield, Missouri-based Bass Pro Shops, a long-time suitor of Cabela's, will nearly double its store count in North America through the addition of Cabela's 85 stores. Cabela's, whose stores are known for their museum quality experience and taxidermy services, are located mostly in the U.S. Northwest, while Bass Pro's 99 stores are concentrated in the Northeast. The deal comes nearly a year after activist hedge fund Elliott Management said it had taken an 11.1 percent stake in the company and called for a sale. Two months later, Cabela's said it would explore strategic alternatives. Elliott stands to make $419.2 million from the deal, or nearly double of what the hedge fund paid for its stake, according to regulatory filings. Cabela's has struggled with declining sales of apparel and footwear and has reported same-store sales growth in only one quarter in more than three years. Bass Pro Shops, founded by Johnny Morris as a fishing gear shop in his dad's liquor store in the 1970s, expects the deal to help it offer a one-stop shop for entertainment, expert advice and shopping. Morris will be the Chief Executive of the combined company. Both companies have benefited from their significant hunting-gun businesses as the industry experiences swings in sales amid uncertainty around gun law changes. Bass Pro's offer of $65.50 per share is a 19.2 percent premium to Cabela's close on Friday. Shares of Cabela's jumped nearly 15 percent to $63.00 in morning trading, their highest in more than a year. Up to Friday close, they had risen 17 percent since the company said it was exploring strategic alternatives. Reuters reported on Sunday that Bass Pro was closing in on a deal to buy the company. Cabela's also agreed to sell its credit card business called "World's Foremost Bank" to Capital One Financial Corp, which will forge a 10-year partnership with Bass Pro Shops to issue credit cards to Cabela's customers. Capital One spokeswoman Pam Girardo said terms of the transaction would not be disclosed. Bass Pro Shops will finance the deal through preferred equity financing commitments of $1.8 billion from Goldman Sachs and $600 million Pamplona Capital Management.[SEP](Reuters) - Fishing and hunting equipment chain Cabela's Inc said it agreed to be bought by Bass Pro Shops in a deal valued at $5.5 billion that will help the privately held company nearly double its store count in North America. The offer of $65.50 per share is a 19.2 percent premium to Cabela's close on Friday. Shares of Cabela's jumped nearly 15 percent to $63.00 in early trading, their highest in more than a year. Up to Friday close, they had risen 17 percent since the company said in December it was exploring strategic alternatives. Cabela's has struggled with declining sales of apparel and footwear and has reported same-store sales growth in only one quarter in more than three years. The retailer had been under pressure from activist hedge fund Elliott Associates L.P, which disclosed an 11.1 percent stake in October last year, to pursue strategic alternatives. Reuters reported on Sunday that a consortium of Bass Pro Shops, Goldman Sachs Group Inc's private equity arm and Capital One Financial Corp <COF.N> was in the lead to buy the company. The combined company will own 184 stores in the United States and Canada. Cabela's also agreed to sell its credit card business called "World's Foremost Bank" to Capital One Financial Corp, which will forge a 10-year partnership with Bass Pro Shops to issue credit cards to Cabela's customers. Capital One spokeswoman Pam Girardo said terms of the transaction would not be disclosed. Bass Pro Shops founder and CEO Johnny Morris will continue as CEO and majority shareholder of the combined company, which will remain private. Bass Pro Shops will finance the deal through preferred equity financing commitments of $1.8 billion from Goldman Sachs and $600 milllion Pamplona Capital Management. Springfield, Missouri-based Bass Pro Shops has long been in the running to acquire Cabela's.[SEP]U.S. fishing and hunting equipment store chain Cabela's Inc ( ) said it agreed to be bought by rival Bass Pro Shops in a deal valued at $5.5 billion. The offer of $65.50 per share is a 19.2 percent premium to Cabela's Friday close. Reuters had reported on Sunday that a consortium of Bass Pro Shops, Goldman Sachs Group Inc's ( ) private equity arm and Capital One Financial Corp ( ) was in the lead to buy the company.[SEP]SIDNEY, Neb. — Fishing and hunting equipment chain Cabela's Inc. said it agreed to be bought by Bass Pro Shops in a deal valued at $5.5 billion that will help the privately held company nearly double its store count in North America. The offer of $65.50 per share is a 19.2 percent premium to Cabela's close on Friday, Sept. 30. Shares of Cabela's jumped nearly 15 percent to $63.00 in early trading, their highest in more than a year. Up to Friday close, they had risen 17 percent since the company said in December it was exploring strategic alternatives. Cabela's has struggled with declining sales of apparel and footwear and has reported same-store sales growth in only one quarter in more than three years. Reuters reported on Sunday that a consortium of Bass Pro Shops, Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s private equity arm and Capital One Financial Corp was in the lead to buy the company. The combined company will own 184 stores in the United States and Canada. Cabela's operates several stores in the Upper Midwest, including four in Minnesota, two in South Dakota, four in Wisconsin and three in Montana. In Minnesota, the outdoor sporting goods retailer has in East Grand Forks, Owatonna, Rogers and Woodbury. Both Mitchell and Rapid City have store locations in South Dakota while Wisconsin offers retail spots in Prairie du Chien, Richfield, Green Bay and Sun Prairie. Montana locations are in Billings, Missoula and Kalispell. Cabela's also agreed to sell its credit card business called "World's Foremost Bank" to Capital One Financial Corp, which will forge a 10-year partnership with Bass Pro Shops to issue credit cards to Cabela's customers. Capital One spokeswoman Pam Girardo said terms of the transaction would not be disclosed. Bass Pro Shops founder and CEO Johnny Morris will continue as CEO and majority shareholder of the combined company, which will remain private.[SEP]Bass Pro Shops is buying Cabela's in a $5.5 billion deal that brings together two prominent outfitters for the great outdoors. Bass Pro Shops sells fishing supplies, and Cabela's is a hunting store known for its taxidermy displays. There's plenty of crossover -- especially because both companies sell guns and ammunition. Cabela said its stockholders would be paid $65.50 in cash per share. Cabela's (CAB) stock jumped 15% at the start of trading. Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, assured customers in an open letter that "there will be no immediate impact to our stores." The companies did not immediately respond to CNNMoney messages about whether any of Cabela's 19,000 employees would eventually be laid off or any of its 85 U.S. and Canadian stores closed. Bass Pro Shops, which is privately held, said it would honor Cabela's rewards cards and credit cards. Cabela's stores have a distinctive rustic decor featuring displays of stuffed bears, deer, elk and moose. Some of the larger stores resemble theme parks or natural history museums, with extravagant displays of Arctic landscapes with stuffed Musk oxen, or African landscapes with stuffed elephants. Much of Cabela's merchandise is camouflage and camping gear, including tents and bear-proof food kegs. The company is also known for its so-called gun libraries, green-walled rooms with antique guns for sale, including firearms from both World Wars. The deal is being financed by Goldman Sachs (GS) and Pamplona.[SEP]In this April 15, 2015 photo, a large crowd of people line up as they wait for the grand opening of Bass Pro Shops Outpost store in Atlantic City, N.J. Outdoor gear giants Bass Pro and Cabela's will combine in a $4.5 billion deal announced Monday. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)[SEP]Bass Pro Shops will buy outdoor retail rival Cabela’s in a deal valued at $5.5 billion.The two companies announced the deal Monday morning, noting “a driving force behind this agreement is the highly complementary business philosophies, product offerings, expertise, and geographic footprints of the two businesses.”The 55-year-old Cabela’s has undoubtedly been one of Bass Pro's biggest business rivals. It has 85 retail stores and over 19,000 employees, or “outfitters.” The stores are primarily in the western U.S. and Canada. Cabela's also maintains large catalog and web-based retail operations.While Bass Pro will own the Cabela’s brand, the company intends to “grow and celebrate the Cabela’s brand and will build on qualities that respective customers love most about Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops.”Johnny Morris, Bass Pro founder and CEO, will hold a majority stake in the new entity and will lead it. Cabela’s is currently a public company, traded on the New York Stock Exchange, but the combined company would be private, as is Bass Pro.The news release issued Monday morning said Cabela’s is a leader in hunting, while Bass Pro is a leader in fishing. The deal will, of course, include White River Marine Group, a Bass Pro company that makes boats, boat motors, and boat trailers under the brands Tracker Boats, Sun Tracker, Nitro, Tahoe, Regency, Mako, Ranger, Triton, and Stratos.Cabela’s announced in December that it was exploring “strategic alternatives.” The deal with Bass Pro gives Cabela’s shareholders a 19.2 percent premium above the stock’s close at the end of trading on Friday.The deal was unanimously approved by Cabela’s board of directors and is slated to close in the first half of 2017, pending shareholder approval and a blessing from the the federal government."Today's announcement marks an exceptional opportunity to bring together three special companies with an abiding love for the outdoors and a passion for serving sportsmen and sportswomen.”“The story of each of these companies could only have happened in America, made possible by our uniquely American free enterprise system. We have enormous admiration for Cabela’s, its founders and outfitters, and its loyal base of customers.“We look forward to continuing to celebrate and grow the Cabela’s brand alongside Bass Pro Shops and White River as one unified outdoor family.”“Cabela’s is pleased to have found the ideal partner in Bass Pro Shops. Having undertaken a thorough strategic review, during which we assessed a wide variety of options to maximize value, the board unanimously concluded that this combination with Bass Pro Shops is the best path forward for Cabela’s, its shareholders, outfitters, and customers.“In addition to providing significant immediate value to our shareholders, this partnership provides a unique platform from which our brand will be extremely well positioned to continue to serve outdoor enthusiasts worldwide for generations to come.”[SEP]Fishing and hunting equipment chain Cabela’s Inc said it agreed to be bought by rival Bass Pro Shops in a deal valued at $5.5-billion (U.S.) that will help the privately held company nearly double its store count in North America. The offer of $65.50 per share is a 19.2 per cent premium to Cabela’s Friday close. Shares of Cabela’s jumped nearly 15 per cent to $62.88 in premarket trading and were set to open at their highest in more than two years. Cabela’s has struggled with declining sales of apparel and footwear and has reported same-store sales growth in only one quarter in more than three years. The retailer had been under pressure from activist hedge fund Elliott Associates L.P, which disclosed an 11.1 per cent stake in October last year, to pursue strategic alternatives. Reuters reported on Sunday that a consortium of Bass Pro Shops, Goldman Sachs Group Inc’s private equity arm and Capital One Financial Corp was in the lead to buy the company. In connection with the deal, Cabela’s agreed to sell its credit card operations to Capital One Financial Corp. Bass Pro Shops will finance the deal through preferred equity financing commitments of $2.4-billion from Goldman Sachs and Pamplona Capital Management.

Bass Pro Shops acquires Cabela's for $5.5 billion, combining two retailers for outdoor enthusiasts.

