London, Oct 21 (AFP) Britain on Sunday said Saudi Arabia's account of the death of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside its Istanbul consulate was not credible and the culprits must be "held to account".

After a fortnight of denials, Saudi authorities admitted Saturday that the Washington Post columnist, a prominent critic of powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed after entering the consulate in Turkey on October 2.

MOSCOW, October 21. /TASS/. Washington’s withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) will spark an arms race, but Russia’s response would be adequate and in the framework of its financial potential, Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) Defense Committee Chairman and former Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Airborne Troops Vladimir Shamanov said.

MOSCOW, October 21. /TASS/. The landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) apparently stonewalls Washington’s plans for total domination, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told TASS commenting on US President Donald Trump’s statement on plans to ditch the 1987 arms control agreement with Russia.

"At first glance, I can say that apparently the INF Treaty creates problems for pursuing the line towards the US total domination in military sphere," Ryabkov said.

MOSCOW, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The United States is fabricating a pretext to once again impose its "notorious sanctions" against Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Saturday.

Ryabkov made the remarks after the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday charged Russian national Elena Khusyaynova "for her alleged role in a Russian conspiracy to interfere in the U.S. political system, including the 2018 midterm election."

Bhubaneswar, Oct 20 (PTI) A nine-year-old boy from Bolangir district, whose decapitated body was found earlier this week, was a victim of human sacrifice, police said Saturday.

Police have arrested two people for their alleged involvement in the brutal killing -- the boy's uncle and brother -- one of whom have confessed to the crime, they said.

Titlagarh Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Saroj Mohapatra said the accused persons had sacrificed the boy to "appease goddess Durga for fulfilment of their wishes".

TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Russia traded 956,662 tons of non-oil commodities worth 751.38 million U.S. dollars during the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21 - Sept. 22), Eghtesad online news website reported Sunday.

The figures marked a 25.7 percent rise in weight and 81 percent growth in value compared with the corresponding period past year.

Iran's exports to Russia stood at 212,606 tons worth 118.17 million dollars.

Iran mainly exported apples, fresh and frozen tomatoes, pistachio and kiwi to Russia during the six-month period.

MOSCOW, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Russian officials said Sunday that the U.S. statement on its intention to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) could be seen as "blackmail," warning that cancelling the treaty would be very dangerous.

Head of the Russian Federation Council's International Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev said that the INF Treaty stipulates a unilateral pullout is only possible under "exceptional circumstances" with their substantiation within six months.

Elko (US), Oct 21 (AFP) President Donald Trump has confirmed that the United States plans to leave a landmark nuclear weapons treaty with Russia over claims Moscow has violated the deal.

"Russia has not adhered to the agreement. So we are going to terminate the agreement," Trump told reporters in Elko, Nevada, on Saturday.

BEIJING, 21. /TASS/. The death toll from the passenger train crash in Taiwan was risen to 18. As many as 160 people were injured, the Central News Agency said on Sunday citing a spokesman for the local emergencies agencies.

According to the spokesman, there are no foreign nationals from among those killed and injured.

by Mohamed al-Azaki

SANAA, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- In a public hospital in downtown Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa, doctors are on emergency state over a sudden flare-up of deadly diphtheria.

The intensified care unit is full of sick children and women infected with the disease, a bacterial infection spread from person to person through coughing or sneezing.

The disease causes a thick covering in the back of the throat and the most serious cases can kill a child within hours if not treated immediately.

Khan Al-Ahmar (Palestinian Territories) Oct 21 (AFP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has frozen plans to demolish a strategically located Bedouin village in the occupied West Bank that have drawn international concern, his office said Sunday.

The surprise move, which came as Israeli forces were completing preparations for the evictions and demolition of Khan al-Ahmar, raised the ire of Netanyahu's rightwing coalition partners, while the village's Palestinian residents remained skeptical that an amicable solution was possible.

MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. Mikhail Bochkaryov, a member of staff of the Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament) has told journalists upon returning to Moscow from Oslo that he did not have any doubts about the favorable resolution of the situation.

The press service of the Russian Federation Council said earlier that Borchkaryov returned to Moscow from Oslo on Saturday after the Norwegian court had ordered to release him from custody. He was welcomed at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport by his son and colleagues.