Lithuania on Monday summoned China's ambassador over the involvement of embassy staff in an incident at a rally in Vilnius last month backing Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters.
Embassy staff "were involved in organising unlawful actions" when counter-demonstrators approached the rally, said the foreign ministry.
On August 23, more than a hundred Lithuanians linked hands in the capital's central square, in solidarity with Hong Kong activists holding a similar demonstration the same.
Counter-demonstrators waving Chinese flags approached the rally in Vilnius, triggering a disturbance and police later fined two Chinese citizens for disturbing public order.
Lithuania's Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said Monday that some Chinese diplomats "were more active than they should be".
"Some diplomats crossed limits, (behaving in ways) that are incompatible with their diplomatic status," the minister told AFP.
"We expressed regret and urged them to make sure that similar actions are not ...

Lithuania summons Chinese envoy over Hong Kong incident

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Campaigning for Tunisia's presidential elections opened Monday with 26 candidates vying to replace late leader Beji Caid Essebsi in a vote seen as vital to defending democratic gains in the cradle of the Arab Spring.
Seven million Tunisians are expected to head to the ballot box in the September 15 poll, which was brought forward from November following Essebsi's death in July.
He had been elected in the wake of the 2011 uprising that overthrew former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and set off revolts in many Arab countries that forced other veteran leaders out.
Tunisia has been praised as a rare case of democratic transition after the Arab Spring, and Essebsi in 2014 became the country's first democratically elected president.
But the North African country has struggled with repeated jihadist attacks, along with inflation and unemployment that have hit the popularity of Prime Minister Youssef Chahed.
The election comes as Tunisia has been wracked by internal conflict, including ...

Presidential campaigns start in Tunisia after Essebsi death

Joe Denly will open the batting for England in the fourth Ashes Test with the struggling Jason Roy to drop down the order, the batsman told the BBC on Monday.
England will hope that Denly can add some solidity with Rory Burns when the fourth Test gets underway at Old Trafford on Wednesday, as the latter's Surrey team-mate Roy has accumulated just 62 runs in the three Tests so far.
Roy, who has failed to adapt to the five-day format since the World Cup-winning campaign earlier in the season, will drop down to four.
Denly scored his first-half century of the series in England's miraculous run chase in the third Test, inspired by Ben Stokes, which levelled the five-match series at 1-1.
"I got a call from (captain) Joe Root after a bit of time off and he said he'd like me to go at the top of the order and try to get us off to a good start," Denly told BBC Radio.
Denly made scores of six and 17 as an opener on his Test debut against the West Indies in January before dropping down the ...

Denly set to open in fourth Ashes Test, Roy drops down order

Iran said Monday its views have been converging with those of France on ways to save a nuclear deal at risk of unravelling since the US withdrew last year.
Government spokesman Ali Rabiei also suggested President Hassan Rouhani could meet US counterpart Donald Trump if it served Iran's interests, while cautioning there was no need to meet an "agitator" in the current circumstances.
Rouhani has had a series of phone calls with French President Emmanuel Macron in recent weeks aimed at salvaging the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
The French leader has been trying to convince the United States to offer Iran some sort of relief from sanctions it has imposed on the Islamic republic since pulling out of the deal in May last year.
"In the past few weeks, there have been serious negotiations" between Rouhani and Macron, as well as talks with other European nations, said Rabiei.
"Fortunately, in many areas, our views have come closer together," the government ...

Iran says views converging with France on breaking impasse

Pakistan openly practises terrorism and there is no scope for negotiations until Islamabad reins in its financing and recruitment of militant groups, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said.
Jaishankar was responding to the recent opinion piece written by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Kashmir in the New York Times where he argued that it was urgent to begin discussions while a "nuclear shadow" hovers over South Asia.
In an interview with POLITICO in Brussels, Jaishankar said the idea was a nonstarter while Pakistan "openly practises terrorism".
Noting that he hasn't had time to read Khan's Friday op-ed, the External Affairs Minister, who was in Brussels last week, said there was no hope of negotiations until Pakistan reins in its financing and recruitment of militant groups.
"Terrorism is not something that is being conducted in dark corners of Pakistan. It's done in broad daylight," he was quoted as saying in the report.
India has not been engaging with Pakistan since an ...

