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• Oil prices fall as Saudis could boost output
• IMF: Ukraine cannot use reserves to pay bondholders
• Rallying: Kiwi driver Paddon surprises Ogier
• Football: Italy hold Croatia on pitch with swastika
• US House derails Obama trade agenda
• Football: Simon double cuts down Super Falcons
• Chinese hackers got US security files: report
• Australia gain initiative in second Test
• Tennis: Nadal downs Tomic to set-up Monfils clash
• Teenager Bencic to face Jankovic in Topshelf Open semi-finals
• Kerry, out of hospital, says he'll soon head to Iran talks
• Greece cliffhanger keeps forex rates steady
• US House derails Obama trade agenda
• Rallying: Kiwi driver Paddon surprises Ogier
• US warns Pakistan over Save the Children expulsion

Oil prices fall as Saudis could boost output Posted: NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices fell Friday despite a drop in the US rig count following news that Saudi Arabia could further boost output in an already glutted market.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for July delivery shed 81 cents to $59.96 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.European benchmark Brent oil for July delivery fell $1.24 to $63.87 a barrel in London.The US oil rig count dropped by seven to 635 in the week ending June 12, according to Baker Hughes. The rig count is down nearly 60 percent from a year ago.However, Matt Smith, analyst at ClipperData, said the cutback in drilling is not necessarily a bullish thing given that US production has continued to rise despite a lower rig count.Analysts pointed to comments from Saudi Aramco executive Ahmed al-Subaey, who said in India that the worlds biggest oil exporter may increase production further from record levels to meet demand. Aramco is in talks with Indian buyers to supply more oil, Subaey told Reuters.The pledge of potentially higher Saudi production has really put the market on its back, said Smith.Commerzbank said the Saudi stance would mean that the only way for the market to tighten is if non-OPEC supply were reduced.The key factor will therefore be whether US oil production begins falling as anticipated by the US Energy Information Administration. If not, the ongoing oversupply is likely to continue weighing on prices in the second half year too.

IMF: Ukraine cannot use reserves to pay bondholders Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - IMF chief Christine Lagarde said Friday that Ukraine cannot use its central bank reserves to pay creditors, rebuffing a suggestion by bondholders that it do so.The reserves of the National Bank of Ukraine cannot be used for sovereign debt service without the government incurring new debt, which runs against the aims of the IMF bailout program for the troubled country, Lagarde said.Lagarde insisted that the countrys private creditors need to move ahead with negotiations on cutting the countrys debt burden, as envisaged in the $40 billion bailout program set in March.Of that, $17.5 billion is in loans from the International Monetary Fund, and $15 billion is envisaged to come from a bond restructuring, which Kiev says means writing off some of the value of its debt.Ultimately, Ukraines debt repayment capacity is limited by its fiscal capacity, Lagarde said.Rapid completion of the debt operation with high participation is vital for the success of the program, since Ukraine lacks the resources under the program to fully service its debts on the original terms.Lagarde also said that the IMF did not have to cut off its funding of the Ukraine government if it stops servicing its private debt.On Friday Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who met Lagarde earlier this week, said the country will freeze debt payments if there is no deal with private creditors because it has to fund its escalating campaign against pro-Russian fighters.Making reference to the governments fight with rebels, Lagarde strongly endorsed its efforts and called for more support for Kiev.I believe that their program warrants the support of the international community, including the private sector, which is indispensable for the success of this program.

Rallying: Kiwi driver Paddon surprises Ogier Posted: ALGHERO (AFP) - New Zealand driver Hayden Paddon, behind the wheel of a Hyundai, stunned world champion Sebastien Ogier at the Rally of Italy on Friday when he opened up an eight-second lead.Paddon, 28, Hyundai Motorsports third driver, found himself in the lead of a world championship event for the first time.He had only previously captured one stage -- on the Rally of Catalunya in 2014.On Friday, he ended up with three more, setting the fastest times on the opening three stages of the day.Paddon also overcame a problem with his cars left-rear suspension.It will be a hard day tomorrow because my rivals know the course better than I do but I will count on my fighting spirit to help keep my lead, he said.Ogier has won the last two races in Sardinia but admits he will have his work cut out for him on Saturday.It will be a long day and wont be easy up against Hayden, said VW driver Ogier.Fellow VW driver Jari-Matti Latvala is in third place, almost 26 seconds behind Paddon, after winning three stages in the afternoon.

