Justine Damond's fiance 'heartbroken' over police shooting

The "heartbroken" American fiancé of an Australian shot dead by a US police officer has said they have received almost no information from officials.

Don Damond said his wife-to-be, Justine Damond, was gunned down after calling police to report a possible sexual assault in their quiet neighbourhood.

He said they were "desperate" to find out how Saturday's shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, happened.

The officers' body cameras were not turned on at the time.

The shooting happened in a relatively affluent area, where violent crime is rare.

Mr Damond told a news conference outside his home on Monday evening: "Our hearts are broken and we are utterly devastated by the loss of Justine.

"As you know it was Justine who called 911 on Saturday evening, reporting what she believed was an active sexual assault occurring nearby.

"Sadly her family and I have been provided with almost no additional information from law enforcement regarding what happened after police arrived."

Mr Damond continued: "Our lives are forever changed as a result of knowing her. She was so kind and so darn funny."

Forty-year-old Ms Damond was living in Minneapolis with her fiancé, whose surname she had already adopted.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, citing three sources with knowledge of the incident, reported that Ms Damond was dressed in her pyjamas and approached the driver's side door to talk to the officer at the wheel after police arrived.

The officer in the passenger seat, identified by local media as Mohamed Noor, drew his gun and shot Ms Damond through the driver's window, the newspaper reported.

Mr Noor's lawyer, Tom Plunkett, confirmed on Monday that his client had fired his weapon, killing Ms Damond.

Ms Damond's stepson, Zach, railed against police in a Facebook video.

"America sucks," he said. "These cops need to get trained differently. I need to move out of here."

The Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said an investigation is under way and authorities are looking into whether there is any video of the incident.

Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau called Damond's death "tragic" in a statement on Monday.

"I've asked for the investigation to be expedited to provide transparency and to answer as many questions as quickly as we can," she said.

The two officers involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave.

Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges said she was "heartsick and deeply disturbed".

She told a news conference: "I share the same questions other people have about why we don't have body camera footage of it, and I hope to get answers to that in the days coming."

Ms Damond, nee Justine Ruszczyk, taught meditation classes at the Lake Harriet Spiritual Community in Minneapolis.

She studied to be a veterinarian before relocating to the US, where she is believed to have been for at least the last three years.

According to her website, she is a "qualified yoga instructor, a personal health and life coach and meditation teacher".

About 200 neighbours, family members and residents gathered for a vigil on Sunday night where she died.

Over the past few years the US has seen a series of civilian killings at the hands of police that have caused widespread concern and criticism.

Russia hacking row: Moscow demands US return seized mansions

Russia has been pressing demands that the US give it access to two diplomatic compounds seized in the US last year.

After high-level talks between both sides, one Russian official involved said the row had "almost" been resolved.

Russia has been angered by the move, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calling it "daylight robbery".

In December the US expelled 35 Russian diplomats and shut the compounds over suspicions of meddling in US elections.

The talks saw US Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon host Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in Washington on Monday.

Mr Ryabkov sounded upbeat after three hours of talks with the American diplomat.

He was asked by reporters if the spat over the diplomatic compounds had been settled, and he replied: "Almost, almost."

US officials did not comment and there has been no official press briefing.

The meeting was meant to have been held in June in St Petersburg, but was cancelled after the US government added 38 individuals and organisations to its list of sanctions over Russian activity in Ukraine.

Before the talks Russia made clear it was demanding restored access to the facilities.

"We consider it absolutely unacceptable to place conditions on the return of diplomatic property, we consider that it must be returned without any conditions and talking," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Mr Lavrov said that this was not the way decent and well-brought-up people behaved.

"How can you seize property which is protected by a bilateral, inter-governmental, ratified document and, to return it, act according to the principle 'what is mine is mine, and what is yours we'll share'?" he said during a visit to Belarus.

• Russia: The 'cloud' over the White House

Last week Russia said it was considering "specific measures" in retaliation, including the expulsion of 30 US diplomats and seizure of US state property.

Ex-President Barack Obama acted against Russia after US intelligence sources accused Russian state agents of hacking into Democratic Party computers to undermine Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Which compounds were seized?

• The US seized a Russian diplomatic property on Maryland's Eastern Shore - a sprawling 45-acre (18.2-hectare) retreat. The facility, acquired during the Cold War, was used by Russian diplomats for recreation, such as tennis and swimming. But it also had sophisticated communications, and US officials said it doubled as a spying outpost
• The other diplomatic property is a New York mansion at Glen Cove, Long Island. It has 49 rooms and is similarly surrounded by woods. Like the Maryland mansion, its location is ideal for eavesdropping on US communications, US officials say

Luxury Russia resorts in US crosshairs

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President Donald Trump's team is under investigation over alleged Russian collusion during last year's presidential campaign. The Kremlin has denied interfering in the election.

The Obama sanctions came on top of existing Western sanctions imposed because of Russia's role in the Ukraine conflict.

At the time Mr Putin refrained from tit-for-tat retaliation - unlike in previous diplomatic spats. Mr Trump had been elected to succeed President Obama just weeks before.

