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Syria’s former al-Qaeda affiliate claimed responsibility on Saturday for the downing of a Russian warplane in northern Syria, apparently using a surface-to-air missile. The pilot was killed after he ejected and exchanged gunfire with militants on the ground, the Russian Defense Ministry and a monitoring group said. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, a powerful rebel alliance that publicly split from al-Qaeda last year, said it had used a man-portable anti-aircraft system to shoot down the Su-25 fighter jet as it flew low over the opposition-held town of Saraqeb. That claim was echoed by Russia’s Interfax news agency, quoting the Defense Ministry, as well as the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The incident could raise tensions between Russia and Turkey, which is monitoring a so-called “de-escalation zone” in the northern province of Idlib as part of an agreement made during Syrian peace talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana. It also raises questions about the source of the apparent MANPADS, a weapon for which Syria’s rebels have repeatedly pleaded from their international backers. The United States in particular has been strongly opposed, fearing that anti-aircraft weapons could fall into the hands of the country’s extremist groups. “The United States has never provided MANPAD missiles to any group in Syria, and we are deeply concerned that such weapons are being used,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, according to Reuters. Saraqeb has come under heavy bombardment from Russian and Syrian warplanes in recent days as pro-government forces try to recapture a strategic highway linking Damascus to Aleppo. The White Helmets civil defence group said on Saturday that seven civilians had been killed in at least 25 strikes on largely residential areas, some of them using barrel bombs. In the hours after the Russian jet was downed, Moscow also claimed to have killed more than 30 militants in the area, Interfax reported. The agency quoted the defence ministry as saying it used “precision-guided weapons” to carry out the strike, but without giving details. The use of MANPADS in a province where Turkish forces are nominally present could also anger Russia. The two countries have improved ties and cooperated in Syria in recent months, but relations hit an all-time low in 2015, when Turkey, a long-time supporter of the country’s rebels, also shot down a Russian warplane inside Syria. Turkey set up observation points in Idlib last year, ostensibly to monitor the fighting between the rebels and government forces, but it has also been accused of fostering closer ties with HTS. Moscow entered Syria’s civil war in 2015 on the side of President Bashar al-Assad. And its intervention turned the tide of the brutal war, allowing Syria’s government to recapture the city of Aleppo from the rebels and beat back militants in other parts of the country. But Idlib remains under militant control, and HTS exercises significant influence even over areas it does not formally hold. “Mahmoud Turkmani, the military commander of the HTS air defence battalion, managed to shoot down a military plane by an anti-aircraft MANPADS in the sky of Saraqeb in the Idlib countryside in late afternoon today,” Ebaa News, the unofficial media outlet used by HTS, reported on Saturday. “That is the least revenge we can offer to our people and those occupiers should know that our sky is not a picnic,” Mahmoud reportedly said. Idlib province is also home to more than a million displaced people from around Syria, and renewed fighting has pushed close to a quarter of a million residents to flee again since mid-December, cramming into already-packed houses and tented settlements across the region. Despite repeated appeals to their international backers, rebel groups in Syria have never had a sustained supply of MANPADS. But they have occasionally used individual weapons captured from the battlefield. Rebels forces have shot down Syrian fighter jets and other Russian military aircraft. In August 2016, a Russian transport helicopter was shot down as it was flying over Saraqeb, killing all five people aboard. Videos circulating online showed the alleged crash site of the fighter jet in Idlib’s Saraqeb, which the United Nations said has recently suffered “heavy shelling and aerial bombardment.” According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, an air strike on a potato market there earlier this week killed at least 16 people, and the town’s hospital was also attacked. Both Russia and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the pilot Saturday was killed after exchanging fire with the rebels. He was able to communicate that he had ejected from the aircraft in an area held by HTS, but later “died in a fight with the terrorists,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said. The ministry also said it was working with Turkey to bring the pilot’s body home. Syria’s war has raged for seven years, and half a million people have been killed. The conflict has sucked in world powers – like Russia – but also the United States and Iran. ||||| "A group strike using precision weapons has been conducted in the area controlled by the Jabhat al-Nusra [Jabhat Fatah al-Sham] terrorist group in Idlib province, from where the missile was launched against the [downed] Russian Su-25 airplane. According to radio intercepts, as a result of the strike, more than 30 militants of Jabhat al-Nusra were destroyed," the report by the Russian Defense Ministry said. The strike followed the downing of the Russian Su-25 aircraft in the area. "The plane was flying over the Idlib de-escalation zone," the military stated. The Defense Ministry revealed that according to preliminary information as to the possible cause of the downing, the plane may have been shot down by a man-portable air-defense system (MANPAD). The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the pilot managed to eject from the aircraft and survive, but was killed during a subsequent battle with terrorists. "The pilot reported on a bailout in an area controlled by rebels Jabhat Fatah al-Sham [previously known as al-Nusra Front]. When conducting a fight with terrorists, the pilot died," the Defense Ministry said. According to the ministry, Russia and Turkey, peace guarantor in Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone, are taking all possible efforts to return the body of the killed pilot. During the two-years long military operation in Syria, Russia lost four aircraft and four helicopters. According to Russian Defense Minister Yury Borisov, the country's air forces used modernized Su-25SM ground attack aircraft are being used in Syria. The Su-25 attack aircraft is designed to destroy small-size mobile and fixed ground objects, as well as low-speed air targets. The conflict took place on the territory controlled by the Jabhat Fatah al-Sham terror group amid the ongoing military operation against them conducted by the Syrian forces. READ MORE: Syrian Troops Start Op to Eliminate Nusra Front Militants in Idlib — Russian MoD Among various terror groups operating in the area, there is also Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an umbrella terrorist group spearheaded this year by the former Al-Nusra Front. While some countries such as the United States have flagged HTS as a terrorist group, Russian officials continue to refer to the Salafist jihadist terrorist organization by its old Al-Nusra moniker. Al-Nusra was the official Syrian branch of al-Qaeda until 2016, when it ostensibly split from the world's most well-known terrorist network. ||||| The pilot survived the crash, but was killed during a fight with terrorists The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the country's air forces conducted a group strike of the area controlled by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham militants in Idlib, from where a projectile was fired downing Russian Su-25 aircraft.The Russian Ministry of Defense revealed the preliminary information on the incident, saying that"The plane was flying over the Idlib de-escalation zone," the military stated.The Defense Ministry revealed that according to preliminary information as to the possible cause of the downing, the plane may have been shot down by a man-portable air-defense system (MANPAD)."The pilot reported on a bailout in an area controlled by rebels Jabhat Fatah al-Sham [previously known as al-Nusra Front]. When conducting a fight with terrorists, the pilot died," the Defense Ministry said.According to the ministry, Russia and Turkey, peace guarantor in Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone , are taking all possible efforts to return the body of the killed pilot.During the two-years long military operation in Syria, Russia lost four aircraft and four helicopters. According to Russian Defense Minister Yury Borisov, the country's air forces modernized Su-25SM ground attack aircraft are being used in Syria.The Su-25 attack aircraft is designed to destroy small-size mobile and fixed ground objects, as well as low-speed air targets.The conflict took place on the territory controlled by the Jabhat Fatah al-Sham terror group amid the ongoing military operation against them conducted by the Syrian forces.Among various terror groups operating in the area, there is also Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an umbrella terrorist group spearheaded this year by the former Al-Nusra Front. While some countries such as the United States have flagged HTS as a terrorist group, Russian officials continue to refer to the Salafist jihadist terrorist organization by its old Al-Nusra moniker. Al-Nusra was the official Syrian branch of al-Qaeda until 2016, when it ostensibly split from the world's most well-known terrorist network. ||||| The pilot survived the crash, but was killed during a fight with terrorists The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the country's air forces conducted a group strike of the area controlled by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham militants in Idlib, from where a projectile was fired downing Russian Su-25 aircraft.The Russian Ministry of Defense revealed the preliminary information on the incident, saying that"The plane was flying over the Idlib de-escalation zone," the military stated.The Defense Ministry revealed that according to preliminary information as to the possible cause of the downing, the plane may have been shot down by a man-portable air-defense system (MANPAD)."The pilot reported on a bailout in an area controlled by rebels Jabhat Fatah al-Sham [previously known as al-Nusra Front]. When conducting a fight with terrorists, the pilot died," the Defense Ministry said.According to the ministry, Russia and Turkey, peace guarantor in Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone , are taking all possible efforts to return the body of the killed pilot.During the two-years long military operation in Syria, Russia lost four aircraft and four helicopters. According to Russian Defense Minister Yury Borisov, the country's air forces modernized Su-25SM ground attack aircraft are being used in Syria.The Su-25 attack aircraft is designed to destroy small-size mobile and fixed ground objects, as well as low-speed air targets.The conflict took place on the territory controlled by the Jabhat Fatah al-Sham terror group amid the ongoing military operation against them conducted by the Syrian forces.Among various terror groups operating in the area, there is also Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an umbrella terrorist group spearheaded this year by the former Al-Nusra Front. While some countries such as the United States have flagged HTS as a terrorist group, Russian officials continue to refer to the Salafist jihadist terrorist organization by its old Al-Nusra moniker. Al-Nusra was the official Syrian branch of al-Qaeda until 2016, when it ostensibly split from the world's most well-known terrorist network. ||||| In a retaliatory move, massive Russian air strikes have killed at least 30 militants in Syria, where a Russian fighter jet was shot down, an official said on Sunday. “A series of high-precision weapon strikes have been delivered in the area controlled by the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group, which brought down the Russian Su-25 jet by using a portable anti-aircraft missile system in the Syrian province Idlib,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said. “According to radio intercepts, more than 30 Jabhat al-Nusra militants were killed,” Xinhua quoted the ministry as saying. Earlier on Saturday, the ministry said a pilot survived the fighter jet crash but was later killed in a ground fight with terrorists. The pilot had reported earlier that he ejected by parachute in the area, controlled by Jabhat al-Nusra militants. In May 2017, the guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire — Russia, Iran and Turkey — agreed to set up the Syrian de-escalation zones in Syria, which includes Idlib province. A Russian pilot has been killed after his plane was shot down by militants in the Syrian province of Idlib, the Russian Defence Ministry has said. “A Russian Su-25 aircraft crashed during a flight over the Idlib de-escalation area,” the ministry said in the statement on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported. “The pilot died in a fight with the terrorists,” the statement said, adding that preliminary information showed that the plane was downed by use of a man-portable anti-aircraft missile system. “The Russian centre for the reconciliation of opposing sides in Syria and the Turkish side overseeing the Idlib de-escalation area are working to bring the Russian pilot’s body home,” it said. The pilot had reported earlier that he ejected by parachute in the area, controlled by Nusra Front militants. ||||| The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed that an Su-25 close-support military aircraft was shot down over Syria on February 3 and the pilot was killed. A ministry statement said the pilot ejected from the aircraft but was killed while resisting capture by rebels fighting against the Syrian government. The statement said preliminary evidence indicates the plane was shot down by a shoulder-launched antiaircraft missile. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said earlier that rebel forces had shot down an Su-25 in Idlib Province in northwestern Syria. A jihadist group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham claimed responsibility for the downing, saying a shoulder-launched missile had been used. The statement on the rebel-affiliated media channel Ibaa did not mention the Russian pilot. Russian military correspondent Aleksandr Kots posted on social media a video purportedly showing rebel fighters picking over the burning wreckage of an Su-25. The Russia-based, independent Conflict Intelligence Team posted photographs they say showed the dead body of the pilot and a paper recommending a man named Major Roman Fillipov for a state award that was allegedly filled out by Russian air group commander Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Aksyonov. Novaya Gazeta quoted an unidentified Defense Ministry source as confirming that the pilot was Filippov. According to the newspaper, he was a Ukrainian pilot from Crimea, the Ukrainian region that Russia annexed in 2014. Federation Council member Frants Klintsevich, chairman of the Defense and Security Committee, said an investigation would be launched into the circumstances of the downing. "As I have said before," Klintsevich told Interfax, "I am positive that the militants have [shoulder-launched antiaircraft weapons], and they have been supplied by the Americans via third countries." Vladimir Shamanov, chairman of the State Duma's Defense Committee, said "there are over 1,000 U.S. instructors in Idlib, so it could be a provocation." The U.S. State Department said it was "deeply concerned" at reports of shoulder-launched antiaircraft systems being used and denied the United States had ever supplied such weapons. "The United States has never provided MANPAD missiles to any group in Syria, and we are deeply concerned that such weapons are being used," spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. "The solution to the violence is a return to the Geneva process as soon as possible and we call on Russia to live up to its commitments in that regards," she added. Russia has been conducting military operations in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since September 2015. The February 3 incident was the first time Syrian rebels have shot down a Russian warplane. In July 2016, rebels used a shoulder-launched missile to shoot down a Russian-made Syrian helicopter manned by a Russian crew. In all, Russia has reported losing four jets and four helicopters during the Syrian campaign, including two jets that crashed while trying to land on the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and an Su-24 bomber that was shot down by Turkey in November 2015. The Su-25 is a single-seat, twin-engine jet designed to provide close air support for troops on the ground. With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters ||||| Syrian opposition fighters downed a Russian warplane near the town of Maaret al-Numan in the northwestern province of Idlib on Saturday, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "Rebel factions shot down a Sukhoi 25. The Russian pilot came down in a parachute, before being captured," said Rami Abdurrahman, who runs the monitoring group. Read more: UN warns of humanitarian disaster, displacement in northwest Syria However, it later emerged that the Russian pilot had been killed by rebel fighters after he resisted capture by opening fire with his pistol. "The pilot was killed as he fought Islamist rebels who had shot down his plane and were taking him captive," Abdurrahman said. The militant Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group said it shot down the plane, but did not mention the pilot. The group is dominated by al-Qaida's former affiliate in Syria. The HTS statement said the attack was in retaliation for a bombing campaign by Russian jets over Idlib. Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? War with no end Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians. Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The dictator Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad. Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The northern watchman Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. The Turkish military has intervened alongside rebels in northern Aleppo, Afrin and Idlib province. Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The eastern guardian The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad. Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The western allies A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces. Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The rebels The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished. Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The resistance Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad. Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The new jihadists "Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group. Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The old jihadists IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda. Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The Persian shadow Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country. Author: Elizabeth Schumacher, Alexander Pearson Moscow also confirmed that the pilot had been killed. "A Russian Su-25 aircraft crashed during a flight over the Idlib de-escalation zone. The pilot had enough time to announce he had ejected into the zone, under the control of al-Nusra Front fighters," Russia's Defense Ministry said. "The pilot was killed in fighting against terrorists." A video making the rounds on social media showed a dead man with a bloodied face, with bearded gunmen gathered around him. One of the men can be heard shouting "He is Russian." The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified. Last IS bastion The incident comes as Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air support and Iranian arms, have intensified their offensive into Idlib. The province is one of the last rebel-held bastions in Syria. It is also host to several Islamist groups affiliated with al-Qaida. "There have been dozens of Russian airstrikes in the area over the past 24 hours," said Abdurrahman. "This plane was also carrying out raids there." The Syrian regime launched its offensive against Idlib from the south and east in December. Last month, the Syrian army retook the strategic Abu Dhuhur airbase from insurgents in Idlib. According to Jan Egeland, who heads the UN's task force on humanitarian aid for Syria, almost a quarter of a million people have been displaced into or from Idlib since the latest onslaught began less than two months ago. US investigating reports of sarin gas attacks The escalating violence in Idlib comes as the United States launches an investigation into reports the Syrian government recently used sarin gas to attack opposition forces. "We have other reports from the battlefield from people who claim it's been used," US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Friday, although he admitted the US had no proof to back the claims. "We're looking for evidence of it, since clearly we are dealing with the Assad regime that has used denial and deceit to hide their outlaw actions," he added. In April, more than 80 people died in a sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib. That prompted the US to launch airstrikes on a Syrian government military base, although Syria President Bashar Assad has denied the sarin strike was carried out by his troops. Watch video 01:57 Share #MessageBackHome: We want to return and rebuild Syria Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2rJTR #MessageBackHome: We want to return and rebuild Syria dm/cmk (dpa, AFP) ||||| The Russian Defence Ministry said Moscow had retaliated with a strike from an undisclosed high-precision weapon that wipedd out more than 30 militants in an area of Idlib province where the plane was downed. Reports say Russia fired numerous missiles from both the Mediterranean Sea and its Khmeimim air base in Syria. Army bosses said radio intelligence determined that more than 30 Al-Nusra righters were killed in strikes by "precision-guided weapons". Huge explosions have now been reported in a number of coastal areas, as well as Idlib, where the jet was shot down. Syrian rebels shot down Russian warplane Su-25 and killed its pilot on the ground after he ejected from the plane. The SU-25 came down in an area of Syria's northern Idlib province that has seen heavy air strikes and fighting on the ground between government forces backed by Russia and Iran, and rebels who oppose President Bashar al-Assad. Syrians opposed to Assad see Russia as an invading force they blame for the deaths of thousands of civilians since Moscow joined the war on the side of the Syrian government in 2015. The Russian plane was shot down over the town of Khan al-Subl near the city of Saraqeb, close to a major highway where the Syrian army and Iranian-backed militias are trying to advance, a rebel source said. Although the Russian pilot escaped the crash, he was killed by rebels who had tried to capture him, the source said. Tharir al-Sham, a jihadist group spearheaded by the former Syrian branch of al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for shooting down the plane, saying one of its fighters had scored a direct hit with a shoulder launched anti-aircraft missile. Senior commander Mahmoud Turkomani said in a statement released by the group, said: "This work is the least we can do to revenge our people. Let the criminal invaders know that our skies are not a picnic and they will not pass through without paying a price God willing." Russia's Defence Ministry also said that the aircraft was downed by a portable surface-to-air missile. The pilot reported that he had ejected by parachute, and he was later killed on the ground. It said: "The pilot died in a fight with terrorists." ||||| A RUSSIAN pilot who ejected from his fighter jet after it was shot down in northwestern Syria has been killed after landing alive on the ground, according to a Syrian human rights monitoring group. “Rebel factions shot down a Sukhoi 25,” confirmed Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. “The Russian pilot came down in a parachute, before being captured,” confirmed Mr Rahman. He could not immediately confirm which faction had downed the plane but hard line opposition groups and the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham are active in Idlib. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. A Syrian militant in the area told the Associated Press that the Russian pilot was shot and killed when he resisted capture by opening fire from his pistol on the militants who tried to capture him alive. Moscow has not confirmed the downing of its plane or the killing of a pilot. The militant refused to be identified by his real name because was not authorised to speak to the media. Video of the jet being shot down has been posted online. Syrian troops launched a fierce offensive on Idlib in late December, with backing by Russian warplanes. Opposition factions have shot at Syrian regime planes in the past, but downing Russian warplanes is much rarer. ||||| Al Qaeda-linked militants in Syria down a Russian warplane, killing its pilot after he ejects from the plane and lands on the ground in the embattled north-western province of Idlib. Al Qaeda-linked militants in Syria have shot down a Russian warplane, killing its pilot after he ejected from the plane and landed on the ground in the embattled north-western province of Idlib. The pilot resisted being captured and fired at the militants who then shot and killed him, according to one of the militants and Syrian monitors. The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed the downing of the Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack plane and said the pilot was killed in fighting with "terrorists". A report on the ministry's Zvezda TV said preliminary information indicated the plane was shot by a portable ground-to-air missile in an area under control of Al Qaeda's branch in Syria. Video posted on social media appeared to show the plane being hit, while other video showed burning wreckage on the ground, with a red star on a wing. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the plane was downed on Saturday afternoon local time near the rebel-held town of Saraqeb, which Syrian troops have been trying to take under the cover of Russian airstrikes. Monitoring groups say there have been dozens of Russian airstrikes in the area over the past 24 hours. A Russian strike from an undisclosed high-precision weapon killed more than 30 militants in the area where the Russian plane was downed, TASS news agency quoted Russia's Defence Ministry as saying. At least five civilians were killed in another bombing which residents blamed on Russian jets. The UN says 100,000 civilians have been displaced from the area in just the past month. Syria's state news agency SANA said Syrian troops captured a nearby village and hill, cutting links between Saraqeb and the rebel stronghold of Maarest al-Numan to the south. Syrian Government forces and their allies launched a push into Idlib six weeks ago, inching closer to a key highway that connects Syria's two largest cities, Damascus and Aleppo. Russia is a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, and has been waging a military campaign on behalf of his forces since 2015. Russia's Defence Ministry regularly says it targets only hardline Islamist militants in Syria. Meanwhile, fighting raged on Saturday between Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters, and a Syrian Kurdish militia in the northern Syrian enclave of Afrin. The Turkish military said two of its soldiers were killed in Syria and a third was killed on the Turkish side of the border in an attack by Syrian Kurdish militiamen. Syria's civil war, now entering its eighth year, has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven more than 11 million from their homes.
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The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that unidentified rebel factions have shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-25 jet over the Idlib Governorate, near Maarrat al-Nu'man, also killing its pilot. The pilot had escaped with his parachute but was killed on the ground while he fought with a pistol to evade capture. No groups claim responsibility. Russia's Ministry of Defence corroborates this version of events.
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The political crisis in the Maldives deepened Monday, as the government of the island nation said it would not obey a Supreme Court order to free a group of imprisoned opposition leaders. The surprise judicial ruling last week has led to an increasingly tense standoff between the Supreme Court and the government of President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, with protests spilling into the streets of the capital, Male, and soldiers in riot gear deployed to the parliament building to stop lawmakers from meeting. On Monday, Legal Affairs Minister Azima Shakoor said that "the government does not believe that the Supreme Court ruling to release the political prisoners can be enforced." She explained the decision by saying that the Supreme Court had not acted on a series of government letters saying there were "numerous challenges" to implementing it. On Sunday, a Supreme Court statement said that "there are no obstacles in implementing the ruling and releasing political prisoners and that this has been informed to the Prosecutor General's office." There was no immediate comment from Yameen's main rival, exiled former President Mohammed Nasheed, who is among the prisoners ordered freed. The Supreme Court ruled that the political leaders' guilty verdicts had been politically influenced. The ruling has led to protests by opposition supporters urging the government to obey the order. Clashes erupted between police and the political opponents on Thursday and Friday. Soldiers surrounded the parliament building over the weekend to stop lawmakers from entering the building. The United Nations and several foreign governments, including the United States, have urged the Maldives to respect the court order. Nasheed has been living in exile in Britain since 2016 after being given asylum when he traveled there on medical leave from prison. In addition to ordering the release of the political prisoners, the court also reinstated 12 lawmakers who had been ousted for switching allegiance to the opposition. When those lawmakers return, Yameen's Progressive Party of the Maldives will lose its majority in the 85-member parliament, which could result in the legislative body functioning as a rival power to the president. Known for its luxury tourist resorts, the Maldives became a multiparty democracy 10 years ago after decades of autocratic rule by the current president's half brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. But the nation lost much of its democratic gains after Yameen, who has maintained a tight grip on power, was elected in 2013. He had been set to run for re-election this year virtually unopposed, with all of his opponents either jailed or exiled. On Friday, Nasheed said he would mount a fresh challenge for the presidency this year. Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison after he was convicted under the Maldives' anti-terror laws. The trial that was widely condemned by international rights groups. ||||| The Maldives government has declared a 15-day state of emergency as the political crisis deepened over a stand-off between the president and the supreme court in the Indian Ocean nation. A surprise supreme court ruling last week ordering the release of imprisoned opposition leaders has led to growing turmoil, with the president lashing out at the court, opposition protests spilling into the streets of the capital, Male, and soldiers in riot gear deployed to the parliament building to stop MPs from entering. The extent of the emergency order is not immediately clear. President Yameen Abdul Gayoom said on state television: "During this time, though certain rights will be restricted, general movements, services and businesses will not be affected." Opposition protests spilling into the streets of the capital, Male. Exiled former president Mohammed Nasheed - Mr Yameen's main political rival - is among the people who were ordered released by the court. Mr Yameen, in a letter to the court released by his office earlier on Monday, said the order had encroached on the powers of the state and was an "infringement of national security and public interest". He urged the court to "review the concerns" of the government. Officials said the court had not properly responded to a series of letters citing problems with implementing the order, including that the cases against the political prisoners are at different legal stages. A supreme court statement on Sunday said "there are no obstacles in implementing the ruling ... and that this has been informed to the prosecutor general's office". The supreme court ruled that the politicians' guilty verdicts had been politically influenced. The ruling has led to protests by opposition supporters urging the government to obey the order. The United Nations and several foreign governments, including the United States, have urged the Maldives to respect the court order. Mr Nasheed has been living in exile in the UK since 2016 after being granted asylum when he travelled there on medical leave from prison. In addition to ordering the release of the political prisoners, the court also reinstated 12 MPs who had been ousted for switching allegiance to the opposition. When those MPs return, Mr Yameen's Progressive Party of the Maldives will lose its majority in the 85-member parliament, which could result in the legislative body functioning as a rival power to the president. Known for its luxury tourist resorts, the Maldives became a multi-party democracy 10 years ago after decades of autocratic rule by the current president's half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. But the nation lost much of its democratic gains after Mr Yameen, who has maintained a tight grip on power, was elected in 2013. He had been set to run for re-election this year virtually unopposed, with all of his opponents either jailed or exiled. On Friday, Mr Nasheed said he would mount a fresh challenge for the presidency this year. Mr Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison after he was convicted under the Maldives' anti-terror laws. The trial was widely condemned by international rights groups. ||||| NEW DELHI: Beleaguered Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen has declared a 15-day state of Emergency, his aide Azima Shukoor announced on state television on Monday night. The move gives sweeping powers to security forces to arrest and detain suspects as Yameen refuses to comply with a Supreme Court order to release political prisoners.India is in touch with friendly countries including West Asian nations after the Supreme Court of Maldives sought its intervention amid a snowballing political crisis as President Abdulla Yameen chose to suspend parliament instead of complying with the court's order directing release of nine lawmakers, a step that would have restored the opposition's majority."As a matter of principle India does not interfere in the internal politics of any country. But it won't be surprising if any of the friendly countries impresses upon President Abdullah Yameen to arrest the situation," said an expert on India-Maldives relations, who did not wish to be identified.Some of the West Asian nations have a strong influence on Yameen. "Maldives is extremely critical for India's security interests and the unfolding situation warrants close monitoring," the expert said.India, like some other countries in the region and beyond, has been worried over the growing trend of fundamentalism in Maldives, where sections of youth have been lured to join ISIS. The latest crisis was triggered when the Maldivian SC last Thursday ordered the release of some opposition leaders, including former president Mohammed Nasheed, after overturning their "terrorism" convictions. ||||| Former Leader And Two Supreme Court Judges Arrested In Maldives State Of Emergency The government of President Yameen Abdul Gayoom has arrested an opposition leader and two Supreme Court judges hours after declaring a 15-day state of emergency in the Indian Ocean country best known for its luxury tourist resorts. The action escalates tensions after the nation's Supreme Court ordered the government to release nine jailed opposition leaders. Opposition leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who also served as president between 1978 to 2008, has been charged with bribery and attempting to overthrow the government. As The Associated Press reports: "The 15-day emergency decree issued late Monday gives the government sweeping powers to make arrests, search and seize property and restricts freedom of assembly, officials said. "Soon after the declaration, security forces stormed into the Supreme Court building, where Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and judge Ali Hamid were arrested. The charges against them have not been specified. The whereabouts of the court's other two judges were not known Tuesday morning. "Since the surprise, unanimous ruling last week ordering the release of imprisoned opposition leaders, President Yameen Abdul Gayoom has lashed out at the court, opposition protests have spilled into the streets of the capital, Male, and soldiers in riot gear have stopped lawmakers from meeting in the parliament building." The detained opposition leader, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, is the estranged half-brother of the current president Yameen Abdul Gayoom. NPR's Julie McCarthy reports that the president's crackdown has tarnished the image, and no doubt the revenues, of the Maldives as an upmarket holiday destination and many parties are looking to India to pressure the government to ensure the rule of law. In a statement, Department of State spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the United States "is troubled and disappointed" by reports of the state of emergency. Another opposition leader, former President Mohamed Nasheed issue a statement from Sri Lanka denouncing President Yameen's state of emergency: Nasheed, the Maldives first democratically elected leader, recently told the BBC that he plans to return from exile to contest elections. ||||| The Maldives government has declared a state of emergency for 15 days amid a political crisis in the island nation. The state of emergency gives security officials extra powers to arrest suspects, reports say. The government has already suspended parliament and ordered the army to resist any moves by the Supreme Court to impeach President Abdulla Yameen. The court had ordered the reinstatement of 12 MPs, which would see the opposition majority restored. In a landmark decision, it also ruled the trial of ex-President Mohamed Nasheed unconstitutional. Following the Supreme Court's decision on Friday, the government sacked the police commissioner who had pledged to enforce the court ruling. It also ordered the detention of two opposition MPs who had returned to the Maldives, and warned that any court order to arrest the president for not complying with the Supreme Court ruling would be illegal. Opposition MP Eva Abdulla said in a statement that the state of emergency was "a desperate move" that showed the government had "lost everything [including the] confidence of the people and institutions". Mr Nasheed, who is currently in Sri Lanka, was the island's first democratically elected leader. The Maldives has seen political unrest since he was convicted in 2015 under anti-terrorism laws for ordering the arrest of a judge. His conviction and 13-year sentence was internationally condemned, and he was given political asylum in the UK. The Maldives previously declared a state of emergency in November 2015, after the government said it was investigating a plot to assassinate Mr Yameen. That move also came two days before a planned protest by the country's main opposition, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). The Indian Ocean nation has been independent from Britain for 53 years. It was ruled for decades autocratically by then President Maumoon Abdul Gayhoom but became a multi-party democracy in 2008. However since President Yameen took power in 2013 it has faced questions over freedom of speech, the detention of opponents and the independence of the judiciary. The nation is made up of 26 coral atolls and 1,192 individual islands, and is popular among foreigners as a luxury tourist destination. ||||| Maldivian opposition supporters scuffle with security forces officers during a protest demanding the release of political prisoners in Male. (File Photo | AP) NEW DELHI: With Maldives in turmoil following a face-off between the government and its Supreme Court, India is expected to follow a standard operating procedure (SOP) that includes keeping the troops in readiness, government sources indicated today. India, which said it was "disturbed" over the situation in the archipelago nation, has already issued a travel advisory as part of the SOP but officials would not confirm one of its crucial aspects pertaining to keeping troops on standby. Sources said troop movement has been seen at a key airbase in Southern India. According to the SOP, the troops are kept ready to meet any eventuality, crisis or requirement for help, sources said, adding there is nothing unusual about such SOPs. Significantly, exiled former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed today sought India's diplomatic and military intervention to resolve the crisis in the country after President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency and got arrested the top judge of the country's apex court. The Indian Navy patrols sea lanes around Maldives as naval cooperation between the two countries are robust. India had yesterday asked its nationals to defer all nonessential travels to the Indian Ocean nation until further notice. In an advisory, the external affairs ministry also asked Indian expatriates in Maldives to maintain heightened security awareness. The picturesque Indian Ocean archipelago, which has seen a number of political crises since the ouster of its first democratically-elected president Nasheed in 2012, plunged into chaos on Thursday last when the apex court ordered the release of nine imprisoned opposition politicians, maintaining that their trials were "politically motivated and flawed". The Yameen government refused to implement the order, prompting a wave of protests in capital Male, with clashes between police and demonstrators. Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another judge, Ali Hameed, were arrested hours after President Yameen declared a state of emergency yesterday. No details were given about the investigation or charges against them. Former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has allied himself with the opposition, was also detained at his home. ||||| India on Tuesday said that it was disturbed by the situation in the Maldives where President Abdulla Yameen has declared a state of emergency and has put judges and political leaders behind the bars.”We are disturbed by the declaration of a state of emergency in the Maldives following the refusal of the government to abide by the unanimous ruling of the full bench of the Supreme Court on February 1, and also by the suspension of constitutional rights of the people of Maldives,” the External Affairs Ministry said in statement. “The arrest of the Supreme Court Chief Justice and political figures are also reasons for concern,” it stated. “Government continues to carefully monitor the situation.”The statement comes after former Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed, earlier in the day, sought India’s help to resolve the raging political crisis in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation. Taking to Twitter, Nasheed said that he was requesting India, on behalf of the Maldivian people, to send its envoy, “backed by its military”, to release judges and political detainees, including former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom Nasheed, who lives in self-exile in Britain, also requested the US “to stop all financial transactions of Maldives regime leaders going through US banks”. Meanwhile, in his first public statement after clamping a 15-day state of emergency and jailing the country’s Chief Justice, President Yameen in a live address on Tuesday said he had taken the move as the top judge and another apex court judge were involved in corruption and also alleged a “coup” by them – indirectly disobeying his orders, including making moves to impeach him. Maldivian police arrested Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed from the Supreme Court at around 3 a.m., after an almost seven-hour siege and took them to a detention facility outside Male. The Maldives has been facing unrest after the Supreme Court ruled last week to release top opposition political leaders including former President Nasheed and former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb. The US State Department said it was “troubled and disappointed” by the developments in the archipelago nation, while British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called on President Yameen to lift the emergency. India, China and Britain have issued travel warnings for their citizens. ||||| The political crisis in the Maldives deepened Monday, as the government of the island nation said it would not obey a Supreme Court order to free a group of imprisoned opposition leaders. The surprise judicial ruling last week has led to an increasingly tense standoff between the Supreme Court and the government of President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, with protests spilling into the streets of the capital, Male, and soldiers in riot gear deployed to the parliament building to stop lawmakers from meeting. On Monday, Legal Affairs Minister Azima Shakoor said that "the government does not believe that the Supreme Court ruling to release the political prisoners can be enforced." She explained the decision by saying that the Supreme Court had not acted on a series of government letters saying there were "numerous challenges" to implementing it. On Sunday, a Supreme Court statement said that "there are no obstacles in implementing the ruling and releasing political prisoners and that this has been informed to the Prosecutor General's office." There was no immediate comment from Yameen's main rival, exiled former President Mohammed Nasheed, who is among the prisoners ordered freed. The Supreme Court ruled that the political leaders' guilty verdicts had been politically influenced. The ruling has led to protests by opposition supporters urging the government to obey the order. Clashes erupted between police and the political opponents on Thursday and Friday. Soldiers surrounded the parliament building over the weekend to stop lawmakers from entering the building. The United Nations and several foreign governments, including the United States, have urged the Maldives to respect the court order. Nasheed has been living in exile in Britain since 2016 after being given asylum when he traveled there on medical leave from prison. In addition to ordering the release of the political prisoners, the court also reinstated 12 lawmakers who had been ousted for switching allegiance to the opposition. When those lawmakers return, Yameen's Progressive Party of the Maldives will lose its majority in the 85-member parliament, which could result in the legislative body functioning as a rival power to the president. Known for its luxury tourist resorts, the Maldives became a multiparty democracy 10 years ago after decades of autocratic rule by the current president's half brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. But the nation lost much of its democratic gains after Yameen, who has maintained a tight grip on power, was elected in 2013. He had been set to run for re-election this year virtually unopposed, with all of his opponents either jailed or exiled. On Friday, Nasheed said he would mount a fresh challenge for the presidency this year. Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison after he was convicted under the Maldives' anti-terror laws. The trial that was widely condemned by international rights groups. ||||| The political crisis in the Maldives deepened this week after embattled President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency and ordered the arrest of top judges and a former president. The upmarket holiday paradise does not often find itself in the news but a shock Supreme Court decision last week ordering the release of top opposition politicians has triggered a furious response from authoritarian ruler Yameen. How will the latest round of political strife play out in the Indian Ocean archipelago? Yameen, who came to power in 2013, has presided over an escalating crackdown on dissent that has battered the Maldives' reputation. He has jailed almost all the political opposition. The Maldives was plunged into fresh chaos this week after the president refused to comply with the Supreme Court's Thursday order to release nine dissidents and restore the seats of 12 legislators sacked for defecting from Yameen's party. The Supreme Court ruling gives the opposition the majority in the assembly - meaning they could potentially impeach the president. In a stunning blow to the regime, it also paves the way for exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed - the first democratically elected leader who was controversially convicted of terrorism in 2015 - to return and run for president this year. On Monday, Yameen sent soldiers to storm the court and arrest judges, with Maldives police also detaining Yameen's estranged half-brother and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had sided with the main opposition. Hundreds of people gathered outside the court complex and police used pepper spray to disperse the crowds. Where do the security forces stand? The head of the armed forces is publicly backing Yameen. "The Maldives military will not standby and watch Maldives go in to a crisis," military chief Ahmed Shiyam said Sunday, warning he would not obey "unlawful orders" from the Supreme Court. But as ex-president Gayoom - who ruled for 30 years until 2008 elections - was led out of his house, riot police saluted him, according to the local Maldives Independent website, and analysts have warned his arrest could split the security forces as he still commands deep respect. The emergency declaration gives sweeping powers to security forces to arrest and detain individuals, curtails the powers of the judiciary and bars parliament from impeaching Yameen. The opposition says it shows Yameen is "desperate" and Nasheed, who has previously expressed fears of unrest in the troubled Indian Ocean nation, said it amounted to imposing martial law. Yameen has drawn close to China and Saudi Arabia during his time in office, with both countries investing heavily in the tiny tourist archipelago in the Indian Ocean, and may feel he has enough support to weather the storm. How did we get here? Mohamed Nasheed became the country's first democratically elected president in 2008 and swiftly became an international celebrity because of his urgent pleas to address climate change. He held a cabinet meeting underwater to highlight the low-lying archipelago's plight. The country has been locked in a slow-burn political crisis since Yameen won a controversial run-off against Nasheed in 2013 presidential elections. During his time in power "President Yameen has systematically alienated his coalition, jailed or exiled every major opposition political figure, deprived elected Members of Parliament of their right to represent their voters... revised laws to erode human rights (and fired) any officials who refuse orders," the US State Department said. What about the tourists? The tensions have already hurt the tourism industry - the largest contributor to the country's economy - despite government assurances that visitors are safe. China - the number one source of tourists for the Maldives - and neighbouring India have already warned their national to defer all non-essential travel, and the UK and the US have warned their nationals to exercise caution in Male. In 2015, when the government declared a state of emergency because of fears of terrorism, tourist booking plummeted which hit economic growth hard. Nearly 1.4 million foreigners visited the Maldives last year, up from 1.28 million the previous year. What happens next? All eyes are on the security forces to see what will happen now that Gayoom is in detention, and whether further street protests will break out despite the state of emergency. Nasheed has already said he will run again in elections scheduled for this year and has called for regional super power India to intervene. Yameen, who has previously faced several unsuccessful opposition attempts to impeach him for alleged corruption, looks determined to fight off all challenges to his rule Opposition legislators have also called on the international community to pressure Yameen. ||||| MALE (Reuters) - Maldives police arrested former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on Monday, his spokesman Abdul Aleem told Reuters, hours after President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency for 15 days, in an escalation of a legal battle with the archipelago’s top court. Gayoom, who is Yameen’s half-brother and ruled the country for 30 years until 2008, was arrested at his residence, along with his son-in-law. Yameen has defied a Supreme Court ruling ordering jailed opposition leaders to be freed, including Gayoom’s son Farish, an opposition lawmaker.
