Iraqi President Fuad Masum said today Iraq's constitution should be amended rather than bypassed, in an apparent criticism of the premier's plan to abolish the constitutionally mandated vice presidency.
	Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered Iraq's three vice presidential positions to be scrapped and their funding reallocated as part of a reform drive aimed at curbing rampant corruption and government waste in response to weeks of protests.
	Masum called on his website for "protecting the constitution... And not bypassing it and not stopping working with it."
	He did not reject proposed changes outright, but said they must be carried out in keeping with the constitution.
	"We agree on the need to amend the constitution," he said, while also emphasising the "importance of respecting the principles of the constitution as the basis for any reforms and for any measures."
	Abadi, in a statement on his website, said "the reforms voted on by the cabinet and the parliament are ...

Iraq president says constitution should not be bypassed

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AB de Villiers hit a rapid 64 which provided the momentum for South Africa to gain a series- clinching 62-run win in the third and final one-day international against New Zealand on Kingsmead today.
	The win enabled South Africa to leapfrog New Zealand into third place in the world one-day rankings, behind Australia and India.
	It also provided a measure of revenge for their heartbreaking defeat to the Kiwis in the World Cup semi-final earlier this year.
	De Villiers hit his runs off 48 balls to enable South Africa to reach 283 for seven on a pitch which offered some assistance to the seam bowlers throughout the match. New Zealand were bowled out for 221 in reply.
	New Zealand lost key batsman Martin Guptill early, caught behind off Dale Steyn, but a partnership of 84 off 118 balls between Tom Latham and captain Kane Williamson kept them in contention.
	Both batsmen, however, were dismissed in the space of 15 deliveries.
	Williamson was bowled for 39 when he charged down the pitch and 

De Villiers stars as South Africa win series decider

An experimental blood test may be able to predict whether a woman with breast cancer will suffer a relapse months before new tumors would be detectable on scans, researchers said today.
	The technology, described in the journal Science Translational Medicine, works by detecting cancer DNA that circulates in the bloodstream.
	While the test is not yet available to the public, and likely will not be for years to come, researchers are hopeful that it could help refine personalized treatments for cancer and perhaps lead scientists further down the path of finding a cure one day.
	"We have shown how a simple blood test has the potential to accurately predict which patients will relapse from breast cancer, much earlier than we can currently," said study author Nicholas Turner, team leader in molecular oncology at The Institute of Cancer Research, London.
	"Ours in the first study to show that these blood tests could be used to predict relapse," he added.
	Scientists took tumor and blood ...

Blood test could predict breast cancer's return: study

Global equity markets went on another roller coaster ride today as China's interest rate cut showed little sign of calming jitters over the country's faltering economy.
	Europe's main stock markets fell, with London's benchmark FTSE 100 index shedding 1.68 per cent to close at 5,979.20 points.
	In the eurozone, the CAC 40 in Paris dropped 1.4 per cent to end at 4,501.05, points, and Frankfurt's DAX 30 fell 1.29 per cent to 9,997.43 points.
	But US stocks surged higher as investors tried to snap a six-day losing streak prompted by the turmoil in the Chinese stock market.
	In mid-morning trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 15,854.51, up 1.2 per cent on new US data showing that orders for durable goods rose a solid two percent in July.
	The broad-based S&P 500 rose 2.07 per cent to 1,906.26, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 2.15 per cent at 4,603.53.
	Frazzled investors sent Europe's top indices swinging between losses and gains after a choppy session on ...

Markets ride roller coaster after China rate cut

Swiss watchmakers are facing turbulent times in one of their top markets, as the already shrinking luxury sales in China are compounded by the recent devaluation of the yuan.
	Global financial markets are still reeling from the Chinese central bank's sudden devaluation of the yuan earlier this month, which allowed the currency to plunge nearly five percent against the dollar in a matter of days.
	In Switzerland, the move rattled the Alpine country's luxury watchmakers, who have already seen their once booming sales in China take a hit as Beijing began to crack down on corruption in the country by banning extravagant gifts like prestigious watches to public officials.
	Even before the yuan move, Swiss watch exports to China had contracted nearly 40 per cent in July.
	When the yuan devaluation was announced on August 11, investors were clearly bracing for the worst, recalling the impact on watch sales when Switzerland's central bank in January let the Swiss franc float and sent it ...