Pak openly practises terrorism, no scope for dialogue with it: EAM Jaishankar

The UN Committee Against Torture has made a "landmark" ruling calling on Bosnia to compensate a victim of wartime rape and provide free medical and psychological care, according to the NGO Trial International.
The legal organisation helped file a complaint to the UN committee (CAT) after the victim won her case in a Bosnian court in 2015 but never received the 15,000-euro (USD 16,500) compensation because the rapist did not have the funds to pay.
A statute of limitations then prevented her from filing a civil case asking the state to foot the bill.
In an a preliminary decision posted on Trial's website, the UN committee said Bosnia had "failed to fulfil its obligations... by failing to provide the complainant with redress including fair and adequate compensation".
It said the government is now required to ensure "prompt, fair and adequate compensation" to the victim, as well as immediate and free "medical and psychological care".
Bosnia is also required to "offer public official ...

UN orders Bosnia to compensate wartime rape victim

Japan's nuclear policy-setting body adopted a report Monday saying the country is entering an era of massive nuclear plant decommissioning, urging plant operators to plan ahead to lower safety risks and costs requiring decades and billions of dollars.
Twenty-four commercial reactors  or 40 per cent of Japan's total  are designated for or are being decommissioned.
Among them are four reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant that were severely damaged by the massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan.
The annual nuclear white paper, adopted by the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, urges utilities to learn from US and European examples, especially those of Germany, France and Britain.
Japan hasn't yet completed the decommissioning of any reactors and doesn't have concrete plans for the final disposal of radioactive waste.
"Taking into consideration further increase of nuclear facilities that will be decommissioned, new technology and systems need to be developed in .

Japan urges nuke plants to prepare for decommissioning era

Former captain Steve Waugh has re-joined the Australian team as mentor for the remaining two Tests of the Ashes series against England to pep up the confidence level of the visitors after the Headlingley debacle.
Australia were on the brink of an Ashes victory before throwing it away on the fourth day of the third Test at Leeds on August 25, failing to stop Ben Stokes (135-, who stitched 76 runs with number 11 batsman Jack Leach.
Waugh arrived in Manchester on Sunday night ahead of the fourth Test at Old Trafford starting on Wednesday, returning to the Australian camp after being part of the first two Tests (in Birmingham and London) as mentor.
"We asked him to stay for the third Test, but he had to go back (home) for a function. To come back after such a long time away from the game, his passion and enthusiasm for the game has been brilliant and it's going to be great," Australia head coach Justin Langer said.
"Guys like 'Punter' (Ponting) and Steve Waugh, not only have they got a ...

Waugh rejoins Australian team as mentor after Headlingley debacle

Iran will "take a strong step" away from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers if Europe cannot offer the country new terms by a deadline at the end of this week, a government spokesman said Monday as top Iranian diplomats travelled to France and Russia for last-minute talks.
The comments from Ali Rabiei reinforced the deadline Iran had set for Friday for Europe to offer it a way to sell its crude oil on the global market.
Crushing US sanctions imposed after President Donald Trump withdrew America from the deal over a year ago have halted those sales.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was in Moscow, while his deputy was to travel to Paris with a team of economists Monday in a renewed diplomatic push.
The developments come after French President Emmanuel Macron surprised the Group of Seven summit in France by inviting Zarif last week.
Rabiei described Iran's strategy to journalists at Monday's press conference in Tehran as "commitment for commitment."
"Iran's oil should ..

Iran warns of 'strong step' from atomic deal if no new terms

Australia's head coach Justin Langer on Monday said he  felt "physically sick" in the aftermath of the heartbreaking defeat to arch-rivals England in the third Ashes Test at Headingley.
When all seemed lost for the hosts, Ben Stokes conjured up his magic to pull off a stunning one-wicket win with a 135-run knock at Leeds.
"As challenging as this week's been, it's been awesome," cricket.com.au quoted Langer as saying at Old Trafford where the fourth Ashes Test begins on Wednesday.
"I've loved this last week of coaching, because you can either sit back and feel sorry for yourself and put it under the carpet, or you can work out ways to make sure we're up for the first ball (on Wednesday) and then the next Test match."
The most frustrating bit for Australia was the 10-wicket partnership of 76 runs between Stokes and Jack Leach.
"That's the toughest part of it, we were that close. I actually felt physically sick after it, then I went back to my room and I wasn't sure whether to cry my ...

