Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reassured unionized workers in Quebec today that a wave of asylum seekers and foreigners with temporary worker permits would not take jobs away from Canadians.
	Speaking to the United Food and Commercial Workers in Montreal, Trudeau outlined proposed changes to immigration rules that would provide temporary foreign workers a path to permanent residency.
	"We have put an end to the discriminatory rule that prevented people from working for more than four years in Canada," he said in a speech.
	"We want to create new ways of accessing permanent residence for people who are already working in Canada."
	Trudeau did not explicitly mention the more than 6,000 asylum seekers that jumped the border from the United States since July 1 and have asked for work permits while their refugee claims are assessed.
	But he reassured the crowd that Canadian companies can only hire a foreign worker "when it is not possible to find a Canadian" to do the job.
	The prime ...

No Canada job losses from asylum seekers, foreigners: Trudeau

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today expressed "regret at the escalation of tensions" after the United States told Moscow to shut its consulate in San Francisco.
	US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Lavrov as Washington announced it was ordering Moscow to shut the consulate, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
	"In response the minister expressed regret at the escalation of tensions in bilateral relations," it said.
	"Moscow will examin the new measures announced by the Americans in detail after which our reaction will be announced."
	The US State Department ordered Moscow to close the consulate and two annexes in Washington and New York in two days, saying the decision was made "in the spirit of parity" following a Moscow-imposed cap on the US diplomatic presence in Russia.
	"The Consulate General will act in accordance with the decision that will be taken by the Russian leadership regarding this decision by the Americans," the consul in San Francisco ...

Russia voices 'regret' at US order to shut San Francisco

The United States today described remarks by a Palestinian Hamas leader boasting of strong military ties with Iran as a "stunning admission" that showed Tehran was violating a UN ban on arms exports.
	Hamas leader Yahya al-Sinwar, who heads the Palestinian Islamist movement in Gaza, told reporters on Monday that Iran was the "biggest supporter" of Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.
	"The Iranian military support to Hamas and al-Qassam is strategic," said Sinwar, adding that ties with Iran had "become fantastic and returned to its former era."
	In a statement, the US mission to the United Nations recalled that Iran is barred from exporting weapons under a key UN resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
	"Once again, Iran is showing its true colors," said US Ambassador Nikki Haley.
	Iran must abide by UN resolutions or decide "whether it wants to be the leader of a jihadist terrorist movement," she added.
	"It's long past time for the ...

US takes aim at Iran over ties to Hamas

The United States today told Myanmar that its security forces must refrain from attacking civilians and aid workers in its response to attacks by Rohingya militants in Rakhine state.
	At least 18,500 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh following attacks by militants on August 25 and a crackdown by security forces who have torched villages and targeted civilians, according to witness accounts.
	US Ambassador Nikki Haley chastised the security forces in a statement.
	"As Burmese security forces act to prevent further violence," Haley said, "they have a responsibility to adhere to international humanitarian law, which includes refraining from attacking innocent civilians and humanitarian workers and ensuring assistance reaches those in need."
	The UN Security Council met behind closed doors yesterday to discuss the violence but there was no formal statement on the crisis.
	British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, who requested the meeting, said there were calls from council members for de- ...

US warns Myanmar forces to refrain from attacking civilians

Spain told the North Korean embassy today to reduce its staff in the country in protest against Pyongyang's repeated missile launches and nuclear weapons tests.
	North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes "create a serious threat to peace in the region and to global security," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
	"The embassy of the DPRK had been warned by the foreign ministry that the continuation of these actions would have consequences on bilateral relations," it added.
	"Today the DPRK ambassador has been summoned and the position of the Spanish government has been reiterated and he was informed of the decision to reduce the number of diplomatic staff at his representation in Madrid."
	The ministry did not say how many diplomats it wanted removed.
	North Korea -- the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) -- has repeatedly conducted missile launches in recent months, despite being barred from doing so under United Nations rules.
	The country fired a ...

Spain orders North Korea embassy to reduce staff

The Canadian military joined civilian efforts today to evacuate residents of remote indigenous communities threatened by sudden wildfires in northern Manitoba, sending in Hercules transporters to airlift residents to safety.
	Up to 50 small charter planes from across Canada have also answered a call for help in the evacuation from the Canadian Red Cross.
	There are no roads leading to many of these northern Manitoba communities, forcing residents to rely on air travel to get in and out.
	And their airstrips are relatively small, which limits the size and number of planes that can be used in the emergency response.
	"You have planes landing, covered in soot and ashes, and they have to be cleaned off" before loading up and taking off again, Manitoba opposition lawmaker Judy Klassen, who lives in the affected area, told the daily Winnipeg Free Press.
	Only two small planes at a time can fit on most of these northern runways, she added.
	A total of 3,700 people were to be flown from the ..

