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Showing posts from January 19, 2020

Operation Olive Branch was a must to stop PKK drug trafficking, Interior Minister says

Turkey's Operation Olive Branch launched back in 2018 against the PKK and its Syrian affiliates in northwestern Syria was a crucial step in preventing the terrorist group from turning the region into a hub for drug trafficking, the interior minister said Friday. Speaking about the government's fight against drugs at "The Fight Against Narcotic Crimes Evaluation Meeting" in south Turkey's Antalya province, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu expressed the importance of Olive Branch Operation's fight against the PKK's drug trafficking. "Instability, income equality and ever-lasting wars are triggering drug trafficking and migration. If we had not carried out the Olive Branch Operation in Afrin, the region would have become the center of drug trafficking for the PKK. This situation points to the difficulties that we are facing in the region," said Soylu. Turkey carried out Operation Olive Branch in January 2018 to drive terrorist groups, includ

Turkey bombs Yazidi militia in Iraq affiliated with PKK

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Turkey is continuing its push into Kurdish areas of Iraq, now targeting Sinjar, which will be key to controlling the Syrian-Iraqi-Turkish border triangle. The  Turkish air force  targeted the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), a Yazidi militia, Jan. 15 in Iraq's Ninevah province. Media reports said at least  four people were killed, including militia commander  Zardasht Shingali , and one person was wounded. The YBS is affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Turkey considers a terrorist group. The bombing came after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut  Cavusoglu visited Baghdad  and met with senior Iraqi officials Jan. 9, leading some observers to suggest Iraqi-Turkish coordination on the strike. Also read Iran-US tensions As Iraq's protests continue, is political solution on the horizon? Saeb Khadr, an Iraqi parliament member representing the  Yazidis  — who are ethnic Kurds — told Al-Monitor that violating Sinjar is tantamount to violating t

Colombia Asks U.S., E.U. to Include FARC Dissidents on Terrorist Lists

BOGOTA — Colombia is asking the United States, the European Union and other countries to include dissidents from the former FARC rebels on their lists of terrorist organizations, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) demobilized under a 2016 peace deal after more than five decades of conflict with the government, becoming a legal political party.  But several top commanders have rejected the accord and chosen either not to demobilize or to return to arms. The government considers the dissidents to be criminals without an ideological motivation unlike the traditional FARC. "The foreign ministry announces the beginning of diplomatic efforts through embassies for the inclusion of organized residual armed groups as terrorist organizations on the lists of the E.U., the U.S. and other countries," the ministry said on Twitter. The effort is in line with a resolution adopted by a regional anti-terrorism conference held

"Nobody Can Leave": Trapped Wuhan Residents Stock Up On Masks, Medicines Amid Virus Scare

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Wuhan:  Police at a roadblock on the outskirts of Wuhan turned away cars trying to leave the virus-stricken city on Saturday, as other anxious residents trapped inside spent the Lunar New Year stocking up on masks and medical supplies or in long hospital queues. Authorities have prevented anyone from leaving Wuhan, the city of 11 million people at the heart of the viral outbreak which has so far infected nearly 1,300 people and killed 41 others. AFP saw a steady trickle of cars approaching the roadblocks around 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of the city centre on Saturday morning, only for police in fluorescent jackets wearing masks to tell them to turn around. The barricade, at one of the tolls for highways exiting the city, was blocked with red and yellow plastic barriers and cones. "Nobody can leave," a policeman told AFP. A stray dog ran across the empty road in front of the roadblocks, which were shrouded in grey fog and drizzle. AFP journalists only saw tw

Colombia's FARC rebels have rebranded as a political party now they need a leader

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(MENAFN - The Conversation) Ever ince Colombia igned it fragile, conteted peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Force of Colombia (FARC) in November 2016, the big quetion ha been: What will thi no-longer-armed inurgency do next? On Aug. 28, the FARC made it official reply. In it firt congre ince diarmament , the Marxit guerrilla group unveiled Colombia' newet political party: the Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Común, or Commoner' Alternative Revolutionary Force.  'The new party will be built with many voice and divere idea,' announced Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri, the FARC' top commander, via Twitter. In keeping their well-known acronym but etting aide the violence, the FARC eem to be embracing the opportunitie and obligation of the 2016 accord. Thee enabled former combatant to participate in Colombia' political ytem after diarmament – including, controverially, allocating the group 10 congreional eat for a period of two four-year term. 

Iraqi Security Forces Raid Baghdad's Main Protest Camp, Shoot at Demonstrators

The clashes took place after authorities began removing concrete barriers near Tahrir Square and across at least one main bridge over the Tigris River in Baghdad. Baghdad:  Iraqi security forces raided Baghdad's main protest site at Tahrir Square on Saturday, firing live rounds and tear gas at anti-government demonstrators who have camped out there for months, Reuters reporters said. There were no immediate reports of casualties but at least seven people were wounded in clashes with police earlier in the day, medics and security sources said. The clashes took place after authorities began removing concrete barriers near Tahrir Square and across at least one main bridge over the Tigris River in Baghdad. In the southern city of Basra, security forces raided the main anti-government sit-in overnight and deployed in force to stop protesters gathering there again, security sources said. Police arrested at least 16 protesters in Basra, they said. The actions appeared to be an attempt

