Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green, who is expected to represent the United States in the Rio Olympics, has been arrested for an alleged misdemeanour assault.
	According to court documents obtained by ESPN, the 26-year-old Green was detained on Sunday in East Lansing, Michigan where he played four seasons of college basketball.
	Police said that Green was arrested on a misdemeanour assault and battery charge in the early morning hours on Sunday.
	He was released on a USD 200 bond and is scheduled to be back in court on July 20.
	"It was basically an altercation between two guys," police told the US sports broadcaster yesterday. "There's no injuries."
	If convicted, he could face a maximum USD 500 fine and 93 days in jail.
	The Warriors said they are trying to learn more about the incident.
	"We are aware of the news involving Draymond Green in Michigan over the weekend. At this point, we are collecting information and will have no further comment until we have a better ...

NBA: Warriors' Green arrested for minor assault - report

PTI Automatic

The Pentagon has unveiled plans to grant military commanders more authority to arm servicemembers, one year after a deadly attack on military facilities in the southern United States.
	The rampage at military installations in Chattanooga, Tennessee, prompted Congress to ask President Barack Obama's administration to loosen current regulations that bar US soldiers from carrying arms off of their bases unless specifically assigned to do so for security reasons.
	The Defence Department plans to publish a revision to the arms policy "within a couple of months," said Major Jamie Davis, a Pentagon spokesman.
	"The policy will implement the intent of Congress and give commanders the authority to arm Department of Defence personnel at off-installation facilities when deemed necessary," he said yesterday.
	The July 16, 2015 attack on a Chattanooga, Tennessee recruitment centre and a Navy and Marine Corps reserve centre left four marines and one sailor dead at the hands of a lone gunman, who ...

Pentagon to clarify arms regulations for military personnel

Mexican soldiers killed five suspected criminals in a gunfight in a northern state where 14 other people were murdered over the weekend, authorities said.
	The shootout took place on Sunday on a road in the town of Valle Hermoso, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the US border, in the state of Tamaulipas.
	The soldiers were on the road when they saw armed civilians and ordered them to stop, according to the Tamaulipas Coordination Group of federal and state security forces.
	The civilians "ignored them and began to shoot at the soldiers, who repelled the attack in self-defense," the group said in a statement.
	The dead suspects are part of a criminal group that operates in the region, the statement said yesterday, without identifying the gang.
	The Gulf cartel and their rivals, Los Zetas, have fought brutal turf wars in Tamaulipas for years.
	 On Saturday, 11 members of the same family were killed by gunmen in their home in Ciudad Victoria, the state capital.
	Three people from ...

Mexican soldiers kill five suspected criminals

Venezuela's embattled government has said it would take over operations at facilities where US consumer goods giant Kimberly-Clark just shut down, citing unworkable economic conditions.
	"We are going to sign, at the workers' request... To authorise immediate occupation of the workplace known as Kimberly-Clark de Venezuela... By its workers," Labour Minister Oswaldo Vera yesterday said at the facility's plant in the central city of Maracay.
	The country's economy has been hard hit by the plunging value of its main export, oil. Analysts also criticise its state-led economy of gross mismanagement leading to shortages of toilet paper, diapers and food.
	Vera signed the document to loud cheers; he said machines would be back in operation within hours.
	"As of today, Kimberly-Clark's doors are open and its production on line," the minister said, recalling that President Nicolas Maduro has warned that companies that cease production stand to lose their facilities.
	The American company ...

Venezuela takes over Kimberly-Clark facilities: official

Three Portuguese air force personnel were killed and four others injured when their C130 military transport plane caught fire as it was preparing to take off from an air base south of Lisbon, the emergency services said.
	There were seven people on board the plane which was on a training exercise, the air force said in a statement yesterday.
	The four injured staffers were rushed to hospital where one was said to be in a serious condition.
	An enquiry has been opened into the cause of the accident which happened at the Montijo air base in a suburb of the Portuguese capital.

Three killed as Portuguese air force plane catches fire

The S&P 500 surged to a record TOday, joining a global equity rally as Wall Street brushed aside worries about the global economy and awaited second-quarter company earnings.
	The broad-based S&P 500 rose 0.3 per cent to 2,137.16, up about six and a half points from the prior all-time closing peak set in May 2015.
	The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4 per cent to 18.226.93, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index increased 0.6 per cent at 4,988.64.
	The gains on Wall Street reflected continued momentum from Friday's surprisingly strong US jobs report, which raised hopes that the American economy was strengthening.
	Sentiment was also boosted by expectations of additional economic stimulus in struggling Japan after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's party swept parliamentary elections.
	Key gainers included aluminum producer Alcoa, up 3.3 percent ahead of its post-market earnings release, and banks JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup, which report later in the week.
	Second-quarter ...

