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Showing posts from October 21, 2018

Turkey hosts summit to seek solutions to end war in Syria

ISTANBUL (AP) — The leaders of Turkey, Russia, France and Germany were holding talks about Syria at a summit on Saturday, hoping to lay the groundwork for eventual peace in a country devastated by years of war. A key challenge is their divided opinions about Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is backed by Russia and Iran and whose government has retaken most of the territory that rebels seized during the war that has killed over 400,000 people. Western countries condemn Assad for what they call indiscriminate attacks on civilians and Turkey has been helping insurgents trying to remove him from power. Still, the leaders meeting in Istanbul hope a cease-fire in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib can provide some momentum for peace efforts. The truce last month prevented a Syrian government offensive on the last rebel stronghold, which many feared would have set off another refugee crisis. Idlib has been relatively calm since then, although both sides have accused each o

IS gunmen kill 40 US-backed fighters in eastern Syria

BEIRUT (AP) — Member of the Islamic State group killed at least 40 U.S.-backed Syrian fighters, captured several alive and regained areas they lost earlier this month in eastern Syria near the border with Iraq in some of the most intense fighting in weeks, a war monitor and an agency linked to IS said Saturday. Members of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have been on the offensive since early September under the cover of airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition to capture the last pocket held by IS in Syria. Friday's fighting that lasted until the early hours of Saturday began when IS, taking advantage of a sandstorm, launched a counteroffensive against SDF positions east of the Euphrates river in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq, activists said. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that since Friday IS killed more than 60 SDF fighters, wounded others and captured at least 20. It added that some 100

Left wing extremism: Maoists agent's property seized in Jharkhand

Ranchi, Oct 27 (IANS) Police on Saturday seized properties of an alleged Maoists agent in Jharkhand's Giridih district. The police said Sawan Bahar restaurant belongs to Manoj Chaudhary, an alleged Maoist sympathizer. "In all, 11 properties will be sealed. The sealed property belongs to Manoj Chaudhary," said Neeraj Singh, Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO). Police sources say Maoist rebels have invested the extorted money in real estate. Manoj Chaudhary was arrested a few weeks ago. Based on the interrogation and source of his income, the police prepared a list of properties of Maoist rebels. Authorities in Jharkhand have launched an operation to seize properties allegedly belonging to the Maoists amassed through their agents. Source:  https://in.news.yahoo.com/maoists-agents-property-seized-jharkhand-135614453.html

Catalan leader defiant a year after failed independence declaration

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Catalan separatists marked the first anniversary of a failed independence declaration on Saturday with protests and vows to press ahead with their efforts to split from Spain. Madrid imposed direct rule on Catalonia after it declared independence following a referendum. Elections later returned a regional government favouring secession though a party supporting union with Spain won most votes. As separatist leaders jailed for their role in last year's attempt to split from Spain go to trial, Catalan leader Quim Torra demanded their acquittal on Saturday and said independence efforts would continue. "Turning back is not an option," Torra said in a televised address, adding that he "won't accept any sentence other than a full acquittal." "If there's a conviction, we'll face it with the determination of Oct. 1 and the strength and solidarity of Oct. 3," Torra said, referring to the date of last year's refere

Left wing extremism: Chhattisgarh: 4 CRPF jawans killed as Naxals blow up mine-protected vehicle

Raipur:  Four personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed and two injured after Naxals blew up a mine-protected-vehicle (MPV) in poll-bound Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district Saturday, police said. The incident occurred around 4 pm near Murdanda camp of the CRPF under Awapalli police station, when its 168th battalion was out on "area domination" operation, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Mohit Garg told  PTI .  When the MPV carrying six personnel was around one km away from the camp, ultras triggered a powerful land mine blast. "Four Central Reserve Police Force personnel (one ASI, one head-constable, two constables of 168 battalion) lost their lives in an IED blast in Awapalli Police Station area in Bijapur," P Sundar Raj, the Deputy Inspector General (Anti-Naxal Operation) told  ANI . Two injured jawans have been sent for medical treatment, he added.  Reinforcement was rushed to the spot immediately and the injured personnel were

Border checks are undermining Schengen

Europe’s open-border zone is being compromised B ORDER CHECKS  within the Schengen area are meant to be a thing of the past. For a generation, passport-free travel was the norm across much of Europe (22 of the 28 members of the European Union belong to Schengen, along with four non -EU  states). Border controls were rarely used and, when they were, they lasted only the length of a political summit or a football tournament. But since the refugee crisis of 2015, “temporary” border controls have become more or less permanent in six European countries. Existing checks are now likely to be extended for another six months, after co-ordinated announcements this month from France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Get our daily newsletter Upgrade your inbox and get our Daily Dispatch and Editor's Picks. The French authorities cite terrorism, after two fatal attacks in 2018. Others explain their decision on the basis that too many people are still entering, living

Pakistan Poses Terror Risk Three Times More Than Syria: Report

Pakistan is placed on top of the list of countries with the highest number of terrorist bases and safe havens. A study by Oxford University and Strategic Foresight Group (SFG) has said that Pakistan poses terror risk to humanity three times more than what Syria is responsible for.  As per the study, `Humanity at Risk - Global Terror Threat Indicant (GTTI), while the Afghan Taliban and the Lashkar-e-Taiyyaba (LeT) pose the maximum threat to international security in future, Pakistan is placed on top of the list of countries with the highest number of terrorist bases and safe havens. "If we look at the most dangerous terrorist groups, based on hard facts and statistics, we find that Pakistan hosts or aids majority of them. Also, there are a significant number of groups based in Afghanistan, which operate with the support of Pakistan," the report says. The over 80-page report, which has been prepared to discuss the challenges in the next decade, presents an analytical framew