Turbulent time for Swiss watchmakers in China

Eight people have died in two days of pneumonic plague on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar which is hit by deadly outbreaks almost every year, a health ministry official said today.
	Pneumonic plague is rare and more vicious than the commonly-known bubonic strain as it gives antibiotics little time to act and can kill within 24 hours.
	"Twelve cases of pneumonic plague have been identified," out of which eight people have died in two days, Maherisoa Ratsitorahina, the health ministry's chief epidemiologist, told AFP.
	He said the disease was under control and was confined to Antsahatsihanarina village, which is less than 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the city of Moramanga in the east of the island.
	Plague is endemic in Madagascar where outbreaks have resurfaced often since 1980 and are blamed mainly on rats and flea infestation due to unbridled deforestation.
	Pneumonic plague can be spread from person to person through coughing.
	The World Health Organization warned early this .

Pneumonic plague kills eight in Madagascar

Qatar Airways has relaxed controversial policies which saw cabin crew sacked if they became pregnant or got married within the first five years of employment, airline officials said today.
	The restrictions, which had been condemned by UN agency the International Labour Organization (ILO), had been phased out "over the past six months", a spokeswoman for the company told AFP.
	"Our policies have evolved with the airline's growth," the spokeswoman added.
	Under the new regulations, women who become pregnant are now offered temporary ground jobs and staff can also get married after notifying the company.
	Other regulations which had drawn complaints from staff -- such as women crew members can only be picked up from work by their father, brother or husband -- are thought to remain in place, at least for the present.
	Qatar Airways has about 9,000 cabin crew and around three-quarters of these are female.
	In June, the ILO had called on the Doha-based airline to scrap contracts concerning 

Qatar Airways eases disputed cabin crew pregnancy rules

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said today that countries must "accelerate the rhythm of negotiations" on capping global warming ahead of an international climate conference in Paris in December.
	"We don't have much time. There remain less than 100 days before the final negotiations," he said, following a meeting with Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in the French capital.
	Both men expressed their "prudent optimism" that the climate conference in Paris would achieve its goal of an agreement capping warming at 2 degrees over the pre-industrial average.
	"The countries have been negotiating for more than 20 years. The Paris conference is the final step during which they have promised to agree on an ambitious climate accord. There is no time to lose," said Ban.
	Fabius said the talks were "different to the others".
	"It's a race against the clock. Last year was the hottest on record. It seems that this year will be even hotter. There is no plan B, there is no planet B."
	The UN's COP21 

World leaders must 'accelerate' climate talks: UN chief

German Chancellor Angela Merkel faced down far-right hecklers today, vowing zero tolerance for "vile" anti-migrant violence as rescuers found 40 corpses on a stricken boat off the Libyan coast.
	The biggest migrant crisis to hit Europe since World War II spiralled further as chaotic scenes erupted at a Hungarian border town with police firing tear gas, and Budapest mulling a troop deployment to stem a record influx of asylum-seekers.
	Alarmed by the worsening situation, UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged countries "in Europe and elsewhere to prove their compassion and do much more to bring an end to the crisis".
	The thousands of migrants and refugees who brave perilous journeys "should not, when they arrive, encounter new challenges," Ban said during a visit to Paris today.
	Hamstrung by a lack of a coherent European response to the crisis, governments have undertaken at times contradictory approaches to the problem.
	Hungary is building a vast razor-wire barrier to keep migrants out, while .

Merkel vows no tolerance for migrant hate as 40 die in

Nepal's top court has ordered a halt to commercial surrogacy services in the Himalayan nation until it rules on the legality of the practice, an official said today.
	Nepal has become a destination for foreigners seeking to have children through surrogate mothers. The practice is controversial, with critics saying it exploits the poverty of women.
	Although Nepal has no laws on its books covering surrogacy, the government last year allowed foreign women to serve as surrogates in Nepal but barred local women.
	"There are no laws regarding surrogacy... It raises many constitutional and legal questions," said Nahakul Subedi, spokesman for the Supreme Court.
	"So the court issued a stay order on surrogacy services yesterday ... Until the case is settled," Subedi told AFP.
	Advocate Prabin Pandak, who filed the original lawsuit against the practice, told AFP the court's order would put a stop to the registration of new cases.
	"Women should not be a subject of trade, neither should a ...