S&P 500 rises to new record as global stocks rally

Electric carmaker Tesla is preparing an updated "secret masterplan," as the company looks to rebound from concerns over the safety of its "autopilot" semi-autonomous driving mode.
	Company founder Elon Musk announced on Twitter yesterday that the new roadmap for the California company would be coming this week.
	"Working on Top Secret Tesla Masterplan, Part 2. Hoping to publish later this week," he wrote.
	This would update the "masterplan" announced by Musk in 2006 when he promised "an electric car without compromises," and a long-term vision of building "affordably priced family cars."
	Tesla Motors launched its first electric car in 2008 called the Roadster, which had limited distribution, followed in 2012 by the Model S, which has gained appeal globally among well-heeled buyers willing to pay some USD 70,000.
	The company has begun plans for its more affordable Model 3, at roughly half the price of the Model S, and has received more than 300,000 pre-orders.
	But Tesla's reputation 

Tesla readies updated 'secret masterplan'

Dallas Police Chief David Brown today defended the use of a bomb-carrying robot to kill the gunman who went on a shooting rampage last week targeting cops, killing five officers.
	Brown also updated the number of police officers wounded in Thursday's sniper attack -- which took place at the end of a peaceful protest over the fatal police shootings of two black men elsewhere in the United States -- from seven to nine.
	Two civilians were also wounded in the ambush.
	"This wasn't an ethical dilemma for me. I'd do it again," Brown said when asked about the use of a bomb robot to end the hours-long showdown with the shooter, identified as black Afghan war veteran Micah Johnson.
	The 25-year-old Johnson, who told negotiators he was angry over police treatment of black men and was specifically targeting white cops, was killed in the explosion.
	"I would use any tool necessary to save our officer's lives. I'm not ashamed to say it," Brown said, adding that the $150,000 robot was damaged but .

Dallas police chief defends use of bomb robot

President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger today proposed setting up a multinational west African force to fight terrorism.
	"We must work to strengthen the mandate and troop strength of MINUSMA to allow it to mount offensives against all kinds of terrorist forces in northern Mali," Issoufou said, referring to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali.
	He was speaking at a summit of the Conseil de l'Entente, a regional five-member cooperation forum set up in 1959 and currently chaired by Niger.
	"Failing that, to effectively fight terrorism in this brother country, we should set up a mixed multinational force modelled on the force operating in the Lake Chad region," he said.
	Established a year ago, that force comprises 8,500 troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Benin and Cameroon.
	"It's now operational and for several weeks has been mounting effective operations against Boko Haram," said Issoufou.
	"In the face of terrorism we have no choice but to ...

Niger president moots regional anti-terror force

Collectors with a penchant for old Soviet cars will head to the Arctic this weekend where the Finnish customs will auction dozens of cars abandoned by migrants crossing over from Russia.
	The 128 cars, mostly Soviet-era Ladas or Volgas in poor condition, will be auctioned on Friday and Saturday in Salla, about 900 kilometres (560 miles) north of Helsinki.
	Between December and March, more than 1,700 asylum seekers, mainly from Afghanistan and Syria, crossed the border in clunkers they had bought in Russia to get into Europe's passport-free Schengen zone through two of Finland's northern entry points in the Arctic.
	Despite the winter temperatures plunging as low as -30 Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit) in the region, some migrants considered the Arctic route to Europe safer than the more perilous Mediterranean crossings in risky boats.
	"These are abandoned vehicles that were handed over to the state, 128 pieces. Asylum seekers who arrived via Russia abandoned or handed them over," chief ...

Finland auctions Soviet cars abandoned by migrants

Four people died and 44 were injured today when a double-decker bus traveling through thick fog overturned in central Chile, police said.
	The accident occurred in the town of Ovalle in the Coquimbo region, when the vehicle flipped onto its left side on a slope.
	"Police confirmed that four people died and others were hurt to varying degrees," said Turbus, the company which owned the vehicle.
	The injured were taken to hospitals in the cities of La Serena and Ovalle.
	Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.

