Scotland's pro-independence leader Alex Salmond said the "eyes of the world" were on a momentous referendum next week that could break a 307-year-old union with England.
	Salmond said the September 18 vote would be "a process of national empowerment", as new figures came out showing a record 4.3 million people had registered to vote -- higher than for any previous elections in Scotland.
	"Scotland is on the cusp of making history. The eyes of the world are upon Scotland," Salmond said in Edinburgh, a day after British Prime Minister David Cameron also visited the Scottish capital to plead for the preservation of "a family of nations".
	"Scotland will vote 'Yes' next Thursday because last-minute... Promises from the 'No' campaign will not fool anyone," said First Minister Salmond, who heads up Scotland's current devolved government.
	"As a country we are rediscovering self-confidence, as a nation we are finding our voice.... On September 18, we the people hold our destiny in our own ...

Scotland ready to make history: independence leader

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Arab nations rallied today behind US President Barack Obama's call for expanding operations against jihadists in Iraq and Syria, but Damascus warned it would consider any action on its territory as an attack.
	Ten states, including heavyweight Saudi Arabia, "agreed to do their share in the comprehensive fight" against Islamic State, said a statement after a meeting between US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Arab counterparts.
	With Iraq's new unity government and the Syrian opposition welcoming Obama's plan, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime and powerful ally Russia strongly condemned it.
	"Any action of any kind without the consent of the Syrian government would be an attack on Syria," National Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar said.
	Obama said yesterday he had ordered the US military to expand its operations against IS, a radical Islamist group that has seized a swathe of Iraq and Syria and committed horrifying atrocities.
	"Our objective is clear: we will degrade, ..

Arab states back anti-IS move as Syria warns on 'attacks'

US Secretary of State John Kerry is to fly to Ankara tomorrow for urgent talks after Turkey refused to allow a US-led coalition to use its air bases to attack jihadists in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.
	Turkey, Washington's key ally in the region and the only Muslim member of the core 10-nation coalition against the Islamic State, is also refusing to take part in combat operations against the militants, a government official told AFP today.
	Kerry will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and its new prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu tomorrow in the hope of shoring up support for air strikes.
	But on the eve of the visit, a Turkish official told AFP, "Turkey will not be involved in any armed operation but will entirely concentrate on humanitarian operations."
	"Incirlik will be used only for logistical purposes and humanitarian assistance", said the source, referring to a southern air base used for NATO operations in Iraq.
	The decision echoes Turkey's refusal to act as a ...

Kerry heads to Ankara as Turkey refuses bases for IS strikes

US Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Cairo Saturday as Washington seeks to build an international coalition to counter Islamic State jihadists, an Arab League official said today.
	Ten Arab states agreed in Jeddah today to rally behind Washington in the fight against the group.
	Kerry will meet League chief Nabil al-Arabi "to brief the secretary general on the results of the Jeddah conference", a senior League official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
	Egypt's state news agency MENA confirmed the meeting would take place, and a senior Egyptian official also speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed Kerry would visit, without divulging details about his programme.
	In Jeddah today, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates agreed to "do their share" in the fight against IS.
	The statement came at the conclusion of a meeting in the Saudi Red Sea resort between Kerry and his Arab counterparts.

Kerry to visit Egypt to push anti-IS coalition: Arab League

British Prime Minister David Cameron is not ruling out military action against Islamic State militants in Syria, a spokesman said today, after Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Britain would not join any US air strikes in Syria.
	"The prime minister has not ruled anything out," the spokesman said, adding that Hammond's comments were in reference to a parliamentary vote last year on military action in Syria which the government lost.
	But the spokesman added: "No decisions have been been taken".
	Speaking during a visit to Berlin earlier today, Hammond said: "Let me be clear, Britain will not be taking part in any air strikes in Syria".
	"We've already had that discussion in our parliament last year and we won't be revising that position," he said at a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
	Cameron has previously said he would act against the militants to protect Britain's national interest even without parliamentary approval, although Britain 

Cameron not ruling out Syria action: official

The European Union has agreed to introduce new sanctions against Russia tomorrow targeting oil and defence firms, but could lift them if a Ukraine ceasefire holds, EU head Herman Van Rompuy said.
	A further 24 people including Russian oligarchs and Ukrainian separatists have been slapped with travel bans and asset freezes under the sanctions, which have been delayed for the past week by disagreements between EU countries.
	The sanctions come into force tomorrow, Van Rompuy said in a statement today, after sharp differences over whether their introduction might undercut peace efforts and with Moscow promising a forceful response.
	Russia said today that it had already drawn up new anti-Western sanctions targeting imports of consumer goods and second-hand cars.
	Van Rompuy said today that the EU could propose to "amend, suspend or repeal the set of sanctions in force, in all or in part," depending on the results of a "comprehensive review" of the ceasefire at the end of September.
	The .