Nepal's top court orders suspension of surrogacy services

Queen Rania of Jordan said today that moderate Muslims were not doing enough to fight against IS jihadists and their "diabolical ideology."
	Speaking at a major French business gathering in Jouy-en-Josas near Paris, the 44-year-old said helping the Middle East's youth was crucial in the fight against the extremist group, which controls swathes of Iraq and Syria on Jordan's doorstep.
	"We are facing a time of great peril. Daesh, or the so-called Islamic State, continues to spread its diabolical ideology," she said.
	"Moderate Muslims the world over are not doing enough to win the ideological struggle at the heart of this battle.
	"We're not actively helping Daesh, but we're not actively stopping them either. We can't stand against them until we as Muslims agree on what we stand for."
	Queen Rania said focusing on the youth of the Middle East -- many of whom are unemployed or forced to flee their countries -- was a necessity.
	They need "education, opportunities, work and... Also a ...

Muslims not doing 'enough' to fight IS: Jordan's Queen Rania

Five people were killed and 20 wounded today when rebel rocket fire hit a petrol station in a government-held part of Syria's central Homs city, state news agency SANA said.
	The missile fire set fire to a tanker as it was unloading in the Inshaat neighbourhood of Homs, which is the provincial capital and largely under government control,  SANA said.
	"The rocket fire came from Talbisseh in northern Homs province where extremist groups led by (Al-Qaeda affiliate) Al-Nusra Front are located," the agency added.
	The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, also reported five dead in a blast at the petrol station, with 40 people injured.
	But it said there was conflicting information on whether the blast was caused by a tanker exploding or rocket fire hitting the station.
	The monitor said the toll was likely to rise because a number of the wounded were in serious condition.
	Most of the central Homs province is under regime control, though rebels are present in Homs 

Five dead in rebel rocket fire on Syria's Homs: SANA

More than 1,000 NATO paratroopers jumped from aircraft above Germany today in one of the alliance's largest airborne training exercise in Europe since the Cold War ended, the US army said.
	Amid a drive by NATO to boost its defences in light of the Ukraine crisis, 11 member countries are taking part in Exercise Swift Response at the US training area of Hohenfels in southern Germany. It will run until September 13.
	"The paratroopers are now conducting follow-on operations in Hohenfels that focus on crisis response and building a cohesive NATO team of European high readiness forces," US Army spokesman Christian Marquardt said in an email to AFP.
	Airborne drills were taking place in Italy, Bulgaria and Romania as well with a total of more than 4,800 soldiers from Britain, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the United States.
	Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014 and fighting in eastern Ukraine which has claimed 6,800 lives ...

More than 1,000 NATO paratroopers mount exercise in Germany

Israel released a second group of around 600 African migrants from a desert detention centre today after a court order, the prison authorities said.
	The supreme court this month ordered Israel to free illegal migrants held for more than a year at the Holot Detention Centre in the Negev desert, in a ruling that affected 1,178 asylum seekers.
	A first batch of hundreds was freed yesterday but barred from entering the cities of Tel Aviv and Eilat in the face of hostility from many residents.
	Yesterday's release completed compliance with the ruling.
	"That's it," an Israel Prisons Service spokeswoman told AFP.
	She said did not know where in Israel they would go once outside Holot.
	Official figures show 45,000 illegal immigrants are in Israel, almost all from Eritrea and Sudan.
	Most of those who have not been detained live in poor areas of southern Tel Aviv, where there have been several protests over their presence.
	Tel Aviv mayor Ron Hulda strongly criticised the government, ...

Israel frees hundreds more African migrants

Video of the deadly on-air shooting today of two US journalists apparently filmed by the assailant was posted on Twitter and Facebook -- footage that was later taken down.
	The video, posted under the Twitter account @bryce_williams7, shows the shooter brandishing a weapon at WDBJ reporter Alison Parker, who is interviewing a woman and unaware of his presence.
	Cameraman Adam Ward has his back to the apparent shooter and was also unaware of his presence.
	The shooter seems to briefly lower the camera.
	Multiple shots are then heard, and screams.
	The shooter's hand is clearly visible. He appears to be wearing a blue checkered shirt.
	Bryce Williams was the name used on-air by the suspect, former station employee Vester Flanagan.

US shooting suspect posts video of incident on social media

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today urged Turkey to vote for "stability" in November 1 polls, as three pro-Kurdish MPs were invited into a caretaker government in an unprecedented move.
	If the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MPs accept, it will be the first time in Turkish history that representatives of a pro-Kurdish party have taken seats in the government.
	The repeat elections come after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) co-founded by Erdogan failed to win an overall majority in a June vote and subsequent talks to form a coalition government broke down.
	The hugely intricate formation of a caretaker government to take Turkey to the polls is unprecedented in the country's political history -- never before have post-poll coalition talks ended without results.
	"I believe that November 1 will be an election of stability or instability. God willing, this country will reach stability again," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara.
	The comments were seen a clear message to ..

