Under new Trump strategy, orders for new troop level in Afghanistan signed

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said on Thursday that he has signed orders for deployment of new troops in Afghanistan as part of a new South Asia strategy announced recently by US President Donald Trump.

In an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Mattis, however, refused to give any details of the new troop levels in terms of their numbers, deployment and where they are coming from.

"Yes. I've signed orders but it's not completed. In other words, I've signed some of the troops that will go and we're identifying the specific ones," Mattis said.

Mattis' announcement came a day after the Pentagon disclosed that there are about 11,000 US troops in Afghanistan as against 8,600 announced earlier.

Unveiling his South Asia strategy ten days ago to win the war on terrorism, Trump said he will prolong the US military intervention in Afghanistan, which he had once described as a "complete waste".

Trump acknowledged that his "instincts" told him to pull out troops from Afghanistan.

"Historically, I like following my instincts," Trump said. "A hasty withdrawal," Trump said, would create a "vacuum" for terrorists.

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Blue Whale Challenge: 19-year-old student commits suicide in Tamil Nadu

The Blue Whale Challenge has claimed its first victim in Tamil Nadu in a 19-year-old college student, who hanged himself at his house, police said today.

Vigesh in a suicide note said "the game was a devastating one... Once you enter it, you would not be able to come out", they said.

In another incident in the southern part of the state, a school student in Tirunelveli hurt himself reportedly after playing the social media "game" which has reportedly been linked to teenage deaths in several countries.

Vignesh reportedly hanged himself at his house yesterday when his parents were at work.

His devastated father Jayamani, who works at a bakery, said he was not aware that his son was "so serious" about the online game.

"I thought it was like boys playing on the street. But my son died due to the cruel game," he said.

He appealed to the youngsters "not to be maniacal about video games".

Jayamani also wanted the creator of the Blue Whale challenge to be identified and booked on murder charges.
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Mumbai building collapse: Death toll rises to 33, many trapped under debris

At least 33 people were killed and another 14 injured on Friday when a 117-year-old, five-storey residential building collapsed in Bhendi Bazar area of south Mumbai.

The victims include 23 men and 9 women. Many are feared to be trapped inside the debris. Rescue operations are underway at the accident site.

Ten fire engines and quick response team, two rescue vans, one house collapse van, ambulances, about 70 fire personnel, one National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team, two pock lane, six JCB and 16 dumpers are working for rescue operations.

The three-storeyed Husaini building was collapsed on Thursday in Mumbai's Bhendi Bazaar area, where the death toll in Mumbai's Bhendi Bazaar building collapse rose to 22.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakh for the kin of those who died in Bhendi Bazaar building collapse.

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ISIS leader al-Baghdadi probably still alive, says top US army commander

Islamic State (IS) group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi appears to be still alive, a top US military commander has said, contradicting Russia's claims that it probably killed the top counter-terror target months ago.

"Do I believe he's alive? Yes," said Army Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, who commands the coalition forces fighting IS in Iraq and Syria, referring to al-Baghdadi.

At first, Townsend said his belief stemmed from a lack of evidence he had seen "rumour or otherwise" that al-Baghdadi was dead. But, he then added: "There are also some indicators in intelligence channels that he's alive." Townsend did not elaborate on the intelligence.

Russian officials said in June there was a "high probability" that al-Baghdadi died in a Russian airstrike on the outskirts of Raqqa, Syria, a month earlier.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon from his headquarters in Baghdad yesterday, Townsend said the US and coalition forces are actively searching for al-Baghdadi. If they find him, they probably will kill him rather than capture him, he said.
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6.2-magnitude quake hits western Indonesia, no tsunami alert issued

A strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of western Indonesia today, US seismologists said, but no tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The quake hit the Mentawai islands in West Sumatra province about 75 kilometres southwest of the provincial capital Padang at 1706 GMT, at a depth of 49 kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey.

The disaster agency said officials were checking for damage and casualties.

John Nedy, a resident of Padang, said people fled their homes when the quake struck, and most were reluctant to return for the time being.

"The earth quake was very strong. Some people say it's safe now to go back to our homes, but most people are still afraid," Nedy told AFP.

Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide.

An earthquake struck the country's western Aceh province in December 2016, killing more than 100 people, injuring many more and leaving tens of thousands homeless.
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YouTube gets new design, brings more features to app

YouTube, the online video streaming portal, has updated its mobile app for intuitive user experience. The YouTube app update applies Google’s Material design that brings host of new features and redefined the existing ones of the app.

Here are the key new features added to the app:

Design: The navigation tabs are moved to the bottom and now features two new tabs – Library and Account. The header is coloured in white so that the content can take the lead.

Gestures: The app supports double tap gestures on the left or right side, which fast forward or rewind 10 seconds of a video. In the coming months, accoridng to the YouTube official blogpost,  the app will get more gesture support that will allow users to jump between videos with a swipe of your hand -- swipe left to watch a previous video or swipe right to watch the next one.

Speed control: The app now supports playback speed control. You can either slowdown or fast-forward the videos at whatever speed you prefer.
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Google launches ARCore to bring augmented reality closer to Android users

In a bid to bring the augmented reality (AR) experience closer to Android users, Google has released a new software development kit (SDK) called ARCore.

The platform, which is now available for developers to experiment with, will render augmented reality capabilities to existing and future Android phones, Google said in a statement late on Tuesday.