France to resettle 100 Yezidi survivors of ISIS genocide

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By  Rudaw   12 hours ago  ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – France will welcome 100 Yezidi survivors and their families, the office of President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday.  The decision came after a meeting with Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Yezidi survivor and activist Nadia Murad.  During her meeting with Macron, she made three requests of the French president, according to a statement from Macron’s office.  One was for the government of France to put into place a program similar to those in Australia, Canada, and Germany to welcome Yezidi survivors of ISIS genocide.  In response to Murad’s request, France will welcome 20 Yezidis by the end of the year and the remainder in 2019, AFP reported.  Murad also asked France to raise the issue of the reconstruction of Shingal during the inaugural Paris Peace Forum, taking place November 11-13.  The event is expected to attract heads of state, government representatives, civil society actors, and international NGOs. The event is pi

Nobel laureate Nadia Murad: Help Yazidis get their home back

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Nobel Peace Prize winner reminds international community of its duty to bring war criminals to justice Mary Achkhanian, Staff Reporter Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News SHARJAH: The perpetrators of the ethnic cleansing of the Yazidi minority group in Iraq have still not been brought to justice, says Iraqi Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist Nadia Murad. In an exclusive interview with Gulf News on the sidelines of the ‘Investing in the Future’ conference’ in Sharjah, Nadia warned the international community for failing to rebuild the Sinjar province in Iraq that is home to the Yazidi ethnic minority she belongs to. Such crimes and acts of violence against the minority, she said, should never be allowed to happen again. Like many minorities, Yazidis have a history of being persecuted, Nadia said. Women in particular have suffered greatly and have been victims of sexual violence and are still undergoing captivity, she said. Nadia Murad takes a selfie with s

Antifa protester is fired from his job after being filmed harassing '9/11 widow' and saying her dead NYPD husband deserved to 'rot in the grave'

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Steve Wilson is the man who was filmed in the October 13 video at Patriot Prayer protest  He harassed a woman who claimed she was the widow of an NYPD cop killed in 9/11 Wilson, a counter protester, said he should 'probably rot in the f****** grave'  He was named on Tuesday as he was fired from a non-profit helping black youths The woman has not been named yet but questions have also arisen around her claims  Before Wilson was named, a professional skateboarder was wrongly blamed for his outburst  Do you know the woman in the video? Email newsUS@mailonline.com  By  Jennifer Smith For Dailymail.com Published:  16:38 BST, 23 October 2018  |  Updated:  21:59 BST, 23 October 2018 An anti-fascist protester who was filmed harassing a woman claiming to be the widow of an NYPD cop killed in 9/11 earlier this month has been identified by the charity he worked for in a scathing statement announcing his firing.  Steve Wilson was caught on camera cursing at the woman and

US terror attacks are increasingly motivated by right-wing views

Suspicious devices have been found in packages mailed to  Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and CNN’s New York City offices , the Secret Service said today. Suspicious packages were also found near the offices of Democratic lawmakers Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Florida, and Kamala Harris in California, prompting evacuations. The FBI said the packages  appeared to contain pipe bombs. These alarming discoveries follow reports on Oct. 22 of an explosive device found in the mail addressed to philanthropist  George Soros . No one has been reported hurt by the intercepted packages. Terrorism has been rising in the US, driven by  a surge of attacks motivated by right-wing ideologies.  However, authorities have yet to identity who’s behind the suspicious devices found this week. A rise in right-wing terror An analysis of the Global Terrorism Database by researchers at the University of Maryland published in 2017 shows a  “sharp increase”  in the share of attacks by right-wing extremists

Foreign ISIS fighters must face prosecution for Yezidi genocide: report

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – ISIS militants, especially foreign fighters, must be prosecuted on genocide and sex crime charges in order to bring justice to Yezidis, a new report stated, condemning prosecution thus far that have been relied on anti-terror laws.  “The focus should be on ensuring effective criminal investigations and prosecutions, where the rights of Yezidi victims to truth, justice and reparation can be fully addressed,” read the report from the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Kinyat, an organization that documents crimes against Yezidis. “As history has shown, this is the only way to ensure effective guarantees of non-repetition for the gravest crimes,” read the report that was published Thursday.  The report singles out the need to prosecute foreign fighters in national and international courts “on charges of sexual crimes amounting to genocide and crimes against humanity.” These crimes were “carefully planned, institutionalized and highly organized”

FARC official makes contact with Colombia special court

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© AFP/File | The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) -- set up after the deal -- announced that Ivan Marquez had submitted a statement through his lawyers BOGOTA (AFP) -  The man who negotiated FARC's peace agreement with the Colombian government emerged from hiding Wednesday to comply with a demand that former guerrilla leaders reaffirm their commitment to the 2016 peace agreement that ended decades of conflict. The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) -- set up after the deal -- announced that Ivan Marquez had submitted a statement through his lawyers.  The court had asked 30 former rebel commanders to reaffirm their commitment to the agreement FARC signed with the government in November 2016. The special peace tribunal was set up to try former combatants accused of atrocities during the five-decade war. The tribunal had set a Tuesday deadline for contact from the missing guerrilla leaders, failing which they could face removal from its list and face trial instead by

Under pressure, terrorist PKK could be on last legs

ANKARA  The PKK terror group has been seriously crippled over the past two years amid rising pressure in Turkey and abroad, according to sources in Turkey’s security forces.  In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people.  Security sources told Anadolu Agency that they are working tirelessly to wipe the group off the face of the country, having neutralized over 1,000 members since the beginning of the year.  Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.  In some 2,700 operations against the group’s urban network, more than 12,000 suspects have been taken into custody with roughly 3,000 arrests this year, the sources said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.  The increase