Hosting Saudi Arabia's new monarch for the first time, President Barack Obama today said that the US shares King Salman's desire for an inclusive government in Yemen that can relieve that impoverished Arab country's humanitarian crisis.
	Their talks also addressed the Iran nuclear deal, a source of lingering tension in the US-Saudi relationship.
	Since March, the US has been supporting a Saudi-led intervention against Yemen's Iran-aided Shiite rebels, who have chased the country's US-recognised president into exile.
	But the Obama administration is concerned about the conflict's rising death toll that is now in the thousands, while aid groups lament their inability to provide life-saving support to all Yemenis in need.
	"We share concerns about Yemen and the need to restore a function government that is inclusive and that can relieve the humanitarian situation there," Obama told reporters who were allowed into the Oval Office for brief comments from both leaders.
	The meeting, Obama ..

Obama says US, Saudis want inclusive government in Yemen

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Gay couples walked out of a Kentucky courthouse with marriage licenses today, a day after the county's defiant clerk was taken to jail for refusing to license same-sex marriages, citing "God's authority."
	William Smith Jr and James Yates, a couple for nearly a decade, were the first to receive a marriage license in Rowan County, ending a months-long standoff.
	Unlike the vast majority of officials across the US, County Clerk Kim Davis has refused to issue licenses since the US Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in June. The Apostolic Christian had turned away couples again and again, in defiance of a series of federal court orders.
	But on Friday morning, Davis sat in a county jail, ordered there by a federal judge who found her in contempt for refusing to follow his order that she issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
	US District Judge David Bunning offered to release Davis if she promised not to interfere with her employees issuing licenses, but she refused. She told the .

Gay couple gets license to wed in Kentucky county

A Thai court sentenced four men to life in prison on today for a grenade attack on a political rally in Bangkok last year that killed three people, including two children, and injured 21 others.
	The court originally issued death sentences to the men for murder and other offenses in the February 2014 attack on the anti-government rally, but reduced the penalty because they confessed.
	Relatives alleged the men were tortured into confessing after being taken into military custody in July last year, following an army coup in May that ousted an elected civilian government.
	The attack and others on rallies held by the People's Democratic Reform Committee, which sought to topple the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, were cited by the military as a reason for their takeover.

Thai court sentences 4 to life in prison over rally attack

Twenty-two members of the United Arab Emirates' military were killed while taking part in Saudi-led operations in Yemen against Shiite rebels known as Houthis, the official news agency WAM said today, the largest single loss for the Gulf nation's military to date in the war.
	Pro-government Yemeni security officials said the troops were killed today when a Houthi missile hit a weapons storage depot near their position in the province of Marib, about 120 kilometers east of the capital Sanaa.
	Officials from the Houthi media office in Sanaa confirmed they fired a Soviet-era Tochka missile.
	The WAM news agency didn't specify the role of the personnel in Yemen. The seven-state Emirates federation is one of the most prominent members of the Saudi-led coalition, which aims to roll back gains by the Shiite rebels and their allies in the deeply impoverished Arabian Peninsula country.
	Bahrain's state news agency also reported today that five of its soldiers were killed while "defending the ..

22 Emirati troops in Saudi-led coalition killed in Yemen

Authorities in Tajikistan say armed groups led by a disaffected deputy defense minister have mounted attacks that have left at least eight police officers and nine militants dead.
	In contrast with neighboring Afghanistan, the former Soviet Central Asian nation of Tajikistan rarely sees such bloodshed and the unrest is likely to unnerve the government.
	It is not yet clear what lay behind Friday's alleged attacks, but government statements indicate those involved were actively involved in fighting with armed opposition forces during the civil war of the 1990s and are linked to the moderate Islamic Revival Party, which has just been banned.

