The National Security Agency was unable to find evidence that leaker Edward Snowden ever raised concerns internally about its sweeping surveillance programs, after an exhaustive search that included deleted emails, court documents showed.
	NSA Associate Director for Policy and Records David Sherman said that the agency had launched a "comprehensive" investigation after media reports were published about classified NSA spy programs based on information leaked by Snowden.
	As part of last year's probe, the NSA collected and searched Snowden's "sent, received and deleted email," including that "obtained by restoring back-up tapes" Sherman said in a sworn declaration filed yesterday.
	"The search did not identify any email written by Mr Snowden in which he contacted agency officials to raise concerns about NSA programs."
	Searches for the emails included the records from the agency's Office of General Counsel, Office of the Inspector General and Office of the Director of Compliance.
	The .

Snowden didn't raise concerns internally: NSA

PTI Automatic

Ugandan security forces are carrying out an operation against a "suspected terrorist cell" in the capital Kampala, the US embassy warned today.
	"Ugandan authorities are conducting operations against a suspected terrorist cell in Kampala," the embassy said in a statement, without given further details.
	"All US citizens are advised to stay at home or proceed to a safe location. Shelter-in-place and await further guidance."
	Last Monday the US embassy warned of possible revenge attacks by Somalia's Al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents, after a US air strike killed the extremists' chief.
	"Stay alert to the ongoing potential for terrorist attacks in Uganda," the warning read.
	"We also caution US citizens of the possibility of retaliatory attacks in Uganda by Al-Shebab in response to the US and Ugandan military actions in Somalia last week which killed Al-Shebab leader Ahmed Godane."
	The Shebab insurgents have claimed recent attacks in Kenya and Djibouti, and at home in Somalia.
	Uganda ..

Uganda carrying out anti-terrorism operation: US embassy

Thousands of members of the Protestant Orange order marched through Edinburgh today in a show of strength against Scottish independence, as the final weekend of campaigning for the referendum got underway with everything to play for.
	Up to 15,000 supporters of retaining the UK were expected to join the march, which has sparked fears of clashes with nationalists as tensions rise ahead of Thursday's vote.
	"We are proud to be part of Great Britain. We are passionate about the union. We are here to galvanise the 'No' vote," Henry Dunbar, Grand Master of the order's Grand Lodge of Scotland, told a rally in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle.
	Across Scotland campaigners from both sides were pounding the streets, after a week that saw the unionists step up their efforts following a surge in support for independence that now puts the two camps neck and neck.
	Orange members from Northern Ireland and England joined the march today in a push for the union, although it has caused tensions with ...

Thousands march for UK as Scotland vote nears

Al-Qaeda-led rebels have seized most of the Syrian side of the armistice line with Israel on the Golan Heights, a monitoring group said today.
	Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front and its allies launched a major offensive against government forces in Quneitra province last month, capturing the sole crossing point over the armistice line to the Israeli-occupied sector of the strategic plateau.
	"The regime is on the retreat before the advancing rebels," Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
	"The regime has now lost control of about 80 per cent of towns and villages in Quneitra province."
	The rebels seized 45 UN peacekeepers on the Golan on August 28 and held them hostage until Thursday.
	They are part of the 1,200-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force, which monitors a 1974 ceasefire between Israel and Syria on the Golan.
	Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the territory during the Six-Day War of 1967, then annexed it in 1981 

Rebels seize most of Syrian side of Golan truce line: NGO

Russia has delivered a second shipment of aid to rebel-controlled Ukraine, sending trucks carrying 2,000 tonnes of goods unaccompanied across the border, national television said today.
	"The second humanitarian mission brought 2,000 tonnes of aid to Donbass," said a news ticker on Russian state-owned channel Rossiya 24, referring to the rebel-held region of east Ukraine.
	"Food, medical supplies and warm clothes have been delivered to Lugansk," said another news ticker, referring to one of the most badly damaged cities in the hands of pro-Moscow separatists.
	Seventy trucks have already been unloaded and are on their way back to Russia, the channel said. All vehicles are be unloaded before 2030 IST.
	Russia first sent an aid convoy of more than 200 trucks in August without the final agreement of Ukraine and Red Cross monitors, sparking outrage in Kiev.
	Spokespeople for the Russian emergencies ministry declined to comment, citing the sensitivity of the situation today.
	The Russian ..

