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Showing posts from August 8, 2021

It’s been nine years since someone took Marine veteran Austin Tice hostage in Syria

 This past Tuesday was Austin Tice’s 40th birthday. Saturday marks nine years that he has been held  hostage  in the Middle East. The Marine veteran turned law school student traveled to Syria in May 2012 to cover the civil war in that country as a  freelance journalist . He wanted to tell the story of the conflict’s impact on the Syrian people. On his way out of the country — he planned to leave for Lebanon Aug. 14 — he got into a car in the southern Damascus suburb of Darayya to make the trip, but shortly after leaving he was detained at a checkpoint, according to information provided by his family. At that point, Tice disappeared. It was not until five weeks later that a 43-second video titled “Austin Tice is Alive” was posted online showing him blindfolded and held by unidentified armed men. To this day, nine years later, no one has claimed responsibility for his capture. In November 2018, then-Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Robert O’Brien announced at the National

Huawei and China’s Canadian Hostages

Beijing sentences a businessman on the eve of an extradition ruling. A Chinese court sentenced Canadian businessman Michael Spavor to 11 years in prison on Wednesday. Beijing says he’s a spy, but Mr. Spavor is really the latest victim of the Communist Party’s hostage diplomacy. Chinese police arrested Mr. Spavor and former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig in December 2018. They had the bad luck to be in China 10 days after Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at U.S. request as she traveled through Vancouver. The U.S. alleges that she committed bank and wire fraud, which Ms. Meng denies. In May 2020 a Canadian judge ruled that the charges against her could be considered crimes in the U.S. and Canada. Less than a month later, China charged Messrs. Spavor and Kovrig with espionage. The timing of Mr. Spavor’s sentence is also no coincidence, with an extradition decision for Ms. Meng near. The vague language of the sentencing pronouncement hinted that China may be willing to expel

Why Bosnia’s ban on genocide denial was a necessity

On July 23, the Office of the High Representative (OHR), the top international body overseeing the implementation of the peace agreement that ended Bosnia’s war, criminalised the denial and glorification of genocide in the country. The outgoing OHR head, Valentin Inzko, announced that he has introduced jail terms for anyone who “publicly condones, denies, grossly trivialises or tries to justify” the genocide or other war crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Genocide in Srebrenica, war crimes and crimes against humanity … must not be forgotten or denied,” his decree read. But why did Inzko feel the need to make such a move, some quarter of a century after the end of the war? Genocide denial in Bosnia started in 1992, almost simultaneously with the genocide itself. In May 1992, the first major massacre of the war was committed when Serbian forces shelled the main street in Sarajevo, hitting a breadline of civilians and killing 26 people. That same day, Serbian media reported that

Ethiopia held hostage to terror

The crisis and never-ending conflict in Ethiopia are dramatically intensifying the humanitarian emergency and the vulnerability of the people of Tigray. Increasingly shocking news of violence against women and children is being reported from the region, sparking dismay and indignation. The alarm has been sounded both by Amnesty International and unicef . At the same time, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has issued a call to arms “to all capable Ethiopians who are of age”, to take up the ... Source:  Ethiopia held hostage to terror - L'Osservatore Romano

In Rare British Mass Shooting, Gunman Kills 5, Including 3-Year-Old Girl

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Mass shootings are rare in the United Kingdom, where gun ownership is relatively low, and Thursday's rampage was the worst such incident in more than decade. Police on Friday named the shooter as Jake Davison, a 22-year-old crane operator. Plymouth, Britain: A man shot dead five people, including a 3-year-old girl, during a six-minute killing spree with a pump-action shotgun in the southern English city of Plymouth in what police believe was a case of domestic-related violence. Mass shootings are rare in the United Kingdom, where gun ownership is relatively low, and Thursday's rampage was the worst such incident in more than decade. Police on Friday named the shooter as Jake Davison, a 22-year-old crane operator. He turned his gun on himself after killing the five victims on Thursday evening, the police said. Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said police had found no motive but they were not considering terrorism or any far-right associations, although they

Taliban ban Covid jab in Paktia, claims report; Video shows them partying after fall of Jowzjan