The company built on the fundamental technologies used in Tango, another AR platform by Google, but ARCore is scalable across the Android ecosystem as it doesn't require any additional hardware.

The new AR platform has been rolled out to Google Pixel and Samsung S8 which run on Android 7.0 Nougat and above.

Google is working with manufacturers like Samsung, Huawei, LG, ASUS and other major smartphone makers for quality and performance checks.

ARCore, which works with 'Java/OpenGL', 'Unity' and 'Unreal' technologies mainly focuses on three features -- motion tracking, environmental understanding and light estimation.

The tech giant has also built 'Blocks' and 'Tilt Brush' applications for creation of 3D content for use in AR apps.

Last month, Apple had unveiled its ARKit platform focussing on augmented reality applications at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, to allow developers to build apps that could place virtual content on top of real-world scenes.
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Facebook starts rolling out shows for 'Watch' to take on YouTube

Facebook has started to roll out funded shows on "Watch" -- a redesigned video platform for creators and publishers.

According to a report in Digiday late on Tuesday, Business Insider's lifestyle brand Insider is debuting two new shows -- "The Great Cheese Hunt" and "It's Cool, But Does It Really Work?".

News and issues publisher Attn will premiere "We Need to Talk" on Thursday and "Health Hacks" starring Jessica Alba on Friday.

Meanwhile, food video giant Tastemade is debuting four shows, including "Safe Deposit", "Struggle Meals", "Food to Die For" and "Kitchen Little", over the next week.

In an apparent bid to take on Google-owned YouTube, Facebook rolled out "Watch" earlier this month.

The social media giant last year launched "Video" tab in the US which offered a predictable place to find videos on Facebook.

"Now we want to make it even easier to catch up with shows you love. We're introducing 'Watch', a new platform for shows on Facebook. 'Watch' will be available on mobile, on desktop and laptop and in our TV apps," Daniel Danker, Director of Product at Facebook, had said.
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Here's why US could consider shooting down N-Korea's future test launches

North Korea's firing of a ballistic missile over Japan could increase pressure on Washington to consider shooting down future test launches, although there is no guarantee of success and U.S. officials are wary of a dangerous escalation with Pyongyang.

More attention is likely to focus on the prospects for intercepting a missile in flight after North Korea on Tuesday conducted one of its boldest missile tests in years, one government official said.

Such a decision would not be taken lightly given tensions over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

And while President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed that "all options are on the table", there has been no sign of any quick policy shift in Washington toward direct U.S. military action.

But Pyongyang's launch of an intermediate-range Hwasong-12 missile over Japan's northern Hokkaido island underscored how Trump's tough rhetoric, pursuit of sanctions and occasional shows of military force around the Korean peninsula have done little to deter North Korea's leader.

"Kim Jong Un has chosen to thumb his nose at the Americans and Japanese by conducting this test," said David Shear, former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for East Asia.
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North Korea fires ballistic missile over Japan, sharply escalating tensions

North Korea fired a missile that flew over Japan and landed in waters off the northern region of Hokkaido early on Tuesday, South Korean and Japanese officials said, marking a sharp escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula.

The test, which experts said appeared to have been a recently developed intermediate-range Hwasong-12 missile, came as U.S. and South Korean forces conduct annual military drills on the peninsula, against which North Korea strenuously objects.

Earlier this month, North Korea threatened to fire missiles into the sea near the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Pyongyang would face “fire and fury” if it threatened the United States.

North Korea has conducted dozens of ballistic missile tests under young leader Kim Jong-Un, the most recent on Saturday, but firing projectiles over mainland Japan is rare.

“North Korea’s reckless action is an unprecedented, serious and a grave threat to our nation,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters.
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Global stocks tumble, yen gains after North Korea fires missile over Japan

US stock futures and Asian share markets tumbled on Tuesday, while the yen jumped to four-month highs against the dollar after North Korea fired a missile over northern Japan, setting up a tense start to trading for markets in the region.

S&P mini futures fell as much as 0.85 percent on the news before paring losses to trade 0.5 percent below its close on Monday, when it was little changed.

Japan's Nikkei fell 0.7 percent to four-month low while South Korea's Kospi shed 0.5 percent, helping to drag down MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan 0.3 percent.

North Korea fired a missile early on Tuesday that flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific waters off the northern region of Hokkaido, South Korea and Japan said, in a sharp escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula.

North Korea has conducted dozens of ballistic missile tests under young leader Kim Jong-Un, the most recent on Saturday, but firing projectiles over mainland Japan is rare.

"North Korea's reckless action is an unprecedented, serious and a grave threat to our nation," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters.

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With 12 mn views, Season 7 finale most watched Game of Thrones episode ever

When it comes to breaking records, there is no one better than 'Game of Thrones' and just like every season, season seven has also broken all the viewership records.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the super-sized finale episode (The Dragon and the Wolf) of the blockbuster series broke HBO's ratings records and stands as the show's most-watched episode ever.

A total of 12.1 million viewers tuned in for the 9 pm ET airing which is 13 per cent higher than the previous record high two weeks earlier (10.7 million viewers) and 36 percent higher than the season 6 finale (8.9 million viewers).

If HBO's replays and streaming are added, that number climbs to 16.5 million. It was also up 19 per cent from this year's debut, which clocked in at 10.1 million viewers.