EU may scrap new Russia sanctions if peace plan holds

Boko Haram fighters have surrounded the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri and are preparing an imminent takeover, an influential regional group claimed on today, calling for military reinforcements.
	"They have completely surrounded the city of Maiduguri," said the Borno Elders Forum, which is made up of retired senior civilian and military officials as well as community leaders.
	"It is apparent that their imminent target is to take the city of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital," they said in a statement.
	Borno, Yobe and Adamawa regions have been under a state of emergency since May last year but despite the Nigerian army driving Boko Haram out of Maiduguri, thousands of people have died in the countryside and many more have been forced to flee.
	"We wish to call on the federal government to urgently fortify in and around the city of Maiduguri," the elders added.
	"The insurgents... Are nursing the ambition of attacking the city in all directions. There is credible local ...

Boko Haram have 'surrounded' Nigeria's Maiduguri, say elders

UN envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon called today for an immediate ceasefire in the chaos-hit country, which is being torn apart by rival militia fighting and a deep political crisis.
	"A ceasefire must be total," said Leon, wrapping up a three-day visit to the North African nation for talks on ways of ending weeks of fighting in the capital Tripoli and second city Benghazi.
	On August 22, the mainly Islamist alliance Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) seized Tripoli airport south of the capital after weeks of fierce fighting with a nationalist militia.
	Three days later Libya's embattled interim authorities said Tripoli was in the hands of armed militias who have since spread their influence across the capital.
	Speaking to reporters in Tripoli, Leon said that "the immediate concern is that there is still fighting in some areas" of the capital, particularly in the western suburb of Warshefana.
	Fajr Libya launched an offensive against Warshefana last week, charging that diehard loyalists of slain .

UN envoy calls for 'total ceasefire' in Libya

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe said today it will use drones to monitor the Russia-Ukraine border in its mission to broker deals between Ukraine's warring sides.
	"We want to continue to help de-escalate the crisis," OSCE head and Swiss President Didier Burkhalter told reporters after talks with his Latvian counterpart Andris Berzins in Riga.
	"Therefore we are scaling up the mission in number and in capabilities as well.
	"We are also trying to get very soon capabilities in border control -- that means drones for being able to monitor the border between Russia and Ukraine," Burkhalter said.
	Drones would also be used to monitor the fragile ceasefire brokered in Minsk to help bring an end to five months of fighting in eastern Ukraine, he added.
	The European Union has agreed to introduce new sanctions against Russia on Friday targeting oil and defence firms, but said it could lift them if a Ukraine ceasefire holds.
	Russia hit back, saying it has drawn up new 

OSCE says will use drones along Russia-Ukraine border

The Vatican said today it was committed to reestablishing diplomatic ties with Vietnam as part of a bid to better relations with Asia in general.
	Pope Francis is keen for the Church to tap into Asia, a continent where the number of Catholics, currently just 3.2 percent of the population, is rocketing.
	During his five-day visit to South Korea in August -- his first trip to Asia -- the pope called for communist countries Vietnam and China, which do not have formal ties with the Vatican, to accept a "dialogue" with Rome, insisting that Catholics did not view Asia with the mentality of "conquerors".
	In a statement released after the fifth meeting of a joint Vietnam-Holy See working group in Hanoi, the Vatican "reaffirmed that it attached great importance to the development of relations with Vietnam in particular and Asia in general."
	It said the pope's trip to South Korea and scheduled 2015 visits to Sri Lanka and the Philippines were "evidence" of a determination to strengthen ...

