Afghanistan's new President Ashraf Ghani will head to China next week for a three-day visit, his office said in a statement today, his first trip abroad since being sworn in last month.
	Ghani will be accompanied by a high ranking Afghan government delegation for his first overseas trip since he took office in late September following a prolonged political stand-off over the results of the fraud-tainted presidential election.
	"On official invitation by the president of People's Republic of China Xi Jinping, president Ashraf Ghani along with a high ranking government delegation, will leave for Chinese capital Beijing next week," the statement said without specifying the date.
	During his visit, the Afghan president will hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and other Chinese leaders and sign agreements on bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries, the statement added.
	China, which shares a 76 kilometre border with Afghanistan's far northeast, has a keen 

New Afghanistan president to visit China

PTI Automatic

The United States and China, the biggest greenhouse gas polluters, could reduce by a quarter the envisaged 2020 shortfall in emissions cuts required to curtail global warming, researchers said today.
	If they move swiftly to achieve deep cuts in energy from high-carbon fuels like coal and oil, the two countries could reduce emissions by 2.8 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) from current 2020 projections, said a Climate Action Tracker (CAT) analysis.
	This meant they alone could "close 23 percent of the emissions gap" of some 12 GtCO2e projected for 2020.
	The emissions gap, regularly updated by CAT researchers, is the difference between cuts needed to achieve the UN goal of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels, and what will be achieved on current national policies.
	In 2030, collective reductions for the US and China could be as much as 6.7 GtCO2e, said the CAT, as country negotiators met in Bonn .

US, China can tip balance in climate quest: study

A new device similar to a simple pregnancy home-test could allow doctors to diagnose a patient with suspected Ebola in under 15 minutes, its French developers said today.
	Trials at a high-security lab have validated the technique and prototype kits should be available in Ebola-hit countries by the end of October for a clinical trial, France's Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) said in a statement.
	The diagnostic tool, not yet approved by regulators, works by monoclonal antibodies reacting to the presence of virus in a tiny sample, which can be a drop of blood, plasma or urine, it said.
	A European pharma company Vedalab is turning it into a user-friendly kit called Ebola eZYSCREEN.
	Similar to a DIY pregnancy test, a positive result sees a small stripe showing up in a results window on the hand-held device.
	The kit is simple to use in the field without any additional equipment, said the CEA, which also does non-nuclear research with a possible military or security application.
	"It can 

French scientists devise fast-track test for Ebola

The microblogging site Twitter popular among both men and women in ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia is nothing more than "a source of lies" and evil, the kingdom's top Muslim cleric said.
	"If it were used correctly, it could be of real benefit, but unfortunately it's exploited for trivial matters," Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh said on his "Fatwa" television show broadcast late yesterday.
	Twitter is "the source of all evil and devastation", the mufti said.
	"People are rushing to it thinking it's a source of credible information but it's a source of lies and falsehood."
	Saudi Arabia adopts a strict version of Sunni Islam, including a segregation of the sexes, that influences all aspects of life in the Gulf kingdom.

Twitter 'source of all evil': Saudi cleric

Italy's financial police today said they had broken up a ring of companies they believe used false accounting to defraud the state of USD 2.2 billion of tax.
	"The illegal activity has led, over the years, to damages to the state... Whose total sum exceeds USD 2.2 billion" since 2001, the financial police said in a statement.

Italian police say discovered huge USD 2.2 bn corporate fraud

Russian and French experts were investigating today a plane crash at a Moscow airport which killed the CEO of French oil giant Total, Christophe de Margerie, whose private jet struck a snowplough on takeoff.
	Russian investigators said the driver of the snow-clearing machine was drunk and that his actions, along with "an error by air traffic controllers", appeared to have led to the crash -- a claim disputed by the driver's lawyer.
	They also blamed senior airport officials for causing the accident through "criminal negligence", and said several executives would be suspended.
	At Total, one of the world's biggest oil companies, staff at its Paris headquarters observed a minute's silence for their 63-year-old boss known affectionately as the "Big Moustache" because of his distinctive facial hair.
	"The group is set up to ensure the proper continuity of its governance and its activities, to deal with this tragic event," Total's secretary general Jean-Jacques Guilbaud said, as top ...