When all forms of catch-up viewing are counted, the penultimate season's episodes are averaging under 31 million viewers, up nearly 8 million from the same point in time last season.

At this point, an estimated 90 per cent of US HBO subscribers watch 'Game of Thrones'.

With season 7 now complete, the showrunners plan to start production on an eighth and final season in October.

The season can debut in the latter half of 2018 or, more likely, early 2019.
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Mark Zuckerberg, Priscilla Chan welcome baby girl August in Facebook post

Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife welcomed their second daughter -- August -- to the world today with a post on the leading social network.

As they did with after the birth of their first daughter, Maxima, in late 2015, the couple wrote the girl a letter, but this one spoke of reveling in the wonder of childhood instead of visions of a better world on the horizon.

"You only get to be a child once, so don't spend it worrying too much about the future," said the letter signed by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan.

"You've got us for that, and we'll do everything we possibly can to make sure the world is a better place for you and all children in your generation."

A Zuckerberg Chan Initiative established by the couple has pledged billions of dollars to improving life for their children's generation with goals such as eliminating disease.

The Facebook co-founder is among billionaires who have vowed to donate most of their wealth to
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Mexico says Trump's unsurprising Nafta threats a negotiating tactic

US President Donald Trump's threat to scrap the Nafta trade pact is little more than a negotiating tactic, aimed at his political base, that should neither scare nor surprise Mexico, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday as the peso weakened.

In a speech in Phoenix on Tuesday night, Trump reiterated his threats to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying the pact's future looked bleak. Trump has long called the 1994 pact a bad deal that hurt American workers, saying it should be re-negotiated or ended.

Initial talks to re-negotiate Nafta between Mexico, the United States and Canada ended in Washington this weekend with no sign of a breakthrough and further discussions are due in Mexico City in September.

Following Trump's remarks on Tuesday, Mexico's peso weakened more than 1 per cent in early trading on Wednesday before paring losses, as market jitters on the future of Mexican exports to the United States continue to plague the currency.

Videgaray, speaking on local television, sought to brush off the threat, saying Trump's comments were simply a negotiating tactic and Mexico would keep negotiating as well. The comments were not a surprise, nor would they scare Mexico, he added.
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Don't seek material or money, treat us with respect: Pak Army chief to US

Pakistan is not seeking material or financial help from the US, but Washington must trust and treat it with respect, Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday told the US envoy in Islamabad, a day after President Trump asked Islamabad to stop providing safe havens to terrorists.

While announcing America's new Afghanistan and South Asia policy — which calls for greater US troop deployment and Indian involvement in Afghanistan — Trump had hit out at Pakistan for offering sanctuaries to "agents of chaos."

The US Ambassador David Hale met General Bajwa at the Army's Headquarters in Rawalpindi, where the latter was briefed on the US's new South Asia policy announced by President Trump, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) — the Pakistani military's media wing.

"We can no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organisations," the US president had said.
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MP wants women-only carriages on UK trains to combat sexual offences

The concept of Indian-style women-only carriages on UK trains should be adopted to combat sexual offences against women which have nearly doubled recently, a British MP has said.

Labour MP for Derby North Chris Williamson believes it is "worth consulting" on the policy after such crimes nearly doubled in the past five years.

The concept, which is in force on trains in India, Japan, Brazil and Mexico, had been first raised for the UK to emulate by Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn in 2015 but had been shot down as a move that would promote "segregation".

"It [women-only carriages] would be worth consulting about. It was pooh-poohed (when Corbyn suggested it), but these statistics seem to indicate there is some merit in examining that," said Williamson, who serves as the shadow fire minister in the Oppositon.

"Complemented with having more guards on trains, it would be a way of combating these attacks, which have seen a very worrying increase in the past few years. I'm not saying it has to happen, but it may create a safe space. It would be a matter of personal choice whether someone wanted to make use of it," he said.
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ECB monetary policy could temporarily ease inequality in Europe

The European Central Bank's ultra-easy monetary policy may actually reduce income inequality in Europe, ECB Vice President Vitor Constancio said on Tuesday, rejecting the argument that asset buys disproportionately benefit the wealthy.

Constancio said the ECB's stimulus measures lower unemployment and thus increase disposable income for Europe's poorest, compressing inequality, at least in the short term.

"This result confirms that, from the distributional perspective, the main impact of expansionary monetary policies is on the reduction of unemployment with positive effects on the reduction of inequality," Constancio said in Lisbon.

"(Monetary policy) measures can improve their welfare and contribute toward reducing income disparities, at least in the short-term."

But he added that such steps are likely to be temporary with the "hollowing out of the middle class" and the increasing polarisation of incomes likely continuing over the longer term.
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HC halts 2nd Vodafone arbitration in Rs 11,000-cr tax demand against India

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday restrained Vodafone Group's arbitration proceeding against India, under a treaty with the United Kingdom, in connection with a Rs 11,000 crore tax demand raised against the company in relation to its $11 billion deal acquiring stake of Hutchinson Telecom.

Justice Manmohan restrained Vodafone or its subsidiaries from going ahead with arbitration under the India-UK Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement (BIPA) as the telecom major had initiated similar proceedings on the same issue under the the India-Netherlands BIPA.

"This court is of the prima facie view that in the present case, there is duplication of the parties and the issues. In fact, the reliefs sought by the defendants under the India-UK BIPA and by the Vodafone International Holdings BV (VIHBV), the subsidiary of defendants (Vodafone group), under the India-Netherlands BIPA are virtually identical.