Vatican sees closer Vietnam ties as bridge to Asia

The International Monetary Fund said today that a vote by citizens of Scotland for independence could raise many questions and upset markets in the short term.
	A vote in next week's referendum to break from the United Kingdom "will raise a number of important and complicated issues that will have to be negotiated," said IMF spokesman Bill Murray.
	"The main immediate effect is likely to be uncertainty over the transition to a potentially new and different monetary, financial and fiscal framework in Scotland," he said.
	"While this uncertainty could lead to negative market reactions in the short term, the longer term will depend on the decisions being made during the transition, and I do not want to speculate on this."
	Opinion polls show a surprise lead by pro-independence Scots ahead of the September 18 vote, already stirring worries in markets over the impact on the British economy and the pound of the break.
	The pound has already fallen sharply in recent weeks, with the question .

IMF says Scotland 'yes' vote would create uncertainty

China and Russia will build one of the largest ports in northeast Asia on Russia's Sea of Japan coast, reports said, in a further sign of the powerhouses' growing alliance.
	The seaport is expected to be able to handle some 60 million tonnes of cargo a year, China's state-run People's Daily Online reported late yesterday -- comparable to Britain's busiest port Immingham or Le Havre in France, according to European Commission statistics.
	The new facility will be located in far eastern Russia, just 18 kilometres (11 miles) away from the Chinese border. The region is also close to North Korea.
	Chinese and Russian leaders inked a deal on the port at May's Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Shanghai, the report said.
	The move represents the latest step by Beijing and Moscow to boost their energy and infrastructure ties.
	Resource-hungry China is seeking to diversify its sources of energy amid booming domestic consumption, while Russia -- at odds 

China, Russia to build seaport: report

Americans today marked the 13th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, with somber ceremonies of remembrance in New York and Washington.
	   President Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and Vice President Joe Biden observed a moment of silence on the White House south lawn, along with about 300 staffers. Flags in Washington flew at half-mast.
	   Obama was then to attend a ceremony at the Pentagon -- scene of one of the strikes.
	   The anniversary comes just hours after Obama laid out his strategy to counter Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria -- a new front in America's unresolved confrontation with radical Islam begun in earnest 13 years ago.
	   In New York, relatives of those killed when hijacked airliners slammed into the World Trade Center gathered at Ground Zero to remember the dead.
	   The ceremony began, as usual, with a moment of silence at 8:46 am (1246 GMT), when the first plane smashed into the Twin Towers.
	   Family members then began the long process of ...

US marks 13th anniversary of 9/11 attacks

A drone strike in Yemen's south killed four Al-Qaeda suspects today, a local government official told AFP.
	The United States is the only country operating drones over Yemen, but US officials rarely acknowledge the covert programme.
	"Four Al-Qaeda militants were killed when a drone strike hit their vehicle" in Shabwa province, the source said on condition of anonymity.
	No details were immediately available on the identities of the suspects.
	In April, a US-Yemeni aerial campaign killed at least 68 Al-Qaeda militants, as part of efforts to head off attacks by the jihadist network's regional affiliate.
	Later that month, Yemeni troops launched a ground offensive against jihadists in the southern Shabwa province and neighbouring Abyan.
	Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has been linked to a number of failed terror plots against the United States.
	Rights groups have criticised the drone programme in Yemen and other countries, and repeatedly urged the United States to investigate 

Drone strike kills 4 Qaeda suspects in Yemen

A group of 45 UN peacekeepers kidnapped two weeks ago in the Golan were released today and are in good condition, a UN spokesman said.
	The Fijians were serving in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which is monitoring a 1974 ceasefire between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights.
	"Today at 1430 local time, the 45 Fijian peacekeepers who had been detained were handed to UNDOF at Position 80," the spokesman said.
	"All the 45 peacekeepers are in good condition," he added, saying they would undergo a medical checkup.
	The blue helmets were captured on August 28 by Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra fighters who stormed a Golan Heights crossing and forced them to surrender their weapons.
	The Syrian rebels also beseiged a second group of Philippine peackeepers who refused to disarm and managed to escape.
	Al-Nusra said in a video released late yesterday that it planned to free the Fijian peacekeepers, dropping demands for aid, a prisoner release and the removal of the group 

Kidnapped UN peacekeepers released

Russia today said that unilateral US airstrikes on jihadists in Syria would be a crude violation of international law.
	"In the absence of an appropriate decision of the UN Security Council, such a step would become an act of aggression, a crude violation of the norms of international law," said Alexander Lukashevich, a spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry, in televised comments.