Football: Italy hold Croatia on pitch with swastika Posted: SPLIT (AFP) - Lazio forward Antonio Candreva struck a first-half leveller from the penalty spot as Italy held Croatia 1-1 in a closed-doors Euro 2016 qualifier that could lead to further sanctions for the hosts.Candreva beat Danijel Subasic from the spot nine minutes before half-time to pull the match level after Mario Mandzukic had beaten Gianluigi Buffon, who was replaced at half-time, after sliding in to toe poke the ball home on 11 minutes.The result leaves Croatia top of Group H with their two-point lead on Italy intact.It helped Antonio Contes men avoid the ignominy of being overtaken by Norway, who were held to a scoreless draw in Oslo by Azerbaijan to remain third two points further adrift.But Niko Kovacs men could be treading a thin line, two months after Croatian Football Federation (HNS) president Davor Suker admitted their next sanctions could involve the revoking of points and being kicked out of competition.UEFA had ordered Fridays qualifier to be played behind closed doors, in a virtually empty stadium, as punishment for fan violence and racist incidents when Croatia played Norway earlier in the qualifying campaign.Croatias fans extended their ill-gotten reputation last November when sporadic incidents of violence and the throwing of rocket flares by fans temporarily halted a 1-1 draw with Italy in Milan.On Friday, a swastika was clearly seen on the pitch at the Poljud Stadium, the home of Croatian top flight side Hajduk Split.It was not clear if the Nazi symbol was mowed into the grass or painted, but ground crew struggled to cover it up during halftime.Suker, interviewed by Rai, said: Well speak about it tomorrow, but Im very angry and disappointed.At the San Siro last year Niko Kovacs men were unlucky not to come away with a win that would have bolstered their lead of Group H, but despite a sluggish start Italy rebounded from being disallowed a goal and then losing Buffon to injury to fight back in style.A lively Croatia caught Italy unawares in a lively opening period and were on their way to an early lead when Davide Astori fouled Darijo Srna in the box, but Buffon did well to stop what was a flawed effort from Mandzukic from the spot.Conte, forced by injury absences to deploy an inhabitual 4-3-3, had given a rare start to Stephan El Shaarawy and the AC Milan forward had the ball in the net minutes later only to see his goal harshly disallowed for offside.We were a little naive at the start but we were sure the goal by El Shaarawy was valid, said Conte.There was nothing wrong with the goal and then we suffered a double blow (with Croatias goal). I think the referee should have stopped play.Italys players were incredulous, but while they spent time arguing with the fourth official Croatia launched a counter-attack which saw Barcelona forward Ivan Rakitic fire the ball over for Mandzukic to poke it past Buffon in the 11th minute.Italy almost conceded a second minutes later, with Buffon at full stretch after Ivan Perisic fired across the bows and happy to see Ivica Olic miss contact after he slid in unchallenged.Buffon was limping during the first half and was replaced by Salvatore Sirigu for the second half.Both sides spurned several chances to score but what was a largely experimental Italy side, due to injuries this week to Marco Verratti, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli among others, will be buoyed from taking a share of the points.It was a good performance by us compared to our last meeting, we showed far more determination and will to play football, added Conte.I thought we deserved a little more.

