Putin spoke about the impact of Western sanctions on the Russian economy

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MOSCOW, Oct 12 -. RIA Novosti The impact of Western sanctions on the Russian economy is primarily expressed in limiting access to technology, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Anti-Russian psychosis: London leads, Paris is catching up

"We often repeat like a mantra, that these so-called notorious sanctions on us very much and affect Affect, and above all a threat I see in the technology transfer constraint.", - Putin said at a plenary session of the forum "Russia Calling".

This, he stressed, "it is detrimental not only to the Russian economy and the world economy as a whole, because the Russian economy is, of course, is an important sector for the global economy."

"So those who do harm themselves in the end I think we and this, of course, on the right." - Added the head of state.

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The expert believes that the Russian economy has adapted to sanctions

As I stated at the forum Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev, the new sanctions that could be imposed on Russia because Syria does not produce a significant effect on the economy - local businesses have adapted to the private capital markets abroad.

Earlier, the European Union economic sanctions against Russia were extended until the end of January 2017.

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Pakistan declared best country in South Asia byI M F

Pakistan declared best country in South Asia

WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (APP): Pakistan has been recognized as the ‘Best Country for Infrastructure Development in South Asia’ by the “Emerging Markets”, a publication of the IMF/World Bank Annual Meeting 2016, in recognition of its massive progress in the field.

The country Award was received by Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, Jalil Abbas Jilani on behalf of Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, at a ceremony here during the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings, said a press release issued on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Jilani thanked the Emerging Markets for recognizing and supporting Pakistan’s development trajectory that was inextricably linked to peace in the region. He highlighted that Pakistan was committed to regional connectivity and share the fruits of prosperity with all neighbors.

He expressed confidence that the Government’s people-centric development policies and regional economic cooperation would usher in a new era of prosperity.

Hon. Professor Ahsan Iqbal, the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform spearheads the infrastructure development in the country.
The ongoing major projects include building of new thermal power plants, the construction of a 700 km LNG pipeline and the upgrading the Karachi-Lahore railway track to name a few.

The centerpiece of the massive infrastructure development work is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which involves construction of rail and road network, gas pipelines, industrial zones and development of the Gwadar port. CPEC would connect China’s western region to Pakistan and is aimed at revolutionizing the economic progress and enhance regional connectivity.

The award is a unique honor for Pakistan that recognizes the country as one of the most exciting and an important destination as far as infrastructure development is concerned.

American Sikhs hold anti-war rally outside UN as India-Pakistan tensions escalate

American Sikhs hold anti-war rally outside UN as India-Pakistan tensions escalate

NEW YORK, Oct 12 (APP): A large number of Sikhs from all over North America Tuesday staged a rally outside UN Headquarters in New York against India’s military build-up in the border State of Punjab, amid growing tensions with Pakistan.

A delegation of “Sikhs For Justice” (SFJ), a human rights NGO, met with diplomats from Uruguay’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and submitted a memorandum seeking immediate intervention of the Security Council to stop India from turning Punjab into a battlefield, according to a SFJ press release.

Uruguay is one of the 15 members of the UN Security Council and is due to hold the Presidency of the 15-member body in January 2017.

Citing the impact of recent Indian military build-up in Punjab, the memorandum said that Sikhs in Punjab have already started suffering from India’s military buildup that has forced thousands of Sikh farmers to evacuate from their farms, “turning them into refugees in their ancestral homeland”.

“India’s jingoistic war with Pakistan which she intends to pursue at the cost of Sikh people, their lands and lives, is becoming a human tragedy of mammoth proportions” SFJs memorandum further states.

“War is not a solution to the Kashmir and Punjab issues where people are merely demanding their right to self-determination through plebiscite and referendum” Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to
SFJ, said in a statement
“We are asking Security Council to stop India from waging a war, and instead fulfill its obligations under International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by allowing people of Kashmir and Punjab to exercise their right to self-determination”, Pannun said.

The anti-war “Save Punjab Rally” was organized by “Sikh For Justice” (SFJ) in collaboration with Sikh political parties, civil rights groups and management committees of the Sikh temples across North America, the press release said.

Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly mosque attack in Afghan capital

Islamic State on Wednesday claimed responsibility for an attack that killed at least 18 worshippers at a shrine in the Afghan capital, raising fears of sectarian violence after a string of attacks on the country's Shi'ite minority.

