North Korea named the four-star general appointed to the vacant post of defence minister today, three months after his predecessor was reportedly executed.
	The country's KCNA news agency referred to General Pak Yong-sik as "head of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces", the country's defence minister equivalent, in a report on military talks held with the government of Laos.
	Pak has appeared in numerous state media reports in recent weeks as part of the entourage of leader Kim Jong-Un, fuelling speculation he was to take the position.
	The defence minister is thought to rank the second or third highest in the country's military hierarchy, South Korea's Yonhap agency said.
	Pak was promoted to major general in the North's army in 1999, according to Yonhap, rising to become a four-star general in May.
	It is the first time the North has confirmed that a replacement has been chosen after the purging of the previous defence minister, Hyon Yong-chol, in April.
	South Korea's spy ...

North Korea names new defence minister: state media

PTI Automatic

At least 14 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack at a crowded market in Chad's capital today just days after Boko Haram claimed a previous bombing in the city that left 38 people dead.
	The attack in N'Djamena by a man disguised as a woman in a full-face veil came after a botched bombing of a bus station in the restive capital of Nigeria's Borno state, Maiduguri, which killed two pedestrians.
	Both attacks again underlined the threat still posed by the Islamist militants, despite claimed military successes in recent months and with a new regional force set to take on the group at the end of the month.
	Experts said the bombing in Chad, following previous strikes in Niger and repeated targeting of northern Cameroon, demonstrated the need for an effective solution to the problem involving both Nigeria and its neighbours.
	Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, who came to power on May 29, has made defeating Boko Haram a top priority but experts said he could not do it alone.
	"The 

Boko Haram suspected after suicide attacks in Chad, NE Nigeria

Somalia's government said today that 12 Shebab militants were killed in the raids on two heavily-fortified Mogadishu hotels.
	Internal Security Minister Abdirasak Omar Mohamed told reporters that "it was only them (the attackers) who died" in the coordinated suicide strikes yesterday.
	"The violent elements attacked the Weheliye and Siyaad hotels in order to disrupt people from breaking their fast in peace. Seven attackers were involved in the hotel Weheliye attack while five attackers were involved in the Siyaad hotel, and all of them were killed," he said.
	However a statement from the UN Special Representative for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, said the raids "resulted in the death and injuries of civilians, members of the security forces, AMISOM (African Union) troops and government officials".
	Security sources said late yesterday at least five people died, and witnesses said at least a dozen people were wounded. The evening also saw mortar rounds fired at Mogadishu's former main ...

Somalia says 12 Shebab killed in hotel raids

Tunisia's status as a "non-NATO ally" of the United States has been approved, the US State Department has said, paving the way for enhanced military cooperation between the countries.
	Washington hailed the partnership between the United States and Tunisia after the Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status was confirmed yesterday.
	"MNNA status sends a strong signal of our support for Tunisia's decision to join the world's democracies," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.
	He added the "status is a symbol of our close relationship."
	In May, US President Barack Obama declared Tunisia a non-NATO ally while hosting his Tunisian counterpart Beji Caid Essebsi at the White House.
	The United States is hoping to strengthen Essebsi, who in December became the first democratically elected leader in Tunisia's 60-year history.
	Kirby said the status offers Tunisia a host of "tangible privileges, including eligibility for training, loans of equipment for cooperative research and .

Tunisia's 'non-NATO ally' status confirmed by US

Aung San Suu Kyi today said her opposition National League for Democracy would participate in a historic general election in Myanmar set for November, the first to be contested by the party in a quarter of a century.
	The confirmation comes after Myanmar on Wednesday set November 8 as the day for polls expected to be the most important election in a generation.
	"We have decided to take part in the election," Suu Kyi told reporters at a press conference at her residence in the capital Naypyidaw, vowing the party would "amend the constitution" that bars her from the presidency if it wins the polls.
	Last month the NLD was defeated in a crucial parliamentary vote aimed at ending the military's effective veto on constitutional change -- the first hurdle in the party's campaign to amend a clause barring those with a foreign spouse or children from becoming president. Suu Kyi's sons are British.
	But despite the loss the Nobel laureate had vowed not to "back down" from the election and her 

Suu Kyi says opposition to contest Myanmar general election

World powers huddled again today behind closed doors on the 15th day of negotiations seeking a deal to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions, with no sign of any end to the nail-biting deadlock.
	Despite a warning from US Secretary of State John Kerry that he would not sit at the negotiating table forever, an Iranian official told AFP the talks, now entering their third week, could stretch on and on.
	"We have no time-limit in order to reach a good deal," the senior Iranian official said, asked if the negotiations could be formally extended again in a bid to end the current deadlock.
	Iran and the so-called the P5+1 group --Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- are seeking to curtail Tehran's ability to develop nuclear weapons in exchange for relief from painful sanctions.
	After a very public blame game about the reasons behind the stalemate, Kerry yesterday had offered a glimmer of hope that some progress may be being made saying some outstanding issues had been ..

