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  • Taliban assault on Afghan city of Ghazni enters third day

    An Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier keeps watch at a checkpoint on the Ghazni highway, in Maidan Shar, the capital of Wardak province, Afghanistan August 12, 2018 Symbol copyright Reuters Image caption A soldier keeps watch at the Ghazni road

    A Taliban assault on the Afghan city of Ghazni has entered its third day – with intense combating and conflicting claims over who controls the strategic city.

    Mohammad Sharif Yaftali, the Afghan army’s chief-of-personnel, mentioned Ghazni was once no longer under risk of falling into the militants’ hands.

    But other folks within Ghazni say it has been overrun, with very little nonetheless underneath govt keep watch over.

    The Taliban introduced the attack in the early hours of Friday.

    By overdue Friday morning, at no less than 16 other folks were killed and many more injured. Native television station 1TV says the selection of fatalities has risen to greater than 100, but there is no official confirmation.

    A reporter for information company AFP in Ghazni stated the Taliban were not hiding in any respect, but roaming across the city, the place they are in control of a couple of police checkpoints and feature been setting fire to executive offices.

    There also are reports the street outdoor the town has been mined, making it tough for residents to escape.

    Abdul Wakil, who had managed to escape, advised Reuters: “There Has Been burning and fire and useless bodies all over within the town.”

    The assault comes as pressure keeps at the Taliban to enter peace talks with the Afghan executive.

    Secret talks had been not too long ago held in Qatar among Taliban and US officers after an unprecedented three-day ceasefire all through Eid celebrations in June that used to be in large part revered by all sides.

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  • Palms depot in Syria’s Idlib province kills 39 – monitor

    Destroyed building in Sarmada, Syria. Photo: 12 August 2018 Symbol copyright AFP/Getty Images Symbol caption Rescuers used bulldozers to remove the rubble and free trapped folks

    at least 39 folks have been killed in a blast that brought down a development in Syria’s basically rise up-held north-western province of Idlib, reviews say.

    The development in the Sarmada town is alleged to have contained munitions belonging to an hands trafficker.

    There are nonetheless dozens of individuals lacking, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) monitor says.

    Idlib is the closing leading riot-held house, and is expected to be the following goal for Syrian armed forces.

    In recent months, the Syrian executive, subsidized by Russia and Iran, has made major advances in its offensive towards a host of revolt and jihadist groups throughout Syria.

    Such A Lot of those in the construction are believed to had been Syrians displaced from the imperative Homs province.

    The cause of the explosion was once not straight away known.

    The conflict towards ‘Islamic State ’ in maps and charts

  • Venezuela ‘drone attack’: Maduro may settle for FBI lend a hand to research

    Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a military event in Caracas, 11 August 2018 Image copyright Reuters

    Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has mentioned he may permit US FBI sellers into the country to assist inspect the alleged assassination try towards him per week in the past.

    The president mentioned he believed that the folk involved had fled to Florida, Peru and Colombia.

    The Us has indicated it’ll co-perform with investigations, but it has no longer made a identified be offering for an FBI visit.

    The Venezuelan leader steadily accuses the united states of wanting to overthrow him.

    the two nations have long had a demanding dating. Whilst Mr Maduro used to be re-elected in Might, the u.s. higher its sanctions on Venezuela, saying the vote had no longer been free or truthful.

    Symbol copyright Getty Images Image caption Juan Manuel Santos – who stepped down as Colombia’s president earlier this month – used to be no longer an ally of Mr Maduro

    Mr Santos responded by means of tweeting Mr Maduro directly: “do not be disturbed. On Saturday, I Was doing more necessary issues, baptising my granddaughter Celeste.”

    Mr Maduro has additionally accused the previous speaker of Venezuela’s Nationwide Assembly, Julio Borges, of co-ordinating the assault, and an opposition lawmaker, Juan Requesens, is amongst a few folks detained in the aftermath.

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  • ‘Land of the Mutts’: The Place SIX HUNDRED canine call home

    Video ‘Land of the Mutts’: Where 600 canine name house

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  • ‘The Little Old Ones’: Belgium’s retirement home for elderly animals

    In southern Belgium there may be a care home that accommodates A HUNDRED AND FIFTY getting old animals, living out their ultimate days in peace.