US House derails Obama trade agenda Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - US lawmakers dealt a stinging blow Friday to President Barack Obama and his ambitious trade agenda, stalling a measure that would have given him fast-track authority to conclude a trans-Pacific trade accord.The vote, in which two-thirds of the House of Representatives opposed a workers aid program in the trade package, marked a defeat for the president, who had personally come to Capitol Hill earlier in the day in a failed bid to persuade fellow Democrats to back him.Immediately afterwards, the House actually passed the bill that would give Obama Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) to rapidly conclude the Pacific trade deal and send it to Congress for an up-or-down vote.But it was merely a show vote because the rejection of the workers aid measure automatically put the brakes on TPA.Both measures passed the Senate as a package; if either of them fails in the House, neither reaches the presidents desk.A bruised Obama urged the House to vote again as soon as possible so US businesses can sell goods made in America to the rest of the world, while his spokesman Josh Earnest cast the failure as another procedural snafu.House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters he was disappointed in the result and warned Democrats it was time to seriously rethink their position ahead of a possible new vote on the measure next week.We need to finish this job, McCarthy said.While we have not had this authority, there have been 100 agreements, and America has been a part of zero.TPA would allow Obama to finalize negotiations with 11 other Pacific Rim countries on what would be the largest trade agreement ever, a massive pact with Japan, Australia, Canada, Chile, Vietnam and others encompassing some 40 percent of global commerce.His own Democrats, though, stood in the way.We need to slow this fast track down, top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi, a longtime Obama ally, told members, revealing a position that she had kept private for weeks.Whatever the deal is with other countries, we want a better deal for Americas workers, she said.Our people would rather have a job than trade assistance, Pelosi said of the workers-aid program, known as Trade Adjustment Authority. Its defeat, sad to say, is the only way that we will be able to slow down the fast track.In a letter to members after the vote, she urged Republicans and Democrats to craft a new trade package with stronger labor rights and environmental protection.Not over yetHouse Speaker John Boehner immediately re-introduced the worker-aid bill, which according to aides gives him 48 hours to bring it back to the floor for a fresh vote.The president has some work yet to do with his party to complete this process. This isnt over yet, House Ways and Means Committee chairman Paul Ryan said.Republicans signalled they were prepared to regroup rather than abandon efforts to update Americas trade policy, and the White House insisted the process was salvageable and encouraged legislators to discuss the path forward.After their closed-door meeting with Obama earlier Friday, several Democrats insisted they would hold their ground, even after the president urged them to play it straight and vote their values on worker assistance.He didnt change my mind, House Democrat Gene Green said.Angry Democrats said they felt the workers aid program, Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), traditionally backed overwhelmingly by their party, was being used to lure lawmakers to vote for TPA.Congressman Brad Sherman said Obama gave an eloquent defense of the fast-track bill, but the California Democrat and much of his caucus were not swayed.Obviously he thinks that this trade deal will help the American economy and help working families. The vast majority of Democrats -- and 100 percent of all those organizations of working people -- disagree, Sherman said.The AFL-CIO, Americas largest umbrella labor group, applauded the House for having done the right thing.Trade is likely to remain a headline issue through the 2016 presidential campaign.Senator Bernie Sanders, who is challenging Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, hailed the vote as a victory for Americas working people and a defeat for corporate America, which he accuses of outsourcing millions of jobs.Clinton has remained publicly neutral on the trade debate.

Football: Simon double cuts down Super Falcons Posted: WINNIPEG (AFP) - Goals in either half from Kyah Simon lifted Australia to a 2-0 win over African champions Nigeria in their second Group D match at the Womens World Cup on Friday.The 23-year-old Sydney FC striker, making her comeback from a career-threatening knee injury, found the net after 29 and 68 minutes at Winnipeg Stadium to give the Matildas their first win of the competition in Canada after their 3-1 opening loss to the United States on Monday.The game finished in confusion when French referee Stephanie Frappart blew the whistle after less than a minute of extra time while the board indicated there would be four, to the disbelief of players, coaches and fans.A couple of minutes can made a difference to a side, complained Nigeria coach Edwin Okon whose Super Falcons failed to reproduce the style they showed in their stunning comeback from two goals down to draw 3-3 with Sweden in their opener.Were not happy with the officiating, but the referee is in charge of the game, he added.Australia now have three points after two games with Nigeria on one.It was a tough battle out there in the heat, said Australia coach Alen Stajcic. We were the most clinical side and those couple of key moments won us the game.Everything for grabsAustralia move to Edmonton for their final group game against Sweden, and Stajcic said: Theres still a lot to be played in this group. Doing the maths we can still finish top of the group if the USA drop some points, we can still finish second, third or fourth if Nigeria beat USA.Anything can happen when you play Nigeria, they are such spirited, positive footballers.Everything is up for grabs still.Stajcic said he was proud of the resilience his side showed after their defeat to former two-time winners the United States.We were fairly bruised and battered after the American game, he admitted.Laura Alleway was on crutches for two days and Lisa De Vanna for three and for them to come out today and play 90 minutes was fantastic.Stajcic said that apart from forward Sam Kerr, who was undergoing tests for a possible broken jaw following an elbow from Nigerian defender Ugo Njoku, all the team were in good fettle for Sweden.Our fitness was good until the end of the game. Rest and recovery is important. Weve had four months to prepare, Ill only tinker with the details now.Nigerias final group game will be against former two-time winners the United States.Desire Oparanozie had looked dangerous for the Africans up front early on but her 19th-minute effort was off target.But the breakthrough came when Australia captain Lisa De Vanna made a driving run through the oppositions defence after half an hour to set up Simon who sent the ball over Precious Dede in goal.A rattled Nigeria could have fallen further behind shortly after, but a Simon shot was blocked and De Vannas volley off the rebound fired just wide.Australia goalkeeper Lydia Williams did well to block Oparanozie with a great sliding challenge at the edge of the box as Nigeria pushed forward.Ngozi Okobi attempted a long-range volley to the delight of the fans but her effort flew high.The Matildas doubled their lead when Simon picked up a Kerr cross, with Alleway denied their third by the crossbar in the final minutes.