The claim of responsibility for Tuesday's attack, released online, came as the minority gathered to observe Ashura, one of its holiest days, in commemorations subdued because of security fears, as well as the funerals of the dead.

On Wednesday afternoon, a second explosion outside a mosque in northern Afghanistan killed at least 14 people and wounded 24 at a similar Ashura gathering. But there was no immediate claim of responsibility for that blast.

Islamic State also targeted members of Kabul's Shi'ite community in a suicide bombing in July that killed more than 80 people and wounded 130.

The attacker in Kabul, said to be wearing a police uniform, entered the Karte Shakhi mosque on Tuesday night and opened fire on a crowd of Shi'ite Muslims gathered for Ashura, which marks the seventh-century death of a grandson of the prophet Mohammed.

In its statement, Islamic State said the attacker detonated a suicide vest after firing all his ammunition, but security forces said they shot the man.

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Afghan Shi'ite Muslim men mourn over the grave of a victim who was killed in Tuesday's attack at the Sakhi Shrine in Kabul, Afghanistan October 12, 2016. REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail

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A Reuters video shows the suspected attacker's body intact, with no sign of an explosive vest.

The dead included four women and two children, said the United Nations, which condemned the attack as an "atrocity".

It put the tally at 18 civilians killed and 50 wounded, though some witnesses said the toll could be higher.

Mourners buried several of the victims, including a four-year-old girl, on Wednesday.

"We are not happy with the government and the police. They both failed to protect us and provide security for us," said one of the girl's relatives, Mohammed Hussain, who described the event as "doomsday" for the family.

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• Turkish army says Islamic State putting up 'stiff resistance' in Syria

The day is typically marked by processions that often include self-flagellation by some worshippers, but government warnings of possible attacks prompted more subdued observation of the event this year.

The Taliban, who have been waging a 15-year insurgency against the Western-backed government and often conduct attacks in Kabul, had denied involvement in the shooting.

The schism between Sunnis and Shi'ites developed after the prophet Mohammed died in 632 and his followers could not agree on a successor. Some Sunni Muslim militants see Shi'ites as a threat and legitimate targets for attack.

(Reporting by Mirwais Harooni; Writing by Josh Smith; Editing by Robert Birsel and Clarence Fernandez)

Facebook starts to build data center in U.S state of New Mexico

HOUSTON, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. state of New Mexico held on Tuesday a groundbreaking ceremony for Facebook's high-tech data center, located in Los Lunas.

According to a press release sent to Xinhua on Tuesday, the state governor's office said that Governor Susana Martinez, who attended the ceremony, spoke highly of Facebook's efficiency and the contribution the facility will make to the state.

"They build fast as you see. They just announced it a few weeks ago and here they are moving dirt. This is what Facebook does. They move quickly and they have enormous impact on Los Lunas and New Mexico as a whole," Martinez said.

Just a few weeks ago, Martinez announced that Facebook had chosen New Mexico for its latest data center following a nationwide search.

The data center, which is expected to begin operation by 2018, will bring an initial investment of 250 million U.S. dollars in the first phase alone, with the potential for multiple phases, which would create more jobs and more investment.

In the long term, New Mexico believes that the project has the potential to attract other high-tech companies to the state and transform it into a hub for data centers.

In September 2016, Facebook announced plans to open the data center in Los Lunas, near the state's largest city Albuquerque, which will be equipped with the latest hardware designs and powered by 100 percent clean and renewable energy through solar and wind plants.

Afghan gov't forces recapture Kunduz city, Taliban runaway with huge casualties

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Afghan government recaptured the northern Kunduz city on Wednesday, forcing Taliban militants to retreat to their former bases, a senior police official said.

"Taliban rebels after suffering huge casualties and leaving scores of dead bodies behind fled Kunduz city on Wednesday and the whole city is in control of the government forces at the moment," the official Mahfozullah Akbari told Xinhua.

Taliban militants in a surprise mover overrun major parts of Kunduz city on Oct. 3, prompting government forces to launch counter-offensive.

"More than 200 Taliban rebels have been killed and more than 300 others sustained injuries since the government forces launched counter-offensive to dislodge militants from the city," the official said, claiming that scores of the dead bodies of the Taliban fighters were lying on the streets and the fleeing militants were unable to take their bodies.

According to the official, more than 20 police personnel have been killed and 45 others injured since Taliban onslaught on Kunduz city and counter-offensive to flash out militants.