Russia says President Trump presented "no plan to resolve the crisis" when the issue was raised at the G20 meeting in Hamburg on 7 July.

Russia would retaliate if no compromise was reached at the meeting between Mr Ryabkov and Mr Shannon, the Russian newspaper Izvestia reported.

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Analysis: Retaliation threat

Barbara Plett Usher, BBC News, Washington

Russian officials welcomed the tone of the recent meeting between the two presidents.

But the political climate in Washington has only grown more toxic, with the ongoing inquiries into allegations of Russian meddling in the presidential election, and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.

That makes any concessions to Moscow controversial.

Russia's threat to expel some American diplomats if it does not get its property back would further complicate the strained relationship.

Right to bare arms: US Congresswomen protest against dress code

US Congresswomen have protested for the right to bare arms in parts of Washington DC's Capitol building.

The National Rifle Association may be disappointed to learn that this is not a typo. They are not campaigning to bear weapons, but to stand against the Congressional dress code.

The long-standing code bans sleeveless tops, among other things.

The protest comes after a number of women have recently reported being told their outfits violated the rules.

Female reporters have said they had been prevented from entering the lobby area, where the press meets to ask questions of US politicians.

On Friday, Representative Jackie Speier tweeted to encourage colleagues to dress in clothes that showed their arms, calling the protest "Sleeveless Friday".

A group of around 25 women gathered on the steps of Congress, wearing sleeveless shirts and dresses.

"It's 2017 and women vote, hold office, and choose their own style. Time to update House Rules to reflect the times!" tweeted Congress member Chellie Pingree.

Although the rules are long-standing, they are rarely enforced, and so those affected recently expressed surprise.

News network CBS said one reporter tried to fashion makeshift sleeves out of her notebook so she would be able to work.

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The sleeves rule also applies to men, who are required to wear suit jackets and ties to enter the same areas.

Open-toed shoes are also not allowed.

Temperatures in Washington on Friday reached 36C (97F).

Policing of the rules is left to the chamber's security team, under the guidance of the house speaker.

After a backlash, House Speaker Paul Ryan emphasised that the code had not been devised under his term, and agreed it needs to be modernised.

"It came to my attention that there was an issue about dress code," he said in a press conference on Thursday morning, with a laugh.

Speaker Ryan said, earlier in June, that members should wear "appropriate business attire".

In the UK, a similar debate recently erupted when House of Commons Speaker John Bercow said he was happy to relax the rules.

In June, he accepted a question from a member of parliament who was not wearing a tie.

He also said members should wear "businesslike attire".

Yet what this constitutes in 2017 - especially with the rise of more casual media and tech companies - is not always clear.

Liu Xiaobo: Chinese dissident's ashes scattered at sea

Chinese activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo has been cremated in a private ceremony in the north-eastern city of Shenyang.

His ashes were later scattered in the sea, his brother said.

Mr Liu, who had been serving an 11-year prison term for "subversion", died of liver cancer on Thursday. He was China's most prominent dissident.

His wife, Liu Xia, has been under house arrest since 2010. But she attended Saturday's funeral.

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An official said that Mr Liu's remains were cremated "in accordance with local customs and the wishes of the family".

Mozart's Requiem was played at the ceremony, he said.

Photographs shared by local authorities showed Mrs Liu and other mourners beside Mr Liu's open coffin, which was surrounded by white chrysanthemums, a symbol of grief in China.

She was visibly distressed.

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Later pictures showed Mrs Liu and others on a ship apparently throwing flowers into the sea, during a ceremony to scatter her husband's ashes.

Supporters of Mr Liu say the authorities wanted to avoid providing a burial ground where he could be remembered.

"It was a deliberate move by the Chinese government to hastily arrange the funeral so that no-one can visit his body, which would evoke the most memories," said activist Hu Jia, quoted by the South China Morning Post.

The official who spoke about the funeral said he believed Mrs Liu had been freed, but Mr Liu's lawyer, Jared Genser, rejected this claim and said Mrs Liu had been held "incommunicado" since her husband's death.

"The world needs to mobilise to rescue her - and fast," he wrote in a statement. On Friday, the committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize said it was "deeply worried" about her and urged China to free her.

At a government-organised news conference, Mr Liu's older brother Liu Xiaoguang said the funeral arrangements had been carried out in accordance with the family's wishes.

Liu Xiaoguang is regarded by Mr Liu's friends as someone who had long disagreed with his brother's views.

Meanwhile in Hong Kong several thousand people held an evening vigil for the dissident, calling him a "people's hero" and demanding "true freedom" for Liu Xia, Reuters reported.

Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 for his non-violent struggle for human rights in China.

Turkey marks anniversary of failed coup

Turkey is holding a series of events to mark the first anniversary of a failed coup in which at least 260 people died and 2,196 were wounded.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will unveil a memorial on an Istanbul bridge that became a landmark of resistance and will later address parliament.

An army faction tried to seize power last July but the attempt collapsed.

The government has since dismissed more than 150,000 state employees, saying it is rooting out coup supporters.

