The High Court in Belfast will rule tomorrow on Northern Ireland's entitlement to veto the UK's departure from the European Union - the first opinion by a UK judge on Brexit.
	With other legal challenges under way in Britain, the outcome will be closely monitored by politicians and financial markets.
	Ciaran O'Hare, a lawyer representing veteran victims' rights campaigner Raymond McCord - one of a diverse group of individuals in the case - said the judge would give his ruling at 0900 GMT (1430 IST) tomorrow, after three days of hearings earlier this month.
	"We are delighted at such a quick turnaround but time is obviously of the essence," O'Hare said.
	He described the ongoing legal challenge as "a David versus Goliath battle" that would not end on Friday regardless of the outcome.
	"Both sides will likely appeal to the Supreme Court but the ruling in Belfast is important because it would have to be taken into account," he said.
	The campaigners argue Brexit cannot be imposed on ...

First UK legal ruling on Brexit due tomorrow

PTI Automatic

NATO and the European Union are partners in defence, not rivals, top officials said today, downplaying any suggestion EU military ambitions might undermine the US-led alliance which has protected Europe for decades.
	"I strongly believe it is absolutely possible to strengthen European defence without duplicating efforts by NATO," alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said.
	"EU leaders have (also) conveyed that this is not about the EU doing collective defence, the EU building structures that would compete with NATO," Stoltenberg said after EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini met NATO defence ministers in Brussels.
	Mogherini has drawn up a Global Strategy which says the EU should seek "strategic autonomy" to face multiple security threats, ranging from conventional to hybrid warfare, from the Ukraine crisis to Syria, from poverty in Africa to massive migrant flows.
	Her proposal for an EU military headquarters in Brussels -- also home to NATO's HQ -- has especially sparked concerns .

NATO, EU are partners, not rivals in defence: top officials

The United States said today that up to 900 Islamic State group jihadists have been killed in the offensive to retake Iraq's Mosul, as camps around the city filled with fleeing civilians.
	Iraqis who fled their homes expressed joy at escaping IS's brutal rule as they were given shelter and assistance, in some cases reuniting with relatives they had not seen in more than two years.
	The offensive, launched on October 17, is seeing tens of thousands of Iraqi fighters advancing on Mosul from the south, east and north in a bid to retake the last major Iraqi city under IS control.
	Backed with air and ground support from a US-led coalition, federal forces allied with Kurdish peshmerga fighters have taken a string of towns and villages in a cautious but steady advance.
	General Joseph Votel, who heads the US military's Central Command, told AFP today that the offensive was inflicting a heavy toll on the jihadists.
	"Just in the operations over the last week and a half associated with Mosul, 

Up to 900 jihadists killed in Mosul battle, US says

Twitter announced plans today to cut nine per cent of its workforce as the struggling social network reaffirmed its strategy to drive growth after failing to find a buyer.
	"We see a significant opportunity to increase growth as we continue to improve the core service," chief executive Jack Dorsey said while releasing quarterly results showing more losses.
	"We have a clear plan, and we're making the necessary changes to ensure Twitter is positioned for long-term growth."
	Twitter reported a net loss for the quarter of USD 103 million, compared with a USD 132 million loss a year earlier. Revenues meanwhile grew eight percent to USD 616 million, most of that from advertising.
	The key metric of monthly active users rose only modestly to 317 million from 313 million in the prior quarter - a growth pace which has prompted concerns over Twitter's ability to keep pace in the fast-moving world of social media and attain profitability.
	Twitter said the restructuring "is intended to create ..