Police clash with gunmen in Tajikistan, 17 dead

Police say an 11-year-old boy fatally shot a 16-year-old intruder during a home invasion, but some neighbors take issue with that account.
	Officers responded Thursday afternoon to a report of a shooting at a St Louis County home, Police Sgt. Brian Schellman told The Associated Press.
	Police believe two suspects had tried to break into the modest ranch-style home two times earlier in the day. On the third try, they were able to enter through the front door, Schellman said. There were no signs of forced entry.
	Soon after the 16-year-old entered, the 11-year-old fired a single shot that struck him in the head, Schellman said. The teenager's body was found in the front foyer, and Schellman said the shot may have scared away the second suspect, who was taken into custody a short time later.
	But some neighbors told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that they witnessed the shooting and there was no break-in. Donna Jackson told the newspaper that she saw the 11-year-old shoot the 16-year-old at 

US police: 11-year-old fatally shoots intruder, 16

Iraq's top Shia cleric said today the government must start hunting the "big heads" as part of its anti-corruption drive, calling for "convincing and assuring steps" as proof of the government's seriousness in implementing its highly-touted reform plan.
	Last month, Iraq's Shia-led government announced a package of reforms following large rallies in Baghdad and other provinces protesting endemic corruption, sectarian politics and shabby basic services.
	Graft is widely believed to be rampant in Iraq, and estimates based on findings from an anti-corruption commission and government reports show hundreds of millions of dollars have gone missing in the 12 years since Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled.
	Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's plan, which included eliminating the country's three vice presidencies and three deputy prime ministers as well as other posts, was immediately approved by parliament.
	But changes widely demanded by Iraqis have not yet materialised, such as trials for ...

Iraq's top cleric demands real steps in fighting corruption

Police in Tajikistan say an armed group has attacked a police station in a town near the capital and two of the attackers were killed.
	Local media cited unnamed officials as saying four policemen also died in Friday's fighting in Vakhdat, but authorities have declined to confirm those figures.
	The clashes followed the fatal beating of a young man. The man's relatives accused police of being responsible and said he was targeted for detention because he wore a beard.
	Authorities in Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic where the population is mainly Sunni Muslim, have informally waged war on signs of what they perceive to be excess religiosity.
	Young men are said to be pressured not have beards and official state media have mounted campaigns against women wearing veils.

Police clash with armed gang in Tajikistan; at least 2 dead

International peacekeepers who commit crimes must be punished, the UN human rights chief said today following the revelation of yet another sexual abuse allegation in Central African Republic.
	UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein spoke of the scandal at the end of his visit to this country where thousands have died in sectarian fighting since late 2013.
	The latest allegation involves a soldier from the French forces who are not part of the UN mission. Several UN peacekeepers, who began arriving a year ago, also stand accused of sexual abuses in more than a dozen cases around Central African Republic.
	"There is no excuse, no mitigating circumstances, nothing at all to justify the acts themselves or the failure to apply punishments that fit the crime," Zeid said at a news conference in the capital, Bangui.
	Under an agreement with the UN, countries have the sole responsibility to prosecute their troops taking part in peacekeeping missions, but if they take no ..

UN official: Peacekeepers committing crimes must be punished

Indonesia has dropped its plan to build a high-speed train line and is shifting instead to more economical medium-speed technology, a Cabinet minister said today.
	Coordinating Minister of Economy Darmin Nasution said high-speed service is not suitable for the relatively short distance of 150 kilometres between Jakarta and Bandung, West Java's provincial capital.
	"The president's decision is that we don't need a high- speed railway. A medium speed of 200 to 250 kilometres per hour is enough," Nasution said.
	President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who took office last October, has ambitious plans for improving Indonesia's infrastructure which he says will boost manufacturing and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.
	Nasution said a medium-speed rail system would take only 11 minutes more than a high-speed system to make the trip, while its construction cost would be about 40 per cent cheaper.
	China and Japan had been competing to construct the high- speed rail system, each offering ...

Indonesia drops high-speed train plan, chooses slower option

Afghan officials emphasised the opportunities for investment and economic growth in their country today on the second day of a regional economic conference in the capital, Kabul.
	The Regional Economic Cooperation Conference or RECCA, which opened yesterday, brings together officials from more than 30 nations and 40 international organisations.
	Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told the attendees today that their presence in Kabul was testimony to their commitment.
	The conference is the 6th such RECCA summit and the first since Ghani took office, pledging to reform the economy and end his government's long-running war with the Taliban.
	"Afghanistan has no other choice but to work toward a better future," Ghani said during his speech at the summit. He emphasised potential for growth in Afghanistan's mining sector and tourism industry.
	Several regional airports, built by NATO, are about to be turned over to the Afghan government next year and are expected to become engines of economic ..