Critics say the dismissals, and a wave of 50,000 arrests, are part of an attempt to purge dissent.

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Kicking off a series of events that will extend into dawn on Sunday, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told a special session of parliament that 15 July 2016 was a "second War of Independence", following the conflict that led to the creation of the modern state in the 1920s.

"It has been exactly one year since Turkey's darkest and longest night was transformed into a bright day, since an enemy occupation turned into the people's legend," Mr Yildirim said.

Huge rallies are to take place on Saturday, with 15 July declared an annual holiday.

Mr Erdogan will attend a rally in Istanbul on the bridge across the Bosphorus where crowds confronted soldiers. It has been renamed the Bridge of the Martyrs of July 15 and the president will unveil a "martyrs' memorial" there.

Istanbul is awash with giant anniversary billboards and posters showing people confronting pro-coup soldiers, with anti-coup slogans strung between the minarets of mosques.

Mr Erdogan will later return to Ankara to address parliament at midnight (21:00 GMT), the exact time last year it was attacked by coup plotters.

He will unveil a monument to the coup's victims at his palace in the capital at dawn.

Turkey's trauma after night of the tanks

On 15 July last year, the coup plotters, armed with tanks, warplanes and helicopters, declared that they had taken over on state media, and bombed parliament and other key locations.

They tried to detain Mr Erdogan as he holidayed in an Aegean resort, but he had left and the coup was thwarted by civilians and soldiers loyal to the president.

The Turkish authorities accused a movement loyal to the Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen, of organising the plot.

Mr Gulen, who remains in the United States, denies any involvement.

Washington has so far resisted calls from the Turkish authorities to extradite the cleric.

Mr Erdogan and his supporters may see the defeat of the coup as Turkey's rebirth, but for others it is less triumphant, says the BBC's Mark Lowen, with the memory of the attempt dividing the country.

Critics say Mr Erdogan is using the purges to stifle political dissent, and last week hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Istanbul at the end of a 450km (280-mile) "justice" march against the government.

Its organiser, opposition politician Kemal Kilicdaroglu, condemned the coup but said the measures Mr Erdogan had taken since constituted a "second coup".

The president accused the marchers of supporting terrorism.

On Friday, the government continued its dismissal of state employees, sacking another 7,395 for alleged links to what it calls terrorist groups.

Pennsylvania murders: Two charged in deaths of four young men 6 hours ago From the section US & Canada These are external links and will open in a new window

Two men are now charged with the killings of four young men in an affluent Philadelphia suburb.

Cosmo DiNardo and Sean Kratz, both 20, each face murder charges as well as multiple counts of conspiracy, robbery and abuse of a corpse.

Police have confirmed all four men, missing since last week, were found buried on a farm belonging to Mr DiNardo's family.

Both men have confessed to investigators, according to officials.

The accused men - who told investigators they are cousins - allegedly sold the victims cannabis before killing them separately and burning their bodies on Mr DiNardo's family's farm, according to the Bucks County district attorney.

Investigators found the body of Dean Finocchiaro, 19, who disappeared last Friday, in a "common grave" on the 90-acre farm in suburban Philadelphia.

Mark Sturgis, 22, and Tom Meo, 21, also vanished on 7 July, and Jimi Tar Patrick, 19, went missing two days earlier.

On Thursday, a lawyer for Mr DiNardo told US media that his client had confessed to playing a role in the four murders after a plea deal was reached with prosecutors that would spare him the death penalty if convicted.

"I'm sorry," said a shackled Cosmo DiNardo as he left court on Thursday.

District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said on Friday that Mr DiNardo disclosed the location of the one victim's remains as part of the deal.

"Our boys get to go home to their families, which was always our first priority," Mr Weintraub said at a press conference announcing the criminal charges.

The three other bodies had already been discovered by police more than 12.5 ft (3.8m) beneath an old oil tank that had been converted into a "cooker".

Two firearms were also recovered from Solebury Township farm property.

According to a police affidavit, Mr DiNardo told investigators that he had arranged to sell $8,000 worth of cannabis to Mr Patrick, whom he had picked up from his home on 5 July.

After the two walked to a remote part of the property Mr DiNardo shot Mr Patrick with a .22 rifle, investigators say.

On 7 July he allegedly arranged another cannabis sale with Mr Finocchiaro.

He picked up Mr Kratz before driving to the second victim's home to transport him to the farm property, investigators say.

Before then, Mr DiNardo had given a .357 pistol to Mr Kratz.

Mr Kratz shot the man in the head, and Mr DiNardo fired another shot at him as he lay on the ground, police say.

Later that day, Mr DiNardo met Mr Meo and Mr Sturgis and had them follow him back to his family property in their car.

After both men were ambushed and shot, Mr DiNardo allegedly ran over Mr Meo with an earth-moving machine.

He then used the machine to transport the bodies of Mr Meo, Mr Sturgis, and Mr Finocchiaro into a metal tank, which he described to police as a "pig roaster", before pouring gasoline on them and setting the pit on fire.

The two men returned the next day to dig a hole with the earth-moving machine where they placed the men's bodies.