Twitter to cut 9% of staff, plots new growth strategy

Twitter announced plans today to cut nine percent of its workforce as the struggling social network reaffirmed its strategy to drive growth after failing to find a buyer.
	"We see a significant opportunity to increase growth as we continue to improve the core service," chief executive Jack Dorsey said while releasing quarterly results showing more losses.
	"We have a clear plan, and we're making the necessary changes to ensure Twitter is positioned for long-term growth."
	Twitter reported a net loss for the quarter of $103 million, compared with a USD 132 million loss a year earlier. Revenues meanwhile grew eight percent to $616 million, most of that from advertising.
	The key metric of monthly active users rose only modestly to 317 million from 313 million in the prior quarter -- a growth pace which has prompted concerns over Twitter's ability to keep pace in the fast-moving world of social media and attain profitability.
	Twitter said the restructuring "is intended to create greater 

Twitter to cut 9 pc of staff, plots new growth strategy

Belgian political leaders have reached a consensus in support of the landmark EU-Canada trade deal, Prime Minister Charles Michel said today, raising hopes it can be signed soon.
	"An agreement" has been found, Michel said after the latest round of marathon negotiations aimed at winning over holdouts in Belgium's French-speaking communities who have held up the deal for the entire European Union.
	Confirmation came swiftly from Paul Magnette, the chief of government of the southern French-speaking Wallonia and the leading holdout to the deal.
	"We have finally found an agreement among the Belgians that will now be submitted to European institutions and our European partners," Magnette said.
	"Wallonia is extremely happy that our demands were heard," he added.
	Angering Canada and European Union leaders who had conducted negotiations for seven years, Belgium had effectively blocked the deal, which must be endorsed by all 28 EU member states.
	The intra-Belgian agreement was not reached 

Belgium reaches consensus on EU-Canada free trade deal: PM

Two Yazidi women who survived a nightmare ordeal of kidnapping, rape and slavery at the hands of Islamic State jihadists won the European Parliament's prestigious Sakharov human rights prize today.
	Nadia Murad and Lamia Haji Bashar have become figureheads for the effort to protect the Yazidis, followers of an ancient religion with more than half a million believers concentrated in northern Iraq.
	"They have a painful and tragic story" but "they felt compelled to survive to bear witness," European Parliament chief Martin Schulz told the assembly in Strasbourg.
	"The courage of these two women, the dignity they represent defies all description."
	According to UN experts, around 3,200 Yazidis are currently being held by IS, the majority of them in war- ravaged Syria.
	Given each year by the European Parliament, the award is named after the dissident Soviet scientist Andrei Sakharov, who died in 1989, and honours individuals who combat intolerance, fanaticism and oppression, often ...

Yazidi survivors of IS torture win EU's Sakharov prize

Toyota's number-two said the firm will fight to continue operating its British factory after Britain leaves the EU, but insisted it would not yet demand guarantees from London before making a decision over its future in the country.
	Didier Leroy, chief competitive officer at the world's biggest automaker, made the pledge after the boss of rival Nissan warned he would need assurances from London before committing to more investment at a factory in northeastern England.
	Many firms operating in Britain, including some of Japan's biggest companies, are worried about the future of their access to Europe following Britain's June vote to quit the European Union.
	Leroy acknowledged an exit could hurt the competitiveness of Toyota's operations in Britain -- where it has two plants and employs about 3,400 people.
	In comments Wednesday but embargoed until Thursday, he told reporters Toyota planned to "talk with our UK members, to motivate the team in the UK, to balance this negative ...

Toyota will fight for UK plant after Brexit

Italy was counting the cost today after another major earthquake forced thousands to flee their homes in terror but "miraculously" did not cause any fatalities.
	Two months after a quake left nearly 300 dead in the country's tremor-prone central spine, two powerful shocks ripped through the mountainous, sparsely-populated region yesterday evening.
	Despite numerous building collapses, no deaths had been reported by midday, more than 17 hours after the first of the 5.5 and 6.1 magnitude tremors.
	"Given the strength of the shocks the absence of any deaths or serious injuries, which we hope will be confirmed, is miraculous," Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said.
	The national civil protection agency described the damage as "very significant" but said they were not aware of anyone trapped under rubble.
	Rescue workers began a major clean-up operation and hundreds of families were unsure where they would be living for the forseeable future.
	More than 100 aftershocks rattled the area ...

