The Taliban said the US "will be harmed more than anyone" but left the door open for future negotiations Sunday after President Donald Trump abruptly announced that he had called off year-long talks to end America's longest war.
"We still... believe that the American side will come back to this position... Our fight for the past 18 years should have proven to the Americans that we will not be satisfied until we witness the complete end of the occupation," the group said in a statement released on Twitter by spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
The statement said the insurgents had "finalised" a deal with the US that had been expected to allow Washington to begin withdrawing troops in exchange for security promises from the Taliban.
It added that both sides had been preparing for the deal to be announced and signed when Trump tweeted late Saturday that he had "called off peace negotiations".
Trump had cited a Taliban attack in Kabul on Thursday which killed 12 people including a US soldier as 

Taliban say US 'will be harmed more than anyone' after Trump halts talks

PTI Automatic

The unanimous election of a neo-Nazi politician in Germany as the head of a town council, thanks to votes from rival party members, has sparked outrage among senior political figures.
Stefan Jagsch of the far right-wing extremist National Democratic Party (NDP) became the council leader for Waldsiedlung, in the district of Altenstadt, 30 kilometres (18 miles) north-east of Frankfurt, on Thursday.
Jagsch was appointed with help from local members of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), plus opposition groups Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Free Democratic Party (FDP), prompting calls for the decision to be reversed.
"The SPD has a very clear position: we do not co-operate with Nazis! Never!" the party's general secretary Lars Klingbeil tweeted Saturday.
"That applies to federal government, the state and municipalities. The decision in Altenstadt is incomprehensible and cannot be justified. It must be reversed immediately. #noNPD."
Peter Tauber, a CDU ...

Outrage as neo-Nazi elected town council leader in Germany

North Korean state media said Sunday five people had been killed in a powerful typhoon that destroyed farmland and damaged hundreds of buildings.
Typhoon Lingling, called Typhoon-13 in North Korea, hit the reclusive nuclear-armed state on Saturday afternoon, reported the official KCNA news service.
The impoverished and isolated country is vulnerable to natural disasters, especially floods, due in part to deforestation and poor infrastructure.
"According to data available from the State Emergency Disaster Committee, five persons were dead and three persons injured. The injured persons are now under treatment at hospitals," KCNA said.
More than 460 houses and at least a dozen public buildings were "completely or partly destroyed or inundated" by the typhoon, it said.
Crops were wiped out or damaged in 46,000 hectares (110,000 acres) of farmland -- roughly the area of the small European country of Andorra -- the report said, adding that recovery efforts were underway.
It came after South 

North Korea reports five deaths, damage in typhoon

Iran's atomic agency chief hit out Sunday at European powers, saying their broken promises gave the Islamic republic little choice but to scale back its commitments under a nuclear deal.
Ali Akbar Salehi was speaking to reporters alongside Cornel Feruta, the acting head of the International Atomic Energy Agency who was on a one-day visit to Tehran.
The IAEA official's visit comes a day after Iran said it was firing up advanced centrifuges that enrich uranium at a faster rate -- the latest blow to the landmark 2015 nuclear deal.
It was the third step in a strategy Iran implemented in May, reducing its nuclear commitments in a bid to force the deal's remaining parties to deliver on promises of relief from crippling US sanctions.
Britain, France and Germany have been trying to save the nuclear deal, which began unravelling last year when US President Donald Trump withdrew from it and began reimposing the punitive measures against Iran.
"The European Union was supposed to be the ...

Iran slams European powers as nuclear deal unravels

The United States is willing to reopen talks with the Taliban after cancelling a secret presidential meeting if the insurgents honour promises, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday.
"I hope it's the case the Taliban will change their behaviour and recommit to things we've talking about. In the end this will be resolved through a series of conversations," Pompeo told ABC television program "This Week.

Pompeo: US needs 'significant commitment' by Taliban to reopen talks

Spinners Rashid Khan and Zahir Khan shared five wickets between them as Afghanistan came within four wickets of a historic win over Bangladesh in the one-off Test in Chittagong on Sunday.
The visitors -- playing only their third Test ever -- reduced Bangladesh to 136-6 before rain forced an early stump on the fourth day, with the hosts who were set a record target of 398 runs still needing 262 runs.
The highest successful run chase in Bangladesh is 317-7 by New Zealand at the same ground in 2008.
Skipper Shakib Al Hasan remained unbeaten on 39 runs, giving a little hope to Bangladesh amid the gloom at the Zahur Ahmed Stadium, where rain interrupted play in all three sessions much to Afghanistan's frustration.
Shakib will resume the fifth day's play along with Soumya Sarkar, the last recognised batsman for Bangladesh, who was yet to open his account.
Rashid, who made his debut as youngest ever Test captain, led Afghanistan from the front, finishing the day with 3-46 while left-arm ...