    The home is run through Valerie Luycx, beneath, and is called Les Petits Vieux (The Little Vintage Ones).

    Valerie Luycx, a founder of the association Symbol copyright Reuters

    The animal safe haven, situated in rural Chievres in the province of Hainaut within the south of Belgium, is home to Pastis the pot-bellied pig, below, together with a bunch of elderly cats, dogs, ponies and goats, photographed right here through Yves Herman from Reuters.

    Valerie Luycx with Pastis, a 10-year-old Vietnamese pig Symbol copyright Reuters

    The Entire animals both have illnesses or were given up because their house owners had been too antique to deal with them.

    Residents come with Azuria, a 15-year-antique Ecu cat (below left), and Ramses, a 9-year-vintage Carlin canine.

    Composite photo of Azuria the cat and Ramses the Carlin dog Image copyright Reuters

    There May Be also Calin the cat, who would possibly not be a fan of being photographed.

    Calin, a European cat, looks out of a hole in the wall Image copyright Reuters

    Calin is seen below taking part in being stroked, while Yam the 9-year-old Saint Bernard canine poses for a portrait.

    A composite photo of Valerie Luycx with Calin the cat and Yam the nine-year-old Saint Bernard dog poses for a portrait Symbol copyright Reuters

    Valerie based the shelter in 2000 with her husband Serge. She stated: “we wanted to recreate family existence for the animals.”

    at the left here is Choupy, a 14-year-antique Yorkshire Terrier.

    Valerie Luycx at home with her animals Symbol copyright Reuters

    And here we have Caracol, a ten-yr-old Spanish Galgo canine, or greyhound.

    Caracol, a 10-year-old Spanish Galgo Symbol copyright Reuters

    The residents are allowed to play with each other and lounge quietly on sofas.

    Dogs are seen from above Image copyright Reuters Valerie Luycx with animals Symbol copyright Reuters Valerie Luycx is seen with Pastis a 10-year-old Vietnamese pig Image copyright Reuters

    Footage by way of Yves Herman.

  • Fancy Greek island lifestyles? Cat care into the cut price

    The cats at the sanctuary Symbol copyright God’s Little Other People Cat Rescue Symbol caption Only A handful of the cats at the sanctuary in Greece

    Who hasn’t dreamed of giving the rat race up to live to tell the tale a sunny island?

    Well, now you’ll do exactly that – as long as you like cats. A lot.

    A job at a cat sanctuary on the idyllic Greek island of Syros has arise, whole with lodging, perspectives of the Aegean Sea and – lately – FIFTY FIVE feline friends.

    Somewhat unsurprisingly, the advert has garnered so much of interest since it was first posted on Facebook in advance this month.

    So a ways, it has been shared 20,000 times, and a few TWO HUNDRED other people have emailed sanctuary owner Joan Bowell expressing their pastime.

    that suggests knowledge of “cats’ psychology” to boot pretty much as good “cat-whispering abilities” are necessary for the successful applicant.

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    but when lifestyles on a Greek island is not somewhat floating your boat, there are a few different dream jobs round at the moment.

    You could be a Nutella taster in Italy – earlier enjoy not vital – or a warden on a picturesque Welsh island (as lengthy as you’ll be able to speak Welsh).

    However pay attention: From Time To Time issues won’t turn out quite they means you thought they would.

    Ben Southall beat hundreds to the “easiest task at the planet” – turning into caretaker of Australia’s Hamilton Island, again in 2009.

    “It was once the best task in the global but in addition the busiest task within the world,” he complained to The Unbiased last 12 months. “I remember that there was a winner’s birthday party on Hamilton Island, but i did not have the capacity to get to it as a result of i was doing again-to-again interviews.”

  • Indonesia aircraft crash: Boy, 12, survives Papua accident

    The crash site of a Swiss-made Pilatus aircraft at Menuk mountain in Oksibil. Symbol copyright AFP Symbol caption Rescuers walked for 2 hours to achieve the location of the crash

    A 12-yr-vintage boy has been found alive within the wreckage of a airplane crash which killed eight folks in Indonesia.

