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India News-Review meeting on MFN postponed

New Delhi, Sept 29 (PTI) The meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status granted to Pakistan has been postponed till next week.

"The meeting regarding MFN and related logistics scheduled for today is postponed to next week," official sources said here.

The decision to review the MFN, which was granted by India unilaterally in 1996, was taken in the wake of the Uri attack over which India is weighing options to respond.

The MFN status was accorded in 1996 under WTO's General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Both India and Pakistan are signatories to this which means they have to treat each other and rest of WTO member countries as favoured trading partners.

According to Assocham, out of India's total merchandise trade of USD 641 billion in 2015-16, Pakistan accounted for a meagre USD 2.67 billion.

India's exports to the neighbouring country worked out to USD 2.17 billion, or 0.83 per cent, of the total Indian outward shipments while imports were less than USD 500 million, or 0.13 per cent, of the total inward shipments.

The US is preparing to suspend cooperation with Russia on Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry. Archival photo

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 -. RIA Novosti, Alexei Bogdanovsky US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Washington is prepared to suspend cooperation with Russia on Syria, said State Department spokesman John Kirby.

The territory of the military schools in Aleppo, which was released by the Syrian army fighters

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Focus: Adventure "Dzhebhat en-Nusra" receive weapons directly from the United States

"He informed the Foreign Minister that the US is preparing to suspend the bilateral dialogue the United States and Russia on Syria, including the establishment of a joint center for the implementation of the (truce - Ed.), If Russia does not take immediate steps to halt the offensive in Aleppo and the restoration of the cease hostilities ", - said Kirby.

According to him, Kerry also laid on Russia responsible for the use of incendiary and bunker busters in Aleppo and in general for the offensive Syrian government forces, the humanitarian situation in the city and the alleged attacks on the civilian infrastructure.

The report expressed deep concern over the deteriorating situation in Syria, "particularly the continuing attacks Russia and the Syrian regime in the hospital, water supply and other civilian infrastructure in Aleppo."

Captured militants eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo. The view from the Citadel in the old town. September 27, 2016

The US said that the Turkish operation in the ATS is to create a security zone

"The Secretary of State made it clear that the US and its partners believe that Russia is responsible for this situation, including the use of incendiary and bunker busters in the city, which is a significant escalation and is a big risk for the civilian population", - said Kirby.

"The Secretary of State stressed that Russia have a duty to stop this offensive and allow humanitarian access in Aleppo and other areas of need," - he concluded.

Earlier, Russia's permanent representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin said that Russia will not agree to unilateral action on Syria.

On September 19 in Syrian expired ceasefire. The Russian side noted that it was carried out only on the part of Damascus, and the opposition and the terrorists used it to regroup. At the same time in Moscow emphasized that the United States has still not fulfilled its obligations under the opposition's disengagement from terrorist groups.

The flag of the radical Islamist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Archival photo

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Greek Expert: keep the Islamists in Syria was possible thanks to Russia

Earlier, the Syrian army command announced the beginning of military operations in the east of Aleppo captured terrorists. Command called on all civilians not to approach the places of accumulation of militants and their command posts.

The Syrian military has also said that the Syrian air force did not attack any civilian target or related civilian infrastructure, the army is impacted only military targets and clusters of terrorists, with a preliminary investigation and careful observation.

The development of the situation - in a special project of RIA Novosti " The war in Syria " >>

Foreign firms may get back into Russian oil

Russian authorities have announced an auction for the Nazymsky and Ai-Yaunsky oilfield production sites in the Khanty-Mansyisk Autonomous Region. The government will take bids until the end of October.

The sites, which are located more than 1,600 miles northeast of Moscow in Siberia, have proven reserves of almost 100 million tons of oil. The oilfields are offered at auction as a single unit with a reserve price of 4 billion rubles ($61.8 million).

The buyer must be able to contribute more than just cash, however. Extracting the oil from the fields requires specific technology that Russian companies are unable obtain due to U.S. sanctions. As a result, operating the fields may require the involvement of a foreign partner.

"The ultimate owner must have not only money for production, but correspond to a number of other requirements, as well," said Konstantin Bushuyev, director of market analysis department at Otkritye Broker.

According to him, the sites will produce a kind of thick crude oil that is difficult to extract. Additionally, in this case, extraction and processing operations should be vertically integrated in the area where the fields are located.

Benefits for everyone

The tender is a rare chance for foreign companies to work in an undeveloped Russian oilfield.