Australia coach Langer felt 'physically sick' after Headingley defeat

Pope Francis flies out on Wednesday for a week-long tour visiting three Indian Ocean African countries hard hit by poverty, conflict and natural disaster.
The pope will visit Mozambique and Madagascar, as well as Mauritius, countries visited by pope John Paul II in 1988 and 1999.
Commentators see the pope's decision to visit two of the most impoverished countries in the world as an act of solidarity from a cleric who was a frequent presence in the shantytowns of Argentina.
Mozambique is first on his tour, and the pope recorded a video message in Portuguese for the people there ahead of his tour, mentioning John Paul's visit.
But the man known as the "pope of the poor" will only have time to visit the countries' three capitals.
That will disappoint those in Mozambique's city of Beira, in the centre of the country, where Cyclone Idai killed at least 600 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless in March.
Six months on, many people are still homeless and lacking a regular source of .

Pope Francis to visit poor of Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius

India missed out on an Olympic quota in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol after the young trio of Anish Bhanwala, Adarsh Singh and Anhad Jawanda failed to enter the finals in the World Cup here.
Anish shot a rapid fire round of 286 to go with his precision round of 291 for a total of 577, landing him an 18th-place finish. Adarsh and Ahnad shot 576 and 573 to end at the 25th and 30th spot, respectively.
Among the six finalists there were two Germans and two Chinese, both of which nations had exhausted their quota of two berths in earlier competitions.
Cuban Pupo Leuris had also secured his Tokyo quota earlier, which enabled Pakistan's Muhammad Khalil Akhtar, who shot 586 for a fifth-spot finish, to claim one of the two available quotas. The second was won by Korean Kim Junhong who finished seventh with a score of 585.
India are the table toppers of the tournament with three gold, three silver and one bronze medal.

Anish, Adarsh, Ahnad miss out on finals

Singer-actor Selena Gomez is planning to release new music soon.
The former Disney star shared pictures behind-the-scenes Boomerangs of a soundboard on her Instagram.
"Just so you know, I see your comments and I'm working on it," she captioned one post that featured a black-and-white image of a soundboard.
Gomez also shared a picture of herself flashing a peace sign as she sits next to a keyboard.
The artiste's last song, "Back to You", came out in 2018.
The 27-year-old star has not yet revealed the release date of her new music.

Selena Gomez working on new music

The number of people arrested and imprisoned in China's Xinjiang skyrocketed in 2017, according to official data, as Beijing tightens its grip on the troubled region with surveillance and mass detentions.
One in five arrests made in China in 2017 took place in Xinjiang, although the region is home to just two percent of the country's population, data from the local prosecutor's office showed.
This is a sharp increase from a decade earlier when the area accounted for only two percent of all arrests in the country.
Beijing has come under international criticism over its policies in Xinjiang, where as many as one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are being held in internment camps, according to human rights groups.
China defends the mass detentions as necessary to counter religious extremism and terrorism.
But a sharp increase in the number incarcerated for disrupting public security signalled that the justice system was also being used to target Uighurs and other ...

Arrests jump in China's Xinjiang amid crackdown

For the first time since his detention in 2016, death-row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav on Monday met a top Indian diplomat after Pakistan granted consular access to him "in line with the ICJ judgement".
India's Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad Gaurav Ahluwalia met the retired Indian Navy officer at a sub-jail here, amid tensions between the two countries over Kashmir.
Their meeting lasted for an hour, Geo TV reported, quoting sources.
Before meeting Jadhav, the senior Indian diplomat met Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal at the foreign ministry.
Jadhav, 49, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" in April 2017, following which India had moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeking a stay on his death sentence and further remedies.
On August 1, the Foreign Office said the retired Indian Navy officer will be granted consular access the next day. However, the meeting, which was scheduled for 3 pm on ...