Chinese hackers got US security files: report Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - A data breach of millions of US government employees allowed Chinese hackers to access sensitive information including security clearances of the workers and contractors, the Washington Post said Friday.The report said investigators are looking at two separate attacks, widely believed to be from China, accessing government employee records in a database at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).The database is very sensitive and it has lots of interfaces to it, a US official told the newspaper on condition of anonymity.The report, which called the breach wider than first acknowledged, said the database could possibly contain files on some CIA employees.Thats the open question -- whether its going to hit CIA folks, a second official was quoted as saying. It would be a huge deal. They could start unmasking identities.The database contains personal information on employees including their financial histories, investment records, family data, contacts with foreigners and names of neighbors and friends, according to the report.Earlier this week, a public employees union said the hackers obtained sensitive information on all federal employees.Samuel Schumach, spokesman for the OPM, would not confirm if the hack originated in China.An investigation that included the FBI found that there was a high degree of confidence that OPM systems containing information related to the background investigations of current, former, and prospective federal government employees, and those for whom a federal background investigation was conducted, may have been exfiltrated, he said.The OPM was still assessing how many people had been affected, he added.

Australia gain initiative in second Test Posted: ROSEAU (AP) - Australias Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon took three wickets each to back up Steve Smiths career-best 199 as the visitors took command of the second Test against the West Indies on day two at Sabina Park on Friday.Pacer Jerome Taylor took a Test-best 6-47 for the West Indies as Australia, resuming on 258-4, were bowled out for 399 midway through the day.But Taylors efforts were not supported by the batsmen as the hosts slumped to 143-8 in reply, still 256 runs in arrears and leaving the hosts staring at the possibility of a follow-on.The 27-year-old Lyon took 3-35 to increase his career wickets tally to 144, passing Hugh Trumble (141) as the most prolific off-spinner in Aussie test history.Fast bowler Hazlewood grabbed 3-15 from 11 probing overs.For the home team, Jermaine Blackwood top-scored with an aggressive 51 which included seven fours and a six.Earlier, Smith stretched his ninth test century to within one of a maiden double ton before the lion-hearted Taylor gained a clear lbw verdict with an inswinging yorker.The 26-year-old Smiths assured innings spanned 361 balls and 517 minutes and was laced with 21 fours and two sixes. He was the eighth batsman - and third Australian after Matthew Elliott and Steve Waugh - to be dismissed for 199.Smith, resuming on his overnight 135, anchored the Aussies, with solid assistance from Shane Watson (25), Brad Haddin (22) and Hazlewood (24).He stretched his fifth-wicket stand