Taliban officials say the extremist group has appointed a new military chief as the insurgents try to gain ground rather than talk peace under a new leadership.
	The officials said in telephone interviews over the weekend that the appointment of Maulvi Ibrahim Sadar, once a close ally of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammed Omar, heralds a commitment to confrontation at a time when multiple governments are trying to coax the Taliban to the negotiating table.
	Sadar is a battle-hardened commander, who gained prominence among Taliban foot soldiers following the movement's overthrow in 2001. The two officials both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly for the Taliban.
	Sadar's appointment coincides with an uptick in Taliban attacks against Afghanistan's security forces.

Taliban appoints new military chief as new leader settles in

PTI Automatic

Construction crews have worked through the night to build a tent complex to host an Italian state funeral in quake-devastated Amatrice after residents denounced the government's original plan to hold the service in a distant airport hangar.
	The funeral late today for more than 200 of the 292 victims takes place on the edge of Amatrice's obliterated medieval centre on the grounds of a Catholic retreat for the elderly.
	Italy also observed a second day of national mourning following the August 24 temblor that flattened villages in central Italy.
	Initially, authorities planned to hold the funeral in the provincial capital of Rieti and let survivors watch it on TV. Residents already battling grief and trauma rebelled and Premier Matteo Renzi, sensing a public relations disaster, reversed course.

State funeral set for Amatrice after quake survivors rebel

Man Kaur from India needed almost a minute-and-a-half to cross the finish line in the 100-meter dash, but she still picked up a gold medal Monday at the American Masters Games.
     That's because the 100-year-old Kaur was the only female competitor in her age category at the competition for older athletes.
     When she crossed the finish line in Vancouver, her competitors many of them in their 70s and 80s were there to cheer her on.
     Kaur's energy and drive to compete have become an inspiration to participants in the unique international event for athletes over 30.
     "When she wins, she goes back to India, and she's excited to tell others, 'I have won so many medals from this country,' " said her son Gurdev Singh, 78, translating for his mother. "Winning makes her happy."
     After Kaur finished the sprint in one minute and 21 seconds, she stood smiling with her hands raised in the air. Asked how she felt, she breathed heavily and clutched a bottle of water, unable to speak. 

100-year-old runner from India inspires at Masters Games

Australia's Parliament met today for the first time since the conservative government narrowly won an election almost two months ago and as an opinion poll showed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's popularity falling.
	Lawmakers were sworn in after the election on July 2 left Turnbull's coalition with 76 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives.
	A Newspoll published in The Australian newspaper on today showed that Turnbull's popularity had sunk to its lowest point since he ousted the polarizing Tony Abbott as prime minister a year ago in a ballot of lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Party.
	Although more respondents prefer Turnbull as prime minister than they would opposition leader Bill Shorten, Turnbull's lead 43 per cent to 32 per cent is the narrowest since he took the top job.
	The government remained neck and neck with the centre-left Labor Party with 50 per cent support for each. The government won a second three-year term with 50.4 per cent of the vote.
	The poll was a ...

Australian Parliament sits for first time since election

An Olympic champion is thanking a 7-year-old Atlanta girl who found his gold medal in a pile of trash weeks after it got stolen.
	Joe Jacobi won the medal in men's canoe double slalom at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Jacobi says it was stolen when somebody broke into his car in June.
	Weeks later, Chloe Smith was walking with her father when she spotted the gold medal discarded in a pile of garbage.
	Chloe returned the medal to Jacobi, who had posted about the theft on social media. The former Olympian then promised to visit Chloe's school and let her classmates know about her good deed.
	Jacobi spoke yesterday to Chloe's first-grade class at Woodson Park Academy. WSB-TV reports the Olympian brought his recovered gold medal with him.

Girl strikes gold by finding stolen Olympic medal in trash

Mexico's president has dismissed the chief of the federal police force, less than two weeks after the country's human rights commission released a scathing report alleging federal police executed at least 22 suspected drug cartel members during a raid on a ranch.
	Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said President Enrique Pena Nieto yesterday decided to remove Enrique Galindo to allow for a transparent investigation.
	"In light of the recent events and on instructions of the president, Police Commissioner Enrique Galindo has been removed from his position," Osorio Chong said.
	"That is with the objective of facilitating that the corresponding authorities carry out an agile and transparent investigation in full view of citizens."
	Earlier this month, Mexico's National Human Rights Commission announced that its investigation had found that at least 22 people were killed without justification by police during the operation at a ranch in the western state of Michoacan on May 22, .