Four dead, 44 injured in Chile double-decker bus accident

South Sudan's president ordered a ceasefire today after a new day of heavy fighting in the capital Juba that sent thousands of people fleeing and threatened a return to civil war.
	President Salva Kiir's ceasefire order Monday evening raised hopes of an end to four days of deadly fighting between the army and ex-rebels.
	"The president has reiterated his commitment to the continued implementation of the [peace] agreement in letter and spirit, and thus issues an order of cessation of hostilities with immediate effect," Information Minister Michael Makuei said on state television at 6:00pm local time.
	There was no immediate response from rebel leader turned Vice President Riek Machar whose forces have been battling Kiir's soldiers on and off since Friday evening.
	The United Nations had expressed deep alarm over days of violence between the army and ex-rebels, which has left several hundred people dead and threatens the young nation's shaky peace.
	The UN Mission in South Sudan ...

Ceasefire declared after fierce fighting in Juba

Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said today that Washington will deploy 560 additional troops to aid Iraq's fight to retake Mosul from jihadists, deepening US military involvement in the country.
	The announcement, which will bring the total authorised number of American military personnel in Iraq to more than 4,600, came two days after Baghdad said it had recaptured a base south of Mosul that is seen as an important step toward the eventual battle for the city.
	Iraq's second city Mosul has been under Islamic State group control since June 2014, when the jihadists overran large parts of Iraq, carrying out atrocities including execution-style killings, mass kidnappings and rape.
	IS also holds territory in neighbouring Syria, but has lost significant ground in both countries, and Carter wanted to highlight successes, even as the jihadists have struck back with devastating attacks in Iraq and abroad.
	"I am pleased to report today that... We agreed for the United States to bolster Iraqi ...

US to send 560 more troops to aid Iraq's anti-IS fight

French President Francois Hollande today handed his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma the digitised recordings of the Rivonia Trial in which Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in jail.
	The deteriorating audio recordings of the 1963-1964 court case -- one of the most significant political trials in South African history -- were restored by France's National Audiovisual Institute (INA).
	"I would like to thank President Hollande for the digitisation of Rivonia Trial, which will safeguard an invaluable part of South African history for generations to come," said Zuma, who is on a state visit to France.
	The Rivonia Trial saw Mandela, who died in 2013, sent to Robben Island where he spent 18 of his 27 years in prison.
	During his defence in the trial, Mandela made a speech that electrified the world and became the manifesto of the anti-apartheid movement.
	It ended with the words: "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished ..

France hands Mandela trial recordings to SAfrica

An Israeli court sentenced a Palestinian to life in prison today for a shooting and stabbing attack on a Jerusalem bus that was one of the bloodiest incidents in a wave of violence that began in October.
	Bilal Abu Ghanem was one of two Palestinians who carried out the October 13 attack that killed two Israelis and a US-Israeli dual national.
	The second attacker, Bahaa Allyan, was shot dead during the attack.
	According to the court, Abu Ghanem, a resident of the east Jerusalem Jabel Mukaber neighbourhood, opened fire on the bus with a pistol, shooting 14 rounds, while Allyan stabbed passengers.
	The Jerusalem district court sentenced Abu Ghanem, 22, to three life sentences plus 60 years for murder and attempted murder, among other charges.
	He was also ordered to pay 1.45 million shekels (USD 373,000/338,000 euros) in compensation to victims' families, including four people wounded and the bus driver.
	When leaving the court, Abu Ghanem, who was imprisoned in 2013 for membership in .

Palestinian bus attacker given life sentence

A Pakistani Christian was charged with blasphemy Monday after his Muslim friend alleged he had sent a poem on Whatsapp that insulted Islam, police said.
	Yasir Bashir said Nadeem James had sent him a poem on the messaging app that blasphemous.
	"Police have registered a case on blasphemy charges against Nadeem James and are searching for him as he has fled his home," a local law enforcement official told AFP on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter.
	Another police official said that James' relatives had been taken into "protective custody" and that there was increased security in Christian neighbourhoods in the town of Sara-i-Almgeer, around 160 kilometres (100 miles) north of Lahore, because of local tension arising from Bashir's complaint.
	Such allegations can trigger beatings and mob violence in the conservative country, which has strict blasphemy laws including the death penalty for insulting the prophet.
	A Christian couple were lynched then burnt in .