with Watson to 54 before Taylor angled one in to hit Watsons off stump as the batsman played no stroke. Watson struck four fours off 73 balls.Haddin, dropped at point by Jermaine Blackwood off Roach when 8, played aggressively before Taylor grabbed his fifth wicket, bowling the wicket-keeper with an inswinger at 296-6.Mitchell Johnson (5) soon edged Roach to Darren Bravo at first slip and Australia slipped to 306-7.But Smith was immovable at the other end, passing 150 with his 16th boundary and eking out useful contributions from the lower order either side of lunch.He shared a ninth-wicket stand of 63 with Hazelwood to usher the Aussies to a challenging total.Taylor finally produced a wicked inswinger to deny Smith, who was ruled lbw despite his use of the TV review.Hazlewood, who hit two fours off 58 deliveries, eventually fell to a catch in the deep off left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul.The West Indies reply stuttered badly in an hours batting before tea, with Mitchell Starc making the initial breakthrough before Lyon made his mark.Rajendra Chandrika, on debut, was dismissed for a duck, edging behind off a Starc delivery that was perilously close to being a no ball.Then Lyon bowled Kraigg Brathwaite (4) as he played inside the line, and added a clear lbw verdict against Darren Bravo (14).After tea, Hazlewood claimed Shane Dowrich (13) to the second of Haddins four catches and the hosts were rocking at 44-4.Blackwood and Shai Hope (26) provided a mini-revival before Haddin, with a lucky grab between his legs, gathered Hopes edge off Lyon.Hazlewood removed captain Denesh Ramdin and Blackwood before the close and Australia completed a satisfying day when Mitchell Johnson found Veerasammy Permauls edge to the final ball of the day.SCOREBOARDAustralia 1st Innings (overnight 258 for 4)D. Warner c Hope b Taylor 0S. Marsh lbw b Taylor 11S. Smith lbw b Taylor 199M. Clarke c Ramdin b Holder 47A. Voges c Ramdin b Taylor 37S. Watson b Taylor 25B. Haddin b Taylor 22 M. Johnson c Bravo b Roach 5M. Starc b Holder 6J. Hazlewood c Blackwood b Permaul 24N. Lyon not out 5Extras: (b5, lb7, nb6) 18Total: (126.5 overs, all out) 399Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Warner), 2-16 (Marsh), 3-134 (Clarke), 4-210 (Voges), 5-264 (Watson), 6-296 (Haddin), 7-306 (Johnson), 8-330 (Starc), 9-393 (Smith), 10-399 (Hazlewood).Bowling: Taylor 25-10-47-6 (2nb), Roach 25-2-113-1 (4nb), Holder 22-3-64-2, Permaul 34.5-7-124-1, Brathwaite 19-2-39-0, Blackwood 1-1-0-0.West Indies 1st InningsK. Brathwaite b Lyon 4R. Chandrika c Haddin b Starc 0D. Bravo lbw b Lyon 14S. Dowrich c Haddin b Hazlewood 13S. Hope c Haddin b Lyon 26J. Blackwood c Warner b Hazlewood 51D. Ramdin lbw b Hazlewood 8J. Holder not out 13V. Permaul c Haddin b Johnson 0Extras: (b6, lb1, w1, nb1, pen5) 14Total: (47 overs, 8 wickets) 143To bat: Jerome Taylor, Kemar RoachFall of wickets: 1-1 (Chandrika), 2-9 (Bravo), 3-25 (Bravo), 4-44 (Dowrich), 5-77 (Hope), 6-119 (Ramdin), 7-142 (Blackwood), 8-143 (Permaul).Bowling: Starc 12-2-33-1 (1w), Hazlewood 11-7-15-3, Lyon 12-4-35-3, Johnson 10-1-38-1 (1nb), Watson 2-0-10-0.Toss: West IndiesUmpires: Richard Kettleborough (ENG), Ian Gould (ENG).TV Umpire: Aleem Dar (PAK).Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI).