01:11 Tropical Storm Gabrielle and 3 Other Areas We're Watching in the Atlantic Meteorologist Danielle Banks explains the areas that are being monitored in the Atlantic for tropical development. At a Glance Chaba impacted Japan and South Korea high winds and heavy rain. When Chaba was a super typhoon, it brought wind gusts up to 134 mph to the Japanese island of Kume on Monday. Chaba hammered parts of Japan's Okinawa prefecture on Monday, Oct. 3 with wind gusts well over 100 mph, but spared Kadena Air Base the worst of its fury. (MORE: Hurricane Central ) Chaba intensified to a super typhoon for a time on Oct. 3. The U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) estimated maximum sustained winds had reached 145 knots, roughly 165 mph, the equivalent of a Category 5 tropical cyclone at that time. Wind gusts up to 134 mph (59.7 meters per second) were clocked on the Japanese island of Kume as the eastern eyewall passed through late Monday night, local time. (LATEST NEWS: Closures/Evacuations Prompted in Okinawa ) Chaba is only the third Category 5 equivalent super typhoon to track within 65 nautical miles of Kume Island, in records dating to the 1960s, and is the strongest on record, there. The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) estimated central pressure had cratered at roughly 905 millibars, a "violent" typhoon by their classification. A final jog of the eyewall westward spared Okinawa Island, home of the U.S. Kadena Air Base , from the eyewall of this violent super typhoon. Winds gusted over 50 mph on Monday, there. Chaba also brought heavy rain and strong winds as it passed near southern South Korea while weakening. Flooding was reported in Gyeongju, South Korea. Sogwipo, South Korea, saw nearly a foot of rain in 24 hours from Chaba. MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Typhoon Megi Photos[SEP]Residents on Japan's southern islands are preparing for torrential rain and strong winds as Typhoon Chaba bears down on the region. Authorities have warned of mudslides, flooding and high waves as the season's 18th typhoon is projected to hit islands in the southern Japanese archipelago on Monday. All the public schools on Okinawa's main island are closed while dozens of flights in the region have been cancelled. The typhoon could dump rainfall of up to 80mm an hour in some areas of the island, the Japan Meteorological Agency says. The eye of the storm was 290km south of Naha city on Okinawa on Monday morning, travelling north-northwest at 25km/h, with maximum sustained winds of 180km/h and gusts of 252km/h, the agency said. In late August, Typhoon Lionrock pounded northeastern Japan, leaving more than 20 people dead. It was the first typhoon that made landfall on the northeast since records began in 1951.[SEP]Chaba is forecast once more to become the third super typhoon of the northwest Pacific season, forecast to peak at 190-mph gusts Monday evening, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 5:45 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: Chaba has morphed into the third super typhoon of the northwest Pacific tropical cyclone season, packing 201-mph wind gusts at its center as it tracks just west of Okinawa, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 3 p.m., Chaba was 115 miles south-southwest of Kadena Air Base, traveling north-northwest at 14 mph, packing 167-mph sustained winds and 201-mph gusts at center -- a Category 5-equivalent typhoon. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1-C. And it's not done intensifying, JTWC stated in its latest dispatch. It's forecast to peak at 173-mph sustained winds and 207-mph gusts over the next several hours. Chaba joins Nepartak and Meranti as tropical cyclones classified as super typhoons by JTWC. If Chaba remains on its current course, it's forecast to pass 77 miles west of Kadena Air Base at 9 p.m. Monday. It's a fairly compact storm, with the most fierce winds and gusts confined to between 30 and 35 miles away from center. Chaba is forecast to remain a significant Category 2-equivalent typhoon as it curves through the Tsushima Strait 75 miles north-northwest of Sasebo Naval Base at 7 a.m. Wednesday, packing sustained 121-mph winds and 150-mph gusts at center. Fleet Activities Sasebo remains in TCCOR 3. Chaba remains on course to pass 61 miles south-southeast of Pusan and 76 miles southeast of Chinhae Naval Base between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Wednesday. Even as Chaba passes 75 miles north-northeast of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni at 1 p.m. Wednesday, it'll still be a Category 1-equivalent storm, 92-mph sustained winds and 115-mph gusts. 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: U.S. bases on Okinawa have been placed in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1-C (caution). 40-mph winds or greater are actually occurring at a particular base on island. 1:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: The latest wind-forecast timeline from Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather Flight shortens up yet again the duration of 58-mph sustained winds, from 12 to nine hours. But forecast peak winds associated with Typhoon Chaba still remain fierce. Here's the latest. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1: -- 40-mph sustained winds or greater: 2 p.m. Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds or greater: 6 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 138-mph sustained winds, 167-mph gusts: 10 p.m. Monday. -- Winds subsiding below 58-mph sustained: 3 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds subsiding below 40-mph sustained: 8 a.m. Tuesday. A reminder: When TCCOR 1-E ends and TCCOR 1-R has been issued, that's not the time to go outdoors. If anything it's more dangerous then, as work crews are out assessing damage, to include downed trees and powerlines and unstable structures. You go out, you'd only be in the way. Stay inside until the all-clear is announced. Get your safe on! 11:15 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: The good news, if there is such a thing: Typhoon Chaba's forecast track keeps edging west, away from Okinawa. And the Kanto Plain may be completely out of harm's way. The bad news, and there's plenty of it: Okinawa remains well within harm's way. Chaba is forecast once more to become the third super typhoon of the northwest Pacific season, forecast to peak at 190-mph gusts Monday evening, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Though Chaba is projected to track further north of Sasebo Naval Base than previously forecast, now it appears Korea's southeast coast might feel some of Chaba's fierceness at mid-morning Wednesday. At 9 a.m., Chaba was 180 miles south of Kadena Air Base, tracking northwest at 15 mph, packing Category 4-equivalent winds, 144-mph sustained and 173-mph gusts at center. If it remains on its current track, Chaba is forecast to pass 71 miles west of Kadena at 10 p.m. Monday, packing 155-mph sustained winds and 190-mph gusts at center. Further west of Okinawa, but still a monster. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1. Sasebo could yet be spared a bum rush by Chaba, forecast to track 64 miles north-northwest of Sasebo at 6 a.m. Wednesday, still packing a good wallop, 75-mph sustained winds and 92-mph gusts at center. Fleet Activities Sasebo remains in TCCOR 3. But as Chaba tracks through the Tsushima Strait, it could vent some of its rage on Korea's southeast coast. Chaba is forecast to pass 59 miles south of Pusan and 79 miles south-southeast of Chinhae Naval Base between 9 and 11 a.m. Wednesday. From there, Chaba is forecast to bull through the Sea of Japan near Honshu's northern coast, passing 91 miles north-northwest of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni at 1 p.m. Wednesday as a severe tropical storm. 9:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: Fleet Activities Sasebo has entered Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. Destructive winds of 58 mph or greater are possible at Sasebo Naval Base and related properties within 48 hours. 8:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: Only the duration of destructive winds has shortened, according to the latest wind-forecast timeline from Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather Flight. But peak winds remain the same: 144-mph sustained, 173-mph gusts at 10 p.m. Monday. U.S. bases remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1. Expect an upgrade about mid-day Monday. -- 40-mph sustained winds or greater: Noon Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds or greater: 3 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 144-mph sustained winds, 173-mph gusts: 10 p.m. Monday. -- Winds subsiding below 58-mph sustained: 3 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds subsiding below 40-mph sustained: 8 a.m. Monday. Between 5 and 7 inches of rain forecast. 5:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: Slightly better news for Okinawa and Sasebo Naval Base: Typhoon Chaba's forecast track has edged a bit furtther away from each locale. At 3 a.m., Chaba was 258 miles south of Kadena Air Base, chugging northwest at 16 mph, still a pretty good clip. It remains a Category 3-equivalent typhoon, 132-mph sustained winds and 161-mph gusts at center. Joint Typhoon Warning Center's latest forecast track shifts Chaba further west of the island -- 62 miles west at 10 p.m. Monday. It'll still be a vicious beast, a Category 4-equivalent monster, packing 144-mph sustained winds and 173-mph gusts at center. But ... note the word "center." And those wind values are for over open water. It might, just might, mean slightly less heavy wind for Okinawa. New wind-forecast timeline will be posted here when available from Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather Flight. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1. Sasebo could catch something of a break, too, should Chaba's forecast track keep edging away. For the moment, Chaba is projected to pass 45 miles northwest of Sasebo, still as a Category 1-equivalent typhoon, 81-mph sustained winds and 98-mph gusts at center. Fleet Activities Sasebo is expected to issue TCCOR Storm Watch at mid-morning Monday. Chaba is then forecast to skim the north coast of Japan's main island of Honshu, passing 58 miles north-northwest of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni as a severe tropical storm. 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: Typhoon Chaba continues heading Okinawa's way, with peak wind forecast adjusted slightly downward, but not much. Monday evening continues to look like a rough one. Forecast track has been adjusted slightly: 38 miles west of Kadena Air Base at 10 p.m. Monday. Here's the latest wind-forecast timeline from Kadena's 18th Wing Weather Flight. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1; expect an upgrade to TCCOR 1-C by 10 or 11 a.m. Monday: -- 40-mph sustained winds or greater: 10 a.m. Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds or greater: 2 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 138-mph sustained winds, 167-mph gusts: 10 p.m. Monday. -- Winds subsiding below 58-mph sustained: 5 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds subsiding below 40-mph sustained: 9 a.m. Tuesday. 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, Japan time: Here's the latest wind-forecast timeline from Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather Flight. U.S. bases remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1: -- 40-mph sustained winds or greater: 10 a.m. Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds or greater: 2 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 144-mph sustained winds, 173-mph gusts: 8 p.m. Monday. -- Winds subsiding below 58-mph sustained: 6 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds subsiding below 40-mph sustained: 10 a.m. Tuesday. Just shy of super-typhoon status, but unquestionably a beast. Stay indoors. You only get one chance. Get your safe on! 7:20 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, Japan time: U.S. bases in Okinawa have entered Tropical Cyclone Condition Readiness 1. Destructive winds of 58 mph or greater are anticipated within 12 hours. 