"This court is further of the prima facie view that there is a risk of parallel proceedings and inconsistent decisions by two separate arbitral tribunals in the present case. In the prima facie opinion of this Court, it would be inequitable, unfair and unjust to permit the defendants to prosecute the foreign arbitration," the court said in an interim order.

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Maldives Army occupies Parliament to block no-trust vote

The Maldives military locked down the nations Parliament on Tuesday in what opposition lawmakers said was an attempt to block a motion to impeach the Speaker of the House.

Imthiyaz Fahmy, of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), tweeted a video of what he said were security forces in plain clothes blocking representatives from entering the chamber, the Guardian reported.

Another lawmaker from the MDP, Eva Abdulla, said MPs were eventually allowed in but said that Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed was also surrounded by soldiers.

A close ally of President Abdulla Yameen, Mohamed opened the session and then immediately closed it before MPs were able to vote on the no-confidence motion, she said.

"The session was over in five minutes," she said by phone. Lawmakers said they raised the motion against the Speaker after he repeatedly refused parliamentary requests to scrutinise the government.
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In the name of Lebanon, we begin offensive against IS: Lebanese army

The Lebanese army announced today the start of an offensive against the Islamic State (IS) group close to the Syrian border in the east of the country, where jihadists have been operating for several years.

"In the name of Lebanon, in the name of kidnapped Lebanese soldiers, in the name of martyrs of the army, I announce that (this) operation.... Has started," said army chief General Joseph Aoun.
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Can the police prevent another Charlottesville incident?

Even before the demonstration in Virginia began last weekend, the police there knew they weren't going to be able to handle what was coming.

Charlottesville police officers, including Sgt Jake Via of the investigations bureau, had been contacting organisers and scanning social media to figure out how many demonstrators were headed their way and whether they would be armed.

"The number each group was saying was just building and building," Via said. "We saw it coming. ... Looking at this, I said, ‘This is going to be bad.'"

The protesters' numbers were too large and the downtown park too small. City officials tried to get the demonstration moved to another, more spacious location, but lost in court after the rally's organiser, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, alleged his freedom of speech was being infringed.
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Rupert Murdoch son's rebuke of Donald Trump may signal a shift

At 5:55 p.m. on Thursday, James Murdoch sent an email to a list of blind-copied recipients offering a striking repudiation of President Trump and a pledge to donate $1 million to the Anti-Defamation League. He addressed the note to “friends,” stating in the first line that he was writing it in a “personal capacity, as a concerned citizen and a father.”

Yet for the son of the conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who speaks regularly with Mr. Trump, it’s impossible to separate the personal, the political and the corporate.

James Murdoch’s message, which he wrote himself, was sent to a number of business associates from his company email address at 21st Century Fox, the global media conglomerate where he reigns as chief executive. And within two hours, it had been leaked to the news media, offering a window into the nuanced internal and external politics of the Murdoch media empire.
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Stephen Bannon out at the White House after turbulent run

Stephen K. Bannon, the embattled chief strategist who helped President Trump win the 2016 election by embracing their shared nationalist impulses, departed the White House on Friday after a turbulent tenure shaping the fiery populism of the president’s first seven months in office.

Mr. Bannon’s exit, the latest in a string of high-profile West Wing shake-ups, came as Mr. Trump is under fire for saying that “both sides” were to blame for last week’s deadly violence in Charlottesville, Va. Critics accused the president of channeling Mr. Bannon when he equated white supremacists and neo-Nazis with the left-wing protesters who opposed them.

“White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Steve Bannon have mutually agreed today would be Steve’s last day,” Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, said in a statement. “We are grateful for his service and wish him the best.”
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Barcelona attack: Police hunt terror suspect amid fears of more strikes

A huge manhunt is underway across Europe for at least one suspect still at large after plotting Spain's terrorist attacks in which 14 people were killed and hundreds were injured.

The police are now hunting for Moroccan-born Younes Abouyaaqoub, said to be at the centre of the investigation into the Thursday massacre in which a van driven by terrorists ploughed into a crowd in Barcelona's Las Ramblas boulevard killing 13 civilians and injuring 13 people, the Telegraph reported.

Moussa Oukabir, the 18-year-old who was previously reported as the key suspect in Barcelona attack, was one of five men shot dead by police in a second terror attack in the coastal town of Cambrils, authorities said on Friday night.

Oukabir was killed along with terrorists Said Aallaa and Mohamed Hycham in the Cambrils attack that left one woman dead and five others injured after the men drove into pedestrians.

The other two terrorists killed in the attack are yet to be identified.

Police said that the suspects in the double attacks originally planned to use explosive devices to wreak greater devastation but were apparently thwarted because their materials detonated prematurely.
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Here's why America needs to break its Cold War addiction to Korea

With tensions at an all-time high between the United States and North Korea, the New York Times headlined a recent digital newsletter with Lies Your High School History Teacher Told You About Nukes. The basic point was to debunk the theory of “mutually assured destruction” that is often used to explain why the Cold War remained cold and did not result in a nuclear holocaust.

The article argues that despite possessing a nuclear arsenal that guaranteed “mutually assured destruction,” both the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a costly arms race that attempted to outmanoeuvre the other with more numerous and powerful warheads, delivered with more precise and faster missiles.