Taliban militants are yet to make comment on the situation there in Kunduz city.

However, Akbari avoided commenting on casualties of civilians and national army personnel over the past nine days of bloody fighting for the control of Kunduz, 250 km north of Kabul.

Normalcy has been returning to the war-ravaged city and those escaped the war are gradually returning to their homes, Akbari said.

Nevertheless, he added the presence of mines planted by fleeing militants on some residential areas has slowed down the return of families to their houses.

Meantime, head of Kunduz provincial health department Abdul Hamid Alam has confirmed that 342 injured people had been taken to hospitals for medical treatments, including civilians and military personnel, some of them in critical conditions.

More than 22,000 families left Kunduz city for safer places in the wake of Taliban attack on Kunduz city and have relocated to Takhar, Samangan, Balkh, Kabul and other parts of the country, head of Refugees Department in Kunduz province Sayed Abdul Salam Hashimi told Xinhua.

Rents for Singapore's non-landed private homes down 0.6 pct in September

SINGAPORE, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Rental prices for Singapore's non-landed private homes decreased by 0.6 percent in September compared to the previous month, while rents for public housing flats dropped 0.3 percent month-on-month, said Real Estate Exchange (SRX Property) in its flash estimates on Wednesday.

On a month-on-month basis, rents for private homes in downtown and suburban area dropped 1.8 percent and 0.3 percent in September respectively.

In contrast, rents for private homes in city fringe rose 0.2 percent.

SRX Property said rental prices for private homes were down by 4.6 percent in September compared with that in September 2015.

In individual sectors, rents for private homes in downtown, city fringe and suburban area decreased 2.8 percent, 4.6 percent and 6.0 percent respectively. Rents in September was 17.6 percent down compared to its peak in January 2013.

Rental volume for non-landed private homes decreased by 14.2 percent in September month-on-month, with about 3,716 units rented out compared with 4,329 units rented in August.

While on a year-on-year basis, rental volume in September was 8.5 percent higher than 3,426 units rented in the same month last year.

As for HDB market, SRX Property said rents decreased by 0.3 percent from August to September. Rental prices for three-room, four-room and five-room flats decreased by 0.7 percent, 0.1 percent, and 0.4 percent respectively. Rents for executive flats also post a decline of 0.8 percent in September month-on-month.

HDB rents in September dropped by 4.5 percent year-on-year, said SRX Property. Compared to the peak in August 2013, rents in September declined 10.8 percent.

On HDB rental volume, it was estimated that 1,491 HDB flats were rented out in September, compared to 1,680 units in the previous month, which registered an 11.3 percent decrease.

While on a year-on-year basis, rental volume in September decreased 14.4 percent compared with the same month last year.

About 80 percent of the resident population in Singapore live in units built by HDB and sold to eligible households. The public housing market is more tightly regulated than the private one.

Duterte: Don't prepare for any joint war games with U.S. next year

MANILA, Oct 12 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday that he has instructed his defense secretary, Delfin Lorenzana, not to make preparations for any joint war games with the U.S. next year. "I do not want it anymore," Duterte said in a speech at the Philippine coast guard headquarters in Manila. "'Do not prepare' I told Defense Secretary Lorenazana. 'Do not make preparations for next year (anymore)'," he said. "I insist that we realigned. That there will be no more exercises next year," Duterte said. Duterte reiterated his plan to chart an independent foreign policy. However, Duterte said that the Philippines will not break it alliances with the U.S., a treaty ally. "But we need not really break or abrogate existing treaties because they say that it would provide is with the umbrella," he said, apparently referring to security umbrella. Duterte said he was fed up with U.S. criticisms over his anti-drug campaign that resulted in the death of more than 3,000 suspected drug users and pushers. Duterte has earlier said that he wants to scrap the annual joint exercises with U.S. military during his term, saying it does not benefit the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He also barred the Philippine military from taking part in joint patrols with the U.S. in the disputed South China Sea, saying Beijing scoffed at the activities. He also ordered all the more than 100 U.S. soldiers helping the Philippine military in the fight against terror to get out of Mindanao. The U.S. and the Philippines hold three major joint war games plus 28 small-scale exercises every year to increase interoperability.