Spinners take Afghanistan close to historic win

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Sunday rejected any further delay to Britain's exit from the EU, now scheduled for October 31 but clouded by political turmoil in London.
"In the current circumstances, it's no! ... We are not going to go through this every three months," Le Drian said on Le Grand Rendez-vous Europe1/CNEWS/Les Echos programme.
"The (British) say that they want to put forward other solutions, alternative arrangements so that they can leave," he said, referring to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's efforts to find a way out of the backstop mechanism for Northern Ireland, the main sticking point.
"But we have not seen them and so it is 'no'... let the British authorities tell us the way forward," he said.
"Let them take responsibility for their situation... They have to tell us what they want."
Britain was originally meant to leave the European Union on March 29 but with parliament deadlocked the British government ended up negotiating two delays, the latest to ..

France says 'no' to more Brexit delay

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have discussed holding new peace talks after a landmark prisoner exchange.
Their offices said Putin and Zelensky spoke by phone late on Saturday after the long-awaited swap of 70 prisoners.
Zelensky's office said both leaders were "satisfied with the result of the implementation of the agreements" on the exchange.
"The presidents of the two countries also agreed to discuss in the near future the date of holding a summit within the framework of the Normandy format" which also includes France and Germany.
The Kremlin said the prisoner exchange had "major significance" for the improvement of bilateral ties and that the two sides had agreed to remain in contact.
Putin stressed the importance of conducting preparations for a new summit.
Efforts have intensified to ease tensions between Moscow and Kiev since Zelensky's election in April.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a summit of the leaders of ...

Putin, Zelensky eye new talks after prisoner swap

Days before the first round of Tunisia's presidential election, the fledgling democracy on Saturday began three nights of televised debates between the candidates, a rare event in the Arab world.
The showdown between the 26 hopefuls is seen as the highlight of the campaign and a turning point in Tunisian politics ahead of the September 15 vote.
The North African nation has been praised as a rare success story for democratic transition after the Arab Spring regional uprisings sparked by its 2011 revolution.
Called "The road to Carthage: Tunisia makes its choice", the programme was broadcast on 11 TV channels, two of them public, and about 20 radio stations.
"We won't be able to escape it," said a smiling Belabbes Benkredda, founder of the Munathara Initiative which promotes open debate in the Arab world and helped organise the event.
The first hour-and-a-half debate on Saturday night involved eight of the candidates, including Abdelfattah Mourou of the Islamist-inspired Ennahda party, .

Tunisia airs first 'great debate' ahead of presidential poll

Pat Cummins dismissed Ben Stokes for just one as Australia closed in on an Ashes-clinching win by reducing England to 87-4 at lunch on the fifth day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Sunday.
England still need a further 296 runs to reach a huge target of 383, whereas Australia require six more wickets for a victory that would see them keep the Ashes at 2-1 up with one to play in the five-Test series.
Cummins, the world's top-ranked Test bowler, has taken all the wickets to fall in a return of 4-23 in 11 overs that included two in two balls on Saturday, with the paceman dismissing England captain Joe Root for a golden duck -- the skipper's third nought in five innings.
Joe Denly was 48 not out and Jonny Bairstow two not out at the lunch break.  Stokes, whose stunning 135 not out had seen England to a dramatic series-levelling win in the third Test at Headingley, fell for just one on Sunday when Cummins cut one back to the left-handed batsman, with Australia captain and wicketkeeper 

Cummins dismisses Stokes as Australia close in on Ashes

Spinners Zahir Khan and Rashid Khan claimed two wickets each as Afghanistan began their push for victory in the one-off Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong on Sunday.
Set a target of 398 runs, Bangladesh reached 104-4 by tea on the rain-hit fourth day, still needing 296 runs for an improbable win with opener Shadman Islam, 39 not out, and skipper Shakib Al Hasan, 14 not out, at the crease.
Left-arm chinaman Zahir struck first when he dismissed opener Liton Das, who was trapped leg before for nine two balls after a caught-behind decision against was overturned by television umpire on review.
One-down Mosaddek Hossain chased a ball wide outside the off-stump to give a catch to Asghar Afghan at long off after making 12 runs.
Rashid trapped Mushfiqur Rahim plumb in front after the former Bangladesh skipper started in a confident manner to make 23 off 25 balls.
Rashid delivered another blow in his next over to dismiss Mominul Haque, out lbw for three.
Earlier, resuming at 237-8 after ...

