Cameron, Merkel and Hollande comment on Ukraine as summit ends

Despite tough rhetoric decrying Russia's increasing military involvement in Ukraine, European Union leaders early on Sunday stopped short of imposing immediate new sanctions against Moscow.

UK prime minister David Cameron said a timetable had been set out for further sanctions and warned Russia it risked being isolated if it continued to escalate the crisis in Ukraine.

"It is a deeply serious situation and we have to show real resolve, real resilience in demonstrating to Russia that if she carries on in this way the relationship between Europe and Russia, Britain and Russia, America and Russia will be radically different in the future," he said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed concern at the "very significant inflow of troops and material from the Russian side into Ukraine," but said Germany would not be sending weapons to support the Ukrainian military at the present time.

French president Francois Hollande echoed her comments, arguing that sending military aid would be more likely to maintain the conflict than bring an end to it.

At the close of the summit on Sunday, the 28-nation bloc's heads of state and government tasked their executive body with preparatory work for tougher economic sanctions, according to summit chairman Herman Van Rompuy, the European Council President.

The fighting between the military and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine has so far claimed 2,600 lives, according to U.N. figures.

NATO said this week that at least 1,000 Russian soldiers are in Ukraine, which Russia denies.

Another 20,000 Russian troops are amassed just across Ukraine's eastern border, NATO says.

The U.S. and the EU have so far imposed sanctions against dozens of Russian officials, several companies as well as the country's financial and arms industry.

Moscow has retaliated by banning food imports.

US distance swimmer Nyad given Cuba's highest sporting award

One year after becoming the first person confirmed to have swum from Havana to Key West, Florida, without a shark cage, U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad was back in Cuba on Saturday to receive the country's Order of Sporting Merit award.

After a ceremony led by First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Nyad called it "an honour, the most prestigious award I have ever received," and said she dreamed of uniting Cubans and Americans as good neighbours and friends.

Diaz-Canel said it was a "great honour" to award Nyad, and called her achievement a symbol of the friendship between the Cuban and American peoples.

Nyad swam from Cuba to the US, a distance of more than 110 miles (177 kilometres) from Havana.

She attempted the swim from Cuba to Florida four times before finally completing the journey on her fifth attempt one year ago, making her the first to make it without a shark cage.

She said her next project, to be launched in 2016, will be a million person walk across the U.S. from California to Washington, D.C. to combat obesity in America.

Filipino military spokesman says its UN troops have escaped the standoff in the Golan Heights

The Philippines military chief said on Sunday that more than 70 Filipino peacekeepers had escaped from two areas in the Golan Heights that came under attack by Syrian rebels.

General Gregorio Pio Catapang said that the Filipino peacekeepers had "successfully repositioned" to Camp Ziouani, the base for UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force).

Speaking from the Philippines capital, Manila, Catapang said the Filipinos were surrounded by the rebels and had to return fire in self-defence before managing to escape after a seven-hour battle.

The clashes came after Syrian rebel groups, including the Nusra Front, overran the Quneitra crossing on the frontier between Syrian and Israeli controlled parts of the Golan on Wednesday, seizing 44 Fijian peacekeepers.

Professional clown seeks the 'American dream' riding 'The Beast' in a bid to enter the US illegally

Professional clown and Honduran migrant Jorge Ruiz Williams was among the hundreds of Central American migrants trying to cross into the United States illegally through Mexico on board the infamous freight train known as The Beast (La Bestia).

Williams had been working as a clown for the last eight months back home, but decided to leave everything and try to pursue the "American dream."

He brought along his clown costume to make some money on the way, and said officers have been lenient with him because he makes people laugh.

Earlier this week, he waited in the woods outside the southern Mexican city of Arriaga, along with a dozen fellow migrants, who later boarded La Bestia while it was moving.

But dozens of Mexican federal police and immigration agents boarded at a remote, unscheduled stop and hauled off all but a handful of the most fleet-footed migrants, said Williams, 20, who avoided capture.

Mexico has started to crack down on migrants who try to jump on the freight train.

The roundups follow US requests for help from Mexico, as well as Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, earlier this summer when the number of unaccompanied minors turning themselves into the US Border Patrol reached what President Barack Obama called an "urgent humanitarian crisis."

Some of the migrants caught this week tried to hide in the woods, and others, like Williams, swung back on board to make it to Ixtepec, the next stop.

Abe and Modi visit Toji temple ahead of talks on economic and defence issues

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, visited Kyoto's Toji temple on Sunday, ahead of a summit to discuss expansion of bilateral cooperation in economic and defence issues.