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, Japan time: Perhaps Chaba might not become a super typhoon after all; latest Joint Typhoon Warning Center update shows intensity peaking at just below that threshold. But the forecast track has changed some, putting Sasebo Naval Base in the possible crosshairs of a direct or near-direct hit from Chaba, soon after Okinawa takes a projected pounding. At 3 p.m., Chaba was 427 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, headed northwest at 18 mph, still at a fairly good clip. But even with Chaba not forecast to reach super-typhoon strength, it will still be a fierce beast. If Chaba remains on its current path, it should pass 16 miles west of Kadena at midnight Monday, packing 144-mph sustained winds and 173-mph gusts at center. Chaba is projected to retain that sort of intensity even as it pushes north, then curves northeast with Sasebo in its sights. It's due to pass 14 miles south of Sasebo at 4 a.m. Wednesday, packing 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts at center. Chaba is then due to push north, skimming the northern coast of Japan's main island of Honshu, 27 miles north of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni at 11 a.m. Wednesday, still packing 98-mph sustained winds and 121-mph gusts. The good news for the Kanto Plain: Chaba may pass even further north of the Tokyo area than previously forecast. JTWC projects Chaba to pass 102 miles northwest of Yokota Air Base at 4 a.m. Thursday. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 2. Expect that to be upgraded sometime Sunday evening. Sasebo will enter TCCOR Storm Watch at 9 a.m. Monday, according to Fleet Activities Sasebo's official Facebook page. No TCCOR change has been directed at Iwakuni yet; keep an eye on MCAS Iwakuni's Facebook page for updates. 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, Japan time: The latest wind-forecast timeline for Okinawa portends very, very bad things. The fiercest wind gusts the island has seen since Super Typhoon Bart in late September 1999. Here's the timeline, courtesy of Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather Flight. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 2: -- 40-mph sustained winds and greater: 11 a.m. Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds and greater: 2 p.m. Monday. -- Maximum 150-mph sustained winds and 184-mph gusts for Kadena: 9 p.m. Monday. -- Maximum 155-mph sustained winds and 190-mph gusts for southern parts of Okinawa as Chaba comes ashore: 9 p.m. Monday. -- Winds subsiding below 58-mph sustained: 6 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds subsiding below 40-mph sustained: 10 a.m. Tuesday. For folks new and old to the island: This could also portend a very lengthy TCCOR 1-R (recovery) period, since such winds could cause a great deal of damage. Two words: STAY INSIDE! Do not venture outdoors just because the TCCOR 1-E emergency has ended. If anything, it may be more dangerous due to downed power lines and unstable structures. Two more words: BE SAFE. 1:15 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, Japan time: U.S. bases on Okinawa have been placed in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 2. Destructive winds of 58 mph or greater are anticipated within 24 hours. Noon Sunday, Oct. 2, Japan time: Whoo-boy. Look at Chaba now. In just six hours, it has intensified rapidly and could become the third super typhoon of the northwest Pacific's tropical cyclone season just as it reaches Okinawa. At 9 a.m., Chaba was 531 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, churning northwest at 18 mph, packing 121-mph sustained winds and 150-mph gusts at center. That's up from 75 and 92 just six hours earlier. And the Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast does not look promising. At all. Okinawa hasn't seen the likes of what is currently forecast since Super Typhoon Bart, almost exactly 17 years ago. If it remains on its current course, Chaba is due to pass 24 miles west of Kadena at the witching hour, midnight Monday -- packing forecast 155-mph sustained winds and 190-mph gusts at center. And the updated forecast track portends bad news for Sasebo Naval Base and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in southwestern Japan as well. JTWC projects Chaba to pass 25 miles southeast of Sasebo at 7 a.m. Wednesday, still packing 98-mph sustained winds and 121-mph gusts at center as it roars by. And just 12 miles north of Iwakuni seven hours later, still as a severe tropical storm. Slightly better news for the Kanto Plain. Chaba is forecast to track further north of U.S. bases in the Tokyo area, the closest being Yokota Air Base. Chaba is due to pass 64 miles north of Yokota at 3 a.m. Thursday as a middling tropical storm. While the center "eye" feature might not pass directly over Kadena, the fact that the east quadrants are forecast to do so, is just as bad, if not worse. A typhoon's east quadrants are the worst of the four, pulling vapor, humidity and warm air from the south. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. That should be upgraded Sunday afternoon. 8 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, Japan time: Okinawa can expect a wild, windy, heavily rainy beginning of the month as Typhoon Chaba makes its way toward the island, intensifying into a Category 3-equivalent storm all the way, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 3 a.m., Chaba was 634 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, heading northwest at 14 mph, holding steady at 75-mph sustained winds and 92-mph gusts at center. Chaba is forecast to peak at 121-mph sustained winds and 150-mph gusts just as it reaches closest point of approach to Kadena, 6 miles east at 2 a.m. Tuesday. Here is the latest wind-forecast timeline from Kadena’s 18th Wing Weather Flight. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3; that should be upgraded sometime Sunday afternoon: -- 40-mph sustained winds or greater: 1 p.m. Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds or greater: 6 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 104-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts for Kadena: 6 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 110-mph sustained winds and 150-mph gusts for southern edges of Okinawa: 4 p.m. Monday as it comes ashore. -- Winds subsiding below 58-mph sustained: 6 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds subsiding below 40-mph sustained: 10 a.m. Tuesday. Between 3 and 5 inches of rain forecast for Okinawa as well. Chaba should begin losing steam as it rounds the best and begins curving northeast toward Japan’s main islands. If it remains on present course, Chaba is sue to pass 45 miles south-southeast of Sasebo Naval Base at 9 a.m. Wednesday, remaining a Category 2-equivalent typhoon as it does; 28 miles south-southeast of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni about five hours later as a severe tropical storm. Chaba should then rapidly head east-northeast toward the Tokyo area, passing 56 miles north-northwest of Yokota Air Base at 3 a.m. Thursday as a middling tropical storm, before heading out over the northwest Pacific. Midnight Saturday, Oct. 1, Japan time: Whuh-oh ... Chaba has intensified rapidly the last few hours. Joint Typhoon Warning Center has upgraded Chaba to a Category 1-equivalent typhoon. And if it strengthens as forecast, it could batter Okinawa with Category 3-equivalent winds come late Monday. At 9 p.m., Chaba was 715 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, heading northwest at 14 mph, now packing 75-mph sustained winds and 92-mph gusts at center, a good 12- to 15-mph increase over six hours. If Chaba remains on its current path, it's forecast to make a near-direct hit on Kadena, 8 miles east at 11 p.m. Monday, packing 121-mph sustained winds and 150-mph gusts at center. Mean and nasty, right clear through. With 4 to 6 inches of rain forecast, to boot. And Chaba is forecast to retain typhoon strength and pass ever closer to Sasebo Naval Base, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and perhaps even remain a typhoon as it hurtles toward the Tokyo area by mid-week. Chaba is projected to pass 70 miles south-southeast of Sasebo at 4 a.m. Wednesday and 45 miles south-southeast of Iwakuni six hours later, still packing a serious wallop. And though the current track takes Chaba over land, Chaba could still be a Category 1-equivalent typhoon as it roars 38 miles north-northwest of Yokota Air Base at about midnight Wednesday. This thing's no joke, folks, especially for Okinawa. One more day to finish preparations for some nasty weather to begin the week. U.S. bases remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3; expect that to be upgraded to TCCOR 2 sometime Sunday. 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, Japan time: Here's the latest wind-forecast timeline for Okinawa from Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather Flight. U.S. bases remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. -- 40-mph sustained winds or greater: 9 a.m. Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds or greater: 2 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 92-mph sustained winds, 115-mph gusts for Kadena Air Base: 2 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 104-mph sustained winds, 127-mph gusts for northeastern parts of Okinawa: 2 p.m. Monday. -- Winds subsiding below 58-mph sustained: 6 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds subsiding below 40-mph sustained: 9 a.m. Tuesday. 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, Japan time: A visit to Okinawa on Monday evening by Tropical Storm Chaba remains in the cards. And Sasebo Naval Base and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni could be next, depending on Chaba's Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast track. At 3 p.m., Chaba was 796 miles southeast of Kadena Air Base, headed northwest at 14 mph, having strengthened slightly, 63-mph sustained winds and 81-mph gusts at center as it rumbles well east of the Philippines. Little change to Chaba's forecast arrival for Okinawa, 8 p.m. Monday, but 12 miles east, packing 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts at center. No telling at this point whether Chaba will have an eye feature when it reaches the island. U.S. bases remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. As for a possible visit to Sasebo and Iwakuni, that all depends on Chaba's forecast track. Model guidance is split, with some depicting passage north and others south of Japan's main islands, still others right over them. Currently, Chaba is forecast to pass 92 miles south-southeast of Sasebo at 1 a.m. Wednesday and 59 miles south-southeast of Iwakuni at 8 a.m., possibly still as a Category 1-equivalent typhoon or at the very least a severe tropical storm. PST maintains its vigil. 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, Japan time: As September gives way to October, Chaba remains a tropical storm and continues on a northwest track toward Okinawa. Model guidance has tightened and point with more confidence to a track toward the island or just east of it. But how strong will Chaba be as it makes its way into Okinawa’s neighborhood? Previous updates depicted a peak of 115-mph sustained winds; the latest Joint Typhoon Warning Center update reduces that to 104-mph sustained winds, and an earlier arrival to Okinawa. Still a Category 2-equivalent storm; thus, still very dangerous. And all that could still change. At 3 a.m., Chaba was 930 miles southeast of Kadena Air Base, headed northwest at 10 mph, holding steady at 58-mph sustained winds and 75-mph gusts at center as it churns well east of the Philippines. If Chaba remains on its current course, it’s projected to make a near-direct hit, 6 miles east of Kadena at 8 p.m. Monday, just as it peaks at 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts at center. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. Expect that to be upgraded sometime Sunday afternoon, but it could be sooner, depending on track speed and intensity. Here is the latest wind-forecast timeline from Kadena’s 18th Wing Weather Flight: Midnight Friday, Sept. 30, Japan time: Still looking at a blustery, rainy Monday and Tuesday as the Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast track for Tropical Storm Chaba continues to favor a rendezvous with Okinawa early in the week. At 9 p.m. Friday, Chaba was 988 miles southeast of Kadena Air Base, tracking west-northwest at 13 mph, a few mph faster than earlier Friday. Chaba's intensity has increased to 63-mph sustained winds and 81-mph gusts. JTWC projects Chaba to become a Category 1-equivalent typhoon by Saturday morning. If Chaba continues as forecast, it should pass 9 miles west of Kadena at 11 p.m. Monday, and should crest at 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts at center. A nasty Category 3-equivalent beast. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. Maximum forecast wind values for Okinawa have increased, according to Kadena's 18th Wing Weather Flight's official Web site, Shogunweather.com. Here's Shogunweather's forecast wind timeline. Bear in mind, this could change, as there does remain a spread in model solutions: -- 40-mph sustained winds and greater: Noon Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds and greater: 6 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 115-mph sustained winds and 140-mph gusts: 9 p.m. Monday. -- Winds diminising below 58-mph sustained: 3 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds diminishing below 40-mph sustained: 10 a.m. Tuesday. Between 2 and 4 inches of rain are also forecast. Noon Friday, Sept. 30, Japan time: U.S. bases on Okinawa have entered Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. Destructive winds of 58 mph or greater are possible within 48 hours. Tropical Storm Chaba continues to intensify, while its latest forecast track has edged slightly west of Okinawa and later than earlier projections, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Although the storm's center might not pass directly over Okinawa, that it might head west of the island is bad news. It would mean the island would get hit with Chaba's east quadrants, which are the strongest, since they pull more moisture and heavier winds from south of the island. Climate is warmer to the south, cooler to the north. That's nature. At 9 a.m., Chaba was 1,117 miles southeast of Kadena Air Base, tracking west-southwest at 12 mph, and intensity has increased to 58-mph sustained winds and 75-mph gusts at center. Should it remain on its current path, Chaba is due to rumble 25 miles west of Kadena at 3 a.m. Tuesday, packing 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts at center, Category 3-equivalent nastiness. Model guidance continues to remain apart, some models calling for a track further west of Okinawa, others an easterly track. Chaba is only two days old and much uncertainty remains. Stay tuned. And start getting prepared! No time like now to stock up, if you need to, on non-perishable food and water, food for your furry friends, diapers and sanitary wipes for the babies, flashlight, radio and batteries. Start breaking down the outdoor furniture and trampoline. Get ready to store those, along with the barbeque and bicycles. 6 a.m. Friday, Sept. 30, Japan time: Tropical Storm Chaba has strengthened a bit as it continues its trek west away from the Marianas and is poised to start curving northwest on a track that apparently puts Okinawa dead in its sights, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 3 a.m., Chaba was 1,145 miles southeast of Kadena Air Base, tracking west-southwest at 14 mph. Winds at Chaba’s center have increased slightly, to 52-mph sustained and 63-mph gusts. If Chaba remains on its current course, it’s forecast to make a near-direct hit on Kadena, the center 8 miles east, at 7 p.m. Monday, packing 121-mph sustained winds and 150-mph gusts at center. That's equal to a Category 3 hurricane in the States. Model guidance remains split, though most solutions point to a track toward or near Okinawa, some just west of the island, some a tad east. Either way, the island should clearly feel the effects early in the week. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in seasonal Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4 for now. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, Japan time: Chaba has been upgraded to a tropical storm. It's continuing to move west away from the Marianas, and remains on track for a near-direct hit on Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, come Monday evening, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 3 p.m., Chaba was 228 miles west-northwest of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, headed west at 16 mph, with sustained 46-mph winds and 58-mph gusts at center. If Chaba remains on its current course, it's due to pass almost directly over Kadena at 6 p.m. Monday, at its forecast wind peak of 110-mph sustained winds and 132-mph gusts at center. Model guidance has come into slightly better agreement on a curve northeast toward Japan's main islands next week. But not much better; a vast spread yet remains. The biggest questions center around the curve's timing and Chaba's forecast intensity. PST remains on it. Noon Thursday, Sept. 29, Japan time: Which way will it go? That remains the question in the long term regarding Chaba, which remains a tropical depression as it tracks away from Guam. Chaba was still holding steady at 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts at center, 157 miles west-northwest of Andersen Air Force Base as of 9 a.m. One thing on which model guidance agrees: Chaba will eventually turn north and northeast toward Japan's main islands. But exactly where and how soon that curve takes place? Or will it curve at all? That's hard to say. And it gives a picture of just how unpredictable tropical cyclones -- or any form of weather -- can be. Models are suggesting anywhere between a straight run toward Taiwan (again!), to finally giving Okinawa its long-awaited "big one" that the island has avoided all season, to sharply curving northeast, even bypassing Japan's main islands. The only thing certain ... remains uncertainty. For the moment, Joint Typhoon Warning Center projects a path that would take Chaba 16 miles west of Kadena Air Base at 7 p.m. Monday, packing 98-mph sustained winds and 121-mph gusts at center -- equal to a Category 2 hurricane in the States. But all that could change. Very good chance of it changing, and repeatedly, as Chaba enters its second day as a tropical cyclone. Stay tuned. 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, Japan time: The flood watch for the Marianas islands has been canceled, according to the National Weather Service on Guam. 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, Japan time: Tropical storm watch has been canceled for the Marianas Islands but a flash flood watch remains in effect. Chaba remains a tropical depression for the moment, but is expected to begin intensifying as it moves west and away from the Marianas islands, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 3 a.m., Chaba was 77 miles northwest of Andersen Air Force Base, moving west at 13 mph, still holding steady at 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts. It’s forecast to be come a tropical storm by afternoon, and remains on course to pass 21 miles west of Kadena Air Base at 4 p.m. Monday, packing 98-mph sustained winds and 121-mph gusts at center. There remains a spread among model solutions, most agreeing on a curve northeast toward Japan’s main islands, but a question of timing and location remains. The extended outlook from Shogunweather.com, Kadena’s 18th Wing Weather Flight Web site, calls for gusts up to 85 mph on Monday with a 50-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. 12:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, Guam time: Chaba’s forecast peak intensity has bumped up slightly; it’s expected to cap at 110-mph sustained winds and 132-mph gusts at center as it approaches Okinawa, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. But will it? That remains the $64,000 question. The latest JTWC update also states that the spread among model solutions – where Chaba will actually go – has also increased to a cool 75- miles. Fairly vast. Stretching from Taiwan to Japan’s main islands. And it’s still early in the life of a storm, less than a day old. Thus, the only thing certain … is uncertainty. At 10 p.m., Chaba was 37 miles north-northeast of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, tracking west at 21 mph, still packing 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts at center. Wind and sideways rain continue to pelt the Marianas islands, and it’s expected to continue through later Thursday morning, perhaps afternoon as well. If it remains on its forecast track – a big if, at this point – Chaba should pass 22 miles west of Kadena Air Base at about 2 p.m. Monday, packing sustained 104-mph winds and 127-mph gusts at center as it roars past. All of this can change, pending Chaba’s intensity and track. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: Next up on Tropical Depression Chaba's itinerary: Okinawa, if the latest Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast track offers up an indication. If it remains on its current course, Chaba should be 63 miles south of Kadena Air Base at mid-afternoon Monday as a Category 2-equivalent typhoon, packing 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts at center. Model guidance has come into slightly better agreement on a curve northeast toward Japan's main islands. But there remains a vast spread, of 575 miles at this point, regarding the timing of such a curve and how close Chaba might actually come to Okinawa. That remains to be seen. For the moment, Guam remains Chaba's first target. Tropical storm watch, flood watch, small-craft and high-surf advisories remain in effect. Gonna be a gusty, sideways-rainy Wednesday evening on Guam. 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: Tropical Depression Chaba continues bearing down on Rota, just north of Guam, with a near-direct hit on the tiny island forecast for 2 a.m. Thursday, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. A tropical storm watch remains in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan, according to the National Weather Service on Guam. A flood watch is in effect for Guam and Rota. A high-surf and small-craft advisory remains in effect as well. Winds of 35-mph sustained and 46-mph gusts are forecast through Wednesday into Thursday. On Guam, a heavy thunderstorm with frequently dangerous lightning is occuring until 7 p.m. between Hagatna Bay down to Agat and Orote Point, near Naval Base Guam. 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: Perhaps it might finally happen. After a whole season without a visit by a significant tropical cyclone, Okinawa might finally get a long-awaited typhoon, by early next week if Chaba remains on its initial forecast track. At 10 a.m., Chaba, Thai for tropical flower, was 223 miles east of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, headed west at 16 mph, with 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts at center. A small-craft advisory is in place for Saipan and Tinian and a high-surf advisory for the main Marianas Islands, including Guam, until 6 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service on Guam. The Marianas are also under a Tropical Storm Watch. There's a vast spread among dynamic model guidance. Some models have Chaba turning northeast toward Japan, while others show a straight run into Taiwan.< Joint Typhoon Warning Center's initial forecast track takes Chaba northwest. By 9 a.m. Monday, Chaba is projected to be about 200 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, packing 75-mph sustained winds and 92-mph gusts at center. Shogunweather.com, Kadena's 18th Wing Weather Flight official Web site, depicts winds picking up by Sunday, 21-mph sustained and 31-mph gusts, with between a 40- and 50-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Note that this is an initial track. It's very, very early in the life of a tropical cyclone. Much can change over the course of a storm's first day or two. 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: Tropical Depression Chaba has formed east of Guam. Initial model guidance and the first Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast track indicates a path toward Okinawa once it exits the Marianas. This post will be updated. 7 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: A tropical cyclone formation alert has been issued on a disturbance 322 miles east-southeast of Guam. The disturbance is forecast to pass through the Marianas Wednesday into Wednesday evening, bringing showers and winds between 30 and 35 mph into Wednesday evening. PST is keeping an eye on this developing system.