Warnings of 'no time-limit' as Iran talks hit 15th day

Two missile strikes by unmanned American drones in southeastern Yemen have killed 10 suspected members of Al-Qaeda, including three local chiefs, an official said today.
	The raids targeted a vehicle and a container loaded with weapons late yesterday at the port of Mukalla, the provincial capital of Hadramawt, the local official said.
	The strikes destroyed the arms container, he added.
	The deaths bring to 23 the number of suspected Al-Qaeda militants killed by similar strikes in Yemen in less than three weeks, and follows the death of the second-in-command of Al-Qaeda's global network.
	The group confirmed on June 16 the killing of Nasir al-Wuhayshi, who headed Al-Qaeda's Yemen branch, by US drone strike.
	Washington regards that branch, known as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), as its most dangerous and has kept up a drone war despite the pullout of US troops from Yemen in March as the country's war worsened.
	The US still has drones and other aircraft at bases in Saudi ...

Drone strikes kill 10 Qaeda suspects in Yemen: official

Two people were killed in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri today when two suicide bombers tried to target a busy bus station, witnesses said.
	Heavy security prevented the bombers from getting into the Borno Express Terminal and the blast happened nearby at about 7:10 am local time.
	"The two terrorists approached the gate in their tricycle (motorised rickshaw) but could not have their way because of the heavy security presence," said bus driver Mohammed Kabir.
	"They hit an 18-seater bus that just went out of the terminus with passengers."
	Sama'ila Yusuf, a civilian vigilante assisting the military against Boko Haram, said the bombers turned away as all passengers were being screened before entry into the bus station.
	"They hit a bus that just left the terminus on its way to Kano," he added.
	Reports indicated that the two victims were pedestrians. The two bombers were also killed.
	There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the attack bore the hallmarks of Boko ...

2 killed in botched suicide attack in NE Nigeria

Mohammad Hafeez shrugged off concerns about his bowling action and claimed four wickets as Pakistan kept Sri Lanka down to 255-8 in the first One-day International here today.
     Hafeez, who was reported for a suspect action during the preceding Test series and underwent tests in Chennai last week, took the field only because he is allowed to play till the results are declared.
     The 34-year-old off-spinner seized the opportunity to finish with his best one-day figures of four for 41 after Pakistan captain Azhar Ali won the toss and elected to field.
     Dinesh Chandimal top-scored with an unbeaten 65 off 68 balls as the Sri Lankans struggled to come to terms with the accurate Pakistani bowling.
     Chandimal put on 82 for the fifth wicket with skipper Angelo Mathews (38) and 40 for the seventh with debutant Milinda Siriwardana (22) after the first four batsmen had fallen for 118 by the 27th over.
     Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan made 38 after being caught off a Mohammad Irfan .

Under-scanner Hafeez shines for Pakistan

A female suicide bomber killed around 10 people at a market in the capital of Chad today, police said, in the latest attack to hit the country on the frontline in the fight against Boko Haram Islamists.
	The woman, wearing a full-face Islamic veil, blew herself up at the entrance to a market in N'Djamena around 8:45 am (0745 GMT), a police official told AFP, adding about 10 people were killed and several injured.
	"A woman dressed in a burqa arrived at the entrance to the market and a policeman asked to search her," the official said. "That's when she set off the explosives belt."
	Chad banned full-face Islamic veils after twin suicide bombings in mid-June killed 33 people and wounded more than 100 in the capital.
	The authorities have blamed the attack on Boko Haram, the Nigerian jihadist group that has carried out multiple suicide bombings inside Nigeria, sometimes by women who hid explosives under modest outer garments.
	Chad's army has spearheaded a regional military effort to ...