Canada military aircraft aid in Manitoba wildfire rescue

Police said The Oval cricket ground in London was in the process of being evacuated today after a bizarre arrow attack halted play in the match between Surrey and Middlesex.
	The arrow, reported to have a metal tip, landed near the Surrey fielder Ollie Pope and close to the pitch during the County Championship fixture.
	The players alerted the umpires, who promptly halted play, with fielders and batsmen running to the safety of the changing rooms.
	No one was injured and, according to a statement issued by the Metropolitan Police, it is believed the arrow was fired from outside The Oval in Kennington, south London.
	"Police were made aware at 16:35hrs on Thursday, 31 August of reports that an arrow or crossbow bolt had been loosed into The Oval cricket ground," said the police statement.
	"Officers are on scene. The ground is in the process of a controlled evacuation.
	"There are no reported injuries."
	The statement added: "At this early stage it is believed that the object came from 

Cricket: The Oval evacuated after arrow attack

Amsterdam is beefing up its security measures following the deadly Barcelona terror attacks two weeks ago, including looking at shortening queues at major attractions, the city's mayor said today.
	Mayor Eberhard van der Laan said he and law enforcement officials has spoken "with several large tourist attractions about the current terror threat."
	"The meeting was organised because of the recent attacks in Spain" that left 16 people dead, Van der Laan said in a letter, published on the Amsterdam's city council's website.
	The Netherlands has so far been spared the terror strikes that have rocked its European neighbours recently.
	But top Dutch security and intelligence officials have been keeping a wary eye on events.
	The Dutch capital, with its scenic canals, top museums and red light district, is a major tourist drawcard which sees some 17 million visitors a year, according to a 2016 study by the city's official marketing arm.
	"We have decided that possible additional measures can 

Amsterdam to beef up security after Barcelona attacks

Hurricane Irma has formed in the eastern Atlantic as a Category 2 storm, just days after the first major hurricane of the season, Harvey, unleashed massive rain and floods over Texas, US officials said today.
	Hurricane Irma churned in open waters off the west coast of Africa, packing winds of 160 kilometers per hour, said the Miami-based National Hurricane Center in its advisory.
	"Irma is forecast to become a major hurricane by tonight and is expected to be an extremely dangerous hurricane for the next several days," it said.
	The storm is currently far from land, but is heading straight toward the southern Caribbean, to the area between the US island territory of Puerto Rico and South America's northern coastline.
	Irma is forecast to reach the Lesser Antilles islands in the Caribbean early next week.
	South Florida meteorologist Craig Setzer said it was far too early to tell if the storm would impact Florida or the Gulf of Mexico.
	Anxiety is running high over the risk of another .

Category Two Hurricane Irma forms in eastern Atlantic: US

US heavy bombers and stealth jet fighters took part in a joint live-fire drill in South Korea today, intended as a show of force against the North after its latest missile launch.
	"South Korean and US air forces conducted an air interdiction exercise in order to strongly cope with North Korea's repeated firing of ballistic missiles and development of nuclear weapons," the South's air force said in a statement.
	Two B-1B "Lancer" bombers from Guam and four F-35B stealth jet fighters from the Marine Corps' Iwakuni airbase in Japan conducted the drill, with four South Korean jet fighters also taking part.
	B-1B overflights of the peninsula from Guam, a US territory in the Pacific Ocean, infuriate the North, which condemned the drill today, the South's Yonhap news agency reported.
	"The wild military acts of the enemies are nothing but the rash act of those taken aback" by Pyongyang's latest missile launch, Yonhap cited the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) as saying.
	Pyongyang 

US heavy bombers, jets in show of force against North Korea

The plume of fumes from a flooded Texas chemical plant is "incredibly dangerous," the head of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said today.
	Two explosions were reported overnight at the chemical plant in the town of Crosby and officials have ordered residents within 1.5 miles (three kilometers) of the facility to evacuate.
	"The bottom line is that we do what's called plume modeling," FEMA Administrator Brock Long said at a press briefing. "And that's what we base a lot of the evacuations on.
	"And so by all means, yes, the plume is incredibly dangerous."
	The plant operated by Arkema Inc produces organic peroxides, which have a number of commercial uses, including plastics, pharmaceuticals and construction materials.
	The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office said there had been "a series of chemical reactions at the @Arkema_Inc Crosby facility" overnight.
	"There has been intermittent smoke, please stay clear of the area," it said.
	The Harris County Sheriff's Office .