CEO of French oil giant Total killed in Moscow plane crash

In a video posted by the Islamic State group today, an elderly Syrian is shown to have taken part in stoning his daughter to death for alleged adultery.
	The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the execution took place in August or September in an IS-controlled rural area in the east of the central province of Hama.
	It was the latest in spate of videotaped executions that the jihadists have posted on social media as they impose their extreme version of Islamic sharia law across a swathe of Syria and neighbouring Iraq.
	In the video, a bearded gunman in combat fatigues stands behind the father, who is dressed in the white robe and chequered headdress.
	They both face the young black-clad daughter as the gunman addresses her in the classical Arabic of the Koran.
	"The punishment is the result of crimes which you committed under no duress," he says.
	"You must accept the punishment of God. Do you accept the punishment of God?"
	She nods her head in assent, then turns to her father .

Syria man stones daughter to death in IS video

Israeli archaeologists today unveiled a 2,000-year-old commemorative stone inscription dedicated to Roman Emperor Hadrian, which researchers say sheds light on the Jewish revolt against the ancient empire.
	The stone, which measures a metre by a metre-and-a-half (three feet by five feet) and weighs a tonne, was found near the Damascus Gate entrance to Jerusalem's Old City, with Israel's Antiquity Authority (IAA) calling it "one of the most important Latin inscriptions" discovered in the Holy City.
	The six lines in Latin, engraved in the hard white limestone, are a dedication from the Roman army honouring Emperor Hadrian, who visited the city in 130 AD and whose many building projects included the wall named after him in Britain to demarcate a border of the Roman empire.
	The IAA said the stone may have originally been set into a gateway.
	It was found on top of a deep cistern, with a semi-circle cut through the lower part of the inscription to allow access to the water.
	"We have ...

Rare Roman inscription unearthed in Jerusalem

British drones deployed to counter Islamic State jihadists in Iraq will also be used for surveillance over Syria to gather intelligence as part of efforts to protect national security from the terrorist threat emanating from there, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said today.
	Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond had announced last week that unmanned Reaper drones were being re-deployed from Afghanistan to the Middle East.
	Britain's parliament has authorised air strikes in Iraq, where Tornado fighter jets are part of an international operation conducting bombing raids on IS group targets, but not in Syria.
	Fallon also said in a written statement to parliament that the drones would start operations "very shortly".
	"As well as their operations over Iraq, both Reapers and Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft will be authorised to fly surveillance missions over Syria to gather intelligence as part of our efforts to protect our national security from the terrorist threat emanating from there," 

British drones to gather intelligence over Syria

Hong Kong authorities and pro-democracy protest leaders sat down today for talks aimed at ending weeks of rallies that have paralysed the city's streets, on the same day the city's leader ruled out democratic reforms.
	The crucial talks began just hours after Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying said open elections would result in the largest sector of society -- the city's poor -- dominating the electoral process, adding that free elections were impossible.
	A number of major intersections in the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city have been paralysed for more than three weeks by mass rallies demanding free elections, in one of the biggest challenges to Beijing's authority since the Tiananmen pro-democracy protests of 1989.
	"I hope this dialogue can calm the relatively tense atmosphere in society," said Chief Secretary Carrie Lam in her opening remarks today.
	"When 5 million eligible voters directly vote for the chief executive through one-person-one-vote, no matter which ...