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The President of the Maldives, Abdulla Yameen, declares a 15-day state of emergency. Security forces storm the Supreme Court of the Maldives in a bid to block the court-ordered release of jailed opposition politicians. Police arrest former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
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In a historic first, SpaceX launched the world’s most powerful operational rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday. By nailing the giant rocket’s first flight, and landing its two side boosters on the ground, the Hawthorne company set the stage for faster and cheaper launches of satellites — particularly lucrative national security satellites and other cargo. The test payload for the demonstration mission was SpaceX founder and Chief Executive Elon Musk’s midnight cherry Tesla Roadster. The car was shown by remote camera separating from the rocket and heading out toward Mars, a dummy “Starman” behind the wheel, wearing a SpaceX-designed spacesuit that will eventually be worn by astronauts riding in the company’s Dragon 2 capsule. A sign saying “Don’t Panic!” in all capital letters was seen on the dashboard console. “I had this image of just a giant explosion on the pad with a wheel bouncing down the road,” Musk said during a post-launch news conference Tuesday afternoon. “Fortunately, that’s not what happened.” After liftoff, SpaceX attempted to land all three of Falcon Heavy’s boosters back on Earth — two on land and one on a floating platform at sea. Musk had described the attempt as “synchronized aerial ballet.” About eight minutes after liftoff, the two side boosters set down simultaneously on land. Advertisement The rocket’s center core, which was set to touch down on a floating sea platform, did not fare as well. During the news conference, Musk said the booster hit the water at a speed of about 300 mph and was about 328 feet away from the floating platform, taking out two of the drone ship’s thrusters and showering the deck with shrapnel. Musk said two of three engines on the core did not ignite during the landing attempt. But he said the company was not planning to reuse the core or the two side boosters from this particular mission. The launch occurred at 12:45 p.m. PST from Launch Complex 39A, the same launch pad where the Saturn V rocket last lifted off to take astronauts to the moon 45 years ago. The launch was originally set for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, but it was delayed several times Tuesday to wait out high upper-atmosphere winds. About 4 minutes after launch, the rocket’s fairing — the clamshell-like covering that protects payloads at the top of the rocket — deployed successfully. Advertisement On a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon, Musk said the Tesla would do a “grand tour” through the Van Allen belts, an area of high radiation that surrounds the Earth, as part of a six-hour coast in deep space that is intended to demonstrate to the U.S. Air Force that Falcon Heavy can meet specific orbit-insertion requirements. If the car survives that environment, then it will continue on to an elliptical orbit around the sun that at times will come close to Mars, with an “extremely tiny” chance it will hit the Red Planet, though Musk said, “I wouldn’t hold your breath.” The journey of Starman and the Tesla is being live-streamed by SpaceX on YouTube. About 2:50 p.m. Pacific time, the car and its driver were seen drifting through space with Earth looming behind. Musk said Tuesday that he thought the payload was “silly and fun.” “I think the imagery of it is something that’s going to get people excited around the world,” he said. “It’s still tripping me out.” Falcon Heavy is the most powerful U.S. rocket since the Saturn V. First announced to the public in 2011, Falcon Heavy was expected to generate 5.1 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and be capable of carrying more than 140,000 pounds to low-Earth orbit. Advertisement The launch of Falcon Heavy sets SpaceX up as an even more powerful competitor in the private space industry, particularly in terms of heavy-lift capacity. Although other companies, such as Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Orbital ATK, are also developing giant rockets to hoist heavy payloads to space, Tuesday’s successful launch gives SpaceX several years of lead time, said Marco Caceres, senior space analyst at Teal Group. “It’s just changing the whole game,” he said. “The fact that you have a brand-new rocket that is the most powerful rocket and it’s a success on the first try, that’s big news.” With its large payload capacity, the Falcon Heavy is expected to help SpaceX win contracts that require more capability than its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. “When you’re talking about highly classified payloads or special missions, you really want to be sure you’ve got capacity,” Ellen Tauscher, former U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, who serves on SpaceX’s board of advisors, said Tuesday. Analysts have said that the commercial launch market for large satellites is tight and that SpaceX would need to secure new opportunities, such as NASA planetary missions, to maximize its investment in Falcon Heavy — which, on Tuesday, Musk pegged at more than half a billion dollars. But its huge payload capacity and price tag — launches start at $90 million — could change things, said Bill Ostrove, aerospace and defense analyst at Forecast International. “With a price point at that level, we don’t know what’s going to develop going forward,” he said. Falcon Heavy won’t even be the largest rocket SpaceX intends to build. On Tuesday, Musk said the rocket’s successful test flight gave him confidence in the company’s upcoming BFR spaceship and rocket system, which he has said will carry people to colonize Mars. Musk first promised that a demonstration flight of the massive rocket would occur in 2012. But SpaceX, whose full name is Space Exploration Technologies Corp., found that development of the 27-engine behemoth was more difficult than initially expected. Advertisement After a successful static fire almost two weeks ago, anticipation had been building for Falcon Heavy’s first flight. By noon Pacific time Monday, Kennedy Space Center’s visitor center tweeted that no more tickets were available to watch the launch from designated viewing spots. Musk tried to temper expectations, going as far as to say that there was a “good chance” the rocket would not make it to orbit on the first flight and that he hoped the spacecraft made it “far enough away from the pad that it does not cause pad damage.” “I would even consider that a win, to be honest,” he told an audience at a space conference in Washington this summer. Tauscher, who as a representative for California’s 10th Congressional District served on the House Armed Services Committee, said Tuesday that the launch would be an opportunity to learn. “You have to be innovative,” she said. “You have to be willing to do tests that give you the answers you’re looking for.” On Monday, Musk told reporters he didn’t feel that stressed about the launch. “I feel quite giddy and happy, actually,” Musk said. “We’ve done everything we could to maximize the chance of success for this mission.” [email protected] Twitter: @smasunaga UPDATES: 5:15 p.m.: This article was updated with post-launch news conference comments from SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk. 3:15 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from analyst Bill Ostrove. 2:40 p.m.: This article was updated with more details from the launch and comments from analyst Marco Caceres. 1:25 p.m.: This article was updated with more details from the launch. 1:10 p.m.: This article was updated with the launch. 10:45 a.m.: This article was updated with another launch delay. 10:05 a.m.: This article was updated with another launch delay and with comments from Ellen Tauscher, a member of SpaceX’s board of advisors. 9:10 a.m.: This article was updated with a launch delay. This article was originally published at 5 a.m. ||||| SAN FRANCISCO — Seriously people. Forget P.T. Barnum. Elon Musk is who you mean. When it comes to extravagant marketing moves, few 21st-century entrepreneurs can hold a candle to the SpaceX and Tesla CEO. Here's the latest: Musk tests out SpaceX's newest, biggest rocket, the Falcon Heavy, on Tuesday in Florida. Riding shotgun will be a new Tesla Roadster featuring a dummy (one assumes) wearing a Musk & Co. space suit. Destination: Mars. Musk released a few photos of his space-bound red sports car with dummy driver on Instagram Monday, with the simple caption "Starman and Red Roadster." They're seen sitting atop what looks like the nose cone of the Falcon Heavy, a powerful new rocket whose successful inaugural test flight could lead to commercial launches in the fall. SpaceX also produced an animated video that depicts the planned stages of the Falcon Heavy flight. Set appropriately to David Bowie's Life on Mars?, the animation shows how the three powerful boosters get the Starman and his Tesla Roadster on its way before returning to SpaceX launchpads to be used again. The Starman, left arm hanging out over the door like some Saturday night hot rodder, is left to placidly guide his mean machine into Martian orbit. If aliens ever caught a glimpse of this sight, there's no telling what they would think. Musk first teased that he might be up to this memorable stunt in December, shortly after he unveiled the new version of the two-seat electric coupe, effectively stealing the show from his wickedly fast Tesla Semi truck. Both vehicles aren't due for a few years. Last fall, Musk teased images of the space suits his company was designing along with a crew pod that would be used to take NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. The entrepreneur, who made his seminal fortune as one of the four men behind PayPal, has been aggressive about pursuing new forms of transportation here and in outer space. His electric car company is grappling with production snags on its entry-level Model 3, a critical model that could usher in an era of mainstream EVs. He also is trying to sell the nation on solar at time when the current administration is touting traditional fuels such as fossil and coal. And his Boring Company hopes to drill tunnels to accommodate high speed sleds that would shuttle car commuters in their cars past traffic jams at high speeds. Musk also is know for his rather outlandish sense of humor. After the Boring Company starting selling baseball caps with its droll logo, Musk mentioned that next up for sale on the site would be flamethrowers. Those quickly sold out, and were promoted with a short clip showing Musk wielding one of the weapons with a childlike grin on his face. This all means that if the Falcon Heavy gets another run, the giant rocket may get adorned with yet more wares from Musk's big tent — say some Tesla solar roof tiles. Or maybe a Powerwall energy storage device (on sale soon at your neighborhood Home Depot.) ||||| The world's most powerful rocket, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, blasted off on Tuesday on its highly anticipated maiden test flight, carrying CEO Elon Musk's cherry red Tesla Roadster toward an orbit near Mars. With this debut, the Falcon Heavy becomes the most capable launch vehicle out there. The SpaceX CEO said the challenges of developing the new rocket meant the chances of a successful first outing might be only 50-50. "I had this image of just a giant explosion on the pad, a wheel bouncing down the road. But fortunately, that's not what happened," Musk told reporters after the event. Such performance is slightly more than double that of the world's next most powerful rocket, the Delta IV Heavy - but at one-third of the cost, according to Musk. The rocket carried a playful payload: Mr Musk's red Roadster, an electric sports car built by his other company, Tesla. Strapped inside the car is a mannequin wearing one of SpaceX's spacesuits. They are expected to orbit the sun for hundreds of millions of years. SpaceX's webcast showed the Tesla Roadster soaring into space, as David Bowie's "Space Oddity" played in the background -- with the words "DON'T PANIC" visible on the dashboard, in an apparent nod to the sci-fi series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Musk said that he expects the Tesla to zoom around in orbit for hundreds of millions of years. “At times it will come extremely close to Mars,” he said. “And there's a tiny chance that it will hit Mars. Extremely tiny.” The initial Falcon Heavy launch put the sports car into Earth's orbit for six hours, where it beamed its view of the globe. At 9:30 pm ET, the re-firing of a booster rocket sent the car on its way to Mars' orbit, passing SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, California, just south of Los Angeles. NASA is currently building a heavy-lift rocket of its own, the Space Launch System, or SLS, that will surpass the Heavy in lift-off and payload capacity and is supposed to someday return humans to the moon. But the first flight of the SLS is expected to take place in late 2019, and delays could push that even further. So SpaceX seems to be holding onto the record for quite some time to come. At an estimated $90 million per launch, the Falcon Heavy is the cheapest heavy-lift launch option for potential customers ranging from commercial satellite companies to even NASA. ||||| SpaceX’s new rocket the Falcon Heavy has blasted off on its first test flight, carrying a red sports car on an endless road trip past Mars. The rocket rose from the same Florida launch pad used by Nasa nearly 50 years ago to send men to the moon. With liftoff, the Heavy became the most powerful rocket in use today. The three boosters and 27 engines roared to life at Kennedy Space Centre, where thousands gathered to watch the launch, which had been delayed by high wind. Two of the boosters are recycled and programmed to return for another touchdown on land. The third is new and has its sights on an ocean platform. SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk owns the rocketing Tesla Roadster, which is aiming for a solar orbit reaching Mars. ||||| CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The first-ever test flight for SpaceX’s monstrous new rocket is planned for Tuesday. It’s called Falcon Heavy and it’ll become the most powerful rocket in use. WATCH LIVE: SpaceX launches the Falcon Heavy, the rocket that could go to Mars The rocket is poised for its first test at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Takeoff is slated to happen Tuesday between 10:30 a.m. PST and 1 p.m. PST. “People [came] from all around the world to see what will either be a great rocket launch or the best fireworks display they’ve ever seen,” Elon Musk said in an interview with CNN’s Rachel Crane. If Tuesday doesn’t work out, due to weather or some other delay, there’s a backup launch window on Wednesday. Why all the buzz for this launch? For one, this rocket is built by SpaceX, the game-changing company helmed by billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk. SpaceX has shaken up the rocket industry by becoming the first company to successfully reuse rocket boosters in order bring down the cost of space flight. To do that, it guides the rockets back to Earth for a safe landing after they send their payloads into orbit. So far, SpaceX has safely recaptured first-stage boosters after 21 of its 40-plus Falcon 9 launches. The Falcon Heavy rocket is essentially three Falcon 9s strapped together, which means there are three first-stage rocket boosters. SpaceX will try to guide all three of those boosters back to Earth after launch. Two will attempt a synchronized landing back at Kennedy Space Center, and the third will land on a droneship. It should also be noted that two of those rocket boosters are actually used Falcon 9 boosters that have flown on previous missions. And Musk has thrown in a branding stunt with this launch. Most first-time rocket test flights have a dummy payload on board. But instead of a hunk of metal, Musk has opted to send his personal Tesla roadster to space with this launch. The plan is to send the car into an orbit around the Sun that will, at times, be as far away from the Sun as Mars. Musk says the car will play an endless loop of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” Of course, there’s a chance this rocket doesn’t make it to orbit. Because of its design, it’s extremely difficult to test this rocket on the ground. So SpaceX says putting it on a launch pad and seeing if it flies is the next step in the design process. SpaceX has taken a long time preparing for this test launch. The company said back in 2011 that the rocket would be ready in 2013. That target eventually moved to November 2017, then December. But now, with a firm launch date in place, it’s clear the company is dead set on getting this rocket in the air. If you’re not lucky enough to be in the Cape Canaveral area, you can watch the launch online here. ||||| However, it will be some time before we know whether the Falcon Heavy's demo flight was a full success. After liftoff, the rocket will coast for six hours before a trans-Mars injection burn. Elon Musk revealed the details of the Falcon Heavy mission in a conference call with the press earlier this week and emphasized the risks at every stage of the flight. The successful launch of the Falcon Heavy signals a giant step forward in spaceflight; it is the most powerful operational rocket in the world. The rocket has a few more launches scheduled, but now that SpaceX has demonstrated that it works (and assuming the mission goes well), it's likely more customers will be interested in the Falcon Heavy. Update, 4:19 PM ET: We're still not sure what's going on with the core booster. We'll update as soon as there's word from SpaceX. Update: 4:40 PM ET: Looks like the upper stage of the rocket is performing as expected, according to Elon Musk. ||||| SpaceX has done it again. The pioneering rocket firm just pulled off the unexpected, and carried out what appears to be a seamless first-ever launch of its massive new rocket, called Falcon Heavy. That makes SpaceX, the game-changing company helmed by billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the owner of the world's most powerful operational rocket. Falcon Heavy took flight Tuesday around 3:45 pm ET from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "I'm still trying to absorb everything that happened because it's still kind of surreal to me," Musk told reporters after the launch. Thousands of onlookers in Florida could be heard cheering on the company's livestream, which was viewed by about 3 million people. In the run up to launch, it wasn't at all clear that the rocket would work. "People [came] from all around the world to see what will either be a great rocket launch or the best fireworks display they've ever seen," Musk said in an interview with CNN's Rachel Crane Monday. Related: Falcon Heavy: How it stacks up with other massive rockets The rocket's smooth takeoff wasn't the only stunning thing about this launch. In a never-before-seen feat, SpaceX also managed to guide at least two of the Falcon Heavy's first-stage rocket boosters to land upright back on Earth. They cut back through the Earth's atmosphere and landed in unison at a Kennedy Space Center landing pad. "That was probably the most exciting thing I've ever seen -- literally ever," Musk said. The third booster was supposed to land on a sea-faring platform called a droneship -- but just as it was about to land, the livestream cut out. Musk confirmed after the launch that the booster made a crashed. On board the rocket that's now headed deeper into space is Musk's personal Tesla (TSLA) roadster. At the wheel is a dummy dressed in a spacesuit. Musk said in December the car would play David Bowie's "Space Oddity" on repeat. Cameras on board the car show it cruising by Earth, which appears as a big blue orb in the background. Musk plans to send the car into orbit around the sun. He announced last year he planned to put his car on the inaugural Falcon Heavy flight. When asked on Twitter why he wanted to throw away a $100,000 vehicle, he replied, "I love the thought of a car drifting apparently endlessly through space and perhaps being discovered by an alien race millions of years in the future." Related: Everything you need to know about SpaceX's Falcon Heavy Tuesday's success marked a huge step forward for a company that's already managed to shake up the rocket industry with its groundbreaking technology. The company made the world take notice when it proved it can safely return first-stage rocket boosters to Earth with its Falcon 9 rocket, which the company has used for more than 40 missions dating back to 2012. Those rockets have a single first-stage booster, and SpaceX has safely recaptured them after 21 Falcon 9 launches. Now, SpaceX routinely puts used boosters back to work. In fact, the inaugural Falcon Heavy flight actually used two pre-flown Falcon 9 boosters (the center booster was new.) Reusing hardware is part of SpaceX's plan to drive down the cost of launches. Before SpaceX came along, companies just discarded rockets after each mission. Note the Falcon Heavy is not the most powerful rocket in history. That honor belongs to NASA's Saturn V rocket, which was used for the Apollo moon landings and was retired in the 1970s. ||||| CAPE CANAVERAL: The world’s most powerful rocket, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, blasted off Tuesday on its highly anticipated maiden test flight, carrying CEO Elon Musk’s cherry red Tesla Roadster toward an orbit near Mars. Screams and cheers erupted at mission control in Cape Canaveral, Florida as the massive rocket fired its 27 engines and rumbled into the blue sky over the same NASA launchpad that served as a base for the US missions to the Moon four decades ago. “The mission went as well as one could have hoped,” an ecstatic Musk told reporters after the launch, calling it “probably the most exciting thing I have seen literally ever.” “I had this image of a giant explosion on the pad with a wheel bouncing down the road with the Tesla logo landing somewhere,” he said. “Fortunately that is not what happened.” Loaded with Musk’s red Tesla and a mannequin in a spacesuit, the monster rocket’s historic test voyage captured the world’s imagination. SpaceX’s webcast showed the Tesla Roadster soaring into space, as David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” played in the background — with the words “DON’T PANIC” visible on the dashboard, in an apparent nod to the sci-fi series the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Musk posted a live video showing the “Starman” mannequin appearing to cruise, its gloved hand on the wheel, through the darkness of space, with the Earth’s image reflected on the car’s glossy red surface. If the Roadster survives its five-hour journey through the Van Allen Belt — a region of high radiation where it will be pelted with charged particles — it will attempt a final burn toward Mars, Musk said. Then, the car would enter an orbit around the Sun that brings it close to Mars, on a journey that could last a billion years and take it as far as 250 million miles (400 million kilometers) from Earth, the same as a trip around the equator 10,000 times. “Maybe it will be discovered by some future alien race,” Musk told reporters. “What were these guys doing? Did they worship this car?” he mused. More about the status of the car’s journey is expected in the coming hours. The Roadster was also outfitted with a data storage unit containing Isaac Asimov’s science fiction book series, the Foundation Trilogy, and a plaque bearing the names of 6,000 SpaceX employees. About two minutes into the flight, the two side boosters peeled away from the center core and made their way back toward Earth for an upright landing. Both rockets landed side by side in unison on launchpads, live video images showed. The third, center booster failed to land on an ocean platform — known as a droneship — as planned. “It didn’t have enough propellant,” Musk said, adding that it plunged into the ocean about 100 meters (yards) away from its landing point. “Apparently it hit the water at 300 miles (480 kilometers) an hour and took out two of the engines,” he added. Experts said the launch would likely catch the eye of the US space agency NASA, which may consider using the Falcon Heavy as a way to fast-track its plans to reach the Moon again for the first time since 1972. Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana said “the successful launch of a new vehicle on its first flight is a significant accomplishment they can be very proud of.” Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield tweeted: “What we’re watching is @SpaceX leaving all other rocket companies in the dust. Congrats to everyone there!” The Falcon Heavy launched from the same NASA pad that was the base for the Apollo-era Moon missions of the 1960s and 1970s. It is “the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two,” SpaceX said. That means it can carry twice the payload of United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV Heavy, at a far lower cost — about $90 million per launch compared to $350 million for its competitor. But the Falcon Heavy is not the most powerful rocket ever — just the biggest in operation today. The Saturn V rocket that propelled astronauts to the Moon could deliver more payload to orbit. The Soviet-era Energia, which flew twice in 1987 and 1988, was also more powerful. The Falcon Heavy is essentially three smaller, Falcon 9 rockets strapped together, adding up to a total of 27 engines. The 230-foot (70-meter) tall rocket is designed to carry nearly 141,000 pounds (64 metric tonnes) into orbit — more than the mass of a fully loaded 737 jetliner. It was initially intended to restore the possibility of sending humans to the Moon or Mars, but those plans have shifted and now the Falcon Heavy is being considered mainly as a potential equipment carrier to these deep space destinations, Musk said Monday. Instead, another rocket and spaceship combination being developed by SpaceX, nicknamed BFR — alternately known as “Big Fucking Rocket,” or “Big Falcon Rocket” — would be the vehicle eventually certified for travelers. AFP ||||| The Falcon Heavy rocket will launch from the same pad that NASA used for Apollo 11 that saw Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin whisked away to the moon - it will also be the most powerful launch since the Saturn V. The paperwork refers to the “modified Tesla Roadster (mass simulator)” that is contained within the rocket and will be launched into space. It reads: “’Flight’ shall mean the flight of a Falcon Heavy launch vehicle, commencing with the ignition of the first stage from Kennedy Space Centre (KSC) and transporting the modified Tesla Roadster to a hyperbolic orbit. “Flight includes landing of the Falcon Heavy first stage core and side boosters as indicated in the license application. “A flight is concluded upon SpaceX's last exercise of control over the Falcon Heavy vehicle, including the de-arming of Falcon Heavy vehicle stages or components that reach a hyperbolic orbit.” Mr Musk added that the destination of the Roadster “is Mars' orbit” as he joked that it will sit in “deep space for a billion years” as long as it does not “blow up on ascent”. He tweeted: “Payload will be my midnight cherry Tesla Roadster playing Space Oddity. Destination is Mars orbit. “Will be in deep space for a billion years or so if it doesn’t blow up on the ascent.” SpaceX is targeting its launch for 10.30am PT (18.30pm GMT) tomorrow. However, it is possible that the launch is delayed due to the size and scope of the project. Assuming the takeoff is successful, the Falcon Heavy will attempt to land at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station by using its trio of rockets in harmony. Three rockets remarkably similar to the Falcon 9 are put together on the Heavy that provides it with an incredible amount of power. The Heavy is able to lift roughly 64 metric tons into orbit - a weight heavier than a 737 jet full of passengers and crew. Last year, Elon Musk remarked that the launch has a “really good chance” that it does not make it into orbit. ||||| No one makes news like Elon Musk makes news. That’s what happens when you’re the founder of a rocket company, a co-founder of an electric car and solar panel company, a co-founder of PayPal and, not for nothing, have an actual movie superhero—Iron Man—based partly on you. So when Elon Musk says he’s going to launch the most powerful rocket in the world from the very same launch pad that sent the Apollo 11 astronauts to the moon, he’s going to get a little attention. That’s exactly the big event Musk is touting Tuesday. The rocket he’s preparing to launch is SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, long delayed but finally ready for liftoff. It’s currently sitting on Cape Canaveral’s historic Pad 39A, with its first launch window opening at 1:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 6, and closing at 4 p.m. When launched, Falcon Heavy will carry a cherry red Tesla Roadster with a dummy wearing a SpaceX spacesuit in the driver’s seat. If all goes well, the Roadster will eventually be placed into orbit around the sun, because, well, why not? “Test flights of new rockets usually contain mass simulators in the form of concrete or steel blocks,” Musk wrote on Instagram. “That seemed extremely boring. . . . We decided to send something unusual, something that made us feel.” That’s the showman part of Musk. But what about the rocket man? Does the Falcon Heavy launch matter as much as all the hype suggests? Maybe. Musk is telling the stone truth when he says his Falcon Heavy will be the most powerful rocket in the world. It will pack up to 5.5 million lbs. (2.5 million kg) of thrust in its first stage, and will be able to lift 141,000 lbs. (64,000 kg) of payload to low-Earth orbit (LEO). That makes it more than twice as powerful as its two main competitors, the Delta IV and the Atlas V. It can lift more than twice as much as those rockets too. But while the Falcon Heavy is the biggest rocket at large today, it’s by no means the biggest that ever was. NASA’s venerable Saturn V moon rocket had a staggering 7.5 million lbs. (3.4 million kg) of thrust at launch and the power to put 261,000 lbs. (118,000 kg) to LEO. NASA has plans to beat even that. The prosaically named Space Launch System (SLS), the agency’s next generation heavy lift rocket, is designed to pack 9 million lbs (4 million kg) of punch and lift 290,000 lbs. (132,000 kg). The catch is that the Saturn V was mothballed in 1973, while the first SLS won’t fly until 2019—if then—and it will initially be a smaller version than the final heavy-lift model. That does leave the Falcon Heavy as the likely soon-to-be reigning champ. So Musk has size on his side. Does he also have price? He claims he does. The Atlas V costs about $109 million per launch, depending on cargo and insurance rates; the bigger Delta IV can go for up to $400 million. Musk boasts of prices starting at $90 million for his rocket. The Falcon Heavy’s lower price tag comes thanks to some money-saving features. SpaceX reuses its empty boosters, landing them on pads back on solid Earth or on floating barges and then recycling them for future launches. The company has also streamlined its production methods. Rather than producing a bunch of different engines with a bunch of different horsepower ratings, SpaceX has just one, the Merlin. The more powerful a rocket has to be, the more Merlins are bundled into its first stage. If Musk can deliver heavy lift at a low price, he could energize the entire rocketry sector, bringing the much-touted power of commercial competition to an industry that has been able to fatten up on a consistent diet of defense contracts without having to innovate much. More important, heavy-lift boosters are technology you can use not just to get to Earth orbit, but to get out of it too, pressing on to deep-space destinations like the moon and Mars. There are a few big obstacles that must be overcome for that kind of success to be realized, however. Low prices for big rockets have been promised before. When NASA was first designing the space shuttle, it predicted it could slash the cost-per-pound of carrying payload to orbit to less than $700, corrected for inflation. The actual price wound up being closer to $27,000 per pound. Musk himself is another reason to be skeptical. His taste for showmanship has seen him promise all kinds of things in the past and then either walk them back or just stop talking about them altogether. Remember in early 2017 when he said he would send two paying astronauts on a trip around the moon and back at the end of 2018? No? He’s probably just as happy if you don’t. Ditto his plan to start colonizing Mars by 2024. The Falcon Heavy, which is already sitting on the pad and ready to to fly, is much more than just happy-talk. But the promises of affordability still have to be met. Then there’s the design of the rocket, especially those bundled Merlins. SpaceX’s initial test rockets flew on just one Merlin. The workhorse of the fleet is the Falcon 9 which, as its name implies, uses a cluster of nine engines. The Falcon Heavy uses three of those clusters. That’s 27 first stage engines in total compared to the Saturn V’s five, the SLS’s four and the Delta IV’s three. The Atlas V, which can be configured with different numbers of first stage engines, maxes out at six. The more engines you have, the greater the risk of any one of them breaking down or blowing up and igniting the whole bundle. Acoustic resonance—basically out of control vibrations—also increases as the engine count climbs. Wonder how messy an accident with a rocket like that can get? Consider the Soviet Union’s heavy-lift N-1 booster, the country’s intended answer to the Saturn V. The vehicle packed 30 engines into its first stage and, during a launch attempt in 1969 — just 17 days before Apollo 11 landed on the moon — it all blew up, causing the largest non-nuclear explosion ever unleashed by humankind. The Falcon Heavy is unlikely to come to such an end. The only good thing about failures like the N-1 is that they are learning experiences, teaching designers how to avoid similar catastrophes in the future. But there are a thousand other, less dramatic ways that things could come undone. If the Falcon Heavy does launch, it’s likely to be a grand, rollicking show. Whether the new rocket can deliver more than just live-streamed thrills will not be known for a while.
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SpaceX successfully launches its Falcon Heavy rocket, a feat the space company hopes will lead to increased commercial and national security missions. Both boosters were successfully landed and recovered. The core didn't land and was softly ditched in the water near the drone ship. The rocket launched Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster, playing "Life on Mars" by David Bowie, which is expected to be in an elliptic orbit of the sun, close to Mars, for several hundred million years.
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European Parliament lawmakers voted 447-196 on Wednesday in favor of dismissing Ryszard Czarnecki, an MEP for Poland's nationalist-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party. Czarnecki, who served as one of the parliament's 14 vice presidents under Antonio Tajani will continue serving as a member of European Parliament. Read more: Poland: How feasible is a 'Polexit?' The PiS lawmaker was dismissed after he called Roza Thun, a rival parliamentarian from Poland's liberal-conservative Civic Platform party, a "szmalcownik" — a derogatory term referring to Poles who blackmailed Jews in hiding during the Nazi German occupation. His slur came after Thun had told a German broadcaster that the ruling PiS party was moving the country towards a "dictatorship." Wednesday's vote marked the first time that the EU's legislature has ever used its powers to dismiss a senior office holder. Following Wednesday's plenary session in Strasbourg, Czarnecki told Poland's state news agency PAP, "I have been faithful to my views" in chiding lawmakers who complain about Poland abroad. Josef Weidenholzer, the vice president of the parliament's Socialists and Democrats group, said Czarnecki's comment "went far beyond what is acceptable political discourse." Jo Leinen, an MEP from Germany's Social Democrats tweeted: "Attacking other members with Nazi slogans is a no go." Ahead of the vote, Poland's Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz admitted that Czarnecki had gone "too far" with his remarks, but said dismissing him would violate freedom of speech. The Polish lawmaker had in the past also compared Poland's EU membership to its time as a Soviet satellite state. Read more: Poland's new 'Holocaust law' widely condemned in Israel Czarnecki's dismissal came as the PiS government attracted an array of international criticism, particularly from the US and Israel, over a controversial new law that penalizes certain statements about the Holocaust. The legislation allows the government to jail anyone who, "publicly and against the facts," suggests that Poles or Poland had any involvement in Nazi war crimes committed during World War II. Watch video 26:01 Share Mateusz Morawiecki on Conflict Zone Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2Xb0a Mateusz Morawiecki on Conflict Zone dm/sms (dpa, AFP, AP) ||||| A controversial Polish proposal to outlaw blaming Poland for crimes committed during the Holocaust has strained its relations with Israel which fears that such a law would whitewash crimes that were committed by Poles on Polish soil. While the Polish government’s proposed legislation hadn’t been announced at the time that Anna Maria Anders, a Polish senator as well as Poland’s secretary of state for international dialogue, was attending the Am Yisrael Chai Holocaust Remembrance Day event on Jan. 21 in Atlanta — it was just five days later. Given her family’s history, neither government could find a better mediating figure than Ms. Anders to keep the channels of communication open until the controversy is resolved. The daughter of Gen. Wladyslaw Anders, the World War II commander of the Polish forces at the epic battle of Monte Cassino in Italy during which many Poles lost their lives but enabled Allied forces to make their way into northern Italy and beyond. General Anders also is well known in Israel for his Italian campaign as well as previously permitting his troops of Jewish heritage to fight for Israel‘s formation. Among them was Menachem Begin, originally a Pole who eventually founded Israel’s Likud party and became the 6th Israeli prime minister. Ms. Anders told Global Atlanta during an interview before flying back to Washington that her visit to Atlanta was “almost an accident.” During a Polish Heritage Night celebrated by the U.S. Congress in Washington she was invited to the Holocaust Remembrance event honoring the memory of Chiune Sughara, the Japanese imperial consul general to Lithuania who helped Jews escape from invading Nazi forces. She decided on the spot to accept the invitation. “Why not,” she recalled, “such an opportunity to meet some new people and further develop Polish-U.S. business.” She emphasized that she was most pleased to have made the effort. “People here have been delightful,” she said, “so hospitable, people have gone out of their way to make us feel comfortable and have shown a lot of interest in Poland. I’ve seen that in DC and I’ve seen it here.” Two years ago she was elected to Poland’s Senate in a by-election to a district on Poland’s eastern flank bordering on Russia. A member of the ruling Law and Justice Party, which supports the controversial legislation, she didn’t mince words when asked if she had any concerns regarding Russian expansionism. “Any Polish person would be concerned about Russia, period.” she said. “You see what is happening. The build up in Kaliningrad; you see what’s happened in the Ukraine and in Crimea.” She also appeared to follow her party’s line on immigration. “Poland is not a rich country,” she said, adding that she considers terrorism a real threat in Europe and that Poles remain predominantly Catholic and don’t want their country to become Islamic. “We have our own people to think about, and many don’t realize that we have taken in about a million Ukrainians who have been integrated and work in Poland. We also have placed a priority on Polish people who were deported to the east in World War II.” In view of her family history and her personal interest in military affairs, she favors the presence of NATO troops in her district as a wise strategic move both for their deterrent significance and their economic value providing employment for her constituents. During the interview, Ms. Anders also highlighted her visits to Agnes Scott College, where she reviewed her father’s history leading the Polish army fighting against the Germans on behalf of the Soviets until what came to be known as “Anders Army” evacuated in 1942 under a British, Soviet and Polish agreement. General Anders then led his troops and Polish families through Iran to British-ruled Palestine where those of Jewish origin joined Israel’s independence fighters. She added that she was particularly touched by a chalk drawing that one of the students had drawn on a blackboard in honor of her visit. Before leaving Atlanta, she attended a reception hosted by Lawrence Ashe at his home where she met Polish professors from local universities and economic development officials. She said that she recounted for Georgia’s officials the success that she has had in establishing relations between Poland and Nevada, including both business and educational ties. And she added that she would like to encourage a similar relationship with the possibility of a delegation from Georgia coming to Cracow, Poland, in June. Ms. Anders may be reached by clicking here. ||||| BRUSSELS—The European Parliament voted Wednesday to dismiss one of its vice-presidents, Ryszard Czarnecki of Poland, after he compared a rival Polish parliament member to a Nazi collaborator. The European lawmakers voted 447-196, reaching the two-thirds hurdle required to remove Czarnecki from his position. Czarnecki, who was one of 14 vice-presidents, will continue to be a member of the parliament in Strasbourg, France, representing Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party. Read more: Polish president signs controversial bill that bans attributing nation to Holocaust crimes Last month Czarnecki called Roza Thun, a European Parliament lawmaker from Poland’s opposition Civic Platform party, a “shmaltsovnik,” a derogatory term for the Poles who blackmailed Jews, or Poles hiding Jews, during the Nazi German occupation of Poland. ||||| BRUSSELS — The European Parliament voted Wednesday to dismiss one of its vice-presidents, Ryszard Czarnecki of Poland, after he compared a rival Polish parliament member to a Nazi collaborator. The European lawmakers voted 447-196, reaching the two-thirds hurdle required to remove Czarnecki from his position. Czarnecki, who was one of 14 vice-presidents, will continue to be a member of the parliament in Strasbourg, France, representing Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party. Last month Czarnecki called Roza Thun, a European Parliament lawmaker from Poland’s opposition Civic Platform party, a “shmaltsovnik,” a derogatory term for the Poles who blackmailed Jews, or Poles hiding Jews, during the Nazi German occupation of Poland. His words came after Thun criticized the Polish ruling party in a German TV broadcast, accusing authorities of moving the country toward “dictatorship.” Parliamentary party leaders had called for Czarnecki’s dismissal over “serious misconduct.” After Wednesday’s vote, Czarnecki described the move against him as “anti-Polish,” and said he does not regret defending Poland against opposition politicians who criticize Poland abroad. “I have been faithful to my views,” Czarnecki told PAP, the Polish state news agency. The European Parliament denied in a statement that the move was aimed against Poland. Josef Weidenholzer, vice-president of the EU Parliament’s Socialists and Democrats group, said Czarnecki’s comment “went far beyond what is acceptable political discourse.” The development comes amid increasingly strained relations between Poland’s nationalist-conservative Law and Justice party and most of its international partners from Europe to the Middle East. The country has recently been criticized by Israel and the U.S. for a new law penalizing certain statements about the Holocaust, seen as an erosion of free speech. An overhaul of Poland’s judicial system, which gives the ruling party control over the courts, has also been condemned by the European Commission. Last summer he was heavily criticized for expressing pleasure that shots were fired at a rescue ship trying to aid refugees in the Mediterranean Sea. He tweeted “At last!!!” in reaction to information that the Libyan coast guard fired shots at a Spanish NGO rescue ship. This version corrects the location of the European Parliament to Strasbourg, France, not Brussels. ||||| STRASBOURG: The European Parliament removed Polish lawmaker Ryszard Czarnecki as the assembly's vice president on Wednesday after he insulted a fellow Polish MEP by comparing her to a Nazi collaborator. MEPs voted by 447 votes to 196 to strip Czarnecki, of Poland's ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, of the largely ceremonial office for "serious misconduct". Czarnecki, 55, last month branded MEP Roza Thun a "szmalcownik" -- an insult referring to Polish collaborators during World War II who handed over Jews to the Nazis for money. Czarnecki, who is one of 14 European Parliament vice presidents, then refused to apologise during a radio interview. In January, heads of the main political groups wrote to the parliament president Antonio Tajani to "denounce an unacceptable and degrading declaration" and ask for sanctions for "this deplorable attitude". The spat comes in the midst of an ongoing crisis between the EU and the PiS-led government in Warsaw over highly controversial judicial reforms which Brussels says threaten the rule of law. The EU has threatened to impose unprecedented sanctions that could strip the Polish government of its voting rights in Brussels. "It's good that so many people are shocked, we cannot tolerate that," Thun told AFP, who had criticised the nationalist policy of the current Polish government on Franco-German broadcaster Arte. Czarnecki remains a member of parliament and a new vice president must now be chosen from his European Conservatives and Reformists political group, which also includes Britain's ruling Conservative party. ||||| BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Parliament voted Wednesday to dismiss one of its vice presidents, Ryszard Czarnecki of Poland, after he compared a rival Polish parliament member to a Nazi collaborator. The European lawmakers voted 447-196, reaching the two-thirds hurdle required to remove Czarnecki from his position. Czarnecki, who was one of 14 vice presidents, will continue to be a member of the parliament in Brussels, representing Poland's ruling Law and Justice party. Last month Czarnecki called Roza Thun, a European Parliament lawmaker from Poland's opposition Civic Platform party, a "szmalcownik," a derogatory term for the Poles who blackmailed Jews in hiding during the Nazi German occupation of Poland. His words came after Thun criticized the Polish ruling party in a German TV broadcast, accusing it of moving the country toward "dictatorship." Parliamentary party leaders called for Czarnecki's dismissal over "serious misconduct." After Wednesday's vote, Czarnecki told the Polish state news agency PAP that "I have been faithful to my views" in criticizing politicians who complain about Poland abroad. Josef Weidenholzer, vice president of the EU Parliament's Socialists and Democrats group, said Czarnecki's comment "went far beyond what is acceptable political discourse." The development comes as relations between Poland's nationalist-conservative Law and Justice party and most of its international partners become increasingly strained. Recently it has been criticized by Israel and the U.S. for a new law penalizing certain statements about the Holocaust, seen as an erosion of free speech. Poland's Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said Tuesday that Czarnecki went "too far," but said dismissing him would violate freedom of speech. Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| The European Parliament has voted to dismiss one of its vice presidents, Ryszard Czarnecki of Poland, after he compared a rival Polish parliament member to a Nazi collaborator. Last month Czarnecki called Roza Thun, a European Parliament lawmaker from Poland's opposition Civic Platform party, a "szmalcownik," a derogatory term for the Poles who blackmailed Jews during the Nazi German occupation of Poland, after she had criticized Poland's government. Parliamentary party leaders called for his dismissal over "serious misconduct." Poland's nationalist-conservative Law and Justice party has been criticized by Israel and the U.S., among others, for measures including a new law penalizing certain statements about the Holocaust. Poland's Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said Tuesday that Czarnecki went "too far" but that dismissing him would violate freedom of speech. ||||| Ryszard Czarnecki, who served as one of the parliament's 14 vice presidents under Antonio Tajani, was relieved of his duties after he called Roza Thun, a rival parliamentarian from Poland's liberal-conservative Civic Platform party, a "szmalcownik”. ‘Szmalcownik’ is a derogatory term, used to describe a Polish person who collaborated with the Nazis during German occupation in the Second World War. The insult came after Ms Thun told a German broadcaster that Poland’s ruling PiS (Law and Justice) party, which has repeatedly locked horns with the EU, was moving the Eastern European country towards a dictatorship. Speaking after his dismissal, Mr Czarnecki, who is a member of the PiS, said "I have been faithful to my views" in castigating lawmakers who complain about Poland abroad. ||||| Slawomir Sierakowski, founder of the Krytyka Polityczna movement, is director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Warsaw. The Polish government has provoked yet another international crisis, this time by adopting a law that is ostensibly meant to combat the phrase "Polish death camps." The law targets a geographical shorthand, sometimes used abroad, for the extermination camps that the Nazis established on Polish territory during the Second World War. But there is more to the move than that. When Poles talk about the Warsaw Ghetto, no one sees this as a problem. Similarly, no one who uses the phrase "Polish death camps" – including former U.S. president Barack Obama and former FBI director James Comey – does so out of ill will toward Poland. Such phrases can be found even in Polish schoolbooks, such as Zofia Nalkowska's excellent book on the Holocaust, Medaliony. Nevertheless, many Poles believe that people abroad are misled by this phrase. While the law includes exemptions for scholarly publications and artistic works, it applies to journalistic writing, posing a threat to open public debate. The relevant wording of the legislation is worth citing: "Whoever publicly and untruthfully assigns responsibility or co-responsibility to the Polish Nation or the Polish State for Nazi crimes committed by the Third German Reich … or for other crimes constituting crimes against peace, crimes against humanity, or war crimes, or in some other way markedly diminishes the responsibility of the true perpetrators of these crimes is subject to a fine or imprisonment for up to three years." The Israeli embassy in Warsaw responded with a sobering question: Will Holocaust survivors giving testimony about their personal histories also be subject to criminal liability? And back in Jerusalem, the Knesset has threatened to adopt legislation to classify diminishing the role of Poles who participated in the Holocaust as a crime. A draft bill has the support of 61 of the Israeli parliament's 120 members. Before Poland's Sejm and Senate adopted the law, the U.S. State Department issued its sharpest statement toward the country since 1989, warning of "the repercussions this draft legislation, if enacted, could have on Poland's strategic interests and relationships – including with the United States and Israel." Neighbouring Ukraine's former foreign minister was more blunt: "Poland has ceased to be a strategic partner for Ukraine. Today, Poland is threatening to block our integration with Europe." Indeed, Poland is risking its relationship with its three most important allies – the United States, Germany and Ukraine – which up until now have tolerated the antics of Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Poland's de facto leader. Poland now faces the threat of isolation by the West and loss of international influence, leaving the country vulnerable to Vladimir Putin's revanchist Russia. Despite much of the Polish elite's evident horror at the law, Mr. Kaczynski will not back away from it. To be clear, Mr. Kaczynski, like his late twin brother, Lech, is not an anti-Semite. As president, Lech Kaczynski was an enemy of anti-Semitism in Poland and celebrated Hanukkah in a synagogue. But Jaroslaw Kaczynski, whose populism was once held in check by his brother, shaped this new legislation in ways that are politically favourable to the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS), which he leads, by effectively taking centrist voters hostage. The legislation does not offend such voters because the idea of banning the phrase "Polish death camps" seems benign. At the same time, having expelled the most radical right-wing politicians from the government, Mr. Kaczynski needs to regain the trust of far-right PiS voters. They will be pleased that Poland is standing up to Israel, Ukraine and, indeed, the entire world. The PiS's cynical approach is revealed by the fact that even its leading members acknowledge Poles' role in the persecution of Jews. About a month ago, Ryszard Czarnecki, a PiS member and vice-president of the European Parliament, compared an MEP from the opposition Civic Platform (PO) to a szmalcownik, a pejorative term for those who blackmailed Jewish people who were hiding from the Nazis or those who protected them. Never mind that the heads of four European Parliament groupings responded by calling for Mr. Czarnecki's removal from his post, or that Poland's Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, defended Mr. Czarnecki. In condemning szmalcowniks, was Mr. Czarnecki not admitting that in addition to Poles who saved Jewish lives, there were Poles who sent them to their deaths? And now, a month after a senior PiS official advertised the existence of such Poles, the party has raised the profile of the phrase "Polish death camps" in a botched attempt to suppress it. The ugly fact is that the new law was promulgated on the 73rd anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and just before the 50th anniversary of the Polish communist government's anti-Semitic campaign of 1968, which resulted in an exodus of 20,000 Poles, depriving the country of some of its brightest minds. So far, there is one jarring similarity between these two events: Both gave Poland a black eye while stoking nationalist fervour among the "patriotic electorate." One hopes that this is where the similarities end. ||||| "Mr Czarnecki (ECR, Poland) was obliged to give up the role of Vice-President after he described fellow MEP Róża Thun (EPP, PL) as a "shmaltsovnik" (a deeply offensive Polish term for someone who blackmailed Jews, or Poles protecting Jews, during the Nazi occupation)," the statement read. According to the statement, 447 parliamentarians voted in favor of dismissing Czarnecki, while 196 voted against the move.
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The European Parliament votes 447–196 to dismiss Ryszard Czarnecki (PiS) as one of its 14 vice-presidents, for calling fellow Polish parliamentarian Róża Thun (Civic Platform) a "szmalcownik" (meaning Nazi collaborator). It is the first time that the parliament invokes the powers of Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union to dismiss a senior office holder. Czarnecki remains a Member of the European Parliament.