    Photos from the scene show the boy conscious and looking out at the camera.

    He used to be discovered with the wreckage on a mountainside close to the border with Papua New Guinea on Sunday morning.

    The Swiss-made Pilatus aircraft he were vacationing in lost touch with air site visitors regulate on Saturday afternoon, shortly sooner than it used to be due to land at Oksibil airport.

    The plane, owned by means of personal constitution Dimonim Air, had been traveling from Tanah Merah, approximately 40 mins flight south, to Oksibil within the province of Papua whilst it went down.

    Symbol copyright AFP Symbol caption The boy used to be bought down on a stretcher

    according to information company AFP, local villagers heard a “loud roar followed via an explosion”.

    An investigation into the reason behind the crash will probably be performed, officers said.

    Planes are considered one of the only how one can get around Papua province, a faraway and mountainous area which is extremely difficult to navigate.

    However, its all of a sudden converting weather conditions mean it’s not a very easy position to fly.

    Three years ago, a Trigana Air twin turboprop plane got here down with regards to Oksibil, killing all FIFTY FOUR on board.

  • Nasa names astronauts for first business flights

    Astronauts Symbol copyright NASA Image caption The nine will now teach intensively at the programs they will function in area

    Nasa has named the astronauts who will fly the primary missions into area on commercially supplied rockets and drugs, beginning subsequent 12 months.

    The nine people will pass up on systems evolved by means of – and shriveled from – the Boeing and SpaceX firms.

    Most have previous enjoy in orbit. Among them are the commander and pilot of the overall travel venture in 2011.

    For the earlier seven years, Russian rockets were the only method for Nasa to get folks into orbit.

    US house agency Administrator Jim Bridenstine presented the astronauts all through a ceremony on the Johnson Area Center in Houston, Texas.

    Image copyright SPACEX/BOEING Image caption Paintings: SpaceX’s Dragon (L) is currently set to fly sooner than Boeing’s Starliner (R)

    The commander at the historic closing commute challenge, Chris Ferguson, is now a Boeing employee and has been heavily focused on growing the company’s CST-ONE HUNDRED Starliner capsule.

    When this send makes its maiden crewed flight within the middle of next yr, launching atop an Atlas rocket from Cape Canaveral, Ferguson might be joined by means of Eric Boe and Nicole Aunapu Mann.

    Boe is a former travel pilot; Mann shall be making her first trip into house.

    The SpaceX Dragon pill, on current timelines, is about to make its maiden crewed flight in April. it will ride atop a Falcon-NINE rocket from the Kennedy Area Center. it’s going to if truth be told use one in all the vintage shuttle pads, even supposing this has now been modified for the smaller Falcon.

    At the helm shall be Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken. Hurley used to be the pilot at the ultimate commute mission. Behnken has been in space on two previous occasions.

    Image copyright BOEING Symbol caption the corporations have designed their own spacesuits for the tablets

    The preliminary crewed flights through Boeing and SpaceX will spend a brief length in orbit – measured perhaps in days or a couple of weeks, and hooked up to the World House Station (ISS) – sooner than coming again to Earth.

    It is on later missions that the workforce pills will go to the station and dock for extra prolonged remains, and Nasa additionally named the astronauts for the ones first flights as well.

    For Boeing, this introductory lengthy-length mission contains Josh Cassada, who has never been in house earlier than, and Suni Williams, who is certainly one of essentially the most skilled American astronauts in historical past, having spent a cumulative 321 days in orbit through her career.

    For SpaceX, such an ISS undertaking may involve Victor Glover, every other novice, and Mike Hopkins, who has already spent 166 days at the sky-top lab throughout two tours of duty.

    Nasa took the verdict after the commute retired to show transportation to low-Earth obit locations right into a provider that it could buy. It has given seed cash to SpaceX and Boeing to incentivise them, however the firms themselves have also needed to invest their very own cash.

    Nasa’s motivation was once to avoid wasting cash it would then spend on a rocket and tablet machine to take people back to the Moon and on to Mars.

    That machine will most probably fly some time early subsequent decade.

    Media playback is unsupported on your software

    Media captionSpace commute Atlantis makes its final touchdown

    Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and observe me on Twitter: @BBCAmos

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