No surgical strikes take place during Congress rule:Indian defense minister

NEW DELHI, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday took a jibe on the main opposition Congress party, saying that "surgical strikes" of the magnitude of Sept. 29 were never carried out by the Indian Army in Pakistan in the past. "I have been the defense minister for over two years and from whatever I have learnt, there was no surgical strike anytime earlier. What probably they are quoting are actions taken by border action teams, which is a common practice across globe including the Indian Army," Parrikar said. He added "In this, local commanders take positive action against opponents who have been troubling them to settle the score... it is not an official action approved by the government, these are called covert operations without knowledge of anyone." The defense minister's comments came in Mumbai in the wake of Congress party's claims that surgical strikes had been carried out in the past and that the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government never publicised such operations like that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government this time. The Indian Army had last month claimed to have carried out "surgical strikes" across the Line of Control in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir to eliminate multiple terror launch pads in the wake of terror attack on an Army camp in Indian-controlled Kashmir's Uri sector, in which 19 soldiers were killed.

Sri Lanka's cabinet approves to draft anti-terrorism law

COLOMBO, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's cabinet on Wednesday approved to draft a new counter-terrorism law to replace its Prevention of Terrorism Act to affirm Sri Lanka's commitment on human rights.

A committee chaired by the Minister of Law and Order and Southern Development has been appointed to draft the new counter terrorism law, which will be aimed at providing adequate provisions for prevention of terrorism and affirm Sri Lanka's commitment on human rights responsibilities, acting Government Spokesperson, Karunarathna Paranavithana told press.

"Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers have decided to forward the policy and legal framework drafted by the said committee and presented by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security for further discussions," said Paranavithana.

He further said that the new law was needed as terrorism had changed its nature, growing from internal conflicts to transnational violence.

"We need the new law to ensure the country is not used as a recruiting ground or for other organising activity of international terrorists," he said.

China unveils measures to promote private investment

BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's top economic planner said Wednesday it has unveiled a raft of policies to promote the healthy growth of private investment.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) released the policy document, which contains 26 measures aimed at promoting investment growth, improving financial services, reducing corporate costs and updating administrative services.

"At present, government departments and local authorities are striving to implement those policies in order to make private investment stabilize and recover," the NDRC said.

In the first eight months of this year, private fixed-asset investment rose only 2.1 percent year on year in real terms, much lower than the 8.1-percent growth for national overall fixed-asset investment during the same period, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

The government will further relax market access to private capital and encourage investment in civil airports, telecommunications, oil and gas exploration, electricity, as well as national defense technology, the document showed.

China will also facilitate private capital's participation in the social service sector, expand the public-private partnership (PPP) model and build an online investment project approval and supervision platform, according the document.

The government will create a plan for local governments to repay their debts, including debts to companies for construction projects and government procurement, it added.

The document also includes policies to streamline procedures and reduce fees, improve the legal framework and lower the financing costs of private companies.

Xi urges strengthened, innovative social governance for "safe China"

NANCHANG, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for strengthened and innovative social governance, stressing the need to improve systems to prevent and forecast risk.

Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks in a prepared statement about the country's social management that was released Wednesday. The statement was delivered by Meng Jianzhu, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, at a national conference on public security governance held on October 10 and 11.

"More efforts should be made to build a safe China at a higher level and further enhance people's sense of security," Xi said.

According to Xi, people working in political and legal affairs and comprehensive social governance have focused on dealing with outstanding problems and innovating social governance methods in recent years, achieving greater results.

Stressing integrated and open governance efforts among various departments, Xi urged a focus on the rule of law and technological innovation and "a heightened capacity to forecast and prevent all kinds of risks."

The president urged Party committees and governments at all levels to pay great attention to the work of social governance and highlight the responsibility of leading officials to ensure safety and development at the local level.

At least 8 dead as bomb explodes in Nigeria

ABUJA, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people died Wednesday morning when a bomb exploded near a local motor park in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said.

The rescue agency confirmed to Xinhua that 15 injured persons have been taken to hospital for treatment.

The bomb was suspected to have been planted by terror group Boko Haram inside a car near the Muna motor park in Jere local district of Borno.

Local police said two vehicles were blown off by the blast, adding security operatives had cordoned off the area.

Nigeria's northeast region has been a stronghold of the extremist group Boko Haram. In past months, the Nigerian government has launched several military operations to eliminate the terrorist threat.

80 women elected MPs in Morocco's parliament

RABAT, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- A total of 80 women have been elected as MPs following Friday's parliamentary elections in Morocco, local media reported on Wednesday.

The Moroccan daily Assabah said 60 women MPs have been elected from the national lists, while another 20 secured their seats after competing in local and youth lists.