Spinners strike as Afghanistan rattle Bangladesh

A strong typhoon that could bring record winds and rain was poised to make a direct hit on Tokyo later Sunday, as authorities issued evacuation warnings amid a risk of high waves, landslides and flooding.
Typhoon Faxai, packing winds of up to 216 kilometres (134 miles) per hour, is forecast to reach coastal areas near Tokyo in the late hours of Sunday into Monday morning, Japan's meteorological agency said.
The storm forced train operators to suspend major lines in the capital during Monday morning rush hours, while grounding more than 170 flights.
"Please be on full alert against gusts and high waves and be vigilant about landslides, floods and swollen rivers," the agency said in a statement.
Meteorological agency official Naoji Nakamura told reporters the typhoon could bring "record" winds and rains.
Eight surfers were rescued amid high waves off Shizuoka in cental Japan after they were swept out to sea, local officials said.
"Two helicopters were dispatched while special rescuers ..

Tokyo braces for direct hit from typhoon Faxai

Thousands of people were gathering before dawn Sunday in the Madagascar capital Antananarivo, braving a cold windy morning to hear Pope Francis say mass on the second leg of his three-nation African tour.
In Andravoahangy church, pastor Jean-Yves Ravoajanahary briefed 5,000 people on the two-hour trek to Soamandrakizay stadium, where the mass will take place.
"We are going to divide worshippers into groups of 1,000 because the road is very dangerous. At this time pickpockets and bandits are out to mug people," he told AFP.
One by one the groups started the journey, huddled together and singing praise to the Virgin Mary. Traffic was gridlocked.
Hery Saholimanana left his house in the early hours with three family members.
"I'm afraid of arriving after the 6:00 o'clock entry limit," said the 23-year old IT student, walking briskly.
Rado Niaina, 29, told AFP he left even earlier, at 2:00 am, for fear "of not finding space".
The mass was due to begin at 10:00 am (0700 GMT). Organisers ...

Hundreds of thousands flock to Pope Francis Madagascar mass

Afghanistan praised the "sincere efforts of its allies" Sunday after US President Donald Trump said he had called off negotiations with the Taliban, apparently ending a year-long diplomatic push to exit America's longest war.
"The Afghan government, in relation to the peace, appreciates the sincere efforts of its allies and is committed to working together with the United States and other allies to bring a lasting peace," said a statement from President Ashraf Ghani's office.
The statement came after Trump tweeted late Saturday that he had planned unprecedented, albeit separate, talks with the Taliban and with Ghani Sunday at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland.
The secret talks would have come after months of diplomatic wrangling between the US and the Taliban over a deal that would allow Washington to begin withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan.
But after the Taliban killed 12 people in a single attack in Kabul this week, including a US soldier, Trump said he ...

Afghan govt praises 'sincere efforts' as Trump calls off Taliban talks

Bangladesh reached the lunch interval unscathed on 30-0 on the fourth day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Chittagong Sunday, still needing 368 more runs to win.
Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam was not out 21 with Liton Das on nine at the other end after steadily negotiating nine testing overs before the break.
Earlier the Afghans were dismissed for 260 in their second innings, setting Bangladesh a record 398-run target.
The highest successful run chase in Bangladesh is 317-7 by New Zealand at the same ground in 2008.
Resuming at 237-8 after more than two hours' delay because of drizzle, Afghanistan added 23 runs to extend their lead close to 400-run mark.
Yamin Ahmadzai was run out for nine and off-spinner Mehidy Hasan removed last man Zahir Khan, leaving Afsar Zazai stranded on 48.
Vecause of the rain delay, the fourth day's play is now scheduled to end at 5:40 pm (1140 GMT) with a minimum 73 overs to be bowled.

Afghanistan set Bangladesh daunting target

Acting head of the UN atomic watchdog, Cornel Feruta, arrived in Tehran on Sunday for high-level talks with Iranian officials, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.
The International Atomic Energy Agency official's visit comes a day after Iran announced its latest step in reducing its commitments to a 2015 nuclear deal.
The Romanian diplomat was to meet Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation chief Ali Akbar Salehi, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, ISNA said.
The IAEA said the visit was part of its "ongoing interactions" with Tehran, including "verification and monitoring in Iran under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)," the technical name for the 2015 deal.
The accord gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.
Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said on Saturday that it had fired up 20 IR-4 and 20 IR-6 advanced centrifuges -- a third step it has taken back ...