Erdogan urges Turkey to choose 'stability' in November polls

A Russian conscript today killed an officer and two soldiers at an army camp before turning the gun on himself, investigators said.
	A serviceman armed with an automatic rifle fired shots at a military field camp in the Kostroma region on the Volga, killing the three, the Investigative Committee in charge of major crimes said in a statement.
	He also wounded two other servicemen and then committed suicide, investigators said.
	Citing preliminary information, the defence ministry said there was a personal motive behind the attacks.
	The Investigative Committee, which reports directly to President Vladimir Putin, gave few details, saying only that it had opened a probe into multiple murder.
	Spokespeople for the defence ministry were not immediately available for further comment.
	Since coming to power in 2000, Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to boost the armed forces, which received new aircraft, tanks and missiles after years of post-Soviet neglect.
	But hazing in the army 

Russian conscript kills three before committing suicide

AB de Villiers hit a rapid 64 to lift South Africa to a competitive total of 283 for seven in the series-deciding third and final one-day international against New Zealand on Kingsmead today.
     The South African captain was the only batsman who made batting look easy against a steady New Zealand bowling attack on a pitch which offered the New Zealand bowlers good bounce and some sideways movement.
     De Villiers hurried to a half-century off 38 balls before being bowled by Doug Bracewell after a 48-ball innings which included eight fours and a six.
     When De Villiers was on 19 he reached 8000 runs in one- day internationals in his 182nd innings - the fastest to the milestone.
     The previous record was held by Sourav Ganguly of India, who took 200 innings.
     After a poor batting performance in the second match in Potchefstroom, where they were bowled out for 204, South Africa fulfilled their objective of making a solid start as Morne van Wyk (58) and Hashim Amla (44) put .

De Villiers gives South Africa fighting chance

America's Pacific commander held talks with the Philippine military today on ways to strengthen US capacity in the region to deter conflict and maintain freedom of navigation, a Filipino spokesman said.
	Admiral Harry Harris, head of the US Pacific Command, outlined a freshly drafted Pentagon report highlighting issues in the South China Sea, where China is in dispute with the Philippines and other neighbours over islands, reefs and waters, said military spokesman Colonel Restituto Padilla.
	"It is part of our interest to keep that freedom of the seas going because a lot of trade goes on in these areas," Padilla said of Harris's meeting with Filipino military chief of staff General Hernando Iriberri.
	Harris did not speak to the press after meeting Iriberri and later Philippine President Benigno Aquino.
	Japan and the Philippines -- both US military allies -- are engaged in tense maritime disputes with China over islands, reefs and waters in the East China Sea and South China Sea, ...

US, Philippines hold talks on boosting military capacity

The Arab League said it had postponed indefinitely a ministerial meeting set for today to approve the creation of a joint military force to intervene against jihadists.
	A meeting of defence and foreign ministers "has been postponed indefinitely and a new date will be set later," the league's secretariat said Wednesday.
	No reason was given for the postponement, but the league statement said it came at the request of Saudi Arabia, backed by Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
	At a summit in March, Arab leaders agreed to form the force, and army chiefs have already met twice in Cairo to work on the details.
	The decision to create the force was mostly aimed at fighting the Islamic State Group, which has overrun swathes of Iraq and Syria and secured a foothold in Libya and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Arab League delays meeting on joint military force

Newly-appointed Australia captain Steven Smith said he was ready for a "new era" as he prepared to lead them for the first time since Michael Clarke's retirement.
     Australia face Ireland in Belfast on Thursday in what will be the first one-day international since beating New Zealand in the World Cup final in Melbourne in March.
     It will also be Australia's first match since Clarke retired from all international cricket after the fifth and final Test against England at The Oval last week.
     Australia won by an innings and 46 runs but victory in south London came too late to save the Ashes, with England winning the five-match series 3-2.
     The 26-year-old Smith, who had deputised as skipper in both Test and one-day cricket when Clarke was injured, was long seen as Australia's captain in waiting and is looking forward to taking up the role full time.
     "I'm very excited," Smith told travelling Australian media in Belfast on Wednesday.
     "Obviously, I've known for a ...

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