US strikes on jihadists crude violation of law: Russia

Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes are among six England players to have been awarded their first central contracts, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced today.
     The other new names joining players such as fast bowler James Anderson and captain Alastair Cook on the 12-man list of centrally contracted players are Gary Ballance, Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes.
     "We have been hugely encouraged by the rapid development of a host of younger players in the last year, and this is reflected in a total of six players being awarded 12-month central contracts for the first time," said national selector James Whitaker.
     Kevin Pietersen was one of five players to lose central-contract status, along with Tim Bresnan, Jonathan Trott, Matt Prior and Graeme Swann.
     Pietersen was axed by the ECB following England's Ashes whitewash defeat, while Prior has been dogged by injury and Swann has retired.
     Bresnan and Trott, who has been battling a stress-related illness, .

Six England crickters awarded 1st central contracts by ECB

Hamas's exiled deputy leader said on Thursday the group could be forced to negotiate directly with Israel, ahead of planned talks in Cairo to consolidate a truce.
	But an Israeli minister dismissed any possibility of talking directly with the Islamist movement, whose charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state.
	Hamas does not recognise Israel, and Israel denounces Hamas as a terror organisation, and the two sides have never had any direct contact.
	Following weeks of indirect, Egyptian brokered negotiations, Israel and Hamas agreed to halt their fire in Gaza on August 26 after 50 days of war, their deadliest confrontation in years.
	The indirect talks are set to resume mid-September to discuss longer-term issues.
	Asked if Hamas would contemplate negotiating directly with Israel, Mussa Abu Marzuq, the movement's exiled deputy leader, said it might be needed.
	"If the situation remains as it is now... Hamas could find itself forced to do this," he told the Palestinian ...

Hamas says may have to talk directly with Israel

Secretary of State John Kerry pressed key Arab states today to support an expanded American military campaign against Islamic State jihadists including US air strikes in Syria.
	The top US diplomat arrived in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port city of Jeddah and said "I'm confident" as he was greeted by the kingdom's foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal.
	Kerry will hold talks with counterparts from 10 Arab nations and Turkey hours after US President Barack Obama outlined his new strategy to confront the jihadists in a prime-time television address.
	Steeling his nation for another foreign conflict, Obama pledged to expand US military operations against IS, a radical Islamist group that has seized a swathe of Iraq and Syria and committed horrifying atrocities.
	"Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy," Obama said, using an alternative acronym for the group.
	"I will not hesitate to take action .

US presses Arabs for support as Obama vows to hit IS

Turkey will refuse to allow a US-led coalition to attack jihadists in neighbouring Iraq and Syria from its air bases, nor will it take part in combat operations against militants, a government official told AFP today.
	"Turkey will not be involved in any armed operation but will entirely concentrate on humanitarian operations," the official said on condition of anonymity.
	The decision echoes the country's refusal to allow the US to station 60,000 troops in Turkey in 2003 to invade Iraq from the north, which triggered a crisis between the two allies.
	Ankara then also refused Washington permission to use its air bases to attack Saddam Hussein's regime.
	Turkey has come under fire by some critics for indirectly encouraging the formation of the Islamic State because of its support of Islamist opponents of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, and its loose control of its borders.
	But Ankara vehemently denies its strategy has backfired.
	US Secretary of State John Kerry was to hold talks in 

Turkey refuses US permission for combat missions against IS

Two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut returned to Earth today after spending more than six months working together aboard the International Space Station, as tensions between their countries soared over the Ukraine crisis.
	American Steven Swanson and Russians Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev, who left on March 26, landed in the Kazakh steppe at 0753 IST aboard a Soyuz capsule, the Russian space agency Roscosmos and its US equivalent NASA said in statements.
	The trio, who worked together in cramped quarters aboard the ISS as relations between their countries plummeted to levels unseen since the end of the Cold War over Ukraine, smiled broadly, gave thumbs up signs and waved in the sunshine as they spent their first minutes back on the planet.
	The three spent a total of "169 days of science and technology research in space, including a record 82 hours of research in a single week" in July, NASA said in a statement.
	The crew orbited the Earth more than 2,700 times and 

AFP

AFP

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