[SEP]Typhoons that intensify as they are about to make landfall rarely happen, according to meteorologist Charles “Chip” Guard of the Weather Forecast Office in Guam. He was on Saipan for a media workshop yesterday at the CNMI Homeland Security & Emergency Management Office on Capital Hill. Guard said that’s what happened when Typhoon Soudelor hit Saipan on Aug. 2 last year that caused major damage to homes and other infrastructures. “Occasionally, you will have storms that would intensify right at your backdoor.” “You are not going to be as accurate as you like and rarely does the Typhoon Warning Center miss the intensity of the storm by that much. But when they start to rapidly intensify right at your backdoor, that’s where the problem are,” he added. Guard, a former Joint Typhoon Weather Center director in Hawaii, said it was a good thing that no one died despite Soudelor’s intensity. “It was a welcome news that nobody was killed and only a few were hurt. In essence, the warning system works.” The same thing happened in Guam back in 1992, he said, when Typhoon Omar intensified as it neared landfall. “Typhoon Omar did the same thing, right in the middle of the night. That’s the problem, a lot of times they happen in the middle of the night and catch people by surprise.” “A lot of people thought it [Soudelor] was so small. We didn’t realize it was that small. Saipan and Tinian are always in a typhoon warning, they should have been prepared for every typhoon. No question about it, they haven’t seen a strong typhoon like that since Kim in 1986.” He said that no matter the intensity of a typhoon, everyone should be prepared. “There’s no question [Soudelor] was under forecast in terms of intensity. But it was forecast to be a typhoon. People should have been prepared for a typhoon.” Guard added that they expect several more storms to pass by the Marianas until December, reminding people to be always prepared. “You have to keep in mind, this is one of the few places in the world where you can have a typhoon any time of the year. We are in a beautiful place but we also have to live with [typhoons].” Although storm surges also happen here in the Marianas, it is not like that in the mainland. “Sure we also get storm surges but not like in the States where it is more on wave action. Here on Saipan, the east side of the island comes rapidly.” “Kagman is high enough not to experience it. The west side like in Tanapag, San Roque, and San Antonio have a higher risk. Winds can still regenerate the waves in the lagoon. That’s why hotels are set back to prevent storm surges but you can still get inundation and coastal flooding.”[SEP]Chaba has been downgraded from a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon to Category 4-equivalent status. Still a vicious beast, and still bound for the Tsushima Strait between Japan and Korea's southeast coast, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, Japan-Korea time: Appears as if Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1 is imminent at Sasebo Naval Base, joining U.S. bases in Korea's Area IV across the Tsushima channel. At 3 p.m., Typhoon Chaba was 235 miles north-northwest of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, and is tracking due north at 18 mph, packing 138-mph sustained winds and 167-mph gusts at center. If Chaba remains on current course, it's forecast to pass closer to Korea's southeastern edges and a bit further away from Sasebo, but close enough to cause some major discomfort overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. Chaba is forecast to rumble 113 miles north-northwest of Sasebo at 10 a.m. Wednesday, and still packing a might wallop: 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts at center as it roars past. That means worse news for Pusan and Chinhae Naval Base. Chaba is due to pass just 23 miles south of Korea's second-largest city, along its southeast coast, and 36 miles south-southeast of Chinhae Naval Base just to Pusan's west between 11 a.m. and noon Wednesday. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni remains in TCCOR Storm Watch and is a bit further south of Chaba's forecast track: 121 miles north-northwest of Iwakuni about three hours after passing Pusan, and still packing 92-mph sustained winds and 115-mph gusts at center. Still pretty nasty. 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, Korea time: U.S. bases in Daegu Area IV have been placed in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1. Destructive winds of 58 mph or greater are anticipated within 12 hours. Winds up to 46 mph sustained with 69-mph gusts are forecast for between midnight Tuesday and 3 p.m. Wednesday. Between 3 and 6 inches of rain also possible between 9 p.m. Tuesday and 3 p.m. Wednesday. 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, Japan-Korea time: Chaba has been downgraded from a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon to Category 4-equivalent status. Still a vicious beast, and still bound for the Tsushima Strait between Japan and Korea's southeast coast, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 9 a.m., Chaba was 415 miles south-southwest of Sasebo Naval Base, chugging north at 13 mph, still packing 144-mph sustained winds and 173-mph gusts at center. As Chaba moves north, it's forecast to start diminishing as it approaches the Tsushima channel, down to Category 2-equivalent status. Chaba is forecast by JTWC to split the difference between Kyushu and the southeastern edges of Korea. If it remains on its forecast track, Chaba is due to pass 76 miles north-northwest of Sasebo Naval Base and 74 miles south-southeast of Chinhae Naval Base between 9 and 10 a.m. Wednesday. It'll be packing 98-mph sustained winds and 121-mph gusts at center. Fleet Activities Sasebo and Korea's Area IV remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 2. Area IV can expect 46-mph sustained winds and 69-mph gusts with 3 to 5 inches of rain, according to U.S. Army Garrison Daegu's official Facebook page. Chaba's pace should then pick up rapidly, passing 90 miles north-northwest of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, barely hanging on to typhoon status at that point. MCAS Iwakuni remains in TCCOR Storm Watch. 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, Korea time: U.S. bases in Korea's Area IV, the Daegu-Pusan corridor, have been placed in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 2. Destructive winds of 58 mph or greater are anticipated within 24 hours. Between 3 to 5 inches of rain forecast for eastern Korea. 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, Japan time: U.S. bases on Okinawa have reverted to seasonal Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4. 6 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, Japan time: U.S. bases on Okinawa have entered Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1-R (recovery). Destrucive winds of 58 mph or greater are no longer occurring. That doesn't mean it's safe to leave the house and resume life as normal. Now it's time for staff civil, survey teams and repair crews to begin fanning out to assess damage. Though the winds weren't as bad as predicted, there still could be quite a bit of damage out there: Downed power lines, tree limbs, flooding, unstable structures; all this and more could be the result of Super Typhoon Chaba as it gave Okinawa a glancing blow last night. And there's no set period when TCCOR 1-R begins and ends. No fixed time. It depends on how much damage there is and how much time it will take to clear it. So, stay indoors. Wait for the 18th Wing command to issue the all-clear/resume seasonal TCCOR 4. DODEA-Okinawa schools will remain closed on Tuesday and all after-school activity has been canceled as well. School will resume normal schedule on Wednesday, according to DODEA-Pacific officials. Peak winds on Okinawa were 44-mph sustained and 75-mph gusts at midnight. Some 4,000 homes across the prefecture lost power and more than 300 flights serving Naha International Airport were canceled. 5:40 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, Korea time: Korea is by no means immune to Super Typhoon Chaba's ferocity. U.S. Army Garrison Daegu/Area IV has set Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 2. TCCOR 2 by definition means: Destructive winds of 58 mph or greater are anticipated withn 24 hours. Southeastern coastal areas of Korea are closest to the line of fire. Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast calls for Chaba to pass 51 miles south-southeast of Pusan and 68 miles south-southeast of Chinhae Naval Base between 8 and 9 a.m. Wednesday. USAG Daegu's official Facebook page states that winds exceeding 58 mph are anticipated in Area IV between midnight Tuesday and 3 p.m. Wednesday, peaking at 46-mph sustained and 69-mph gusts. Between 3 to 5 inches of rain are forecast for eastern Korea. 5 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, Japan time: Fleet Activities Sasebo and its properties are in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 2. Destructive winds of 58 mph or greater anticipated within 24 hours. If Super Typhoon Chaba remains on its current path, it's forecast to pass 81 miles northwest of Sasebo at 7 a.m. Wednesday, still packing a pretty good punch, 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts at center. Also, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni is in TCCOR Storm Watch. Chaba is forecast to pass 92 miles north-northwest of Iwakuni at 1 p.m. Wednesday, remaining a Category 1-equivalent typhoon, 75-mph sustained winds and 92-mph gusts at center. Iwakuni can expect 56-mph winds and 73-mph gusts by that time. 10:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: U.S. bases on Okinawa have been placed in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1-E. Destructive winds of 58 mph or greater are actually occurring. All outdoor activity is prohibited. 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: Talk about a super typhoon oddity. While Chaba has intensified drastically in the past day or so, the peak forecast winds for Okinawa have been dialed down just as dramatically. Here's the latest wind-forecast timeline from Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather Flight. U.S. bases on island remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1-C; expect upgraded to 1-E within a couple of hours. -- 40-mph sustained winds or greater: Occurring now. -- 58-mph sustained winds or greater: 9 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 81-mph sustained winds, 104-mph gusts at center: 9 p.m. Monday. -- Winds diminishing below 58-mph sustained: 3 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds diminishing below 40-mph sustained: 8 a.m. Monday. 5:45 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: Chaba has morphed into the third super typhoon of the northwest Pacific tropical cyclone season, packing 201-mph wind gusts at its center as it tracks just west of Okinawa, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 3 p.m., Chaba was 115 miles south-southwest of Kadena Air Base, traveling north-northwest at 14 mph, packing 167-mph sustained winds and 201-mph gusts at center -- a Category 5-equivalent typhoon. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1-C. And it's not done intensifying, JTWC stated in its latest dispatch. It's forecast to peak at 173-mph sustained winds and 207-mph gusts over the next several hours. Chaba joins Nepartak and Meranti as tropical cyclones classified as super typhoons by JTWC. If Chaba remains on its current course, it's forecast to pass 77 miles west of Kadena Air Base at 9 p.m. Monday. It's a fairly compact storm, with the most fierce winds and gusts confined to between 30 and 35 miles away from center. Chaba is forecast to remain a significant Category 2-equivalent typhoon as it curves through the Tsushima Strait 75 miles north-northwest of Sasebo Naval Base at 7 a.m. Wednesday, packing sustained 121-mph winds and 150-mph gusts at center. Fleet Activities Sasebo remains in TCCOR 3. Chaba remains on course to pass 61 miles south-southeast of Pusan and 76 miles southeast of Chinhae Naval Base between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Wednesday. Even as Chaba passes 75 miles north-northeast of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni at 1 p.m. Wednesday, it'll still be a Category 1-equivalent storm, 92-mph sustained winds and 115-mph gusts. 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: U.S. bases on Okinawa have been placed in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1-C (caution). 40-mph winds or greater are actually occurring at a particular base on island. 1:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: The latest wind-forecast timeline from Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather Flight shortens up yet again the duration of 58-mph sustained winds, from 12 to nine hours. But forecast peak winds associated with Typhoon Chaba still remain fierce. Here's the latest. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1: -- 40-mph sustained winds or greater: 2 p.m. Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds or greater: 6 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 138-mph sustained winds, 167-mph gusts: 10 p.m. Monday. -- Winds subsiding below 58-mph sustained: 3 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds subsiding below 40-mph sustained: 8 a.m. Tuesday. A reminder: When TCCOR 1-E ends and TCCOR 1-R has been issued, that's not the time to go outdoors. If anything it's more dangerous then, as work crews are out assessing damage, to include downed trees and powerlines and unstable structures. You go out, you'd only be in the way. Stay inside until the all-clear is announced. Get your safe on! 11:15 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: The good news, if there is such a thing: Typhoon Chaba's forecast track keeps edging west, away from Okinawa. And the Kanto Plain may be completely out of harm's way. The bad news, and there's plenty of it: Okinawa remains well within harm's way. Chaba is forecast once more to become the third super typhoon of the northwest Pacific season, forecast to peak at 190-mph gusts Monday evening, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Though Chaba is projected to track further north of Sasebo Naval Base than previously forecast, now it appears Korea's southeast coast might feel some of Chaba's fierceness at mid-morning Wednesday. At 9 a.m., Chaba was 180 miles south of Kadena Air Base, tracking northwest at 15 mph, packing Category 4-equivalent winds, 144-mph sustained and 173-mph gusts at center. If it remains on its current track, Chaba is forecast to pass 71 miles west of Kadena at 10 p.m. Monday, packing 155-mph sustained winds and 190-mph gusts at center. Further west of Okinawa, but still a monster. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1. Sasebo could yet be spared a bum rush by Chaba, forecast to track 64 miles north-northwest of Sasebo at 6 a.m. Wednesday, still packing a good wallop, 75-mph sustained winds and 92-mph gusts at center. Fleet Activities Sasebo remains in TCCOR 3. But as Chaba tracks through the Tsushima Strait, it could vent some of its rage on Korea's southeast coast. Chaba is forecast to pass 59 miles south of Pusan and 79 miles south-southeast of Chinhae Naval Base between 9 and 11 a.m. Wednesday. From there, Chaba is forecast to bull through the Sea of Japan near Honshu's northern coast, passing 91 miles north-northwest of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni at 1 p.m. Wednesday as a severe tropical storm. 9:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: Fleet Activities Sasebo has entered Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. Destructive winds of 58 mph or greater are possible at Sasebo Naval Base and related properties within 48 hours. 8:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: Only the duration of destructive winds has shortened, according to the latest wind-forecast timeline from Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather Flight. But peak winds remain the same: 144-mph sustained, 173-mph gusts at 10 p.m. Monday. U.S. bases remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1. Expect an upgrade about mid-day Monday. -- 40-mph sustained winds or greater: Noon Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds or greater: 3 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 144-mph sustained winds, 173-mph gusts: 10 p.m. Monday. -- Winds subsiding below 58-mph sustained: 3 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds subsiding below 40-mph sustained: 8 a.m. Monday. Between 5 and 7 inches of rain forecast. 5:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: Slightly better news for Okinawa and Sasebo Naval Base: Typhoon Chaba's forecast track has edged a bit furtther away from each locale. At 3 a.m., Chaba was 258 miles south of Kadena Air Base, chugging northwest at 16 mph, still a pretty good clip. It remains a Category 3-equivalent typhoon, 132-mph sustained winds and 161-mph gusts at center. Joint Typhoon Warning Center's latest forecast track shifts Chaba further west of the island -- 62 miles west at 10 p.m. Monday. It'll still be a vicious beast, a Category 4-equivalent monster, packing 144-mph sustained winds and 173-mph gusts at center. But ... note the word "center." And those wind values are for over open water. It might, just might, mean slightly less heavy wind for Okinawa. New wind-forecast timeline will be posted here when available from Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather Flight. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1. Sasebo could catch something of a break, too, should Chaba's forecast track keep edging away. For the moment, Chaba is projected to pass 45 miles northwest of Sasebo, still as a Category 1-equivalent typhoon, 81-mph sustained winds and 98-mph gusts at center. Fleet Activities Sasebo is expected to issue TCCOR Storm Watch at mid-morning Monday. Chaba is then forecast to skim the north coast of Japan's main island of Honshu, passing 58 miles north-northwest of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni as a severe tropical storm. 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3, Japan time: Typhoon Chaba continues heading Okinawa's way, with peak wind forecast adjusted slightly downward, but not much. Monday evening continues to look like a rough one. Forecast track has been adjusted slightly: 38 miles west of Kadena Air Base at 10 p.m. Monday. Here's the latest wind-forecast timeline from Kadena's 18th Wing Weather Flight. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1; expect an upgrade to TCCOR 1-C by 10 or 11 a.m. Monday: -- 40-mph sustained winds or greater: 10 a.m. Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds or greater: 2 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 138-mph sustained winds, 167-mph gusts: 10 p.m. Monday. -- Winds subsiding below 58-mph sustained: 5 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds subsiding below 40-mph sustained: 9 a.m. Tuesday. 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, Japan time: Here's the latest wind-forecast timeline from Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather Flight. U.S. bases remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1: -- 40-mph sustained winds or greater: 10 a.m. Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds or greater: 2 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 144-mph sustained winds, 173-mph gusts: 8 p.m. Monday. -- Winds subsiding below 58-mph sustained: 6 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds subsiding below 40-mph sustained: 10 a.m. Tuesday. Just shy of super-typhoon status, but unquestionably a beast. Stay indoors. You only get one chance. Get your safe on! 7:20 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, Japan time: U.S. bases in Okinawa have entered Tropical Cyclone Condition Readiness 1. Destructive winds of 58 mph or greater are anticipated within 12 hours. 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, Japan time: Perhaps Chaba might not become a super typhoon after all; latest Joint Typhoon Warning Center update shows intensity peaking at just below that threshold. But the forecast track has changed some, putting Sasebo Naval Base in the possible crosshairs of a direct or near-direct hit from Chaba, soon after Okinawa takes a projected pounding. At 3 p.m., Chaba was 427 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, headed northwest at 18 mph, still at a fairly good clip. But even with Chaba not forecast to reach super-typhoon strength, it will still be a fierce beast. If Chaba remains on its current path, it should pass 16 miles west of Kadena at midnight Monday, packing 144-mph sustained winds and 173-mph gusts at center. Chaba is projected to retain that sort of intensity even as it pushes north, then curves northeast with Sasebo in its sights. It's due to pass 14 miles south of Sasebo at 4 a.m. Wednesday, packing 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts at center. Chaba is then due to push north, skimming the northern coast of Japan's main island of Honshu, 27 miles north of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni at 11 a.m. Wednesday, still packing 98-mph sustained winds and 121-mph gusts. The good news for the Kanto Plain: Chaba may pass even further north of the Tokyo area than previously forecast. JTWC projects Chaba to pass 102 miles northwest of Yokota Air Base at 4 a.m. Thursday. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 2. Expect that to be upgraded sometime Sunday evening. Sasebo will enter TCCOR Storm Watch at 9 a.m. Monday, according to Fleet Activities Sasebo's official Facebook page. No TCCOR change has been directed at Iwakuni yet; keep an eye on MCAS Iwakuni's Facebook page for updates. 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, Japan time: The latest wind-forecast timeline for Okinawa portends very, very bad things. The fiercest wind gusts the island has seen since Super Typhoon Bart in late September 1999. Here's the timeline, courtesy of Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather Flight. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 2: -- 40-mph sustained winds and greater: 11 a.m. Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds and greater: 2 p.m. Monday. -- Maximum 150-mph sustained winds and 184-mph gusts for Kadena: 9 p.m. Monday. -- Maximum 155-mph sustained winds and 190-mph gusts for southern parts of Okinawa as Chaba comes ashore: 9 p.m. Monday. -- Winds subsiding below 58-mph sustained: 6 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds subsiding below 40-mph sustained: 10 a.m. Tuesday. For folks new and old to the island: This could also portend a very lengthy TCCOR 1-R (recovery) period, since such winds could cause a great deal of damage. Two words: STAY INSIDE! Do not venture outdoors just because the TCCOR 1-E emergency has ended. If anything, it may be more dangerous due to downed power lines and unstable structures. Two more words: BE SAFE. 1:15 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, Japan time: U.S. bases on Okinawa have been placed in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 2. Destructive winds of 58 mph or greater are anticipated within 24 hours. Noon Sunday, Oct. 2, Japan time: Whoo-boy. Look at Chaba now. In just six hours, it has intensified rapidly and could become the third super typhoon of the northwest Pacific's tropical cyclone season just as it reaches Okinawa. At 9 a.m., Chaba was 531 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, churning northwest at 18 mph, packing 121-mph sustained winds and 150-mph gusts at center. That's up from 75 and 92 just six hours earlier. And the Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast does not look promising. At all. Okinawa hasn't seen the likes of what is currently forecast since Super Typhoon Bart, almost exactly 17 years ago. If it remains on its current course, Chaba is due to pass 24 miles west of Kadena at the witching hour, midnight Monday -- packing forecast 155-mph sustained winds and 190-mph gusts at center. And the updated forecast track portends bad news for Sasebo Naval Base and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in southwestern Japan as well. JTWC projects Chaba to pass 25 miles southeast of Sasebo at 7 a.m. Wednesday, still packing 98-mph sustained winds and 121-mph gusts at center as it roars by. And just 12 miles north of Iwakuni seven hours later, still as a severe tropical storm. Slightly better news for the Kanto Plain. Chaba is forecast to track further north of U.S. bases in the Tokyo area, the closest being Yokota Air Base. Chaba is due to pass 64 miles north of Yokota at 3 a.m. Thursday as a middling tropical storm. While the center "eye" feature might not pass directly over Kadena, the fact that the east quadrants are forecast to do so, is just as bad, if not worse. A typhoon's east quadrants are the worst of the four, pulling vapor, humidity and warm air from the south. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. That should be upgraded Sunday afternoon. 8 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, Japan time: Okinawa can expect a wild, windy, heavily rainy beginning of the month as Typhoon Chaba makes its way toward the island, intensifying into a Category 3-equivalent storm all the way, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 3 a.m., Chaba was 634 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, heading northwest at 14 mph, holding steady at 75-mph sustained winds and 92-mph gusts at center. Chaba is forecast to peak at 121-mph sustained winds and 150-mph gusts just as it reaches closest point of approach to Kadena, 6 miles east at 2 a.m. Tuesday. Here is the latest wind-forecast timeline from Kadena’s 18th Wing Weather Flight. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3; that should be upgraded sometime Sunday afternoon: -- 40-mph sustained winds or greater: 1 p.m. Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds or greater: 6 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 104-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts for Kadena: 6 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 110-mph sustained winds and 150-mph gusts for southern edges of Okinawa: 4 p.m. Monday as it comes ashore. -- Winds subsiding below 58-mph sustained: 6 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds subsiding below 40-mph sustained: 10 a.m. Tuesday. Between 3 and 5 inches of rain forecast for Okinawa as well. Chaba should begin losing steam as it rounds the best and begins curving northeast toward Japan’s main islands. If it remains on present course, Chaba is sue to pass 45 miles south-southeast of Sasebo Naval Base at 9 a.m. Wednesday, remaining a Category 2-equivalent typhoon as it does; 28 miles south-southeast of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni about five hours later as a severe tropical storm. Chaba should then rapidly head east-northeast toward the Tokyo area, passing 56 miles north-northwest of Yokota Air Base at 3 a.m. Thursday as a middling tropical storm, before heading out over the northwest Pacific. Midnight Saturday, Oct. 1, Japan time: Whuh-oh ... Chaba has intensified rapidly the last few hours. Joint Typhoon Warning Center has upgraded Chaba to a Category 1-equivalent typhoon. And if it strengthens as forecast, it could batter Okinawa with Category 3-equivalent winds come late Monday. At 9 p.m., Chaba was 715 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, heading northwest at 14 mph, now packing 75-mph sustained winds and 92-mph gusts at center, a good 12- to 15-mph increase over six hours. If Chaba remains on its current path, it's forecast to make a near-direct hit on Kadena, 8 miles east at 11 p.m. Monday, packing 121-mph sustained winds and 150-mph gusts at center. Mean and nasty, right clear through. With 4 to 6 inches of rain forecast, to boot. And Chaba is forecast to retain typhoon strength and pass ever closer to Sasebo Naval Base, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and perhaps even remain a typhoon as it hurtles toward the Tokyo area by mid-week. Chaba is projected to pass 70 miles south-southeast of Sasebo at 4 a.m. Wednesday and 45 miles south-southeast of Iwakuni six hours later, still packing a serious wallop. And though the current track takes Chaba over land, Chaba could still be a Category 1-equivalent typhoon as it roars 38 miles north-northwest of Yokota Air Base at about midnight Wednesday. This thing's no joke, folks, especially for Okinawa. One more day to finish preparations for some nasty weather to begin the week. U.S. bases remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3; expect that to be upgraded to TCCOR 2 sometime Sunday. 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, Japan time: Here's the latest wind-forecast timeline for Okinawa from Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather Flight. U.S. bases remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. -- 40-mph sustained winds or greater: 9 a.m. Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds or greater: 2 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 92-mph sustained winds, 115-mph gusts for Kadena Air Base: 2 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 104-mph sustained winds, 127-mph gusts for northeastern parts of Okinawa: 2 p.m. Monday. -- Winds subsiding below 58-mph sustained: 6 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds subsiding below 40-mph sustained: 9 a.m. Tuesday. 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, Japan time: A visit to Okinawa on Monday evening by Tropical Storm Chaba remains in the cards. And Sasebo Naval Base and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni could be next, depending on Chaba's Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast track. At 3 p.m., Chaba was 796 miles southeast of Kadena Air Base, headed northwest at 14 mph, having strengthened slightly, 63-mph sustained winds and 81-mph gusts at center as it rumbles well east of the Philippines. Little change to Chaba's forecast arrival for Okinawa, 8 p.m. Monday, but 12 miles east, packing 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts at center. No telling at this point whether Chaba will have an eye feature when it reaches the island. U.S. bases remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. As for a possible visit to Sasebo and Iwakuni, that all depends on Chaba's forecast track. Model guidance is split, with some depicting passage north and others south of Japan's main islands, still others right over them. Currently, Chaba is forecast to pass 92 miles south-southeast of Sasebo at 1 a.m. Wednesday and 59 miles south-southeast of Iwakuni at 8 a.m., possibly still as a Category 1-equivalent typhoon or at the very least a severe tropical storm. PST maintains its vigil. 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, Japan time: As September gives way to October, Chaba remains a tropical storm and continues on a northwest track toward Okinawa. Model guidance has tightened and point with more confidence to a track toward the island or just east of it. But how strong will Chaba be as it makes its way into Okinawa’s neighborhood? Previous updates depicted a peak of 115-mph sustained winds; the latest Joint Typhoon Warning Center update reduces that to 104-mph sustained winds, and an earlier arrival to Okinawa. Still a Category 2-equivalent storm; thus, still very dangerous. And all that could still change. At 3 a.m., Chaba was 930 miles southeast of Kadena Air Base, headed northwest at 10 mph, holding steady at 58-mph sustained winds and 75-mph gusts at center as it churns well east of the Philippines. If Chaba remains on its current course, it’s projected to make a near-direct hit, 6 miles east of Kadena at 8 p.m. Monday, just as it peaks at 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts at center. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. Expect that to be upgraded sometime Sunday afternoon, but it could be sooner, depending on track speed and intensity. Here is the latest wind-forecast timeline from Kadena’s 18th Wing Weather Flight: Midnight Friday, Sept. 30, Japan time: Still looking at a blustery, rainy Monday and Tuesday as the Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast track for Tropical Storm Chaba continues to favor a rendezvous with Okinawa early in the week. At 9 p.m. Friday, Chaba was 988 miles southeast of Kadena Air Base, tracking west-northwest at 13 mph, a few mph faster than earlier Friday. Chaba's intensity has increased to 63-mph sustained winds and 81-mph gusts. JTWC projects Chaba to become a Category 1-equivalent typhoon by Saturday morning. If Chaba continues as forecast, it should pass 9 miles west of Kadena at 11 p.m. Monday, and should crest at 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts at center. A nasty Category 3-equivalent beast. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. Maximum forecast wind values for Okinawa have increased, according to Kadena's 18th Wing Weather Flight's official Web site, Shogunweather.com. Here's Shogunweather's forecast wind timeline. Bear in mind, this could change, as there does remain a spread in model solutions: -- 40-mph sustained winds and greater: Noon Monday. -- 58-mph sustained winds and greater: 6 p.m. Monday. -- Peak 115-mph sustained winds and 140-mph gusts: 9 p.m. Monday. -- Winds diminising below 58-mph sustained: 3 a.m. Tuesday. -- Winds diminishing below 40-mph sustained: 10 a.m. Tuesday. Between 2 and 4 inches of rain are also forecast. Noon Friday, Sept. 30, Japan time: U.S. bases on Okinawa have entered Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. Destructive winds of 58 mph or greater are possible within 48 hours. Tropical Storm Chaba continues to intensify, while its latest forecast track has edged slightly west of Okinawa and later than earlier projections, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Although the storm's center might not pass directly over Okinawa, that it might head west of the island is bad news. It would mean the island would get hit with Chaba's east quadrants, which are the strongest, since they pull more moisture and heavier winds from south of the island. Climate is warmer to the south, cooler to the north. That's nature. At 9 a.m., Chaba was 1,117 miles southeast of Kadena Air Base, tracking west-southwest at 12 mph, and intensity has increased to 58-mph sustained winds and 75-mph gusts at center. Should it remain on its current path, Chaba is due to rumble 25 miles west of Kadena at 3 a.m. Tuesday, packing 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts at center, Category 3-equivalent nastiness. Model guidance continues to remain apart, some models calling for a track further west of Okinawa, others an easterly track. Chaba is only two days old and much uncertainty remains. Stay tuned. And start getting prepared! No time like now to stock up, if you need to, on non-perishable food and water, food for your furry friends, diapers and sanitary wipes for the babies, flashlight, radio and batteries. Start breaking down the outdoor furniture and trampoline. Get ready to store those, along with the barbeque and bicycles. 6 a.m. Friday, Sept. 30, Japan time: Tropical Storm Chaba has strengthened a bit as it continues its trek west away from the Marianas and is poised to start curving northwest on a track that apparently puts Okinawa dead in its sights, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 3 a.m., Chaba was 1,145 miles southeast of Kadena Air Base, tracking west-southwest at 14 mph. Winds at Chaba’s center have increased slightly, to 52-mph sustained and 63-mph gusts. If Chaba remains on its current course, it’s forecast to make a near-direct hit on Kadena, the center 8 miles east, at 7 p.m. Monday, packing 121-mph sustained winds and 150-mph gusts at center. That's equal to a Category 3 hurricane in the States. Model guidance remains split, though most solutions point to a track toward or near Okinawa, some just west of the island, some a tad east. Either way, the island should clearly feel the effects early in the week. U.S. bases on Okinawa remain in seasonal Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4 for now. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, Japan time: Chaba has been upgraded to a tropical storm. It's continuing to move west away from the Marianas, and remains on track for a near-direct hit on Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, come Monday evening, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 3 p.m., Chaba was 228 miles west-northwest of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, headed west at 16 mph, with sustained 46-mph winds and 58-mph gusts at center. If Chaba remains on its current course, it's due to pass almost directly over Kadena at 6 p.m. Monday, at its forecast wind peak of 110-mph sustained winds and 132-mph gusts at center. Model guidance has come into slightly better agreement on a curve northeast toward Japan's main islands next week. But not much better; a vast spread yet remains. The biggest questions center around the curve's timing and Chaba's forecast intensity. PST remains on it. Noon Thursday, Sept. 29, Japan time: Which way will it go? That remains the question in the long term regarding Chaba, which remains a tropical depression as it tracks away from Guam. Chaba was still holding steady at 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts at center, 157 miles west-northwest of Andersen Air Force Base as of 9 a.m. One thing on which model guidance agrees: Chaba will eventually turn north and northeast toward Japan's main islands. But exactly where and how soon that curve takes place? Or will it curve at all? That's hard to say. And it gives a picture of just how unpredictable tropical cyclones -- or any form of weather -- can be. Models are suggesting anywhere between a straight run toward Taiwan (again!), to finally giving Okinawa its long-awaited "big one" that the island has avoided all season, to sharply curving northeast, even bypassing Japan's main islands. The only thing certain ... remains uncertainty. For the moment, Joint Typhoon Warning Center projects a path that would take Chaba 16 miles west of Kadena Air Base at 7 p.m. Monday, packing 98-mph sustained winds and 121-mph gusts at center -- equal to a Category 2 hurricane in the States. But all that could change. Very good chance of it changing, and repeatedly, as Chaba enters its second day as a tropical cyclone. Stay tuned. 