'Plume from flooded Texas chemical plant incredibly dangerous'

An Indian seaman's tale of being shipwrecked on a remote northern Australian island could shed light on the 230-year-old disappearance of a renowned French explorer, one of maritime history's greatest mysteries, an anthropologist said today.
	In 1785 Jean-Francois de Galaup de La Perouse was sent by King Louis XVI to chart the globe and map lands that had eluded English explorer Captain James Cook.
	Three years later the explorer and his 220 crew were shipwrecked after setting sail from Botany Bay in New Holland -- now Australia -- in the direction of New Caledonia.
	His two frigates were eventually found off the tiny Solomons island of Vanikoro, northeast of New Caledonia and locals said the survivors built a vessel to sail back to France.
	After they left, they were thought to have vanished at sea.
	But the survival story of an Indian sailor, Shaik Jumaul, hints at a bloodier end for La Perouse and his crew -- some 2,500 kilometres back towards Australia.
	Jumaul's tale, chronicled .

Australia shipwreck tale clue to French explorer disappearance

Takuma Asano and Yosuke Ideguchi were on target as Japan beat Australia 2-0 at home today to qualify for their sixth successive World Cup.
     Asano steered home a left-foot volley four minutes before half-time and Ideguchi sealed the victory with a stunning long-range strike after 82 minutes as Japan became the fourth team to reach next year's finals in Russia.
     The result dealt a major blow to Australia's chances of being one of the two automatic qualifiers from Group B after their first defeat in the final round of Asian qualifiers.
     The Asian Cup holders get a second bite at the cherry at home to Thailand on Tuesday when they need to better Saudi Arabia's result against Japan in Jeddah on the same night.
     Japan survived a scare after 38 minutes in Saitama when a Mathew Leckie shot deflected off Maya Yoshida against post before Asano struck a psychological blow shortly before the break.
     Yuto Nagatomo whipped in a cross from the left and Asano ghosted in to beat ...

Japan secure World Cup berth with Australia win

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal was today fined 15 percent of his match fee for engaging in a verbal duel with umpires and sending off Australian batsman Matthew Wade during the first Test in Dhaka.
     Tamim scored 71 and 78 as Bangladesh won their first-ever Test against Australia by 20 runs on Wednesday to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
     According to the International Cricket Council, Tamim was charged by match officials after he objected to the regular changing of gloves by Australia's batsmen and engaged in a verbal exchange with the umpires Wednesday.
     Shortly afterwards, he approached wicketkeeper-batsman Wade and gestured towards im to leave the field upon his dismissal by Shakib Al Hasan.
     Tamim, 28, admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Jeff Crowe, setting aside the need for a formal hearing into the matter, the ICC said in a statement.
     The prolific left-hander was also handed one demerit point for the two ...

Bangladesh star Tamim fined for poor conduct

All five mineworkers trapped after sections of a gold mine collapsed in South Africa last week are dead, the company said today, after the last of the bodies were  pulled out.
	"All of the employees who were trapped underground, are now accounted for," Harmony Gold said in a statement.
	The accident occurred last Friday morning at the firm's Kusasalethu mine, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) west of Johannesburg, after an earth tremor occurred some 3,100 metres (10,200 feet) below the earth's surface.
	Part of the mine, situated near Carletonville, caved in trapping the workers.
	Harmony Gold said an investigation into the incident will be launched involving the government, unions and company representatives.
	South Africa possesses rich mineral reserves and has some of the world's deepest gold mines, but accidents are commonplace.
	There were 73 deaths in South African mines last year, down slightly from 77 in 2015.

Five trapped S African miners workers dead

Iraq declared today that its forces had retaken the northern city of Tal Afar and the surrounding region in another major victory over Islamic State group jihadists.
	Tal Afar was the last major population centre in northern Iraq still under jihadist control and its loss deprives IS of what was once a key supply hub between its territory in Syria and Iraq.
	"Our happiness is complete, victory has arrived and the province of Nineveh is now entirely in the hands of our forces," said a statement from the office of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
	After 12 days of fighting, Abadi announced that Tal Afar had "regained its place in the national territory".
	The full recapture of Nineveh province comes weeks after Iraqi forces backed by a US-led coalition ousted IS from its capital Mosul, three years after the jihadists declared a self-styled "caliphate" straddling Iraq and war-torn Syria.
	IS has lost much of the territory it controlled in the two countries and thousands of its fighters ...