Japan and India both have much to gain from the five-day visit by Modi and more than a dozen Indian steel, energy and IT tycoons, which began on Saturday in the ancient capital of Kyoto.

The two leaders admired one of many Kyoto's world heritage sites, the Toji temple, known for its famous five-storey pagoda.

The two countries have complementary economies, given Japan's wealth and technological prowess and India's natural resources and drive to modernise its economy.

India has sought to cultivate closer ties with Japan and other Asian countries, while upgrading its military capabilities, partly in response to a perceived challenge from China and also from neighbouring Pakistan.

Among other priorities, Japan and India are working toward a deal on nuclear energy cooperation, as Tokyo tries to boost exports of atomic technology and other infrastructure to help revive the economy.

Chileans remember those who vanished during Pinochet's rule on Day of the Disappeared

Chileans marked the International Day of the Disappeared on Saturday, honouring those who went missing during the rule of General Augusto Pinochet.

Since 2006, Chile has marked the day with services at memorial centres that once served as detention and torture facilities.

Cristian Castillo, Vice President of the memorial centre known as Villa Grimaldi, led Saturday evening's ceremony.

Castillo said it was a day for Chileans to recommit to preventing the atrocities of the past from ever happening again.

It is estimated that nearly 4,500 people were tortured in Villa Grimaldi, including President Michelle Bachelet and her mother, Angela Jeria.

Some 2,300 Chileans were murdered during Pinochet's regime from 1973-1990, and there are still 1,192 missing, according to official estimates.

Relatives fear for remaining miners as rescue efforts continue

Efforts to reach five miners still missing after a gold mine collapse in Nicaragua continued on Saturday, as relatives waited anxiously for news at a makeshift camp nearby.

Rescue workers and trapped miners digging away at opposite sides of rock and mud that blocked the mine had on Friday succeeded in freeing at least 20 men at the El Comal gold and silver mine near the town of Bonanza.

On Saturday, hundreds of relatives and fellow miners prayed outside the mine as rescuers lined up ladders along a 300-foot long tunnel leading towards where the men were trapped. The mine cuts into the side of a mountain and then goes upward.

Otilo Duarte, High Commissioner of National Police in Bonanza, said all the rescue services were working along with the miners and the mining company in a united effort to find the missing men.

The gold and silver mine is on a concession held by Hemco, which is owned by Colombia-based Minero SA. But the trapped miners themselves are freelancers allowed to work in the area if they sell any gold they find to the firm, mining company spokesman Gregorio Downs told The Associated Press.

Downs said the company had warned miners about the danger of working in the El Comal area, especially after two miners died in a rain-caused landslide there last month.

Relatives of missing people mark Day of the Disappeared with march on Senate

Relatives of missing people in Mexico marched to the Senate on Saturday, demanding an end to disappearances in the country and the return of their loved ones.

The march in Mexico City marked the International Day of the Disappeared.

Protesters marched from the Pillar of Light monument to the Mexican Senate, where they stuck photographs of their loved ones on the building.

The government last week revised the number of people believed to have disappeared since Mexico launched a war against drug traffickers in 2006, reporting that 22,322 had been reported missing.

That was significantly higher than earlier estimates.

In May, the government had said 8,000 people were missing.

Government officials have estimated that the vast majority of kidnappings - more than 90 percent - were never reported.

Official numbers show there were 1,698 kidnappings reported in 2013, a 20 percent increase compared to the previous year, but they acknowledged the actual number was probably more than 100-thousand.

Abbott: Australian military aircraft to fly guns and ammunition to northern Iraq to help Kurds fight IS militants

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said a military aircraft will soon fly guns and ammunition to the northern Iraqi city of Irbil to help Kurds fight Islamic State militants as part of a U.S.-led multination mission.

Abbott said his government would join the United States, Britain, Canada, France and Italy in delivering rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and assault rifle ammunition at the request of the U.S. and Iraqi governments.

Abbott also confirmed that Australia has participated in a humanitarian airdrop to the besieged town of Amerli in northern Iraq.

However, independent member of parliament Andrew Wilkie condemned the decision to fly guns and ammunition to help the Kurds.

Australia estimates 60 of its citizens are fighting for the Islamic State group and another al-Qaida offshoot, Jabhat al-Nursa, also known as the Nusra Front, in Iraq and Syria.

Anti-government protesters after clashes with police as they tried to advance on prime minister's residence

Anti-government protesters remained outside the parliament building in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, after a night of violence that saw hundreds wounded and the first death in more than two weeks of demonstrations.