Italy in 'miraculous' escape as thousands flee new quake

The US today reassured its key Asian allies Japan and South Korea that its policy seeking North Korea's nuclear disarmament remains unchanged, after its intelligence chief called it a "lost cause".
	   Washington has always maintained it cannot accept North Korea as a nuclear state and, under President Barack Obama, has made any talks with Pyongyang conditional on the country first making some tangible commitment towards denuclearisation.
	   But in remarks to a think-tank earlier this week, US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper suggested that such a policy was based on wishful thinking, saying: "The notion of getting the North Koreans to denuclearise is probably a lost cause."
	   US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken took issue with that view in Tokyo after a trilateral meeting with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts.
	   "Our policy has not changed," he told reporters at a joint news conference.
	   "We will not accept North Korea as a nuclear state, we ..

US reassures Asian allies no policy change on N Korea

A US general said today that between 800 and 900 Islamic State group fighters have been killed since the Iraqi-led operation to recapture Mosul from the jihadists began.
	"Just in the operations over the last week and a half associated with Mosul, we estimate they've probably killed about 800-900 Islamic State fighters," General Joseph Votel, who heads the US military's Central Command, said in an interview with AFP, speaking from an undisclosed location.
	Iraqi security forces and Kurdish peshmerga fighters are pushing toward Mosul along several axes and have made relatively quick progress as they approach Mosul, Iraq's second city.
	The offensive, which began 10 days ago, has so far been concentrated in towns and villages around Mosul, and resistance may get heavier as Iraqi forces break through IS defences and enter the city itself.
	Earlier US estimates had put the population of IS fighters in Mosul itself at between 3,500 and 5,000. Up to another 2,000 were thought to be in the ..

US general says 800-900 IS fighters killed in Mosul offensive

The EU and Canada scrapped plans for a summit today in Brussels, a European source said, as Belgium sought more time to find a way to support a landmark transatlantic trade deal.
	"Today's summit is cancelled. For now, no new date has been set," the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
	"The next step is for the entire EU to be able to sign the agreement."
	European Council President Donald Tusk had said early Wednesday that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could still come to Brussels on Thursday for a summit to sign the deal, which has been seven years in the making.
	However, Belgian political leaders late Wednesday adjourned marathon talks aimed at ironing out lingering differences blocking the deal and agreed to meet again today morning.
	The Belgian federal government has reported that it was near a consensus that would allow it to overcome objections from Belgium's French-speaking communities.
	Belgium has effectively blocked the deal, which must be endorsed by all .

EU-Canada trade summit 'cancelled'

- Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was on Thursday charged with misconduct over comments he made about the referee in charge of this month's Liverpool game, the Football Association has announced.
     United's outspoken Portuguese boss faces a disciplinary hearing after questioning referee Anthony Taylor's suitability to take charge of the October 17 game at Anfield.
     The Altrincham-based official's appointment for the Premier League derby had led former English top flight referee Keith Hackett to claim the appointment would place undue pressure on Taylor.
     And when those comments were put to Mourinho ahead of the match, the United boss said:"I think Mr Taylor is a very good referee but I think somebody with intention is putting such a pressure on him that I feel that it will be difficult for him to have a very good performance."
     Mourinho was contacted by the FA for his observations on the comments and the body has now charged him with misconduct.
     The clash ..

Mourinho charged over referee comments

German auto giant Volkswagen posted net profit of 2.28 billion euros (USD 2.49 billion) for the third quarter and raised its full-year forecasts, turning the tide from a massive loss a year ago over its emissions cheating scandal.
	The group's profit for the three months ending September fell slightly short of the 2.45 billion euros forecast by analysts, but was a sharp improvement from the 1.73-billion euro net loss posted for the same period last year.
	The carmaker, once a paragon of German industry, has been plunged into its deepest-ever crisis after it emerged in September last year that it installed emissions-cheating software in 11 million diesel engines worldwide.
	The device allowed some vehicles to spew out almost 40 times the permissible levels of harmful nitrogen oxides.
	The still incalculable costs of the affair - including regulatory fines and legal costs - pushed VW into the red for the first time in more than 20 years last year when it booked a loss of 1.6 billion ...