Northeast rebel groups call for 12-hour shutdown on Republic Day

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Diphu:  A conglomeration of various militant outfits of Northeast India comprising Hynniutrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), National Liberation Front of Twipra (NLFT), Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO) and People’s Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCK) has called for a 12-hour shutdown from 6 am to 6 pm on Republic Day on January 26. In a statement, the militant organisations stated that the Union government agencies and the state governments in the Northeast are planning to celebrate the day in the region too. “But this is purely anachoronistic imposition in this part of the world, as the citizens of this region are not allowed to enjoy republicanism in the true sense of the term. The so-called republican constitution of India fails to actually entitle the people of this region to republican liberty,” the release alleged. Also Read Ranjan Daimary out on bail, rushed to Delhi to sign Bod

AFP, PNP issue NPA 'extortion guide' for Bukidnon bizmen

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY  -- Police and military authorities have issued a guide for local businesses in Bukidnon province in dealing with the extortion activities of the communist New People's Army (NPA). In a statement on Saturday, the Army' Infantry Battalion (8IB) said it jointly released the guide along with the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the January 22 meeting of business owners under the Bukidnon Lateral Organized for Development (Buklod). The guide, 8IB said, is contained in a simple infographic detailing the process that each business operator must do if they received a demand for "revolutionary tax" from the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). According to the infographic, business owners should preserve the letters, text messages, or phone calls of actual extortion demands, immediately report these to authorities, who will then verify, investigate, and provide relevant feedback. The 8IB said the NPA's extortion

How to secure your WhatsApp account from social hacking

Facebook’s WhatsApp messaging service is incredibly easy to set up, but this easy setup process means that your account is open to abuse if you’re not careful. Thankfully, it’s fairly simple to enable an extra layer of security on your account, which means that you won’t lose it if your six-digit activation code gets compromised.  These security options unfortunately won’t stop you from a serious hack such as the one that  hit Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos . What it  will  do is offer another layer of protection if someone manages to trick you into sharing your security code, which is a process known as “social hacking.” If you need any convincing about why it’s a good idea to use this extra security, then allow me to share a friend’s recent experience about what can go wrong when you don’t.  Bleary-eyed one Sunday morning, she received a WhatsApp message from a close friend that asked if she could forward over a six-digit code that she was just about to receive via SMS. Without thinki

NIA files charge sheet against 2 suspected Bangladeshi terrorists

Tinsukia:  The National Investigating Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet in a special NIA court in Aizawl on Friday against two Bangladesh nationals, who had entered India illegally and concealed their identity using fake Aadhaar cards, and were later found to be members of banned terror outfits in Bangladesh. The charge sheet was filed against Mahmud Hassan alias Shariful Islam and Mohamad Sa’ad Hussain alias Mohamad Sayad Hussain alias Shohan Molla alias Shihab Hossain under section 120B, 419, 465, 468, and 471 of IPC, Sec 14 of Foreigners Act & Sec 18 UA (P) Act, the agency said in a press note. The Mizoram police had registered an FIR in July last year, and the same was taken over by NIA a couple of months later in September. According to the press note, the two were detained by the villagers of Silsuri when they could not produce the valid documents and gave unsatisfactory reply to the queries about their antecedents and purpose of presence in the area. "They wer

Gunman Shoots Parents, 4 Others Dead in Southwest Germany

The young man stayed on the line, and when the first officers arrived minutes later at the hotel where the shooting took place, they immediately arrested him outside. Frankfurt:  A 26-year-old man is believed to have shot dead his mother and father and four other people in a town in southwest Germany on Friday, police said, leaving two others seriously wounded. The suspect "called the police station in (nearby town) Aalen at 12:48 pm (1148 GMT) to inform them he had shot several people," police chief Reiner Moeller told reporters in a press conference hours after the killings in Rot am See, near Baden-Wuerttemberg state capital Stuttgart. The young man stayed on the line, and when the first officers arrived minutes later at the hotel where the shooting took place, they immediately arrested him outside. "They were then able to identify six dead people both inside and behind the building," Moeller said, including three men aged 36, 65 and 69 and three women aged 36

Not Meeting Anti-Terror Financing Body FATF's Conditions Will Be Devastating For Pakistan: US

The Financial Action Task Force or FATF, in October last year, decided to keep Pakistan on its 'Grey' list for failure to curb funnelling of funds to terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and others. Washington:  Not meeting the obligations of the Financial Action Task Force or FATF will have a devastating impact on Pakistan's economic reform program, a top US diplomat said. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice Wells made the comments on Friday, a day after Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the country should be taken off the FATF's 'grey list' as it has made considerable progress on the requirements of the international terror financing watchdog. "Obviously, if Pakistan were not to meet FATF obligations or were to fail and be blacklisted, that would be devastating for Pakistan's economic reform program and for its ability to attract investors," Ms Wells told reporters in Washingt

South Sudan accuses rebel groups of recruiting child soldiers

Juba. A uthorities in South Sudan are accusing opposition rebel groups of enrolling child soldiers, even as the country prepares to implement a historic peace deal next month. Officials said the Sudan People’s Liberation Army – In Opposition (SPLM-IO) was forcibly recruiting youth and children into their military ranks in areas like Rubkona County, in Northern Liech State. South Sudan State Information minister David Gai alleged that the forceful recruitment in Rubkona County was launched by SPLA-IO two weeks ago and had seen some civilians flee from their homes. “Now areas like Nhial-Diu, which is part of Greater Rubkona, are almost empty because those communities have fled their homes to avoid the exercise,” Mr Gai said.  The SPLM-IO denied the claims. Its Deputy Military Spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel told The EastAfrican the group was following through deals made in the revitalised peace agreement signed in September 2018.  “To be sincere, this is a very bad