The violence has raised the stakes in a political standoff, in which cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri have led twin protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Khan and Qadri allege massive voting fraud in the election that brought Sharif into office last year in the country's first democratic transfer of power.

Backed by parliament and many political parties, Sharif has refused to step down.

The protests began with a march from the eastern city of Lahore on Independence Day, August 14, that eventually reached Islamabad.

Khan and Qadri had called for millions of protesters to join, but crowds have not been more than tens of thousands.

Chief of US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention chief visits MSF centre in Guinea

The Director of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Tom Frieden, along with other CDC doctors, visited an Ebola isolation centre in Conakry, New Guinea.

Frieden said the way to eliminate the disease was to "support the individuals who have Ebola, their families and their communities."

Frieden visited a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) camp while in Conakry.

The Ebola outbreak ravaging West Africa began last year in Guinea.

Since then, the disease has spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

More than 3,000 people have contracted the disease, which is spread by bodily fluids and for which there is no licensed treatment or vaccine.

A separate Ebola outbreak was reported this week in Congo, where 13 people have died from the disease.

Iran's FM ready to meet his Saudi Arabian counterpart on sidelines of the UN General Assembly; meets Finnish FM

Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he is ready to meet his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September, and to visit the Gulf nation later this year.

Zarif's remarks come amid a slight diplomatic warming between Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iran, which are fiercely divided over the civil war in Syria and other regional conflicts.

Saudi Arabia invited Zarif to visit in May.

Zarif's deputy Hossein Amir Abdollahian visited Saudi Arabia last week and met its foreign minister, in the highest-level bilateral talks between the two Middle East powers since Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate, was elected last year.

Zarif also spoke of new penalties imposed by the U.S. over Iran's contested nuclear programme, saying that Iran had the ability "to take measures that wouldn't please the other party (the U.S)."

"So far, we have shown self-restraint in this regard, but if we realise that the other party is abusing our self-restraint, there are grounds for action that we will decide on at a proper time," he added.

Zarif was speaking at a news conference with his Finnish counterpart Erkki Sakari Tuomioja.

Somali government troops fighting alongside African Union troops oust Islamic militants from southern town

Somali government troops fighting alongside African Union troops ousted Islamic militants from a southern town they have been controlling, an official said on Saturday.

Abdiqadir Mohamed Nor, the governor of Somalia's Lower Shabelle region where the fighting is taking place, said the al-Shabab stronghold of Bulomarer was seized from militants after hours of battle.

Bulomarer is about 110 kilometres (70 miles) south of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

A Bulomarer resident said militants fled under heavy gunfire and that the town is now quiet as government troops set up bases on its outskirts.

Military officials say the al-Qaeda-linked militants used Bulomarer to stage deadly attacks across Somalia, including in Mogadishu, and hope the military offensive dubbed "Indian Ocean" can oust al-Shabab from its last major hideouts in the southern parts of the Horn of Africa nation.

The loss of Bulomarer would leave al-Shabab's current key base of the coastal town of Barawe vulnerable to attacks.

UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights remain on alert as 44 Fijian troops still held captive by insurgents

United Nations (UN) peacekeepers in the Golan Heights remain on alert as 44 Fijian troops remain in the hands of al-Qaida-linked insurgents in Syria.

UN cars could be seen leaving and returning to their base, along Israel's border with Syria.

The UN mission in the Golan Heights has 1,223 troops from six countries: Fiji, India, Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands and the Philippines.

General confirms that paratroopers who were detained by Ukraine have been returned to Russia

Captured Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been swapped at a border check point early Sunday morning, following a deal made by the presidents of the two countries.
Russian president, Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, reached an agreement in Minsk to return detained soldiers to their own forces.
Sixty three Ukrainian troops were swapped for nine Russian paratroopers.
Earlier in the week, Ukrainian security services had released video footage showing interviews with men they alleged to be captive Russian soldiers.
The Facebook page for Ukraine's anti-rebel operation said that soldiers from a Russian paratrooper division were captured on Monday around Amvrosiivka, a town near the Russian border.
Russia has denied allegations from Kiev and Western countries that it is supporting or directing the rebels as well as NATO charges that it has fired artillery into Ukraine to help the rebels.

China's legislature rules against allowing open nominations in elections for Hong Kong's leader

China's legislature on Sunday ruled against allowing open nominations in elections for Hong Kong's leader, saying it would create a "chaotic society" in a decision that promises to ignite political tensions in the Asian financial hub.