Mexico's top police chief out after execution allegations

Fox News Channel says Andrea Tantaros is not a "victim" but "an opportunist" in its response to the sexual-harassment lawsuit filed last week by the former Fox News host.
	In that response, filed yesterday in New York, the network is calling for arbitration which it says is in accordance with her employment agreement.
	The network notes that she is already a party to pending arbitration after having been suspended by Fox, which has accused her of breaching her employment agreement by writing a book without prior authorisation by the network.
	Fox News claims it learned of Tantaros' book, "Tied Up in Knots ... How Getting What We Wanted Made Women Miserable" in March, a few weeks before it was published.
	"This Court should compel Tantaros to proceed in the arbitration proceeding that is already underway," Fox News contends.
	Tantaros last week sued the network, its ousted chairman and other top executives, claiming they retaliated after she detailed unwanted sexual advances made by ...

Fox News calls Tantaros an 'opportunist' in lawsuit response

The FBI is warning state officials to boost their election security in light of evidence that hackers targeted related data systems in two states.
	In a confidential "flash" alert from its cyber division, first reported by Yahoo News and posted online by others, the FBI said it's investigating the pair of incidents and advised states to scan their systems for specific signs of hacking.
	The FBI said yesterday that it doesn't comment on specific alerts, but added that it routinely sends out advisories to private industry about signs of cyber threats that it comes across in its investigations.
	The FBI didn't name the states that were targeted, but it described a "compromise" of one elections board website and "attempted intrusion activities" in another state's system. State election websites in Illinois and Arizona experienced hack-related shutdowns earlier this summer. In both cases, the parts of the websites affected involved online voter registration.
	The FBI's Aug 18 warning also .

FBI warns of possible state election-system hacks

Gene Wilder, the frizzy-haired actor who brought his deft comedic touch to such unforgettable roles as the neurotic accountant in "The Producers" and the mad scientist of "Young Frankenstein," has died.
	He was 83.
	Wilder's nephew said yesterday that the actor and writer died late Sunday at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, from complications from Alzheimer's disease.
	Jordan Walker-Pearlman said in a statement that Wilder was diagnosed with the disease three years ago, but kept the condition private so as not to disappoint fans.
	"He simply couldn't bear the idea of one less smile in the world," Walker-Pearlman said.
	Wilder started his acting career on the stage, but millions knew him from his work in the movies, especially his collaborations with Mel Brooks on "The Producers," ''Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein." The last film with Wilder playing a California-born descendant of the mad scientist, insisting that his name is pronounced "Frahn-ken-SHTEEN" was co-written by ..

Actor Gene Wilder, star of Mel Brooks movies, dies at 83

A car driven by a woman high on drugs sparked several wildfires that consumed at least 450 acres in Northern California, forced evacuations and burned one home, authorities say.
	The woman was driving on the right rear rim of her subcompact car, emitting sparks that caused the fires in Calaveras County, 65 miles southeast of Sacramento, The California Highway Patrol tells KCRA-TV.
	One home was burned yesterday and many people were forced to leave their homes. The evacuation orders have since been lifted.
	"We immediately smelled the smoke from the vehicle and looked and there was a fire on the corner of the property," homeowner Eugene Brooks told the station. Neighbors were left to help put out hot spots near their homes and said they were relieved the fire wasn't worse.
	Renee Hogan was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, the CHP said. The state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says it has filed additional charges against Hogan related to the fires.
	The .