Tennis: Nadal downs Tomic to set-up Monfils clash Posted: STUTTGART (AFP) - Top seed Rafael Nadal and Gael Monfils both struggled on their least-favourite surface Friday before setting up a semi-final at the first edition of the Stuttgart Open to be played on grass.The former July clay-court tournament is now part of the three-week run-up to Wimbledon after being approached three years ago to consider making the change of surface and date.Nadal needed almost two and a half hours to defeat fifth seed Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, beating the Australian for the third time as they played on grass for the first time.The Spaniard has taken six sets and almost five hours on court to win two matches as he struggles to make the switch of surfaces.He could have been home a winner in straight sets after going up a break in the second set and again holding a 4-2 lead in the tiebreaker eventually won by Tomic, who saved a Nadal match point with an ace.Nadal moved through to victory but only after saving two break points in the seventh game of the third set and coming through on his second match point a game later.Despite his hard slog, Nadal is confident with his game ahead of Wimbledon and after a poor clay season where he was dethroned as French Open champion.Im feeling strong and Im motivated, I hope to have a good second half of the season. I played well today. It was a good match for me, said Nadal.I had a great first set and in the second he played well. My game was at a good level, Im happy with how I handled things. It was a very positive win, a good one for me.Monfils fired 17 aces in a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 quarter-final victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber.Gael is a tough opponent, said Nadal. If you dont play your best you are not going to win.I guarantee Ill be fighting to be in the final.Monfils struck for his 10th win over Kohlschreiber against just two losses -- the German won their grass-court semi-final in Halle in 2011 and also put out Monfils on the Stuttgart clay in 2013.The Frenchman got off to an early break of serve in the third set to ensure victory after just under two hours on court in temperatures of 30 Celsius.I had some good luck today, I tried to play aggressive on returns and stick to a simple game plan, said Monfils, who admits that he will never put grass at the top of his favourite surface list.I know the grass now but I came here knowing that I had to work. Playing on this surface is never easy for me.My main goal is to keep from getting injured and try to do my best. If I can win some matches, thats even better.Id like to win more matches on grass, but even that wont help me to like it, actually.Monfils was also concerned about a possible groin injury, for which he was receiving post-match treatment.The second semi-final will be played between US Open winner Marin Cilic, who beat German qualifier Mischa Zverev 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) and Serb eighth seed Viktor Troicki, a winner over Australian Sam Groth 7-6 (7/3), 6-1.

Teenager Bencic to face Jankovic in Topshelf Open semi-finals Posted: S-HERTOGENBOSCH (AP) - Teenager Belinda Bencic of Switzerland will face veteran Jelena Jankovic of Serbia in the semi-finals of the Topshelf Open after saving three match points in a 7-6 (4), 6-7 (4), 7-5 win against seventh-seeded Kristina Mladenovic of France on Friday.The 18-year-old Bencic had match point at 6-5 in the second set, only for Mladenovic to fight back in a contest lasting nearly three hours. Mladenovic hit 16 aces and had three match points at 5-3 in the decider before Bencic surged back.She was serving so well, but in my head I was prepared for it, Bencic said. She served so many aces on important points and its difficult, because it puts a lot more pressure on your serve, but I was ready for it. It was just an amazing match.The 30-year-old Jankovic had it easier, beating German Annika Beck 6-4, 6-1.Fifth-seeded Camila Giorgi of Italy also saved three match points in a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9) win against Kazakhstans Yaroslava Shvedova.Giorgi next faces Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens, who beat third-seeded American Coco Vandeweghe the defending champion 6-4, 6-1.Dutch fans will be hoping for a home double, with Robin Haase reaching the mens semifinals with a 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3) win over big-serving Ivo Karlovic who had 24 aces.Bidding to become the first Dutch champion here since Sjeng Schalken in 2003, Haase next faces qualifier Nicolas Mahut, who downed sixth-seeded Adrian Mannarino 6-1, 6-3 in an all-French match.Second-seeded David Goffin of Belgium also advanced to the last four after rallying to beat Ukrainian Illya Marchenko 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2.He next plays either Gilles Muller of Luxembourg or Marius Copil of Romania, who were playing their quarterfinal later Friday.