India gets consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav for first time

Israel has lifted a restriction on fuel delivered to Gaza for electricity, a defence official said Monday, a week after cutting the flow by half over a series of violent incidents.
Israeli defence ministry unit COGAT announced on August 26 it was halving the amount of fuel allowed into Gaza from its territory, after three rockets were fired at the Jewish state the day before.
Israel responded with air strikes against the Gaza Strip's ruling Hamas movement.
A series of other violent incidents in August preceded that.
A further round occurred on August 27, when Gaza militants fired a mortar round across the border and an Israeli aircraft struck a Hamas post in northern Gaza in response.
There have not been projectile launches from Gaza since.
A defence official told AFP that the fuel restriction had been removed on Sunday.
Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008 and fears of a fourth remain.
Israel maintains a crippling blockade of Gaza it says is necessary to isolate Hamas ..

Israel lifts Gaza fuel restriction after calm returns

Pakistan and India will hold the next high-level talks on the proposed Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh pilgrims on Wednesday, according to a media report.
The September 4 meeting would take place on the Indian side of the Wagah Border  Attari Border  where the two countries are expected to finalise the draft agreement pertaining to opening of the corridor, the Express Tribune reported.
The proposed corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak Dev.
The meeting would take place four days after the technical experts from India and Pakistan held talks on the Kartarpur Corridor, the first such meeting after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status leading to fresh tensions between the two neighbours.
The meeting on Friday lasted for ...

Indo-Pak high level talks on Kartarpur on Wednesday: report

Hollywood star Brad Pitt made a surprise appearance at rapper Kanye West's Sunday Service.
The "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" actor was spotted at the 42-year-old rapper's weekly worship on Sunday, social media posts of other attendees revealed.
Pitt, 55, was dressed in a green T-shirt and trousers with a flat cap as he met West while others around them clicked his photos.
West's wife Kim Kardashian and her sisters Kourtney, Khloe and Kendall Jenner also attended the service.
Pitt recently attended the Venice Festival Festival, where his upcoming movie "Ad Astra" had its world premiere.

Brad Pitt attends Kanye West's Sunday Service

An escalation between Israel and Hezbollah has ended after a brief exchange of fire, but tensions remained high along the Lebanese border Monday after a series of accusations from the two enemies.
Burnt fields could be seen in the border area and a new military checkpoint was set up outside the Israeli community of Avivim.
Schools were however open and residents were returning to normal activity in Avivim, from where the Lebanese town of Maroun al-Ras is clearly visible on a nearby hill.
"The war can start in a minute. I am worried it could happen," Dudu Peretz, 35, said as he was dropping his son off at kindergarten.
Sunday's incident -- which caused no casualties -- followed a week of rising tensions that included what Hezbollah described as an Israeli drone attack on its Beirut stronghold on August 25.
Israel has not acknowledged that attack but subsequently accused Hezbollah of working with Iran in Lebanon to produce precision-guided missiles.
Hezbollah had warned of retaliation, .

Escalation ends, but Israel-Hezbollah tensions remain

The gunman who opened fire in the US State of Texas, killing 7 people and injuring several others, has been identified as a 36-year-old white man, who was known to the authorities.
The shooting - the 38th mass killing by firearms in the US this year - occurred on Saturday in the West Texas cities of Midland and Odessa.
"The shooter has been identified as a 36-year-old local man named Seth Aaron Ator," police said.
Ator opened fire around 3 pm (local time) after he was pulled over by traffic officials.
He shot at the trooper who stopped him and began shooting people at random, local media quoted Chief Michael Gerke of the Odessa Police Department as saying.
The driver then began shooting at other people in several other locations. At one point, he abandoned his car and stole a postal truck before continuing his spree.
He was shot dead by police at a cinema complex.
"As federal agents join the investigation into why this mass shooting happened, we have learned more about the gunman," ...

Texas mass shooting gunman known to police

Malaysia's prime minister arrived in Cambodia on Monday to strengthen ties and witness the signing of several agreements.
Mahathir Mohamad will meet with Cambodian leader Hun Sen on Tuesday to discuss cooperation and exchange views on regional and international affairs, the Cambodian Foreign Ministry said.
The two men will also witness the signing of a double taxation avoidance agreement and a memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation, Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported.
On Monday afternoon, Mahathir gave a talk on international relations at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
The Malaysian leader also plans appearances with Malaysian expatriates and businesses in Cambodia during his three-day visit.
The Council for the Development of Cambodia, a government agency that oversees investment, says Malaysia has been the fifth largest foreign investor in Cambodia over the last five years.
It says Cambodia received USD 481 million in investment from Malaysia during the ...

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