At least 25 people died and hundreds were injured after a strong earthquake struck off Aceh province on Indonesia's Sumatra island today, local officials said.
	The shallow 6.5-magnitude quake struck Pidie Jaya district at dawn, as some in the predominantly Muslim region prepared for morning prayers.
	Mosques and shops were flattened in the small town of Meureudu, where the force of the quake sent people fleeing from their homes. No tsunami alert was issued.
	The head of the local disaster agency, Puteh Manaf, said the sole hospital in the district had been overwhelmed by the number of injured.
	"The data we have now is that 25 people have been killed and hundreds are estimated to have suffered injuries," he told AFP.
	Local district secretary Iskandar Ali also confirmed the figure, citing preliminary data that showed at least 25 had died in the quake.
	Rescue operations were under way to find those believed trapped beneath the rubble, with heavy machinery being used to shift the ...

At least 25 dead in Indonesian earthquake: officials

PTI Automatic

At least 18 dead in Indonesian earthquake: official (AFP)

Strong 6.4-magnitude quake hits off Indonesia's Aceh: USGS

The US commitment to NATO will remain "unwavering" despite the change of administration following the election of Donald Trump as president, outgoing US Secretary of State John Kerry said today.
	"The change of the administration will not change the unwavering commitment of the US to... Our NATO obligations," Kerry said after talks with his NATO counterparts in Brussels.
	"The US commitment to NATO and Article Five transcends politics," added Kerry, referring to the military alliance's collective defence policy in which an attack on one member is an attack on all.
	Trump stoked concerns that Washington's near 70-year European defence guarantee might no longer hold when he said on the campaign trail he would think twice about helping NATO allies who did not pay their defence dues.
	His commitments particularly alarmed eastern European NATO countries that are on edge about a more assertive Moscow following Russia's annexation of Crimea and involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
	But ...

US commitment to NATO 'unwavering' despite Trump: Kerry

The Saudi-led coalition made a mistake when it carried out a deadly bombing next to a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders in northern Yemen, an "independent" probe said today.
	Many findings of the investigation contradict those of the charity, also known by its French initials MSF, which called the August 15 attack "unjustified and unprovoked".
	In March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes in Yemen against Iran-supported Shiite Huthi rebels and their allies after the rebels overran much of Yemen.
	The coalition has faced repeated allegations of killing civilians in its campaign to support Yemen's internationally recognised government led by President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.
	The Joint Incident Assessment Team (JIAT), which the coalition says operates independently, numbered seven deaths in the strike on Abs hospital, although MSF said 19 people were killed.
	Coalition forces which had attacked a Huthi leadership gathering that day noticed a vehicle leaving ...

Probe finds coalition 'mistake' in Yemen MSF strike

The UN's atomic watchdog has verified that Iran has exported enough nuclear-grade heavy water to come back into line with last year's landmark deal with the West, a diplomatic source said today.
	The International Atomic Energy Agency has told member states that it has "verified that 11 metric tonnes of nuclear-grade heavy water have arrived at its destination," the source told AFP.
	This brings Iran's stock of heavy water back below the 130-tonne level set out in the nuclear accord with world powers that came into force in January, the watchdog told its members.
	Heavy water is not itself radioactive, but is used in certain types of reactor. Plutonium for use in nuclear weapons can be extracted from the spent fuel of such reactors.
	In its latest update last month on Iran's compliance with the accord, the IAEA said that Iran's heavy water stock had crept above the 130-tonne mark by 100 kilos.
	Iran then said on November 22 that it would ship 11 tonnes to Oman. It also disputes that ..

Iran back under nuclear deal limit, says UN watchdog

Rescue vessels picked up 64 migrants including 11 women and two children today on two boats adrift for a day between Morocco and Spain, the latest such operation, officials said.
	A navy rescue plane had been searching since yesterday for a makeshift boat which had set off from the northern Morocco coast not far from the Spanish enclave of Melilla. After finding it the spotters also found a second one.
	All the migrants, who appeared in reasonable condition, were handed over to the Red Cross in the southeastern port of Almeria, Spain's sea rescue service said.
	On Saturday, 92 migrants were rescued off the Spanish coast in several operations.
	The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says 5,445 migrants arrived by sea in Spain between January and September, while 62 people died while making the crossing.

Spain rescues more migrants crossing from Morocco

A US psychologist who helped develop the CIA's "enhanced interrogation" program that later was labeled as torture lambasted critics today and said America must develop new methods of "legal coercion."
	The issue of how far America should go in interrogating suspects gained renewed urgency when President-elect Donald Trump said while campaigning he would "bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding" for suspected jihadists, though he later dialed back his rhetoric.
	James Mitchell, along with his colleague John "Bruce" Jessen, worked under a CIA contract to advise on the use of waterboarding and other techniques.
	Speaking at a Washington think tank, Mitchell insisted the information gleaned by waterboarding several suspects including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) - the alleged mastermind of 9/11 - was vital and helped save US lives.
	"The American public needs to have a debate about how they want to protect themselves," Mitchell told the American Enterprise Institute.
	"They ...

