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 ..

Number two US newspaper group up for sale

PTI Automatic

US Secretary of State John Kerry said today his country was opposed to Iran's participation at an international conference in Paris on Monday on Iraq, which is grappling with an offensive by Islamist militants.
	"No one has called me and asked me with respect to the presence of Iran, but I think under the circumstances at this moment in time... It would not be appropriate given the many other issues... With respect to their engagement in Syria and elsewhere," Kerry told a press conference in Ankara.

US opposed to Iran's presence at Iraq conference: Kerry

At least three people were killed when a building linked to one of Nigeria's most famous preachers and televangelists collapsed in Lagos, the country's main relief agency said today.
	The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the building -- thought to be a guesthouse for foreign members of TB Joshua's The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) -- came down in the city's Ikotun area.
	"We have three dead. Scores of others are still trapped. Eighteen were rescued alive and have been taken to various hospitals," NEMA's southwest coordinator Ibrahim Farinloye told AFP from the scene.
	TB Joshua, dubbed "The Prophet", has an almost fanatical following among many Nigerians and others across the world, who are attracted by his purported healing powers and prophecies.
	Joshua preaches to massive crowds at his megachurch in Ikotun every week and according to his website, SCOAN "hosts thousands of national and international visitors" each year.
	"People travel from around the world 

Building collapse at Nigerian megachurch: emergency services

A prominent Uighur academic, charged with separatism by Chinese prosecutors, will appear in court on Wednesday, his lawyer said.
	Ilham Tohti, who taught at a university in Beijing, has been a vocal critic of the government's policies toward his mostly Muslim Uighur minority, who are concentrated in the restive western Xinjiang region.
	Tohti will be tried by a court in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi, said Liu Xiaoyuan, his lawyer and a Chinese human rights specialist.
	Prosecutors in the Xinjiang region last month announced they were charging Tohti with separatism following his detention earlier this year, sparking renewed international calls for his release.
	Maya Wang, China researcher for Human Rights Watch, wrote on Twitter today that Tohti faces between 15 years and life in prison if convicted.
	China's courts have a near-100 percent conviction rate.
	The charges come as China is cracking down over a series of violent attacks that it blames on religious extremists and "terrorists" ...

Uighur academic to appear in Chinese court next week

Russian investigators today searched offices belonging to an Ikea subsidiary on the outskirts of Moscow, a spokeswoman for the Swedish group said, adding it was cooperating with the authorities.
	"We have a search of documents going on in Khimki Business Park" north of Moscow, a spokeswoman, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
	The facility is a real estate subsidiary of the Ikea Group.
	"We are cooperating with the representatives of the authorities," she said. "This has nothing to do with the store."
	Spokeswoman Tatyana Rusakova told the TASS news agency that "the investigation is being carried out as part of a case about a piece of land belonging to Ikea".
	TASS reported that the investigation dated back to 2012.
	Ikea has 14 branches in Russia which have proved a hit with the upwardly-mobile middle classes keen to upgrade their Soviet-era furniture.
	The Swedish flatpack giant reported "strong growth" in Russia in the 2012-2013 fiscal year. Russian sales in 2013 went up 

Russian investigators search Ikea offices: spokeswoman

Britain today said it would be the first country outside China to issue yuan-denominated bonds, as London seeks to become a Western hub for trading in the Chinese currency.
	The UK Treasury said the government plans to issue the bond in the coming weeks, subject to market conditions, without giving an exact amount or other details.
	"This will be the first non-Chinese issuance of sovereign RMB (yuan) debt and will be used to finance Britain's reserves," it said in a statement.
	"Up to now, Britain has only held reserves in US dollars, euros, yen and Canadian dollars, so today's announcement signals the RMB's potential as a future reserve currency."
	British politicians have been scrambling to make London China's Western financial hub as Beijing loosens its tight regulations on international trading in the yuan.
	Last year the yuan overtook the euro as the world's second-largest trade currency after the dollar, and analysts predict its role is set to grow as China's economy, already ...