Kerry, out of hospital, says he'll soon head to Iran talks Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry -- upon his release from hospital after breaking his leg -- insisted Friday he would soon head to Vienna as the deadline to finalize an Iran nuclear deal approaches.I talked to our team in Vienna. I will be absolutely fully and totally engaged in those talks. I am now. I havent missed a tick, Kerry -- on crutches -- told reporters as he left Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.I will be traveling over there at the appropriate moment in the next days in order to press forward at this critical moment of the negotiations, said the visibly tired Kerry.The 71-year-old Kerry broke his right femur on May 31 in a fall on his bicycle in the French Alps during a working visit to Geneva for talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tehrans nuclear program.He was flown home and underwent surgery in Boston on June 2.In April, Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany agreed in the Swiss city of Lausanne to the outlines of a deal aimed at ending the decade-old standoff over Irans nuclear program.According to this framework, due to be finalized by June 30, Iran will dramatically scale down its nuclear activities in order to render any dash to making nuclear weapons all but impossible.In return, Iran, which denies wanting nuclear weapons, will see painful sanctions lifted by the six powers -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.Negotiations resumed Thursday in Vienna, but Russias negotiator said there has been a very worrying slowdown in progress.Kerry was expected to rest throughout the weekend in Boston.

Greece cliffhanger keeps forex rates steady Posted: NEW YORK (AFP) - Foreign-exchange traders held their positions Friday ahead of a weekend during which the Greek drama over its bailout loans from the EU and IMF could come to a head.The euro, dollar, yen and pound pairings were all little-changed, with the dollar at $1.1260 to the euro at 2100 GMT, exactly where it was at the same time Thursday.With Greeces official creditors drawing a line and Athens still appearing unready to compromise on their terms, markets were girded for a possible worst-case scenario of the country defaulting on its debt and possibly breaking away from the eurozone.There was still hope that both sides could find room for a deal that would finance Athens for another nine months and, hopefully, stabilize its economy.Beyond Greece, markets were looking to the Federal Reserve policy meeting on the coming Tuesday and Wednesday. Most analysts think the Fed will hold off on a rate hike, but at the same time signal that it could come any time.The fact that the dollar did not gain at all on some stronger economic data in recent days suggests that traders viewed this as insufficient to boost the currencys overall standing, said David Rodriguez at DailyFX. Whether or not Fed officials show any meaningful change in rhetoric may ultimately decide near-term direction in the US currency.

US House derails Obama trade agenda Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - US lawmakers dealt a stinging blow Friday to President Barack Obama and his ambitious trade agenda, stalling a measure that would have given him fast-track authority to conclude a trans-Pacific trade accord.The vote, in which two-thirds of the House of Representatives opposed a workers aid program in the trade package, marked a defeat for the president, who had personally come to Capitol Hill earlier in the day in a failed bid to persuade fellow Democrats to back him.Immediately afterwards, the House actually passed the bill that would give Obama Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) to rapidly conclude the Pacific trade deal and send it to Congress for an up-or-down vote.But it was merely a show vote because the rejection of the workers aid measure automatically put the brakes on TPA. Both measures passed the Senate as a package; if either of them fails in the House, neither reaches the presidents desk.A bruised Obama urged the House to vote again as soon as possible so US businesses can sell goods made in America to the rest of the world, while his spokesman Josh Earnest cast the failure as another procedural snafu.House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters he was disappointed in the result and warned Democrats it was time to seriously rethink their position ahead of a possible new vote on the measure next week.We need to finish this job, McCarthy said.While we have not had this authority, there have been 100 agreements, and America has been a part of zero.TPA would allow Obama to finalize negotiations with 11 other Pacific Rim countries on what would be the largest trade agreement ever, a massive pact with Japan, Australia, Canada, Chile, Vietnam and others encompassing some 40 percent of global commerce.His own Democrats, though, stood in the way.We need to slow this fast track down, top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi, a longtime Obama ally, told members, revealing a position that she had kept private for weeks.Whatever the deal is with other countries, we want a better deal for Americas workers, she said.Our people would rather have a job than trade assistance, Pelosi said of the workers-aid program, known as Trade Adjustment Authority. Its defeat, sad to say, is the only way that we will be able to slow down the fast track.In a letter to members after the vote, she urged Republicans and Democrats to craft a new trade package with stronger labor rights and environmental protection.House Speaker John Boehner immediately re-introduced the worker-aid bill, which according to aides gives him 48 hours to bring it back to the floor for a fresh vote.The president has some work yet to do with his party to complete this process. This isnt over yet, House Ways and Means Committee chairman Paul Ryan said.Republicans signalled they were prepared to regroup rather than abandon efforts to update Americas trade policy, and the White House insisted the process was salvageable and encouraged legislators to discuss the path forward.After their closed-door meeting with Obama earlier Friday, several Democrats insisted they would hold their ground, even after the president urged them to play it straight and vote their values on worker assistance.He didnt change my mind, House Democrat Gene Green said. Angry Democrats said they felt the workers aid program, Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), traditionally backed overwhelmingly by their party, was being used to lure lawmakers to vote for TPA.Congressman Brad Sherman said Obama gave an eloquent defense of the fast-track bill, but the California Democrat and much of his caucus were not swayed.Obviously he thinks that this trade deal will help the American economy and help working families. The vast majority of Democrats -- and 100 percent of all those organizations of working people -- disagree, Sherman said.The AFL-CIO, Americas largest umbrella labor group, applauded the House for having done the right thing.Trade is likely to remain a headline issue through the 2016 presidential campaign.Senator Bernie Sanders, who is challenging Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, hailed the vote as a victory for Americas working people and a defeat for corporate America, which he accuses of outsourcing millions of jobs.Clinton has remained publicly neutral on the trade debate.