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If you are American you have probably heard about “Cheddar Man” in Bryan Sykes’ Seven Daughters of Eve. If you don’t know, Cheddar Man is a Mesolithic individual from prehistoric Britain, dating to 9,150 years before the present. Sykes’ DNA analysis concluded that he was mtDNA haplogroup U5, which is found in ~10% of modern Europeans, and which ancient DNA has found to be overwhelmingly dominant among European hunter-gatherers. But for years there has been controversy as to whether this result was contamination (after all, if it’s found in ~10% of modern Europeans it wouldn’t be surprising if the DNA was contaminated). Today that is a moot point. On February 18th Channel 4 in the UK will premier a documentary that seems to indicate genomic analysis of Cheddar Man’s remains have been performed, and he turns out to be exactly what we would have expected. That is, he’s a “Western Hunter-Gatherer” (WHG) with affinities to the remains from Belgium, Spain, and Central Europe. These WHG populations were themselves relatively recent arrivals in Pleistocene Europe, with connections to some populations in the Near East, and with unexplored minor genetic admixture from an East Asian population. Their total contribution to the ancestry of modern Europeans varies, with lower fractions in the south of the continent, and the highest in the northeast. Overall, the consensus seems to be that in Western Europe the genuine descent from indigenous hunter-gatherers passed down through admixture with Neolithic farmers, and then the Corded Ware and Bell Beaker groups, is around ~10%. This is the number that shows up in the press write-ups. But, there are some researchers who contend it is far less than 10%, and that that fraction is misattribution due to early admixture with relatives of these hunter-gatherers as steppe and farmer peoples were expanding. Phylogenetics aside, one of the major headline aspects of the Cheddar Man is that reconstructions are now of a very dark-skinned and blue-eyed individual. Some of the more sensationalist press is declaring that the “first Britons were black!” As far as the depiction goes, this is literally true. The reconstruction is of a black-skinned individual in the sense we’d describe black-skinned. But on one level it is entirely expected that this is what Cheddar Man would look like. The hunter-gatherers of Mesolithic Western Europe were genetically homogenous. They seem to derive from a small founder population. And, on the pigmentation loci which make modern Europeans very distinctive vis-a-vis other populations, SLC24A5, SLC45A2 and HERC2-OCA2, they were quite different from anything we’ve encountered before. First, these peoples seem to have had a frequency for the genetic variants strongly implicated in blue eyes in modern Europeans close to what you find in the Baltic region. The overwhelming majority carried the derived variant, perhaps even in regions such as Spain, which today are mostly brown-eyed because of the frequency of the ancestral variant. Second, these European hunter-gatherers tended to lack the genetic variants at SLC24A5 and SLC45A2 correlated with lighter skin, which today in European is found at frequencies of ~100% and 95% to 80% respectively. The reason that one of the scientists being interviewed stated that there was a “76 percent probability that Cheddar Man had blue eyes” is that they used something like IrisPlex. They put in the genetic variants and popped out a probability. The problem is that the training set here is modern groups, which may have a very different genetic architecture than ancient populations. Recent work on Africans and East Asians indicate that the focus on European populations when it comes to pigmentation genetics has left huge lacunae in our understanding of common variants which affect variation in outcome. East Asians, for example, lack both the derived variants of SLC24A5 and SLC45A2 common in Europeans but are often quite light-skinned. A deeper analysis of the pigmentation architecture of WHG might lead us to conclude that they were an olive or light brown-skinned people. This is my suspicion because modern Arctic peoples are neither pale white nor dark brown, but of various shades of olive. As far as blue eyes go, it is reasonable that these individuals had that eye color because that trait seems somewhat less polygenic than skin color. There are darker complected people with light eyes, from the famous “Afghan girl” to the first black American Miss America, Vanessa Williams. The homozygote of the derived HERC-OCA2 variant seems relatively penetrant. From what I recall the literature indicates many people with blue eyes are not homozygotes on this locus for the derived haplotypes, but those who are homozygotes for the derived haplotypes invariably have blue eyes. Addendum: It isn’t clear in the press pieces, but it looks like they got a high coverage genome sequence out of Cheddar Man. They refer to sequencing, and, they seem to have hit all the major pigmentation loci. This indicates reasonable coverage of the genome. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption DNA shows early Brit had dark skin A cutting-edge scientific analysis shows that a Briton from 10,000 years ago had dark brown skin and blue eyes. Researchers from London's Natural History Museum extracted DNA from Cheddar Man, Britain's oldest complete skeleton, which was discovered in 1903. A University College London team analysed the genome, and the results were used for a facial reconstruction. It underlines the fact that the lighter skin characteristic of modern Europeans is a relatively recent phenomenon. No prehistoric Briton of this age had previously had their genome analysed. As such, the analysis provides valuable new insights into the first people to resettle Britain after the last Ice Age. The analysis of Cheddar Man's genome - the "blueprint" for a human, contained in the nuclei of our cells - will be published in a journal, and will also feature in the upcoming Channel 4 documentary The First Brit, Secrets Of The 10,000-year-old Man. 'Cheddar George' tweet on early Briton Cheddar Man's remains had been unearthed 115 years ago in Gough's Cave, located in Somerset's Cheddar Gorge. Subsequent examination has shown that the man was short by today's standards - about 5ft 5in - and probably died in his early 20s. Prof Chris Stringer, the museum's research leader in human origins, said: "I've been studying the skeleton of Cheddar Man for about 40 years "So to come face-to-face with what this guy could have looked like - and that striking combination of the hair, the face, the eye colour and that dark skin: something a few years ago we couldn't have imagined and yet that's what the scientific data show." Image caption A replica of Cheddar Man's skeleton now lies in Gough's Cave Fractures on the surface of the skull suggest he may even have met his demise in a violent manner. It's not known how he came to lie in the cave, but it's possible he was placed there by others in his tribe. The Natural History Museum researchers extracted the DNA from part of the skull near the ear known as the petrous. At first, project scientists Prof Ian Barnes and Dr Selina Brace weren't sure if they'd get any DNA at all from the remains. But they were in luck: not only was DNA preserved, but Cheddar Man has since yielded the highest coverage (a measure of the sequencing accuracy) for a genome from this period of European prehistory - known as the Mesolithic, or Middle Stone Age. They teamed up with researchers at University College London (UCL) to analyse the results, including gene variants associated with hair, eye and skin colour. Extra mature Cheddar They found the Stone Age Briton had dark hair - with a small probability that it was curlier than average - blue eyes and skin that was probably dark brown or black in tone. This combination might appear striking to us today, but it was a common appearance in western Europe during this period. Steven Clarke, director of the Channel Four documentary, said: "I think we all know we live in times where we are unusually preoccupied with skin pigmentation." Prof Mark Thomas, a geneticist from UCL, said: "It becomes a part of our understanding, I think that would be a much, much better thing. I think it would be good if people lodge it in their heads, and it becomes a little part of their knowledge." Unsurprisingly, the findings have generated lots of interest on social media. Cheddar Man's genome reveals he was closely related to other Mesolithic individuals - so-called Western Hunter-Gatherers - who have been analysed from Spain, Luxembourg and Hungary. Dutch artists Alfons and Adrie Kennis, specialists in palaeontological model-making, took the genetic findings and combined them with physical measurements from scans of the skull. The result was a strikingly lifelike reconstruction of a face from our distant past. Pale skin probably arrived in Britain with a migration of people from the Middle East around 6,000 years ago. This population had pale skin and brown eyes and absorbed populations like the ones Cheddar Man belonged to. Image caption Prof Chris Stringer had studied Cheddar Man for 40 years - but was struck by the Kennis brothers' reconstruction No-one's entirely sure why pale skin evolved in these farmers, but their cereal-based diet was probably deficient in Vitamin D. This would have required agriculturalists to synthesise this essential nutrient in their skin using sunlight. "There may be other factors that are causing lower skin pigmentation over time in the last 10,000 years. But that's the big explanation that most scientists turn to," said Prof Thomas. Boom and bust The genomic results also suggest Cheddar Man could not drink milk as an adult. This ability only spread much later, after the onset of the Bronze Age. Present-day Europeans owe on average 10% of their ancestry to Mesolithic hunters like Cheddar Man. Britain has been something of a boom-and-bust story for humans over the last million-or-so years. Modern humans were here as early as 40,000 years ago, but a period of extreme cold known as the Last Glacial Maximum drove them out some 10,000 years later. You might also be interested in: There's evidence from Gough's Cave that hunter-gatherers ventured back around 15,000 years ago, establishing a temporary presence when the climate briefly improved. However, they were soon sent packing by another cold snap. Cut marks on the bones suggest these people cannibalised their dead - perhaps as part of ritual practices. Image copyright Channel 4 Image caption The actual skull of Cheddar Man is kept in the Natural History Museum, seen being handled here by Ian Barnes Britain was once again settled 11,000 years ago; and has been inhabited ever since. Cheddar Man was part of this wave of migrants, who walked across a landmass called Doggerland that, in those days, connected Britain to mainland Europe. This makes him the oldest known Briton with a direct connection to people living here today. This is not the first attempt to analyse DNA from the Cheddar Man. In the late 1990s, Oxford University geneticist Brian Sykes sequenced mitochondrial DNA from one of Cheddar Man's molars. Mitochondrial DNA comes from the biological "batteries" within our cells and is passed down exclusively from a mother to her children. Prof Sykes compared the ancient genetic information with DNA from 20 living residents of Cheddar village and found two matches - including history teacher Adrian Targett, who became closely connected with the discovery. The result is consistent with the approximately 10% of Europeans who share the same mitochondrial DNA type. Follow Paul on Twitter. ||||| LONDON — He had dark skin, brown curly hair and blue eyes, DNA tests suggest, upending a common assumption that Britain’s indigenous populations were all pale skinned with fair features. He is “Cheddar Man,” Britain’s oldest complete skeleton, which was discovered in 1903 in Gough’s Cave near the village of Cheddar in Somerset, in southwest England. He lived about 10,000 years ago in the Mesolithic period, the middle part of the Stone Age. Scientists have now reconstructed his features, demonstrating that he was part of a population of ancient Western Europeans that, scientists have shown in recent years, had dark skin. Research has shown that fair skin pigmentation — long considered a defining feature of Europe — only goes back less than 6,000 years. The research was led by the Natural History Museum and University College London. A news release about the research was released Wednesday, but the study has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. ||||| (LONDON) — DNA from a 10,000-year-old skeleton found in an English cave suggests the oldest-known Briton had dark skin and blue eyes, researchers said Wednesday.Scientists from Britain’s Natural History Museum and University College London analyzed the genome of “Cheddar Man,” who was found in Cheddar Gorge in southwest England in 1903.Scientists led by museum DNA expert Ian Barnes drilled into the skull to extract DNA from bone powder. They say analysis indicates he had blue eyes, dark curly hair and “dark to black” skin pigmentation. The researchers say the evidence suggests that Europeans’ pale skin tones developed much later than originally thought. “Cheddar Man subverts people’s expectations of what kinds of genetic traits go together,” said Tom Booth, a postdoctoral researcher at the museum who worked on the project. “It seems that pale eyes entered Europe long before pale skin or blond hair, which didn’t come along until after the arrival of farming.” It’s thought ancient humans living in northern regions may have developed pale skin because it absorbs more sunlight, which is needed to produce vitamin D. Cheddar Man shares a genetic profile with several other Mesolithic-era individuals found in Spain, Hungary and Luxembourg whose DNA has already been analyzed. The group, known as Western Hunter-Gatherers, migrated to Europe from the Middle East after the last Ice Age, about 12,000 years ago. Cheddar Man is the oldest complete skeleton found in Britain. Humans had lived in Britain off and on for thousands of years before his time, but they had been wiped out during periodic ice ages. Cheddar Man would have been one of a tiny population of hunter-gatherers in Britain at the time. Scientists, who have been studying his skeleton for decades, say he appears to have had a healthy diet but died in his 20s, possibly through violence. Dutch “paleo artists” Alfons and Adrie Kennis created a likeness of Cheddar Man based on the British scientists’ findings, showing a man with long curly hair, a short beard and striking blue eyes. The research will be explored in a television documentary on Britain’s Channel 4 on Feb. 18. ||||| “Cheddar Man”, Britain’s oldest, nearly complete human skeleton, had dark skin, blue eyes and dark curly hair when he lived in what is now southwest England 10,000 years ago, scientists who read his DNA have discovered. The finding suggests that the lighter skin pigmentation now seen as typical of northern Europeans is far more recent than previously thought, according to researchers from University College London (UCL) who took part in the project. "Cheddar Man’s" skin colour was described as “dark to black” by the scientific team which also included researchers from London’s Natural History Museum, where the skeleton is on display in the Human Evolution gallery. The reconstruction of the stone age "Cheddar Man" is based on 3D scans of the skull and information from the man's unusually well-preserved DNA. Cheddar Man was unearthed in 1903 in Gough’s Cave at Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, and has been the topic of constant mystery and intrigue. For over 100 years, scientists have tried to reveal "Cheddar Man’s" story, posing theories as to what he looked like, where he came from and what he can tell us about our earliest ancestors. 10% of Brits can be linked to 'Cheddar Man' “To go beyond what the bones tell us and get a scientifically based picture of what he actually looked like is a remarkable, and from the results quite surprising achievement,” said Chris Stringer, the museum’s research leader in Human Origins. Three hundred generations later, around 10 percent of indigenous British ancestry can be linked to Cheddar Man’s people, scientists say. As part of a project commissioned by Britain’s Channel 4 television station for a documentary, experts from the Natural History Museum’s ancient DNA lab drilled a tiny hole into the skull in order to extract genetic information. Then, a pair of Dutch artists who are experts in palaeontology model making, Alfons and Adrie Kennis, used a high-tech scanner to make a three-dimensional model of Cheddar Man’s head. The model, which UCL and the Natural History Museum said rendered Cheddar Man’s face with unprecedented accuracy, shows a man with dark skin, high cheekbones, blue eyes and coarse black hair. The full story will be shown on February 18, and is called "First Brit: Secrets of the 10,000 Year Old Man". ||||| The first modern Brits were black. New DNA analysis of the “Cheddar Man” fossil has revealed that he had “dark to black” skin and blue eyes, the Guardian reports. Cheddar Man would have lived about 10,000 years ago, a short time after human populations migrated from Europe to the British Isles at the end of the last Ice Age. Previous human populations had died out. This means a percentage of white Brits can trace their ancestry back to this man and that fair skin developed among this population much later than originally estimated. Cheddar Man was first discovered more than a century ago in Somerset, England. Scientists originally thought that he had light-colored skin and hair. However, the recent DNA analysis shows that he only had light-colored eyes, which were blue. His hair was dark and curly along with his brown skin. An archaeologist who worked on the project says that it illustrates that the “racial categories” that pervade our world today are relatively new social constructions. They “really are not applicable to the past at all,” said Tom Booth from the Natural History Museum. It also reinforces that geographical origin can’t be determined by external physical characteristics like the color of your skin, eyes, or the texture of your hair. The DNA results were accompanied by a reconstruction of Cheddar Man’s face. The reconstruction includes the dark skin and blue eyes, but it also revealed that he had high cheekbones as well. This project is linked to a British documentary titled The First Brit: Secrets of the 10,000-Year-Old Man, which chronicles the discovery of the truth behind Cheddar Man’s genetics. As the Independent reports, the news that the earliest known Brit had dark skin isn’t going well with a lot of people. Some are questioning the validity of the findings and whether it might be part of some sort of racial agenda. British identity has been tied to whiteness for centuries, so this groundbreaking news is bound to ruffle some feathers. According to the Independent, scientists made their discovery by examining the DNA they found in bone powder extracted from Cheddar Man’s skull. The 3D model was created by Alfons and Adrie Kennis, who are known for their realistic recreations of early humans and animals that are extinct. ||||| The first modern Briton had dark skin and blue eyes, London scientists said on Wednesday, following groundbreaking DNA analysis of the remains of a man who lived 10,000 years ago. Known as "Cheddar Man" after the area in southwest England where his skeleton was discovered in a cave in 1903, the ancient man has been brought to life through the first ever full DNA analysis of his remains. In a joint project between Britain's Natural History Museum and University College London, scientists drilled a 2mm hole into the skull and extracted bone powder for analysis. Their findings transformed the way they had previously seen Cheddar Man, who had been portrayed as having brown eyes and light skin in an earlier model. "It is very surprising that a Brit 10,000 years ago could have that combination of very blue eyes but really dark skin," said the museum's Chris Stringer, who for the past decade has analysed the bones of people found in the cave. The findings suggest that lighter pigmentation being a feature of populations of northern Europe is more recent than previously thought. Cheddar Man's tribe migrated to Britain at the end of the last Ice Age and his DNA has been linked to individuals discovered in modern-day Spain, Hungary and Luxembourg. Selina Brace, a researcher of ancient DNA at the museum, said the cave environment Cheddar Man was found in helped preserve his remains. WATCH | Scientists find that the make up of earliest Briton was dark skin and blue eyes ||||| Modern humans migrated to Britain around 45,000 years ago, and it had been assumed that paler skin had evolved shortly after. But a human man that lived in Britain 10,000 years ago during the Mesolithic had dark to black skin, DNA analysis reveals - showing that reduced skin pigmentation arrived in the British Isles much later than we thought. He's called the Cheddar Man, because his remains were found in 1903 in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset. It was this cool, stable limestone cave environment that preserved the Cheddar Man's DNA for thousands of years - and he is the oldest British individual to have had his whole genome sequenced. As well as the very dark skin, he also had blue eyes and dark curly hair, according to the DNA analysis conducted by researchers at University College London and the Natural History Museum in London - and, like all Europeans of the time, he was lactose intolerant. Although Britain has been inhabited by a variety of human species for hundreds of thousands of years, the earliest evidence of modern humans is between 40,000 and 45,000 years old. A previous attempt to reconstruct the face of the Cheddar Man. (Natural History Museum) "Until recently it was always assumed that humans quickly adapted to have paler skin after entering Europe about 45,000 years ago," Natural History Museum researcher Tom Booth said. "Pale skin is better at absorbing UV light and helps humans avoid vitamin D deficiency in climates with less sunlight." Although the Cheddar Man has the genetic markers of skin pigmentation usually found in sub-Saharan Africa, the result is consistent with other Mesolithic human remains found throughout Europe. "He is just one person, but also indicative of the population of Europe at the time," Booth said. "They had dark skin and most of them had pale coloured eyes, either blue or green, and dark brown hair." To obtain DNA from ancient remains, the best place to look are the densest bones available. These are more likely to have protected the DNA inside - leg bones or teeth are often good bets, but it turns out the best place is the inner ear. The densest bone in the human body is the petrous part of the temporal bones at the sides of the skull, and it was this that the team drilled into to extract a sample. They made a tiny hole just 2 millimetres in diameter. The team then subjected the extract to shotgun sequencing, which involves defining millions of tiny fragments of the genome and mapping them against the modern human genome. This allowed the team to compare markers for physical traits, and determine what the Cheddar Man could have looked like. Once that information had been confirmed, palaeontological reconstruction experts reconstructed his face. Cheddar Man was about 166 centimetres (5'5") tall, and died in his 20s. There is damage to his skull that could indicate an accidental or violent death, although it could also have been damaged during excavation. Unusually, he was buried alone - other burials from the time were usually communal - his body covered with sediment in the cave. But whether he was covered purposefully or the sediment built up over time is, again, unknown. We know from other archaeological research that he was a hunter-gatherer, and during his life he would have eaten seeds, nuts, red deer, wild aurochs, and freshwater fish. Around 10 percent of the British population shares DNA with the Mesolithic population to which the Cheddar Man belonged, but they aren't direct descendents. Instead, experts believe that those Mesolithic Europeans were replaced by a new population of farmers that migrated into Britain at a later time. A documentary describing the research, First Brit: Secrets of the 10,000 Year Old Man, is due to air on UK's Channel 4 next week. ||||| The first modern Briton had dark skin and blue eyes, London scientists said on Wednesday, following groundbreaking DNA analysis of the remains of a man who lived 10,000 years ago. Known as "Cheddar Man" after the area in southwest England where his skeleton was discovered in a cave in 1903, the ancient man has been brought to life through the first ever full DNA analysis of his remains. In a joint project between Britain's Natural History Museum and University College London, scientists drilled a 2mm hole into the skull and extracted bone powder for analysis. Their findings transformed the way they had previously seen Cheddar Man, who had been portrayed as having brown eyes and light skin in an earlier model. "It is very surprising that a Brit 10,000 years ago could have that combination of very blue eyes but really dark skin," said the museum's Chris Stringer, who for the past decade has analysed the bones of people found in the cave. The findings suggest that lighter pigmentation being a feature of populations of northern Europe is more recent than previously thought. Cheddar Man's tribe migrated to Britain at the end of the last Ice Age and his DNA has been linked to individuals discovered in modern-day Spain, Hungary and Luxembourg. Selina Brace, a researcher of ancient DNA at the museum, said the cave environment Cheddar Man was found in helped preserve his remains. "In the cave, you have a really nice, cool, dry, constant environment, and that basically prevents the DNA from breaking down," she said. A bust of Cheddar Man, complete with shoulder-length dark hair and short facial hair, was created using 3D printing. It took close to three months to build the model, with its makers using a high-tech scanner which had been designed for the International Space Station. Alfons Kennis, who made the bust with his brother Adrie, said the DNA findings were "revolutionary". "It's a story all about migrations throughout history," he told Channel 4 in a documentary to be aired on February 18. "It maybe gets rid of the idea that you have to look a certain way to be from somewhere. We are all immigrants," he added. ||||| For the first time, it's possible to take a look at the face of a man who lived more than 10,000 years ago. The modern Briton - who had dark skin, blue eyes and black curly hair - has been reconstructed using groundbreaking DNA research. Nicknamed Cheddar Man, the young man's skeleton was found in 1903 in Gough's Cave in Somerset. But while initial reconstructions portrayed him with light skin and brown eyes, the full DNA analysis has shown him to have "dark to black skin". Research by the Natural History Museum and University College London (UCL) suggests that the light skin tone associated with northern European ancestry actually developed later in evolution. A "Western Hunter-Gatherer" hailing from Spain, Hungary and Luxembourg, one in ten British people today will share Cheddar Man's genes. His ancestors had originally migrated to Europe from the Middle East. His arrival marked the start of continuous population in Britain, with previous populations having been wiped out before him. The oldest complete skeleton in Britain, the fact he was found in a cave - which was a cool, dry and consistent environment - helped preserve his remains. Research suggests he had a good diet and died in his twenties. DNA data used to rebuild his face was extracted by drilling a 2mm hole through the skull's inner ear bone. "Paleo artists" - twins Alfons and Adrie Kennis - then spent three months building a 3D model using a high-tech scanner. Calling the DNA findings "revolutionary", Alfons Kennis said: "People will be surprised...and maybe it gets rid of the idea that you have to look a certain way to be from somewhere. We are all immigrants." A Channel 4 documentary following the reconstruction of Cheddar Man - The First Brit: Secrets of the 10,000-Year-Old Man - airs on Sunday 18 February.
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Without peer-review publication researchers at London's Natural History Museum state that the DNA extracted from "Cheddar Man" reveals that early inhabitants of Great Britain had blue eyes and dark skin. The name "Cheddar Man" was given to a fossil of a human man that lived thousands of years ago, which was discovered in 1903. Some scientists in the field state that the sample may have been contaminated with modern DNA weakening the results.
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WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump on Thursday thanked the president of Guatemala for supporting the US decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the White House said. Trump and President Jimmy Morales met at the Washington Hilton hotel before they attended the annual National Prayer Breakfast. Journalists were not permitted to see the leaders meet. The leaders discussed Venezuela and agreed to work on restoring democracy to the country, according to a White House statement issued after the meeting. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up Trump also raised the issue of stopping illegal immigration to the US from Guatemala, and addressing the Central American country’s security and economic challenges. Morales announced on December 24 he had recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and intended to relocate Guatemala’s embassy to Jerusalem, making his country the first to follow the US after Trump made the same announcement on December 6. In a Facebook post about the embassy move, Morales said that he had instructed his country’s chancellor “to initiate the respective coordination so that it may be.” The decision followed a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the time. The announcement was made in front of an image of Guatemalan and Israeli flags fluttering side by side in the wind. The leaders, Morales said, spoke about “the excellent relations that we have had as nations since Guatemala supported the creation of the State of Israel” at the 1947 UN partition vote. Days before, the UN General Assembly passed a nonbinding resolution rejecting any recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in response to Trump’s pronouncement. Guatemala was one of just nine nations that explicitly sided with the US in the vote. Guatemala has had very friendly ties with Israel since its founding. In 1947, Guatemala’s ambassador to the UN, Jorge Garcia Granados, played a crucial role in convincing Latin American countries to vote in favor of General Assembly Resolution 181, which called for the partition of Mandatory Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state. Guatemala was one of the first countries to recognize the nascent State of Israel in 1948, and the friendship has remained strong ever since. Morales, who enjoys a large base of conservative Christian support, visited Israel in November 2016 to mark the 69th anniversary of the UN’s partition vote. Shortly after his election in 2015, Morales visited a synagogue in Guatemala City, met with members of the Jewish community, and declared his desire to visit Israel. Guatemala is home to about 1,000 Jews out of a population of 15 million. ||||| WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has met with the president of Guatemala. Trump greeted President Jimmy Morales at the Washington Hilton hotel on Thursday before they both attended the National Prayer Breakfast. Two issues that could have come up during their talks are U.S. aid to Guatemala and immigration policy. Morales is an evangelical Christian and former comedian who has held the office for two years. He showed support for Trump recently when he announced that Guatemala would move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, following the same announcement by the American president. Guatemala is also one of nine nations that sided with the United States on a U.N. vote condemning the U.S. decision. ||||| WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday thanked the president of Guatemala for supporting the U.S. decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the White House said. Trump and President Jimmy Morales met at the Washington Hilton hotel before they attended the annual National Prayer Breakfast. Journalists were not permitted to see the leaders meet. The leaders discussed Venezuela and agreed to work on restoring democracy to the country, according to a White House statement issued after the meeting. Trump also raised the issue of stopping illegal immigration to the U.S. from Guatemala, and addressing the Central American country’s security and economic challenges. Morales recently showed his support for Trump when he announced that Guatemala would move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, following the same announcement by Trump last December. Guatemala is also one of nine nations that sided with the United States on a U.N. vote condemning the U.S. decision. ||||| “At that time, they shall call Yerushalayim “Throne of Hashem,” and all nations shall assemble there, in the name of Hashem, at Yerushalayim. They shall no longer follow the willfulness of their evil hearts.” Jeremiah 3:17 (The Israel Bible™) President Donald Trump thanked his Guatemalan counterpart, Jimmy Morales, for his announcement that he would move Guatemala’s embassy to Jerusalem. “President Trump thanked President Morales for supporting the United States and Israel, and for his announced decision to move the Guatemalan embassy to Jerusalem,” a White House statement said. In early December, Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and announced that the United States would begin plans to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The two leaders met ahead of Trump’s appearance at the annual National Prayer Breakfast, held on Thursday morning. Since taking office in 2016, Morales, an Evangelical Christian, has been a strong supporter of Israel. In late January, a delegation of American Jewish and Christian leaders visited with Morales in Guatemala, where they also affirmed their support for his “courageous act” regarding Jerusalem. Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, who joined the delegation to Guatemala, told JNS at the time that the visit was an important way to show the Guatemalans “that we are there for them, and that we support them.” “It is a courageous act on their part,” he said, “and we don’t take them or it for granted.” ||||| US President Donald Trump met briefly with his Guatemalan counterpart, Jimmy Morales, in Washington on Thursday and the pair agreed to work together to "restore democracy" in Venezuela. The two leaders - who met for about 15 minutes at the Washington Hilton, where they were both attending the National Prayer Breakfast - also spoke about immigration and the similarity in their respective policies vis-a-vis Israel. ||||| President Trump today met with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales at the Washington Hilton hotel today, before they attended the annual National Prayer Breakfast. Said Trump, “I love Guatemala, especially with chips and salsa,” according to Seth Meyers, on tonight’s Late Night. “That’s the problem with Guatemala; there’s never enough,” Meyers joked. President Trump met Morales to thank him for supporting the U.S. move of its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the Associated Press reported of the private hotel meeting at which the press was not in attendance. Morales announced Guatemala would move its own embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, following Trump’s news last December. Guatemala also was one of nine nations that sided with the United States on a U.N. vote condemning the country’s announcement it was moving its embassy. ||||| US President Donald Trump on Thursday once again denounced the “repressive regimes” of Cuba, Venezuela, Iran and North Korea and said that his administration is on the side of all those people around the world suffering “persecution” because of their religious faith. Trump delivered his remarks at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, an event that traditionally blends politics and religion, Efe reported. Although Trump often cites Cuba and Venezuela among the world’s main violators of human rights, those two countries are not on the list of nations sanctioned by the US for allegedly inhibiting religious freedom, although Iran and North Korea are. The most recent State Department report on religious freedom, released last August, said that the religious environment in Cuba had improved in recent years, and in the case of Venezuela, the report only expressed concern over alleged “anti-Semitic” commentary in the state-run media. Trump also paid tribute in his remarks to North Korean defector Ji Seong-ho, whom he invited to attend his State of the Union address to Congress last week, saying that on Ji’s flight from North Korea he had prayed for peace and freedom, and now he has become a “symbol of hope” for millions of people. Trump also recalled the repression of religious minorities in Iraq and Syria by the Islamic State and claimed that the US-led international coalition had liberated “almost 100 percent” of the territory controlled by the IS in those countries. The president emphasized the central role religion has played in US history, saying that “America is a nation of believers and together we are strengthened by the power of prayer.” He added that the National Prayer Breakfast reminds people that “faith is central to America’s life and liberty. Our rights are not given to us by man … Our rights come from our Creator.” This year’s prayer breakfast was attended by Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, who met briefly with Trump prior to the US leader’s speech. For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App ||||| The Israel Allies Foundation (IAF) presented Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales with the foundation's most prestigious award in recognition of his recent decision to move his nation's embassy to Jerusalem. "We are honored this evening to be presenting President Morales with our Israel Allies Award. The award itself is appropriately made from Jerusalem stone, a stone that is curried and found only in Israel," an IAF spokesperson said at the ceremony. Guatemala was the first country to follow the United States in recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel last December. Although the decision sparked outrage among the international community, Morales believes he did the right thing. "Many judge my decision because of my convictions and my faith. But I am proving to them I didn't do it just for that, but I did it because it was the right thing to do," he said at the presentation. "From the bottom of my heart, I tell you, I don't feel deserving of an award. I'm just trying to do the right thing and allow my God, my people, and history to judge me." The IAF honored Morales by praying a special Hebrew blessing over him during the ceremony. Earlier this year, CBN News went to Guatemala and spoke to the nation's leaders about their historic decision. They said their faith inspired them to make such a bold move on the international stage. Vice President Jafeth Cabrera said his country is fulfilling biblical prophecy. "Yes, we do share that idea, that prophesy is coming to pass and we are pleased that Guatemala is contributing to having that happen and we hope that it will soon be a reality," Cabrera said. The vice president also said the declaration couldn't happen without prayer. "This was key to us making the decision to express our Christ likeness and to express our faith. We did pray. It was something that we meditated on and that we later on shared with President Jimmy Morales," Cabrera said. ||||| Likewise in the state media. While American pundits warned that conflict between the world’s top two economies would lead to meltdown, or speculated about China’s putatively enraged reaction to Trump’s phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, Beijing’s state-sanctioned media outlets retained a strangely forbearing, at times vaguely optimistic, tone about the relationship. From the very beginning, the Communist Party seems to have understood that Trump’s threats were, for the most part, merely for show. By refusing to be rattled, China has enjoyed a series of rhetorical and strategic triumphs that have enhanced its global image and increased its international influence. China also appears to have assessed that Trump, the self-proclaimed master deal maker, would rather have a bad deal than no deal at all, and could be persuaded to compromise on almost anything in order to declare a “win.” Take the $250 billion in deals announced during Trump’s visit to China in November. Many of the agreements were nonbinding memorandums of understanding, and some had already been negotiated. And while they made a nice headline, they did nothing to address the fundamental problems that U.S. companies face in China: requirements to share technological trade secrets with Chinese partners in exchange for access to Chinese markets; restrictions on entering huge swathes of the economy; industrial policies that explicitly aim to oust foreign firms in fields ranging from information technology to electric vehicles. Yet China won warm praise from Trump, who professed his “very deep respect” for the country and the “noble traditions of its people.” During an unprecedented “state visit–plus,” as China’s foreign ministry put it, which included a 21-gun salute, a military parade, and a dinner in the Forbidden City, Trump stunned observers by saying he no longer faulted China for its trade policies. “I don’t blame China,” he said during a joint appearance with President Xi Jinping, adding that he gives the country “great credit” for taking advantage of the U.S. on trade. Such remarks support the view of Shen Dingli, a professor of international relations at Fudan University. Trump, he told me, is “an especially easy president for China to handle.” Trump may make more sense in China than he does in Washington. Beijing seems to have concluded that the former casino mogul, like a high-rolling gambler, can be made to keep playing the house by showering him with VIP perks. On the diplomatic front, China’s tactic of acting as a foil to Trump has already paid off handsomely. From Europe to Africa to Latin America, China is enjoying more prestige and respect than it has in years. While Barack Obama vexed Beijing with his idealism, “pivot to Asia,” and China-excluding Trans-Pacific Partnership—a massive trade pact that would have fused the major economies of Asia with the United States—Trump has emphatically reversed course, tearing up the TPP and driving allies to consider China-backed plans instead. This divergence was nowhere clearer than at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit held in Da Nang, Vietnam, after Trump’s visit in November. There, Xi Jinping outlined a vision of China at the center of the region’s diplomatic, development, and trade architecture, reiterating his country’s support for multilateral free-trade schemes. Trump, meanwhile, struck a pugnacious tone, saying that America had gotten stuck with the bad end of trade deals during previous administrations and warning that “those days are over.” Trump’s posture stands in marked contrast to China’s plans for engagement of various kinds with countries throughout Asia. The centerpiece of China’s efforts is the Belt and Road Initiative (also known as the New Silk Road), an ambitious strategy to fund infrastructure projects across Eurasia that would increase foreign trade with China’s inland provinces and bolster its geopolitical clout. Often likened to the Marshall Plan, the Belt and Road Initiative brought 29 heads of state to Beijing for a summit last May, where Xi declared it “the project of the century.” Among the attendees was a delegation sent by Trump, a gesture seen as offering a tacit endorsement of Xi’s vision. Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement further burnished China’s new image as the responsible global power. Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that Germany could no longer rely on its long-standing ally, and when China reiterated its pledge to limit greenhouse-gas emissions, she said, “China has become a more important and strategic partner.” (It’s worth noting that China’s promised carbon-emission target under the Paris Agreement won’t kick in until 2030, and that Beijing has a long history of finding ways to circumvent international promises.) In all these ways, China has positioned itself to be seen as stepping into America’s vacuum. Shen Dingli emphasized this point to me, saying that Trump’s hostility to multilateral institutions such as the WTO and nato has given China “a huge opportunity.” With Trump in the White House, Xu Guoqi, a professor at the University of Hong Kong, told me, the Chinese are enjoying a “golden field for their propaganda.” At the same time, Trump’s election, and the wave of political disorder it has unleashed within and beyond the United States, has provided ample fodder for China to attack democracy and extol the one-party state. “American power is based on two legs, the hard power and soft power,” Xu explained. “In terms of soft power, Trump really undermined it substantially.” Trump’s election gave the People’s Daily, the Communist Party mouthpiece, the occasion to run a series of commentaries arguing that the “crisis in capitalist societies” was “proof of the truth of Marxism and the superiority of the socialist system.” Such messages continued to gain force during Trump’s first year in office, boosting not only Beijing’s standing internationally, but the Communist Party’s claim to legitimacy among the Chinese population. Xu describes Trump’s presidency as “a gift for the current regime in China. Because of Trump, Xi Jinping’s Chinese dream”—the resurgence of China’s dominance in world affairs—“could be achievable now.” Especially visible among Trump’s Chinese fans are those who pride themselves on being well versed in American politics. Take the online platform Zhihu, a Quora-like forum, where the topic “Donald J. Trump” has garnered some 75,000 followers, nearly half the total following for “America.” One survey suggests that a number of pro-Trump Zhihu users attended college in the U.S. The survey was small, but my own reporting has tended to corroborate this. Those I spoke with said they formed negative impressions of liberalism that helped push them toward Trump. Like many of Trump’s American supporters, they appreciated his hatred of the pieties and shibboleths of the educated American left. Zhihu users vigorously debate questions that would fit in well on any right-wing platform in the U.S. One page viewed 3.2 million times asks: “Why do many Chinese look down on Western baizuo who consider themselves well-educated?” (The slur literally means “white left,” but is likened to “libtard” on Zhihu.) Forums feature pictures of Pepe the Frog, a symbol of the alt-right, and of a “Liberal Jack-Ass” captioned “Everything I don’t like, must be banned. Everything I do like is a human right and must be paid for by others.” Contempt for America’s current brand of political correctness is a recurring fixation, as are illegal immigration, Islamist terrorism, affirmative action, transgender activism, and Hillary Clinton. One Zhihu user I spoke with said he supported Trump not because he particularly liked him, but because the style of today’s Democratic Party “reminds us a lot of the Cultural Revolution.” “In the history of mankind, only two people have proposed that the masses must overthrow the social establishment, one is Mao Zedong, the other is Trump.” Many Westerners living in China are surprised to learn that while public discourse is heavily policed, with taboo views on democracy or Mao Zedong harshly punished, Chinese people can be startlingly frank in private conversation, voicing opinions that many Americans would be afraid to express to one another for fear of giving offense. People remark casually and candidly on everything from a person’s weight gain or disability to the supposed collective merits or deficiencies of certain ethnic groups. This custom makes Trump’s attacks on political correctness appealing to some Chinese, according to Yan Gu, a University of Washington doctoral candidate studying authoritarianism who has researched Chinese online opinion about Trump. Chinese netizens “dislike political correctness and neo-liberal rhetoric,” she told me, noting that “a large portion of Chinese online response” to Obama was “quite racist”; one common slur referred to him as “O-Black.” Sentiment about LGBT issues is rather conservative in much of China, where electroshock therapy is sometimes used as a “cure” for homosexuality. Trump’s nationalist rhetoric and “strongman style” resonate in China’s political culture, Yan noted. The country’s founding emperor, Qin Shi Huang, is revered for uniting the nation, despite his infamy for burning books and burying scholars alive. Mao, who styled himself as a new emperor, squashed dissent and spurred traumatic and violent campaigns against intellectuals, teachers, and writers, but was idolized by many Chinese and remains, in some quarters, a legend. Xi Jinping has, despite his stolid exterior, proved to be China’s most hard-line leader in decades, and his campaigns to curb foreign influence and vault Chinese companies to dominance in the industries of the future have contributed to his popular appeal. This helps explain why a portion of pro-Trump sentiment in China comes from a surprising point on the political spectrum: the nationalist extreme left, an odd ally for the capitalist billionaire. Trump’s populist rhetoric and imprecations of the global elite have crossover appeal for Mao nostalgists such as Zhang Hongliang, a firebrand writer known as the “Red Tank Driver.” As he wrote on his Weibo social-media account, “In the history of mankind, only two people have proposed that the masses must overthrow the social establishment, one is Mao Zedong, the other is Trump.” A scholar who is politically moderate confided privately that he “likes Trump very much,” in part because of his similarities to Xi. “China’s proposed ‘national rejuvenation’ and Trump’s ‘Make America great again’ are the same,” he said. In fact, one could make the case that the slogan Xi embraced as the core of his Chinese dream anticipated Trump’s. Though its official translation is “The great revival of the Chinese nation,” an equally accurate rendition would be “Make China great again.” And so while the outward differences between Trump and Xi are stark, there may be a reason the two leaders professed to feel personal warmth at their meeting last spring at Mar-a-Lago, in Florida, and again at their summit in Beijing, where Trump boasted of their chemistry. Both are revanchist leaders, denouncing the supposedly venal elite from which they sprang, and claiming to stand between their country and certain disaster. “Trump’s Republican Party,” Shen told me, “ought to change its name to the Communists.” This is where these two very different images of Trump—as someone the Chinese feel they can manipulate and as someone who genuinely appeals to them—converge. Whether eliciting respect or scorn, Trump makes a certain intuitive sense in China. In fact, he might make more sense to the Chinese than he does to much of Washington: His unabashed nationalism; rough-hewn arriviste manners; and unapologetic mingling of family, business, and politics make him akin to some newly minted provincial tycoon. In this respect he is less shocking or threatening than commonplace: He’s simply what Chinese call a tuhao, another bumptious billionaire. While Trump’s continued promotion of his business empire and elevation of his daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, to political power have raised alarm in the United States, such blurring of lines is the norm in China. Even Xi, whom many Chinese seem to regard as corruption-free, has relatives who allegedly amassed huge fortunes while he rose through the ranks. Likewise, family members of Wen Jiabao, known as the “people’s premier” during his decade in power starting in the early 2000s, reportedly piled up several billion dollars during his tenure. Indeed, Trump’s ferocious loyalty to his clan contributes to his appeal, as it resonates with traditional Chinese values of good leadership, Yan Gu, the University of Washington researcher, told me: “It is a Confucian belief that a great person must ‘improve himself, order his home, govern the country, and bring peace.’ A happy, united family is an indicator of a talented politician.” Online, she noted, Chinese have praised Trump for raising successful sons and daughters, while Hillary Clinton is mocked for her husband’s affair. Trump’s obsession with “winning” also comports with the winner-take-all attitude of the elite in today’s China, which is less communist than ruthlessly Darwinian. Many successful Chinese believe that “their own success is the result of their own efforts and natural abilities, and those who fail in competition did so because of laziness or other defects,” a commentator named Zhao Lingmin wrote just before the 2016 U.S. presidential election in the Chinese edition of the Financial Times. Winners may be cruel, opportunistic, or corrupt, but they are winners, and therefore they deserve respect. Even Trump’s initial inheritance from his father doesn’t detract from his success, in this view. Rather, it demonstrates his stewardship of the family name and his skill in transforming it into a global brand. As Swallow X. Yan, a politically active entrepreneur who has advised Chinese financiers on Trump, told me, “Chinese people admire success. They look down on losers. If you choose the wrong guy, that is stupid. You are losing face.” Finally, however overheated Trump’s early China-bashing may have been, the Chinese seem to have long identified him as someone they could do business with, much as they have done business with other strongmen, such as Vladimir Putin and Rodrigo Duterte, despite pursuing divergent or conflicting interests. Unlike previous U.S. presidents, Trump is relatively unconcerned with staking out a moral high ground, or criticizing other countries’ corruption or failings regarding human rights and democracy. Instead, Trump is transactional. Hoping for cooperation on North Korea, he gave Beijing a better deal on trade. When Beijing didn’t seem to be cooperating enough, he agreed to sell arms to Taiwan. This brand of pragmatic diplomacy, in which relationships hinge on calibrated, concrete bargains that can be altered as conditions change, mirrors Beijing’s way of operating. Although such a contingent approach to relationships entails risks—bilateral cooperation could always collapse as soon as one side feels cheated—it’s a game that China is comfortable playing. With Hillary Clinton, who was, rightly or wrongly, believed to be fundamentally inhospitable to Beijing, things could have been very different. “If Hillary was president of the United States, I can guarantee relations with China would be much worse,” said Xu, the University of Hong Kong professor. In other words, the “America first” president is in some respects not only amenable to the People’s Republic of China; one could go so far as to argue that he is the first American president with (to borrow a favorite Chinese Communist Party phrase) “Chinese characteristics.” Whether they consider him a global blunderer or a strong leader, a businessman or a family man, Chinese look at Donald Trump and see someone they recognize—and believe they can do business with. This article appears in the March 2018 print edition with the headline “Why China Loves Trump.” ||||| Cuba Is Making the Crisis in Venezuela Worse With President Donald Trump singling out “the communist and socialist dictatorships in Cuba and Venezuela” in his State of the Union address and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson using his first trip to Latin America to rally regional support for tougher measures against Venezuela, the Trump administration is clearly signaling its intention to escalate diplomatic and economic pressure on the authoritarian regime of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. There is no other course. The Maduro regime’s intransigence, its systematic destruction of democracy, and its epic economic malpractice are creating not only a humanitarian nightmare within Venezuela, but a migration crisis that threatens the stability of it neighbors, including Colombia and nearby Caribbean islands. Pressing forward on a strategy of increased sanctions and multilateral pressure is right, but at the same time the Trump administration cannot delink Venezuela and Cuba, for there will be no resolution in Venezuela without addressing the pernicious influence of the Castro regime in fortifying Maduro’s grip on power and rooting out any internal opposition to the breakdown of democratic order. Today, the penetration of Venezuela by thousands of Cuban operatives is complete. While it remains difficult to quantify the exact numbers, according to a Brookings Institution report, Cuban intelligence operatives and military advisors in Venezuela range from hundreds to thousands. Organization of American States Secretary General Luis Almagro puts the number at 15,000, likening them to “an occupation army from Cuba in Venezuela.” Certainly, there is nothing new to the incestuous Venezuela-Cuba relationship. What is new is the Maduro regime’s increasing brazenness in pursuing an uncompromising survival strategy straight out of the Castro playbook: ever-more reliance on repression to maintain control, while driving the discontented out of the country. Cuba’s fingerprints are all over this human tragedy. So what more can the Trump administration do to hold Cuba accountable? The United States already maintains an embargo on most commercial activity with Cuba and the U.S. embassy there is running on a skeleton staff due to the health attacks on U.S. diplomats. Yet, there are options that would raise the costs to the Castro regime for its destructive role in Venezuela, for which it has paid no price to date. Here are some recommendations:
• Suspend the working groups between the U.S. and Cuba established by the Obama administration, especially the U.S.-Cuba Law Enforcement Dialogues, which involves intelligence-sharing on counterterrorism, counternarcotics, and other criminal activity. Cuban President Raúl Castro desperately craves legitimacy through these meetings, even as common sense screams out about their utter incongruity.
• Expand U.S. drug investigations in Venezuela to Cuban officials based there. Venezuela is a full-blown narco-state, with numerous high-ranking officials implicated in facilitating drug shipments from Colombia through Venezuela and on to the United States and Europe. Given Cuba’s intimate standing in Venezuela, it defies belief that some Cuban officials are not likewise complicit.
• Oppose Cuba’s participation in the eighth Summit of the Americas, to be held April 13 and 14 in Lima, Peru. Although there has been no word on Cuba’s participation, it attended the 2015 summit with the acquiescence of the Obama administration. Cuba’s ongoing, destructive role in Venezuela merits vociferous opposition on the part of the United States this time around.
• Target Cubans operating in Venezuela with sanctions. In its first year, the Trump administration sanctioned more than two dozen Venezuelan officials for narcotrafficking, assaults against democracy, and human right abuses. It should extend those sanctions to Cuban officials in Venezuela. While they are not likely to have assets in the United States to be frozen or visas to be withdrawn, sanctions would target their dealings with entities that come into contact with the U.S. financial system. Secondly, the stigma of U.S. sanctions is a powerful psychological tool, especially when targets are named and shamed before the Venezuelan people.
• To raise the economic costs to Cuba, reactivate Title IV of the 1996 Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Libertad) Act, which denies U.S. visas to foreign persons profiting from confiscated property in Cuba claimed by U.S. nationals. In 22 years, the provision has only been invoked a handful of times. Reintroducing this threat will have a chilling effect on the Castro regime’s effort to lure foreign investment in its tourism industry, the Cuban military’s cash cow.
• Return Cuba to the official list of state sponsors of terrorism. The Obama administration removed Cuba for purely political purposes to facilitate its normalization process, despite there being no evidence the Castro regime had mended its ways (in fact, the evidence points to the contrary). There is very little to be optimistic about regarding Venezuela. Some liken it to an out-of-control bus that needs to crash before anything can be done. But that is an abdication of responsibility by those in a position to prevent such a tragedy and a disservice to the Venezuelan people. Moreover, there will be those who claim the United States has no moral authority to act in preventing the destruction of Venezuela. It’s very likely, however, that not many of them live there.
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U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales. Trump thanks Morales for having supported the decision of the United States to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. They discuss various issues about the crisis in Venezuela, drug trafficking and the UN anti-corruption commission.