The legislature's powerful Standing Committee ruled that all candidates for chief executive must receive more than half of the votes from a special nominating body before going before voters.

Hong Kong democracy activists have held massive protests calling for genuine democracy in the Chinese territory over concerns that candidates would continue to be screened to assess their loyalty to Beijing.

Hong Kong has enjoyed substantial political autonomy since returning from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

Chinese leaders agreed in 2007 that the chief executive would be chosen by "universal suffrage" in 2017, language pro-democracy activists say shows Beijing hasn't kept its promises.

Li Fei, deputy secretary general of the National People's Congress' Standing Committee, told a news conference that openly nominating candidates would create a "chaotic society."

Making clear that Chinese leaders intend to tightly control politics in Hong Kong, Li noted that the chief executive is also the head of China's ruling Communist Party in the city.

Following ceasefire agreement with Hamas, Israeli PM says he hopes restored quiet will continue

Following a ceasefire agreement with Hamas that ended a 50-day war in Gaza last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hoped the restored quiet would continue for a long time.

Speaking in an Israeli cabinet meeting in Ashkelon on Sunday, Netanyahu added: "But we are prepared for every eventuality, in this front and in other fronts, including the Golan border."

Under cover of darkness, 40 Filipino peacekeepers made a daring escape after being surrounded and under fire for seven hours by Syrian rebels in the Golan Heights, Philippine officials said on Sunday, leaving 44 Fijian troops still in the hands of the al-Qaida-linked insurgents.

The peacekeepers became trapped after Syrian rebels entered the UN-patrolled buffer zone between Syria and Israel this past week, seizing 44 Fijian soldiers and demanding that their Filipino colleagues surrender.

The Filipinos, occupying two UN encampments, refused and clashed with the rebels on Saturday.

The first group of 35 peacekeepers was then successfully escorted out of a UN encampment in Breiqa by Irish and Filipino forces on board armoured vehicles.

The remaining 40 peacekeepers were besieged at the second encampment, called Rwihana, by more than 100 gunmen who rammed the camp's gates with their trucks and fired mortar rounds.

Iraqi troops and Shiite militia break siege imposed by IS militants on Amirli; UK defence min on aid drops

A six-week siege imposed by the Islamic State group on the northern Iraqi town of Amirli was broken on Sunday, according to a spokesman for the Iraqi military.

Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi announced that Iraqi forces along with Shiite militiamen started at dawn and the forces entered the town shortly after midday.

Speaking live on state TV, al-Moussawi said the battles are "still continuing as our forces are advancing forward.''

This follows U.S. airstrikes against the Sunni militants' positions and humanitarian aid drops on Amirli conducted by a number of international air forces, as confirmed by the UK Defence Secretary on Sunday morning.

Residents succeeded in fending off the initial attack in June, but Amirli has been surrounded by the militants since mid-July.

Many residents said the Iraqi military's efforts to fly in food, water and other aid had not been enough, as they endured the oppressive August heat with virtually no electricity or running water.

Ukrainian security chief on release of Russian soldiers and security situation in the east

A spokesman for the Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council confirmed on Sunday that nine out of ten Russian servicemen Ukraine seized this week well inside the country have been given back to Russia in exchange for 63 Ukrainian servicemen.

Andrei Lysenko said the nine Russian servicemen were handed over at the Hoptivka checkpoint in the Kharkiv region late on Saturday.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) claims that there is at least 1,000 Russian troops in Ukraine, which Russia denies.

Lysenko also said that Russia has asked to deliver more aid to the east of Ukraine.

"Preliminary plans are that it will be delivered by train to the border with Ukraine. Also we agreed that the aid will be passed to representatives of the Red Cross," he added.

Nearly 2,600 people have been killed in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, according to the United Nations.

Rapper Pras Michel takes the ice bucket challenge in Pyongyang

Grammy award-winning rapper Pras Michel has come up with a novel approach to the viral charity campaign, the ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Ice Bucket Challenge, by taking it while in North Korea.

Michel, documentary maker and former member of The Fugees, had two buckets of ice water dumped on his head along Pyongyang's Taedong River, much to the surprise and bewilderment of North Koreans out for a stroll.

He nominated the UK's Prince Harry to take up the charity challenge, along with Hollywood actor Edward Norton, former bandmate Lauryn Hill and celebrity magician David Blaine.

Michel, who is in North Korea to watch a pro wrestling exhibition and "explore," said he is currently working on several projects, including a documentary about Haiti's presidential election that is due out by the end of the year.