Rallying: Kiwi driver Paddon surprises Ogier Posted: ALGHERO (AFP) - New Zealand driver Hayden Paddon, behind the wheel of a Hyundai, stunned world champion Sebastien Ogier at the Rally of Italy on Friday when he opened up an eight-second lead.Paddon, 28, Hyundai Motorsports third driver, found himself in the lead of a world championship event for the first time.He had only previously captured one stage -- on the Rally of Catalunya in 2014.On Friday, he ended up with three more, setting the fastest times on the opening three stages of the day.Paddon also overcame a problem with his cars left-rear suspension.It will be a hard day tomorrow because my rivals know the course better than I do but I will count on my fighting spirit to help keep my lead, he said.Ogier has won the last two races in Sardinia but admits he will have his work cut out for him on Saturday.It will be a long day and wont be easy up against Hayden, said VW driver Ogier.Fellow VW driver Jari-Matti Latvala is in third place, almost 26 seconds behind Paddon, after winning three stages in the afternoon.

US warns Pakistan over Save the Children expulsion Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States on Friday warned Pakistan it was only hurting itself after Save the Children was expelled for working against the country, with Islamabad threatening to throw out more foreign aid groups.Pakistan has toughened its policies towards international aid groups in recent years, accusing them of being covers for spying operations, and has repeatedly warned them to restrict their activities, vowing stern action for any suspicious activity. Police and government officials sealed the Islamabad offices of Save the Children on Thursday, but gave no specific details of what the group was alleged to have done.Washington expressed concern at the move and said several non-governmental organizations have reported increasing difficulty doing business in Pakistan.This has had a significant negative impact on international partner efforts to support government of Pakistan priorities, said State Department spokesman John Kirby.The statement came hours after Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Pakistans interior minister, said parliament was debating whether to expose what he said were the many foreign NGOs bent on undermining Pakistan.Many NGOs are working against Pakistan and we are deliberating on exposing them in the parliament, Nisar told reporters.Non-government organizations working against the countrys national interest will not be allowed to continue their work in Pakistan.Aid groups have complained in recent years that increasing government restrictions on their activities has hampered their efforts to help vulnerable people in a country which still has huge numbers who live in poverty.They say their work in so-called sensitive areas such as southwestern Baluchistan -- the countrys poorest, least developed province -- have been particularly affected.Without naming any organizations, Khan said some NGOs had been operating without proper regulation and had worked in Baluchistan when they had permission only to work in Islamabad.In 2012, the government expelled the expat staff of Save the Children, which has worked in Pakistan for over 35 years and employs 1,200 Pakistanis.That move came after Pakistani intelligence services accused the charity of links to doctor Shakeel Afridi, who the CIA allegedly used to carry out a fake vaccination programme as they searched for Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.Save the Children has always vehemently denied any link to either Afridi or the CIA.Pakistans international development partners respect the government of Pakistans need for full transparency from INGOs (international NGOs) involving their activities within the country, Kirby said in a statement.We also agree INGOs must operate within a relevant legal and regulatory framework.For that reason, we urge the Government of Pakistan to standardize and streamline a transparent process that will allow INGOs, including Save the Children, to work legally in Pakistan.

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