Russian convoy delivers aid to Ukraine: TV

A top Iranian nuclear negotiator said today that "disagreements over serious questions" persisted in the latest talks with the world powers on his country's atomic programme.
	"After two rounds of negotiations with the European representatives, our positions have not been reconciled and disagreements over serious questions still exist," said Majid Takht-Ravanchi, who is also a deputy foreign minister.
	Takht-Ravanchi urged the so-called P5+1 group to "respect the red lines" drawn up by Iran to reach an agreement that would end the decade-old dispute.
	His remarks came after the Iranians and their European counterparts exchanged views Thursday in Vienna ahead of negotiations in New York on September 18.
	"We are always optimistic. But we have a difficult road to go," Tehran's lead negotiator Abbas Araqchi said after the latest talks with Britain, France and Germany, which followed a similar meeting last week in Geneva.
	The three EU nations form part of the P5+1 group with the United ..

Iran says nuclear talks hit by disagreements

The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council accused the United States today of violating the sovereignty of nations on the "pretext of fighting terrorism" in Iraq and Syria.
	"On the pretext of fighting terrorism, the United States want to pursue their unilateral policies and violate the sovereignty of states," Ali Shamkhani said, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.
	He said Washington was "trying to divert the eyes of the world from its pivotal role in supporting and equipping the terrorists in Syria in a bid to topple the legitimate regime."
	Shamkhani was the latest Iranian official to criticise an international coalition the United States is building against the jihadist Islamic State group, which has captured large parts of Iraq and Syria.
	On Thursday, foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afhkham cast doubt on the "sincerity" of the coalition.
	Last week, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the United States of not taking the threat from IS militants 

Iran accuses US of violating sovereignty in anti-IS fight

Australian authorities are investigating the death of a Malaysian girl who was flung "like a doll" from a spinning ride at the Royal Adelaide Show where showgoers laid flowers for her today.
	The girl, 8, who was reportedly visiting Australia with her family, was thrown from the AirMaxx 360 ride yesterday, South Australian police said in a statement.
	She was treated by paramedics and taken to an Adelaide hospital but died a short time later, police said.
	Malinda Dunwoodie said she was near the ride when she saw the child "flying through the air".
	"She was hanging by her legs off the ride, trying to block herself," Dunwoodie told Adelaide newspaper The Advertiser.
	"She went flying through the air about 10 to 15 metres (33 to 49 feet) up in the air and I started sprinting towards her. I was shaking so much, she looked like a doll flying through the air.
	"It was so shocking -- it was like a horror movie. I didn't see her land in the crowd but when I made it over to her I couldn't ...

Malaysian girl, 8, dies after being flung from Australian ride

The family of British aid worker David Haines, threatened with death by Islamic State militants in a recent video, has appealed to his captors to contact them.
	In a statement issued by the Foreign Office in London today, they said the extremists have not responded to any of their attempts to make contact so far.
	"We are the family of David Haines. We have sent messages to you to which we have not received a reply. We are asking those holding David to make contact with us," the family said.
	Scottish-born Haines, 44, was taken hostage in Syria in March 2013 and was threatened in a video released this month depicting the beheading by IS militants of the US journalist Steven Sotloff.
	Haines had been working for the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED), an international relief charity, and was previous involved in humanitarian work in the Balkans, parts of Africa and elsewhere in the Middle East.
	In a statement last week, ACTED said it was "deeply shocked" at the ..

Family of British hostage sends message to IS captors

China's industrial production growth slowed sharply in August to its lowest level for more than five years at 6.9 per cent, official data showed today, intensifying concerns for the world's second-largest economy.
	The key indicator, which measures output at factories, workshops and mines, slumped from a 9.0 per cent year-on-year expansion in July and was the worst since 5.7 per cent in December 2008, during the global financial crisis.
	It also fell far short of the 8.7 per cent median increase in a survey of 15 economists by The Wall Street Journal.
	The abrupt slowdown and other data released today are certain to compound growing worries over the strength of China's economy - a key driver of world commerce - following recent indicators suggesting growth is weakening even after authorities took limited stimulatory measures.
	Retail sales, a key indicator of consumer spending, rose 11.9 per cent in the same month on-year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said - also down from .

Chinese output growth slows to five-year low in August

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived today in Cairo on the latest leg of a regional tour to forge a coalition against Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria.
	Kerry is scheduled to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi.
	Relations between Washington and Cairo have been strained since the military's overthrow of elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last year, but the Egyptian government sees the fight against IS as its cause as well.
	Morsi's successor, the former army chief Sisi, is fighting Islamist militants in the restive Sinai Peninsula who have expressed support for the Islamic State.
	But it appears unlikely that Egypt's formidable army will make a significant military contribution to the fight in Iraq and Syria.
	Washington is seeking a stamp of approval for its campaign from Egypt's religion institutions, which include the prestigious Al-Azhar.
	"One of the issues is to have their religious institutions to speak out ...