Hong Kong government, democracy protest leaders begin talks

Oscar Pistorius will not be allowed to run in the Paralympics for the whole of his five-year jail term, even if he is released early under house arrest, a spokesman for the organisers of the event said Tuesday.
     "He will not be able to compete for five years. For us he would have to serve the whole term even if he was released early," International Paralympic Committee spokesman Craig Spence told AFP.
     Pistorius, 27, was jailed for five years on Tuesday for culpable homicide over the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. A member of Pistorius's legal team, Roxanne Adams, said Pistorius could be transferred to house arrest after 10 months.
     The South African, who was amputated below the knee at the age of 11 months, has won sprint gold medals at three Paralympic Games as well as competed in the 2012 London Olympics. He became known as "Blade Runner" because of his speed using carbon fiber blades.
     The next Paralympics are in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 but the ...

Oscar cannot run in Paralympics during jail term: Organisers

South African prosecutors today welcomed Oscar Pistorius's sentence to up to five years in jail, but said they were still weighing whether or not to appeal his conviction on charges of culpable homicide.
	The state had pressed for Pistorius to be charged with a more serious charge of premeditated murder for the killing of Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013.
	But judge Thokozile Masipa, who opted for a conviction on the lesser charge of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, said the prosecutors had not convinced the court.
	"We were disappointed with the conviction of culpable homicide," said National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Nathi Mncube.
	"We have not made up our minds whether we are going to appeal or not," said Mncube.
	"We have 14 days to consider the law and we will (need to) be sure that the facts and law will allow us to appeal," he said.
	Mncube said that he believes that South Africa will be satisfied with judge Masipa's sentencing.
	A member of Pistorius's legal ...

Prosecutors still weighing appeal of Pistorius verdict

The chairman of Iran's Assembly of Experts, the clerics who appoint and can dismiss the country's supreme leader, has died, four months after suffering a heart attack, state media reported today.
	Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani, 83, died of heart failure, the official IRNA news agency said, opening up a vacancy near the top of Iran's power structure.
	President Hassan Rouhani announced two days of mourning for Kani, a former acting prime minister and interior minister who took on the influential position in March 2011.
	Comprised of 86 religious figures elected by the people, the Assembly of Experts chooses the supreme leader and monitors his actions.
	However, Kani was absent from its annual conference last month, having fallen into a coma following his heart attack on June 4.
	Kani was also the dean of Imam Sadegh University, a Tehran school of learning seen as a training ground for future leaders, and his body has been taken there so that students can pay their respects.
	The 

Head of Iran's top clerical body dies

Islamic authorities in Malaysia are conducting a probe into a controversial "dog patting" event aimed at removing the stigma regarding men's best friend in the multi-ethnic Muslim-majority country.
	The event, titled "I want to touch a dog" and held in a park on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur Sunday, encouraged patting dogs -- seen as unclean in Islam -- and reportedly drew hundreds of Muslims, raising the ire of religious leaders.
	Islamic authorities said they would investigate the event, while a Muslim leader, Nooh Gadut, said the event was an attempt to insult clerics.
	"Don't try to create a culture that is opposite to Islam," he was quoted by local media as saying.
	The Muslim organiser, Syed Azmi Alhabshi, 30, had said his intention was to help people overcome their fear of dogs and promote compassion towards animals.
	AFP was not immediately able to contact him or religious authorities for further comments today.
	Many Malaysians, who are active social media users, .

Malaysia Islamic authorities probe 'dog patting' event

Russian President Vladimir Putin today praised Total CEO Christophe de Margerie, who died in a plane accident at a Moscow airport, as a "true friend of our country."
	In a telegram sent to French President Francois Hollande, published by the Kremlin, Putin said he was "shocked by the news" after De Margerie's jet crashed into a snow plough at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, killing all on board.
	Putin asked Hollande to "pass on the most sincere condolences and words of sympathy" to De Margerie's family and loved ones.
	He praised the 63-year-old oil boss as "an outstanding French entrepreneur who originated many major joint projects that formed the basis of many years of fruitful cooperation between Russia and France in the energy sector."
	"In Christophe de Margerie, we lost a real friend of our country, whom we will remember with the greatest warmth," Putin said.
	Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier told Russian news agencies that the president had known the French oil boss for a ...