More than 3 million people around the world have joined in the challenge, which has raised more than 100 million US dollars for the ALS Association.

ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive illness that hits the nerves and the brain and can lead to paralysis and death.

There is no cure, though a treatment now available can extend the life expectancy for its sufferers.

Chief executive's news conference on elections after China rules out open nominations; protest

China ruled out allowing open nominations in inaugural elections for Hong Kong's leader, saying they would create a "chaotic society."

Following the widely expected decision, pro-democracy supporters rallied in a park in front of Hong Kong government headquarters.

Democracy activists said that a long-threatened mass occupation of the heart of the city will definitely happen.

The Chinese legislature's powerful Standing Committee said all candidates should be approved by more than half of a special nominating body in order to go before voters.

That's at odds with demands from Hong Kong's pro-democracy camp, which staged a massive protest in July to press for genuine democracy in the Chinese territory over fears candidates would continue to be screened to assess their loyalty to Beijing.

Hong Kong has enjoyed substantial political autonomy since returning from British to Chinese rule in 1997, when China's communist leaders pledged to allow the city's leader, known as the chief executive, to be eventually elected through "universal suffrage" rather than by the current committee of mostly pro-Beijing tycoons.

Philippines President attends annual Ramon Magsaysay Award

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III was this year's guest of honour at the Ramon Magsaysay Award ceremony held at the Cultural Centre of the Philippines in Manila on Sunday.

The annual awards, now in its 57th year, are considered to be the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in Asia. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is named after a popular Philippine president who died in a plane crash in 1957.

Among this year's awardees are Hu Shuli, a journalist from China who is recognized for her impact on the landscape of media in China, establishing training programs for journalist.

Indonesia's Saur Marlina Manurung was recognized for her work with forest people. She engaged volunteers to provide a customised education program for the people of the forest in Indonesia.

Museum director, Omara Khan Masoudi from Afghanistan received an award for his passion to protect his country's cultural heritage. He is rebuilding the country's museum with a firm belief in the significance of the preservation of cultural artifacts.

Another awardee from China is Wang Canfa, a leading environmental scholar and lawyer, for his work in promoting protection for the environment.

Randy Halasan, a Filipino teacher, received recognition for his work with the indigenous community of Matigsalug, who live in remote villages in the mountains near Davao City.

He is helping build schools and sources of livelihood for the people.

The only organization to receive an award this year is the Citizens Foundation from Pakistan. The organization is recognized for its vision to develop their country's educational system - to have quality education available to all, regardless of religion, gender, and economic status.

Small commuter train links Havana with string of remote rural towns

The Hershey train, or as some locals call it "the chocolate train," is a vital link between Cuba's capital Havana and a string of remote towns stretching east from the capital for 60 miles 96 (kilometres) along Cuba's eastern coast.

It's only two cars long and runs on electricity.

The train's starting point adjacent to Havana Bay gives little indication of its importance to the lives of the people who use it regularly, or its unique history.

A run-down station called Casa Blanca, or "White House," marks the start of the train's 60-mile run.

The train takes passengers through a picturesque landscape of Cuba's rugged interior, ending in Matanzas, 60 miles east of Cuba's capital.

The line was established by U.S. chocolate magnate Milton S. Hershey in 1916, who also went on to build a factory to process sugarcane, and a town to house the thousands of Cuban workers hired by the company.

It's still a source of nostalgia for some.

"I know he was a chocolatier who came to invest in Cuba's sugar industry and I think, even today, I think his grandchildren still produce Hershey chocolate," said the train's conductor Ernesto Ortiz.

Surprisingly, that history is still part of local folklore, and many of the buildings and housing built by the company remain inhabited by locals to this day.

"This was an American town, a headquarters, the headquarters of Mr. Hershey. He had that and what we call the company housing, the old company housing," Javier Caraballo said on the town's train platform.

The company housing lines many of the streets of the town, that still bears his name.

Solidly built southern California-style bungalows housed company workers, and now Cuban families in post-revolution Cuba. A church still stands on a corner.

For many, it's the only form of transportation available on a regular basis, linking the agricultural interior with the coast and two major cities, Havana and Matanzas.

Iraqi security forces break six-week siege imposed by IS in Shiite town

Iraqi security forces and Shiite militiamen on Sunday broke a six-week siege imposed by Islamic State militants on the northern Shiite Turkmen town of Amirli, following US airstrikes against the Sunni militants' positions, officials said.

The advance was slowed down by the presence of booby traps along the main roads leading to Amirli.