"The territories that are up for the auction are among the few in Russia that are not licensed for use," said Dmitry Bedenkov, head of analysis at investment company Russ-Invest. "In conditions when exploited fields keep running out and need more investment to sustain production, these are new oilfields where investments may be more effective."

The government for its part is looking to investment to make up for income lost due to the low price of oil, says Mark Goyhman, an analyst at GC Teletrade. According to him, this is why the tender has been structured to require processing as well as extraction.

Nikolai Gudkov, a representative of Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed as much to Russian news agency RBC. "The capacity to refine will be a guarantee that the oil extracted from the fields will not be exported as crude oil but will be processed in the region," Gudkov said.

Potential participants

According to Groyhman, Russia's largest oil companies both public and private, including Rosneft, Gazpromneft and Lukoil, are likely to want to take part in the tender. They all have oil refineries in Khanty-Mansiysk, the site of some of Russia's most mature oilfields.

None of these firms, however, have the technology for processing thick crude. The Russian firms will therefore look for a foreign partner with the appropriate know-how. Potential partners include the Mubadala Fund from the UAE, Norway's Statoil and BP form the UK. BP and Rosneft have a long history of working together.

Bedenkov suggests that the price of the sites is likely to increase several times during the process, citing the example of past auctions.

During the course of an auction in November 2015, the price of an oilfield in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the Russian Far East increased from 141 million rubles ($2.2 million) to 2.5 billion rubles ($38.6 million). The sale will be recognized as valid even if only one bid is submitted.

This article originally appeared at Russia Beyond the Headlines.

Oman detains judge who criticized judiciary: rights group

Police in Oman have detained a senior judge who criticized the judiciary in a newspaper which was shut down earlier this week by court order, an Omani rights group said on Wednesday.

Ali al-Numani, Oman's supreme court deputy, is being held in a police hospital and is in good health, the Omani Human Rights Commission said in a statement.

Numani told the privately owned Azamn newspaper in an interview in August that Oman's attorney general and supreme court justice chief had "abused laws of the state".

He also apologized for the way authorities treated the newspaper, which had reported extensively on a series of corruption cases in 2014 in which several company executives were convicted.

An Omani court on Monday ordered the permanent closure of Azamn and jailed three of its journalists on charges that included undermining the prestige of the state.

A police spokesperson declined to comment on the detention of Numani.

A State Department spokesman said on Monday the United States was very concerned about the court decisions and the U.S. ambassador had conveyed the concern to Oman's government at a senior level.

(Reporting by Fatma Al Arimi; Writing by Tom Finn; Editing by Dominic Evans)

Germany to scrutinize MBDA proposal for missile defense system

Germany's defense ministry on Wednesday said it had received a proposal to secure the contract for a $4.5 billion missile defense system from European arms maker MBDA and hoped to submit it to parliament for approval next spring.

"Given the inevitable development risks involved with advanced technology, we will study the proposal very carefully before it can be turned into a firm contract," Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told Reuters in an interview. "It's important to me that we learn from the mistakes of the past."

Germany chose the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS), made by MBDA and Lockheed Martin Corp, last year over Raytheon Co's Patriot system, but said the firms would have to meet tough performance milestones to retain the contract, one of Germany's biggest arms projects.

The MEADS system was developed jointly by Germany, Italy and the United States, although the U.S. Army later decided not to buy the system for its own use. Germany is buying MEADS to replace its Patriot air defense system fielded in the 1980s.

Lockheed and MBDA had hoped to finish negotiations with Germany by the end of year, but those prospects dimmed after the companies missed their goal of submitting a proposal by the end of July.

Experts say the project could still slip into 2018 or later due to German elections next year if the German parliament does not approve it in early 2017 before the federal election campaigns get into full swing.

MBDA, jointly owned by Airbus Group, Britain's BAE Systems Plc and Italy's Leonardo Finmeccanica SpA, had no immediate comment.

Von der Leyen said Germany was determined to avoid signing the kind of superficial and risky contracts that had led to major cost increases on past weapons programs.

"We are applying tougher standards to procurement projects and are keen to sign a carefully vetted, differentiated contract," von der Leyen said. "The goal is to avoid that unexpected risks result in a future burden for the government."

Von der Leyen said companies were used to such careful contracting procedures in the commercial world, although they had not been applied previously by the government.

MBDA and Lockheed are also in talks with Poland about a potential purchase of the MEADS system, although Warsaw has said Raytheon's Patriot system is leading that competition.