This happened not because they wanted to engage in actual nuclear warfare, but because of the threat that the other could “escape” mutually assured destruction, fight back, and win. This justified pursuing weaponry that could, in theory, take out the other side before it could retaliate. The Soviet Union was so terrified of this prospect that it spent enormous resources to retain at least the power to deliver a second strike, ultimately at the cost to its own ailing economy.
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Why Islamic State attacked Spain - once a part of Islamic empire

Despite its (relatively) low body count and primitive execution, Thursday’s terrorist attack in Barcelona shocked many local and international onlookers. The Islamic State (IS) group was quick to claim responsibility for the attack, in which a van was deliberately driven into pedestrians on Barcelona’s famed Las Ramblas strip. At least 13 people are dead, and around 100 have been left injured.

The location and targeting of the attack deviates from IS’s previous efforts. These have typically focused on punishing countries directly involved in military operations against it in Syria and Iraq.

But how reliable are its claims of responsibility? And why was Spain chosen, given its relatively inconsequential role in the fight against IS?
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These cities from our neighbourhood are the world's worst for living

Pakistan's Karachi city and Bangladesh's capital city Dhaka have been named among the least liveable cities of the world, says a survey.

According to Global Liveability Report compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Karachi maintains its 134th rank in the listing of 140 cities, only managing to fare better than Port Moresby, Dhaka, Tripoli, Lagos and Damascus.

The survey says that Melbourne is the most liveable city in the world, followed by Austrian capital Vienna and Canada's Vancouver in the second and third place respectively.

However, no Indian city was ranked in the top ten or bottom ten in the most liveable city ranking.

The ranking is based on the qualitative and quantitative factors falling broadly in the categories of stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

The survey only includes cities which people might want to live in or visit. Therefore, it excludes cities like Kabul or Baghdad, where conflict is ongoing.

However, cities like Damascus, which were in the near past relatively unstable, have been included.

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Guam receives nasty jolt as radio stations mistakenly issue emergency alert

Guam residents received a nasty jolt on Tuesday after two radio stations accidentally issued emergency warnings to indicate an imminent threat or attack, at a time when the US territory is already on edge over North Korean threats to fire missiles into nearby waters.

Several concerned listeners were reported to have called police after the stations triggered the Emergency Alert Broadcast System, issuing "a civil danger" warning at 12:25 am that was later confirmed to be a mistake.

North Korea had said it would finalise plans by mid- August on whether to fire missiles at Guam in response to "fire and fury" threats from US President Donald Trump.

But Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Tuesday reported that Kim had examined the plans but made no move towards an immediate strike.

"Residents and visitors are reminded to remain calm," said Guam's homeland security adviser George Charfauros.
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Nepal, China sign three pacts to boost energy, economic, technological ties

Nepal and China on Tuesday signed three pacts to further boost their ties in power and energy sectors and undertake a feasibility study to excavate natural gas and petroleum in the Himalayan country, including in the southern Terai plains.

The pacts were signed after visiting Chinese vice premier Wang Yang held discussions with Nepal's deputy prime ministers Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar and Krishna Bahadur Mahara.

The agreements cover three different domains - economic and technological cooperation, China-aid oil and gas resources survey project and framework agreement on promotion of investment and economic cooperation, Nepal's state-run National News Agency reported.

They include a feasibility study for excavating natural gas and petroleum in mountain areas and plains of the Terai region.

The two countries agreed to establish hydropower projects and transmission lines and take steps for economic and technological development in Nepal, which suffers from acute shortage of electricity.

Finance Secretary Shanta Raj Subedi told the agency the pacts would make significant contributions in Nepal's socio- economic transformation.

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Solid German growth gives Merkel election tailwind

Strong household and state spending consolidated Germany's role as the euro zone's growth engine in the second quarter, helping Chancellor Angela Merkel to burnish her economic credentials less than six weeks before an election.

Tuesday's data are the last major growth figures to be published before the Sept 24 vote, in which Merkel is seeking to win a fourth term.

Merkel's conservatives enjoy a comfortable lead over the Social Democrats (SPD), their current coalition partner; an INSA poll on Tuesday put their support at 37 per cent to the SPD's 25.

Yet while neither party wants another grand coalition, a fractured political landscape could make it hard to form another viable alliance.

In the second quarter, Germany's seasonally adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) was up 0.6 per cent from the previous quarter - just below the consensus forecast of 0.7 per cent in a Reuters poll, but still the 12th consecutive quarterly growth reading.
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Arab states' sanctions boost food prices, hurt real estate in Qatar in July

Sanctions imposed by other Arab states are continuing to push up food prices in Qatar while hurting the real estate market, but not to the point of damaging the economy severely, according to inflation figures released by the government on Tuesday.

The annual inflation rate fell back sharply to 0.2 per cent in July. It had spiked to 0.8 per cent in June from 0.1 per cent in May after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism, which Doha denies.

By closing Qatar's land border with Saudi Arabia and disrupting maritime shipping routes, the sanctions slashed Qatari imports by more than a third in June, pushed up prices of some basic goods and hurt business sentiment in Doha.

There were fresh signs of that damage in the July inflation numbers. Food and beverage prices climbed 4.5 per cent from a year earlier - their fastest rate of increase since at least 2014, and accelerating from a rise of 2.4 per cent in June.
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Committed to working together with India to tackle global challenges: UK

Hailing the "longstanding" UK-India ties, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that the UK was committed to working together with India to tackle global challenges.