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The plane could fly from London to New York in three hours (Picture: NASA) A new plane that would fly from London to New York in three hours has just received crucial funding. The aircraft, dubbed the ‘Son of Concorde’, was proposed by Nasa and has just been given the go-ahead by US officials. Why you should say no to pointless upgrades and refuse to buy an iPhone 11 Its official name is the Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator, and it aims to cut out the loud sonic booms that echoed above towns and cities when the original Concorde would fly. QueSST could make its maiden voyage in 2021 if all goes according to plan. If so, it will halve the current travel time between London and New York. Nasa has been awarded £14.3billion in the latest US budget, around £360million more than last year – although it is not clear how much of this will fund production of the Son of Concorde. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The budget said: ‘The Budget fully funds the Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator, an experimental supersonic airplane that would make its first flight in 2021. Advertisement Advertisement ‘This “X-plane” would open a new market for US companies to build faster commercial airliners, creating jobs and cutting cross-country flight times in half.’ QueSST is the latest addition to Nasa’s X-series of experimental aircrafts and rockets, which are used to test new technologies. The X designation means that they are part of the US’s research missions. Pack your bags – you’re going to NYC (Picture: NASA) Lockheed Martin has been working on a preliminary design, but Nasa has also indicated that other companies can submit designs as well. BAE Systems has been showcasing its autonomous boat at London arms expo With QueSST, Nasa is hoping to achieve a sonic boom at least 60 dBA lower than the original Concorde, which was operated until 2003. A spokesman for the space agency previously said their aim was to create a boom ‘so quiet it hardly will be noticed by the public, if at all… like distant thunder [or] the sound of your neighbour forcefully shutting their car door outside while you are inside’. Once a contract has been awarded, the winning team will undergo a critical design review in 2019, as the plan edges closer to life. ||||| Hopping the pond is about to get a lot quicker. A new supersonic jet that some are calling “Son of the Concorde” could fly from New York to London in three hours, and may be used to transport commercial airline passengers sooner than you think. The NASA creation, officially called a Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator (LBFD), can break the sound barrier without creating the deafening sonic boom of previous models, therefore making it a serious contender for use in commercial flights — something that hasn’t happened since the Concorde was grounded in 2003. RELATED: Airline Blames Passengers After Emergency Exit Door Falls Off Plane During Landing The speed of sound is 767 mph. The goal of the LBFD is to fly at 1,074 mph. While the technology previously existed and NASA has already been testing a preliminary design called the Quiet Supersonic Transport, or QueSST, the U.S. government’s recently approved 2019 budget includes full funding for the experimental plane. If all goes to plan, it will make its first test run in 2021. Potential commercial flights would follow. WATCH THIS: Airline Passenger Booted from 2 Flights for Wearing All of his Clothes to Avoid Checked Bag Fee The project “would open a new market for U.S. companies to build faster commercial airliners, creating jobs and cutting cross-country flight times in half,” according to the White House Budget, which also increases funding for “research on flight at speeds more than five times the speed of sound, commonly referred to as hypersonics,” used for spacecrafts and national defense applications. A few other companies, including Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, are working on similar projects. Virgin’s proposed plane would travel at twice the speed of sound, or 1,451 mph. ||||| ‘Son of Concorde’ could fly in 2021: US approves Nasa's plans for a quiet 1,100mph craft that can go from London to New York in THREE HOURS#RIN #Navigation #Planes #London #NewYork #USA #NASA #Concorde #future #Travelhttps://t.co/XXswbaDG94 pic.twitter.com/FmMIWzXna6 ||||| A new generation of quiet supersonic aircraft has moved a step closer to reality after Donald Trump gave the go-ahead to plans for a quiet 'Son of Concorde'. The plane, proposed by Nasa, is dubbed the Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) low-boom flight demonstrator. It aims to cut out the noisy sonic booms that echoed above cities in the era of Concorde, while travelling at speeds of 1,100mph (Mach 1.4 / 1,700 km/h). QueSST will make its first flight in 2021 if production goes according to plan and could one day halve travel times from London to New York to just three hours. Nasa's vision has been approved In the latest proposed US budget released by the Office Of Management And Budget In Washington, DC. The space agency was awarded $19.9 billion (£14.3bn) for the next year, $500 million (£360m) more than the previous year. It is not known what proportion of this will be spent on the supersonic aircraft project. QueSST is the latest addition to the X-series of experimental aircraft and rockets, used to test and evaluate new technologies and aerodynamic concepts. Their X designation indicates their research mission status within the US system of aircraft naming. This all dates back to Chuck Yeager's sound-barrier-breaking craft, the X-1, a rocket engine–powered aircraft, designed and built in 1945, that achieved a speed of nearly 1,000 miles per hour (1,600 kmh) in 1948. QueSST will be used as a test bed for technologies that could make their way into commercial planes. Writing in the budget, its authors said: 'The Budget fully funds the Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator, an experimental supersonic airplane that would make its first flight in 2021. 'This “X-plane” would open a new market for US companies to build faster commercial airliners, creating jobs and cutting cross-country flight times in half. ' In June 2017, Nasa announced that it planned to begin work on the supersonic X-plane as early as 2018. Lockheed Martin has been working on the preliminary design, with hopes to move on to build the demonstrator, but NASA also opened the door for other companies to submit their own designs as well. The space agency is hoping to achieve a sonic boom 60 dBA lower than other supersonic aircraft, such as the Concorde, a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger jet that was operated until 2003. The QueSST low-boom flight demonstrator (LBFD), or X-plane, aims to produce a much lower 'boom' than other supersonic aircraft at speeds beyond Mach 1. It is designed to fly at Mach 1.4 (1,100mph / 1,700 kph), 55,000 feet (10 miles) above the ground. The aircraft is shaped to separate the shocks and expansions associated with supersonic flight to reduce the volume of the shaped signature, and was developed by Lockheed's Skunk Works over 20 years. Recent research has shown it is possible for a supersonic airplane to be shaped in such a way that the shock waves it forms when flying faster than the speed of sound can generate a sound at ground level so quiet it will hardly will be noticed by the public, if at all. The space agency is hoping to achieve a sonic boom 60 dBA lower than other supersonic aircraft, such as the Anglo-French Concorde. In a written statement, a Nasa spokesman previously said the aim was to create a boom 'so quiet it hardly will be noticed by the public, if at all... like distant thunder [or] the sound of your neighbor forcefully shutting his car door outside while you are inside.' It's been decades since Nasa has worked on a manned supersonic X-plane, and after the contract is awarded, the winning team will undergo critical design review in 2019 to bring the plan closer to life. Nasa is hoping to see the first flight tests take place in the first quarter of 2021. For the most part, the demonstrator tests will take place across two phases at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, and culminating at the base housing at Edwards AFB. The first will focus on aircraft build, checkout, and supersonic flight envelope expansion set for late 2021, followed by efforts focusing on low-boom acoustic validation, according to Aviation Week. Then, in 2022, researchers will assess the ground signature of the demonstrator, and the effects on atmospheric and flight conditions from the boom. Nasa is hoping the low-boom X-plane will support changes in US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, to allow supersonic flight over land. Whenever an aircraft flies supersonic, or faster than the speed of sound, it produces shockwaves that is eventually heard on the ground as a loud sonic boom. This is the driving factor behind the FAA restriction on supersonic flight over land. Nasa intends to demonstrate quieter supersonic flight through the LBFD, and should the quiet thump of the shockwaves prove to be within acceptable limits to the FAA and communities on the ground. According to predicted sound levels, it may open the future to supersonic flight over land on a commercial level. Incredible images of an Air Force jet passing in front of the sun revealed in December 2017 show how Nasa will visualise shockwaves produced by the QueSST. The space agency's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California captured the images of its Test Pilot School T-38 as it transitioned from subsonic speed to supersonic using a technique called schlieren photography. The agency said it brings them one step closer to being able to visually capture the shockwaves of its future supersonic X-plane. ||||| The Trump administration's fiscal year 2019 budget proposal for NASA includes full funding for an experimental supersonic airplane that could one day transport commercial-airline passengers faster than the speed of sound. Known as the Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator (LBFD), this X-plane is scheduled to make its first test flight as early as 2021 and "would open a new market for U.S. companies to build faster commercial airliners, creating jobs and cutting cross-country flight times in half," the White House budget request states. The goal of supersonic aircraft like LBFD is to make commercial airplanes that can fly faster than the speed of sound without generating a loud and obnoxious sonic boom, an ear-splitting noise associated with shock waves generated by an aircraft as it breaks the sound barrier. [Images: Airplanes of Tomorrow, NASA's Vision of Future Air Travel] While NASA has been breaking the sound barrier with its experimental aircraft since Chuck Yeager's famous flight of the Bell X-1 in 1946, the sonic-boom issue has been the main reason why supersonic passenger planes still aren't in use today. (The Concorde, a now-retired supersonic passenger jet built in the 1970s, would only fly over the ocean for that reason.) Another issue is the fuel efficiency, which is significantly reduced due to drag at supersonic speeds, NASA officials said in a statement. "Future supersonic aircraft seeking to achieve a low-boom, such as NASA's LBFD, will rely on a swept wing design in order to fly at supersonic speeds without producing a loud sonic boom," NASA officials said. "The swept wing design generally produces crossflow, which is a name for air flow disturbances that runs along the span of the wing, resulting in turbulent flow, increased drag and ultimately higher fuel consumption." The agency has already been testing preliminary designs of the LBFD X-plane. Last summer, a scale model known as the Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) aircraft was put to the test in a supersonic wind tunnel at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. With the financial support allotted by the 2019 budget request, the agency would be able to start building the full-scale LBFD with the goal of beginning flight tests in 2021. "This budget maintains a robust investment of $633.9 million to improve air traffic management, make progress integrating unmanned systems into the airspace, and fund an experimental supersonic airplane and increase hypersonics research," NASA Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot said during the annual State of NASA speech on Monday (Feb. 12). The $633.9 million budget proposed for NASA's Aeronautics division in fiscal year 2019 is $21.6 million less than the division received in 2018, which amounts to a 3.3-percent decrease. While NASA works on its new supersonic plane, commercial space companies are working on similar concepts. Virgin Galactic and Boom Technology are also collaborating to build a supersonic passenger jet that can travel at twice the speed of sound, or 1,451 mph (2,335 km/h), enabling flights from London to New York City in about 3 hours. Another company, Spike Aerospace, is developing its S-512 Quiet Supersonic Jet, which could make the same trip in about the same time. With today's passenger airplanes, that trip typically takes 6 to 7 hours. ||||| In the hopes of speeding up commercial flight times, Donald Trump has approved funding for Nasa to develop a new type of supersonic plane. The plane, dubbed the Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft, will be as fast as Concorde, but much quieter. This would allow flights to take place at high speed over land, as well as over the sea. QueSST would fly at staggering speeds of Mach 1.4 (1,074 miles/hour) - nearly twice the speed of commercial airliners currently used. Unlike Concorde, which has a deafening sonic boom, QueSST will be designed to generate shock waves with a softer rumble. A spokesperson for Lockheed Martin , lead contractor of the project, said: “The aircraft is shaped to separate the shocks and expansions associated with supersonic flight to reduce the volume of the shaped signature. “QueSST’s ‘heartbeat’ will be dramatically quieter than the traditional ’N-wave’ sonic boom associated with the current supersonic aircraft in flight today.” Donald Trump has now approved Nasa’s plans in the latest proposed US budget. The budget states: “The Budget fully funds the Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator, an experimental supersonic (faster than the speed of sound) airplane that would make its first flight in 2021. “This ‘X-plane’ would open a new market for U.S. companies to build faster commercial airliners, creating jobs and cutting cross-country flight times in half.” ||||| According to Space.Com, the 2018 NASA budget shows some exciting sneak peaks at what’s around the corner. While the ISS and many other programs are getting cut because Trump hates science, the administration also suggested that it intends to fund the development of a super quiet, potentially hypersonic airplane. Hypersonic cruising speeds have been sort of the holy grail of commercial flight for decades. The Concorde got close-ish, able to crank all the way up to 1350 miles per hour. Unfortunately, the Concorde also had its fair share of issues — including tremendous fuel costs and that pesky sonic boom. NASA’s new project is essentially a testing platform for ultra high-tech materials that would later be adapted to commercial flight. With that, one of the top goals is to find a way to cut the sonic boom so that these planes could fly near heavily populated areas without causing all the glass within a few miles to rattle and shatter. Sonic booms are a major engineering challenge. For years, controlled supersonic flight was thought to be impossible. That’s because airplanes that top the speedometer essentially catch up to their own sound waves. In short order, these waves align and create a powerful burst of energy that we experience as that characteristic boom. Lockheed Martin, a longtime NASA contractor has been given the basic contract. And the intention is to bring the boom strength down to a point that’s only a little louder than a normal conversation you might have in a sparse restaurant. In a statement, NASA said that it hopes to have an aircraft “so quiet it hardly will be noticed by the public, if at all … like distant thunder, the sound of your neighbor forcefully shutting his car door outside while you are inside.” Accomplishing that won’t be easy, but the hope is that with advanced new materials and novel engine placement. Many similar craft (including some from NASA) have been experimenting with alternate engine placement, but this proposal would have the turbines sitting above the fuselage and angled upwards, essentially nudging the boom up and away from the people on the ground. With test flights starting in the early 2020s, we probably won’t see this tech maturing for a few years yet, but it offers an exciting vision of the possibilities of flight in the 2030s, and I’m here for it. Let us know what you like about Geek by taking our survey. ||||| They included two dozen colors; 12 shades of red alone. The roses were all a little tired-looking from the journey, the florists said, so workers spent the next few days nursing them back to health — hydrating, cleaning and preening them before arranging them into $100 dozens to be delivered to New Yorkers. Perhaps, to you. Now, they have about a week before they wilt — seven days is the typical postsale life expectancy of a rose. “Most flowers, you’re just enjoying the beauty of its death,” Mr. Faitos told us. Still, they’ve made it this far. Here’s what else is happening: Mild and lovely, with a high of 50. But grab an umbrella. It may rain later this evening.
• In the first State of the City Speech of his final term, Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged that by the time he leaves office New York would be the fairest city in the country. [New York Times]
• A federal lawsuit is challenging the Trump administration by arguing that marijuana should be legal under federal law. [New York Times]
• Bob Hugin, a former pharmaceutical executive, announced he was running for the Republican nomination in New Jersey for the Senate seat held by Robert Menendez. [New York Times]
• Ahmad Khan Rahimi, the man responsible for building and planting the bomb that exploded in Manhattan in 2016, was sentenced to two life terms. [New York Times]
• For the second time in two months, a federal judge issued an injunction that ordered the Trump administration to keep the DACA program in place. [New York Times]
• As DreamYard Preparatory, a once failing high school, makes significant improvements, school officials want to ensure that they sustain its progress. [New York Times]
• A police sergeant who fatally shot a mentally ill woman took the stand, telling the court that he tried to prevent her from picking up a pair of scissors. [New York Times]
• Despite a large housing stock, there is still a low vacancy rate throughout the five boroughs, a new report from New York City Housing Preservation and Development shows. [Metro New York]
• Inside one of Bushwick’s only remaining tortilla factories. [Bushwick Daily]
• For the second year in a row, Jersey City has been named the most diverse city in the country, the financial services website WalletHub has found. [NJ.com]
• For a global look at what’s happening, see Your Morning Briefing.
• New York Road Runners hosts a singles jog and mixer at the RunCenter in Midtown. 6:30 p.m. [Free]
• See Alan Cumming perform in “Many Fathoms Deep,” a Valentine’s Day show of song, spoken word and cabaret, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Upper East Side. 7 p.m. [Tickets start at $75]
• Celebrate love with laughs at “Looking for Love in All the Love Places” or “Be Mine: Improvisers and Their Real-Life Valentines,” at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Hell’s Kitchen. 8 and 9:30 p.m. [$9]
• ... Or at a Valentine’s Day stand-up comedy showcase at Q.E.D. in Astoria, Queens. 9 p.m. [$10]
• Looking ahead: On Thursday morning, “Exerskate,” a fitness class for experienced skaters, on the rink at Bryant Park in Midtown. 8 a.m. [Free]
• For more events, see The New York Times’s Arts & Entertainment guide. The overlap of Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday may cause a quandary for some. Still, many observant Catholics in the city will be wearing ash crosses on their brows. Have you ever wondered where the ash came from? We put that question to the Archdiocese of New York, which oversees St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan and nearly 300 other congregations around the city. “The ashes are derived from the remaining palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday service,” said Mercedes Lopez-Blanco, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese. “The fronds of the palms are burned,” a process that takes place offsite — sometimes as far away as Florida — where they are incinerated in an open fire, collected and shipped back to the city. Before today’s ceremony at St. Patrick’s, the sacristan, or church preparer, prepared 25 plates of ash. The ashes were to be blessed by the priest at 7 o’clock this morning, just before Mass. About 50,000 New Yorkers receive ashes from the cathedral on Fifth Avenue each year, Ms. Lopez-Blanco told us, and the archdiocese is expecting a similar turnout today. The message that comes with the cross: “Remember, man, that thou art dust, and into dust thou shalt return.” New York Today is a morning roundup that is published weekdays at 6 a.m. If you don’t get it in your inbox already, you can sign up to receive it by email here. For updates throughout the day, like us on Facebook. What would you like to see here to start your day? Post a comment, email us at [email protected], or reach us via Twitter using #NYToday. Follow the New York Today columnists, Alexandra Levine and Jonathan Wolfe, on Twitter. You can find the latest New York Today at nytoday.com. ||||| He has picked up food: a slice of pizza, a chicken sandwich, “six McDonald’s cheeseburgers; hold the onions.” And hired dog acupuncturists and psychics. (The psychics informed owners that their dogs were nervous, and did not wish to eat beans.) He has also fetched cots — for the coaches, not the dogs: The dogs get the beds. “The owner wants the dog having optimal sleep,” Mr. Grymek said. “They’re in the show, after all.” Here’s what else is happening: A little cooler today but the rain is gone, and the clouds will break up by afternoon, with a high around 43. Then cold tonight and fair tomorrow. Not a bad start.
• The Legal Aid Society is threatening to sue if Nycha does not return upward of $10 million in rent payments after residents were left without heat this winter. [New York Times]
• Yoselyn Ortega, who worked as a nanny for a Manhattan family, is accused of murdering two of the children she cared for. [New York Times]
• Joseph Percoco, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s former deputy secretary often used the governor’s name to further his own interests, according to testimony in his federal corruption trial. [New York Times]
• A correction officer suffered a fractured neck when he was attacked by inmates in a Rikers Island jail. [New York Times]
• The Olmsted-Beil House in Staten Island, the one-time home of Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park, was purchased by the city but has fallen into disrepair. [New York Times]
• New York’s attorney general filed a lawsuit against the Weinstein Company and demanded that any victims of Harvey Weinstein be justly compensated. [New York Times]
• Sleep apnea testing should be federally mandated to prevent more train derailments, Senator Chuck Schumer says. [Am New York]
• More than 100 people packed into Bar Sepia in Prospect Heights to show support for the owner as she mounts a last-ditch effort to hold onto her 14-year-old business. [New York Post]
• A fourth New York City child has died from flu-related complications, police sources said. [New York Post]
• For a global look at what’s happening, see Your Morning Briefing.
• Day 1 of Off-Broadway Week, with two-for-one tickets at dozens of shows around the city. (Here are a few New York Times Critic’s Picks.) Times and prices vary.
• The theater director Arin Arbus joins Randy Cohen’s “Person Place Thing” show to discuss “The Winter’s Tale,” at Polonsky Shakespeare Center in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. 7:30 p.m. [$15]
• Monday Night Magic at the Players Theater in Greenwich Village. 8 p.m. [$42.50]
• A Mardi Gras Monday party (followed by a Fat Tuesday celebration) at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg. 8 p.m. [$15]
• Looking ahead: On Wednesday, the Bond Street Euterpean Singing Society performs “Love in the Parlors,” a Valentine’s Day concert of Schubert, Brahms and others, at the Merchant’s House Museum in NoHo.
• For more events, see The New York Times’s Arts & Entertainment guide. On this day in 1931, the public was introduced to “the strangest passion the world has ever known.” That, according to an ad in The Times, was the passion of Dracula for blood. The horror film, based on the novel by Bram Stoker, premiered Feb. 12 at the Roxy Theater on 50th Street, a venue nicknamed the “Cathedral of Motion Picture” and considered at the time the finest cinema in New York City. The ad, along with the Times review of the film, underscores that it’s a “talking film” — then a novel concept. Silent films transitioned to “talkies” with speaking, singing and dancing in the late 1920s. The movie and its sharp-toothed protagonist, now thought to be “more comical than scary,” were described as “bloodcurdling,” “evil” and “eerie.” Fog, a highly technical special effect at the time, made it all the more spooky. New York Today is a morning roundup that is published weekdays at 6 a.m. If you don’t get it in your inbox already, you can sign up to receive it by email here. For updates throughout the day, like us on Facebook. What would you like to see here to start your day? Post a comment, email us at [email protected], or reach us via Twitter using #NYToday. Follow the New York Today columnists, Alexandra Levine and Jonathan Wolfe, on Twitter. You can find the latest New York Today at nytoday.com. ||||| Nasa's plan of developing and flying a supersonic aircraft is now closer to reality, thanks to the support received from President Donald Trump administration. Trump's recently announced budget for the fiscal year 2019 includes full funding for the high-speed aircraft that, once ready, will break the sound barrier and cut down a six-hour long flight from New York to Los Angeles by half. The budget includes a total investment of $633.9m (£456.5m) to improve air traffic management, integrate unmanned systems into airspace, develop experimental supersonic aircraft or 'X-Plane' and further the research to achieve even higher speeds. Though supersonic flight capabilities have been around for a long time, the futuristic X-Plane aims to solve a critical problem associated with it — sonic booms. When the last commercial supersonic plane, the Concorde, flew, people on the ground had to deal with a thunderous 30-mile wide noise, which was loud enough to shatter windows. As the aircraft displaced air molecules at high-speed, a menacing shockwave formed and spread into all directions. The effect of that ear-splitting sound (several times louder at 90 dBa) was so devastating that the Concorde was restricted to fly only over the ocean for a short while and was finally grounded in 2003. However, Nasa aims to solve that problem with its X-plane aka Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator (LBFD). "Future supersonic aircraft seeking to achieve a low-boom, such as Nasa's LBFD, will rely on a swept wing design in order to fly at supersonic speeds without producing a loud sonic boom," the agency said a few months back. The changes made to the shape of the aircraft will disperse the shockwaves across a wide range of points behind it, reducing the noise output to 60 to 65 A-weighted decibels (dBa) or something as loud as a racing luxury car. Nasa has been testing a subscale version of the X-Plane and plans to develop and fly a 94-feet long model by 2021, following which American airlines would get a chance to integrate the required technology and enable supersonic passenger travel without creating the obnoxious noise. As the budget request notes, the move would not only cut cross-country flight times in half but also open a new market for US companies to create jobs.
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A new plane that would fly from London to New York City in three hours has just received crucial funding. The aircraft, officially named Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) and dubbed the "Son of Concorde", was proposed by NASA and has just been given the go-ahead by US officials. QueSST could make its maiden voyage in 2021 if all goes according to plan. If so, it will halve the current travel time between London and New York City.
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(CNN) A former student unleashed a hail of gunfire in a Florida high school on Wednesday, killing at least 17 adults and children, authorities said. Florida Gov. Rick Scott ordered government flags flown at half-staff through Monday in honor of victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, a public school of some 3,000 students outside Boca Raton. The school is closed for the rest of the week, Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie said. The district will offer grief counseling to students and their families. "This has been a day where we've seen the worst of humanity. Tomorrow is gonna bring out the best in humanity as we come together to move forward from this unspeakable tragedy," he said. The suspect, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz , was expelled for unspecified disciplinary reasons, Runcie said. He is due in court Thursday. "My prayers and condolences to the families of the victims of the terrible Florida shooting. No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school," US President Donald Trump said. Messages from the scene in texts and Snapchats Law enforcement responded to reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shortly before 3 p.m. and encountered a chaotic scene. Investigators believe the suspect pulled the fire alarm to draw people out of classrooms and increase the number of casualties, a law enforcement source told CNN. But the school already had a fire drill earlier in the day, leading some to think it was a false alarm. Students evacuate the school. While some left the building, others sought cover in classrooms as the school went into lockdown and the gunman went on his rampage. Some students, fearing their lives would soon be over, texted goodbyes to loved ones; others used their phones to share startling footage of the carnage on social media. JUST WATCHED Video shows students hiding as shots are fired Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Video shows students hiding as shots are fired 00:39 One teacher said she was on her way out of the building after the fire alarm when another staff member told her the situation was code red -- an active shooter. Melissa Falkowski returned to a classroom and hid in a closet with 19 students from her newspaper class for nearly 40 minutes. Falkowski credited the fire drill and recent active shooter training with saving lives. And yet, it didn't save enough. "We could not have been more prepared for this situation, which is what makes it so frustrating," Falkowski told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "We did everything that we were supposed to do. Broward County Schools has prepared us for this situation and still to have so many casualties, at least for me, it's very emotional. Because I feel today like our government, our country has failed us and failed our kids and didn't keep us safe." JUST WATCHED Teacher: The government failed us today Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Teacher: The government failed us today 00:36 'It's really a blessing to still be alive' Police are investigating Cruz's digital footprint, Sheriff Scott Israel said. So far, what they've found is "very, very disturbing," he said. Law enforcement agents transport the suspect in Wednesday's school shooting. Law enforcement sources said the suspect used a .223 caliber, AR-15 style firearm in the shooting. Freshman Kayden Hanafi said he heard two gunshots and saw people running out of another building on campus. As he and his classmates went into lockdown, many thought the noise might have been firecrackers. "It's really a blessing to still be alive," he said. Nicole Baltzer, 18, said she was in trigonometry class about 10 minutes before the end of the school day when the fire alarm went off. As students evacuated, she heard six gunshots and everyone started running back inside the school, Baltzer said. "I heard so many gunshots, at least like six. They were very close," Baltzer said. A police officer told her to close her eyes as she walked past a classroom with broken glass, telling her "there's nothing good to see in there," she said. A freshman named Aidan posted a photo on social media from inside his math class while on lockdown. "We have been liberated. God bless, America," Aidan tweeted after being evacuated from the building. "Love each other. You may never know when it may be the last day you meet someone." The scene inside a classroom at the school. Terror in Florida's safest city The shooting sent students and staff streaming out of the school. Some walked calmly with their hands up while others ran. According to a law enforcement source, the suspect initially mixed in with the crowd of students to try to get away, but it didn't work. Immediately after the shooting, aerial footage from CNN affiliate WSVN showed people lying on the ground outside the school, being treated for injuries and moved to ambulances. Seventeen people, including the suspect, were sent to area hospitals, said Dr. Evan Boyar of Broward Health. As news of the shooting spread, desperate parents gathered near the property, searching for their children at the nearby Walmart where the students and staff gathered after being evacuated. Those who died included students and adults, the sheriff said. Twelve were killed inside the building and two died outside, he said. One died in the street and two died at the hospital, Israel said. Parkland, with a population of 31,000 in 2016, was named Florida's safest city last year , according to one analysis. The south Florida city had seven reported violent crimes and 186 property crimes the previous year, the analysis said. Clarification: Earlier reports from WSVN said that 20 people may have been injured. CNN has not confirmed the number of injured. This is a developing story and will be updated. ||||| Reporters and anchors covering yesterday's shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, frequently mentioned the disturbing similarity between images from the latest tragic event, during which seventeen people died, and those from the April 20, 1999, attack on Columbine High School in Littleton. But Columbine's terrible legacy has been felt consistently over the intervening eighteen-plus years. As documented below, the Parkland incident was at least the 208th school shooting to take place in Columbine's wake. Unfortunately, this isn't the first school-shootings rundown we've had to assemble. Our original post, published on April 20, 2009, the tenth anniversary of the massacre, counted 108 school shootings following Columbine. Including incidents noted in a 2012 update, shared after the December 2012 killings in Newtown, Connecticut, and a 2015 post published after the horrific mass shootings at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, there have been another 100 since then. What follows are brief descriptions from a comprehensive Wikipedia page about school shootings, with four of them having taken place in Colorado post-Columbine. As you'll see, not all of these shootings resulted in multiple casualties. In some instances, there were no injuries or fatalities. But one of the things that's most shocking about the list is how little publicity many of these examples of on-campus gun violence have received. So common are school shootings that without high body counts, they're treated like typical local news. That's a sad testimony to the size and scope of the problem. Here's the roster, starting with Columbine and continuing through Parkland. April 20, 1999 Littleton, Colorado Columbine High School massacre: 18-year-old Eric Harris and 17-year-old Dylan Klebold, students at Columbine High School, killed twelve students and one teacher. They injured 21 additional people, and three more were injured while attempting to escape the school. The pair committed suicide at the end of the massacre. May 20, 1999 Conyers, Georgia 15-year-old student Thomas "T.J." Solomon Jr., wounded six students at Heritage High School. A 15-year-old girl was hospitalized in critical condition, and the other victims suffered from non-life-threatening injuries. Solomon initially faced up to 351 years of prison if convicted of aggravated assault and other charges. In 2000 he was found guilty but mentally ill and was sentenced to forty years in prison and sixty-five years of probation. November 19, 1999 Deming, New Mexico 13-year-old Victor Cordova Jr., fatally shot 13-year-old Deming Middle School schoolmate, Araceli Tena. Cordova said he had intended to commit suicide but was jostled by others and his gun moved. December 6, 1999 Fort Gibson, Oklahoma Before his middle school opened, 13-year-old Seth Trickey opened fire in the courtyard. While there were no fatalities, several students felt sparks from the bullets hitting the building walls. Five were injured, including a girl who was shot in the face. Trickey brought the gun from home. February 29, 2000 Flint, Michigan Shooting of Kayla Rolland: At Buell Elementary School, 6-year-old Dedrick Owens fatally shot 6-year-old classmate Kayla Rolland. Owens has since been the youngest documented school shooter. May 26, 2000 Lake Worth, Florida 13-year-old honor student, Nathaniel Brazill, was sent home for throwing water balloons, but returned to his Lake Worth Middle School with a family pistol. He fatally shot teacher Barry Grunow, a popular teacher, he was Brazill's favorite. August 28, 2000 Fayetteville, Arkansas 36-year-old James Easton Kelly, a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at University of Arkansas, killed 67-year-old Dr. John R. Locke, the English professor overseeing his coursework. Kelly had been dismissed from this PhD program for lack of progress toward his degree. Kelly shot Dr. Locke three times before committing suicide in the director's office, which had been isolated by campus police. September 26, 2000 New Orleans, Louisiana 13 year-olds Darrel Johnson, and Alfred Anderson were initially charged with attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of 15 year-old William Pennington. Pennington, after being shot, managed to gain control of the gun and shoot Johnson in the back. Charges were later reduced to Aggravated Battery. December 1, 2000 San Diego, California A 15-year-old Junipero Serra High School student who showed off a handgun on campus and threatened to shoot a classmate, ended up accidentally shooting himself, causing minor injuries. March 5, 2001 Santee, California Santana High School shooting: 15-year-old student, Charles Andrew Williams, killed two students, 14-year-old Bryan Zuckor, and 15-year-old Randy Gordon, at Santana High School and wounded thirteen others. He was arrested and convicted of murder and attempted murder. He was sentenced to life with the chance of parole after serving fifty years. March 7, 2001 Williamsport, Pennsylvania 14-year-old student, Elizabeth Catherine Bush, wounded fellow student Kimberly Marchese in the cafeteria of Bishop Neumann High School; she had been frequently teased and suffered from depression. May 16, 2001 Parkland, Washington 40-year-old music instructor and organist James D. Holloway was shot multiple times with a .22-caliber handgun at Pacific Lutheran University by a 55-year-old man from Tacoma. The shooter was not a student or employee of the university and also killed himself. The victim was apparently chosen at random as the shooter had a personal dispute with a different staff member who was not on campus that day. March 22, 2001 El Cajon, California 18-year-old former student, Jason Hoffman, opened fire at Granite Hills High School, injuring five people. He was convicted of assault and sentenced to prison, where he committed suicide in 2002. March 30, 2001 Gary, Indiana 17-year-old Donald Ray Burt Jr., fatally shot Neal Boyd, IV with one bullet to the head in a parking lot outside Lew Wallace High School. January 15, 2002 New York City, New York 17-year-old Vincent Rodriguez, wounded two students at Martin Luther King, Jr. High School in Manhattan, with a semi-automatic pistol. He was retaliating for the victims having harassed his girlfriend. In February 2003, Rodriguez was sentenced to ten years in prison on charges of assault and attempted assault. January 16, 2002 Grundy, Virginia Appalachian School of Law shooting: Recently dismissed graduate student, 42-year-old Peter Odighizuwa, killed three at the Appalachian School of Law. 42-year-old dean Anthony Sutin, and 41-year-old professor Thomas Blackwell were killed along with 33-year-old student, Angela Dales. Three other students were also wounded. Odighizuwa received three life sentences and an additional 28 years without the possibility of parole until 2005. February 20, 2002 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 16-year-old Washington High School student, Joseph Johnson Jr., was killed by Phillip D. Jackson Jr., when violence erupts between rival fans in the parking lot, after a basketball game between Vincent High School. June 11, 2002 Conception, Missouri 71-year-old Lloyd Robert Jeffress opened fire at random in the halls of Conception Abbey, a monastery in northwest Missouri. He killed two monks and seriously wounded another two before fatally shooting himself. Two weapons, a Chinese-made replica of the AK-47 and a sawed-off .22-caliber rifle, were found near the body. October 7, 2002 Bowie, Maryland In the Beltway sniper attacks, one victim of several was 13-year-old Iran Brown, who was wounded as he arrived at Benjamin Tasker Middle School in Bowie, Maryland. His aunt, a nurse who had just dropped him off, rushed him to a hospital emergency room. Despite serious injuries, Brown survived the attack. October 28, 2002 Tucson, Arizona Failing nursing college student and Gulf War veteran, 40-year-old Robert Stewart Flores Jr., killed three assistant professors of nursing at the University of Arizona, 50-year-old Robin Rogers, 44-year-old Cheryl McGaffic, and 45-year-old Barbara Monroe, before turning the gun on himself. October 29, 2002 Jersey City, New Jersey A 15-year-old student was shot in the abdomen and wounded inside a basement of Lincoln High School, during an argument with another student. Another 15-year-old student was arrested and charged with attempted murder. April 14, 2003 New Orleans, Louisiana John McDonogh High School shooting. 18-year-old Steven Williams, and 17-year-old James Tate opened fire with an AK-47 and a handgun in the gymnasium of John McDonogh High School, killing a 15-year-old student and wounding three female students. Williams was sentenced to life imprisonment, and Tate was sentenced to fifteen years. April 24, 2003 Red Lion, Pennsylvania 14-year-old student James Sheets, entered Red Lion Area Junior High School armed with his stepfather's pistols. He killed the school's principal, Eugene Segro, before killing himself. May 9, 2003 Cleveland, Ohio On May 9, 2003, Biswanath Halder, a 62-year-old business school alumnus of Case Western Reserve University, killed a graduate student and wounded a professor and another student using a semi-automatic rifle. He held the building and its nearly 100 occupants hostage for seven hours before being apprehended by a SWAT team. He was sentenced to life in prison. September 24, 2003 Cold Spring, Minnesota Rocori High School shooting: 15-year-old John Jason McLaughlin, shot 15-year-old freshman Seth Bartell and 17-year-old senior Aaron Rollins at Rocori High School. Rollins was killed immediately, and Bartell died from his wounds sixteen days later. McLaughlin was sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole in 2038. February 2, 2004 Washington, D.C. Thomas J. Boykin was acquitted of the murder of 17-year-old James Richardson, a football player at Ballou High School in Southeast Washington. February 9, 2004 East Greenbush, New York Jon W. Romano in East Greenbush, New York fired two rounds from a shotgun, wounding one teacher. He was tackled by the assistant principal and charged with one count of attempted murder. May 7, 2004 Randallstown, Maryland Two students were charged with a school shooting that arose from a dispute after a basketball game at Randallstown High School. Four persons were injured, two seriously. One student was paralyzed from the waist down. February 8, 2005 Chicago, Illinois An 18-year-old student at Bowen High School was shot in the leg as she left the school around 2:30 p.m. March 2, 2005 Dover, Tennessee 14-year-old Jason Clinard, killed his bus driver, 47-year-old Joyce Gregory, as she stopped to pick him up. Gregory had earlier reported Clinard for using snuff on the school bus. Clinard was given a life sentence. March 21, 2005 Red Lake, Minnesota Red Lake shootings: 16-year-old student Jeffrey Weise, killed his grandfather and grandfather's companion at their home, where he had been living, at the Red Lake Indian Reservation. He drove to Red Lake Senior High School. Armed with his grandfather's police weapons, Weise killed five students, one teacher, and one security guard, wounding seven others, before committing suicide. September 13, 2005 Chicago, Illinois At Harlan Community Academy High School, a fight broke out between two 15-year-old boys in the gymnasium. Christopher Huff took out a pistol, shooting the other youth in the leg. A police officer on duty at the school arrested the gunman. The suspected shooter was charged as an adult with aggravated battery with a firearm. November 8, 2005 Jacksboro, Tennessee Campbell County High School shooting: Inside the Campbell County High School office, 15-year-old Kenneth Bartley, shot the school principal, Gary Seale. He shot assistant principals Ken Bruce and Jim Pierce. Bruce later died from his wound. Bartley was sentenced to forty-five years in prison with chance of parole after twenty-nine years. January 13, 2006 Longwood, Florida 15-year-old Christopher Penley, took a pellet gun to class at Milwee Middle School. After refusing to drop the weapon, he was shot when he pointed it at a police officer. February 23, 2006 Roseburg, Oregon 14-year-old freshman Vincent Wayne Leodoro, shot student 16-year-old Joseph Monti, four times in the back with a semi-automatic handgun at Roseburg High School. Leodoro walked away from the school campus, and was confronted near a restaurant by six police officers. He threatened suicide but was persuaded to surrender. He was found guilty of attempted murder and assault in July 2006, and will be held in prison until he turns twenty five years old. March 14, 2006 Reno, Nevada Pine Middle School shooting: In the hallway of Pine Middle School, 14-year-old James Scott Newman, injured two 14-year-old classmates, Alexander Rueda and Kenzie McKeon, with a revolver belonging to his parents. Two students received minor wounds. Newman was subdued by a physical education teacher. The youth was arrested and charged as an adult for attempted murder, use of a deadly weapon and use of a firearm by a minor. He later pleaded guilty to charges of two counts of battery with a deadly weapon, and was sentenced as a juvenile. Newman was sentenced to house arrest until he completed two-hundred hours of community service. August 24, 2006 Essex Junction, Vermont Christopher Williams, 26, shot his girlfriend's mother, Linda Lambesis, 57 at her home and from there he went to Essex Elementary School where Andrea, his girlfriend, worked. After he arrived at the elementary school, which was not in session at the time, he shot and killed Mary Alicia Shanks, 56, and shot Mary Snedeker, 52, nonfatally. He left the school and allegedly shot Chad Johansen, 26 nonfatally. He then turned the gun on himself, but did not die as a result. August 30, 2006 Hillsborough, North Carolina After shooting and killing his father, teenager Alvaro Castillo went to his high school, where he wounded two students. He was reportedly obsessed with the Columbine shootings and had written an email to the current Columbine high school principal before committing his own crime. September 2, 2006 Shepherdstown, West Virginia 49-year-old Douglas W. Pennington, killed himself and his two sons, 26-year-old Logan P. Pennington, 24-year-old Benjamin M. Pennington, during a visit to the campus of Shepherd University. September 17, 2006 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Five Duquesne basketball players were shot early Sunday morning during an apparent act of random violence on campus, leaving three hospitalized — two of them in critical condition. September 27, 2006 Bailey, Colorado Platte Canyon High School hostage crisis: 53-year-old drifter, Duane Roger Morrison, walked into Platte Canyon High School and took six girls hostage. He sexually assaulted them. As a SWAT team stormed the classroom, he killed 16-year-old Emily Keyes, then took his own life. September 29, 2006 Cazenovia, Wisconsin Weston High School shooting: At around 8 a.m., 15-year-old freshman, Eric Hainstock, entered Weston High School. He aimed a 20-gauge shotgun at social studies teacher, Chuck Keller, before it was wrestled from him by school custodian, Dave Thompson. Hainstock then shot 49-year-old high school principal, John Alfred Klang, with a .22 caliber revolver. Klang died later that afternoon. Hainstock was charged and convicted of murder, and is serving a life sentence. He will be eligible for parole in 2037. October 2, 2006 Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania West Nickel Mines School shooting: 32-year-old milk truck driver, Charles Carl Roberts IV, killed five Amish girls and wounded five others before killing himself in an Amish school in the hamlet of Nickel Mines, in Bart Township, Lancaster County. October 9, 2006 Joplin, Missouri 13-year-old student Thomas White fired one shot from a Mac-90 rifle at a hallway ceiling at Memorial Middle School. The gunshot struck a water pipe, and nobody was injured. He also tried repeatedly to shoot principal Stephen Gilbreth at near-point-blank range as Gilbreth ushered him out of the school. Joplin police say the attempt was foiled by an improperly seated ammunition clip in the rifle. The principal was not injured. White was tried as an adult on charges of assault and firearms possession, and in 2009 he was sentenced to ten years of prison. January 3, 2007 Tacoma, Washington 18-year-old student Douglas S. Chanthabouly, killed 17-year-old Samnang Kok, in the hallways of Henry Foss High School following a personal disagreement. In 2009, Chanthabouly was sentenced to 23 years in prison on a charge of second-degree murder. March 7, 2007 Compton, California 0 1 During an argument with several non-students and students, a student was shot in the elbow and wounded in the eating area at Centennial High School. The shooting occurred an hour after classes were dismissed, and students in after-school activities were sent home. April 16, 2007 Blacksburg, Virginia 33 23 Virginia Tech shooting: 23-year-old student, Seung-Hui Cho, killed thirty-two students and faculty members at Virginia Tech, and wounded another seventeen students and faculty members in two separate attacks before committing suicide. October 10, 2007 Cleveland, Ohio SuccessTech Academy shooting: Asa H. Coon, a 14-year-old suspended student, returned to SuccessTech Academy, where he fired shots at people inside the school building, wounding two teachers and two students. He shot himself in the head, committing suicide. November 6, 2007 Miami Gardens, Florida 143-year-old 11th grade algebra teacher, Sergio Miranda, was shot by 19-year-old Patrick Lively, outside Miami Carol City Senior High School during a robbery but was expected to survive. In 2011, Lively received a life sentence. February 4, 2008 Memphis, Tennessee At Hamilton High School, a student shot a 16-year-old student in the leg during a classroom argument over rap music. The victim's injury was not life-threatening. February 8, 2008 Baton Rouge, Louisiana Latina Williams, a 23-year-old nursing student at Louisiana Technical College killed two classmates and herself in a second floor classroom. February 11, 2008 Memphis, Tennessee Following a feud that started off campus earlier in the week, a 19-year-old senior was shot by a 17-year-old sophomore during a gym class held in the cafeteria with about 75 other students at Mitchell High School, before handing the gun to a coach making no attempt to flee. The victim suffered at least two gunshot wounds and was in critical condition, the suspected shooter was in custody. "He walked up to him, shot him, and made a statement to the coach that 'It's over now,' ", said principal, Daniel Ware. February 12, 2008 Oxnard, California Murder of Larry King: 14-year-old Brandon McInerney, shot 15-year-old Lawrence "Larry" King, twice in the head in the computer laboratory of E.O. Green Junior High School. McInerney was apprehended in a nearby neighborhood. King, who was openly homosexual, died two days later. McInerney was initially charged with a hate crime, but that charge was dropped. McInerney pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison. February 14, 2008 DeKalb, Illinois Northern Illinois University shooting: 27-year-old Steven Kazmierczak, shot multiple people in a lecture hall of Northern Illinois University, killing five and injuring 21, before taking his own life. Kazmierczak was not enrolled at the university, but had attended in the years prior to the attack. August 14, 2008 Federal Way, Washington 26-year-old Omero Mendez was waiting at the Lakota Middle School campus to pick up his girlfriend's son. He was confronted by 16-year-old Luis F. Cosgaya-Alvarez and two of his friends, driving in an SUV. Cosgaya-Alvarez flashed gang signs at Mendez, and shot him once in the head. Mendez later died of his injuries. Cosgaya-Alvarez was arrested a few days later in Seattle and was charged with murder. Cosgaya-Alvarez pleaded guilty to murder and weapon enhancements, and was sentenced to eighteen years in prison. August 21, 2008 Knoxville, Tennessee At Central High School, 15-year-old Jamar Siler killed 15-year-old Ryan McDonald. In 2011, Siler was sentenced to thirty years in prison after pleading guilty to murder in a plea agreement. September 2, 2008 Willoughby, Ohio A 15-year-old student brought a handgun into South High School, and shot two rounds, one into the ceiling and one shattering a trophy case. The student then put the gun to his head. Then Assistant Principal Jeff Lyons talked the student out of doing any harm. October 16, 2008 Detroit, Michigan 16-year-old Christopher Walker, was killed, and three other teenagers were seriously wounded during a drive-by shooting near Henry Ford High School, soon after classes let out. Three teenagers were arrested and charged in connection with the shooting. The shooter, 15-year-old William Morton, was sentenced to life without parole, and Devon Bell was sentenced to forty-two years of prison. October 26, 2008 Conway, Arkansas University of Central Arkansas shootings: Four young men fatally shot two students, 18-year-old Ryan Henderson, and 19-year-old Chavares Block, and wounded a 19-year-old campus visitor in the leg, outside the Arkansas Hall dormitory of University of Central Arkansas. November 13, 2008 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 15-year-old Amanda Collette, was killed in the hallway at Dillard High School. The shooter, 15-year-old Teah Wimberly, was sentenced to twenty-five years to life on a first-degree murder charge. January 9, 2009 Chicago, Illinois After attendees were leaving a basketball game at Dunbar High School, a truck pulled over and someone inside fired shots at the crowd, wounding five people, three critically. 18-year-old Georgio Dukes, was arrested and charged a week later with five counts of felony aggravated battery with a firearm. Police believe that the attack was gang-related. April 26, 2009 Hampton, Virginia 18-year-old Odane Greg Maye, a former student of Hampton University, followed a 43-year-old pizza delivery man into his former dormitory. Armed with three guns, Maye wounded the delivery man, then the dorm monitor. Lastly, Maye shot himself in a suicide attempt. He survived and was convicted of two charges of malicious wounding, two counts of using a gun in a felony; burglary; and shooting in an occupied building. He was sentenced to fourteen years of prison in November 2009, and was ordered by a judge to pay more than $62,000 in restitution to his victims for lost wages. May 18, 2009 Cambridge, Massachusetts 20-year-old Jabrai Copney, 23-year-old Jason Aquino, and 19-year-old Blayn Jiggetts, of New York City, invited 21-year-old Justin Cosby, of Cambridge, into a Harvard College dormitory. After trying to rob him of a pound of marijuana, they shot him. Copney turned himself in four days later. Copney was convicted of murder. His partners pleaded guilty to armed robbery and manslaughter. His girlfriend, 21-year-old Brittany Smith, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact, firearm possession, and misleading a grand jury. May 18, 2009 Larose, Louisiana 15-year-old Larose-Cut Off Middle School student, Justin Doucet, carried his backpack to a restroom, where he put on camouflage clothes, took out a semi-automatic handgun before storming into a classroom. He was going to shoot his school teacher, Jessica Plaisance, but the gun did not fire. He returned to the restroom and shot himself in the head, dying a week later of his wounds. June 16, 2009 San Francisco, California After students were being let out of International Studies Academy on the first day of summer school classes, a man left a car and opened fire, wounding three people, including a 17-year-old female student. An 18-year-old man was arrested for being an accessory in the crime. September 3, 2009 San Bruno, California A 20-year-old student was wounded in the parking lot of Skyline College after an argument between him and other men. The college campus was placed on lockdown. Three San Francisco residents, 18-year-old Germaine B. Benjamin, 20-year-old Dimaryea J. McGhee, and 18-year-old Jacori W. Bender, were each arrested and charged with felony firearm offenses. October 16, 2009 Conway, South Carolina 16-year-old student, Trevor Varinecz was killed by a school resource officer after allegedly stabbing the officer. February 5, 2010 Madison, Alabama 14-year-old student, Hammad Memon, killed 14-year-old Todd Brown at Discovery Middle School as classes were changing. The shooting was possibly related to gang activitiy. In May 2013, Memon pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced to thirty years of prison. After Memon is released from prison, he is likely to be deported to his native Pakistan. February 12, 2010 Huntsville, Alabama 2010 University of Alabama in Huntsville shooting: 44-year-old biology professor, Amy Bishop, killed the chairman of the biology department, 52-year-old Gopi K. Podila, and biology professors, 50-year-old, Maria Ragland Davis and 52-year-old Adriel D. Johnson. She also wounded biology professors, Luis Rogelio Cruz-Vera and Joseph G. Leahy, and staff assistant, Stephanie Monticciolo. February 19, 2010 DeKalb, Illinois Less than a week after Northern Illinois University solemnly marked the second anniversary of a mass shooting on campus that claimed the lives of five students, the DeKalb school was the scene of further gun violence. 