Female suicide bomber kills 10 in Chad capital: police

Hundreds of schoolchildren in the southern Philippines have fallen sick after eating durian-flavoured sweets, the provincial governor said today.
	Up to 1,350 elementary and high school students were treated in hospital in nine towns overnight after they complained of stomach cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting and headaches late Friday, Surigao del Sur governor Johnny Pimentel told AFP.
	As of today, 250 remained in hospital but they were expected to be discharged later in the day, Pimentel said.
	Nine men and women who sold the sweets from a van while the children were on their lunch break have been arrested, he said.
	Police are investigating whether the sweets were expired or were deliberately laced with poison, Pimentel added.
	"The suspects had a plan to sell only to school children. They went around nine towns the whole day selling candies," he said.
	The group denied to police that they meant to poison the children, he added.
	Pimentel said police were still trying to establish why ...

'Poison' sweets make hundreds of kids ill in Philippines

An Israeli drone crashed in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli today, the military said, in the second such incident in three weeks.
	"At around 8:30 am (0530 GMT), a drone belonging to the Israeli enemy went down in the port of Tripoli, and the army has taken the necessary measures," the Lebanese military said in a statement, without elaborating.
	A security official said the pilotless aircraft crashed into the sea.
	"Fishermen had the impression a plane was falling down towards their harbour, close to the main port of Tripoli," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
	"They alerted the army which has retrieved the aircraft from eight metres under water. It turned out later that it was an Israeli drone," the source added.
	An spokesman for the Israeli military refused to comment on the reports.
	On June 21, Israel carried out an air strike in eastern Lebanon to destroy one of its drones that had crashed in the mountains outside the village of Saghbine.

Israeli drone crashes in Lebanon for 2nd time in 3 weeks

Three people were killed and a dozen injured in four separate bomb blasts in Thailand's war-torn deep south, police said Saturday, while another four died from shooting and arson attacks.
	More than 6,300 people have been killed in near-daily conflict pitting troops and police against rebels seeking greater autonomy for the three Muslim-majority provinces bordering Malaysia since 2004.
	In the latest spate of attacks, three people died Friday evening when a motorcycle bomb exploded outside a karaoke bar in southern Songkhla province's Sadao district, which borders the conflict-hit region and is frequently swept up in the unrest.
	"Three were killed in the blast and four injured," Major General Puthichart Ekachant, the deputy police commander for the southern region, told AFP.
	Southernmost Narathiwat province saw three bomb blasts Friday, including at a karaoke bar in Sugnai Kolok district that wounded eight people shortly before the motorcycle bomb went off, according to a statement .

Seven dead, dozen injured as attacks rock Thai south

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer hailed his straight-sets semi-final demolition of Andy Murray as one of the best of his career on Friday.
	The 33-year-old Swiss became the oldest All England Club finalist since 39-year-old Ken Rosewall in 1974 when he swept past 2013 champion Murray 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 to set up a rematch of last year's final against Novak Djokovic, a clash he lost in five sets.
	 Victory put Federer into his 10th Wimbledon final and 26th at all the Grand Slams where he will seek a record eighth All England Club title and 18th major. His victory over Murray was his most impressive performance in recent years and featured 20 aces, 56 winners and just 11 unforced errors.
	He allowed the 28-year-old world number three, who he has now defeated in five out of six Grand Slam clashes, just one break point and that was in the opening game of the two hour seven minute match.
	"It's definitely one of the best matches I've played in my career. The first set, I don't ...

Federer hails 'one of my best' performances

Families of those killed when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine last year demanded justice today at an emotional memorial ceremony ahead of the first anniversary of the disaster.
	The sombre memorial service at Kuala Lumpur International Airport was attended by Prime Minister Najib Razak, and relatives of those who died used the opportunity to air their continued frustrations over the handling of the tragedy.
	"We want to find out who shot down the plane. We must find out," said Ivy Loi, whose husband Captain Eugene Choo was one of the pilots on board the flight.
	Loi, who was greeted by many Malaysia Airline employees at the event, attended the service with her two sons and relatives.
	"We're just trying to cope," she added as she wiped away tears.
	Rita Phang, 62, lost her cousin when the plane was downed.
	"I know it's almost a year, but we still feel sad, even though we know we have to accept the way things are," she said. "But action needs to be taken. I ...

As first anniversary looms, MH17 families demand justice

A powerful blast hit the Italian consulate in the Egyptian capital today, partially destroying the facade of the building in central Cairo.
	It was not immediately clear what caused the blast, which occurred at about 6:30 am (0430 GMT), when the consulate would have been closed.
	Medics at the site of the blast told AFP that it wounded two policemen stationed outside the consulate and three passers-by.