US psychologist who waterboarded suspects hits back at critics

Iran today denied Saudi charges of espionage as "baseless" after a court in the Sunni kingdom announced death sentences for 15 people it said had spied for Tehran.
	"Saudi Arabia must not seek to bring baseless accusations against Iran with the intention of political gains and increasing tensions in the region," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said.
	"Iran has had no activity against international law and diplomatic principles in Saudi Arabia," he said, quoted by state news agency IRNA.
	He said Riyadh had not passed on "any information to the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the alleged Iranian person" reportedly among the accused.
	"Iran's principle policy toward Persian Gulf countries is mutual respect, good neighbourliness, and no interference in domestic affairs of other countries," said Ghasemi.
	A Saudi court earlier today condemned 15 people to death for spying for the Sunni kingdom's regional rival Iran, local media and a source close to the case said.
	The source 

Iran denies 'baseless' Saudi espionage charges

Internet giants Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube are not doing enough to fight online hate speech despite "moving in the right direction", the European Commission said today.
	All four signed an EU code of conduct in May aimed at combatting internet hate speech.
	"It is our duty to protect people in Europe from incitement to hatred and violence online," European commissioner for justice, consumers and gender equality Vera Jourova said.
	"This is the common goal of the code of conduct. The last weeks and months have shown that social media companies need to live up to their important role and take up their share of responsibility when it comes to phenomena like online radicalisation, illegal hate speech or fake news.
	"While IT Companies are moving in the right direction, the first results show that the IT companies will need to do more to make it a success."
	The four IT companies had committed to review notifications of potential hate speech within 24 hours.
	But the ...

Internet giants must do more to combat hate speech, says EU

Brazil's Senate today rejected a judge's order to suspend its speaker who faces trial for alleged embezzlement in a scandal that threatens to destabilize President Michel Temer.
	The chamber's governing panel said it would keep speaker Renan Calheiros in his post until a full session of all 11 judges in the Supreme Court rules on whether he should be suspended.
	"Removing the speaker of the Senate from his post nine days before the end of his term... Through a monocratic decision... Even in Brazil, democracy does not deserve such a fate," Calheiros told reporters after meeting with the panel.
	Supreme court judge Marco Aurelio Mello yesterday ordered the suspension of Calheiros, 61, the third most powerful official in Brazil.
	That decision deepened the political drama in Brazil, worsening the outlook for Temer as he struggles to lift Latin America's biggest economy out of crisis.
	It threatened to derail his legislation for a cap on public spending.
	Calheiros's allies in the Senate .

Brazil Senate defies order to suspend speaker

British Prime Minister Theresa May is to meet Gulf leaders who opened today their annual summit in Bahrain, for talks on trade ties after Britain leaves the European Union.
	King Salman of Gulf heavyweight Saudi Arabia opened the summit with a call for "doubling of efforts" to face regional challenges.
	May is expected to meet the leaders before addressing the summit tomorrow, when she will become the first British premier and the first woman to attend the annual gathering of the six oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.
	Defence ties are also expected to be high on the agenda as Britain builds a new naval base in Bahrain, while advocacy groups have urged May to raise human rights concerns.
	May's two-day visit comes as her government faces mounting domestic criticism that it has not done enough to avoid post-Brexit disruption to British trade, which is currently carried out under EU agreements.
	"I will have the opportunity to talk to all six leaders about how we can ...

British PM joins Gulf summit for post-Brexit talks

A top US business lobby today praised President-elect Donald Trump's emphasis on boosting US manufacturing jobs, but warned it could backfire if he provokes a trade war.
	"I am at this point optimistic, although I am little bit worried about some of the rhetoric," said Doug Oberhelman, chief executive of Caterpillar and chairman of the Business Roundtable.
	Oberhelman echoed other business groups that have broadly praised some of the early signals from the incoming Trump administration, including its emphasis on lower taxes and regulatory reform, as well as several cabinet picks who come from the private sector.
	But groups like the Chamber of Commerce and many business leaders have expressed concern over Trump's threats of protectionism, against trading partners like China and Mexico, as well as companies that offshore jobs.
	Oberhelman said in a conference call with reporters that threats by Trump to enact 35 percent punitive tariffs on imports could harm companies like Caterpillar, 

US business lobby warns Trump tariffs could backfire

British Prime Minister Theresa May indicated today she would accept demands by lawmakers to publish her plan for Brexit before starting formal exit talks, as long as they accept her timetable for leaving the EU.
	May was facing a rebellion by up to 40 MPs from her Conservative party over an opposition motion which demanded she reveal her hand before triggering Article 50, the formal mechanism for leaving the EU.
	In an amendment published today, May accepted the demand on the proviso that MPs "respect the wishes" of the June vote to leave the bloc and accept her timetable to trigger Article 50 by the end of March.
	The move is designed to outmanoeuvre the opposition Labour party, which brought the original motion to pressure the government.
	Up to 40 Conservative lawmakers had reportedly been planning to back the Labour motion in what could have been a symbolic blow against May's refusal to provide a "running commentary" on her Brexit strategy.
	The government is currently fighting a .