Pakistani Christian charged with blasphemy over Whatsapp poem

Bernie Sanders will join Hillary Clinton at a presidential campaign rally in New Hampshire, her campaign announced.
	The Clinton campaign said today that Sanders will join the former secretary of state at a high school in the town of Portsmouth tomorrows "to discuss their commitment to building an America that is stronger together and an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top."
	Sanders has yet to endorse his former rival for the Democratic nomination.
	But the New York Times reported last week that Sanders would appear at a Clinton rally tomorrow in New Hampshire, and that he would formally endorse her.
	The daily said the anticipated pledge of support is the result of weeks of talks between the two campaigns aimed at unifying the party.
	Clinton clinched enough delegates to secure the nomination in early June, after a yearlong battle with Sanders, a senator from Vermont.
	But the feisty self-described democratic socialist nevertheless has refused to concede ...

Clinton campaign says Sanders to join her at Tuesday rally

Al-Jazeera news channel said one of its freelance reporters in northern Syria was killed today in an air strike by Russian forces supporting President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
	Ibrahim al-Omar, who reported for the Al-Jazeera Mubasher live channel, was killed "in Russian air strikes on the town of Termanin" in northern Idlib, the Doha-based channel said.
	The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human rights said five people were killed Monday in air strikes on Idlib province, in northwestern Syria, including three slain in Termanin.
	The other two were killed in strikes on the town of Ihsem, south of Idlib city.
	Al-Jazeera has seen at least six members of its staff killed while covering the Syria conflict, which broke out in 2011.
	The latest was in December when cameraman Zakaria Ibrahim was shot dead by a sniper in Homs province, the channel said.
	Statistics provided by Paris-based Reporters Without Borders says seven journalists were killed in Syria last year, while 15 were ...

Russian strike kills reporter in Syria: Jazeera

A man wanted in Singapore for allegedly stealing more than USD 22,000 from a bank using nothing but a piece of paper has been arrested in Bangkok, Singaporean police said today.
	The suspect was arrested yesterday, the police said in a statement, three days after authorities suspect him of robbing a Standard Chartered bank branch in the city-state using only a threatening note.
	"The Singapore authorities are currently engaging our counterparts in Thailand to see whether the suspect can be released into our custody," the statement said.
	The suspect strolled into the Singapore bank around lunchtime on July 7, handed the teller a note and walked off with Sg 30,000 dollars (USD 22,000) in cash.
	"This is a robbery, I have a weapon, give me money, don't call police," the note said, according to a source close to the investigation.
	Thai police confirmed the suspect is a Canadian man who arrived in Thailand at 5.08pm on Thursday but stopped short of naming him, reported Singapore daily ...

Singapore bank 'note' robber caught in Thailand

Pope Francis today named a former Fox News correspondent to head up the Vatican press office and appointed the tiny state's first-ever female deputy spokesperson.
	American Greg Burke, 56, brought in by the Vatican in 2013 to overhaul its public-relations operation, will take up the post on August 1, when outgoing chief spokesman Federico Lombardi steps down.
	His deputy will be Spanish journalist Paloma Garcia Overo, 40, previously the Rome and Vatican correspondent for the Spanish broadcaster COPE.
	Burke, who also worked as correspondent in Rome for the Catholic weekly National Catholic Reporter and Time magazine, is a "numerary" member of the influential conservative Catholic group Opus Dei, meaning he is a lay person but is celibate.
	Vatican watcher John Allen, writing for the Cruxnow website, said the appointments showed the pope's wisdom and strength.
	"He's debunked impressions of being anti-American, he's shown that competence matters, and he's signalled openness to groups ..

Pope names US reporter as spokesman plus first female deputy

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani on Monday welcomed as an "achievement" the renewed funding commitment from NATO for his country's fledgling security forces amid increasing Taliban insurgency.
	On Saturday NATO countries agreed at a summit in Warsaw to maintain troop numbers in Afghanistan and reiterated a funding pledge of USD 5 billion a year for local security forces until 2020.
	"Afghanistan returned successfully from the Warsaw summit and I congratulate the nation for that," Ghani told reporters in Kabul.
	"We achieved what we wanted to achieve and we are thankful to the world for that," he said.
	About 12,000 NATO troops, of which the bulk are American, are currently stationed in Afghanistan under Operation Resolute Support, to train and assist Afghan security forces.
	But the Afghans have struggled to contain a resurgent Taliban and have suffered brutal losses -- more than 5,000 local police and troops were killed in 2015, and this year is proving as deadly.
	Attacks by the ...

AFP

AFP

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