Blast hits Italian consulate in Cairo

Roger Federer can win a record eighth Wimbledon title and become the oldest champion of the modern era tomorrow if he can find a way past world number one Novak Djokovic.
     The 33-year-old Swiss has defied those who dared to write him off when he lost last year's final to the Serb in five gruelling sets.
     His breathtaking demolition of Andy Murray in Friday's semi-finals was a throwback to his years of Grand Slam dominance when he captured 16 of his 17 majors in a seven-year spell between 2003 and 2010.
     Now he has reached a 10th Wimbledon final, the oldest man to do so since 39-year-old Ken Rosewall in 1974, and his 26th Grand Slam final overall.
     A win on Sunday would break the tie of seven Wimbledon titles he shares with Pete Sampras and which he levelled with his most recent Slam, the 2012 All England Club crown.
     Ahead of their 40th career meeting, Federer and defending champion Djokovic are equally-matched.
     Federer has a 20-19 career edge in their ...

Djokovic in way of Federer Wimbledon history bid

Boko Haram gunmen shot dead eight people in Nigeria's remote northeast as they returned to inspect their damaged homes in an abandoned town, refugees have said.
	Some residents who had fled Gamboru across the border into northern Cameroon went back to the frontier town last morning after hearing a rumour that Chadian and Cameroonian troops were providing security.
	"We lost eight people to Boko Haram gunmen today (Friday)," said Babagana Bukar, a Nigerian from Gamboru now living in the town of Fotokol, just across the border in Cameroon.
	"Some of our people went back to Gamboru after they were told the town was safe for them.... While they were inspecting their homes, Boko Haram gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on them killing five men and three women," he said.
	Two other former residents of the town, also now living in Fotokol, supported Bukar's account. One of them, Umar Babakalli, said two other women were seized and beaten.
	They managed to make it back across the bridge that .

Boko Haram gunmen kill 8 in Nigeria's remote northeast

UN experts said today that almost 5,500 Tunisians are fighting alongside jihadists abroad, urging Tunis to adopt a "national strategic plan" to curb the flow.
	"The number of Tunisian foreign fighters is one of the highest among those travelling to join conflicts abroad such as in Syria and Iraq," said Elzbieta Karska, current head of a UN working group on the use of mercenaries.
	"Sophisticated travel networks operate to take recruits across the porous borders, and sometimes through areas where trafficking in people and illicit goods may not be effectively controlled," Karska said after an eight-day mission to Tunisia.
	"Testimony has documented that the routes taken entail travel through Libya, then Turkey and its border at Antakya, and then Syria," she said.
	Karska also pointed to possible links between mercenaries and foreign recruits to groups such as the Islamic State group battling in Iraq and Syria.
	"It was reported to us that recruiters in these networks are well paid -- ...

Almost 5,500 Tunisians in jihadist ranks: UN experts

The director of the US Office of Personnel Management resigned today after a devastating hack of government databases that saw the personal information of millions of federal workers and contractors stolen.
	Katherine Archuleta had come under criticism after revelations that the hack, which many suspect originated in China, affected a staggering 21.5 million people, far more than initially believed.
	The data breach swept up Social Security numbers and other information about current and former government workers, applicants, contractors and spouses of those who underwent background checks for security clearances.
	"I conveyed to the president that I believe it is best for me to step aside and allow new leadership to step in, enabling the agency to move beyond the current challenges," said Archuleta, who had been in the post since November 2013.
	A White House official said President Barack Obama had "accepted her resignation and thanked her for her years of dedicated service."
	Beth .

Top US official quits after massive government hack

French police officers have been given approval to sport beards and tattoos on the job so long as they respect certain conditions, officials said today.
	Responding to a police officers' union request, officials said French cops may wear beards on duty "as long as they are clean and well-trimmed," and may indulge in the current male fashion of letting stubble grow two or three days between shaves.
	Police officers of both genders hankering for tattoos, meanwhile, may get inked so long as the result "is not contrary to (police) ethics" by carrying religious, political or racist messages, or is otherwise capable of "provoking clashes with the population."
	In addition to the general authorisation, the police union has asked officials to provide detailed directives on the Dos and Don'ts of sporting facial hair and tats while in uniform.

AFP

AFP

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