Afghanistan hosts regional economic conference in Kabul

A 65-year-old man was mauled by a shark off Australia's most populous state today, but managed to get back on his surf ski and get help on shore, police said.
	The man was paddling a surf ski near the New South Wales state town of Forster, 300 kilometres north of Sydney, when he was attacked, police said. They said he fell into the water but got back on the surf ski and managed to get closer to shore, where bystanders were able to help him from the water.
	He was flown by helicopter for emergency surgery to a leg injury. The state ambulance service described that injury as serious.
	Two weeks ago, a 38-year-old surfer suffered life-threatening injuries when he was attacked by a shark at Port Macquarie, 100 kilometres north of Forster.
	Three weeks earlier, a 52-year-old surfer was seriously injured as he repeatedly punched a shark that mauled him off Evans Head, 230 kilometres north of Port Macquarie, the 11th attack including one fatality in five months along a 20-kilometre stretch ..

Shark mauls 65-year-old and injures his leg off Australia

A drone has buzzed over the court during a US Open match in Louis Armstrong Stadium and crashed into an empty section of seats.
	US Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier said no one was injured and that the New York Police Department was "conducting an ongoing investigation."
	The black device flew diagonally through the arena yesterday during the next-to-last game of a second-round match that 26th-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy won 6-1, 6-4 over Monica Niculescu of Romania.
	Pennetta said she heard the drone fly by and was not sure what it was.
	Her initial reaction, she said afterward, was that it might have been a bomb.
	"A little bit scary, I have to say," Pennetta said. "With everything going on in the world ... I thought, 'OK, it's over.' That's how things happen," she said.
	She said neither the chair umpire nor tournament officials told her that it was, indeed, a drone.
	It broke into pieces upon landing, and the match was only briefly interrupted between points while ..

Drone crashes into stands during US Open match; no injures

The Israeli parliament has passed a law banning journalists working for the country's public broadcast authority from expressing their opinions on air.
	The law, passed early yesterday in the middle of the night, drew criticism from journalists, who accused the government of trying to stifle dissent.
	The law says broadcasts should "avoid one-sidedness, prejudice, expressing personal opinions, giving grades and affixing labels."
	The Israel Press Council urged parliament to cancel the law, saying it violates free speech.
	Cabinet Minister Ofir Akunis said the law only applies to newscasts. He told Channel 2 TV that some journalists critical of the government "aren't being professional and are doing it for political reasons."
	It remains unclear how the law will be enforced.

Israel bans journalists from voicing opinions in newscasts

Guatemala's new president had only just occupied the vice president's chair when he was promoted to the country's top spot following the resignation of outgoing President Otto Perez Molina amid a corruption scandal.
	But Alejandro Maldonado, who had served only a few months as Guatemala's No 2 official before Congress swore him in yesterday, will have a short stay in the presidency as well.
	He will be replaced on Jan 14, 2016 when the winner of Sunday's presidential contest is inaugurated.
	The 79-year-old conservative former high court justice was chosen from a list that Perez Molina submitted to Congress in May to replace former Vice President Roxana Baldetti, who resigned because of the same scandal. She is now behind bars and facing charges.
	After assuming the top office, Maldonado immediately asked for all the government's ministers and top officials to offer their resignations.
	"I'm going to form a transition government and invite all the social groups that are protesting in .

Guatemala's new president is conservative former top judge

A federal judge has approved a USD 415 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging Apple, Google, Intel and two other Silicon Valley companies illegally conspired to prevent them from getting better job offers.
	The settlement will pay more than 64,000 technology workers about USD 5,800 apiece.
	The approval granted Wednesday by US District Judge Lucy Koh ends a lengthy legal saga that exposed internal emails that cast former Apple CEO Steve Jobs in an unflattering light. Koh had rejected an earlier USD 324.5 million settlement of the case reached last year as inadequate.
	The lawsuit accused Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe Systems of forming a secret cartel that agreed not to recruit each other's workers. Lawyers for the employees argued the pact illegally suppressed the wages of the affected technology workers.