Woman driving on rim sparks California wildfires: Officials

Political leaders on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continue to shy away from the steps needed for peace, further eroding the prospect of a two-state solution, the United Nations' Mideast envoy said today.
	Nicolay Mladenov told the Security Council that illegal settlement expansion by Israelis and the lack of Palestinian Authority control in Gaza remain among the biggest obstacles to peace.
	Mladenov called for a "radical overhaul of how we deal with the problems of Gaza," and said the area "remains in the grip of militants, and dependent on aid and humanitarian assistance."
	He also flagged "a surge in Israeli settlement-related announcements and demolitions," since the Quartet of Mideast peace negotiators the United States, Russia, the European Union and the UN issued their report which aimed to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations which have been dormant since 2014, when a US peace initiative failed.
	"It has been nearly two months since the Middle East Quartet 

UN says Israelis, Palestinians both imperil 2-state solution

After satirizing everything from "radical chic" to 20th century architecture, Tom Wolfe is now mining the mystery of language and the reputation of the most influential linguist of our time, Noam Chomsky.
	Chomsky, in turn, has some thoughts about Wolfe, the celebrated New Journalist and author of such classics as "The Bonfire of the Vanities" and "The Right Stuff."
	In his new book, "The Kingdom of Speech," Wolfe examines how scholars have attempted to discern the roots of verbal communication. He reviews the debates between Charles Darwin, who likened speech to the "sounds uttered by birds," and other 19th century evolutionists.
	He notes how modern understanding centers on Chomsky's revolutionary theory that humans have an innate knowledge of language.
	Wolfe duly acknowledges Chomsky's breakthrough, but sees a man so used to dominance in his field that he scorns or evades those who challenge his research. He also suggests his stature as a linguist is tied to his years as an ...

Tom Wolfe talks Darwin, Chomsky and human speech

A Michael Phelps fan who has autism has become an inspiration on his own after sharing his dream of competing in the Olympics one day on the swimmer's Facebook page.
	Austin Levingston's August 16 post congratulating Phelps on his Olympic performance has received more than 3,000 likes.
	In it, the 21-year-old Kansas man says he's attending college and hopes to be the first person in his family to get a degree. He also tells Phelps, "I'm hoping to swim in the Olympics just like you someday."
	Levingston also is a doppelganger for Phelps, who grew up outside Baltimore. Levingston included a few pictures of himself which show a strong resemblance to the 23-time gold medalist.
	Levingston tells The Baltimore Sun he doesn't know if Phelps saw his post.

Facebook post from Michael Phelps fan with autism inspires

New Jersey police say a driver playing "Pokemon Go" on his cellphone crashed his SUV into a parked police cruiser.
	The crash happened at around 3:40 AM yesterday in Jersey City.
	Authorities say no one was in the cruiser at the time, and the 42-year-old SUV driver wasn't injured. But the Jersey City man was cited for careless driving and other motor vehicle violations. His name wasn't released.

Driver playing 'Pokemon Go' hits parked cruiser: Police

Donald Trump's campaign is making its biggest general election ad buy to date, with plans to spend upward of USD 10 million on commercials airing over the next week or so.
	The campaign is expecting to air a new ad, which paints rival Hillary Clinton as a job-killer, as soon as Monday in nine states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida, where the campaign has already been on the air, along with New Hampshire, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada all battleground states.
	Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has so far been badly outspent by his Democratic rival and groups supporting her.
	Since clinching her party's nomination in early June, Clinton has spent more than USD 77 million on television and radio advertising, largely targeting voters in battleground states, according to Kantar Media's political ad tracker.
	Trump finally hit the airwaves earlier this month with an ad focused on immigration, and so far has only spent about USD 5 million.
	Clinton has ...

Trump plans major ad buy after weeks of being outspent

Iceland's Meteorological Office says two earthquakes early today rocked the caldera of Katla, one of the country's largest volcanos.
	Gunnar Gudmundsson, a geophysicist, said authorities are monitoring the situation at the volcano in southern Iceland and described it as "a little bit unusual." The quakes measured magnitude 4.2 and magnitude 4.5 and were followed by some 20 aftershocks.
	"People have been waiting for an eruption for 50 years," Gudmundsson said of Katla. "But there is no sign of an eruption."
	Katla, named after an evil troll, is in southern Iceland about 140 kilometers from the capital, Reykjavik.
	Iceland, an island nation in the remote North Atlantic, is a volcanic hotspot often hit by seismic activity.
	Its volcanos attracted international attention in April 2010, when ash from an eruption of its Eyjafjallajokull volcano grounded flights across Europe for days, disrupting travel for millions.
	In the past, Katla has erupted in tandem with Eyjafjallajokull. Katla's ..