Iraq announces another major victory over IS jihadists

Their palms facing the sky, around two million Muslims gathered today on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat for the highlight of the hajj pilgrimage, one of the world's largest annual gatherings.
	With temperatures pushing 40 degrees Celsius under the desert sun, the faithful climbed the hill east of Mecca where Muslims believe the Prophet Mohammed gave his last sermon some 14 centuries ago.
	The second day of the hajj -- a five-day pilgrimage which all Muslims must perform at least once in their lifetime if physically and financially able -- is dedicated to prayer and reflection.
	"I came up here last night and prayed, took pictures and called my family and friends," said Maolana Yahia, 32, who made the trip from Indonesia.
	This year's hajj has seen the return of pilgrims from Saudi Arabia's arch-rival Iran following a diplomatic row and a deadly stampede in 2015.
	But thousands who would normally make the journey from neighbouring Qatar are absent apart from a few dozen because of the ...

Pilgrims throng Mount Arafat for peak of Haj

Bangladesh coastguards today found the bodies of 17 Rohingya, many of them children, who drowned when their boats capsized as they fled violence in Myanmar that has forced at least 18,500 to seek refuge across the border.
	Officials in Bangladesh say growing numbers of Rohingya are trying to cross the Naf river that divides the two countries in rickety boats ill-equipped for the rough waters as they become increasingly desperate to escape.
	The International Organization for Migration said yesterday that at least 18,500 Rohingya had crossed into Bangladesh since fighting erupted in Myanmar's neighbouring Rakhine state six days earlier.
	One coast guard official who asked not to be named said the migrants were travelling on "rickety inland fishing boats" unsuitable for the choppy seas around Bangladesh.
	Yesterday, the bodies of two Rohingya women and two children washed up in Bangladesh after their boat capsized.
	Officials said two more boats capsized on Thursday, killing at least 17 

17 Rohingya, including children, drown fleeing Myanmar

Two explosions were reported at a flooded Texas chemical plant near storm-battered Houston today, just as the region began its slow recovery following Harvey's onslaught.
	Operators at the Arkema Inc facility said the Harris County Emergency Operations Center notified them at approximately 2 am CDT (0700 GMT), of "two explosions and black smoke" rising from the plant in Crosby, a town about 25 miles northeast of Houston.
	Arkema warned that "a threat of additional explosion remains," and urged people to stay out of the evacuation zone.
	The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office in a later tweet confirmed "a series of chemical reactions at the @Arkema_Inc Crosby facility," which manufactures organic peroxides that can combust if not cooled to proper temperatures.
	The incident confirmed the fears of operators who had already ordered the evacuation of an area within 1.5 miles (three kilometers) of the plant, which operators had said was at risk of exploding due to a "critical issue" ...

2 explosions at chemical plant as Texas surveys storm wreckage

China will convene its 19th Party Congress on October 18, state media said today, a key meeting held every five years where President Xi Jinping is expected to receive a second term as the ruling Communist party's top leader.
	The meeting will discuss the country's accomplishments since the previous gathering and elect the new members of the party's top leadership, according to the party's official mouthpiece the People's Daily.
	The congress will decide a new line-up for the all- powerful Politburo Standing Committee, the group of seven politicians who run the world's second largest economy.
	At the meeting, President Xi Jinping is widely expected to consolidate his grip on power, solidifying his position as China's most powerful ruler in a generation.
	The new slate of committee members is traditionally seen as indicating Xi's most likely successor after he steps down, expected for 2022.
	But the Chinese president has thus far delayed anointing an heir, spurring speculation that he .

Chinese Communist Party congress set for Oct 18: state media

French comedian Dieudonne, who has been convicted for racist and anti-Semitic comments in the past, has announced that he plans to travel to North Korea next month.
	Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala will travel there on September 9 along with far-right writer Alain Soral, who has already visited Pyongyang to "work for peace", the comedian said in a video posted on YouTube last week.
	"At a time when the United States is organising military exercises on the Korean peninsula, I believe we have to take action," Dieudonne said, adding that he would take part in a "peace festival" in Pyongyang.
	Early on Tuesday, the reclusive state fired a missile over Japan, the latest n a series of launches, prompting US President Donald Trump to insist that "all options" were on the table in an implied threat of military action.
	The UN Security Council denounced North Korea's latest missile test, unanimously demanding that Pyongyang halt its missile programme.
	The comedian has often made headlines, most ...

AFP

AFP

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