Kerry lands in Cairo for talks on anti-IS coalition

The Ukrainian military said today its forces had repelled an insurgent attack on the airport in the eastern separatist stronghold of Donetsk, despite an eight-day ceasefire.
	"Many rebels backed by six tanks launched an assault against the airport on Friday which was heroically repelled by the soldiers," the press service for the military operation in eastern Ukraine said.
	While pro-Russian separatists have held the city of Donetsk itself for months Ukrainian forces have dug in at the airport since a major battle there in May.
	Although the fighting in eastern Ukraine has diminished since the truce agreement was signed by Kiev, Moscow and the rebels on September 5, there have been numerous reports of shelling around Donetsk airport.
	"Are Russian forces trying to capture Donetsk airport?" Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bilt said on Twitter today. "If that is the case then it's a clear Moscow violation of ceasefire agreement.

Ukraine army says repelled rebel assault on Donetsk airport

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk today accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of wanting to wipe out Ukraine as an independent country despite a truce deal.
	"His aim is not just to take Donetsk and Lugansk," Yatsenyuk said at a conference in Kiev, referring to the separatist regions in eastern Ukraine where fighting has been raging for five months.
	"His goal is to take the entire Ukraine... He wants to eliminate Ukraine as an independent country," Yatsenyuk said in English.
	He described the truce signed on September 5 in Minsk between Kiev, pro-Russian rebels, Moscow and the European security body the OSCE as just a "first step" to "stop a massacre" in eastern Ukraine.
	He said that having a bilateral accord with Russia was "not the best" idea and called on the United States and the European Union to play a direct role in peace talks, and to guarantee Ukraine's sovereignty and independence.
	"They (the Russians) will outplay us," he said. "Putin wants to get another ...

Ukraine PM accuses Putin of seeking to 'eliminate' country

The head of a Taiwanese company at the centre of a widening food safety scandal has been detained for selling hundreds of tonnes of "gutter oil" that caused mass product recalls, authorities said today.
	Yeh Wen-hsiang, chairman of Chang Guann Co, was taken into custody early today on suspicion of fraud, officials said, deeming him a flight risk and fearing he could collude with other suspects or destroy evidence.
	Investigators found that in the six months from February, Chang Guann had purchased 243 tonnes of tainted oil -- collected from cookers, fryers and grease traps -- from an unlicensed factory and mixed it with lard oil for sales to its customers islandwide.
	A total of 782 tonnes of such oils had been produced.
	Chang Guann was already fined Tw 50 million dollars (USD 1.67 million) by the authorities for illegally selling poor-quality lard oil -- a clear oil pressed from pig fat.
	Hundreds of tonnes of mooncakes -- traditionally served at this time of year -- along with ...

Taiwan executive detained as food safety scandal deepens

Retired US general John Allen, the cerebral ex-commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan who also led troops in western Iraq, has been named to lead the international effort against Islamic State extremists, officials have announced.
	The job will require a difficult balancing act that will be familiar ground to the retired four-star Marine officer, who has plenty of experience managing unwieldly coalitions and navigating the volatile politics of the Middle East.
	Allen, 60, has been an unabashed hawk when it comes to Islamic State, urging a no holds-barred assault on the militants, who have employed brutal tactics in their advance across Syria and Iraq.
	"The Islamic State is an entity beyond the pale of humanity and it must be eradicated. If we delay now, we will pay later," Allen wrote in Defense One last month.
	As head of the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan from July 2011 to December 2013, Allen had to deal with the notoriously mercurial president Hamid Karzai -- as well as ...

US general Allen to head anti-jihadist coalition

Thirty people were killed and at least 40 others injured when a lorry crammed with travellers crashed overnight in the Central African Republic, the African peacekeeping force MISCA has said.
	A truck "carrying close to 100 people" as well as luggage travelling in a convoy escorted by MISCA left the road and crashed into a ravine in the southwest region of Boali, a source from the peacekeeping operation said yesterday.
	"The bodies of victims and those injured were transported by MISCA to health facilities in Bangui."
	Last week, a similar incident saw 12 people killed and around 50 injured in CAR's southern Mbaiki region.
	A chronic lack of infrastructure in the crisis-striken landlocked nation means many travellers are regularly forced to cram into overloaded trucks, which are often barely road-worthy.
	Thousands of people have died and nearly a quarter of the population of CAR -- one of the poorest countries on earth -- has been driven from their homes in the chaos that followed a .