2 earthquakes rock large volcano: Iceland's Met Office

Abu Sayyaf extremists killed 15 Philippine army soldiers in fierce fighting today in the country's restive south, dealing the government its largest single-day combat loss under President Rodrigo Duterte, who ordered the militants to be crushed for their brutality.
	Military officials said five other soldiers were wounded in the nearly two-hour gunbattle that also killed at least two militants in Sulu province's mountainous Patikul town, where the Abu Sayyaf have detained many of their kidnap victims.
	The estimated 70 militants were led by Abu Sayyaf commander Radulan Sahiron, a one-armed fighter long wanted by Philippine and US authorities for his role in bombings, kidnappings and other acts, according to regional military commander Maj. Filemon Tan and police officials.
	Duterte ordered troops to hunt down and destroy the militants in their jungle bases last week after the extremists beheaded a kidnapped villager whose family was too poor to pay a ransom.
	The tough-talking ...

15 Philippine troops killed in clash with Abu Sayyaf rebels

North Korea is calling a UN Security Council statement strongly condemning its four latest ballistic missile launches "a hostile act" perpetrated by the United States and is vowing to respond "as a full-fledged military power."
	A Foreign Ministry statement sent to UN correspondents today reiterated a warning that the US "rash act" of finding fault with the North's latest missile firing from a submarine on August 24 "would only precipitate its self-destruction." A press statement approved Friday night by all 15 Security Council members, including North Korea ally China, called the four launches in July and August "grave violations" of a ban on all ballistic missile activity.
	North Korea's Foreign Ministry accused the US of instigating the statement to deter the country's "legitimate right to self-defense.

North Korea vows to respond to UN condemnation as a 'power'

Saudi Arabia is closing a government-sponsored school in Germany that has been the subject of tension in the past.
	The kingdom's embassy said the King Fahd Academy in Bonn, Germany's former capital, will be closed in early 2017.
	It said in a statement today that the decision was taken as part of Saudi Arabia's effort to provide the best education for its citizens.
	The embassy says "Germany is known to have one of the best educational systems in the world ... Therefore our country sees no need to have its academy in Germany."
	German authorities expressed concern in 2003 that the school might be used to spread Islamist ideology.
	It currently has about 150 students and 30 teachers who follow the Saudi curriculum but also offers an International Baccalaureate programme.

Saudi Arabia to close contentious school in Germany

France's interior minister convened Muslim leaders today to discuss a French-style Islam that honours the nation's secular values, a task given new urgency after deep divisions surfaced over burkini bans in 30 French beach towns and after terror attacks that also stigmatised Muslims.
	A high court struck down the burkini bans Friday, but the high-pitched debate that quickly seeped into France's political sphere revealed raw tensions between the secular establishment and sectors of France's estimated 5 million Muslims, the largest Muslim population in Western Europe.
	The July 14 attack on revellers in Nice, the killing of a priest in Normandy on July 26 and the June killing of a police couple in their home - all claimed by the Islamic State group - have focused tensions on Muslims.
	Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve warned in an interview with France's Roman Catholic newspaper La Croix that if the political class cannot unite all French "the dynamics of division may prove ...

France meets Muslim leaders, experts after burkini row

Two people accused of being part of an Islamic State group extremist cell of medics attempting to launch an anthrax attack in the country have been arrested, Kenyan police said today.
	A statement from the Anti-Terror Police Unit said police yesterday arrested Mohamed Shukri Yerrow, an intern doctor at Malindi sub-county hospital, along with Abdulrazak Abdinuur following a tip-off from members of the public.
	The alleged leader of the cell, Mohammed Abdi Ali, a medical intern in Makueni county, and his wife, a medical student in Uganda, were arrested in May.
	Police say two other medics are missing. However some rights activists have suggested that police could be involved in their disappearance.
	Kenya is struggling to battle the Islamic State group's recruitment of some of the country's youths. At least 20 young Kenyans have travelled to Libya to join the extremist group, according to police.
	Authorities fear that the Islamic State is trying to establish a presence in Kenya, East ..

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