In his message to India on its Independence Day, Johnson, whose wife is of Sikh origin, said the India-UK partnership was rooted in the Indian diaspora population based in the UK.

He said: "On behalf of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, I extend my warmest wishes to the people of India and the British-Indian community in the United Kingdom on the occasion of India's Independence Day.

"The United Kingdom and India share a deep and longstanding partnership, rooted in the 1.5 million British Indian diaspora in the UK who contribute so richly to our society. Our two countries are committed to working together to promote our people's prosperity, improve global security and tackle the global challenges that we face today."

Making a reference to the ongoing 2017 UK-India Year of Culture, the Conservative Party minister said the UK will continue to celebrate the strength of the bilateral ties including "our shared history, values, culture and language".
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Defying rules, RSS chief Bhagwat raises tricolour at Kerala school on I-Day

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday unfurled the Indian tricolour at a government-aided school here despite being told by authorities that political personalities were not permitted do this.

The District Collector and police had told the Karnakeyamen School management near here that since the school was state-supported, only people's representatives or the head of the school could raise the flag and not political personalities.

The school belongs to RSS supporters and they had invited Bhagwat to be the chief guest on India's Independence Day.
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Independence Day 2017: Rs 1.25 lakh crore black money detected post note ban, says Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Tuesday from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of India's 71st Independence Day. During his Independence Day 2017 speech, PM Modi touched on various issues, including the recent tragedy in Gorakhpur, where over 60 children have died in a hospital over the past few days, his government's fight against black money, creating a 'New India', empowering the youth of the country, and India's security.

According to reports, living up to his promise, PM Modi spoke for over 54 minutes, which made this Independence Day speech his shortest since 2014. He spoke for over 65 minutes in 2014, 86 minutes in 2015, and 94 minutes in 2016.

Here are the highlights of PM Modi's Independence Day 2017 speech:

1) Referring to the recent Gorakhpur tragedy, PM Modi said that a few days back, many innocent children had died in a hospital.

2) Calling upon the youth of the nation, PM Modi said that January 1, 2018, would not be an ordinary day — those born in this century would start turning 18. They are the Bhagya Vidhatas of our nation, added PM Modi.
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Independence Day: Shahid Afridi wishes India, says 'let humanity prevail'

Former Pakistan T20 skipper Shahid Afridi has wished India on its 70th Independence Day and called for peace, tolerance and love between the two nations as there was "no way to change neighbours".

"Happy Independence Day India! No way to change neighbours, let's work towards peace, tolerance and love. Let humanity prevail.# HopeNotOut," tweeted Afridi.

Every year, the Asian neighbours celebrate their Independence Days within a gap of 24 hours of each other.

While Pakistan celebrated its Independence Day on Monday, India is all geared up to celebrate its 70th Independence Day on Tuesday.

Both the countries have witnessed several wars and conflicts in the past 70 years of their relationship.

And in recent times, the relationship between the two nations has turned sour amid continuous ceasefire violations and terror attacks from the Pakistani side.
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Independence Day: Trump calls Modi to wish India, PM thanks him on twitter

United States President Donald Trump on Monday called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convey his greetings on the eve of India's 71st Independence Day celebrations.

Prime Minister Modi will address the nation tomorrow from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion for the fourth time.

The unfurling of the tri-colour will synchronize with the 21 Gun Salute fired by the valiant gunners of the elite 2281 Field Regiment (Ceremonial).

The Army Band will play the National Anthem when the National Guard presents the 'Rashtriya Salute' while unfurling the National Flag by the Prime Minister.

Security has been tightened in Delhi with areas in the Lutyens zone and those surrounding the iconic Red Fort being turned into a fortress to ward off any security threats.


More than ten thousand Police personnel have been deployed in and around the Red Fort and surrounding areas along with snipers, Army and National Security Guard -NSG commandos to make the area attack-proof. Bus terminals, Railway Stations and the Airport are on high alert as per inputs by the intelligence agencies.
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India@70: Prez Kovind perfectly summed up roadmap for New India, says Modi

Complimenting newly elected President Ram Nath Kovind's address on the eve of Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called his speech wonderful.

"The speech was filled with rich thoughts by Rashtrapati Ji on the eve of Independence Day. Do hear," PM Modi tweeted from his account.

He further tweeted, "Rashtrapati Ji perfectly summed up India's rich past, our vibrant present & roadmap for a 'New India' in his address today."

In his maiden address to the nation, President Kovind on Monday while congratulating the nation on the eve of its 71st Independence Day, urged the people to pledge to achieve important goals to make a 'New India'.

"It is our national pledge to achieve important goals to make a 'New India'. There is no place for poverty in 'New India'," President Kovind said.

Praising the freedom fighters of India, President Kovind said the nation is indebted to those who laid down their lives for achieving this independence.
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Uber investor gave Travis Kalanick a month before filing lawsuit

Venture capital firm Benchmark Capital said on Monday it gave Uber and its ousted chief executive, Travis Kalanick, a month to review its recommendations before filing a lawsuit last week to force him off the board and rescind his ability to fill three seats.

The lawsuit, filed last Thursday, also accused Kalanick of concealing a range of misdeeds from the board and scheming to retain power at Uber Technologies Inc even after he was forced to resign as CEO in late June.