30 killed in C Africa traffic smash

President Barack Obama will meet leading US medical experts next week as he considers how to follow through on his pledge to step up aid to Africa over the Ebola epidemic.
	Obama will travel to the US headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta on Tuesday, after signaling he will deploy US military assets in the bid to check the spread of Ebola.
	Obama will get "a briefing on the outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa, discuss the US response to that outbreak, and thank the scientists, doctors and health care workers who are helping those affected by the disease at home and around the world," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
	Obama said in an NBC News interview on Sunday that the US military would help set up isolation units and equipment to help surge public health workers to West African nations affected by Ebola.
	He said that, in its current form, he did not believe Ebola would reach the United States, but warned the virus could ...

Obama to discuss Ebola response with top medical experts

SpaceX's next unmanned cargo trip to restock supplies at the International Space Station is scheduled for September 20, the US space agency said today.
	The Dragon spacecraft will launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 2:16 am (local time) on September 20 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA said.
	"If for any reason the launch is postponed, the next launch opportunity is Sunday, Sept. 21 at approximately 1:53 am," it said in a statement.
	The cargo ship will be loaded with more than 5,000 pounds (2,300 kilograms) of supplies and scientific experiments, including an ocean surface wind speed monitor, equipment for studying rodents in microgravity and cabbage-like plants to see how their growth adapts in space.
	The mission, called SpaceX CRS-4, "is the fourth of 12 SpaceX flights NASA contracted with the company to resupply the space station," the space agency said.
	The trip marks the fifth Dragon journey to the orbiting outpost, including its initial demonstration ...

SpaceX's next cargo launch set for Sept 20

The United States has often struggled to turn rag-tag foreign forces into professional armies, but President Barack Obama is gambling that this time the training effort will succeed in Iraq and Syria.
	Eager to avoid sending US combat troops to fight against Islamic State jihadists, Obama is touting a renewed effort to bolster Iraqi government forces and "moderate" opposition fighters in Syria with weapons and advice from seasoned American officers.
	But there are doubts in Western capitals that Washington can ensure a rebuilt Iraqi army will not fall prey once again to a Shiite sectarian agenda, or overcome in-fighting and extremism among rival Syrian rebel groups.
	Until now, Obama has kept the Syrian civil war -- and its confusing array of rebel factions -- at arm's length, approving only limited support for some "moderate" opposition forces.
	That effort, in which a couple of thousand rebels have been reportedly trained by the CIA in Jordan, has been blasted as timid and grossly ..

US hopes training local forces will work -- this time

Shiite rebels and Yemeni officials met today seeking to fine-tune a deal to end a standoff sparked by calls for the government to quit but failed to make headway, a UN diplomat said.
	Even so, the two sides agreed to meet again in the presence of UN envoy Jamal Benomar, who has been in Sanaa since yesterday, in a renewed effort to clinch an agreement, the diplomat said.
	Zaidi rebels have been camped out in the capital for weeks, demanding the resignation of the government, which they accuse of corruption, and a reduction of fuel prices.
	Yesterday sources from both sides said a potential deal had been reached to end the stalemate.
	That deal, reached late Wednesday, stipulated that "a new prime minister will be named within 48 hours" and fuel prices be cut further, a presidency source told AFP.
	Another source in President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi's office said it was an "understanding over an agreement that will be finalised by Benomar."
	Talks to fine-tune the deal were held late ...

Yemen rebels, officials to meet with UN to solve crisis

Digital First Media, the second largest US newspaper group, said today it was studying a sale of the company among "strategic alternatives" to cope with a shifting media landscape.
	"The news information industry in America is undergoing a period of seismic change, defined by the need to consolidate to rapidly compete in a digital world," said John Paton, chief executive of the group created in December by the merger of Media News Group and the Journal Register Company.
	Leading newspapers in the group include the San Jose Mercury News, Los Angeles Daily News and Denver Post.
	A statement from the group said some of the options being considered were the sale of the company as whole, or one or more "regional clusters" of newspapers.
	"The companies that will succeed are those which have meaningful scale and digital expertise. By anticipating the rapid revolution in our industry and responding to stay ahead of the curve," Paton said.
	The news comes in the wake of spinoffs by major US ..

AFP

AFP

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