24-year-old NIU student, Brian Mulder, refused entry to 22-year-old Zachary R. Isaacman, when he had tried to follow a female resident into the Stevenson Residence Hall North, where they were living, because he was not a resident. Moments later, while outside the dorm smoking with a friend, Mulder was shot by Isaacman, with a handgun in the leg above the knee. Isaacman tried to flee, but was caught by police within minutes. February 23, 2010 Littleton, Colorado At Deer Creek Middle School, 32-year-old Bruco Strong Eagle Eastwood opened fire from a rifle in a parking lot, and wounded two eighth-graders Reagan Webber and Matt Thieu, before being restrained by 57-year-old Math teacher, David Benke, and held until his arrest. The boy's wounds were critical for the four days following the shooting. In October 2011, Eastwood was found not guilty by reason of insanity. September 8, 2010 Detroit, Michigan Two students were wounded in front of Mumford High School by 17-year-old Steven Jamal Hare. He was tried as an adult and charged with assault with intent to kill. In 2012, Hare was sentenced to 27 years in prison. September 28, 2010 Austin, Texas A 19-year-old sophomore student Colton Tooley, wielding an AK-47 and wearing a ski mask, opened fire and then killed himself in a University of Texas library. October 1, 2010 Salinas, California 15-year-old student Jose Daniel Cisneros was killed after being shot several times on an athletic field at Alisal High School while walking to school. Police said that the shooting was gang-related. October 8, 2010 Carlsbad, California 41-year-old Brendan O'Rourke climbed over a fence and opened fire with a handgun in a playground of Kelly Elementary School, which had 230 students; two second-grade female students were grazed in the arms before O'Rourke was subdued by a construction worker. He was found guilty of seven counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to 189 years to life in prison. November 29, 2010 Marinette, Wisconsin 15-year-old Samuel Hengel, took 23 students and a teacher hostage inside a classroom of Marinette High School for five hours. He had stormed into the class, firing with a handgun at a movie projector. Police persuaded Hengel to release the hostages. After officers entered the building, Hengel shot himself in the head. He died the next day. December 6, 2010 Aurora, Colorado In a gang-related attack outside Aurora Central High School, a 17-year-old girl was paralysed. She was one of a group of students outside the school. 20-year-old Luis Enrique Guzman-Rincon, had fired shots from a car trying to hit gang rivals. Guzman-Ricon was sentenced to thirty-five years in prison. January 5, 2011 Omaha, Nebraska At Millard South High School, 18-year-old student, Robert Butler Jr., killed assistant principal Dr. Vicki Kaspar and wounded principal Curtis Case before opening fire at police in the front office area, causing the school nurse to be wounded by gunshot debris. Butler then drove to a parking lot and shot himself as police cornered him. March 25, 2011 Martinsville, Indiana Michael Phelps, a 15-year-old suspended student, returned to Martinsville West Middle School with a handgun. In the entrance of the school, Phelps shot 15-year-old Chance Jackson twice in the abdomen, critically wounding him. Phelps fled the school and dropped the handgun; he was arrested shortly after. Jackson had to undergo surgery three times to save his life; he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Phelps was convicted of attempted murder in August 2011, and was sentenced to thirty years in prison and five years of probation. March 31, 2011 Houston, Texas Multiple gunmen opened fire during a powder puff football game at Worthing High School. One man, an 18-year-old former student named Tremaine De Ante’ Paul, died. Five other people were injured. May 23, 2011 Pearl City, Hawaii A 14-year-old male student is accused of firing a handgun on the campus of Highlands Intermediate School, wounding one student. The gunman was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Two other suspects were arrested in connection with the shooting. October 24, 2011 Fayetteville, North Carolina Cape Fear High School shooting: 15-year-old Catilyn Abercrombie, was shot in the neck with a rifle by fellow student, 15-year-old Charles Underwood, at Cape Fear High School. She was hospitalized for two months in a serious condition. Underwood was arrested and charged with attempted murder. He was convicted of attempted first-degree murder and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. December 8, 2011 Blacksburg, Virginia 22-year-old, Ross Truett Ashley, part-time business student at Radford University, killed a police officer engaged in an unrelated traffic stop on the campus of Virginia Tech, he then committed suicide in a nearby parking lot. December 9, 2011 Edinburg, Texas Two students were shot after school at Harwell Middle School in Edinburg, Texas while trying out for their school's basketball team. The shooting allegedly was done by an adult off campus, who was shooting at a target range. January 10, 2012 Houston, Texas A student opened fire with a handgun at North Forest High School, wounding another student. The shooter said that he had been confronted by three students who had been bullying him and he shot in self-defense. He hit a 16-year-old bystander in the leg. The 18-year-old suspect was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. February 27, 2012 Chardon, Ohio Chardon High School shooting: 17-year-old Thomas "T. J." Lane, took a semi-automatic handgun and a knife to Chardon High School, where he fired ten shots at a group of students sitting in the cafeteria. He killed three boys and wounded three other students. One 16-year-old died immediately, two others died the following day. Lane was arrested early the next morning while standing near his car. He was charged as an adult with murder, attempted murder, and firearms offenses. In March 2013, he was convicted and sentenced to three life sentences without the possibility of parole. March 6, 2012 Jacksonville, Florida A murder-suicide resulted in two deaths on the campus of the Episcopal School of Jacksonville. Shane Schumerth, a Spanish teacher who had been fired that morning returned to the campus in the early afternoon via a pedestrian entrance, armed with an AK-47 which he concealed in a guitar case. He entered the office of the Head of School, Dale Regan, and fired multiple shots, fatally wounding her. Schumerth then killed himself, in the office. April 2, 2012 Oakland, California Oikos University shooting: 43-year-old One L. Goh, was accused of shooting dead seven students with a handgun and wounding three others at Oikos University, a Christian college. He fled the scene, stealing a victim's car, and was apprehended hours later nearby. Goh was charged with seven counts of murder. In January 2013, Goh was determined to be mentally unfit for trial and committed for treatment. August 16, 2012 Memphis, Tennessee Two Hamilton High School students were wounded in the parking lot of the school. The attack was believed to be gang-related. August 27, 2012 Perry Hall, Maryland 15-year-old Robert Gladden, fired two shots with a shotgun inside the cafeteria at Perry Hall School. He hit a 17-year-old senior in the lower back, causing critical wounds. The youth has Down syndrome. Gladden was subdued by two school faculty members, and arrested. In February 2013, he was sentenced to thirty-five years in prison on attempted murder charges. September 7, 2012 Normal, Illinois A 14-year-old student fired multiple gunshots in a classroom ceiling at Normal Community High School, and was tackled by a teacher. Nobody was injured. The student was arrested and charged with sixteen felony counts. October 6, 2012 Mobile, Alabama A University of South Alabama student, Gil Collar, was fatally shot by a campus police officer. Collar, 18, was at the time under the influence of a hallucinogenic, 25I-NBOMe. Acting erratically, he had repeatedly approached the police officer "in a fighting stance", while naked and unarmed. Officer Trevis Austin, equipped with pepper spray and a baton, felt his life was threatened and shot him, once through the chest. Austin was cleared of any wrongdoing by the university. October 19, 2012 Chicago, Illinois 18-year-old Banner Academy South student, Terrance Wright, was killed during an attempted robbery. Wright was approached by five would-be robbers as he left the school about 3:40 p.m.. He was shot in the chest as he fought back when one assailant was going through his pockets. Wright had been picked on at his previous high school because he was gay, which led him to transfer to Banner. October 31, 2012 Los Angeles, California At a Halloween party on the University of Southern California campus, an argument escalated and 20-year-old Brandon Spencer, used a handgun to shoot rival gang member, Geno Hall, seven times, critically wounding him. Spencer wounded three other people, none were students at USC, they were hospitalized with less serious injuries. Spencer was arrested just minutes after the shooting, which took place outside USC’s Grand Ballroom at around 11:30 p.m. In April 2014, he was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to forty years to life in prison. December 14, 2012 Newtown, Connecticut Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting: 20-year-old Adam Lanza, killed twenty-six people and himself. He first killed his mother at their shared home before taking her guns and driving to the school. Lanza brought four guns with him. He killed twenty first-grade children aged six and seven during the attack at school, along with six adults, including four teachers, the principal, and the school psychologist. Two other persons were injured. Lanza then killed himself as police arrived at the school. January 7, 2013 Fort Myers, Florida Shots were fired at Apostolic Revival Center Christian School, leaving 27-year-old Kristopher Smith dead in what was believed to be a retaliation killing, possibly for his talking with police about a previous incident. January 10, 2013 Taft, California 16-year-old student, Bryan Oliver, entered a science classroom of Taft Union High School with a shotgun and opened fire, critically wounding 16-year-old student Bowe Cleveland. He shot at but missed another student. The classroom teacher Ryan Heber convinced Oliver, to drop his weapon. He was later arrested. On January 14, he was charged with two counts of attempted murder and assault with a firearm. He was convicted and accepted a plea deal with a sentence of 27 years and 4 months. According to the attorney for the Cleveland family, they were not satisfied with the sentence. January 15, 2013 St. Louis, Missouri A 34-year-old gunman wounded an administrator in his office on the fourth floor of Stevens Institute of Business and Arts. The suspected gunman, Sean Johnson, a part-time student, wounded himself in a stairwell. Both the administrator and Johnson were hospitalized in stable conditions. Johnson was charged with three felony charges, including assault. January 15, 2013 Hazard, Kentucky Two people were killed and a third person was wounded at the parking lot of Hazard Community and Technical College. The third victim, 12-year-old Taylor Cornett, died from her wounds the next day. 21-year-old Dalton Lee Stidham, was arrested and charged with three counts of murder. January 16, 2013 Chicago, Illinois A 17-year-old boy, Tyrone Lawson, was killed in a parking lot of Chicago State University. The shooting happened after high school basketball games held on the campus, where Lawson had been a spectator. Police arrested two brothers, Michael McNabb, 33, and Brian Hewlett (under the alias Stephen Gilbert), 30 after the shooting and recovered a weapon. January 22, 2013 Houston, Texas Lone Star College-North Harris shooting: Outside Lone Star College-North Harris, two men got into an argument. One wounded the other. He also wounded a maintenance man, and accidentally shot himself in the leg. The shooter fled into the woods and was arrested hours later. The charges against the initial suspect were dropped and another man was arrested. January 31, 2013 Phoenix, Arizona An argument between two rival gangs escalated to what police described as a "gun battle" at Cesar Chavez High School. Approximately fifteen shots were fired in the vicinity of people waiting to get into a scheduled boys' basketball game. No one was injured. January 31, 2013 Atlanta, Georgia A 14-year-old male student was wounded at Price Middle School. The gunman, a 15-year-old student, was believed to be arguing with the other student before using a handgun to shoot him. A teacher was also wounded. Afterward, the gunman was disarmed by a school resource officer and arrested; police charged him with aggravated assault. March 18, 2013 Orlando, Florida At the University of Central Florida, 30-year-old student James Oliver Seevakumaran pulled a fire alarm at the Tower One dormitory, to attract a crowd. He pointed a handgun at his roommate and threatened to shoot him in their room; he released the roommate, who ran out and called 9-1-1. Seevakumaran then fatally shot himself in the head. Authorities found an assault weapon, a couple hundred rounds of ammunition and four homemade bombs inside his backpack. April 12, 2013 Dublin, Virginia New River Community College shooting incident: Two women were wounded during a shooting at the campus of New River Community College. 18-year-old Neil Allen MacInnis, was taken into custody. In June 2014, he was sentenced to 38 years in prison. April 16, 2013 Grambling, Louisiana Three students were injured on the campus of Grambling State University. April 18, 2013 Cambridge, Massachusetts At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, near Building 32, the Ray and Maria Stata Center, a campus police officer was shot multiple times and killed. The shooting was believed to be perpetrated by the suspects of the Boston Marathon bombings three days prior to this shooting. The two suspects were brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. About three hours after the MIT shooting, Tamerlan died in a gunfight with police in Watertown, Massachusetts. Another officer was seriously wounded. Dzhokhar was arrested 18 hours afterward in Watertown, and was hospitalized in critical condition from a gunshot wound to the neck. May 14, 2013 Birmingham, Alabama Allegedly responding to a student fight, a mother of a student fired a weapon on the campus of Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School. No one was injured. June 7, 2013 Santa Monica, California 2013 Santa Monica shooting: 23-year-old John Zawahri, began a killing spree at his home. After killing his 55-year-old father, Samir "Sam" Zawahri, and 25-year-old brother, Chris Zawahri, he set the house ablaze. Dressed all in black with body armor and wielding an AR-15-type semi-automatic rifle, Zawahri carjacked 41-year-old Laura Siska, shooting 50-year-old Debra Fine, as she attempted to intervene, before forcing Siska to drive to Santa Monica College. Upon arriving on the college campus, Zawahri began shooting at passing vehicles, including a police car and a city bus, leaving three people with minor injuries. Zawahri next targeted a Ford Explorer, killing the driver, 68-year-old campus groundskeeper, Carlos Navarro Franco, and fatally wounding the passenger, his 26-year-old daughter Marcela Diaz-Franco, a student at the college, who died two days later. 68-year-old Margarita Gomez, who was collecting cans outside the library, died after being shot in the abdomen and chest. Zawahri opened fire on students who were trying to run away. It ended at the college library where he opened fire on students studying for finals, before being fatally wounded in an exchange of gunfire with responding police officers. August 20, 2013 Decatur, Georgia Armed with an automatic rifle, 21-year-old Michael Brandon Hill fired six shots inside the front office of Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy. He barricaded himself in the office, where police returned fire. Nobody was injured. Children were evacuated. After talking with school bookkeeper, Antoinette Tuff in the front office, he was persuaded to surrender before anyone was hurt. Hill was arrested and charged. August 23, 2013 Sardis, Mississippi 15-year-old student, Roderick Bobo, was killed during a football game at North Panola High School in what was termed a gang-related shooting. Two others were injured in the shooting. Three men were charged as being responsible for the crime. August 30, 2013 Winston-Salem, North Carolina A 15-year-old male student was shot at Carver High School, at 2:30 p.m.. He was hospitalized with minor injuries. An 18-year-old male student was apprehended without further incident. The suspected gunman is charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, carrying a concealed gun, possessing and discharging a firearm, and carrying a firearm onto educational property. The shooting was believed related to a dispute between the suspect and the victim. October 4, 2013 Pine Hills, Florida A 16-year-old student was shot in the hip outside Agape Christian Academy after a fight broke out at 2 p.m.. An innocent bystander was hit by a stray bullet or shrapnel. The two victims were treated for minor injuries. The suspected shooter reportedly fled in a car with several other males, and was not caught. October 21, 2013 Sparks, Nevada 12-year-old seventh-grade student Jose Reyes opened fire with a handgun at the basketball courts of Sparks Middle School, injuring one student in the shoulder. Michael Landsberry, a teacher and veteran, tried to intervene and was killed by Reyes. Reyes also wounded a student trying to help the teacher. Reyes then committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. The shooting happened before classes, and the school was evacuated and was closed for the week. November 2, 2013 Greensboro, North Carolina A 21-year-old student was wounded at North Carolina A&T State University. The victim was hospitalized for serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The university was temporarily locked down that night. No suspects are in custody. November 3, 2013 Lithonia, Georgia A Stephenson High School student and a janitor were shot in an apparent confrontation between football team members and a group of teens who were not attending the school. Both were innocent bystanders. November 13, 2013 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania After classes ended, at least one gunman came out of the woods and opened fire on three students as they were walking to their cars at Brashear High School. One student was grazed in the head, another was struck in the neck and shoulder, and a third was hit in the leg and foot. Six people were taken into custody. The shooting is believed to be drug-related. December 4, 2013 Winter Garden, Florida A 15-year-old student was wounded by a 17-year-old student near a soccer field on the campus of West Orange High School. The shooting occurred after a fight broke out between the two students. The 17-year-old suspected shooter was taken into custody several miles away from the school, and is charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a minor and possession of a firearm on school grounds. In October 2014, the shooter was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison. December 13, 2013 Centennial, Colorado 18-year-old Karl Pierson, shot 17-year-old student Claire Davis in the head, fatally injuring her, in a hallway in Arapahoe High School. Pierson then took his own life.[404] Pierson was armed with a shotgun, three Molotov cocktails, and a machete. His intention was to shoot the librarian who had disciplined him. Claire Davis died from her injuries on December 21, 2013. December 19, 2013 Fresno, California Four teens (16, 16, 16 and 17 years old) entered Edison High School in what was believed as a gang-initiation process. After accosting a 62-year-old woman about a mile away from school grounds, they found an athletic trainer who taught at Edison High and shot him several times in the leg and stomach. January 9, 2014 Jackson, Tennessee A 16-year-old student was charged with bringing a gun to school at Liberty Technology Magnet High School and shooting a classmate in the thigh. The incident occurred outside the front of the school. January 13, 2014 New Haven, Connecticut A 14-year-old boy was shot outside of a basketball game at the Hillhouse High School athletic facility, suffering wounds in his hand and leg. January 14, 2014 Roswell, New Mexico Two people were wounded inside the gymnasium of Berrendo Middle School, at about 8:10 a.m.. An 11-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl were airlifted to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas in critical condition. The 12-year-old suspected shooter, Mason Campbell, a seventh grade student, was apprehended at the scene after he was talked down by a staff member and dropped the shotgun. A staff member received minor injuries. Campbell was charged with three counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to a maximum sentence of confinement in a juvenile detention facility until he is twenty one years old. January 17, 2014 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania A student allegedly shot two other students in the gymnasium at Delaware Valley Charter School. Both victims, a male and a female, were shot in the arm. They were taken to a nearby hospital and are in stable condition, police say. Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said at a news conference that the shooter ran out of the school after the shooting but was taken into custody near his home. 17-year-old Raisheem Rochwell was arrested and charged as an adult for aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and firearms offenses. Rochwell was sentenced to two years of juvenile detention. January 20, 2014 Chester, Pennsylvania One person was critically injured at Widener University. The incident occurred around 10 p.m. outside the university sport’s complex and led to an 8-hour university lock-down. The suspect was not immediately found. January 21, 2014 West Lafayette, Indiana A 21-year-old student, Andrew Boldt, was killed in a classroom building on the campus of Purdue University. 24-year-old student Cody Cousins was found guilty of the murder and was sentenced to sixty-five years of prison. In October 2014, Cousins committed suicide in his cell. January 24, 2014 Orangeburg, South Carolina A 20-year-old student was killed at South Carolina State University. A 19-year-old was arrested and charged with murder. January 25, 2014 Los Angeles, California A man was killed at Los Angeles Valley College. Two suspects were arrested in the fatal shooting. January 27, 2014 Carbondale, Illinois A group of students at Rebound High School got in an argument in the school's parking lot. One student pulled out a gun and shot another student in the ensuing altercation. An 18-year-old suspect is facing charges of attempted murder. January 28, 2014 Nashville, Tennessee One student was shot in the leg in an apparent altercation over a gambling debt at Tennessee State University. January 30, 2014 Palm Bay, Florida Three students were fighting in a parking lot of Eastern Florida State College and one pulled out a gun and shot another of the students. All three students claimed self-defense. January 31, 2014 Des Moines, Iowa After a basketball game at North High School, there was gunfire in a parking lot of the school. Six males in a black jeep had come moments before the shooting and returned at the time it happened. A 15-year-old girl was injured by a ricocheting bullet. While officers were gaining control of the area, teachers on the scene led students into the school building for safety. February 10, 2014 Salisbury, North Carolina A 16-year-old student was shot in the stomach on the campus of Salisbury High School during a dispute in the school gym. 17-year-old suspect was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, possession of a firearm on school property and discharging a weapon on school property. February 10, 2014 Lyndhurst, Ohio Five shots were fired in the parking lot of Charles F. Brush High School, including one which hit an unoccupied police car. No one was reported to be injured, though a school basketball game was going on at the time. February 12, 2014 Los Angeles, California A male victim was shot in the back in a possible gang-related drive-by shooting near the University of Southern California. The suspect fled into the University Campus. The victim was last reported in stable condition before being transported to a local hospital. February 22, 2014 Augusta, Georgia A shooting involving a campus police officer occurred at a Georgia Regents University dormitory complex. A male suspect entered a vehicle and nearly struck an officer, who opened fire. The suspect was taken to Georgia Regents Medical Center with injuries that were not believed to be critical. March 12, 2014 Miami, Florida An elementary school teacher was killed outside The Academy of Knowledge Preschool by her husband. March 25, 2014 College Park, Georgia An argument between students led to shots being fired in a Benjamin Banneker High School parking lot during the afternoon. Investigators believe multiple people were present when shots were fired, but it was not known how many could face charges for the incident. No one was injured in the shooting. April 9, 2014 Greenville, North Carolina Just after the lunch hour, at D. H. Conley High School, a car drove past the school and witnesses said an occupant reached out of a car window and fired shots in the direction of the school. This incident occurred on Worthington and Tull Roads, directly in front of the school. No one was injured. April 11, 2014 Detroit, Michigan After a Friday evening student awards ceremony called "Grammy Night", four men who were affiliated with a gang fired into a crowd in the parking lot of East English Village Preparatory Academy. One 19-year-old, Darryl Smith, was fatally shot in the head. Smith was not a student at the academy. May 4, 2014 Augusta, Georgia Two men fired shots inside a dormitory at Paine College on Sunday, injuring one student in the head. Neither of the suspects were students at the college. May 5, 2014 Augusta, Georgia An active shooter situation was reported at Paine College on Monday with one person reported to be shot. The suspect was apparently apprehended and in custody. It was the second shooting incident to occur at the college campus in two days. May 8, 2014 Lawrenceville, Georgia A person was shot on a student parking lot roof at Georgia Gwinnett College, receiving an injury. The specific cause has not been identified. May 14, 2014 Richmond, California A 14-year-old student was injured during a drive-by shooting in front of John F. Kennedy High School at 8:30 a.m.. He was shot as he was running towards the school campus after a fight took place. The student suffered a serious but stable injury to his leg. Police are searching for a suspect. June 5, 2014 Seattle, Washington 19-year-old students, Paul Lee and Sarah Williams, and 24-year-old student, Thomas Fowler, were shot inside a hallway of Otto Miller Hall at Seattle Pacific University.[473] Freshman Lee was rushed to Harborview Medical Center but later died. The shooter was subdued with pepper spray and tackled to the ground by student building monitor, Jon Meis, as he paused to reload his shotgun. 26-year-old Aaron Rey Ybarra was arrested at the scene and has been charged with premeditated and attempted murder. June 10, 2014 Troutdale, Oregon At around 8:30 a.m. shots were fired at Reynolds High School. 14-year-old freshman Emilio Hoffman was killed, a physical education teacher was injured, and the gunman, 15-year-old Jared Padgett, exchanged gunfire with police officers and then committed suicide in a restroom stall. September 9, 2014 Miami, Florida Towards the end of the school day, one alternative school student in Miami was shot as a small group of students tussled. The injury was minor, requiring hospitalization, and five young adults were later questioned. September 27, 2014 Terre Haute, Indiana A 20-year-old Indiana State University student was shot by another student on Saturday inside a residence hall. The injuries were not fatal, and a full recovery was expected. The shooter was arrested on the following day. September 30, 2014 Albemarle, North Carolina Two students got in an argument at Albemarle High School around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, and one of the students shot the other twice including once in the leg. The student who committed the shooting was allegedly involved in a stabbing of a football player last year at West Montgomery High School, which is only 20 miles (32 km) away in Mount Gilead, North Carolina. The school had held an active shooter training over the summer, which prepared the school for this incident. September 30, 2014 Louisville, Kentucky One student was injured at Fern Creek Traditional High School. The incident occurred around 1 p.m., reportedly after student became enraged in a hallway and pulled out a gun. The student was arrested later that day. October 3, 2014 Fairburn, Georgia After a homecoming football game, a fatal shooting of 17-year-old Kristofer Hunter, occurred in the Langston Hughes High School parking lot. The assailant, 18-year-old Eric Dana Johnson Jr., turned himself in a week later. October 24, 2014 Marysville, Washington Marysville Pilchuck High School shooting. 15-year-old freshman, Jaylen Fryberg, shot five students in the school cafeteria of Marysville Pilchuck High School, fatally wounding four, before committing suicide. November 20, 2014 Tallahassee, Florida At around 12:40 a.m. EST, a gunman opened fired in or near the Strozier Library at Florida State University. Three people suffered gunshot injuries and were taken to a local area hospital. One was in critical condition, another was in good condition, and the third was shortly released after treatment. The gunman, later identified as Myron May, an alumnus from the school, started firing towards responding police officers and was fatally shot by them on the steps of the library. November 20, 2014 Miami, Florida Two teens were shot during a fight at Miami Carol City High School. One of the boys died. December 5, 2014 Claremore, Oklahoma 38-year-old Thomas Floyd Fees, a former Tulsa police officer, fired two gunshots within the campus of Rogers State University during an attempt to enter a university building, before committing suicide. He had previously been arrested the day before for entering a female student's dormitory room with observable intent to commit a sexual assault. December 12, 2014 Portland, Oregon Rosemary Anderson High School shooting: A gunman shot three students and a man outside Rosemary Anderson High School in north Portland. A 16-year-old girl was in critical condition, while the others suffered minor injuries. Two men, aged eighteen and twenty-two, were arrested in connection with the shooting. January 15, 2015 Milwaukee, Wisconsin A 15-year-old boy, a student's father, and a teacher were each injured in the school parking lot at Wisconsin Lutheran High School. The student had unspecified injuries that were treated. The father was shot in the knee and the teacher was grazed in the toe. A 36-year-old man was charged in the shooting. January 16, 2015 Ocala, Florida Two were injured in gunfire that occurred after a Friday night basketball game. One was injured directly by a bullet, the other by ricocheting glass. February 4, 2015 Frederick, Maryland Two students were shot near the gymnasium of Frederick High School during a junior varsity (JV) boys' basketball game. Approximately two hundred students, staff, and faculty were placed on lockdown for several hours after the shooting while police searched for the suspects. No suspects have been apprehended, although witnesses report seeing four black males dressed all in black who are considered by police to be suspects in this shooting. February 14, 2015 Merced, California A teenager was found killed in the parking lot of Tenaya Middle School. The shooting was reported to have occurred after school hours. February 23, 2015 Daytona Beach, Florida Two students argued outside the music building at Bethune-Cookman University when one pulled out a gun. Both had guns and it is not disclosed who did the shooting, injuring three students. A reward was offered to help solve this case. March 30, 2015 University City, Missouri Police said one person has been arrested for a shooting at Pershing Elementary School. The shooting occurred in the parking lot, with a 34-year-old-man being shot in the buttocks. April 13, 2015 Goldsboro, North Carolina A faculty member was killed with a rifle in the school library of Wayne Community College. The suspected 20-year-old gunman, Kenneth Stancil, was arrested in Florida the next day. As of January 2017, Stancil, an admitted Neo-Nazi is being investigated for a hate crime. April 16, 2015 Paradis, Louisiana A police officer was shot outside a school in a school zone while he was directing school buses into J.B. Martin Middle School, and the suspect was apprehended at the scene. April 27, 2015 Lacey, Washington A 15-year-old student at North Thurston High School walked into the commons area and fired two shots into the ceiling from a .357 magnum pistol. Brady Olson, a teacher at the school, was able to tackle the student before they could turn the gun on other students. No one was injured or killed. The student is facing charges of firing and possessing a gun on school property. May 12, 2015 Jacksonville, Florida Police report that a 16-year-old shot five bullets into a school bus and injured two students. Apparently, there was an argument that touched on previous events. May 24, 2015 Flint, Michigan In the early morning hours of Memorial Day weekend, a group of people were at Southwestern Classical Academy in the parking lot. Shots rang out and seven were injured, with two men being apprehended and charged. August 27, 2015 Savannah, Georgia 22-year-old student Christopher Starks was fatally shot in a student union building at Savannah State University. The shooter has not been identified. September 3, 2015 Sacramento, California A man was arguing with at least one other person escalated into a physical fight on the parking lot of Sacramento City College. A man opened fire, killing a 25-year-old student and wounding two others. The shooting suspect has not been arrested. September 14, 2015 Cleveland, Mississippi A geography professor at Delta State University fatally shot a fellow history professor. The geography professor was chased by police and eventually died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. September 30, 2015 Harrisburg, South Dakota A principal was shot in the arm and wounded at Harrisburg High School after an argument with a student. The suspect, a 16-year-old student at the school, was taken into custody and is charged with first-degree attempted murder. October 1, 2015 Roseburg, Oregon Umpqua Community College shooting: At around 10:40 a.m. PDT, a gunman, identified as 26-year-old student Christopher Harper-Mercer, opened fire in a hall on the Umpqua Community College campus, killing eight students and one teacher, and injuring nine others. Mercer then committed suicide after engaging responding police officers in a brief gunfight. October 9, 2015 Flagstaff, Arizona One student died and three others were wounded in a shooting at Northern Arizona University. It is unclear what sparked the shooting, which took place near Mountain View Hall, a dormitory that houses most of the campus' students involved in Greek organizations. An 18-year-old student was arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault. October 9, 2015 Houston, Texas One person died and another person was injured after someone opened fire outside a Texas Southern University dorm. October 22, 2015 Nashville, Tennessee One person was killed and three others were wounded in a shooting at an outdoor courtyard at Tennessee State University. The shooting may have stemmed from an argument over a dice game. A suspect has not been identified or arrested. November 1, 2015 Winston-Salem, North Carolina One person died and another person was injured after someone opened fire on the campus of Winston-Salem State University. A 21-year-old non-student suspect is sought. November 20, 2015 North Las Vegas, Nevada A 16-year-old student was fatally shot during a fight after school hours that involved multiple people on the campus of Mojave High School. January 22, 2016 Indianapolis, Indiana A 15-year-old male was shot in the leg and injured during a night-time basketball game at Lawrence Central High School. January 29, 2016 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania A gunshot was fired during a fight in a stairwell at Franklin High School, and no injuries were reported. Three people were detained. February 9, 2016 Muskegon Heights, Michigan Four people, including two students, were injured during a basketball game event in the parking lot of Muskegon Heights High School. February 12, 2016 Glendale, Arizona Two 15-year-old girls died in an apparent Murder-Suicide at Independence High School. February 29, 2016 Middletown, Ohio 15-year-old Cameron Smith, and 14-year-old Cooper Caffrey, were shot when 14-year-old James Austin Hancock, opened fire in the Madison High School cafeteria with a .380 caliber handgun. 15-year-old Brant Murray, and 14-year-old Katherine Douchette, also suffered shrapnel injuries. Hancock was apprehended in a nearby wooded field. April 23, 2016 Antigo, Wisconsin Two students at a prom at Antigo High School were shot and injured by 18-year-old former student Jakob Wagner. Wagner later exchanged fire with a school resource officer in the school's parking lot, and was captured after being shot and wounded by police. He died hours later in a hospital. June 1, 2016 Los Angeles, California 2016 UCLA shooting. Mainak Sarkar, age 38, a Ph.D. student, killed his former professor, William S. Klug, age 39, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, in an engineering building at UCLA. Sarkar then killed himself. Sarkar, who lived in Minnesota, also killed his former wife, Ashley Hasti, age 31, in her Brooklyn Park, Minnesota home. June 8, 2016 Dorchester, Massachusetts One student was killed and three other individuals were injured when gunfire erupted outside of the Jeremiah Burke High School following a fire-alarm causing an evacuation of the school. Two suspects have been arrested. September 9, 2016 Alpine, Texas A 14-year-old female student shot a 16-year-old girl in an Alpine High School restroom before committing suicide. A police officer accidentally shot another officer during the incident. September 28, 2016 Townville, South Carolina Townville Elementary School shooting: Two students and one teacher were wounded after a teen opened fire at Townville Elementary School. The suspect's father was found dead at his home soon after the shooting. One of the victims, six-year-old Jacob Hall, died 3 days after the shooting. October 11, 2016 Mobile, Alabama A student was shot in the abdomen and wounded at Vigor High School. The suspect, a 16-year-old boy, turned himself in and was charged with assault. October 13, 2016 Columbus, Ohio Two students were shot and wounded on the front lawn of Linden McKinley STEM Academy. One was shot in the shoulder, and the other shot in the chest, and were hospitalized in stable condition. October 18, 2016 San Francisco, California Four students were shot outside June Jordan High School for Equity, a San Francisco public high school. One female victim was in critical condition, while three male victims suffered minor injuries. Two people were arrested in the shooting. October 25, 2016 Sandy, Utah Police say the two teens ages 14 and 16 were involved in a confrontation on the far north end of Union Middle School. The boys got into an argument. The argument lead to a shooting. The 14 year old shot the 16 year old twice. He was sent to the hospital in critical but stable condition. December 1, 2016 Bountiful, Utah At Mueller Park Junior High School, a 15-year-old student fired one shot into the ceiling and then pointed the weapon at his own neck. The student was confronted verbally by a teacher and another student and later arrested in possession of a shotgun, a handgun, and ammunition for each. January 20, 2017 West Liberty, Ohio A 17-year-old student was charged with attempted murder and other crimes after bringing a gun to West Liberty-Salem High School and firing two shots at 17-year-old student in a bathroom with a shotgun. The victim was injured. The student was "also is accused of discharging the weapon in the school’s hallway before returning to the bathroom, where he was eventually taken into custody." January 20, 2017 Seattle, Washington A 34-year-old man was shot in Red Square at University of Washington while protesting the visit of controversial journalist Milo Yiannopoulos. The shooter turned himself in to the university police and later questioned and released without being charged with a crime. March 21, 2017 King City, California An 18-year-old King City High School student was shot outside the school's auditorium. The gunman ran across the school's campus and baseball field, and fled the area. The school was then placed on lockdown. The victim was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.[526] A suspect was arrested in August 2017. April 10, 2017 San Bernardino, California North Park Elementary School shooting: Cedric Anderson, age 53, of Riverside, California, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after shooting and killing his estranged wife, Karen Elaine Smith, age 53, in a classroom. An eight-year-old student was also fatally shot, and a seven-year-old student was injured. May 4, 2017 Irving, Texas North Lake College: Adrian Victor Torres killed a 20-year-old student, Janeera Nickol Gonzalez, whom he was stalking. He fatally shot her three times and the college went into lockdown before discovering that the suspect has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. September 13, 2017 Rockford, Washington Freeman High School: Three students injured and one killed after a shooter opened fire. The suspect, a 15-year-old student, was taken into police custody. September 20, 2017 Mattoon, Illinois Mattoon High School: A 14-year-old male student was subdued by a female teacher when he attempted to open fire in the school cafeteria at 11:33 a.m. Multiple shots were fired in the process, and one student was struck in the chest and was driven to a nearby hospital suffering non-life-threatening wounds. The student was taken into custody without further incident. November 14, 2017 Rancho Tehama Reserve, California Rancho Tehama Reserve shootings: Neighbor on a rampage injured one student at Rancho Tehama Elementary School and fatally shot five adults at several locations.[533] The secretary heard the gunfire near the school and ordered the school to go on lockdown. After a custodian and the teachers put it into action, 43 year-old Kevin Neal rammed a truck into the gate of the school and fired at the classrooms hitting one student when a bullet pierced the wall. Neal fatally shot himself after sheriff's deputies rammed his vehicle during a pursuit. December 7, 2017 Aztec, New Mexico Aztec High School shooting: William Atchison, 21-year-old former male student snuck into Aztec High School disguised as a student and hid in an unlocked washroom with a Glock 9mm hidden in his bag. He retreated from the washroom after being spotted by a school custodian who chased him shouting "active shooter" and "lockdown". Atchinson was able to shoot and kill two students who were caught in the hallway before he killed himself.[535][536] He had been investigated in 2016 by the FBI when he asked "where to find cheap assault rifles for a mass shooting" on an online forum. January 9, 2018 Forest City, Iowa A man shot a pellet gun at a school bus full of children, shattering a window. No one was injured. January 20, 2018 Winston-Salem, North Carolina A student was fatally shot on the campus of Wake Forest University. January 22, 2018 Italy, Texas A 16-year-old male student fired at a 15-year-old classmate in the cafeteria of Italy High School. The gunman left the school immediately after opening fire. January 22, 2018 New Orleans, Louisiana Shots were fired from a truck in the parking lot of NET Charter High School, targeting a crowd of students during lunch time. One student was slightly injured, apparently from injuries unrelated to gunfire. One person was arrested in connection with the shooting. January 23, 2018 Marshall County, Kentucky Marshall County High School shooting: A 15-year-old male student shot 16 people in the lobby at Marshall County High School and caused non-gunshot injuries to 4 others. Two 15-year-old students died: one killed at the scene, another died of wounds at Vanderbilt Medical Center. February 1, 2018 Los Angeles, California Two 15-year-old students, a boy and a girl, were shot and injured inside a classroom at Sal Castro Middle School, which shares a campus with Belmont High School. Three other people suffered injuries unrelated to gunfire. A 12-year-old girl was arrested and put in custody. February 14, 2018 Parkland, Florida Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting: A 19-year-old former student who had been expelled began shooting after pulling a fire alarm. ||||| PARKLAND, FL (AP) - The Latest on a shooting at a Florida high school (all times local): 6:05 p.m. A sheriff says 17 people have died in the shooting attack on a South Florida high school. Sheriff Scott Israel of Broward County says the 19-year-old suspect is in custody and that investigators are beginning to "dissect" what happened in the attack Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. He says the suspect, a former student, was previously expelled for disciplinary reasons. Israel says the man had at least one rifle and multiple magazines. He says most of the fatalities were inside the building though some were found fatally shot outside. ___ 5:40 p.m. A man says he watched as officers arrested the suspect in the shooting at a Florida high school, where authorities are reporting numerous deaths. Michael Nembhard told The Associated Press he was in his garage watching TV news coverage of the shooting when he heard a police officer repeatedly yelling, "get on the ground!" Nembhard says he looked up to see a teenage boy on the ground about 150 yards (meters) away with an officer pointing a gun at him. The officer stood over the boy until other officers arrived, handcuffed him and led him away. A federal official who spoke on condition of anonymity identified the suspect as Nicolas Cruz. The official says he wasn't authorized to discuss it publicly. Cruz is 19 years old. He had previously attended the high school but was expelled for disciplinary reasons. ____ 5:20 p.m. A federal official has identified the Florida school shooting suspect as Nicolas Cruz. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The official says he had been briefed on the investigation into the shooting at the South Florida high school, but was not authorized to discuss it publicly. Authorities in Florida say the shooter opened fire at the school Wednesday afternoon, killing "numerous" people. The shooting sent frightened students running out into the streets and SWAT team members swarming the building. Authorities later announced that they had taken a former student, about 18 years old, into custody after locating him off the school grounds. ___ 5 p.m. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel says the Florida high school shooting suspect is a former student about 18 years old. He says the suspect was arrested without incident off school grounds in a nearby community. He didn't elaborate on when the suspect had attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parikland. A shooter opened fire at the school Wednesday afternoon, killing "numerous" people, sending students running out into the streets and SWAT team members swarming in before authorities took the shooter into custody. Israel says the FBI has arrived and will begin processing what he describes as "horrific scene." He called it a "catastrophic day." ___ 4:40 p.m. Parents described scenes of chaos as they rushed to find their frightened children after a shooting at a South Florida high school. Caesar Figueroa says he was one of the first parents to arrive at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, seeking his 16-year-old daughter after the shooting there. A shooter opened fire at the school Wednesday, killing several people and sending students running out into the streets as SWAT team members swarming in. Authorities later reported they had taken the shooting suspect into custody. Figueroa says: "It was crazy and my daughter wasn't answering her phone." According to Figueroa, she texted him that she was hidden in a school closet with friends after she heard gunshots. ___ 4:25 p.m. A school official says there are numerous fatalities from the high school shooting in South Florida. Broward County Superintendent Robert Runcie says "There are numerous fatalities. It is a horrific situation." He added, "It is a horrible day for us." The Broward County Sheriff's Office tweeted Wednesday afternoon that "so far we have at least 14 victims." The tweet added: "Victims have been and continue to be transported to Broward Health Medical Center and Broward Health North hospital." The sheriff's statement didn't elaborate on the victims or their injuries. ___ 4:15 p.m. The White House has canceled its daily press briefing after a Florida high school shooting that sent students rushing into the streets. President Donald Trump has spoken with Florida Gov. Rick Scott about the shooting. He says in a tweet that the White House is "working closely with law enforcement on the terrible Florida school shooting." He earlier tweeted his condolences to the families of the victims. Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Trump has offered Florida federal assistance, if needed. The homeland security secretary has also been in touch with state and local officials. Sanders says, "We continue to keep the victims, and their friends and family, in our thoughts and prayers." ___ 4:10 p.m. Authorities say the shooter at a South Florida high school is now in custody. The Broward County Sheriff's Office gave no details in briefly tweeting that development. It did not identify the shooting suspect nor say how the person was taken into custody. Television footage showed police putting a person in the back of a police car outside the high school. ___ 4 p.m. Parent John Obin says his son, a freshman at the South Florida high school where the shooting erupted, says his child was in class when he heard several shots. The father says his son advised that teachers quickly rushed students out of the school. He adds the boy told his father that he walked by two people on the ground motionless - and apparently dead - as students rushed outside. "This is a really good school, and now it's like a war zone," Obin said Coral Springs Police said on their Twitter account Wednesday that Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was locked down and that students and teachers inside should remain barricaded until police reach them. Outside, televised news footage showed two people on stretchers and another person being treated on the ground at an intersection near the scene of the school. Paramedics were treating those who appeared to be students with injuries, but it wasn't clear how they were hurt. A few students were loaded into ambulances. One unidentified student told a reporter at the scene that at first students thought it was a fire drill because they had heard fire alarms going off. ___ 3:55 p.m. The shooting at a South Florida high school sent students rushing into the streets as SWAT team members swarmed in and locked down the building. Police were warning that the shooter was still at large even as ambulances converged on the scene and emergency workers appeared to be treating those possibly wounded. Aerial television news footage showed police in olive fatigues, with weapons drawn, entering the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Then dozens of students could be seen frantically running and others quickly walking out. A police officer waved the students on, urging them to quickly evacuate the school. Some students exited the building in single-file rows with hands raised overhead to show they carried no weapons. Others held onto other students as they made their way out past helmeted police in camouflage with weapons drawn. Emergency medical personnel pulled stretchers from the backs of ambulances as police cars surrounded the parking lot. At least one person was seen being wheeled to the ambulance on a gurney. It wasn't immediately clear how many people were wounded. __ 3:45 p.m. Len Murray's 17-year-old son, a junior at the South Florida high school where shooting was reported, sent his parents a chilling text: "Mom and Dad, there have been shots fired on campus at school. There are police sirens outside. I'm in the auditorium and the doors are locked." Those words came at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. A few minutes later, he texted again: "I'm fine." Murray raced to the school only to be stopped by authorities under a highway overpass within view of the school buildings in Parkland. No information was immediately given to parents, Len Murray says. And he says he remained worried for all those inside. "I'm scared for the other parents here. You can see the concern in everybody's faces. Everybody is asking, 'Have you hard from your child yet?'" ___ 3:15 p.m. Authorities say a shooter at a Florida high school is still at large. The Broward Sheriff's Office shared the information on its Twitter account after Wednesday afternoon's shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. It wasn't immediately clear how many people were wounded. ___ 2:30 p.m. Authorities say they're responding to a shooting at a Florida high school. The Broward Sheriff's Office has told news outlets the shooting occurred Wednesday afternoon at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. It wasn't immediately clear how many people were wounded. ||||| As many as 17 people have been killed after another mass shooting at a US high school. ||||| Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old man suspected of gunning down at least 17 people Wednesday at a Parkland, Florida, high school, had once been expelled from the school for disciplinary reasons, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said. Hours after the gunman opened fire on students and staff near the end of the day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, details began to emerge about the former student behind one of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern US history. Here is what is known about the suspect so far: Cruz was expelled from the high school for unspecified disciplinary reasons, said officials, who provided different spellings of Cruz’s first name throughout the day. Officials are examining Cruz’s digital profile, which contained what Israel described as “very, very disturbing” content. Cruz was taken into custody without incident in nearby Coral Springs after the shootings, according to Israel. The suspect has been talking to investigators, according to a law enforcement source. Police said Cruz was armed with multiple magazines and at least one AR-15 style rifle. Law enforcement sources told CNN the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is tracing the.223 caliber, AR-15 style firearm used in the shootings. Investigators believe the suspect pulled the school’s fire alarm to draw people out and get a higher death toll, according to a law enforcement source. There had been a fire drill at the school earlier in the day, leading some to believe at first that the afternoon incident was another drill, a student told CNN affiliate WSVN. “Everyone just started freaking out.” “But then word started going around that it was shots and not just, like, something else, everyone just started running towards the canal,” the student said. ||||| Seventeen people are dead after a shooting at a south Florida high school on Wednesday. The man suspected has been identified as 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz. Here's what we know about him: Cruz is a former student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where the shooting happened. He was expelled due to disciplinary issues. Cruz had multiple magazines and one AR-15 rifle. Cruz started shooting outside and then went inside the school. Law enforcement has been looking at his social media. They say "Some of the things ... are very, very disturbing." According to USA Today, teachers and former students say Cruz had an angry disposition that led to him being expelled and flagged as a danger on school grounds. He had previously attracted so much concern that school administrators banned him from campus, said Jim Gard, a math teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, USA Today reports. Cruz' former classmates say he had a hot temper and a history of making dark, gun-related jokes, according to USA Today. Cruz is in custody. Of the seventeen fatalities, 12 happened inside the school, two just outside the school, one on street and two people died at the hospital. ||||| 19-year-old former student Nikolaus Cruz opened fire at a South Florida high school killing at least 17 people. According to Broward County Sherriff department Cruz, had been expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida for disciplinary reasons. Also On The Light 103.9 FM: ||||| This is what we know so far about a shooting at a high school in Florida which has left multiple people dead. - At least 17 people have died after a gunman opened fire at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Wednesday afternoon. - Authorities responded to reports of a shooting at about 2.30pm. - The suspect was identified as 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz. He was arrested at the scene and taken into custody. READ MORE: 17 dead in mass shooting at US high school - Sheriff Scott Israel, of Broward County, said Cruz was a former student at the school who was previously expelled for disciplinary reasons. - The sheriff said the gunman had at least one AR-15 rifle as well as multiple magazines. - He told reporters that an attack began outside the school. - 12 people were found dead inside the building, two were found just outside the school and another was found dead in a nearby street. A further two people died later while receiving medical treatment. - 16 injured people were taken to hospital - the two who later died among that number. - US president Donald Trump tweeted his condolences saying: “No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school.” ||||| The Associated Press is reporting that the suspect in custody from Wednesday's mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida is ex-student Nikolaus Cruz. Cruz was arrested nearly one hour after Wednesday's massacre began, according to the Broward County Sheriff. Cruz was said to have been a former student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Cruz was caught in a nearby town, and was taken to a hospital after being arrested. As of Wednesday evening, there have been 17 reported fatalities, and multiple injuries, the Broward County Sheriff said in a press conference. According to the Miami Herald, the ex-student had been flagged as a threat, one teacher told the paper. “We were told last year that he wasn’t allowed on campus with a backpack on him,” math teacher Jim Gard told the Herald. “There were problems with him last year threatening students, and I guess he was asked to leave campus.” Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said that Cruz had an AR-15 type weapon, and countless magazines in his possession. ||||| A Florida judge has ordered that the suspect in a deadly shooting rampage at a high school will be held without bond on 17 counts of murder. Nikolas Cruz, 19, was wearing an orange jumpsuit with his hands cuffed at his waist during the Thursday afternoon hearing. His attorney did not contest the order and had her arm around Cruz during the brief court appearance. Cruz is accused of opening fire Wednesday afternoon at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, killing 17 people.