"At the moment Amirli is being cleared by the army engineers of all the booby traps left behind by the Takfiris (Islamic State militants) on the main roads leading into Amirli," said Bashir al-Ghezi, a commander with the Shiite militia, al-Salam Brigade, speaking before the siege was lifted.

About 15,000 Shiite Turkmens were stranded in the farming community, some 105 miles (170 kilometres) north of Baghdad.

Instead of fleeing in the face of the Islamic State group's rampage across northern Iraq in June, the Shiite Turkmens stayed and fortified their town with trenches and armed positions.

Residents succeeded in fending off the initial attack from Islamic State militants in June, but Amirli has been surrounded by the militants since mid-July.

Many residents said the Iraqi military's efforts to fly in food, water and other aid had not been enough, as they endured the oppressive August heat with virtually no electricity or running water.

Activists at counter NATO summit comment on unrest in eastern Ukraine

Days before NATO leaders are to gather for talks addressing Russia's increasing military involvement in Ukraine, participants at a counter-NATO summit in Cardiff on Sunday called for the alliance to stay out of that conflict.

Boris Kagarlitskiy, director of the Institute for Globalisation Studies and Social Movements, called the conflict in Ukraine a civil war from which NATO and other Western powers should stay out.

Joseph Gerson, director of the peace and economic security program at the American Friends Service Committee, said there was also a nuclear dimension to the conflict that should be avoided.

"What we see is exploitation of this crisis with the increased militarisation of Eastern Europe, the Balkans and down around the Black Sea. We're moving into a new era of confrontation and I think it's incumbent on all of us to attempt to press our governments to work for a peaceful negotiated settlement," he said.

Early on Sunday European Union leaders stopped short of imposing immediate new sanctions against Moscow.

Instead, the 28-nation bloc's heads of state and government tasked their executive body to "urgently" prepare tougher economic sanctions that could be adopted within a week.

Kagarlitskiy said that so far sanctions have proven to be a good thing for Russia but cautioned that could change if they end up affecting the banking sector.

The NATO Cardiff summit will be held on 4 and 5 of September.

Footage appears to show militia at US residential compound in Libya

The Islamist-allied militia group in control of Libya's capital has "secured" a US Embassy residential compound there, more than a month after American personnel evacuated from the country over ongoing fighting, one of its commanders said on Sunday.

A video posted online surfaced on Sunday showing men playing in a pool at the compound and jumping into it from the roof. Voice heard in the video identified it as the US Embassy compound.

An Associated Press journalist walked through the compound Sunday after the Dawn of Libya, an umbrella group for Islamist militias, invited onlookers inside.

Some windows at the compound had been broken, but it appeared most of the equipment there remained untouched. The journalist saw treadmills, food, televisions and computers still inside.

On July 26, US diplomats evacuated the compound and the capital to neighbouring Tunisia under a US military escort as fighting between rival militias intensified.

The State Department said embassy operations would be suspended until the security situation improved.

The fighting prompted diplomats and thousands of Tripoli residents to flee.

US planes drop aid to trapped civilians around Amirli

The U.S. conducted airstrikes against Islamic State extremists Sunday and air-dropped humanitarian aid near the northern Iraqi town of Amirli.

Aircraft from Australia, France and Britain joined the U.S. in the aid drop, which came after a request from the Iraqi government.

About 15,000 Shiite Turkmens were stranded in the farming community some 105 miles (170 kilometers) north of Baghdad.

Sunni militants besieged the town two months ago, but a military spokesman and a lawmaker say Iraqi security forces and Shiite militiamen have now broken the siege.

Iraqi army spokesman Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said that forces reached the town on Sunday, but gave no further details.

Israel announces expropriation of WBank land that could help clear way for new settlement

Israel announced on Sunday the expropriation of about 1,000 acres of West Bank land but not all members of the government approved the move.

The Israeli military made the announcement on Sunday in accordance with a government edict.

The announcement could help clear the way for construction of a new Jewish settlement.

The military said the directive was made at the end of a military operation in June that searched for three Israeli teens who were abducted and killed by Hamas militants.

The Hamas kidnapping and murder of the teens sparked a chain of events that led to a 50-day war in the Gaza Strip.

The expropriated land is in "Gush Etzion," an area near Jerusalem where the teens were abducted.

Israel hopes to keep the area under any future peace deal with the Palestinians.

Israeli Finance Minister, Yair Lapid said he believed the timing of the move was wrong.

"Basically we are against any swift changes within the West Bank right now, as we need to go back to some kind of process there," he said during a news conference in Jerusalem.