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Andrea Shalal; Writing by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

Forbes pegs Trump's wealth at $3.7 billion, $800 million less than last year

U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's estimated net worth is $3.7 billion, $800 million less than a year ago, Forbes magazine reported on Wednesday, attributing the loss largely to New York's softening real estate market.

The magazine probed 28 assets or asset classes owned by the New York businessman and found 18 had declined in value, including Trump Tower in Manhattan and his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

The value of his 40 Wall Street property in downtown New York had also declined, according to Forbes, which said it has been tracking Trump's wealth for 34 years.

At the same time, one asset remained steady while seven others - including 555 California Street, the second tallest building in San Francisco - saw their value increase, it reported.

Representatives for the Trump campaign could not be immediately reached for comment.

The report comes as Trump, known as a reality television star as well as for his real estate business, heads into the final stretch of campaigning for the Nov. 8 election.

Trump, seeking elected office for the first time, has touted his business acumen in pressing for change in Washington. He has vowed to rip up trade deals, negotiate with allies to make them pay more for their U.S. defense protection, and have Mexico pay for a wall he has proposed along the southern U.S. border. If elected, he would be the first billionaire to serve as president, according to Forbes.

Details of Trump's wealth are not publicly known because, bucking a decades-old tradition of U.S. presidential candidates, he has refused to release his tax returns. His Democratic rival, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, earned $10.75 million in 2015 alongside her husband, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, their tax filing showed.

Clinton and others, including some prominent Republicans, have pressed Trump to release his returns. They have also raised questions about his net worth as well as his charitable contributions and business ties.

Forbes said its analysis did not place any value on Trump's brand. It also disputed Trump's assertion in Monday night's presidential debate that he reported $694 million in income from last year to the Federal Election Commission. Forbes said Trump mixed revenue and income in the document.

Trump has so far given $54 million to his presidential campaign. His campaign has also paid his companies for office space in Trump Tower and use of his private airline, among other expenses, federal election filings have shown. Politico reported separately on Wednesday that Trump is considering giving more money to his campaign to fund an advertising blitz, citing three sources close to him.

Amid the campaign, Trump made just one real estate deal in the past year: purchasing a Charleston, South Carolina, warehouse that was in foreclosure, Forbes said.

(Additional reporting by Emily Stephenson and Grant Smith; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Frances Kerry)

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by a missile

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by a missile fired from a launcher brought into Ukraine from Russia and located in a village held by pro-Russian rebels, international prosecutors said on Wednesday.

The findings counter Moscow's suggestion that the passenger plane, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in July 2014, was brought down by Ukraine's military rather than the separatists. All 298 people on board, most of them Dutch, were killed.

The conclusions were based on thousands of wiretaps, photographs, witness statements and forensic tests during more than two years of inquiries into an incident which led to a sharp rise in tensions between Russia and the West.

Among the key findings were: the plane was hit by a Russian-made Buk-9M38 missile; the missile was fired from the rebel-held village of Pervomaysk in eastern Ukraine; and the launcher was transported into Ukraine from Russia.

"This Buk trailer came from the territory of the Russian Federation, and after the launch it was returned again to the territory of the Russian Federation," said Wilbert Paulissen, chief investigator with the Dutch national police.

The Ukrainian government said the findings pointed to Russia's "direct involvement". Russia - which has always denied Moscow or pro-Russian rebels were responsible - rejected the prosecutors' conclusions, saying they were not supported by technical evidence and the inquiry was biased.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said its radar data had "identified all flying objects which could have been launched or were in the air over the territory controlled by rebels at that moment".

"The data is clear-cut ... there is no rocket. If there was a rocket, it could only have been fired from elsewhere," he said.

The investigators, from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine, said they had not had access to Moscow's radar images but would gladly include a Russian contribution to the inquiry.

Ukrainian and Western officials, citing intelligence intercepts, have long blamed the pro-Russian rebels for the incident, which played a big part in a decision by the European Union and United States to impose sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine conflict and has damaged Dutch-Russian economic ties.

SUSPECTS

Prosecutors said that while they had not brought charges against culprits or established a court, they had identified 100 individuals of interest in relation to the crash on July 17, 2014.

"Of a number of them, we know pretty exactly what their role and position was, for instance those who organized the arrival of the Buk rocket and who were in charge of the transport that day," said Fred Westerbeke, chief prosecutor at the Netherlands National Prosecutor's office.