"We know that many of you are asking why Benchmark filed a lawsuit against Travis last week. Perhaps the better question is why we didn't act sooner," Benchmark said in a letter to Uber employees on Monday. (http://bit.ly/2fFWmwK)

Kalanick was still involved in the day-to-day operations at Uber, which has created a sense of uncertainty and undermined the search for his replacement, Benchmark Capital said.

"Indeed, it has appeared at times as if the search was being manipulated to deter candidates and create a power vacuum in which Travis could return," Benchmark said in the letter.
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Wall Street climbs as North Korea tension eases, S&P tops with 1.12% rise

Wall Street opened higher on Monday, with broad gains across sectors, as investor sentiment was lifted by easing tensions in the Korean peninsula after key US officials played down the risk of an imminent war with North Korea.

All the 11 major S&P sectors were higher, with S&P financial's 1.12 per cent rise leading the gainers.

Global stocks lost nearly $1 trillion last week after President Donald Trump warned North Korea that it would face "fire and fury" if it threatened the United States, leading to a war of words between Pyongyang and Washington.

However, US officials including National Security Adviser H R McMaster and CIA Director Mike Pompeo played down the risk on Sunday, while South Korea's president said resolving Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions must be done peacefully.

"Feels as though the North Korean tension seems to be abating a bit, with commentary coming out of China and the United States. But the situation seems to have de-escalated in the near term", said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich
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312 dead, 2,000 homeless as mudslides, flooding sweep Sierra Leone

At least 312 people were killed and more than 2,000 left homeless on Monday when heavy flooding hit Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown, leaving morgues overflowing and residents desperately searching for loved ones.

An AFP journalist at the scene saw bodies being carried away and houses submerged in two areas of the city, where roads turned into churning rivers of mud and corpses were washed up on the streets.

Red Cross spokesman Patrick Massaquoi said the death toll was 312 but could rise further as his team continued to survey disaster areas in Freetown and tally the number of dead.

Mohamed Sinneh, a morgue technician at Freetown's Connaught Hospital, said 180 bodies had been received so far at his facility alone, many of them children, leaving no space to lay what he described as the "overwhelming number of dead".

Many more bodies were taken to private morgues, Sinneh said.

Images obtained by AFP showed a ferocious churning of dark orange mud coursing down a steep street in the capital, while videos posted by local residents showed people waist and chest deep in water trying to traverse the road.
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Ronaldo banned for minimum 4-match ban for red card, pushing referee

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo is set to be banned for at least four games after he pushed referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea during Real Madrid's Spanish Super Cup tie with FC Barcelona.

Madrid won 3-1 on Sunday but the tie was marred by heated exchanges and to cap it all Ronaldo was sent off moments after he had given Real a 2-1 lead with a strike from outside the box.

Ronaldo was already on a booking after taking off his shirt while celebrating the goal. Then the referee adjudged him to be diving inside the penalty box. Ronaldo was furious and shoved the referee while marching off the pitch.

The official match report sent to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) from the Camp Nou included Ronaldo's push in the "other incidents" section.

"Cristiano Ronaldo Dos Santos Aveiro -- having been shown the red card, the player pushed me slightly in a sign of his disagreement," the Basque official wrote as quoted by espnfc.

The RFEF's disciplinary code appears clear that the punishment for such behaviour, even if only "slightly violent," is an extra suspension of four to 12 games.
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Snap shares wither more as filings show some investors bailing

Snap Inc stock rebounded on Monday from a record low hit earlier in a choppy trading session as big investors report their latest stakes in the beleaguered social media company and as a wave of employees became eligible to sell their shares.

The shares were up 5.2 per cent at $12.44 in morning trading after falling as much as 4.7 per cent to $11.28 shortly after the market opened, their lowest point since their March debut.

Within just 45 minutes of regular trading, volume had already reached half of the stock's daily average for the past 10 days.

Starting on Monday, employees for the first time are allowed to sell their stock following the Snapchat parent's blockbuster initial public offering, potentially increasing the supply of shares in the market and their volatility.

Monday is also the deadline for hedge funds and other institutional investors to report their quarter-end holdings of U.S. equities.
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Nobody will win in a 'trade war' with US, warns China

China warned on Monday that nobody would win in a "trade war" with the United States as President Donald Trump prepared to launch an investigation into Chinese intellectual property practices.

Trump was due on Monday to sign a memorandum directing US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to determine whether any Chinese laws, policies or practices discriminate against or harm American innovators and technology companies.

The investigation could lead to sanctions against Beijing.

Asked about the US move, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said any member of the World Trade Organisation must respect WTO rules.

"Fighting a trade war has no future. There will be no winner and everybody will lose," Hua said at a regular news briefing.

"I believe China and the US should continue to work together for the stable and sound development of China-US economic and trade relations," she said.
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Karachi: 13-yr old girl, 10 others injured in Pak Independence day gunfire

At least 11 people were wounded due to aerial firing during Independence Day celebration in Karachi on the night between Sunday and Monday.

According to reports, the gun-fire celebrations injured included women and children.

A stray bullet wounded a 13-year-old girl Maryam in Soldier Bazaar area, while a woman was injured in aerial firing near ICI Bridge, reports Dunya News.

Aerial firing in Light House area injured a man named Umair, while Yameen was wounded in Sarafa Bazaar area of Khara Dar.