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A shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, leaves 17 people dead (14 of whom were teenagers), and 15 others wounded. The suspect is apprehended and identified as 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz. This is the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history.
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The White House is accusing Russia of unleashing a large cyberattack against Ukraine last year, warning there will be unspecified “international consequences." The Trump administration accused Russia of the NotPetya attack, which affected international businesses, hours after a similar accusation from the U.K. government Thursday. “In June 2017, the Russian military launched the most destructive and costly cyber-attack in history,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in statement. Sanders continued: “The attack, dubbed ‘NotPetya,’ quickly spread worldwide, causing billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. It was part of the Kremlin’s ongoing effort to destabilize Ukraine and demonstrates ever more clearly Russia’s involvement in the ongoing conflict. This was also a reckless and indiscriminate cyber-attack that will be met with international consequences.” The statement did not specify what “consequences” Russia would face or which U.S. government entity determined Russia was responsible for the attack. Russia’s government denied it was responsible on Thursday, after the British accusation. "We categorically dismiss such accusations; we consider them unsubstantiated and groundless. It's not more than a continuation of the Russophobic campaign which is not based on any evidence," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Unlike the U.S. statement, which cited "billions of dollars" in damage, the U.K. asserted only "hundreds of millions of pounds." The attack caused an estimated $1.2 billion in damage to companies, the BBC reported. Corporate victims included shipping firm Maersk, which predicted losses at $200 billion to $300 billion. The British government’s attribution came from the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre and, unlike the White House, struck a conciliatory tone. “The Kremlin has positioned Russia in direct opposition to the West: it doesn’t have to be that way,” said U.K Minister of State for Cyber Tariq Ahmad. “We call upon Russia to be the responsible member of the international community it claims to be rather then secretly trying to undermine it." The British statement said the computer attack prompted a ransom note, but no possibility for payment. “The ransom note instructed victims to make payments to a single Bitcoin wallet with confirmation that they had paid. However, flaws in the payment process quickly became apparent as the ransom note did not display a ‘personal identification ID’ which would enable the attacker to know whose data to decrypt and the payment collection infrastructure was quickly taken down by the attacker’s email provider. The malware was not designed to be decrypted,” the British statement said. The White House threat of "consequences" comes after the Trump administration decided earlier this year not to impose new sanctions targeting Russia. In January, the Trump administration said it would not impose sanctions on entities making military purchases from Russia because a law passed last year over President Trump’s objection was serving as a deterrent without actual enforcement. ||||| The White House on Thursday blamed Russia for a massive cyberattack last year that crippled computer networks at multinational firms worldwide, vowing the hack would be met with “international consequences.” A White House statement on the cyberattack came a day after the U.K. formally blamed Russia. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ||||| The United States has followed Britain in formally blaming Russia with launching the “NotPetya” cyberattack that wrecked havoc around the globe last summer. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement Thursday afternoon attributing NotPetya to Moscow, echoing an announcement made hours earlier by the U.K. government. “In June 2017, the Russian military launched the most destructive and costly cyberattack in history,” said Mrs. Sanders. “The attack, dubbed ‘NotPetya,’ quickly spread worldwide, causing billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. It was part of the Kremlin’s ongoing effort to destabilize Ukraine and demonstrates ever more clearly Russia’s involvement in the ongoing conflict,” said Mrs. Sanders. The cyberattack was “reckless and indiscriminate,” she added, and “will be met with international consequences.” Britain announced earlier Thursday that Russia was “almost certainly” responsible for the NotPetya attack, citing findings reached by the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre. “We call upon Russia to be the responsible member of the international community it claims to be, rather then secretly trying to undermine it,” said Lord Tariq Ahmad, the U.K.’s foreign office minister for cybersecurity. President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said the Kremlin categorically denies involvement and called the claims “unsubstantiated and groundless.” “This is nothing but a continuation of a Russophobic campaign that is not based on any evidence,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier Thursday. NotPetya successfully spread quickly from computer to computer by exploiting a Microsoft Windows vulnerability previously hoarded by the U.S. National Security Agency and leaked online last April by a hacking outfit known as Shadow Brokers. The CIA has recently spent several months attempting to retried its cache of stole cyberweapons, The Intercept and The New York Times reported last week, and the agency recently spent $100,000 attempting to buy back compromised computer code, the latter reported. NotPetya initially targeted Ukrainian computers before ultimately propagating abroad, infecting systems used by victims including American logistics firm FedEx, Dutch competitor Maersk and Russia’s Rosneft, among others, eventually causing hundreds of millions of dollars in related damages. The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our Comment Policy before commenting. ||||| In a fierce break from Kremlin-friendly rhetoric, the White House on Thursday condemned a cyber-attack launched by the Russian military on Ukraine. Last year’s June malware attack, known as “NotPetya,” “was part of the Kremlin’s ongoing effort to destabilize Ukraine and demonstrates ever more clearly Russia’s involvement in the ongoing conflict,” said White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Threatening “international consequences,” the Trump administration designated Russia’s initiative as “the most destructive and costly cyber-attack in history.” The statement is a sharp departure from a president who has consistently denied Russia involvement in the 2016 election, even as intelligence agencies presented findings to the contrary. In recent weeks, however, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have sniped at one another over international policy. After Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced a grand strategy toward Syria involving the ousting of Putin-aligned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Moscow turned a cold shoulder to Washington. Despite the White House’s decision to hold off on sanctions against the Kremlin, Putin called the administration’s released list of Russian businessmen and oligarchs “a hostile step” in late January. After meeting with Russian intelligence officials the week before, CIA Director Mike Pompeo warned in a BBC interview that the United States would retaliate “in a way that is sufficiently robust” should Russia interfere in this year’s upcoming midterm elections. U.S. intelligence officials echoed these sentiments during a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday. NotPetya has disabled operations in Ukraine’s central bank, the main airport in Kiev and Chernobyl’s nuclear facilities. Cyber-security experts warn that it was a test for future digital warfare to be employed against other countries. ||||| LONDON -- The United States and Britain blamed the Russian government on Thursday for a cyberattack that hit businesses across Europe last year. The U.K. accused Moscow of "weaponizing information" in a new kind of warfare, and the White House said "the Russian military launched the most destructive and costly cyber-attack in history." "The attack, dubbed 'NotPetya,' quickly spread worldwide, causing billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia, and the Americas," said a statement from the White House press secretary. "It was part of the Kremlin's ongoing effort to destabilize Ukraine and demonstrates ever more clearly Russia's involvement in the ongoing conflict. This was also a reckless and indiscriminate cyber-attack that will be met with international consequences." Earlier, British Foreign Minister Tariq Ahmad said "the U.K. government judges that the Russian government, specifically the Russian military, was responsible for the destructive NotPetya cyberattack of June 2017." The fast-spreading outbreak of data-scrambling software centered on Ukraine -- embroiled in a conflict with Moscow-backed separatists in the country's east. It spread to companies that do business with Ukraine, including U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck, Danish shipping firm A.P. Moller-Maersk and FedEx subsidiary TNT. Ahmad said the "reckless" attack cost organizations hundreds of millions of dollars. British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson accused Russia of "undermining democracy, wrecking livelihoods by targeting critical infrastructure, and weaponizing information" with malicious cyberattacks. "We must be primed and ready to tackle these stark and intensifying threats," Williamson said. Danish defense minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen said intelligence agencies in Britain, Denmark and elsewhere had uncovered the Russian responsibility. Speaking at a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels, he said the hack was meant to cause damage and should "be compared with a military attack." "We categorically deny the accusations. We consider them unfounded and baseless and see them as continuation of groundless Russophobic campaign," he said in a conference call with reporters. ||||| WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) - The White House on Thursday blamed Russia for the devastating ‘NotPetya’ cyber attack last year, joining the British government in condemning Moscow for unleashing a virus that crippled parts of Ukraine’s infrastructure and damaged computers in countries across the globe. The attack launched in June 2017 by the Russian military “spread worldwide, causing billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia and the Americas,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. “It was part of the Kremlin’s ongoing effort to destabilize Ukraine and demonstrates ever more clearly Russia’s involvement in the ongoing conflict,” Sanders said. “This was also a reckless and indiscriminate cyber attack that will be met with international consequences.” The strongly worded but brief statement was the first time the U.S. government has blamed Russia for what is considered one of the worst cyber attacks on record. Many private sector security experts had fingered Moscow months ago. The statement came days after leaders of U.S. intelligence agencies again warned that Russia, and potentially other adversaries, were likely to attempt to use cyber means to meddle in the U.S. midterm elections in November. Experts said the White House vow of a response needed to be met with clear action, especially because U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to improve relations with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and has at times appeared dismissive of the cyber threat posed by Russia. The U.S. government is “reviewing a range of options,” a senior White House official said when asked what consequences Russia would face. It was not clear what those options were, nor what was meant by “international consequences.” Earlier on Thursday Russia denied being behind the attack, saying the accusations were part of a “Russophobic” campaign that it said was being waged by some Western countries. The White House had intended to release a statement about ‘NotPetya’ at the same time as London, but those plans were delayed due to a school shooting in Florida, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The U.S. government has been quicker to blame other nations, most notably North Korea, for destructive cyber attacks, including the WannaCry ransomware attack in May 2017. Some administration officials have worried that publicly blaming Russia without imposing some cost could raise questions about why the United States was not retaliating, said two sources familiar with the internal debate. Others argued that because the United States also conducts covert cyberspace operations that could not be discussed in public, the statement attributing blame to Moscow required no elaboration, the sources said. In addition to covert operations, retaliation could take the form of further sanctions on Russia or other diplomatic penalties. Trump has resisted the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Moscow also meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. After he met Putin in Vietnam last November, Trump said he believed the Russian leader when he denied his government interfered in the election. Democrats and some Republicans have criticized the Trump administration for not imposing sanctions that were passed unanimously by Congress last summer and were intended to punish Moscow for meddling in the 2016 election. “With Russia, if we are promised consequences, people are going to be looking for tangible proof” of a response, said Kenneth Geers, a security researcher at the cyber firm Comodo and former U.S. intelligence official who works at NATO’s think tank on cyber defense. “Otherwise it seems like a real empty promise.” The NotPetya attack started in Ukraine, where it crippled government and business computers before spreading around Europe and the world, halting operations at ports, factories and offices. Britain’s foreign ministry said in a statement released earlier in the day that the attack originated from the Russian military. “The decision to publicly attribute this incident underlines the fact that the UK and its allies will not tolerate malicious cyber activity,” the ministry said in a statement. “The attack masqueraded as a criminal enterprise but its purpose was principally to disrupt,” it said. “Primary targets were Ukrainian financial, energy and government sectors. Its indiscriminate design caused it to spread further, affecting other European and Russian business.” ||||| The White House's story about who knew what when about accusations of domestic violence against former White House staff secretary Rob Porter has been anything but clear. Now, House Republicans have decided to open an investigation to get some clarity. "I'm troubled by almost every aspect of this," House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said on CNN on Wednesday morning. "How in the hell was he still employed?" Gowdy's oversight committee penned a letter to the White House on Wednesday morning and released it on Twitter. It notes that FBI Director Christoper Wray appeared to contradict the White House on its timeline on the handling of the matter — and it wants to know "what information was available to the adjudicator of Porter's interim clearance at the time it was adjudicated; who adjudicated his clearance; and what derogatory information was subsequently made available to the White House on Porter, when, and to whom." Gowdy notes in the letter that he wants answers to those and several other questions in two weeks, by Feb. 28. Even Vice President Pence criticized the White House's handling of the scandal Wednesday. "The White House could've handled this better," he said during an event in Washington sponsored by the website Axios, per NPR's Tamara Keith. But, Pence added, he has "great confidence" in chief of staff John Kelly. "John Kelly has done a remarkable job as chief of staff for president of the United States," Pence said, "and I look forward to continuing to work with him for many, many months to come." Gowdy also notably received the support of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who said Wednesday that the White House "has work to do" to fix the vetting process and that the White House should "absolutely" condemn domestic violence. Instead of immediately condemning domestic violence, President Trump has twice seemed to defend Porter and another staffer who resigned amid domestic abuse allegations. He tweeted on Saturday, for example, that "lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation." On Wednesday — a week after the Porter story initially broke — Trump finally weighed in more directly, telling reporters during a photo op for an event related to the recently enacted tax cut law that he is "totally opposed to domestic violence of any kind, and everybody here knows that." He reiterated: "I'm totally opposed to domestic violence of any kind. Everyone knows that. And it almost wouldn't even have to be said. So, now you hear it, but you all know." Unlike most scandals over the first year of the Trump presidency, the Porter one has had staying power. It has been in focus for a week now. And much of that is because of the White House's handling of it. That is something White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah acknowledged Thursday. "We all could have done better," Shah told reporters. But, he added, "The emerging reports were not reflective of the individual who we had come to know." Often, though, that is the case when it comes to domestic abuse. Ranking member Elijah Cummings, a Democrat from Maryland, echoed Gowdy in wanting to talk to White House counsel Don McGahn, Kelly, Wray "and others to determine what they knew and when they knew it." Cummings noted that he is also "extremely frustrated that our [c]ommittee has done nothing over the past year to address the completely dysfunctional security clearance system at the White House." Porter was serving in the role as staff secretary — a key role as the person responsible for filtering what the president sees and reads — under an interim security clearance. Wray testified that the FBI had wrapped up its background investigation into Porter last July, but Porter wasn't forced out of the White House until a Daily Mail story was published, and a photo of Porter's first wife with a black eye was made public. The White House initially seemed to indicate it only recently learned of the allegations and that it took immediate action. Politico reported that once he was briefed on the allegations, Kelly told staff, Porter "was gone 40 minutes later." But, Politico also reported, that "in the hours immediately after" the first published stories about the allegations," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders "hastily arranged an off-the-record meeting in the West Wing with Porter" and influential reporters at which Porter was allowed to relay "his version of events and fielded questions from the group." That is what is usually done when a White House is trying to circle the wagons and keep someone on board, not fire them. For Gowdy, though, the White House's slowness to act — and its instinct to defend Porter — is a problem. "How do you have any job if you have credible allegations of domestic abuse?" said Gowdy, who announced two weeks ago that he was not running for re-election. "Again, I am biased toward the victim." ||||| "In June 2017, the Russian military launched the most destructive and costly cyber-attack in history. The attack, dubbed "NotPetya," quickly spread worldwide, causing billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. It was part of the Kremlin's ongoing effort to destabilize Ukraine and demonstrates ever more clearly Russia's involvement in the ongoing conflict. This was also a reckless and indiscriminate cyber-attack that will be met with international consequences." NotPetya was a wiper worm that invaded companies' and government agencies' computers in the Ukraine, the US, parts of Asia, Europe, Australia and even Russia itself in 2017. It was disguised as a ransomware, presumably so that the media would cover it as a follow-up to the WannaCry ransomware, which infected over 200,000 computers all over the globe and also caused hundreds of millions to billions of dollars in damages. In the end, security researchers determined that NotPetya is a wiper designed to overwrite data. Press Secretary Sanders didn't elaborate on what those international consequences would be, but a senior White House official told Reuters that the administration is already "reviewing a range of options." As for Russia's response, well, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov already denied the allegations even before the White House issued its statement. ||||| The United States on Thursday publicly blamed Russia for carrying out the so-called NotPetya cyber-attack last year that crippled government and business computers in Ukraine before spreading around the world. The statement by the White House came hours after the British government attributed the attack to Russia, a conclusion already reached and made public by many private sector cyber security experts. The attack in June of 2017 'spread worldwide, causing billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia and the Americas,' White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. 'It was part of the Kremlin´s ongoing effort to destabilize Ukraine and demonstrates ever more clearly Russia´s involvement in the ongoing conflict,' Sanders added. 'This was also a reckless and indiscriminate cyber-attack that will be met with international consequences.' Britain's foreign minister for cyber security earlier said the Kremlin was responsible for 'malicious cyber activity'. The attack last year targeted Ukraine and spread across Europe. Its primary targets were the Ukrainian financial, energy, and government sectors. Ukraine has been locked in a simmering conflict with Russian-backed separatists since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014. But it was designed to spread further and affected other European and Russian firms in June. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday he denies Russia was responsible for the 'NotPetya' cyber-attack last year, after the White House on Thursday joined the British government in accusing Moscow of the attack. In response to a question about the attack, he said he reiterated comments made on Thursday, when he said that the allegations by a British official about 'NotPetya' attack were groundless and part of a 'Russophobic' campaign being conducted in some Western countries. Britain's Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson accused Vladimir Putin of 'ripping up the rule book'. He told the Daily Mail: 'We have entered a new era of warfare, witnessing a destructive and deadly mix of conventional military might and malicious cyber attacks. 'Russia is ripping up the rule book by undermining democracy, wrecking livelihoods by targeting critical infrastructure, and weaponising information. We must be primed and ready to tackle these stark and intensifying threats.' Foreign minister for cyber security Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said the UK's decision to identify the Kremlin as responsible for the attack underlines the fact the Government will not tolerate 'malicious cyber activity'. He said: 'The UK Government judges that the Russian government, specifically the Russian military, was responsible for the destructive NotPetya cyber attack of June 2017. 'The attack showed a continued disregard for Ukrainian sovereignty. Its reckless release disrupted organisations across Europe costing hundreds of millions of pounds.' He added: 'The Kremlin has positioned Russia in direct opposition to the West yet it doesn't have to be that way. We call upon Russia to be the responsible member of the international community it claims to be rather then secretly trying to undermine it. 'The United Kingdom is identifying, pursuing and responding to malicious cyber activity regardless of where it originates, imposing costs on those who would seek to do us harm. 'We are committed to strengthening co-ordinated international efforts to uphold a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace.' His comments point to UK intelligence agencies discovering evidence indicating the involvement of the Russian military. ||||| The White House has blamed Russia for the devastating 'NotPetya' cyber attack last year, joining the British government in condemning Moscow for unleashing a virus that crippled parts of Ukraine's infrastructure and damaged computers in countries across the globe. The attack in June of 2017 "spread worldwide, causing billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia and the Americas," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. "It was part of the Kremlin’s ongoing effort to destabilize Ukraine and demonstrates ever more clearly Russia’s involvement in the ongoing conflict," Sanders added. "This was also a reckless and indiscriminate cyber attack that will be met with international consequences." The U.S. government is "reviewing a range of options," a senior White House official said when asked about the consequences for Russia's actions. Earlier on Thursday Russia denied an accusation by the British government that it was behind the attack, saying it was part of a "Russophobic" campaign that it said was being waged by some Western countries. The so-called NotPetya attack in June started in Ukraine where it crippled government and business computers before spreading around Europe and the world, halting operations at ports, factories and offices. Britain's foreign ministry said in a statement released earlier in the day that the attack originated from the Russian military. "The decision to publicly attribute this incident underlines the fact that the UK and its allies will not tolerate malicious cyber activity," the ministry said in a statement. "The attack masqueraded as a criminal enterprise but its purpose was principally to disrupt," it said. "Primary targets were Ukrainian financial, energy and government sectors. Its indiscriminate design caused it to spread further, affecting other European and Russian business."
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The United Kingdom government and the United States White House accuse the Russian military of being responsible for the launch of the NotPetya malware in June 2017. The White House calls it the most destructive and costly cyberattack in history and says Russia will be met with unspecified "international consequences". Russia denies responsibility and dismisses the accusation as "groundless", lacking evidence, and "Russophobic".
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On Campbell Island in the Southern Ocean, some 400 miles south of New Zealand, is a single Sitka spruce. More than 170 miles from any other tree, it is often credited as the “world’s loneliest tree”. Planted in the early 20th century by Lord Ranfurly, governor of New Zealand, the tree’s wood has recorded the radiocarbon produced by above ground atomic bomb tests – and its annual layers show a peak in 1965, just after the tests were banned. The tree therefore gives us a potential marker for the start of the Anthropocene. But why 1965? The 1960s is a decade forever associated with the hippie movement and the birth of the modern environmentalism, a sun-blushed age in which the Apollo moon landings gave us the iconic image of a fragile planet framed against a desolate lunar surface. It was also a time when the world was fast globalising, with rapid industrialisation and economic growth driving population expansion and a massive increase in our impact on the environment. This postwar period has been called the “Great Acceleration”. So the question we’re interested in is whether this step change in human activity left an indelible mark on our planet, one which, if we disappeared today, would still leave a permanent signature in the geological record. The concept of a human-dominated geological epoch has been around since the 19th century, but the idea that we have created an Anthropocene has recently become more popular in the face of long-term global changes in the environment far beyond what may be considered “natural”. While humans have long had an impact on the planet at the local and even continental level, the scale of modern change is sufficiently large that geologists are considering the evidence to recognise the Anthropocene officially in the geological timescale. They have set the scientific community a major challenge to find a global-wide environmental marker or “golden spike” that represents this crucial change. A major contender for defining the start of the Anthropocene Epoch is the peak in radioactive elements produced from above ground thermonuclear bomb tests, the majority of which occurred at the height of the Cold War in the early-1960s. The problem from a geologist’s point of view is most of the records of this spike in radioactivity (for example preserved in lake sediments and the annual growth of tree-rings) have been reported from the Northern Hemisphere where the majority of the tests took place. To demonstrate a truly global human impact requires a signal from a remote, pristine location in the Southern Hemisphere that occurs at the same time as the north. This is where our new study comes in. In the journal Scientific Reports we publish a new record that identifies a radioactive signal preserved from exactly this sort of place: Campbell Island, a rare piece of real estate in the depths of the Southern Ocean. During the Australasian Antarctic Expedition 2013-2014 we undertook scientific sampling across the island to get a better handle on the scale of environmental change in this most remote of locations. The solitary Sitka spruce is in the southern part of the island. The species is found naturally along the west coast of North America from Alaska to California – it is only in the Southern Hemisphere because humans transplanted it there. Turney et al , Author provided Nonetheless, the Campbell Island tree is growing exceptionally well – at a rate five to ten times faster than surrounding native shrubs – which gave us plenty of data to work with. Detailed analysis of the tree’s year-by-year growth shows the peak in radioactive elements took place sometime between October and December 1965, which coincides with the same signal in the Northern Hemisphere. This spruce has demonstrated unequivocally that humans have left an impact on the planet, even in the most pristine of environments, that will be preserved in the geological record for tens of millennia and beyond. Our research promises to reignite the debate around when humans really became a geological superpower. Should we define the Anthropocene by when humanity invented the technology to make themselves extinct? If so, then the nuclear bomb spike recorded in the loneliest tree on the planet suggests it began in 1965. ||||| From Keele University and the “It’s like deja vu all over again” department with the leader of the “ship of fools” thrown in for comic relief. Long-time WUWT readers surely remember the single “Most influential tree in the world” from the Yamal fiasco, where the “signal” in one tree (YAD06) biased an entire paper with a hockey stick shape, making it worthless. Well, here we are again with another single tree used to define the entire globe. Obviously they’ve learned nothing, then again, it’s Chris Turney. Loneliest tree in the world marks new age for our planet An international research team, including Professor Christopher Fogwill from Keele University, has pinpointed a new geological age, the Anthropocene. When humans first set foot on the moon in 1969, the people of that decade thought the world had changed forever. Little did they know the world had already laid down the precise marker of a far greater global change four years earlier, signalling our planet had entered an entirely new geological epoch, a time period defined by evidence in rock layers, the Anthropocene. That new epoch began between October and December 1965 according to new research published today in Scientific Reports by members of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition 2013-2014, which was co-led by co-author Professor Christopher Fogwill from Keele University. The researchers were able to mark this profound change so precisely because of a “golden spike” found in the heartwood of a strange and singular tree, a Sitka Spruce found on Campbell Island, a World Heritage site in the middle of the Southern Ocean The spruce is locally referred to as ‘the loneliest tree in the world’ with the next closest tree over 200km away on the Auckland Islands. The radioactive carbon spike was created by the culmination of mostly Northern Hemisphere atmospheric thermonuclear bomb tests in the 1950s and 1960s. The signal was fixed in the wood of the Campbell Island Sitka spruce by photosynthesis. Professor Fogwill, Head of the School of Geography, Geology and the Environment at Keele University, said: Various researchers from around the world have been talking about declaring a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene, indicating the point where human influence on the planet fundamentally changed the natural world. However, for a new epoch to be officially declared there must be a clear and precise “global” signal that can be detected in the geological forming materials of the future. This radiocarbon spike is that signal. Lead author Professor Chris Turney, from University of New South Wales, said: In the Northern Hemisphere, the atmospheric radiocarbon peak occurred in 1964 where the signal is preserved in European trees. That same peak took until late 1965 to reach the Southern Hemisphere atmosphere. With that, the signal became global, precise and detectable in the geological record, meaning it fitted the requirements as a marker for a new epoch. The 100-year-old tree itself is an anomaly in the Southern Ocean. It is naturally found along the North American Pacific Coast but it is credited with being planted on Campbell Island by the Governor of New Zealand in 1901. The oceanic climate has had an unusual effect on the spruce. Although it has grown to 10m tall, the tree has never produced cones, suggesting it has remained in a permanently juvenile state. Global Peak in Atmospheric Radiocarbon Provides a Potential Definition for the Onset of the Anthropocene Epoch in 1965 Anthropogenic activity is now recognised as having profoundly and permanently altered the Earth system, suggesting we have entered a human-dominated geological epoch, the ‘Anthropocene’. To formally define the onset of the Anthropocene, a synchronous global signature within geological-forming materials is required. Here we report a series of precisely-dated tree-ring records from Campbell Island (Southern Ocean) that capture peak atmospheric radiocarbon (14C) resulting from Northern Hemisphere-dominated thermonuclear bomb tests during the 1950s and 1960s. The only alien tree on the island, a Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), allows us to seasonally-resolve Southern Hemisphere atmospheric 14C, demonstrating the ‘bomb peak’ in this remote and pristine location occurred in the last-quarter of 1965 (October-December), coincident with the broader changes associated with the post-World War II ‘Great Acceleration’ in industrial capacity and consumption. Our findings provide a precisely-resolved potential Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) or ‘golden spike’, marking the onset of the Anthropocene Epoch. So who says 1965 is the beginning of a new Epoch? There’s no consensus, and they can’t even decide if that’s the name. From Wikipedia’s definition of the Anthropocene: As of August 2016, neither the International Commission on Stratigraphy nor the International Union of Geological Sciences has yet officially approved the term as a recognized subdivision of geological time,[3][5][6] although the Working Group on the Anthropocene (WGA) voted to formally designate the epoch Anthropocene and presented the recommendation to the International Geological Congress on 29 August 2016. In January 2015, 26 of the 38 members of the International Anthropocene Working Group published a paper suggesting the Trinity test on 16 July 1945 as the starting point of the proposed new epoch.[20] However, a significant minority supports one of several alternative dates.[20] A March 2015 report suggested either 1610 or 1964 as the beginning of Anthropocene.[21] Other scholars point to the diachronous character of the physical strata of the Anthropocene, arguing that onset and impact are spread out over time, not reducible to a single instant or date of start.[22] A January 2016 report on the climatic, biological, and geochemical signatures of human activity in sediments and ice cores suggested the era since the mid-20th century should be recognised as a distinct geological epoch from the Holocene.[23] Turney is just looking to get his name listed as the identifier of the Anthropocene, nothing more. Fortunately, it won’t be decided by him. The study is nothing but a headline grabber posing as science, just like Chris Turney’s original “Spirit of Mawson” aka “ship of fools” fiasco. ||||| Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Scientists have discovered evidence of the beginning of the Anthropocene, the newest geological epoch. The evidence came in the form of a "golden spike" found in the heartwood of the "loneliest tree in the world." Though scientists have shown that humans have been influencing the planet's ecosystems for thousands of years, many consider the sudden spike in radioactive carbon caused by the testing of nuclear weapons in 1950s and 1960s the mark of humanity's newly dominant role as chief driver of climatic change. Now, scientists have found direct evidence of that golden spike in a lone tree, a Sitka spruce found on Campbell Island, which lies in the middle of the South Ocean. The spruce is called the loneliest tree in the world because the next nearest tree lies 125 miles away in the Aukland islands. "The impact that humanity's nuclear weapons testing has had on the Earth's atmosphere provides a global signal that unambiguously demonstrates that humans have become the major agent of change on the planet," Christopher Fogwill, a professor of glaciology and palaeoclimatology at Keele University, said in a news release. "This is an important, yet worrying finding." "The global atomic bomb signal, captured in the annual rings of this invasive tree species, represents a line in the sand, after which our collective actions have stamped an indelible mark, which will define this new geological epoch for generations to come," Fogwill said. Researchers all over the world are largely in agreement that a new epoch has arrived, one marked by human's influence on the climate and environment -- evidenced by rising temperatures, shrinking ice sheets and the spread of manmade materials, like plastics, throughout the planet's ecosystems. But until now, scientists didn't have an agreed upon universal signal marking the epoch's beginning -- a signal consistent and detectable throughout the geologic record. The Sitka spruce is native to the West Coast of the United States. But in 1901, the governor of New Zealand planted the tree on Campbell Island. The 100-year-old tree has grown more than 32 feet tall, but it has yet to yield cones, remaining in a permanent juvenile state. "It seems somehow apt that this extraordinary tree, planted far from its normal habitat by humans has also become a marker for the changes we have made to the planet, it is yet further evidence, if that was needed, that in this new epoch no part of our planet remains untouched by humans," said researcher Mark Maslin, from the University College London. The researchers described the unique tree and its proof of the newest epoch in the journal Scientific Reports. ||||| The planet entered a new geological epoch known as the Anthropocene in 1965, according to new research. The Anthropocene has become a term used by scientists all over the world, seeking to put a marker on when humans began to leave a significant impact on the planet. Until now there has been no definitive 'global' signal to enable scientists to officially declare a new epoch. Now researchers have found the signal for the change by using the accumulation of radiocarbon in tree wood from nuclear bomb tests. The study, led by UCL and University of New South Wales alongside members of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition 2013-2014, provides the first precise global signal for the Anthropocene from the Southern Hemisphere. The researchers were able to mark the new epoch due to a radiocarbon peak or 'golden spike' found in the heartwood of a strange and singular tree, a Sitka Spruce found on Campbell Island, a World Heritage site in the middle of the Southern Ocean. The spruce is locally referred to as 'the loneliest tree in the world' with the next closest tree over 125 miles (200km) away on the Auckland Islands. The golden spike was created by the culmination of mostly Northern Hemisphere atmospheric thermonuclear bomb tests in the 1950s and 1960s. The signal was fixed in the wood of the Campbell Island Sitka spruce by photosynthesis. 'We were incredibly excited to find this signal in the Southern Hemisphere on a remote island, because for the first time it gave us a well-defined global signature for a new geological epoch that could be preserved in the geological record,' said lead author Professor Chris Turney from the University of New South Wales. 'Thousands of years from now this golden spike should still stand as a detectable marker for the transformation of the Earth by humankind,' added Professor Turney. In the Northern Hemisphere, the atmospheric radiocarbon peak occurred in 1964 where the signal is preserved in European trees. That same peak took until late 1965 (October – December) to reach the Southern Hemisphere atmosphere. With that spruce, the signal became global, precise and detectable in the geological record, meaning it fitted the requirements as a marker for a new epoch. The 100-year-old tree itself is an anomaly in the Southern Ocean. WHAT IS THE ANTHROPOCENE? The Anthropocene is the name of a proposed geological epoch that may soon enter the official Geologic Time Scale. It refers to a time in which human permanently changed the planet. According to the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), we are officially in the Holocene epoch, which began 11,700 years ago after the last major ice age. Some experts argue we should now change the name to 'Anthropocene'. This is from from anthropo, for 'man,' and cene, for 'new'. But up until now, experts have been divided on when mankind caused a lasting impact on the Earth's geology with some suggesting 1964 when the fallout from atomic testing became apparent. It is naturally found along the North American Pacific Coast but it is credited with being planted on Campbell Island by the Governor of New Zealand in 1901. The oceanic climate has had an unusual effect on the spruce. Although it has grown to 33 feet (10m) tall, the tree has never produced cones, suggesting it has remained in a permanently juvenile state. 'It seems somehow apt that this extraordinary tree, planted far from its normal habitat by humans has also become a marker for the changes we have made to the planet,' said co-author Professor Mark Maslin at UCL. 'It is yet further evidence, if that was needed, that in this new epoch no part of our planet remains untouched by humans,' added Professor Maslin. The study was published in Scientific Reports. ||||| The so-called loneliest tree in the world is helping to reveal when exactly humans began to shape our planet’s climate. In one of the most remote parts of the world, a single tree is helping to shed light on the answer to a single question: what year marks the ‘golden spike’ of the latest human era, referred to as the Anthropocene epoch? This period of time is considered a massive acceleration not only in the technological development we have experienced, but in what effect we have had on the planet as a whole. According to the BBC, because of the isolation and location of this Sitka spruce tree in Campbell Island, New Zealand, on the southern hemisphere away from much human activity, it can help find the golden spike that indicates when this era started. This history of the tree is interesting in itself because it is most definitely not native to the region, having been planted there in 1905, possibly as the starting point of a whole new plantation, and it is now the only tree in an area spanning 200km. In a paper published to Scientific Reports, the research team led by the University of New South Wales, Australia, found that a drilled core sample of the tree showed a doubling of the amount of carbon-14 in an area of the ring identified as being around in 1965. The reason for this sudden spike in the radioactive isotope is no coincidence because it marks an important moment in the era of nuclear weapon testing during the Cold War between the US and the former Soviet Union. Two years after the signing of a ban on atmospheric nuclear testing, the rings show it was too late to prevent the global spread of radioactive fallout. This isotope would have eventually entered the tree through carbon dioxide absorbed as part of photosynthesis, leaving its legacy deep within its trunk. “If you want to represent the Anthropocene with the start of ‘The Great Acceleration’, then this is the perfect record to define it,” said Mark Maslin, a co-author of the paper from University College London, who also worked on the project. “And what’s really nice is that we planted a tree where it shouldn’t be, which has then given us this beautiful record of what we’ve done to the planet.” With this new data, the international geological community will spend some time to decide on how best to update the timeline of human history portrayed by the Chronostratigraphic Chart. Once updated, it will become the newest period in human history after the 11,700-year-old Holocene era. ||||| When humans first set foot on the moon in 1969, the people of that decade thought the world had changed forever. Little did they know the world had already laid down the precise marker of a far greater global change four years earlier, signalling our planet had entered an entirely new geological epoch, a time period defined by evidence in rock layers, the Anthropocene. That new epoch began between October and December 1965 according to new research published today in Scientific Reports by members of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition 2013-2014, which was co-led by co-author Professor Christopher Fogwill from Keele University. The researchers were able to mark this profound change so precisely because of a "golden spike" found in the heartwood of a strange and singular tree, a Sitka Spruce found on Campbell Island, a World Heritage site in the middle of the Southern Ocean. The spruce is locally referred to as 'the loneliest tree in the world' with the next closest tree over 200km away on the Auckland Islands. The radioactive carbon spike was created by the culmination of mostly Northern Hemisphere atmospheric thermonuclear bomb tests in the 1950s and 1960s. The signal was fixed in the wood of the Campbell Island Sitka spruce by photosynthesis. Professor Fogwill, Head of the School of Geography, Geology and the Environment at Keele University, said: "The impact that humanity's nuclear weapons testing has had on the Earth's atmosphere provides a global signal that unambiguously demonstrates that humans have become the major agent of change on the planet. This is an important, yet worrying finding. The global atomic bomb signal, captured in the annual rings of this invasive tree species, represents a line in the sand, after which our collective actions have stamped an indelible mark, which will define this new geological epoch for generations to come." Various researchers from around the world have been talking about declaring a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene, indicating the point where human influence on the planet fundamentally changed the natural world. However, for a new epoch to be officially declared there must be a clear and precise "global" signal that can be detected in the geological forming materials of the future. This radiocarbon spike is that signal. Lead author Professor Chris Turney, from University of New South Wales, said: "We were incredibly excited to find this signal in the Southern Hemisphere on a remote island, because for the first time it gave us a well defined global signature for a new geological epoch that could be preserved in the geological record. Thousands of years from now this golden spike should still stand as a detectable marker for the transformation of the Earth by humankind." In the Northern Hemisphere, the atmospheric radiocarbon peak occurred in 1964 where the signal is preserved in European trees. That same peak took until late 1965 to reach the Southern Hemisphere atmosphere. With that, the signal became global, precise and detectable in the geological record, meaning it fitted the requirements as a marker for a new epoch. The 100-year-old tree itself is an anomaly in the Southern Ocean. It is naturally found along the North American Pacific Coast but it is credited with being planted on Campbell Island by the Governor of New Zealand in 1901. The oceanic climate has had an unusual effect on the spruce. Although it has grown to 10m tall, the tree has never produced cones, suggesting it has remained in a permanently juvenile state. Co-author Professor Mark Maslin, from University College London, said: "It seems somehow apt that this extraordinary tree, planted far from its normal habitat by humans has also become a marker for the changes we have made to the planet, it is yet further evidence, if that was needed, that in this new epoch no part of our planet remains untouched by humans." Explore further: Scientists home in on a potential Anthropocene 'golden spike' ||||| Researchers have pinpointed the moment that humanity fundamentally changed our natural world – the beginning of a new epoch. The Anthropocene age began between October and December of 1965, according to a study published in Scientific Reports, which found the marker of this new era in the heartwood of a strange and lonely tree on an island in the middle of the Southern Ocean. "We were incredibly excited to find this signal in the Southern Hemisphere on a remote island, because for the first time it gave us a well-defined global signature for a new geological epoch that could be preserved in the geological record. “Thousands of years from now this golden spike should still stand as a detectable marker for the transformation of the Earth by humankind," said lead author Chris Turney of the University of New South Wales, in a statement. The golden spike is a radioactive carbon spike created by the culmination of atmospheric thermonuclear bomb tests in the 1950s and 60s that appears through photosynthesis in a ring of the spruce tree known locally as the “loneliest tree in the world”. The next closest tree is over 200km away on the Auckland Islands, while this one is by itself on the World Heritage site of Campbell Island. For some time, geologists have been talking about declaring a new epoch in the history of the world dated from the time at which humanity’s influence started to change the natural order of our planet. But there was no way to pinpoint when the age should start until now. "The impact that humanity's nuclear weapons testing has had on the Earth's atmosphere provides a global signal that unambiguously demonstrates that humans have become the major agent of change on the planet. This is an important, yet worrying finding,” said Christopher Fogwill, head of the School of Geography, Geology and the Environment at Keele University. ||||| A study carried out by University College London and the University of New South Wales in Australia has determined that the Earth has entered a new phase of its geological history, one shaped by the actions of humanity. Called the "Anthropocene," this new age of geologic time, according to the authors of the study published in Science Reports Magazine, to have begun in 1965. Researchers employed a number of methods to establish that humanity had begun to leave traces of its activity in the geological record, the so-called "Golden Spike." While it has been difficult for scientists to agree on an exact starting point for the Golden Spike, it is generally agreed to have occurred after the Second World War due to the unprecedented expansion of the global economy and the production to never-before-seen levels of plastics and other non-biodegradable products. The report itself is based on information gathered by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition which took place in 2013 and 2014. READ MORE: It's Not Just Global Warming, Folks, as Humanity Enters New Anthropocene Epoch Scientists looking for the definitive point in time at which the human impact on the planet became truly global have focussed their attention on what has been dubbed the "loneliest tree on earth," the Sitka Spruce on Campbell Island some 200km south of New Zealand. The tree contains the residue of nuclear weapons tests carried out in the 1950s and ‘60s. "We're putting this forward as a serious contender to mark the start of the Anthropocene. It's got to be something that reflects a global signal," Professor Chris Turney said in a statement to the BBC. ||||| A remote spruce planted on Campbell Island in the Southern Ocean holds a defining record of humans, scientists argue. Chris Turney, from the University of New South Wales, Australia, and colleagues, say the tree's wood contains a sharp peak in radiocarbon, and could therefore be used to define the onset of a new geological age known as the Anthropocene Epoch. Prof Turney has been speaking to our science correspondent Jonathan Amos. ||||| A remote spruce planted on Campbell Island in the Southern Ocean holds a defining record of humans, scientists argue. The tree's wood contains a sharp peak in radiocarbon, the result of the A-bomb tests in the 1950s and 1960s. As such, it could be used to define the onset of a new geological age known as the Anthropocene Epoch. In this video, Dr Jonathan Palmer from the University of New South Wales, extracts a core from the spruce.