"We know exactly what happened, but who exactly was in charge, and whether it was done intentionally, there the investigation is still continuing," Westerbeke said.

He declined to specify the nationality of any potential suspects, and called on witnesses to come forward and help determine who gave the order to shoot the plane down.

Victims' families, who were informed of the findings earlier in the day, were skeptical about the investigation's progress.

Silene Fredriksz, whose son Bryce was on the airplane with his girlfriend, Daisy Oehlers, said Russia would never hand over any suspects voluntarily.

Moscow was "going to have to be put under intense pressure, with sanctions - that's the only way to make it possible", she added.

A civilian investigation by the Dutch Safety Board also concluded last year that MH17 was hit by a Buk missile fired from eastern Ukraine, but Moscow denied that pro-Russian rebels were responsible.

At the time of the incident, pro-Russian separatists were fighting Ukrainian government forces in the region. The Boeing 777 (BA.N) broke apart in mid-air, flinging wreckage over several kilometers (miles) of fields in rebel-held territory.

Prosecutors cannot file charges because there is no international agreement on what court a case would be heard in.

Speaking before the news conference, Fredriksz said the victims' families wanted justice.

"We are impatient. We want to know what happened, how it happened and why. We want those responsible to face justice."

(Writing by Timothy Heritage; Editing by Pravin Char)

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Australian researchers develop new mobile app for diabetes patients

SYDNEY, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Queensland researchers are trialling a new mobile app which helps people with diabetes to monitor their blood sugar levels and enables health professionals to manage their patients remotely.
University of Queensland research fellow, Dr Farhad Fatehi said in a statement on Wednesday that the app is currently undergoing a clinical trial at the diabetes clinic in Princess Alexandra Hospital in Queensland.
"Blood glucose readings are sent directly via bluetooth technology from the glucose meter to a smartphone and then immediately to secure servers on the Internet where doctors and nurses can access the readings," Fatehi said.
"This is a faster and more accurate way of relaying the information than patients having to write out their results and then read or send these on to health professionals for assessment," he said.
Developed through collaboration between the university, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Australian eHealth Research Center and Queensland Health, the app could streamline care for Australians living with diabetes.
"The app gives patients immediate feedback on their blood glucose readings through color codes, charts and tables," Farhad said.
"Patients can use this data to more accurately assess and understand their own condition, putting them front and center of their own care."
"They are more empowered, enabled and have more control over their situation," he added.
At present, there are more than 1.5 million Australians have diabetes and each year about 100,000 people are newly diagnosed with this lifelong disease.
"This represents a major cost to Australia's health system and puts extra stress on health professionals," Farhad said.
"The app could allow health professionals to treat more patients at any one time, with greater confidence in the data."
"This could mean a considerable reduction in healthcare costs for diabetes every year," he said. Enditem

Majority of world’s population ‘6.76 billion people’ living with excessive air pollution: UN

who — Majority of world's population '6.76 billion people' living with excessive air pollution: UN

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 27 : With some 6.5 million people dying annually from air pollution and 92 per cent of the world’s population living in places where levels exceed recommended limits, the United Nations Tuesday rolled out its most detailed profile of the scourge ever in a bid to slash the deadly toll.
“Fast action to tackle air pollution can’t come soon enough,” top UN World Health Organization (WHO) environmental official Maria Neira said of the new air quality model, which includes interactive maps maps that highlight areas within countries exceeding WHO limits.
The world’s population reached 7.35 billion last year, according to UN figures.
“Solutions exist with sustainable transport in cities, solid waste management, access to clean household fuels and cook-stoves, as well as renewable energies and industrial emissions reductions,” Dr. Neira added.
Nearly 90 per cent of the deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, with nearly two out of three occurring in the South-east Asia and Western Pacific regions.
“Air pollution continues take a toll on the health of the most vulnerable populations women, children and the older adults,” WHO’s Assistant Director General Flavia Bustreo said.
“For people to be healthy, they must breathe clean air from their first breath to their last,” she added.
Major sources of air pollution include inefficient modes of transport, household fuel and waste burning, coal-fired power plants, and industrial activities. But not all air pollution originates from human activity.
For example, air quality can also be influenced by dust storms, particularly in regions close to deserts.
“The new WHO model shows countries where the air pollution danger spots are, and provides a baseline for monitoring progress in combatting it,” Dr. Bustreo said.
Developed in collaboration with the University of Bath, United Kingdom, it represents WHO’s most detailed outdoor air pollution-related health data ever, based on satellite measurements, air transport models and ground station monitors for more than 3,000 locations, both rural and urban.
Some three million deaths a year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution.
Indoor air pollution can be just as deadly.
In 2012, an estimated 6.5 million deaths (11.6 per cent of all global deaths) were associated with indoor and outdoor air pollution together.
Ninety-four per cent of the deaths are due to non-communicable diseases, notably cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Air pollution also increases the risks for acute respiratory infections.
“This new model is a big step forward towards even more confident estimates of the huge global burden of more than six million deaths, one in nine of total global deaths, from exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution,” said Dr. Neira, who is WHO Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health.
WHO’s Ambient Air quality guidelines limit annual mean exposure to particulate matter with a diametre of less than 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5), such as sulfate, nitrates and black carbon, which penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, posing the greatest health risks.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, adopted at a UN summit last year, call for substantially reducing the number of deaths and illnesses from air pollution.
In May, WHO issued a new road map for accelerated action with local health sectors increasing monitoring and assuming a greater leadership role in national policies affecting air pollution.