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, Japan time: The flood watch for the Marianas islands has been canceled, according to the National Weather Service on Guam. 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, Japan time: Tropical storm watch has been canceled for the Marianas Islands but a flash flood watch remains in effect. Chaba remains a tropical depression for the moment, but is expected to begin intensifying as it moves west and away from the Marianas islands, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At 3 a.m., Chaba was 77 miles northwest of Andersen Air Force Base, moving west at 13 mph, still holding steady at 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts. It’s forecast to be come a tropical storm by afternoon, and remains on course to pass 21 miles west of Kadena Air Base at 4 p.m. Monday, packing 98-mph sustained winds and 121-mph gusts at center. There remains a spread among model solutions, most agreeing on a curve northeast toward Japan’s main islands, but a question of timing and location remains. The extended outlook from Shogunweather.com, Kadena’s 18th Wing Weather Flight Web site, calls for gusts up to 85 mph on Monday with a 50-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. 12:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, Guam time: Chaba’s forecast peak intensity has bumped up slightly; it’s expected to cap at 110-mph sustained winds and 132-mph gusts at center as it approaches Okinawa, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. But will it? That remains the $64,000 question. The latest JTWC update also states that the spread among model solutions – where Chaba will actually go – has also increased to a cool 75- miles. Fairly vast. Stretching from Taiwan to Japan’s main islands. And it’s still early in the life of a storm, less than a day old. Thus, the only thing certain … is uncertainty. At 10 p.m., Chaba was 37 miles north-northeast of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, tracking west at 21 mph, still packing 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts at center. Wind and sideways rain continue to pelt the Marianas islands, and it’s expected to continue through later Thursday morning, perhaps afternoon as well. If it remains on its forecast track – a big if, at this point – Chaba should pass 22 miles west of Kadena Air Base at about 2 p.m. Monday, packing sustained 104-mph winds and 127-mph gusts at center as it roars past. All of this can change, pending Chaba’s intensity and track. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: Next up on Tropical Depression Chaba's itinerary: Okinawa, if the latest Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast track offers up an indication. If it remains on its current course, Chaba should be 63 miles south of Kadena Air Base at mid-afternoon Monday as a Category 2-equivalent typhoon, packing 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts at center. Model guidance has come into slightly better agreement on a curve northeast toward Japan's main islands. But there remains a vast spread, of 575 miles at this point, regarding the timing of such a curve and how close Chaba might actually come to Okinawa. That remains to be seen. For the moment, Guam remains Chaba's first target. Tropical storm watch, flood watch, small-craft and high-surf advisories remain in effect. Gonna be a gusty, sideways-rainy Wednesday evening on Guam. 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: Tropical Depression Chaba continues bearing down on Rota, just north of Guam, with a near-direct hit on the tiny island forecast for 2 a.m. Thursday, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. A tropical storm watch remains in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan, according to the National Weather Service on Guam. A flood watch is in effect for Guam and Rota. A high-surf and small-craft advisory remains in effect as well. Winds of 35-mph sustained and 46-mph gusts are forecast through Wednesday into Thursday. On Guam, a heavy thunderstorm with frequently dangerous lightning is occuring until 7 p.m. between Hagatna Bay down to Agat and Orote Point, near Naval Base Guam. 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: Perhaps it might finally happen. After a whole season without a visit by a significant tropical cyclone, Okinawa might finally get a long-awaited typhoon, by early next week if Chaba remains on its initial forecast track. At 10 a.m., Chaba, Thai for tropical flower, was 223 miles east of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, headed west at 16 mph, with 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts at center. A small-craft advisory is in place for Saipan and Tinian and a high-surf advisory for the main Marianas Islands, including Guam, until 6 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service on Guam. The Marianas are also under a Tropical Storm Watch. There's a vast spread among dynamic model guidance. Some models have Chaba turning northeast toward Japan, while others show a straight run into Taiwan.< Joint Typhoon Warning Center's initial forecast track takes Chaba northwest. By 9 a.m. Monday, Chaba is projected to be about 200 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, packing 75-mph sustained winds and 92-mph gusts at center. Shogunweather.com, Kadena's 18th Wing Weather Flight official Web site, depicts winds picking up by Sunday, 21-mph sustained and 31-mph gusts, with between a 40- and 50-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Note that this is an initial track. It's very, very early in the life of a tropical cyclone. Much can change over the course of a storm's first day or two. 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: Tropical Depression Chaba has formed east of Guam. Initial model guidance and the first Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast track indicates a path toward Okinawa once it exits the Marianas. This post will be updated. 7 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Guam time: A tropical cyclone formation alert has been issued on a disturbance 322 miles east-southeast of Guam. The disturbance is forecast to pass through the Marianas Wednesday into Wednesday evening, bringing showers and winds between 30 and 35 mph into Wednesday evening. PST is keeping an eye on this developing system.[SEP]Powerful Typhoon Chaba approached Okinawa Prefecture on Monday, causing airlines to cancel more than 200 flights, including those at Naha Airport. The Meteorological Agency issued a warning for storm conditions and high waves as Typhoon No. 18 was moving north-northwest near Okinawa Island, packing winds of up to 306 kph as of 6:50 p.m. The typhoon, with an atmospheric pressure of 905 hectopascals at its center, was expected to near northern Kyushu from Tuesday night through Wednesday, according to the Meteorological Agency. As of 6:50 p.m. Monday, the typhoon was located 100 km south of Kume Island, west of Okinawa Island, the agency said. The canceled flights included those operated by All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines. The local governments of Naha, Urasoe and Kumejima advised residents to evacuate, and the prefectural government shut offices other than those involved in disaster-related duties. Some public and private offices stopped work and schools called off classes.[SEP]Typhoon Chaba is on course to make landfall in Hokuriku or Tohoku overnight on Wednesday, the weather agency has said. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of stormy conditions across much of eastern and western Japan, citing a risk of flooding along rivers and landslides in upland areas. It said residents should brace for heavy rain at a rate of up to 50 mm per hour. Chaba will be the seventh typhoon to strike Japan this year and the 18th in the region. It is gradually weakening. Airlines canceled more than 140 flights. All Nippon Airways canceled 73 flights and Japan Airlines 33, affecting around 8,100 passengers in total. Fliers with tickets for Japan Air Commuter Co. and Skymark Airlines flights were also facing cancellations. As of 1 p.m. the typhoon was centered in the Sea of Japan approximately 160 km north of Tsushima in Nagasaki Prefecture, moving northeast at a speed of 50 kph. It was packing winds of up to 180 kph, with an atmospheric pressure of 970 hectopascals at its center.[SEP]TOKYO: Authorities issued storm and heavy rain warnings on Wednesday as powerful typhoon Chaba barreled toward Japan, after it hit a South Korean resort island causing flight cancellations and flooding streets. The violent storm was moving north-northeast off the Tsushima islets chain near Japan’s southern Kyushu, packing gusts of up to 180 kilometers (110 miles) per hour, Japan’s weather agency said. It is set to hit the island of Honshu Wednesday evening before moving out into the Pacific on Thursday, the agency reported. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued warnings for gusts, heavy rains, high ocean waves and floods, covering a large swathe of western Japan. The typhoon hit the South Korean resort island of Jeju early Wednesday, bringing heavy rains that flooded streets, forced flight cancellations and disrupted power to thousands of homes. More than 25,000 houses on the island had their power supply disrupted, the Yonhap news agency reported, while Busan city announced the closure of 900 schools. Dramatic footage aired by the YTN news channel showed six crew members from a docked ferry being swept off a pier and into the sea by a giant wave in the southern port of Yeosu. All six were later rescued.[SEP]TOKYO: Authorities issued storm and heavy rain warnings on Wednesday as powerful typhoon Chaba barrelled toward Japan, after it hit a South Korean resort island causing flight cancellations and flooding streets. The violent storm was moving north-northeast off the Tsushima islets chain near Japan’s southern Kyushu, packing gusts of up to 180 kilometres (110 miles) per hour, Japan’s weather agency said. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued warnings for gusts, heavy rains, high ocean waves and floods, covering a large swathe of western Japan. The storm is set to hit Japan’s main island of Honshu Wednesday evening before moving out into the Pacific on Thursday, the agency reported. The typhoon hit the South Korean resort island of Jeju early Wednesday, bringing heavy rains that flooded streets, forced flight cancellations and disrupted power to thousands of homes. South Korea’s weather agency had issued typhoon alerts for Jeju as well as the mainland port of Busan — the country’s second-largest city. Dozens of flights in and out of Jeju — a popular destination for Chinese tourists — were cancelled as Chaba barrelled over the island packing gusts of up to 200 kilometres an hour. More than 25,000 houses on the island had their power supply disrupted, the Yonhap news agency reported, while Busan city announced the closure of 900 schools. Dramatic footage aired by the YTN news channel showed six crew members from a docked ferry being swept off a pier and into the sea by a giant wave in the southern port of Yeosu. All six were later rescued.-AFP[SEP]Typhoon Igme (international name: Chaba) is now outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) but has since gained strength. The typhoon registered maximum sustained winds of up to 195 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 240 kph. It is moving north northwest towards Japan at 20 kph, according to the 5:00 pm weather bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Light to moderate rains will prevail over SOCCSKSARGEN, Caraga and Davao regions in Mindanao due to the inter-tropical convergence zone. Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of the country will experience isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Typhoon Chaba, now a super typhoon with winds of 145 knots (165 mph), heads for Japan's southern islands with storm warnings of torrential rain followed by mudslides and flooding.