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In a Scientific Reports publication, researchers propose 1965 as the start of the Anthropocene era. In that year, human nuclear weapons testing caused a noticeable spike in radiocarbon in the heartwood of the world's remotest tree, a Sitka spruce on Campbell Island, New Zealand. The general scientific community has already been using 1950 as the year "Before Present", when nuclear weapons began to significantly affect the reliability of radiocarbon dating of objects whose organic matter content formed after that epoch.
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Iranian rescue workers have spotted the bodies of 30 passengers of an Aseman Airliner that crashed with 66 people on board in the country’s mountainous southwest on Sunday. Mountain climbers and rescue workers who had reached the site of the plane crash said on Tuesday that 15 of the bodies were identifiable, Fars news agency reported. According to eyewitnesses, the plane is probably buried under avalanche. Moreover, rescue and search operation at the 4,500 meter altitude is becoming extremely difficult due to the steep slope of the site of the crash as well as the two-meter snow in the area. Meanwhile, more snowfall is expected in the coming hours. At present, seven helicopters as well as nearly 100 rescue workers and mountain climbers, including Himalayan climbers, are continuing the search operation in the area. Debris spotted Earlier in the day, Iranian forces had located the wreckage of the plane. Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif, spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), told the Tasnim news agency that helicopters had spotted the wreckage on Tuesday morning. A satellite image shows what seems to be debris and bodies at the crash site of the ill-fated Iranian airliner. The head of the Isfahan Province medical emergency center said that helicopters could not land at the crash site to transfer the bodies due to adverse weather and topographical conditions. The captain of the helicopter that spotted the wreckage said the plane had crashed 30 meters below a hilltop. The fuselage has been broken into pieces and only a part bearing Aseman Airlines logo is visible, he added. An official of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) had said earlier that 80 search teams were conducting an operation at Mount Dena in the Zagros mountain range after weather conditions improved. Iranian search and rescue workers and a helicopter are seen at Mount Dena in the Zagros mountain range on February 19, 2018 as they search for the wreckage of a missing Aseman Airliner that crashed with 66 people on board in the country's southwest. (Photo by IRNA) Four IRCS helicopters had flown over the region as part of efforts to find the crash site, he added. Iran’s Air Force F-14 fighter jets also flew over Dena Mount while army parachutists and commandos along with mount climbers continued the ground search and rescue operations. The Aseman Airlines ATR-72 plane was flying from the Iranian capital, Tehran, to the southwestern city of Yasuj on Sunday when it disappeared 50 minutes into the flight around the town of Semirom in Isfahan Province. Meanwhile, the Isfahan Province emergency center said that a mobile phone had transmitted signals from a location near Mount Dena where helicopters did not manage to reach the previous day due to bad weather. Iranian search and rescue workers are seen at Mount Dena in the Zagros mountain range on February 19, 2018 as they search for the wreckage of a missing Aseman Airliner that crashed with 66 people on board in the country's southwest. (Photo by IRNA) Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, Iran’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology, also confirmed that the mobile phone of one of the passengers had been on after the crash and was sending signals from an area near the village of Kohangan. An official at Iran Civil Aviation Organization said that the pilot had not declared an emergency situation and that the plane’s Emergency locator transmitter (ELT) had not transmitted signals after the incident. ||||| TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian search and rescue teams on Monday reached the site of a plane crash that authorities say killed all 65 people on board, Iran's Press TV reported. The Aseman Airlines ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, went down on Sunday in foggy weather, crashing into Mount Dena in a remote area of southern Iran. The airliner said all on board Flight EP3704 were killed, including six crew members. The crash of the aircraft, brought back into service only months ago after being grounded for seven years, was yet another fatal aviation disaster for Iran, which for years was barred from buying necessary airplane parts due to Western sanctions over its contested nuclear program. Press TV said search teams reached the crash site before dawn on Monday. The station said the weather had improved, though it was still windy. The semi-official Tasnim news agency cited the military as saying Russia had helped locate the crash site. Russia and Iran are close military allies. The TV broadcast footage of a helicopter joining the search and showed ambulances and rescue vehicles preparing to reach the site on Mount Dena, which is about 4,400 metres (14,400 feet) tall. The site is reportedly at a height of 3,500 metres (11,500 feet). Other Iranian news outlets and officials did not confirm that the crash site had been reached. State radio said five helicopters and five drones are active in the search operation. Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency said that more than 150 climbers have joined the operation. Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi left Tehran on Monday to visit the site of the crash, state TV reported. Footage posted on independent news websites showed him in the cockpit of a plane taking part in the search. State TV quoted him as saying the cause of the crash was still "not clear." Reza Jafarzadeh, a spokesperson for Iran's Civil Aviation Organization, said a seven-member delegation from France is to arrive in Tehran on Monday to investigate the cause of the crash, the official IRNA news agency reported. Jafarzadeh said the delegation includes four officials from French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. High winds have made it difficult to fly helicopters and drones, hampering search efforts. The 2015 nuclear accord with world powers lifted international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear enrichment program, allowing Iran to purchase airplanes and airplane parts. The country has since signed deals to purchase tens of billions of dollars' worth of new aircraft. However, President Donald Trump's refusal to recertify the deal has injected uncertainty into those sales. ||||| Iranian search and rescue teams on Monday reached the site of a plane crash the previous day that authorities say killed all 65 people on board, Iran's Press TV reported. The Aseman Airlines ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, went down on Sunday in foggy weather, crashing into Mount Dena in southern Iran. The airliner said all on board Flight EP3704 were killed, including six crew members. The crash of the aircraft, brought back into service only months ago after being grounded for seven years, was yet another fatal aviation disaster for Iran, which for years was barred from buying necessary airplane parts due to Western sanctions over its contested nuclear program, forcing Iranians to fly in aging aircraft. Press TV said search teams reached the crash site before dawn on Monday. The station said the weather had improved though it was still windy. The TV broadcast footage of a helicopter joining the search and showed ambulances and rescue vehicles preparing to reach the site on Mount Dena, which is about 4,400 meters (14,435 feet) tall. Other Iranian news outlets and officials did not confirm that the crash site had been reached. State radio said five helicopters and five drones are active in the search operation. The site is reportedly at a height of 3,500 meters (11,482 feet). Following the landmark 2015 nuclear accord with world powers that lifted international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear enrichment program, Iran is allowed to purchase airplanes and airplane parts and has made deals worth tens of billions of dollars for new aircraft. However, President Donald Trump's refusal to recertify the deal has injected uncertainty into those sales. The ATR-72 went down near its destination of the southern city of Yasuj, some 780 kilometers (485 miles) south of the capital, Tehran, from where it took off. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the crash, although weather was severe. Dense fog, high winds and heavy snow in the Zagros Mountains made it impossible for rescue crews in helicopters to reach the site in the immediate aftermath, state television reported. Aseman Airlines spokesman Mohammad Taghi Tabatabai told state TV that all on board Flight EP3704 were killed. The plane had 59 passengers and six crew members, the state-run IRNA news agency reported late Sunday, lowering the initially reported death toll of 66. ||||| Iranian search and rescue teams on Monday reached the site of a plane crash that authorities say killed all 65 people on board, Iran's Press TV reported. The Aseman Airlines ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, went down on Sunday in foggy weather, crashing into Mount Dena in a remote area of southern Iran. The airliner said all on board Flight EP3704 were killed, including six crew members. The crash of the aircraft, brought back into service only months ago after being grounded for seven years, was yet another fatal aviation disaster for Iran, which for years was barred from buying necessary airplane parts due to Western sanctions over its contested nuclear program. Press TV said search teams reached the crash site before dawn on Monday. The station said the weather had improved, though it was still windy. The semi-official Tasnim news agency cited the military as saying Russia had helped locate the crash site. Russia and Iran are close military allies. The TV broadcast footage of a helicopter joining the search and showed ambulances and rescue vehicles preparing to reach the site on Mount Dena, which is about 14,400 feet tall. The site is reportedly at a height of 11,500 feet. Other Iranian news outlets and officials did not confirm that the crash site had been reached. State radio said five helicopters and five drones are active in the search operation. Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency said that more than 150 climbers have joined the operation. Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi left Tehran on Monday to visit the site of the crash, state TV reported. Footage posted on independent news websites showed him in the cockpit of a plane taking part in the search. State TV quoted him as saying the cause of the crash was still "not clear." Reza Jafarzadeh, a spokesman for Iran's Civil Aviation Organization, said a seven-member delegation from France is to arrive in Tehran on Monday to investigate the cause of the crash, the official IRNA news agency reported. Jafarzadeh said the delegation includes four officials from French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. High winds have made it difficult to fly helicopters and drones, hampering search efforts. The 2015 nuclear accord with world powers lifted international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear enrichment program, allowing Iran to purchase airplanes and airplane parts. The country has since signed deals to purchase tens of billions of dollars' worth of new aircraft. However, President Donald Trump's refusal to recertify the deal has injected uncertainty into those sales. The ATR-72 went down near its destination, the southern city of Yasuj, some 485 miles south of the capital, where it took off. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the crash, although weather was severe. Dense fog, high winds and heavy snow in the Zagros Mountains made it impossible for rescue crews in helicopters to reach the site in the immediate aftermath, state TV reported. Aseman Airlines spokesman Mohammad Taghi Tabatabai told state TV that all on board Flight EP3704 were killed. The plane had 59 passengers and six crew members, the state-run IRNA news agency reported late Sunday, lowering the initially reported death toll of 66. The United States expressed condolences over the crash in a Farsi-language statement posted on social media Sunday. ||||| TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian search and rescue teams on Monday reached the site of a plane crash the previous day that authorities say killed all 65 people on board, Iran's Press TV reported. The Aseman Airlines ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, went down on Sunday in foggy weather, crashing into Mount Dena in southern Iran. The airliner said all on board Flight EP3704 were killed, including six crew members. The crash of the aircraft, brought back into service only months ago after being grounded for seven years, was yet another fatal aviation disaster for Iran, which for years was barred from buying necessary airplane parts due to Western sanctions over its contested nuclear program, forcing Iranians to fly in aging aircraft. Press TV said search teams reached the crash site before dawn on Monday. The station said the weather had improved though it was still windy. The TV broadcast footage of a helicopter joining the search and showed ambulances and rescue vehicles preparing to reach the site on Mount Dena, which is about 4,400 metres (14,435 feet) tall. Other Iranian news outlets and officials did not confirm that the crash site had been reached. State radio said five helicopters and five drones are active in the search operation. The site is reportedly at a height of 3,500 metres (11,482 feet). Following the landmark 2015 nuclear accord with world powers that lifted international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear enrichment program, Iran is allowed to purchase airplanes and airplane parts and has made deals worth tens of billions of dollars for new aircraft. However, President Donald Trump's refusal to recertify the deal has injected uncertainty into those sales. ||||| TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian search and rescue teams on Monday reached the site of a plane crash the previous day that authorities say killed all 65 people on board, Iran’s Press TV reported. The Aseman Airlines ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, went down on Sunday in foggy weather, crashing into Mount Dena in southern Iran. The airliner said all on board Flight EP3704 were killed, including six crew members. The crash of the aircraft, brought back into service only months ago after being grounded for seven years, was yet another fatal aviation disaster for Iran, which for years was barred from buying necessary airplane parts due to Western sanctions over its contested nuclear program, forcing Iranians to fly in aging aircraft. Press TV said search teams reached the crash site before dawn on Monday. The station said the weather had improved though it was still windy. The TV broadcast footage of a helicopter joining the search and showed ambulances and rescue vehicles preparing to reach the site on Mount Dena, which is about 4,400 meters (14,435 feet) tall. Other Iranian news outlets and officials did not confirm that the crash site had been reached. State radio said five helicopters and five drones are active in the search operation. The site is reportedly at a height of 3,500 meters (11,482 feet). Following the landmark 2015 nuclear accord with world powers that lifted international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear enrichment program, Iran is allowed to purchase airplanes and airplane parts and has made deals worth tens of billions of dollars for new aircraft. However, President Donald Trump’s refusal to recertify the deal has injected uncertainty into those sales. The ATR-72 went down near its destination of the southern city of Yasuj, some 780 kilometers (485 miles) south of the capital, Tehran, from where it took off. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the crash, although weather was severe. Dense fog, high winds and heavy snow in the Zagros Mountains made it impossible for rescue crews in helicopters to reach the site in the immediate aftermath, state television reported. Aseman Airlines spokesman Mohammad Taghi Tabatabai told state TV that all on board Flight EP3704 were killed. The plane had 59 passengers and six crew members, the state-run IRNA news agency reported late Sunday, lowering the initially reported death toll of 66. The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our Comment Policy before commenting. ||||| Iranian search and rescue teams have reached the site of a plane crash which authorities say killed all 65 people on board, according to reports. The Aseman Airlines ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, went down on Sunday in foggy weather, crashing into Mount Dena in a remote area of southern Iran. The airliner said all on board Flight EP3704 were killed, including six crew members. A rescue helicopter flies over the Dena mountains while searching for wreckage of a plane that crashed on Sunday, in southern Iran. Pic: Ali Khodaei/Tasnim News Agency via AP The crash of the aircraft, brought back into service only months ago after being grounded for seven years, was yet another fatal aviation disaster for Iran, which for years was barred from buying necessary aeroplane parts due to Western sanctions over its contested nuclear programme. Press TV said search teams reached the crash site before dawn on Monday. The station said the weather had improved, though it is still windy. The TV broadcast footage of a helicopter joining the search and showed ambulances and rescue vehicles preparing to reach the site on Mount Dena, which is about 14,400ft high. The crash site is reportedly at a height of 11,500ft. Other Iranian news outlets and officials did not confirm that the crash site had been reached. State radio said five helicopters and five drones are active in the search operation. Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency said that more than 150 climbers have joined the operation. Transport minister Abbas Akhoundi left Tehran on Monday to visit the site of the crash, state TV reported. Footage posted on independent news websites showed him in the cockpit of a plane taking part in the search. State TV quoted him as saying the cause of the crash was still "not clear". High winds have made it difficult to fly helicopters and drones, hampering search efforts. The 2015 nuclear accord with world powers lifted international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear enrichment scheme, allowing Iran to purchase planes and parts. The country has since signed deals to purchase tens of billions of dollars' worth of new aircraft. However, US president Donald Trump's refusal to re-certify the deal has injected uncertainty into those sales. The ATR-72 went down near its destination, the southern city of Yasuj, some 485 miles south of the capital, where it took off. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, although weather was severe. Dense fog, high winds and heavy snow in the Zagros Mountains made it impossible for rescue crews in helicopters to reach the site in the immediate aftermath, state TV reported. Aseman Airlines spokesman Mohammad Taghi Tabatabai told state TV that all on board Flight EP3704 were killed. The plane had 59 passengers and six crew members, the state-run IRNA news agency reported, lowering the initially-reported death toll of 66. The United States expressed condolences over the crash in a Farsi-language statement posted on social media. ||||| Iranian search and rescue teams on Monday reached the site of a plane crash that authorities say killed all 65 people on board, Iran’s Press TV reported. The Aseman Airlines ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, went down Sunday in foggy weather, crashing into Mount Dena in a remote area of southern Iran. The airliner said all on board Flight EP3704 were killed, including six crew members. The crash of the aircraft, brought back into service only months ago after being grounded for seven years, was yet another fatal aviation disaster for Iran, which for years was barred from buying necessary airplane parts due to Western sanctions over its contested nuclear program. ||||| In this photo provided by Tasnim News Agency, family members of plane crash victims weep in the village of Bideh, an area near where the plane crashed, southern Iran, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018. (AP) TEHRAN: Iran's Press TV is reporting that search and rescue teams have reached the site of the plane crash that authorities say killed all 65 people on board. The Aseman Airlines ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, went down on Sunday in foggy weather, crashing into Mount Dena in southern Iran. The TV says search teams reached the crash site before dawn on Monday. The station said the weather had improved and broadcast footage of a helicopter joining the search. Aseman Airlines said all on board Flight EP3704 were killed, including six crew members. The crash was yet another fatal aviation disaster for Iran, which for years was barred from buying necessary airplane parts due to Western sanctions over its contested nuclear program. ||||| TEHRAN, IRAN—Iranian search and rescue teams on Monday reached the site of a plane crash that authorities say killed all 65 people on board, Iran’s Press TV reported. The Aseman Airlines ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, went down on Sunday in foggy weather, crashing into Mount Dena in a remote area of southern Iran. The airliner said all on board Flight EP3704 were killed, including six crew members. The crash of the aircraft, brought back into service only months ago after being grounded for seven years, was yet another fatal aviation disaster for Iran, which for years was barred from buying necessary airplane parts due to Western sanctions over its contested nuclear program. Read more: Iran plane crash kills all 65 people on board Press TV said search teams reached the crash site before dawn on Monday. The station said the weather had improved, though it was still windy.
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Iranian forces have spotted the wreckage of the missing Aseman Airliner 30 meters below a hilltop on mount Dena. Helicopters could not land yet at the crash site due to weather and topographical conditions. 65 people are feared dead.
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Three bombs exploded Saturday morning in Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine state, authorities said. One of the explosions injured a police officer, but no other casualties have been reported. Authorities are working to determine who was behind the bombings, police said. Three unexploded devices targeting government offices and other places were seized at other locations in Sittwe. The blasts come three days after a bomb explosion killed two bank employees and injured about two dozen people in the northeastern city of Lashio, where several ethnic insurgent groups are fighting the Myanmar military. Last month, at least seven Rakhine Buddhists were killed and a dozen injured when local police fired at protesters in the ancient city of Mrauk-U. A massive military intervention in Myanmar's violence-torn Rakhine state against Rohingya Muslim insurgents since August of last year forced about 700,000 Rohingya to seek refuge in neighboring Bangladesh. Myanmar has said that government forces have undertaken a legitimate campaign against what it calls Muslim "terrorists." The United States and the United Nations have called the military crackdown on the Rohingya “ethnic cleansing,” but the government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has blocked U.N. investigators and other independent monitors from entering the conflict zone. ||||| Image copyright EPA Image caption It was not immediately clear who was behind the blasts Three bombs have exploded in Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar's restive Rakhine province, police say. A police officer was slightly injured in the blasts. It was unclear who was behind them, police said. One of the bombs went off near the home of a local official. The others went off near a court and a record office. More than half a million mainly Muslim Rohingya from Rakhine fled the destruction of their homes last year in what the UN called ethnic cleansing. Villages where Rohingya had lived were burned and several thousand people were killed in retaliation after Rohingya militants staged a series of attacks on police outposts. The military in Myanmar (Burma) says it is fighting militants and denies targeting civilians. There has also been tension between the authorities and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists after seven people were killed last month when police opened fire on a crowd trying to seize a local government office. An ethnic Rakhine rebel group in the state vowed retaliation for the deaths of the protesters, AFP news agency reports. Police spokesman Colonel Myo Thu Soe told Reuters news agency three other unexploded hand-made bombs had been found in the city. Sittwe is about 100km (60 miles) south of where most of the violence against Rohingya has taken place. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Who is burning down Rohingya villages? Most of Sittwe's Rohingya population left their homes after religious violence in 2012. More than 100,000 people are still living in internment camps outside the city. Separately, satellite images suggest entire Rohingya villages, many already damaged by fire, have been completely bulldozed, campaign group Human Rights Group says. It said the apparent destruction of homes erases evidence for legal claims from the exiled Rohingya. ||||| YANGON: Three bombs rocked the capital of Myanmar's restive Rakhine State, Sittwe, early on Saturday, police said, adding that a policeman was slightly injured and the authorities were still working to determine who was behind the bombings. The blasts come only three days after a large bomb killed two bank employees and injured nearly two dozen other people in the northeastern city of Lashio, where several ethnic insurgent groups are fighting the Myanmar military. Sittwe is the capital of Myanmar's violence-torn Rakhine where Rohingya Muslim insurgent attacks last year sparked a massive military response that pushed 688,000 Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh. Many of them recounted killings, rape and arson by Myanmar soldiers and police. One of the Sittwe bombs - which went off around 4:30 a.m. - exploded in the backyard of an outspoken state government secretary, Tin Maung Swe, police said. He is one of the highest-ranking officials in the local administration. The other two bombs exploded near the high court and a land record office. "There are suspects, but now is not the time to talk. Police are trying to make sure about the suspects by analysing the structure of the bombs," police spokesman Colonel Myo Thu Soe, told Reuters by phone. Myo Thu Soe also said three other unexploded hand-made bombs were found in the city. The United Nations and the United States have called the crackdown on the Rohingya ethnic cleansing, but the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has blocked U.N. investigators and other independent monitors from the conflict zone. Myanmar says its forces have been engaged in a legitimate campaign against Muslim "terrorists". No one has claimed responsibility for the Saturday blasts. The twitter account of the Rohingya insurgents, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, did not post anything new as of Saturday mid-morning. Rakhine is also home to the Arakan Army, a Rakhine insurgent group. Tensions have increased in Rakhine since mid-January, when Myanmar police shot dead seven demonstrators, while 12 people were injured in Mrauk U township in the northern part of the state, after a local gathering celebrating an ancient Buddhist Arakan kingdom turned violent. Rakhine police chief Colonel Aung Myat Moe told Reuters that security was being tightened in the city and police were inspecting exit roads out of Sittwe. ||||| BANGKOK—A series of bombs targeting government offices and other places in Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine state exploded Saturday morning, injuring a police officer, authorities said. In all, three bombs exploded and three unexploded devices were seized in Sittwe, the state capital. One of the explosions was in front of a high-ranking government official’s residence, state police officer Aung Myat Moe said. ||||| Three bombs exploded at different locations in Myanmar’s Rakhine state early on Saturday, AFP reported. The explosions took place in Rakhine’s capital of Sittwe, including one at the home of a high-level official, the Myanmar Police said. “Three bombs exploded and three other unexploded bombs were found. A police officer was injured but not seriously,” an unidentified police officer said. He said the blasts occured at 4 am local time (3 am Indian Standard Time). One of the bombs exploded in the compound of the state government secretary’s residence. Another went off near an office in the city and a third on a road leading to a beach. “Some streets are being blocked by police already because of the bomb blasts,” Sittwe resident Zaw Zaw told AFP. ||||| Three bombs exploded in different locations in Rakhine's state capital Sittwe early Saturday morning, including at the home of a high ranking official, Myanmar police told AFP. "Three bombs exploded and three other unexploded bombs were found. A police was injured but not seriously," a senior officer said on the condition of anonymity, adding that there were no deaths. The blasts occurred around 4am (2130 GMT Friday) in the compound of the state government secretary's home, at an office and on a road leading towards the beach, the officer said. ||||| 'Three bombs exploded and 3 other unexploded bombs were found. A police officer was injured but not seriously,' a senior officer says on condition of anonymity YANGON, Myanmar – Three bombs exploded in different locations around Rakhine's state capital Sittwe early February 23, Saturday morning, including the home of a high ranking official, Myanmar police told Agence France-Presse, adding that no deaths were reported. "Three bombs exploded and three other unexploded bombs were found. A police officer was injured but not seriously," a senior officer said on condition of anonymity. The blasts took place around 4:00am (2130 GMT Friday), the officer said. One exploded in the compound of the state government secretary's home, while the two others hit in front of an office in the city and on a road leading to a beach. A local official from the state government also confirmed the explosions. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear. "Some streets are being blocked by police already because of the bomb blasts," Zaw Zaw, a local resident of Sittwe, told AFP by phone. Although bombings in the state capital are rare, restive Rakhine state has been roiled by bouts of of communal violence and insurgencies in other parts of the state. Last August, its northern wedge was plunged into crisis after a sweeping military crackdown on Rohingya rebels sparked a mass exodus of the Muslim minority across the border to Bangladesh. In January, seven people were killed and a dozen injured when police opened fire on a crowd of ethnic Rakhine Buddhists who were trying to seize a government office in the town of Mrauk U. The violence prompted an ethnic Rakhine rebel group in the state to promise "serious" retaliation for the deaths of the protesters. – Rappler.com ||||| In this image made from video, police and officials inspect the site of a bomb explosion early Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018, in Sittwe, capital of Rakhine State, Myanmar. Police say one of several bombs targeting government offices and other places in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state exploded, injuring a police officer. (AP Photo) BANGKOK (AP) — One of several bombs targeting government offices and other places in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state exploded Saturday morning, injuring a police officer, authorities said. In all, three bombs exploded and three unexploded devices were seized in Sittwe, the state capital. One of the explosions was in front of a high-ranking government official's residence, state police officer Aung Myat Moe said. "There were three bomb explosions around 4 a.m. this morning where one policeman was slightly injured and we are still investigating crime scenes," he said Last month, local police fired at protesters in the ancient city of Mrauk-U, killing at least seven Rakhine Buddhists and injuring a dozen. A township administrator was later found slain in his car by the side of the road. Communal violence in Sittwe in 2012 displaced more than 120,000 Rohingya Muslims now confined to camps outside of the city, where most Rakhine Buddhists remain. About 700,000 Rohingya have fled northern Rakhine towns and villages since last August to escape a military crackdown. ||||| Three bombs exploded in different locations around Rakhine’s state capital Sittwe early Saturday morning, including the home of a high ranking official, Myanmar police told AFP, adding that no deaths were reported. “Three bombs exploded and three other unexploded bombs were found. A police officer was injured but not seriously,” a senior officer said on condition of anonymity. The blasts took place around 4:00am (2130 GMT Friday), the officer said. One exploded in the compound of the state government secretary’s home, while the two others hit in front of an office in the city and on a road leading to a beach. A local official from the state government also confirmed the explosions. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear. Although bombings in the state capital are rare, restive Rakhine state has been roiled by bouts of communal violence and insurgencies in other parts of the state.—AFP ||||| Three bombs exploded in different locations around Rakhine's state capital Sittwe early Saturday morning, including at the home of a high ranking official, Myanmar police told AFP, adding that no deaths were reported. It is the latest violence to hit Rakhine, which is festering with ethnic tensions and has been roiled by communal violence in the north against the Rohingya and insurgencies in other parts of the state. Bombings in the state capital are rare however. "Three bombs exploded and three other unexploded bombs were found. A police officer was injured but not seriously," a senior officer told AFP on condition of anonymity. The blasts took place around 4:00am (2130 GMT Friday), the officer said. One exploded in the compound of the state government secretary's home, while the two others hit in front of an office in the city and on a road leading to a beach. A local official from the state government also confirmed the explosions. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear. "Some streets are being blocked by police already because of the bomb blasts," Zaw Zaw, a local resident of Sittwe, told AFP by phone. In recent months unrest in Rakhine has been concentrated in the state's northern wedge, where a sweeping military crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim community last August pushed nearly 700,000 refugees across the border to Bangladesh. The state capital Sittwe lies around 100 km south of the epicentre of that conflict. The explosions come almost exactly six months to the day since northern Rakhine was plunged into crisis on August 25 when Rohingya rebels raided police posts, killing at least a dozen officials. Myanmar's military responded with a ruthless campaign that the UN says amounts to ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population, who are now overwhelmingly based in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Myanmar authorities deny committing any atrocities but have blocked UN investigators from investigating the conflict zone, where thousands of Rohingya are believed to have been killed. Sittwe was once home to a sizeable Rohingya population but most were forced to abandon their homes by deadly communal violence in 2012. Today a small community of Rohingya are confined to a Muslim enclave in the city while more than 100,000 others are still living in squalid displacement camps outside the capital. In a separate conflict in Rakhine state last month, seven people were killed and a dozen injured when police opened fire on a crowd of ethnic Rakhine Buddhists who were trying to seize a government office in the town of Mrauk U. The violence prompted an ethnic Rakhine rebel group in the state to promise "serious" retaliation for the deaths of the protesters. Around two weeks later the town's administrator was found murdered on the side of the road.
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Three bombs explode in Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar's Rakhine State, slightly injuring a police officer. Three other unexploded bombs are defused around the city. It is unclear who was behind the bombs, but most of them were placed next to government-related buildings.
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ROME—Italy entered a period of political instability on Monday after national elections boosted populists but failed to produce a winner with enough support to patch together a parliamentary majority. Sunday’s two big winners—the 5 Star Movement and a center-right coalition including former Premier Silvio Berlusconi and the anti-immigrant League—each claimed Monday to have won enough support to earn the right to try to form a government. But with neither group having won an outright majority, Italy is likely to face weeks... ||||| Italy’s 18th general election since 1948 takes place on Sunday March 4, less than three months after President Sergio Matarella dissolved Parliament on December 28. Today, Italians will head to the polls to cast their ballots for the 945 member Parliament, between 7am and 11pm local time (6am and 10pm GMT). The people will simultaneously cast their votes for the 630 member lower chamber, known as the Camera dei Deuptati, and the 315 member Senate, known as the Camera del Senato. The first exit polls should be published immediately after polls close at 11pm local time but votes are not expected to be fully counted until around 2pm on Monday local time (1pm GMT). Approxmately 50.7 million Italians are eligible to vote in today’s election. Here is the latest on the Italian Election 2018 as polls open. All times in GMT. 10.47am update: Millions of Italians will turn out to vote today Some 50.7 million Italians are eligible to vote and polling booths will remain open until 11 pm (10pm GMT). Local media will publish exit polls immediately afterwards, but it might take many hours before the full result emerges. Opinion polls were banned in the last two weeks of the campaign but surveys suggest Berlusconi’s alliance was in front but would not win a majority. Pollsters say the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement should emerge as the largest single party, while the ruling centre-left Democratic Party (PD) is seen coming third. Official results are expected early on Monday, although the final result might not be clear until late on Monday. More than 200 polling stations are still closed two hours after the official opening of the vote. Polling stations in the southern Italian city Palermo, Sicily had to ask citizens to return later today to cast their ballots as they were delivered the wrong voting papers. It is understood more than 200,000 voting papers had to be reprinted and delivered to the polling stations involved. The ballot papers were not displaying the name of President of the Senate Pietro Grasso, leader of left-wing coalition Liberi E Uguali. Mr Grasso took to Twitter to voice his disappointment. He wrote: “In the most important day for a democracy these delays and mistakes are unacceptable. READ MORE: More than 200 polling stations CLOSED over wrong voting papers 10am update: Matteo Renzi casts his vote in the Italian election Renzi has voted in his polling station in Florence around 9.20am Italian time, the polling station was full with photographers and journalists so he said to the officials of the polling station "sorry for the annoyance". The current President of Italy has voted in Palermo and Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni has also cast his vote in Rome. The vote could bring political gridlock to Italy as no bloc is predicted to win enough votes to form a majority in government. Since the fall of fascism, all electoral laws have been re-written, so no single party can run by itself, instead seats are distributed in a proportional way. Even big parties need alliances to be able to have a majority and form a government, parties start their campaign from the beginning who they will ally with and form coalition lists with them. The centre-right bloc is formed of Forza Italia, Lega and Brothers of Italy and the centre-left bloc is made up of Democratic Party (Partito Democratic PD) and Insieme, Civica Popolare and +Europa. According to Paolo Cossarini, teaching fellow in Politics and International Relations at Loughborough University, he has predicted the vote percentage of the main blocs as follows:
• Party not in pre-electoral alliance - Five Star Movement: 25-28% 8.48am update: Berlusconi’s centre-right bloc likely to win most seats Pollsters have predicted that former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and his far-right allies will emerge as the largest bloc in parliament, but fall short of a parliamentary majority. The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement looks set the be the biggest single party, establishing itself as a populist party, with the young at its heart. There was momentum for 5-Star in the final days of the campaign, but it is hard to see any party or coalition getting the 40 percent needed to form a government," said Lorenzo Pregliasco, co-founder of YouTrend pollsters. Polling stations close at 11.00 p.m. (2200 GMT), with exit polls due immediately afterwards. The vote is being held under a complex new electoral law which means the final result might not be clear until late Monday. 8.26am update: When do the polls close tonight? The polls will be open from 7am until 11pm today (6am untl 10pm GMT). Italians will vote across the country in the unpredictable contest which has largely been dominated by immigration. The first exit polls should be published immediately after the the polls close and the votes are expected to be counted around 2pm local time on Monday (3pm GMT). All 945 members of the parliament will be elected for the 18th legislature since 1948 - Camera dei Deputati (Chamber of Deputies/lower chamber) and 315 of the Camera del Senato (the Senate/upper house). 6am update: With the polls now open, here is what could happen in the election today What are the latest Italian Election 2018 polls? Under Italian law, publishing opinion polls in the the penultimate two weeks of the electoral campaign is outlawed, but the last batch of polls paints a pretty clear picture of how the vote will go down. Since the start of polling back in January 2018, the M5S has been a clear favourite to be the single biggest party in Parliament, followed by the PD. A February 15 poll by Demopolis indicates a 28 percent vote for the M5S, a 22.5 percent vote for PD and 16.5 for Berlusconi’s FI. Despite bad reviews in Rome, Five Star Movement is the number one single party in the polls, projected to win more than 27 percent of votes. The incumbent ruling party, the Democratic Party, is behind, projected to win less than 23 percent. But Berlusconi is expected to lead the way to victory with his centre-right coalition of three parties — former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia, the populist La Lega and Brothers of Italy, with neo-fascist roots — polling at 37 percent. However, a 2013 conviction for tax fraud means Berlusconi cannot himself hold public office and so he has put forward Antonio Tajani, the president of the European Parliament, as his pick for prime minister. Berlusconi was forced to quit as Italian prime minister in 2011 amidst a sovereign debt crisis and was widely discredited after sex scandals, legal trouble and ill health. ||||| ROME -- The Latest on Italy's national election on Sunday (all times local): Analysts say early projections from Italy's election indicate that a hung parliament is the most likely outcome and that the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement's strong showing may send a negative signal to financial markets. Wolfango Piccoli of the Teneo consultancy noted early Monday that building a majority in the Italian Parliament "will be hard if not impossible," and that tough negotiations were expected. The early projections had the 5-Star Movement as the strongest single party but a centre-right coalition comprising three parties was leading overall. Neither had enough of a lead to govern alone. Economic analyst Lorenzo Codogno, a former Treasury official, said the 5-Star's showing was better than expected and that "financial markets are likely to take these figures negatively." He warned that talks on forming a government would be "long and complex." A top leader of Italy's 5-Star Movement says if exit poll data prove accurate, it's an election "triumph" for the populist force. Alessandro Di Battista, addressing 5-Star supporters early Monday, exulted over indications the anti-establishment movement was the leading party in Italy's election for Parliament. But the 30 per cent support indicated by a RAI state TV exit poll is far short of the absolute majority needed to form Italy's next government. The 5-Star Movement has officially vowed not to join any post-election coalitions. But Di Battista welcomed other parties to come talk as long as they use 5-Star "methods" of "transparency" and "correctness" in political conduct. One possible partner is the anti-migrant League led by Matteo Salvini. He is dueling with ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi for leadership of the centre-right bloc that early projections had as the largest bloc in the new Parliament. Projections from Italy's election indicate that the populist 5-Star Movement was the top party but hasn't received the majority it would need to govern alone. RAI State TV's first projections with 7 per cent of the vote counted early Monday showed the 5-Star Movement with 31.8 per cent of the vote. The projection did not look at how coalitions fared in Sunday's election. The anti-immigrant, euroskeptic League had 15.9 per cent of the vote and its coalition partner, former Premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia, came in at 14.2 per cent. The Democratic Party, which is leading the current government, had just 19.6 per cent. An RAI exit poll gave the centre-right coalition of which the League and Forza Italia are part a slight edge over the 5-Star Movement. Italy's Interior Ministry says the turnout for the national election was 71.48 per cent, a drop from the 75 per cent of eligible voters who participated in the 2013 election. Sunday's election was held to seat Italy's next parliament and to choose the parties that will form the next government. Before Election Day, analysts had expressed fears of voters being increasingly disillusioned with the political system. An exit poll by Italy's RAI state TV shows a centre-right coalition has a slight edge over the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement in the Italian election. The exit poll by the Piepoli polling agency on Sunday had the three-party coalition with 33 per cent to 36 per cent of the vote, compared with the 5-Star Movement's 29.5 per cent to 32.5 per cent. Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party and Matteo Salvini's anti-immigrant League are the two biggest partners in the coalition. The exit poll's margin of error of 3 per cent puts the two political forces neck-and-neck. The centre-left coalition led by the Democratic Party, currently heading the government, was lagging at 24.5 per cent to 27.5 per cent. An exit poll by Italy's RAI state TV shows the populist 5-Star Movement leading the Italian election but not with a strong enough lead to govern alone. The exit poll by the Piepoli polling agency had the 5-Star Movement with between 29.5 per cent and 32.5 per cent of Sunday's vote. The Democratic Party was the next largest party, with between 20 per cent and 23 per cent of the vote, according to the poll. Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia and the anti-immigrant League each were polling at between 12.5 per cent and 15.5 per cent. They were running as part of a three party centre-right coalition. The exit poll has a margin of error of 3 per cent. Italian authorities are urging voters to leave plenty of time to cast their ballots since the process is taking longer than usual due to new anti-fraud measures. Voters have complained of long lines -- some of more than an hour -- at polling stations around the country. Rome's city hall urged voters to head out as soon as possible, or at least an hour before polls close at 11 p.m. (2200 GMT) Sunday. City authorities said the delays were due "in great part" to new anti-fraud measures. Under the new system, each ballot has a serial number that is entered in the registration books alongside the name of the voter who receives the ballot. After the voter fills out the ballot and seals it, the detachable coupon with the serial number on it is removed and presented to the head of the polling station to make sure it matches the number in the registry. The polling station chief then deposits the ballot in the box without any identifying information. A topless Femen activist has disrupted polling in Italy's national election while ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi was casting his ballot. The woman, who had the words "Berlusconi, you've expired" written in black marker on her topless torso, jumped onto the table at the Milan polling station as Berlusconi was voting. Photographers in the room to shoot the scene jostled for position amid the chaos. Berlusconi was escorted out. News reports recalled that Femen activists disrupted Berlusconi's vote in 2013 as well. Italy's interior ministry says the turnout for Italy's general election at noon (1100GMT) stands at 19.3 per cent, five hours after polls opened. Long lines awaited voters in Rome, Milan and other cities, and some voters expressed confusion at the ballots. It was not possible to compare Sunday's turnout to Italy's last general election because the 2013 vote took place over two days. Some ballot glitches were reported in Palermo, Mantova and in two small towns of Alessandria, where the wrong ballots were delivered. The ANSA news agency said the vote in those towns was suspended when election officials discovered the error after some 40 ballots were cast. Some Palermo polling stations opened late because of the ballot glitch. Steve Bannon, the nationalist architect of Donald Trump's White House campaign, says Italy's election is "crucial" for the global populist movement and that if populists don't win now they will in the future. In an interview published in Sunday's Corriere della Sera, Bannon says he came to Rome to "observe" the election. He says he's particularly keen to see how the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and anti-immigrant, nationalist League party fare. He said: "I think if they create a coalition among all the populists it would be fantastic, it would terrify Brussels and pierce it in its heart." Bannon, who crafted Trump's anti-Muslim ban and backs a U.S. border wall with Mexico, said Italians have had enough of Europe's migrant crisis. Describing himself as a "proud Catholic," he said Pope Francis had nevertheless "exacerbated the migrant crisis" with his call for Europe to open its arms to refugees. He said: "The pope is infallible in doctrine, but not in church policy in the world." The outgoing president of Italy's Senate is voicing concern that some polling stations in Palermo were still closed hours into election day due to delays in getting proper ballots delivered. In a tweet Sunday, Pietro Grasso said such delays and errors were "unacceptable." Grasso, who broke away from the Democratic Party to start his own leftist party, said he hoped the problem wouldn't discourage people from voting. Overnight, Palermo authorities had to reprint about 200,000 ballots because the wrong ones were delivered. That delayed the opening of some stations. In Rome, meanwhile, voters complained that the ballots were too complicated to understand. Sister Vincenza, voting at a polling station on Rome's Aventine hill, said the process was "all mixed up." She said: "You feel as if you have gone there prepared but it is not that clear. Anyway, I have to go to Mass." -- This item was corrected to show that Grasso's party is left-wing, not centre-left. The first glitches in Italy's closely watched elections have started to be reported. In Palermo, 200,000 ballots had to be reprinted overnight because the wrong ones were delivered. In Mantova, where voters are also voting for the leadership of the Lombardy region, the logo of the Democratic Party regional candidate was printed erroneously. The ANSA news agency said there would likely be court challenges to the outcome as a result. More than 46 million Italians were voting Sunday in a general election that is being closely watched to determine if Italy would succumb to the populist, anti-establishment and far-right sentiment that has swept through much of Europe in recent years. Polls have opened in Italy in in one of the most uncertain elections in years. Sunday's vote is one being watched to see if Italy will succumb to the populist, euroskeptic and far-right sentiment that has swept through Europe in recent years. The campaign was marked by the prime-time airing of neofascist rhetoric and anti-migrant violence that culminated in a shooting spree last month against six Africans. While the centre-right coalition that capitalized on the anti-migrant sentiment led the polls, analysts predict the likeliest outcome is a hung parliament. More than 46 million Italians were eligible to vote from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. (0600-2200GMT), including Italians abroad who already mailed in ballots. Exit polls were expected after polls closed, projections sometime thereafter and consolidated results Monday. ||||| A surge for populist and far-right parties in Italy's election could result in a hung parliament with a right-wing alliance likely to win the most votes but no majority after a campaign dominated by anger against immigration. The projections based on early results on Monday also showed the far-right League party ahead of media mogul Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (Go Italy) party within the right-wing coalition in Sunday's vote. That raises the prospect of League leader Matteo Salvini, who has promised to shut down Roma camps, deport hundreds of thousands of migrants and tackle the "danger" of Islam, becoming Italy's next prime minister. The eurosceptic, anti-establishment Five Star Movement, which has drawn support from Italians fed up with traditional parties and a lack of economic opportunity, was predicted to come second to the coalition. The boost for far-right and populist parties has drawn comparisons to Britain's vote to leave the European Union and the rise of US President Donald Trump. "The European Union is going to have a bad night," Marine Le Pen, leader of France's National Front, tweeted. Brexit firebrand Nigel Farage congratulated the Five Star Movement, his allies in the European Parliament, "for topping the poll" as Italy's biggest single party. Resentment at the hundreds of thousands of migrant arrivals in Italy in recent years fired up the campaign, along with frustration about social inequalities. "These are historic results," Giancarlo Giorgetti, deputy head of the League, told reporters in Milan. Alessandro Di Battista of the Five Star Movement, said: "Everyone is going to have to come and speak to us". The ruling centre-left Democratic Party, which has struggled to get across its pro-European message of gradual economic recovery, was left trailing. "This is a very clear defeat for us," Michele Martina, a minister in the outgoing government, told reporters. Andrea Marcucci, one of the party's lawmakers, said: "The populists have won and the Democratic Party has lost". The projections by public broadcaster Rai showed the right-wing alliance winning 35.5 percent of the vote, including 15.8 percent for the League and 14.5 percent for Forza Italia, with the Five Star Movement at 32.5 percent and the centre-left at 23.1 percent. If no party or coalition wins an overall majority, the projected results leave Italy with few options. One is a an "anti-system" post-election pact between the Five Star Movement and the League -- a prospect that has spooked foreign investors and European capitals. The other would be a minority Five Star government, which could prove highly unstable. A third option would be a temporary government and new elections. Maurizio Molinari, editor of La Stampa daily, said the victory of "anti-system forces" was a first for Europe. In L'Espresso weekly's online edition Marco Damilano wrote: "On the night of March 4, the winners are (Five Star Movement leader Luigi) Di Maio and Salvini". "And there are two catastrophic losers: Berlusconi, the old man on his last lap, and his young heir (Democratic Party leader) Matteo Renzi." Il Fatto Quotidiano ran a front-page headline saying simply: "Everything will change". Berlusconi, a flamboyant three-time former prime minister, cannot hold elected office because of a fraud conviction but has put forward European Parliament President Antonio Tajani as his prime ministerial nominee. The billionaire, who won his first election in 1994, has returned to the limelight at the age of 81 despite a career overshadowed by sex scandals and legal woes. He was ambushed as he cast his vote in Milan by a topless woman from the Femen activist group who had "Berlusconi, you have expired" scrawled across her torso. The campaign was a gloomy one marred by clashes between far-right and anti-fascist activists, as well as a racist shooting spree by an extreme right sympathiser last month. Former White House adviser Steve Bannon -- the man who helped Trump ride a populist wave to power -- characterised the election as "pure populism". "The Italian people have gone farther, in a shorter period of time, than the British did for Brexit and the Americans did for Trump," Bannon, who was visiting Italy for the election, told the New York Times. Bannon called a possible post-election deal between the Five Star Movement and the League "the ultimate dream". In the event of a stalemate, President Sergio Mattarella will have the key role of choosing a prime ministerial nominee who could command a majority in parliament but negotiations could take weeks or even months. "The verdict in Italy is always the same: the country is in constant instability. Being ungovernable has become endemic," said Claudio Tito, columnist for La Repubblica. ||||| Italy’s hung parliament and the