US urges Pakistani business community to take full benefit of US GSP programme

ISLAMABAD, Sept 27 (APP): Second Secretary for Trade and Investment, Benjamin Embury, Embassy of the United States of America has called upon the Pakistani business community to take full benefit of US Generalized System of
Preferences (GSP) programme for promoting exports with USA as this programme provided low tariff or duty free access to many categories of Pakistani products into US
market.

He said the US GSP programme was available to Pakistani private sector till 2017 and there was a need to create more awareness about it so that Pakistani business community could fully exploit it for promoting exports with USA.

He said this while exchanging views with Atif Ikram Sheikh, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry during his visit to Chamber House here Tuesday.

A statement of the Chamber issued here said that Pakistan has great potential for business and investment in various sectors of its economy and James Golsen, Executive Director for Asia, US Department of Commerce will visit Pakistan from Oct 2-8, 2016 to meet with public and private businesses in Pakistan in order to discuss the business environment and explore opportunities for new US companies aiming to enter Pakistani market.

He said US was ready to cooperate with Pakistan in agriculture sector so that Pakistan could take benefit of its advanced technology to improve its productivity.

He said a delegation of Pakistani agriculture sector businessmen led by US Ambassador will visit USA to enhance B2B ties in agriculture field.

He said US was committed to improve trade and economic relations with Pakistan as both countries have good potential to establish business partnerships.

He said over 100 US companies were already present in Pakistani market and assured that US Embassy would provide assistance in promoting B2B relations between the
private sectors of both countries.

In his welcome address, Atif Ikram Sheikh, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that bilateral trade of around US$ 6 billion between Pakistan
and USA was far less than real potential of both countries.

He said both countries should focus on frequent exchange of trade delegations to improve two-way trade.

Sheikh said instead of providing aid, US should promote trade with Pakistan which was the best way to strengthen Pakistan’s economy.

He said Pakistan has rendered great sacrifices due to fighting war against terrorism and the best way to compensate Pakistan for economic recovery was to provide enhanced
duty free access to its products in US market.

Pakistan’s economic outlook offered promising future and urged that more US investors should explore Pakistan for joint ventures and investment in energy, infrastructure development and other sectors, he added.

Pak-China JCC meeting next month to discuss CPEC roadmap

ISLAMABAD, Sept 28 (APP): China and Pakistan have agreed to hold 6th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting in the last week of November to discuss and approve a future roadmap of Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (CPEC).

According to a message received here Wednesday, the representatives of all the provinces would be invited in the meeting, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, Prof Ahsan Iqbal told media after his meeting with China’s Vice Chairman of National Development Reforms Commission (NDRC) in Beijing.

He said, China has also agreed to provide concessional loan of US$ 5.5 billion for up-gradation of Karachi-Peshawar railway track project. After completion of this project, the speed of trains would be enhanced from existing 80 km per hour to 160 km per hour, he added.

The Minister informed that China would also expedite the approval of projects for the development of Gwadar.

He said, training workshops would be held on the topics of urban planning, rural development, small business, protection of water resources and industrial zones in an effort to take benefit from China’s experience in this regard.

Ahsan said, the CPEC would take Pak-China relations to new heights “even beyond the stars”, adding, investment of US$ 46 billion would be largest in the history of foreign investments in Pakistan.

He said, projects worth US$ 18 billion were in implementation phase while project of US$ were in pipeline.
He said, projects worth billion of rupee were also being completed in all parts of the country from the budget.