Britain plans first yuan bond outside China

Lesotho's deadlocked political parties failed to meet today's deadline for a fresh peace deal, prompting South Africa to call an emergency meeting of regional leaders.
	After promising South African President Jacob Zuma that they would decide by Friday when to re-open Lesotho's parliament, rival leaders failed to resolve a crisis sparked two weeks ago by an aborted coup.
	Reopening the legislature -- which was shuttered in June -- is seen as a key step toward restoring normality in the tiny mountainous state.
	On August 30, an attempted coup by renegade general Tlali Kamoli saw the military assault several police stations prompting the prime minister to flee the country.
	One Lesotho police officer was killed, and nine others injured in the unrest.
	Prime Minister Tom Thabane has since returned, protected by South African guards, but a Pretoria-brokered peace deal quickly disintegrated.
	Today rival party leaders failed to patch up their difference, instead calling for the 15-member ..

Lesotho deadlock prompts fresh crisis summit

A suspected Chinese jewellery thief accused of stealing millions of dollars worth of diamonds across the world has been arrested in Switzerland during another robbery, Interpol said today.
	Chinese national Jianguo Meng, 46, is linked to over a dozen heists since 2012, including the theft of a diamond ring worth $1.5 million (1.15 million euros) from Bahrain last year, and was subject to an Interpol Red Notice, the international police organisation said.
	"Meng and an accomplice were arrested in Zurich when a jewellery store employee recognised him from the industry alert and called police," it said in a statement.
	He now faces extradition to Bahrain.
	According to Interpol, Meng is suspected of carrying out robberies in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Malaysia, Monaco, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and always operated in tandem with another individual.
	"In each case, two suspects entered the store and asked to be shown a selection of high-end diamond rings," the statement .

International diamond thief detained in Switzerland: Interpol

Botswana has denied South African firebrand Julius Malema a visa to visit the country, according to a media report, because of apparent security concerns.
	An Immigration Department letter seen by AFP dated September 12 stated that "the above named (Malema) has been turned down... He/she may re-apply after a period of three months immediately after the date of rejection".
	Government owned Radio Botswana said the visa was the subject of "security vetting".
	Malema has previously called for the overthrow of the government of Botswana's President Ian Khama, who the fiery leftist claimed was a Western stooge.
	Malema's Economic Freedom Fighter's Party reacted furiously to the news, condemning Botswana's "autocratic military government".
	"There are absolutely no grounds for a so-called democratic country to refuse a person a visa merely on the basis that he holds a different political view to that of the government."
	Malema was scheduled to arrive in Gaborone for the launch of ally ...

Firebrand Malema banned from Botswana

Nigeria's military today claimed to have routed Boko Haram militants near the Borno state capital Maiduguri, as residents in another under-siege town complained of food shortages and slavery.
	Army spokesman Timothy Antigha said in a statement that the Islamists launched a "massive" attack on the town of Konduga, about 35 kilometres (22 miles) from Maiduguri, at 1000 IST today.
	"After about three hours of fierce fighting, Nigerian troops routed the Boko Haram fighting force of over 100 terrorists," he said, adding that the insurgents suffered heavy casualties.
	Four pick-up trucks with mounted anti-aircraft guns, three heavy machine guns, more than 30 AK-47 assault rifles and two global positioning systems were recovered by troops, he added.
	"The entire area is still being combed for terrorists, who may have escaped with bullet wounds. Morale of troops remains very high," Antigha said.
	The battle came a day after the Borno Elders Forum called for military reinforcements to protect .

Nigeria's military claims success against Boko Haram

Ukraine warned today that it will have to adopt deeply unpopular energy savings measures this winter should Russia fail to lift its suspension of natural gas sales to the West-leaning ex-Soviet neighbour.
	Russia in June halted gas exports to Ukraine after Kiev balked at paying higher prices that Moscow demanded in the wake of the February ouster of a Kremlin-backed president.
	Ukraine last year imported half of the gas it consumed from Russia. It is currently trying to make up for the difference by boosting imports from its western European allies.
	Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan said the conflict-torn country will probably soon encounter severe energy shortages despite efforts to diversify its gas supply base.
	"I think we can live through the fall and winter, although we will have to adopt some rather unpopular measures, including administrative ones aimed at reducing energy consumption," Prodan told an international forum in Kiev.
	He accused Russia of "using gas as a ...