At least seven more people were injured in incidents of aerial firing in Azam Basti, Lines Aera, Landhi, Mahmoodabad, Defence, Aysha Manzil and Numaish Chowrangi.

The wounded persons were shifted to various hospitals of the city.
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Pak, China are all weather friends, further boosted by CPEC: Shahid Abbasi

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that Pakistan and China are all weather friends and strategic partners.

"Pakistan-China bilateral ties are time tested and our relationship has attained new heights after the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that is a game changer for the region and beyond," Radio Pak quoted Abbasi, saying.

In a bid to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of education and infrastructure development, both countries have signed a strategic cooperation agreement.

The signing ceremony was held at the Abbasi's house in Islamabad during the visit of Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang.

Radio Pakistan has reported that Pakistan and China have also signed the Letters of Exchange for Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Schools project.

China's vice premier Yang had arrived in Pakistan on Sunday to take part in its 70th Independence Day celebrations.
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Saudi charges Twitter users with promoting extremism in bid to fight terror

Saudi Arabia's public prosecution has issued an order to summon a group of Twitter users who have been charged with criminal offence for promoting extremism, media reports said on Sunday.

These Twitter users are accused of "influencing the integrity and moderation of the intellectual curriculum of the society with harmful participations that took the seriousness of extremism leading to the misguided campaign of thought."

The names of those summoned and the nature of their posts haven't been revealed.

Saudi Arabia's public prosecution has warned of legal actions against those who will carry contents that are harmful to the society -- regardless of its material, pretexts, and means of publication, Xinhua reported.

The includes media publications, social media, lectures, speeches, books and others.

This act is part of many steps by Saudi Arabia to fight extremism and terrorism that could affect the security of the state.

The country has registered a number of deadly blasts in recent years by terror cells that are backed by the Islamic State (IS) militant group.
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Trump's comments on violence includes white supremacists: White House

The US President Donald Trump's condemnation of the hatred this weekend in Virginia, also included the white supremacists who organised the "Unite the Right" rally, the White House said on Sunday.

"The president said very strongly in his statement (on Saturday) that he condemns all forms of violence, bigotry and hatred," Efe quoted a statement issued by the White House.

"Of course that includes white supremacists, KKK Neo-Nazi and all extremist groups," the White House added.

Trump has come under fire from Democrats and even members of his own Republican party for blaming "many sides" for Saturday's violence in Charlottesville and not explicitly pointing the finger at white supremacist groups.

Those organisations had organised a rally on Saturday in that university city of 50,000 inhabitants to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that had been considered a symbol of slavery and racism.

The planned midday Saturday rally was cancelled but clashes broke out with counter-protesters, one of whom -- a 32-year-old woman -- was killed when a car ploughed into a crowd of people.

Two Virginia state troopers who were monitoring the situation in the city also died when their helicopter crashed.
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Nepal revives railways to boost economy as China, India vie for influence

The railway to India was a lifeline for the small southern frontier town of Janakpur, used to import everything from sweets to clothes and cosmetics and fuelling a vibrant border economy.

But it fell into disrepair after years of neglect and since 2014 the train has sat stationary, its rusting carcass now a playground for local children, while Janakpur's markets are empty.

"When the train was running, we would have a lot of business. I was easily providing (for) my family," said Shyam Sah, whose small family-run cosmetics shop has suffered an 80 percent drop in profits since the railway closed.

Now it is being rebuilt with Indian backing, one of three new rail lines -- one funded by China in the north and a third by Nepal itself -- that the country hopes will help boost international trade.

Nepal remains largely isolated from the global economy, dependent on aid and remittances.
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Charlottesville violence: Hundreds rally against white supremacists in LA

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, protesting white supremacists violence in Virginia the day before.

Holding black placards with slogans like "White Silence White Consent", the demonstrators gathered outside city hall to condemn racism and violent incidents occurred in Charlottesville on Saturday, Xinhua reported.

The violent incidents that occurred in Charlottesville claimed the lives of three people while around twenty were injured.

The rally was launched by Refuse Fascism Organisation, a New York-based activist group who has dozens of offices all around the country.

Michael, a young African-American girl of the organisation, delivered a speech on stairs to the front door of city hall, calling on people to take action fighting against KKK and fascism in the US.

"We are standing against fascism, we are standing with people all of the world, we should give our hands to ourselves," Michael said.
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Asia stocks bounce after losses, dollar sags on weak US inflation data

Asian stocks bounced on Monday after three losing sessions, tracking a firmer Wall Street, while the dollar was weighed down by weak US inflation data which dampened prospects of another Federal Reserve interest rate hike later this year.

Investors awaited a batch of Chinese data due later in the session (0200 GMT), including industrial output and retail sales. The readings are expected to show continued solid growth but markets are edgy after softer-than-expected trade data last week.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS was up 0.4 percent. The index had fallen for three straight days prior on escalating tensions between the United States and North Korea.

Australian stocks rose 0.2 percent and South Korea's KOSPI .KS11 climbed 0.7 percent.

Japan's Nikkei bucked the trend and fell 1.2 percent as a stronger yen overshadowed much better-than-expected second quarter economic growth.

The three major US  stocks indexes snapped three days of losses and ended higher on Friday, as investors bet on slower US  rate hikes following weaker-than-expected consumer price data. But gains were muted by increasingly aggressive exchanges between Washington and Pyongyang. [.N]
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