The Taliban have banned the Covid vaccine in east Afghanistan's Paktia and put up a notice in this regard at Paktia Regional Hospital, Afghanistan-based radio and television platform Shamshad News has reported. The region was captured last week when they allegedly removed Nishan Sahib from a gurdwara in the province.   Taliban Banned Using of COVID-19 Vaccines in Paktia https://t.co/x0O9qPbfUN   pic.twitter.com/3G9TOlwzbk — ShamshadNews (@Shamshadnetwork)  August 12, 2021 A  video has emerged on Facebook  showing how Taliban leaders partied at the residence of Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum in Sheberghan of Jowzjan after the provincial capital in the country's north was captured last week. The video, which was not independently authenticated by Hindustan Times showed Taliban leaders sitting at a huge hall that reportedly belongs to 67-year-old Afghan warlord Dostum. An estimated 65 per cent of Afghan territory have been captured by Taliban insurgents as the force is now nearing th

In Massive Blow, Taliban Detain Warlord Ismail Khan. What Impact Will it Have on War-Torn Afghanistan

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In the march towards seizing control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have now detained Warlord Ismail Khan and some other officials of the Kabul administration along with two helicopters. © Provided by News18  In Massive Blow, Taliban Detain Warlord Ismail Khan. What Impact Will it Have on War-Torn Afghanistan As per sources, the officials have been taken to a different place, the Taliban however refused to comment on their detention and subsequent whereabouts. The 75-year-old veteran Afghan warlord whose militia helped the US defeat the Taliban in 2001 had vowed on Friday to take up arms as the enemy who closed in on his Herat stronghold in the west. The insurgents had captured an arc of territory stretching from the Iranian border to the frontier with China in early May as US troops began their final withdrawal. The former politicians’ comments came as the Taliban claimed they now control around 85 percent of Afghanistan including key border crossings with Iran, Tajikistan, and Turkmenis

Displaced Afghans 'lost everything' as Taliban escalates offences

Kabul  [ Afghanistan ], August 13 (ANI): As  Taliban  is capturing  Afghanistan 's territories, hundreds of war-affected people have been displaced due to the recent fights between the Afghan forces and the terrorist group in the northern region of the war-torn country. People of  Afghanistan  are in a miserable state, as their houses are destroyed by the  Taliban  and have no option left except to take shelter in the camps. They said that some families had to leave members behind -- including their young sons -- because of a lack of transportation or other resources, according to Tolo News. Mohammadullah, a refugee said that they (his family) were displaced from the Archi district of Kunduz a month ago due to the fighting. He said he could hardly manage to evacuate the families from Kunduz, reported Tolo News. "Our family members and children were left behind, we managed to evacuate the women," said Mohammadullah. While, Shukria, from Kunduz, said she had barely managed

Haunted by Memories of Repression, Afghan Women Fear for Safety and Rights as Taliban Gain Ground

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As the Taliban overrun larger parts of  Afghanistan  and plan to take over the entire country in less than a week, fears and concerns mount over safety and rights of women. According to reports, the Taliban has adopted a more hard-lined approach in the newly captured areas even as they claim commitment to provide women their rights. © Provided by News18  Haunted by Memories of Repression, Afghan Women Fear for Safety and Rights as Taliban Gain Ground Reports suggest that the Taliban are going back to their retrograde policies in the captured areas followed during their rule between 1996 and 2001 The Taliban, in recent years, have said they are committed to providing women their rights and allowing them to work and attend school, provided they do not flout Islamic or Afghan values. However, the Taliban also said they want to limit the freedom gained in recent years by women, which has promoted “immorality” and “indecency”. ALSO READ | Afghan VP’s Office Quashes ‘Fleeing’ Rumours Amid Ta

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to address nation as Taliban advance, capture 18 provinces

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The Taliban have so far taken control over 18 provincial capitals across Afghanistan. Amid all the chaos, there are reports that President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, may address the nation. The Taliban and Pakistan, however, demand his resignation. Sources said that the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, is likely to address the country on Friday or Saturday to inform them about the fate of its government. The meeting will most likely be about how the transition might take place. ALSO READ:  After Kandahar, Taliban capture Logar province, only 90 km from Afghanistan capital Kabul The Taliban have managed to take over provincial capitals such as Qalat, Terenkot, Pul-e Alam, Feruz Koh, Qala-e Naw and Lashkar Gah hours after capturing Herat and Kandahar cities. © Provided by India Today An official mentioned that the Taliban had managed to capture the provincial capital of the western province of Ghor. The head of the provincial council had mentioned that the city of Feroz Koh had