Ukraine warns of painful winter due to Russian gas cut

"Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius was convicted today of culpable homicide for shooting his lover Reeva Steenkamp, but walked free on bail ahead of what could still be a stiff prison sentence.
	South African Judge Thokozile Masipa acquitted Pistorius of murder, but found he acted "negligently" in killing the blonde law graduate and fashion model by firing at her through a bathroom door, claiming he mistook her for an intruder.
	The 27-year-old athlete -- whose journey from disabled infant to Olympic sprinter inspired the world -- will hear his punishment when sentencing begins on October 13.
	His trial had heard that in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year Pistorius fired four hollow point pistol rounds into a locked toilet door, hitting Steenkamp and causing her head to "explode" and "amputating" her arm.
	Masipa, dismissing swathes of prosecution evidence as inconclusive or irrelevant, ruled that on the charge of murder "the accused is found not guilty and is discharged. ...

Pistorius convicted of culpable homicide

Fourteen people were wounded and 179 arrested during unrest that broke out on the 41st anniversary of the coup that brought Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet to power, police said today.
	The unrest was however less destructive than in previous years' commemorations of the September 11 anniversary, a date that remains deeply divisive in the South American country.
	Violent protests, gunfights and clashes with police routinely break out around events marking the day when Air Force planes bombed the presidential palace in 1973, overthrowing socialist president Salvador Allende, who committed suicide as troops stormed the building.
	Yesterday, protesters burned a city bus in southern Santiago and barricaded streets in the capital, which also saw isolated gunfire and power outages that hit 120,000 homes. Ten of the wounded were police officers.
	But police commander Alejandro Olivares said the day had ended with "50 per cent fewer personnel wounded and 40 per cent fewer arrests, damage to 

Chile coup anniversary leaves 14 wounded, 179 arrested

Commodity prices dropped this week as the dollar strengthened, with Brent oil sinking to its lowest level in more than two years against a backdrop of solid supplies and sluggish demand.
	Sugar futures meanwhile touched multi-year lows, weighed down by expectations of a large surplus of supplies.
	Brent oil prices dived to USD 96.72 yesterday -- touching a low point last seen in 2012 -- while WTI hit a 16-month trough at $90.43.
	Prices plumbed the latest depths after the International Energy Agency (IEA), which advises on energy policy to industrialised nations, cut its oil demand outlook citing weaker economic growth in Europe and China.
	The news followed broadly similar demand forecast downgrades this week from both the US government's Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
	The market hit a series of multi-month lows this week on the back of abundant global crude supplies and gloomy demand growth forecasts.
	"Oil .

Global oil prices slump, sugar turns sour

French President Francois Hollande said his decision to supply arms to the autonomous Kurdish government was decisive in the fight against Islamic State jihadists in Iraq.
	"I have decided to dispatch the necessary means and you have made the best use of it," he said in the Kurdish region, adding that this had been "decisive in reversing the balance of power."
	Hollande, speaking alongside Kurdish president Massud Barzani, also pledged to take in some refugees fleeing the country temporarily.
	"We will continue to follow with Europe our aid for the refugees," he said.
	"We will set up a veritable humanitarian bridge and we will also treat the cases of families facing extreme situations who have links with France and who want to shelter with their relatives for the time-being," he said.
	Hollande's trip was the highest-profile visit to Iraq since IS-led militants overran large parts of the country in June and sparked international concern over an expanding jihadist threat.

French arms to Kurds 'decisive' in fight against IS: Hollande

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Ankara today for talks aimed at building a coalition against Islamic State jihadists, a visit that comes after Turkey said it would not allow its air bases to be used for strikes on the extremists.
	The top US diplomat, touring the Middle East to establish a coalition of more than 40 countries, was meeting with Turkey's leaders including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks on measures to defeat the militants in Iraq and Syria.
	Turkey, a NATO member and Washington's key ally in the region, is reluctant to take part in combat operations against Islamic State militants, or allow a US-led coalition to attack jihadists from its territory.
	"The two countries will continue to fight against the terrorist organisations in the regions as in the past," president's office said in a statement, after a two-hour-long meeting between Erdogan and Kerry.
	In this regard, Turkey will continue to share intelligence the United States, give logistical ...