While the number of women MPs has increased from 67 to 80, it is still below the aspirations of feminist movement in the country, the source noted.

The PJD led Friday's polls, securing 125 seats out of 395, whereas its main rival PAM won 102 seats, and the Istiqlal party took 46.

Turkey says its troops to stay in Iraq until Islamic State cleared from Mosul

Turkish troops will remain at a military camp in northern Iraq until Islamic State is driven out of the nearby city of Mosul, Turkey's deputy prime minister said on Wednesday, signaling no respite in a row with Baghdad over the deployment.

The Turkish soldiers are at the Bashiqa camp training Sunni Muslim and Kurdish Peshmerga units which Turkey wants to take part in an expected battle for Mosul. But their presence has sparked a row with the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad, which is keen that its forces be in the forefront of the offensive.

The United States on Tuesday urged the two governments to resolve the spat, which could affect the planned U.S.-backed assault on Mosul, the headquarters of Islamic State's self-declared caliphate in northern Iraq since 2014.

"Turkey does not move on orders from others ... Turkey’s presence in the Bashiqa camp will remain until Mosul is rid of Daesh," Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told the state-run Anadolu Agency, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

"Whoever the Mosul population is, Arabs or Turkmen, they have lived together for centuries and will continue to do so. If you change the ethnic structure here, the people there will not allow it ... This is our perspective as Turkey. Turkey’s force in the region cannot be questioned," he said.

NATO member Turkey shares a 1,200 km (750-mile) border with Syria and Iraq and faces threats from Islamic State militants in both. But it is concerned that international efforts to destroy the radical Islamists will leave new dangers in their wake.

The Turkish army launched an incursion into Syria in August to push back Islamic State and prevent the U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG militia from seizing ground. Ankara is wary of Washington's support for what it sees as a hostile Syrian Kurdish force.

Kurtulmus said Turkey would participate in the operation to push the jihadists out of Mosul as long as the YPG was not involved. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the PKK militant group, which has fought a three-decade insurgency in southeastern Turkey and has bases in northern Iraq.

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(Additional reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Alison Williams)

China confirms Duterte visit amid strained U.S.-Philippine ties

China confirmed on Wednesday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will visit China next week, as the Southeast Asian leader's relationship with its traditional ally the United States frays.

Under Duterte, Manila's relations with Washington have come under strain and the recently elected president has opted to put aside years of hostility with China, especially over the disputed South China Sea, to form a new partnership.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, confirming a visit previously flagged in Manila, said Duterte would meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang on his Oct. 18-21 trip and have a "deep exchange of views" on how to improve ties, cooperation and regional issues.

About 250 Philippine business executives will visit Beijing with Duterte. Filipino executives are eager to talk with Chinese business leaders and government officials about deals in a range of sectors, from rail, and construction to tourism, agribusiness, power and manufacturing, sources told Reuters.

"China looks forward to increasing mutual trust between the two countries, deepening practical cooperation and continuing the tradition of friendship via the visit of President Duterte," Geng told a daily news briefing.

The two should appropriately handle disputes through talks and promote a strategic, cooperative relationship that is dedicated to peace and development, he added.

"The Philippines is a traditionally friendly neighbor of China. The two peoples have a long history of friendship."

Elected in June, Duterte's deadly war of drugs and support for extrajudicial killings have drawn the ire of the U.S., a former colonial power and traditionally one of the Philippines' staunchest supporters.

Duterte has responded to that criticism by telling U.S. President Barack Obama to "go to hell" and saying he wants to distance the Philippines' dependence on the country.

Coinciding with that has been a rapprochement with China, despite the cool relations the two countries have had, dogged in recent years by mistrust over rival territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Duterte said on Tuesday he will also probably visit Russia after a trip to Japan this month.

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• Philippine leader Duterte says will maintain military alliances

An arbitration court ruling in the Hague on July 12 that said China had breached the Philippines' sovereign rights in the South China Sea had threatened to lead to a further deterioration in ties between Manila and Beijing.

But Duterte's forthcoming trip could prove a turning point, with promises to hold talks with China on the South China Sea dispute and signs of a new and potentially much deeper economic relationship.

Chinese spokesman Geng repeated Beijing's standard line that China wanted to resolve the dispute via talks with the parties directly involved, including the Philippines.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Paul Carsten; Editing by Nick Macfie)