Judge approves USD 415M settlement in Apple, Google wage case

President Bashar Assad has a "pivotal" role to play in the war on terrorism and in any political settlement to Syria's devastating civil war, a senior Iranian official said today.
	Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said after meeting with Assad that any "successful" attempt to find a solution should take into consideration the right of the Syrian people to shape their future.
	Iran is a key backer of Assad and has said it is working on a four-point initiative to end the Syrian civil war.
	Abdollahian said Iran "highly appreciates the pivotal and central role of Syrian President Bashar Assad in preserving the national unity of Syria and in combating terrorism."
	Abdollahian met earlier in the week with U.N. Special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura while on a trip to neighboring Beirut.
	Today, he said he had conveyed to de Mistura some "criticism" the Iranian leadership has on some of the points in his initiative and added that de Mistura has "promised to make some ...

Iran says Assad has 'pivotal' role in any Syria solution

General Mills is selling its Green Giant and Le Sueur vegetable businesses to B&G Foods Inc. For about USD 765 million in cash.
	The company has been trying to adapt to shifting US tastes, including a move away from many packaged foods. It took a USD 260 million charge in the fourth quarter to write down the value of its Green Giant frozen and canned vegetables business.
	The company said at the time that the frozen foods sales have been declining and that people also seemed to be shifting to traditional "blocks" of frozen vegetables, which cost less than the vegetable blends and packages with sauces that Green Giant makes.
	General Mills is shifting its focus to cereal and yogurt, as well as driving sales for its small but growing organic and natural foods segment.
	The Minneapolis company whose brands include Cheerios, Betty Crocker and Pillsbury will still run Green Giant's European business and certain other export markets under license from B&G Foods, but it's cutting ...

General Mills selling Green Giant, Le Sueur for USD 765M

Turkey expressed skepticism today over reports that its nationals were involved in the August 17 bombing of a Bangkok landmark that killed 20 people, as Thai authorities reported finding a "suspicious fluid" during a raid at a third home linked to suspects in the attack.
	National police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said police found items including a "suspicious fluid in a barrel" during the raid today at a home in the outskirts of Bangkok. He said the items were being examined by a police explosives unit.
	Thai authorities have suggested that at least two of the eight suspects are possibly Turkish, prompting the Turkish Embassy in Bangkok to issue a statement today saying that it has not received confirmation from Thai authorities about the nationalities of the suspects.
	The Turkish connection has boosted a theory that the suspects may be part of a group seeking to avenge Thailand's forced repatriation of more than 100 ethnic Uighurs to China in July. Thailand is believed to be a ..

Turkey skeptical Bangkok bomb suspects are Turks

The Defense Ministry says that a serving member of the Dutch air force may have traveled to Syria to join the Islamic State group.
	The ministry released little information about the case today, saying only that it was a 26-year-old member of the air force who has now been suspended from service.
	The ministry says in a written statement that the suspect had been blocked from "all access to information, systems and locations."
	The case would mark the first time a serving member of the Dutch armed forces has gone to Syria to join IS.
	In a statement, Dutch Defense Minister Jeanine Hennis Plasschaert says it is "unpleasant if it turns out that somebody has joined up with evil while colleagues risk their lives for other people's freedom.

Member of Dutch air force may have joined Islamic State

More than 2,000 Syrians have drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe since 2011, a UN panel reported today, saying there's no end in sight to Syria's civil war.
	In its 10th such report since the war began 4-1/2 years ago, the UN Human Rights Council urges the international community to help Syrian civilians.
	"The global failure to protect Syrian refugees is now translating into a crisis in southern Europe," the report says, alluding to the increased flow in recent months.
	Overall, it offers few new insights into a grinding civil war.
	"Civilians are suffering the unimaginable as the world stands witness," said panel chair Paulo Sergio Pinheiro.
	The report, which calls for "urgent action" by the international community to protect civilians, is based on 335 interviews with victims and witnesses collected from January to July 2015. The report is to be presented to the Human Rights Council meeting on September 21.
	It says warring factions have used tactics like ...

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