Atomic watchdog chief in Iran for high-level talks

The centre of Beijing was under lockdown early Sunday for a nighttime parade rehearsal by the Chinese military which is preparing for October 1 ceremonies to mark Communist China's 70th anniversary.
The enormous Avenue of Eternal Peace, which leads to Tiananmen Square and runs east-west, was closed to traffic for about a dozen kilometres (seven miles) to allow troops to parade around Tiananmen Square, the symbolic heart of Chinese power.
It is where Mao Zedong in 1949 proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China.
The official news agency Xinhua said about 90,000 people were "involved in the rehearsal and related supporting services", and organisers said the run-through "reached the expected results".
Areas around the Avenue of Eternal Peace were gradually closed to traffic from late Saturday afternoon and were expected to stay off limits until Sunday morning, causing traffic jams.
Security forces blocked access to residences with views of the avenue, ordering several ...

Central Beijing locked down for overnight army parade rehearsal

Gareth Southgate admits England cannot be deceived by their dominant start to the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign because they will face far sterner tests than Bulgaria provided in Saturday's 4-0 demolition at Wembley.
Harry Kane scored his second England hat-trick and also set up Raheem Sterling's strike as Southgate's side cemented their position on top of Group A.
With three successive victories and 14 goals to their credit, the 2018 World Cup semi-finalists already look odds-on to qualify for Euro 2020.
Their next qualifier is against second placed Kosovo, who beat the Czech Republic 2-1 earlier in the day, at Southampton on Tuesday and Southgate claims it will provide a tougher examination than lacklustre Bulgaria could manage.
But it is next year's tournament, which features several games in England, that Southgate was looking ahead to when he conceded he learns more from training sessions than he does these routine group matches.
"We have not had the tight, tense matches that the 

'We can still improve' Southgate warns England

Joachim Loew has demanded a reaction from his young Germany team against Group C leaders Northern Ireland on Monday after their recent resurgence was cut short by their Euro 2020 qualifying 4-2 defeat to the Netherlands.
Having come into the international break on a wave of optimism, Loew's side now travel to Belfast on Monday needing a win to keep their qualification campaign on course against a Northern Irish side yet to drop a point in four qualifying matches.
"We need to win, we need to approach the game in such a way that we leave the pitch as winners," said Loew on Friday.
Germany had just begun to find their feet after a long period of recovery from their disastrous campaign at last year's World Cup.
The group stage exit in Russia prompted a major generational overhaul, and after three wins in a row in 2019, Loew's new-look young team were full of confidence ahead of Friday's game.
Victory over the Dutch would have put second-placed Germany nine points clear of their rivals and 

Germany under Euro 2020 pressure in Belfast after Dutch debacle

Serena Williams is wondering when she will start playing like a 23-time Grand Slam champion again in a major final, calling her poor showing in Saturday's US Open final loss "inexcusable."
Williams fell to 19-year-old Canadian Bianca Andreescu 6-3, 7-5 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on the same court where she won her first Grand Slam title 20 years ago, nine months before Andreescu was born.
"I love Bianca. I think she's a great girl. But I think this was the worst match I've played all tournament. It's hard to know that you could do better," Williams said.
"Bianca obviously played well. I think her returns make me play better and put pressure on my serve.
"At the same time it's inexcusable for me to play at that level." Williams had 33 winners but just as many unforced errors. She hit nine aces but misfired eight double faults and hit only 44 percent of her first serves. She dropped 30 of 43 points on her second serve.
"I believe I could have played better. I believe I could have done more. 

Serena says her poor effort 'inexcusable' in US Open final

Kingsley Coman scored twice as world champions France cruised past Albania 4-1 on Saturday to move back to the top of their group in qualifying for Euro 2020.
"It went well for me," Coman told French television after being selected man of the match.
The Bayern attacker was not part of the victorious French squad at last year's World Cup. On Saturday, he replaced Kylian Mbappe, one of three starters from last year's Moscow final who was missing injured.
Asked if Coman had finally put is international career on track, France coach Didier Deschamps said: "That was closer to what he has been doing for the last year for Bayern. He was more drawn to the goal. He was more decisive."
Iceland briefly led the standings in Group H outright after beating Moldova 3-0 earlier in the day, and are joined by Turkey, who scored in the last minute to edge
Andorra, 1-0 as well as Les Bleus at the summit on goals difference.  The match kicked off late because the hosts played the Andorran anthem.
"It was .

AFP

AFP

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