There was no immediate comment from the Palestinians.

The Israeli Housing Ministry said the announcement is just the first step and it will be several years before anything is built there.

The military said opponents have 45 days to appeal Sunday's decision.

Peace Now, an Israeli group that monitors settlements, said it is the biggest "land confiscation" since the 1980s.

"The decision to expand settlements and to declare lands as a state lands is a very negative one and will harm the efforts to resume negotiations to promote the peace process," said Yariv Oppenheimer, a spokesman for the group.

Also on Sunday, the Israeli finance minister said a regional conference should be held to rehabilitate Gaza while ensuring "Hamas doesn't rearm."

Hamas rejected the demand insisting it will never lay down its weapons.

Lapid made the remarks on Sunday about a week after Israel and Hamas militants reached a truce after almost two months of fighting that devastated parts of Gaza.

He said the conference should include Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries.

Israel and Hamas agreed last Tuesday to an open-ended truce.

The cease-fire brought an immediate end to the fighting but left key disputes unresolved.

Low-income and disabled students put creativity to work hand-making jewelry

Low-income and disabled students in Bolivia are putting their creativity to work by making hand-made jewelry through a program run by the international organisation Save the Children.

With funding from the Italian jewelry company Bulgari, the project seeks to improve the economic situation of these young students, aged 16 to 24, while teaching them a trade and entrepreneurship.

Over 700 students, who take classes at workshops in La Paz, Santa Cruz, Oruro, and Potosi, learn how to mold jewelry and decorate it with colorful stones.

Rodrigo Zelaya, who went through the program and is now an instructor, says it's gratifying to see that vulnerable students are benefiting from the educational training.

Recently, some of the students participated in a gala where they showcased their jewelry and marketed their creations to buyers who travelled from various parts of the country to see their work.

Part of the profit from the sales goes toward students' educational costs.

Locals return home to find village ravaged by fierce fighting between govt forces and separatists

Residents of the Ukrainian village of Hrabske tore scrap metal from left over tanks and started to rebuild their homes on Sunday after Ukrainian government forces were evacuated from the nearby town of Ilovaysk area, following weeks of heavy shelling between Kiev's troops and pro-Russia separatists.

There is barely a street in the village and the nearby town of Ilovaysk left unscarred by artillery strikes.

The bitter fight for Ilovaysk and surrounding areas lasted the best part of a month.

On Saturday, the government conceded its inevitable defeat as its armed forces were surrounded and under relentless attack.

With homes destroyed and livelihoods lost, residents are forced to scrabble for a living and scrap metal is in no short supply.

In Hrabske, Alexander Bezpalko and his son worked to salvage parts from a burned-out Ukrainian tank.

"We gradually made a life for ourselves through honest work and look what has happened now. How do we keep on living?" he told AP Television.

"My house is destroyed. And I have to rebuild it somehow. And this junk is scrap metal which I can use to make money. What to do? Everything is wrecked and there is no work," said Galina, a Hrabske resident.

Ilovaysk, a city south east of Donetsk, was surrounded by separatists on all sides over several days. Government troops sustained fire so intense that they were compelled to plead for a corridor out.

Even with the fighting over for now, homes in Ilovaysk remain without electricity and water and residents are angry at the destruction of their homes and workplaces.

Heavily armed separatists stock up on weapons, prepare for fighting

Dozens of pro-Russia separatists were preparing their weapons and ammunition in an area on the outskirts of Donetsk ahead of fighting.

The fighters then got onto a bus that left the site.

One of the leaders of the group told AP Television several cars and buses loaded with fighters were heading to Donetsk's airport.

Donetsk airport was shut at the end of May following heavy clashes between separatists and governmental forces, and has been in control of ukrainian military ever since.

Reax on the streets after PM flees claiming military attempted a coup

Residents of Lesotho's capital, Maseru reacted on Sunday to the news that their prime minister fled the country after a supposed military coup attempt the day before.

Prime Minister Thomas Thabane fled to South Africa in fear for his safety and will now meet with leaders of the region there to seek peace, he said Sunday.

Thabane said there had been an attempt to take over Lesotho, a country of about 2 million people.

Lesotho's Defence Forces deny any attempt at a coup although they say the military exchanged gunfire and disarmed two police stations in Lesotho's capital, Maseru on Saturday.

A Maseru businessman told AP Television he was concerned for his overseas business contracts, fearing that the unrest may put people off trading with the small country.

"I am working with guys from overseas, so now it is not easy for them to come here and invest. All the projects that I'm doing now they might not go on," said Hatahata Majora.