Volkswagen on track one year after 'Dieselgate' blow

A United States law allowing victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia could have "serious implications" for shared US-Gulf interests, a top Obama administration official said today.
	US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew made the comments at the opening of a meeting with finance ministers from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, whose most powerful member is Saudi Arabia.
	The US Congress voted overwhelmingly in September to override President Barack Obama's veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA).
	Fifteen of the 19 Al-Qaeda hijackers who carried out the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people were Saudi, but Riyadh denies any ties to the plotters.
	JASTA allows attack survivors and relatives of terrorism victims to pursue cases against foreign governments in US federal court and to demand compensation if those governments are proven to bear some responsibility for attacks on US soil.
	Lew said JASTA "would enact broad changes in ...

US Treasury chief warns on 9/11 law during Saudi visit

Juan Mata's second-half strike earned Manchester United a 1-0 win over holders Manchester City as Jose Mourinho's resurgent side reached the English Football League Cup quarter-finals.
     Humiliated 4-0 by Mourinho's former club Chelsea at the weekend, United got back to winning ways and claimed a measure of revenge for their 2-1 loss to Pep Guardiola's City in last month's league derby.
     The result at Old Trafford gave Mourinho only his third victory in 13 encounters with Guardiola, who has gone six games without victory for the first time in his glittering managerial career.
     "The players did everything and deserved to win. We are happy," Mourinho said.
     "In the last week everything went against us, but we are professionals.
     "The fans felt deeply such a negative result and today was a good chance to clear that feeling, because a derby knockout and to win gives everyone a better feeling."
     United will now entertain West Ham United, who claimed a 2-1 upset win ..

Mata sinks City, West Ham stun Chelsea in League Cup

British police today charged a 19-year-old man with making or possessing explosives after a suspicious item was found on a London Underground train last week.
	Damon Joseph Smith was charged a week after the item was found on a train at North Greenwich station, which serves the O2 entertainment complex in southeast London.
	He is due to appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court tomorrow.
	London's Metropolitan Police allege Smith "unlawfully and maliciously made or had in his possession or under his control an explosive substance with intent by means thereof to endanger life or cause serious injury to property in the United Kingdom".
	The charges relate to a day between October 18 and October 21, when Smith was arrested by armed police on a busy shopping street. An electric stun gun was used during the arrest, but no shots were fired.
	A police spokeswoman would not confirm whether the explosive substance was a viable bomb and told AFP that Smith's alleged offence was not ...

Teenager charged over explosives in London Tube probe

Twin earthquakes rocked central Italy today -- the second registering at a magnitude of 6.1 -- in the same region struck in August by a devastating tremor that killed nearly 300 people.
	At least two people have been reported injured in the latest quakes, with the mayor of one mountain town saying that many buildings had collapsed as authorities rushed to assess the full extent of the damage.
	The quakes were felt in the capital Rome, sending residents running out of their houses and into the streets. The second was felt as far away as Venice in the far north, and Naples south of the capital.
	The US Geological Survey (USGS) registered a first 5.5-magnitude quake at 1710 GMT, with the second following two hours later.
	In both cases the epicentre was near the village of Visso in the central Marche region.
	"Many houses have collapsed. Our town is finished," Marco Rinaldi, mayor of Ussita, told Sky Italy television by telephone.
	"The second quake was a long, terrible one," he ...

Strong twin quakes rock central Italy

A second strong earthquake hit central Italy today including the capital Rome, just two hours after a 5.4 quake sent residents running out of their houses and into the streets.
	Two people were reported injured in the town of Visso and collapses and damage were reported. The second quake was put at 5.9 by the Italian earthquake institute (INGV).

Second strong quake felt in Rome

Second strong quake felt in Rome: AFP. (AFP)

More than 10,000 Iraqis have fled their homes since the October 17 start of an offensive to retake Mosul from the Islamic State jihadist group, the United Nations said today.
	That figure is just a fraction of the displacement that aid groups expect to see when Iraqi forces reach the city limits and some of the million-plus people thought to be inside attempt to flee.
	"Over 10,500 people are currently displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance," the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement.
	While numbers have increased rapidly over the past two days, there was no sign an exodus of larger proportions was beginning.
	"Population movements are fluctuating as the front lines move, including people returning to their homes following improved security conditions in the immediate area," it said.
	The aid community has been scrambling to build camps and bring equipment to areas on the edges of the Mosul battlefield, a vast area where Iraqi forces ...

AFP

AFP

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