May agrees to outline Brexit plans if MPs back her timetable

Uzbekistan announced today plans to roll back its highly restrictive tourism regime by cancelling visa requirements for 15 countries in a sign that one of the world's most reclusive states may be opening up a crack.
	An executive order that followed the victory of interim leader Shavkat Mirziyoyev in an uncompetitive presidential vote Sunday said citizens of the 15 countries would not need visas to enter the country after April 2017.
	The presidential order published by Mirziyoyev's press service also clarified that citizens from 12 other countries - including the United States and France - can enter the country visa-free if they are 55 years old or older.
	The policy change was made "in order to create a favourable economic and institutional conditions for intensive development of tourism as a strategic sector of the economy," according to the order.
	Citizens of the following countries will be allowed to visit Uzbekistan visa-free for a period of 30 days regardless of age: ...

Uzbekistan to ease or cancel visa requirements for 27

Facing mounting pressure to use their technological clout to curb the spread of jihadist propaganda, major US social networks have finally joined forces in an effort to curb "terrorist content."
	Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft and Google-owned YouTube announced yesterday a drive to stop the proliferation of videos and messages showing beheadings, executions and other gruesome content, posted by the likes of the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda.
	The move comes as social media giants face increasing scrutiny over their role in the explosion of so-called "fake news" - which is believed to have influenced the US election - as well as online bullying and hate speech.
	Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have struggled for years with this issue, seeking to be open to free speech without being used to promote violence or hate.
	But with the rampant use of the networks by jihadists to plan, recruit and depict violent attacks, the tech platforms were forced to take a stronger ...

Turning point as social media tackles online 'terror'

Sitarist Anoushka Shankar was nominated for a Grammy Award today for her album inspired by the global refugee crisis, vying with veteran winners in the world music category.
	"Land of Gold," which features rapper M.I.A. And spoken word by actress Vanessa Redgrave, is in the running for Best World Music Album at the music industry's gala in Los Angeles on February 12.
	Shankar wrote the album as she reflected on her relative comfort after giving birth to her second child just as a historic number of people fled Syria and other war-torn countries for Europe.
	"Music is for me at least a way of responding to the world and processing my feelings, not always consciously," she told AFP after releasing the album, which is largely instrumental.
	It is the sixth Grammy nomination for the 35-year-old Shankar, although she has never won. Her late father Ravi Shankar, who popularised the Indian classical instrument in the West, won two Grammys on his own and two more in collaborations.
	The ...

Anoushka Shankar's refugee album vies for Grammy

A suspected Russian air strike on Idlib city and province in northwest Syria today killed at least 25 civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.
	The raid hits several areas mostly controlled by rebel groups, the Britain-based Observatory said. Russia is the Syrian regime's main ally in its war against rebels and jihadists.

Suspected Russian raids kill 25 civilians in Syria's Idlib:

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve was appointed as the new prime minister today after Manuel Valls resigned to seek the Socialist nomination in next year's presidential election.
	Cazeneuve, who has overseen the security forces' reaction to a string of jihadist attacks that have killed more than 230 people in France over the past two years, will take control of the Socialist government until the election in May.
	The widely-respected former lawyer was named to the post after President Francois Hollande accepted Valls's resignation early today.
	Cazeneuve, 53, has served in various government roles, including budget minister and minister in charge of European affairs, before becoming interior minister in April 2014.
	Bruno Le Roux, leader of the Socialists in the lower house of parliament, will take over the interior portfolio.
	The mini-reshuffle comes after Valls, who has been prime minister for the past two-and-a-half years, said yesterday he would step down to contest a ...

Cazeneuve named French PM as Valls quits to run for president

The European Union today approved Microsoft's mega buyout of the professional networking site LinkedIn, provided the US tech giant meets commitments to allow fair competition.
	The European Commission, the EU executive, said it approved the merger after Microsoft offered promises, including leaving personal computer manufacturers and distributors free not to install LinkedIn on Windows operating systems.
	"The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of LinkedIn by Microsoft," the commission said.
	Microsoft's USD 26 billion acquisition of LinkedIn was announced in June, the biggest-ever deal for a social media company.
	"Today's decision ensures that Europeans will continue to enjoy a freedom of choice between professional social networks," EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager said.
	Data has increasingly become a major driver for big acquisitions in the digital world, including the blockbuster buyout of messaging service WhatsApp by 

EU approves Microsoft buyout of LinkedIn with conditions

The US Supreme Court today tossed out a USD 399 million patent award from Samsung over copying Apple's iPhone design, sending the case back to a lower court.
	The justices ruled 8-0 that Samsung should not be required to forfeit the entire profits from its smartphones for infringement on design components, in a case closely watched by the tech industry.
	The 11-page ruling found that the USD 399 million penalty -- one element of a major patent infringement case -- was inappropriate because it represented "Samsung's entire profit from the sale of its infringing smartphones" for copying the iPhone's  "rectangular front face with rounded edges and a grid of colourful icons on a black screen."
	But the court stopped short of delving into details of the degree to which the patent infringement should affect the penalty.
	"The parties ask us to go further and resolve whether, for each of the design patents at issue here, the relevant article of manufacture is the smartphone, or a particular .

AFP

AFP

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