Putin calls killed Total CEO 'true friend' of Russia

South African judge Thokozile Masipa today sentenced Oscar Pistorius to five years in prison for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013.
	"Count one, culpable homicide, the sentence imposed is five years," Masipa said.
	Pistorius was also given a three-year suspended sentence on a separate gun charge.

Judge sentences Pistorius to five years in jail

South African Judge Thokozile Masipa sentences Oscar

South Africa cruised to a six-wicket win over New Zealand in the first One-day International at Mount Maunganui on Tuesday, guided home by a captain's knock from AB de Villiers.
	The Proteas ended their run chase at 236-4 in 48.1 overs, easily overhauling the 231 target New Zealand set after losing the toss and being sent in to bat.
	De Villiers top-scored for South Africa with 89, ably supported by JP Duminy (58), who combined with his skipper for a 139-run partnership when the Proteas were looking wobbly at 97-4.
     Wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi's gritty 99 was the standout performance for the Black Caps but he had little support apart from unlikely strike partner Trent Boult, with whom he set a New Zealand record 10th-wicket stand of 74.
	The three-match series is essentially a World Cup warm-up for both sides as New Zealand prepares to co-host the tournament next year.
	However, South Africa could also overtake Australia as the world's top ranked ODI team if they complete a 3-0 ...

South Africa cruise to win over New Zealand

At least four Afghan soldiers were killed, and around a dozen people including six civilians wounded after a roadside bomb planted by the Taliban exploded in the Afghan capital today, officials said.
	The blast, caused by a remote-controlled bomb, targeted an Afghan army bus at around 06:45 am (0215 GMT) in the western part of Kabul, the Ministry of Defence said.
	"In a remote-controlled bomb attack against an army bus at 6:45 am in Aqa Ali Shams in Kabul, four army personnel were killed and 12 wounded, including six civilians," the ministry said in a statement.
	The Taliban, who have this year stepped up their attacks against the Afghan security forces, claimed responsibility via their official Twitter account.
	It is the latest in a series of attacks on local security forces as foreign combat troops withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of the year.
	A residual force of 9,800 US troops will remain, however, under a US-Afghan security agreement signed last month.
	Afghan casualties ...

Taliban blast in Kabul kills four Afghan soldiers: officials

The world's top executioner China put 2,400 people to death last year, a US-based rights group today said, shedding rare light on a statistic Beijing considers a state secret.
	The figure was a fall of 20 percent from 2012, the Dui Hua Foundation said, and a fraction of the 12,000 in 2002.
	China is so reticent on the issue that it has done nothing to publicise the long-term decline in its use of the death penalty. But it still executes more people than every other country put together, rights groups say.
	The total for the rest of the world combined was 778 people in 2013, according to campaign group Amnesty International's annual report earlier this year. It does not give an estimate for Chinese executions.
	Dui Hua said that it obtained its figures from "a judicial official with access to the number of executions carried out each year".
	But the recent annual declines were "likely to be offset" this year, it said, due to factors including the "strike hard" campaign in the ...

China 'executed 2,400' last year: rights group

Legendary fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, whose beautifully made evening wear was beloved by US first ladies, has died at 82, US media has reported.
	The Dominican-born American fashion icon, who dressed first ladies from Jacqueline Kennedy to Laura Bush, most recently designed the wedding dress for human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, who wed Hollywood heart throb George Clooney.
	A sophisticated, sartorial choice for A-list movie stars on the red carpet and wealthy socialites, he was also the go-to man for something elegant for actress and fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker, of "Sex and the City" fame.
	The designer reportedly passed away at his home in Connecticut but worked right up to the end of his life.
	The cause of death was not immediately clear but he had been diagnosed with cancer a number of years ago. Earlier this month, British-born designer Peter Copping was announced as creative director of Oscar de la Renta.
	His company website late yesterday bore only his ...

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