The meeting bringing together Thabane, other politicians from Lesotho, South African president Jacob Zuma and regional leaders is expected later Sunday or on Monday.

A meeting between ministers from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia is taking place on Sunday in an undisclosed location in Pretoria.

Lesotho has seen a number of military coups since gaining independence from Britain in 1966.

Militia says it 'secured' US compound in Libya

An Islamist-allied militia group in control of Libya's capital now guards the US Embassy and its residential compound, a commander said on Sunday, as onlookers toured the abandoned homes of diplomats who fled the country more than a month ago.

An Associated Press journalist saw holes left by small-arms and rocket fire dotting the residential compound, remainders of weeks of violence between rival militias over control of Tripoli that sparked the evacuation.

The breach of a deserted US diplomatic post - including images of men earlier swimming in the compound's algae-filled pools - likely will reinvigorate debate in the US over its role in Libya, more than three years after supporting rebels who toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

It also comes just before the two-year anniversary of the slaying of US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in Libya.

A commander for the Dawn of Libya group, Moussa Abu-Zaqia, told the AP that his forces had been guarding the residential compound since last week, a day after it has seized control of the capital and its international airport after weeks of fighting with a rival militia.

Abu-Zaqia said the rival militia from Zintan was in the compound before his troops took it over.

Abu-Zaqia said his militia had asked cleaners to come to spruce up the grounds.

Another Dawn of Libya commander, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorised to speak by his leaders, told the AP that the US Embassy, about a kilometre (half a mile) away, also was under guard by his militiamen.

3 tonnes of humanitarian aid dropped near Amirli by French Military

Video footage showing three tonnes of humanitarian aid being dropped near the northern Iraqi town of Amirli was released by the French military on Sunday.

The military said the aid was dropped from an aircraft overnight between Saturday and Sunday.

On Sunday, Iraqi security forces and Shiite militiamen broke a six-week siege imposed by the Islamic State extremist group on the northern Shiite Turkmen town, officials said.

About 15,000 Shiite Turkmens were stranded in the farming community, some 105 miles (170 kilometers) north of Baghdad.

Instead of fleeing in the face of the Islamic State group's rampage across northern Iraq in June, the Shiite Turkmens stayed and fortified their town with trenches and armed positions.

Residents succeeded in fending off the initial attack in June, but Amirli has been surrounded by the militants since mid-July.

Many residents said the Iraqi military's efforts to fly in food, water and other aid had not been enough, as they endured the oppressive August heat with virtually no electricity or running water.

Germany to send rifles, tank busters to aid Kurds

Germany will send high-end rifles, tank-busting weapons and armoured vehicles to aid Kurdish fighters battling Islamic extremists in Iraq, German officials said Sunday.

"To get involved in this situation is our humanitarian responsibility and in our security interest" Ursula von der Leyen, Germany's defence minister told reporters in Berlin.

Von der Leyen went on to say that arms would be sent in three shipments, starting next month, and would initially be enough to equip a brigade of 4,000 Peshmerga fighters.

"We will send military material including weapons and ammunition to aid the Peshmerga. We will coordinate it with our partners. There will be no special German way. We will look where the Peshmerga's have deficits in their equipment and we will coordinate with our partners who is making up for it," she said

Germany joins other European countries who have pledged to provide arms to the Kurds fighting the Islamic State group that has swept into northern Iraq in recent months.

In total, the shipments will include 8,000 G36 assault rifles and the same number of G3 rifles, as well as ammunition; 200 Panzerfaust 3 and 30 MILAN anti-tank systems; and five heavily armored Dingo infantry vehicles.

Mexico City holds annual international marathon

Peruvian runner Raul Pacheco won the Mexico City Marathon on Sunday for the second time.

The two-time champion recorded two hours 18 minutes and 25 seconds during the race.

The 34-year old runner thanked his coach, the city of Mexico and fans for encouraging him during the race.

He said he planned to train for the 2015 Pan American Games in Canada.

About 20,000 runners participated in the 32nd edition of the Mexico City Marathon, as fans and Mariachi singers cheered them on.

Mariachis from around the world take part in International Mariachi Festival

Mariachis from all over the world gathered in the Mexican city of Guadalajara on Sunday to take part in the annual International Mariachi festival.Performers played music, danced and sang as they paraded through the city to celebrate Mexico's much loved musical tradition of mariachi.


The music is recognised around the world as the first truly Mexican music genre and has been kept alive by families that in some cases have been playing in the same mariachi bands for more than a century.......