Kerry in Ankara seeking support for anti-IS coalition

Fresh EU and US sanctions today dragged the ruble to a new low, even as Russian President Vladimir Putin brushed them off and accused the West of using Ukraine as a political pawn.
	The new punitive measures from Brussels, announced in lockstep with fresh sanctions from Washington, targeted major state firms and Russian officials including one of Putin's closest allies, Sergei Chemezov, head of Russian Technologies.
	The ruble slumped to a new record for a second day, retreating to 37.89 against the dollar, and Moscow stock markets fell.
	Putin, speaking today on the sidelines of a security summit in Tajikistan alongside his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, shrugged off the sanctions and said the Ukraine crisis was being used to destabilise global politics.
	"I've had a sneaking thought that Ukraine itself does not interest anyone, but is being used as an instrument to destabilise international relations," he said in the Tajik capital Dushanbe in televised remarks.
	Putin reacted to ...

Putin dismisses new sanctions even as Russian ruble sinks

The exiled leader of Hamas denied today that the Islamist movement was running a "shadow government" in Gaza as charged by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.
	Khaled Meshaal was speaking in the Tunisian capital days after Abbas threatened to break off a unity agreement with Hamas, saying it was not allowing the government to operate in the Gaza Strip.
	"There is a national unity government; talk of a parallel government is totally against reality," Meshaal said after meeting Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki.
	He said government ministries were still "operating normally" in Gaza even if the "government is absent from" the coastal enclave and urged the cabinet to be present.
	"We welcome the government of national unity to work in Gaza, to take charge of crossing points and assume all its responsibilities in line with what we agreed upon."
	In April, Hamas agreed to work with its rivals in Abbas's Fatah movement to form an interim consensus government of technocrats which would work .

Hamas denies running 'shadow government' in Gaza

The United States and European Union hit Russia with tough new sanctions today in a coordinated riposte to Moscow's "unacceptable behaviour" in Ukraine.
	Moscow responded by accusing its foes of seeking to derail a fragile ceasefire that came into force just a week ago, aimed at halting a conflict that has killed more than 2,700 people and inflicted heavy damage in towns and cities across Ukraine's industrial heartland.
	While the guns have largely fallen silent after five months of fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels, the rhetoric in the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War has just grown louder.
	In some of the toughest measures yet to punish Russia for allegedly fomenting the insurgency, Washington targeted Russia's top bank and leading energy and technology companies, restricting access to finance and technology.
	The fresh EU measures were also aimed at major Russian energy, finance and defence companies, including oil giant Rosneft and famed weapons ...

West imposes new Russia sanctions, Putin defiant

The European Union said today it will delay implementation of a free trade deal with Ukraine by 15 months to end-2015, as part of efforts to support the peace process.
	EU Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht said, after talks with Russian and Ukraine ministers, that while the free trade agreement would be delayed, Brussels would still extend temporary preferential tariffs on Ukraine goods.
	De Gucht said that once Kiev ratifies the EU Association Accord, expected next week and which was negotiated at the same time as the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, then Brussels would offer "additional flexibility" in the hope of meeting Russian concerns that its economy would suffer if the DCFTA went ahead.
	This would be done as part of efforts to "fully support the stabilisation of Ukraine," he said after talks with Ukraine Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin and Russian Economy Minister Alexi Ulyukayev.
	"Such flexibilty will consist in the delay until 31 December 2015 of the provisional 

EU delays Ukraine free trade deal implementation to end-2015

The parents of Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot and killed by Oscar Pistorius, reacted with disbelief at a judge's decision to acquit the star athlete of murder charges.
	   "I just don't feel that this is the right (verdict)," June Steenkamp told America's NBC News a little after Judge Thokozile Masipa found Pistorius not guilty of murder, but convicted him on a less serious charge of culpable homicide.
	   Steenkamp said her 29-year-old daughter had died a "horrible, painful, terrible death."
	   "And I can't believe that they believe that it was an accident," she said in her first reaction to the judgement.
	   Pistorius said he shot Reeva in the dead of the night after he mistook her for an intruder.
	   The father of the model and law graduate also said he found it difficult to believe the court's ruling.
	   "It was disbelief on everyone," said Barry Steenkamp in the same interview.
	   Asked what kind of sentence she would like to see imposed on Pistorius, the mother said: "I ...

AFP

AFP

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