prospect of a government in Rome led by one of two populist parties has sent ripples of concern through European capitals. The election, which saw the dramatic strengthening of Eurosceptic, anti-immigrant forces, and deepened Italy’s north-south divisions, seemed to confirm the irresistible rise of right-wing populism across Europe in the wake of the economic crisis. The maverick Eurosceptic Five Star Movement won most support, securing 32 per cent of the vote, while the anti-immigrant Lega also emerged as a major force. Their leaders – Five Star’s Luigi Di Maio (31) and Lega’s Matteo Salvini (44) – were both staking claims to lead the country last night. Once again, a European election has delivered an inconclusive result. This time, however, the parties struggling to form a government are not the establishment but the rebels. Unlike in Germany or the Netherlands, there is little chance that the mainstream parties will be able to put together a ruling coalition to keep populist forces out of government. The election will almost certainly bring into the European Council a leader who sympathises with increasingly authoritarian Poland and Hungary and shift the political balance against further EU integration. Government formation is likely to take several months. ||||| The Five Star Movement (M5S) was started by Giuseppe Peiro Grillo, also known as ‘Beppe’, a popular comedian and Gianroberto Casaleggio, a web entrepreneur, in 2009. They created the very popular blog and social networking site Meetup.com. The aim was to bring together supporters and activists, campaign on local issues and field candidates for elections. The movement was created as a new form of direct democracy and a reaction against Italy’s corrupt politics. Federico Faloppa, Director of Italian Studies at University of Reading, said: “The M5S is variously considered populist, anti-establishment, environmentalist, anti-globalist, Eurosceptic, and anti-vaccines, and it escapes the traditional left vs right paradigm.” In 2009, the ‘National Five Star Movement’ was launched and the party ran in the regional elections in 2010 and 2011, where they obtained notable results. Since then they have constantly and rapidly grown and in the 2013 general election, they were the second most voted for party and were the most voted for party for the Chamber of Deputies - they took 25 percent of the vote. However as the party refused to form a coalition, M5S obtained just 109 deputies out of 630 and the centre-right coalition gained more seats in parliament. In European Parliament, the M5S is part of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group along with UKIP, however in 2017 Grillo proposed to join the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, but the party was refused. M5S has been openly against the EU, but has now become more Eurosceptic. Leader Luigi Di Maio, said M5S does not want to quit the European Union but wants to change the rules. M5S had initially signalled a possible exit from the single currency but as the election loomed Di Maio ditched the threat to leave the Euro. The party leader told Italian television: “I believe it is no longer the right moment for Italy to leave the Euro.” Dr Faloppa said: “From the beginning, they have been vocally Eurosceptical and against the Euro, by proposing a referendum to leave the currency, but in the last few months - especially to reassure European partners and investors, in case the Movement wins the election - Luigi DI Maio has dropped the anti-Euro rhetoric, and softened the party's position towards the EU.” Paolo Cossarini, teaching fellow in Politics and International Relations at Loughborough University said in preparation for the 2018 general election, M5S have instead focused more on corruption, local government and internal affairs in Italy. Earlier this year, co-founder Grillo stepped aside from the party ahead of the Italian election. Some have speculated the move was to bolster the party’s chance of winning before the general election. He had been distancing himself from the party for quite some time and had avoided appearances at the party’s events and in September Di Maio was elected as leader. Dr Cossarini said: “Grillo started to be criticised over the last year. He thought it would be better to step aside, not to be the spokesperson or the leader. “It would be better to leave it to Di Maio and the new generation to bring fresh air into Italian politics, and also because he felt they were losing the connection to the young people in Italy.” The Five Star Movement was leading the latest opinion polls, and the latest survey show the party gaining between 27% and 30% of the vote. ||||| The results were not just a disconcerting measure of Italy’s mood but also a harbinger of the troubles that may yet lay ahead for Europe. Far-right and populist forces appeared to gain more than 50 percent of the vote in Italy, where the economy has lagged, migration has surged and many are seething at those in power. But with no one party or coalition appearing to win enough support to form a government, the election offered up an outcome familiar here: a muddle. It may take weeks of haggling to sort out who will lead the next government, and who will be in it. One thing seemed clear, however: Any government will be difficult to form without the insurgent Five Star Movement, a web-based, populist party less than a decade old. The party was poised to become the country’s biggest vote-getter, winning about a third of the votes cast — its best showing ever. “A triumph of the Five Star Movement,” Alessandro Di Battista, a leader of the party, said on Sunday night. “Everybody has to come talk to us.” Roberto D’Alimonte, a political scientist at Luiss University in Rome, said that if the results held, the Five Star Movement would find itself in “a pivotal position.” With previously solid-seeming coalitions now fluid, he said, Five Star was in the driver’s seat. The question will be who will join it. The projections also showed big gains for the far-right League, a formerly northern-based secessionist party run by Matteo Salvini. He has been unapologetic about his use of inflammatory language about migrants, calling for their expulsion. Mr. Salvini’s party gained about 18 percent of votes, according to preliminary results. That was more, remarkably, than the party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, his coalition partner and the personification of the conservative mainstream, which won just 14 percent of ballots cast, the early results showed. Taken together, the votes cast for the Five Star Movement, the League and its post-fascist coalition partner, the Brothers of Italy party, run by Giorgia Meloni, depicted a dark mood in Italy and deep frustration with the governing, pro-Europe, Democratic Party of the center left. The Democratic Party suffered its poorest showing ever in national elections, continuing a Europe-wide collapse of the left, and putting into immediate question the future of its once-promising leader, former prime minister Matteo Renzi. One glimmer of hope for Mr. Renzi is the possibility of forming a grand coalition with Mr. Berlusconi’s center-right Forza Italia party. But even together they lacked the numbers to form a government. Nadia Urbinati, a political theorist at Columbia University and the author of the forthcoming book “The Age of Populism,” said the country had been “split in two” between traditional establishment voters on the right and left, and everyone else. The new Italian political landscape does not mean that the anti-establishment forces will get the chance to govern together, or that they even want to. But their strength at the polls was a strong indicator of voter anger after a prolonged period of economic stagnation and the arrival of hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants from Africa and elsewhere. For years, migrants who survived the perilous crossing of the sea arrived on Italy’s southern coasts. The country’s center-left government sought to strike a balance between a humane response and enforcement of its borders. Italy pleaded with other countries in Europe to help share the burden, both by patrolling the waters and accepting a portion of the migrants sheltered in reception centers. But its neighbors, including France, locked their doors and the migrants, many of whom felt stuck in Italy, became an open political nerve. The center-left government eventually reduced the arrivals through deals in Libya and further south. But by then the damage was done, and Europe, which is deeply wary of the Five Star Movement and the League, may now be about to pay the consequences. “We are surely in front of an extraordinary result,” Alfonso Bonafede, a member of Parliament from the Five Star party said soon after the first exit polls at a conference room in a Rome hotel. “We can say historic even. The Five Star Movement will be the pillar of the next legislature.” Mr. Berlusconi, Mr. Salvini and Ms. Meloni ran together with the idea of governing together. With their failure to reach the 40 percent threshold to claim power, it was not clear what would happen. Supporters of Mr. Berlusconi argued after midnight on Monday on television that his coalition had essentially won the election. But Mr. Berlusconi himself did not appear to be the winner, even within his coalition. That Mr. Salvini appeared to win more support than Mr. Berlusconi, a media mogul with three television channels and decades in government and business, was stunning. Not long ago, Mr. Salvini was insulting southern Italians, saying they smelled bad. But he shed his party’s northern roots and drew on the frustration over illegal immigration to appeal to those he once mocked. His campaign was rife with anti-migrant and anti-Muslim language. That’s what voters seemed to like. Giulia De Virgilio and her husband, Vico Vicenzi, both 72-year-old lawyers, walked out of a polling station in Rome’s historic center on Sunday and said they had cast their votes for Mr. Salvini, despite usually voting for the left. Their comments suggested that Mr. Salvini’s efforts to transform his party from a northern secessionist movement into a force appealing to Italians everywhere had paid off. He convinced the couple that illegal migrants posed an existential threat, especially after a young woman was killed and dismembered in a central Italian town in January. The police arrested Nigerian immigrants in the killing. “They cut out her heart, her guts — they are cannibals,” said Ms. De Virgilio. She said, “Nigerians are drug dealers.” That anti-immigrant sentiment, as well as a strong dose of euroskepticism, swept Italy this election season. The Five Star Movement appealed to voters on both the left and the right, especially in the country’s poorer southern regions. Young voters flocked to their throw-out-the-bums message. Five Star’s ability to elide hard positions on controversial issues such as immigration and leaving the eurozone, as well as its support for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, made it a difficult target for its political enemies. Both Mr. Berlusconi and Mr. Renzi characterized Five Star as the greatest threat to Italy to come along in ages. But now it is Italy’s most popular party, and it has a good deal of leverage going into consultations with President Sergio Mattarella, who will ultimately decide the shape and content of the next government. The newly formed Parliament will meet for the first time on March 23. “Bottom line: Italy is far from having sorted its longstanding problems, and now it will have new ones,” said Lorenzo Codogno, founder and chief economist of LC Macro Advisors. “Be prepared for long and complex negotiations that will take months.” ||||| ROME: A surge for populist and far-right parties in Italy´s election could result in a hung parliament with a right-wing alliance likely to win the most votes but no majority after a campaign dominated by anger against immigration. The projections based on early results on Monday also showed the far-right League party ahead of media mogul Silvio Berlusconi´s Forza Italia (Go Italy) party within the right-wing coalition in Sunday´s vote. That raises the prospect of League leader Matteo Salvini, who has promised to shut down Roma camps, deport hundreds of thousands of migrants and tackle the "danger" of Islam, becoming Italy´s next prime minister. The eurosceptic, anti-establishment Five Star Movement, which has drawn support from Italians fed up with traditional parties and a lack of economic opportunity, was predicted to come second to the coalition. The boost for far-right and populist parties has drawn comparisons to Britain´s vote to leave the European Union and the rise of US President Donald Trump. "The European Union is going to have a bad night," Marine Le Pen, leader of France´s National Front, tweeted. Brexit firebrand Nigel Farage congratulated the Five Star Movement, his allies in the European Parliament, "for topping the poll" as Italy´s biggest single party. Resentment at the hundreds of thousands of migrant arrivals in Italy in recent years fired up the campaign, along with frustration about social inequalities. "These are historic results," Giancarlo Giorgetti, deputy head of the League, told reporters in Milan. Alessandro Di Battista of the Five Star Movement, said: "Everyone is going to have to come and speak to us". The ruling centre-left Democratic Party, which has struggled to get across its pro-European message of gradual economic recovery, was left trailing. "This is a very clear defeat for us," Michele Martina, a minister in the outgoing government, told reporters. Andrea Marcucci, one of the party´s lawmakers, said: "The populists have won and the Democratic Party has lost". The projections by public broadcaster Rai showed the right-wing alliance winning 35.5 percent of the vote, including 15.8 percent for the League and 14.5 percent for Forza Italia, with the Five Star Movement at 32.5 percent and the centre-left at 23.1 percent. If no party or coalition wins an overall majority, the projected results leave Italy with few options. One is a an "anti-system" post-election pact between the Five Star Movement and the League -- a prospect that has spooked foreign investors and European capitals. The other would be a minority Five Star government, which could prove highly unstable. A third option would be a temporary government and new elections. Maurizio Molinari, editor of La Stampa daily, said the victory of "anti-system forces" was a first for Europe. ||||| It’s crunch time in Italy this weekend, when voters head to the polls in a general election with the potential to upend financial markets and spark political turmoil in the eurozone. On election day, March 4, Italian polling stations open at 7 a.m. local time, or 1 a.m. Eastern Time in the U.S. They close at 11 p.m. local time, and the first exit polls should be published immediately after. The votes are expected to be fully counted around 2 p.m. on Monday local time, or 8 a.m. Eastern, but first actual results could be released in the early hours of Monday, according to media reports. Read: Here’s why this is the most important week on Europe’s political calendar In the 2013 general election in Italy, the first exit polls correctly indicated the Democratic Party had enough votes to win. However, those polls overstated the support for the Democrats and underestimated the votes for the populist, euroskeptic 5 Star Movement. Under Italian law, opinion polls are not allowed in the final two weeks before the vote. The most recent readings ahead of the cut-off date for Sunday’s ballot point to a tight race between the three parties: the 5 Star Movement, the ruling Democratic Party and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia. The 5 Star Movement is in the lead, and a win for the left-leaning populist has been flagged as a potential risk to the eurozone. However, the party has recently backtracked on its harsh anti-EU rhetoric and has retracted its pledge to hold an EU referendum. Additionally, a new Italian election law that favors coalitions is seen as making it highly unlikely that the 5 Star Movement will end up running the government. Read: Italian election: Stocks to buy and avoid ahead of the March 4 vote Also read: Hedge funds’ faith in euro dwindles ahead of political ‘Super Sunday’ A hung parliament, where no party has a majority, is currently seen as the most likely outcome. That would then probably lead to lots of wrangling over forming a coalition, or new elections. Either could spark a period of political uncertainty in the eurozone, even if in Italy it eventually ends in a broad coalition with a continuation of the same policies. “Evidence that political uncertainty has become a key force for the currency markets comes from the performance of the euro EURUSD, +0.4320% over the past twelve months,” said Simon Derrick, chief currency strategist at BNY Mellon, in a note. “This suggests that serious attention needs to be paid to next month’s Italian elections." Read: These 3 factors could wallop the euro and pound Also on Sunday, Germany’s center-left Social Democratic Party announces the result of its vote to decide whether to join a grand coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel and her center-right Christian Democratic Union. The vote could end five months of political uncertainty in Europe’s largest economy. The time of the release of the SPD result is not known. ||||| About 50% of Italians who voted in national elections on Sunday supported populist parties that were once considered fringe, according to early election exit polls and voter projections. The most likely result of the national election seemed either a win by the centre-right coalition headed by Silvio Berlusconi, the 81-year-old former prime minister, or a hung parliament in which populist parties – the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the xenophobic Northern League – would have considerable influence in the creation of a new government. The exit polls showed Berlusconi’s coalition – which includes the Northern League – winning up to 36% of the vote, a result that could potentially help the billionaire media magnate clinch a fourth election victory under a complicated new Italian election law. Analysts were also poring over early data that suggested another potential political upset: Matteo Salvini, the firebrand head of La Lega – as the League is now known – beating out Berlusconi within the centre-right coalition. Under a “gentleman’s agreement” ,whoever emerges as the winner between the two will choose the next prime minister, if the coalition were to win a majority. Berlusconi is not eligible to serve personally because of a previous tax conviction, but said he would choose Antonio Tajani, the European parliament president, as prime minister. Two facts seemed indisputable: that Italian voters, who have traditionally been risk averse, were ready to ditch the big mainstream parties, and that the centre-left party headed by Matteo Renzi had an abysmal election. “The results are still very unclear,” said Giovanni Orsina, a politics professor at Luiss University in Rome. “The odds are still that there is no majority in parliament. But what is clear is that the centre left were punished. Italians didn’t buy the story of Italy getting better. At least the majority of them did not.” The Italian economy has significantly improved in since the dark days of the 2011 economic crisis and the PD has taken strong – and controversial – measures to try to stem the flow of migrants into Italy in recent months, but the party was hammered regardless – in part because of the prevailing view that Renzi is out of touch, untrustworthy, and that change has not happened fast enough under his leadership. Whatever the final outcome, the exit polls appeared to reveal a monumental shift in a majority of Italian voters. If the centre-right fails to clinch a majority, then the Five Star Movement, an anti-establishment party that was founded nine years ago by former comedian Beppe Grillo, will emerge as the single most powerful party in Italy and decisive in a future coalition, having won up to 31% of the vote, according to early results that were not yet final. Among other controversial views, the Five Star has expressed deep reservations about the euro – until recently it promised to call a referendum on Italy’s participation in the eurozone – questioned Italy’s role in Nato, and does not support mandatory vaccinations. In the likely event of a hung parliament, there are several parliamentary combinations that could be cobbled together to win a majority of seats, many of which would pair unlikely bedfellows. Under some scenarios, the Five Star Movement could combine with the Democratic party to get to above 50%. “Building a majority in parliament will be hard if not impossible. An extended period of horse-trading among the parties is next,” said Wolfango Piccoli, an analyst at Teneo Intelligence. Parliamentary maths could also allow a majority to emerge through a combination of the Five Star Movement and the Northern League. But Piccoli said chances of such a coalition deal were “very low”. While both parties are eurosceptic, pro-Kremlin, and anti-free trade, the Northern League’s view are far to the right, particularly on the migration issue, while many Five Star voters identify with the Italian left.
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Italy faces a period of political instability after the results of the general election are almost complete. The populist Five Star Movement (M5S) is projected to be the largest party in the Italian Parliament with 32% of the vote. The party has long stated its hostility towards forming a coalition government.
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President Trump signed proclamations Thursday that institute a 25-percent tariff on steel and a 10-percent tariff on aluminum with exemptions for Canada and Mexico until the North American Free Trade Agreement is renegotiated. "I'm delivering on a promise I made during the campaign," he said, addressing the steel and aluminum workers who had come to the White House to see Mr. Trump sign the tariffs. The tariffs will go into effect 15 days from the proclamation signing, according to a White House official who briefed reporters on background. The president said he is open to modifying tariffs for some countries -- the Trump administration will allow any country that has a security relationship with the Trump administration to discuss potential modifications to "address the threatened impairment of the national security caused by imports from that country," the official added. Some countries might qualify for an exemption if their products "no longer threaten our security," the president said. Mr. Trump's announcement comes after a hullabaloo of a week: Gary Cohn, the president's chief economic adviser, said that he planned to resign from the administration on Tuesday, after vehemently lobbying against steel and aluminum tariffs. The former Goldman Sachs executive lost out to White House aide and resident nationalist Peter Navarro and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross who have petitioned for an aggressive protectionist trade policy. Nevertheless, flanked by steel and aluminum workers "from the heartland," Mr. Trump signed the two proclamations. The White House official touts the 500 jobs that will be restored to steel workers in Illinois, after U.S. Steel announced that it would be restarting their factory because of the decision to impose tariffs. "It should be a great day for America," the White House official said. Cohn wasn't the only one angered and blindsided by the president's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, despite the fact that it's an issue Mr. Trump has consistently complained about for decades. A group of 107 Republicans on the Hill released a letter on Wednesday urging the president to "reconsider the idea of broad tariffs to avoided unintended negative consequences onto the U.S. economy and its workers." A White House official argued that dissent from Congress and others had not led to a "softening of our position in any way whatsoever," but that the proclamation was designed to be flexible with partners "we have great relationships with," naming Canada, Mexico, Europe and Australia. "We are not looking to get into trade wars. We are looking to make sure that U.S. companies can compete fairly around the world," Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Tuesday at the House Appropriates hearing. The president himself has struck a less measured tone on Twitter and in person. "When we're behind on every single country, trade wars aren't so bad," Mr. Trump said at a press conference with the Swedish prime minister on Tuesday. ||||| SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Trade ministers from 11 Pacific Rim countries are set to sign a sweeping agreement to streamline trade and slash tariffs just as U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to formalize new tariffs on aluminum and steel to protect U.S. producers. The deal signed Thursday in the Chilean capital is an outgrowth of the Trans-Pacific Partnership that Trump pulled the U.S. out of last year. Many feared the agreement would not prosper without its most influential country. But the remaining 11 members pressed ahead, saying it shows resolve against protectionism. The pact includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. ||||| BRUSSELS/SHANGHAI/TOKYO: From Japan and South Korea to Australia and Europe, officials lined up on Friday to seek exemptions from President Donald Trump's tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum imports, while Chinese producers called on Beijing to retaliate in kind. Tokyo and Brussels rejected any suggestion that their exports to the United States threatened its national security - Trump's justification for imposing the tariffs despite warnings at home and abroad that they could provoke a global trade war. "We are an ally, not a threat," European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen said. China's metals industry issued the country's most explicit threat yet in the row, urging the government to retaliate by targeting U.S. coal - a sector that is central to Trump's political base and his election pledge to restore American industries and blue-collar jobs. Trump signed an order for the 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent for aluminum at the White House on Thursday to counter cheap imports, especially from China, which he described as "an assault on our country". However, he said "real friends" of the United States could win waivers from the measures, which come into force after 15 days. In the event he exempted Canada and Mexico. Brazil, which after Canada is the biggest steel supplier to the U.S. market, said it wanted to join the exemption list and Argentina made a similar case. Japan, the United States' top economic and military ally in Asia, was next in line. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that Japan's steel and aluminum shipments posed no threat to U.S. national security. With Japan a major trade partner and international investor, Suga said that, on the contrary, they contributed greatly to employment and industry in the United States. Japan's steel industry body also expressed concern. The European Union, the world's biggest trade bloc, chimed in. "Europe is certainly not a threat to American internal security so we expect to be excluded," European trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said in Brussels. Malmstrom told reporters the EU was ready to complain to the World Trade Organization, and retaliate within 90 days. She will meet U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Japanese Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko in Brussels on Saturday when she will ask whether the EU is to be included in the tariffs. She won support from German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Shares in European steelmakers fell, although Germany's two biggest producers Thyssenkrupp and Salzgitter have insisted the impact on them will be limited. Other officials at the EU, by far the biggest trading partner of the United States by value, have warned it could take counter-measures including European tariffs on U.S. oranges, tobacco and bourbon. Some products under consideration are largely produced in constituencies controlled by Trump's Republican Party. Brussels has reminded Trump that tit-for-tat trade measures deepened the Great Depression in the 1930s and in the 2000s cost thousands of U.S. jobs when Washington imposed tariffs on European steel. European industry associations called on Malmstrom to react to the tariffs. "The loss of exports to the U.S., combined with an expected massive import surge in the EU, could cost tens of thousands of jobs in the EU steel industry and related sectors," said Axel Eggert, head of steel association EUROFER. In Sydney, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said there is no case for imposing tariffs on Australian steel. Trade tensions between Washington and Beijing have risen since Trump took office last year. China accounts for only a small fraction of U.S. steel imports, but its rapid rise to produce half the world's steel has helped create a global glut that has driven down prices. Beijing vowed to "firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests". Tariffs would "seriously impact the normal order of international trade," the Commerce Ministry said. China's steel and metals associations urged the government to retaliate, citing imports from the United States ranging from stainless steel to coal, agricultural products and electronics. Last year, China imported 3.2 million tonnes of U.S. coal, worth about US$420 million and nearly five times the amount it took in 2016. Trump has championed coal exports as demand from power firms at home weakens. The dispute has fueled concerns that soybeans, the United States' most valuable export to China, might be caught up in the row after Beijing launched an inquiry probe into imports of U.S. sorghum, a grain used in animal feed and liquor. South Korea, the third largest steel exporter to the United States and a strategic ally on the Korean peninsula, called for calm. "We should prevent a trade war situation from excessive protectionism, in which the entire world harms each other," Trade Minister Paik Un-gyu told a meeting with steelmakers. While carrying a message to Washington to push forward a diplomatic breakthrough over North Korea, South Korea's national security office chief Chung Eui-yong asked U.S. officials to support Seoul's request for a waiver, a presidential spokesman said. ||||| China has accused Donald Trump of damaging the global trading system by hiking steel and aluminium tariffs, while Japan and South Korea expressed alarm at potential economic damage. China's Commerce Ministry said it "firmly opposes" the US president's move, but gave no indication whether Beijing might make good on threats to retaliate. Asian stock markets rose in early trading on relief that Mr Trump's measures were not more severe. Traders also were encouraged by news Mr Trump might meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. South Korea's trade minister, speaking at an emergency meeting, appealed to other governments to prevent a "trade war". "We will urge the international community to refrain from adopting measures that inhibit free trade," said the minister, Paik Un-gyu, according to a ministry statement. Mr Trump said the tariff hikes ordered yesterday were needed to protect US national security by ensuring the survival of the country's metals producers. "These measures could make a significant impact on the economic and cooperative relationship between Japan and the US, who are allies," said Taro Kono, Japan's trade minister, in a statement. The new tariffs take effect in 15 days, with Canada and Mexico indefinitely spared "to see if we can make the deal," Mr Trump said, referring to a possible renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. He suggested at a Cabinet meeting that Australia and "other countries" might be spared, a shift that could soften the blow amid threats of retaliation. Mr Trump has complained about low-cost Chinese exports of steel and aluminium, but the latest move was likely to hit Japan and South Korea harder. The United States bought just 1.1% of China's steel exports last year compared with 12% for South Korea and 5% for Japan, according to the US International Trade Commission. "Significant damage in South Korea's steel exports to the United States seems unavoidable," said Mr Paik's statement. Australia's trade minister said he had preliminary discussions with the US trade representative, Robert Lighthizer. The minister, Steve Ciobo, expressed hope of "finalising a positive outcome in the next two weeks". The Chinese Commerce Ministry criticised Mr Trump for taking unilateral action instead of working through the World Trade Organisation. Beijing said it was ready to retaliate in the event Chinese companies are hurt, but Friday's statement gave no indication of official action. "The US pursues trade protectionism," said the China Iron & Steel Association, an industry group, in a statement. "This move will harm the global steel industry, and seriously hurt consumers' interests," said the statement. It said the United States "will injure others and harm itself." ||||| Unswayed by Republican warnings of a trade war, President Donald Trump ordered steep new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the U.S. on Thursday, vowing to fight back against an "assault on our country" by foreign competitors. The president said he would exempt Canada and Mexico while negotiating for changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement. The new tariffs will take effect in 15 days, with Canada and Mexico indefinitely exempted "to see if we can make the deal," Trump said. NAFTA talks are expected to resume early next month. "The American aluminum and steel industry has been ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices. It's really an assault on our country. It's been an assault," Trump said at the White House. He was joined by steel and aluminum workers holding white hard hats. American steel and aluminum workers have long been betrayed, but "that betrayal is now over," Trump said. The former real estate developer said politicians had for years lamented the decline in the industries, but nobody was willing to take action. As he has indicated previously, Trump said he would levy tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum. But he said during a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day that the penalties would "have a right to go up or down depending on the country and I'll have a right to drop out countries or add countries. I just want fairness." Business leaders, meanwhile, have continued to sound the alarm about the potential economic fallout from tariffs, with the president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce raising the specter of a global trade war. That scenario, Tom Donohue said, would endanger the economic momentum from the GOP tax cuts and Trump's rollback of regulations. "We urge the administration to take this risk seriously," Donohue said. The president suggested in the meeting with his Cabinet that Australia and "other countries" might also be spared, a shift that could soften the international blow amid threats of retaliation by trading partners. "We're going to be very fair, we're going to be very flexible but we're going to protect the American worker as I said I would do in my campaign," Trump said. People briefed on the plans ahead of the announcement said all countries affected by the tariffs would be invited to negotiate with the administration to be exempted from the tariffs if they can address the threat their exports pose to U.S. manufacturers. The exemptions for Canada and Mexico could be ended if talks to renegotiate NAFTA stall. The process of announcing the penalties has been the subject of an intense debate and chaotic exchanges within the White House, pitting hard-liners against free trade advocates such as outgoing economic adviser Gary Cohn. The fight over tariffs comes amid intense turmoil in the West Wing, which has seen waves of departures and negative news stories that have left Trump increasingly isolated in the Oval Office, according to two senior officials speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions. Congressional Republicans and business groups are bracing for the impact of the tariffs and the departure of Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive who has opposed them. House Speaker Paul Ryan, appearing at a session with Home Depot employees in Atlanta, said ahead of Trump's announcement, "I'm just not a fan of broad-based, across-the-board tariffs." He pointed to the store's many products that rely on steel and aluminum. More than 100 House Republicans wrote Trump on Wednesday, asking him to reconsider "the idea of broad tariffs to avoid unintended negative consequences" to the U.S. economy and workers. Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, a Republican, said he plans to introduce legislation next week to nullify the tariffs though he has acknowledged that finding the votes to stop the president's actions could be difficult. The president has said the tariffs are needed to reinforce lagging American steel and aluminum industries and protect national security. Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Darlene Superville, Zeke Miller, Matthew Daly and Alan Fram in Washington and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report. ||||| The US President Donald Trump on Thursday formally signed proclamations to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum amid mounting dissent from business groups and trading partners around the world. The US will impose a 25 per cent tariff on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminum, Xinhua quoted Trump as saying. He said this at an event at the White House, noting a strong steel and aluminum industry is “vital to our national security.” The tariffs will take effect in 15 days with initial exemptions for Canada and Mexico pending the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). “We’re going to hold off the tariff on those two countries, to see whether or not we’re able to make the deal on NAFTA,” Trump said. Trump signaled that all other countries also have opportunities to be exempt from the tariffs by negotiations with the United States. “If the same goals can be accomplished by other means, America will remain open to modifying or removing the tariffs for individual nations, as long as we can agree on a way to ensure that their products no longer threaten our security,” he said. ||||| WASHINGTON — After a week of hints and uncertainty, President Donald Trump said Thursday he would announce tariffs on imported steel and aluminum but with temporary exemptions for Canada and Mexico as he seeks to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement. He suggested Australia and “other countries” might also be spared, a shift that could soften the international blow amid threats of retaliation by trading partners. Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum imports will take effect in 15 days, with Canada and Mexico indefinitely exempted from the duties, according to people outside the White House who were briefed on the plans Thursday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the president’s signing of the orders. “We’re going to be very fair, we’re going to be very flexible but we’re going to protect the American worker as I said I would do in my campaign,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting. The president reiterated that he would levy tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum but would “have a right to go up or down depending on the country and I’ll have a right to drop out countries or add countries. I just want fairness.” The president indicated Canada and Mexico’s treatment would be connected to the ongoing NAFTA talks, which are expected to resume in early April. The people briefed on the plans said all countries affected by the tariffs would be invited to negotiate with the Trump administration to be exempted from the tariffs if they can address the threat their exports pose to U.S. manufacturers. The people said the exclusions for Canada and Mexico could be ended if talks to renegotiate NAFTA stall. The process of announcing the penalties has been the subject of an intense debate and chaotic exchanges within the White House, pitting hard-liners against free trade advocates such as outgoing economic adviser Gary Cohn aiming to add more flexibility for U.S. trading partners. The fight over tariffs comes amid intense turmoil in the West Wing, which has seen waves of departures and negative news stories that have left Trump increasingly isolated in the Oval Office, according to two senior officials speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal thinking. Trump was still hearing last-minute pleas from opponents of the tariff plan, and White House officials said they couldn’t predict how the day would shake out. Steel and aluminum workers were invited to the White House for the afternoon announcement with Trump. Peter Navarro, Trump’s trade and manufacturing adviser, said in an interview on Fox Business on Wednesday that the tariffs would go into effect within about 15 to 30 days and that the proclamation signed by the president would include a clause that would not immediately impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters the exemptions would be made on a “case by case” and “country by country” basis, a reversal from the policy articulated by the White House just days ago that there would be no exemptions from Trump’s plan. Congressional Republicans and business groups are bracing for the impact of the tariffs, appearing resigned to additional protectionist trade actions as Trump signals upcoming economic battles with China. The looming departure of Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive who has opposed the promised tariffs, set off anxiety among business leaders and investors worried about a potential trade war. “We urge you to reconsider the idea of broad tariffs to avoid unintended negative consequences to the U.S. economy and its workers,” 107 House Republicans wrote in a letter to Trump. At the White House, officials were working to include language in the tariffs that would give Trump the flexibility to approve exemptions for certain countries. “He’s already indicated a degree of flexibility, I think a very sensible, very balanced degree of flexibility,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told CNBC. “We’re not trying to blow up the world.” Trump signaled other trade actions could be in the works. In a tweet, he said the “U.S. is acting swiftly on Intellectual Property theft.” A White House official said Trump was referencing an ongoing investigation of China in which the U.S. trade representative is studying whether Chinese intellectual property rules are “unreasonable or discriminatory” to American business. The official, who was not authorized to discuss internal deliberations and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said an announcement on the findings of the report — and possible retaliatory actions — was expected within the next three weeks. Business leaders, meanwhile, continued to sound the alarm about the potential economic fallout from tariffs, with the president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce raising the specter of a global trade war. That scenario, Tom Donohue said, would endanger the economic momentum from the GOP tax cuts and Trump’s rollback of regulations. “We urge the administration to take this risk seriously,” Donohue said. The president has said the tariffs are needed to reinforce lagging American steel and aluminum industries and protect national security. He has tried to use the tariffs as leverage in ongoing talks to renegotiate NAFTA, suggesting Canada and Mexico might be exempted from tariffs if they offer more favorable terms under the trade agreement. Associated Press writers Darlene Superville, Zeke Miller, Matthew Daly and Alan Fram in Washington and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report. Follow the Bangor Daily News on Facebook for the latest Maine news. ||||| WASHINGTON -- Canada appears to have dodged a protectionist bullet, as one of only two countries to receive a provisional exemption from steel and aluminum tariffs set to rip into America's trading relationships around the globe. President Donald Trump signed proclamations Thursday slapping U.S. tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminum from almost every country, with the penalties snapping into effect in 15 days. After months of frantic lobbying, diplomatic arm-twisting and heated debates within his own administration, Trump made good on his tariff threat at the White House, surrounded by steelworkers. The only two countries escaping tariffs were America's neighbours: Canada and Mexico. It's not impossible they could be added later, but the president's own language, the wording of the proclamations and comments from a White House official all went out of their way to avoid any explicit threats against Canada and Mexico, leaving dangling only the vague possibility. Trump danced around the question of whether the tariff threat will be used to bully Canada and Mexico at the NAFTA bargaining table. He said only that the reprieve remains in place for now and that NAFTA is important to economic and national security. "Due to the unique nature of our relationship with Canada and Mexico ... we're gonna hold off the tariff for those two countries," Trump said during a signing ceremony. "If we don't make the deal on NAFTA, and if we terminate NAFTA ... we'll start all over again. Or we'll just do it a different way. But we'll terminate NAFTA, and that'll be it. But I have a feeling we're gonna make a deal on NAFTA. ... If we do there won't be any tariffs on Canada, and there won't be any tariffs on Mexico." The actual formal documents specifically state that Canada and Mexico are a special case, given the continent's shared commitment to mutual security, an integrated defence industry and the shared fight against dumped steel and that the best way to address U.S. concerns -- "at least at this time" -- is by continuing discussions. The references to security are critical. By law, the tariffs need to be described as a national security matter. A provision in a 1962 U.S. law allows the president to set emergency tariffs as a security issue. But the White House has repeatedly undermined its own legal case, including by intimating that the tariffs would be held over Canada and Mexico as some kind of negotiating tool to extract NAFTA concessions. The White House is now clearly avoiding that kind of talk: "We will have ongoing discussions with Canada and Mexico," a senior White House official said in a pre-announcement briefing. The aide expressed frustration at the way the tariffs have been characterized, referring repeatedly to the "fake news," the lobbyists and the "swamp things" that he said exaggerated the ill effects while fighting the measures. Two polls released this week say the tariffs are unpopular. But the same official said it truly is a matter of national security -- with six U.S. aluminum smelters shutting down the last few years, and just five remaining, and only two operating at full capacity, he said that leaves the U.S. at risk of having to import all its aluminum eventually. The White House adviser also pushed back against reports casting the process as arbitrary, sloppy and rife for successful legal challenges. In one alleged example of haphazard policy-making, a report this week said the president raised the tariff rates for branding purposes, increasing them from the 24 and 7 per cent recommended by the Department of Commerce -- because he wanted nice, round numbers. The official insisted that was untrue. He said it was only upon careful calculation of import effects that the numbers landed at 25 per cent and 10 per cent. He did not explain how those round numbers managed to survive intact, even after the formula was later upended by the exclusion from tariffs of major suppliers. Canada is the No. 1 seller of both steel and aluminum to the U.S. The fact that Canada might be included on the initial hit list had become a political sore spot for the administration, as U.S. critics of the move ridiculed it by zeroing on the idea of national-security tariffs against a peaceful next-door neighbour and defence ally. A full-court diplomatic press unfolded in recent days, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling Trump earlier this week, and then speaking Thursday with the Republican leaders of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Canada's ambassador to Washington dined this week with U.S. national-security adviser H.R. McMaster; Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, and Transport Minister Marc Garneau all reached out to cabinet counterparts in recent days. The lobbying found a mostly receptive audience: the U.S. military strongly resisted tariffs against allies and 107 congressional Republicans released a letter this week to express alarm over the move. "This has been a true Team Canada effort," said Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, also crediting provincial premiers, businesses and labour leaders. "This work continues and it will continue until the prospect of these duties is fully and permanently lifted." She said Canada planned to keep this issue separate from NAFTA negotiations, as it has done with disputes over softwood lumber, paper, and Bombardier. Other countries have threatened reprisals, prompting fears of a global trade war. But Trump said other American allies can get exemptions later, in exchange for something in return. He said they need to contact U.S. trade czar Robert Lighthizer, and negotiate. ||||| President Trump officially unveiled promised tariffs on foreign metals Thursday, defying allies, rivals and members of his own party alike. The steep levies — 25% on imported steel and 10% on aluminum — will go in to effect in 15 days, include temporary exemptions for Canada and Mexico, and will allow all countries to negotiate exclusions, Trump said. The protectionist duties, which Trump boastfully pointed out fulfilled a campaign promise, are needed because the U.S. has been “ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices.” Icahn claims he didn't know of tariffs before metal stocks dump “Our industries have been targeted for years and years, decades in fact, by unfair foreign trade practices leading to the shuttered plants and mills, the laying off of millions of workers and the decimation of entire communities,” Trump said as a group of steel and aluminum workers stood close by at the White House. In a hat tip to his dark and haunting Inauguration Day speech, Trump called the struggles of domestic steel and aluminum industry a “travesty.” “Our factories were left to rot and rust all over the place,” Trump said. “Thriving communities were turned into ghost towns.” Republican lawmakers, business leaders and allies warning of trade wars all attempted to caution the President against imposing the tariffs. EU could tax orange juice, peanut butter in response to Trump “We urge you to reconsider the idea of broad tariffs to avoid unintended negative consequences to the U.S. economy and its workers,” more than 100 House Republicans wrote in a letter to the President on Thursday. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) called the tariffs a “marriage of two lethal poisons to economic growth – protectionism and uncertainty” and vowed to draft legislation to nullify the duties. Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum imports will take effect in 15 days, with Canada and Mexico indefinitely exempted from the duties, people outside the White House who were briefed on the plans Thursday told the Associated Press. The exclusion for Canada and Mexico could come to an end, if talks stall to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump will also have the power to exclude or add countries to the list at will and be able to raise or lower levies on case-by-case basis. Australia was singled out as an example of another country that could be exempt because of a trade surplus. “We’re going to be very flexible,” Trump said. “At the same time, we have some friends and some enemies where we have been tremendously taken advantage of over the years.” The President then invited several steel and aluminum workers to speak. House Speaker Paul Ryan urges Trump to reverse course on tariffs The president of United Steelworkers Local 2227, Scott Sauritch, stood up and explained that his father lost his job during the 1980s because of foreign imports coming in to the U.S. He noted that his father’s “story didn’t end” while thanking the President for his tariffs. “Your father Herman is looking down,” Trump said. “he’s very proud of you.” “He’s still alive,” Sauritch responded, drawing laughs from the other workers in the Roosevelt Room. “Then he’s even more proud of you,” Trump joked, putting his hand to the side of his mouth. Vice President Pence, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer all joined the group for the signing. Ross recommended the tariffs in a report released last month after a nine month investigation. It found that current steel and aluminum imports had the “potential to threaten our national security.” While the protectionist plans could boost employment in steel and aluminum by 33,000, they could cost the U.S. 179,000 jobs in other areas of the economy, according to a report by consulting firm The Trade Partnership. “We’re on the verge of a painful and stupid trade war,” cautioned Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.). Rivals and allies alike have balked at Trump’s tariffs, prompting the President to praise trade wars as “good and easy to win.” European officials unveiled a growing list of American goods that they say will be hit with retaliatory tariffs in response to Trump’s penalties. The chaotic week following the slapdash announcement last week included intense infighting within in White House, pitting hard-liners against free trade advocates such as outgoing economic adviser Gary Cohn. Markets rattled and reeled in response to the chaos, but leveled out on Thursday thanks to the carve outs for Canada and Mexico. Canada is the top steel exporter to the U.S. “This is a positive step from the American administration and recognizes Canada’s strategic role in the North American supply base,” said Jean Simard, President and CEO of the Aluminium Association of Canada. “The goal remains to get a full exemption and we shall employ ourselves over the next weeks, together with our Canadian and Quebec governments and our U.S. allies, to find a pathway towards a full and permanent exemption.” The President first floated the tariffs last week as the White House reeled from a whiplash-inducing round of scandals. Another feud between Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the resignation of communications director Hope Hicks, continued controversy surrounding his son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, and signs that special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe is heating up all preceded the sudden announcement. ||||| President Donald Trump on Thursday formally ordered new tariffs on steel and aluminum imported into the United States. In a ceremony at the White House, Trump signed separate proclamations imposing a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports. "It's really an assault on our country,” Trump said in remarks about the amount of steel and aluminum imported into the U.S. before he signed the orders. The tariffs will take effect in 15 days. The proclamations exempt Canada and Mexico, although Trump said this could be rescinded if the White House does not like the outcome of ongoing renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Describing the new rules as “flexible”, Trump said other countries can apply for exemptions. Currently, about 90 percent of aluminum used in American manufacturing is imported as well as one-third of steel. Industry groups believe consumers will face the brunt of the impact from the tariffs through increased prices for items ranging from beer to cars as well as thousands of other items built of the two metals or packaged inside them. Trump announced last week that he would implement the tariffs, which led many other Republicans and elements of his own White House to widely criticize the suggestion. Many were concerned the new tariffs could stoke a global trade war. Gary Cohn, Trump’s top economic advisor, announced his resignation Monday, with White House sources telling media outlets that the decision was based on Trump’s tariff push. Cohn, the former president of Goldman Sachs, was Trump’s director of the National Economic Council and widely seen as a connection between Trump’s administration and Wall Street. “These so-called ‘flexible tariffs’ are a marriage of two lethal poisons to economic growth – protectionism and uncertainty,” Republican Senator Jeff Flake, who has become known for his denunciation of Trump over the past year, said in a statement immediately after Trump ordered the tariffs. “Trade wars are not won, they are only lost,” Flake continued. “Congress cannot be complicit as the administration courts economic disaster. I will immediately draft and introduce legislation to nullify these tariffs, and I urge my colleagues to pass it before this exercise in protectionism inflicts any more damage on the economy.”
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Citing national security reasons, U.S. President Donald Trump imposes tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum imported from most countries. Canada and Mexico are provisionally exempt pending NAFTA renegotiations. The tariffs will take effect on March 23.
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White House urges Abbas to choose hate or peace RAMALLAH: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas labeled the US ambassador to Israel David Friedman a “son of a dog” on Monday during an attack on Donald Trump’s policies. The scathing comments come with US President Trump still expected to launch a plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians despite Abbas boycotting his administration over his controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “The US ambassador in Tel Aviv is a settler and a son of a dog,” Abbas said in comments to Palestinian leaders in Ramallah. The White House later Monday slammed Abbas’s “insults”, saying he must choose between hate and peace. “The time has come for President Abbas to choose between hateful rhetoric and concrete and practical efforts to improve the quality of life of his people and lead them to peace and prosperity,” top Trump aide Jason Greenblatt said in a terse statement Relations between Abbas’s government and Trump’s administration have broken down since the White House recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December. The Palestinians also see the disputed city as the capital of their future state and have refused to meet with Trump’s envoys since. Friedman, who was Trump’s personal lawyer before being appointed last year, is a longstanding supporter of settlement building in the occupied West Bank, considered illegal under international law. In response to Abbas, Friedman, who is Jewish, told a conference that Abbas’s comments could have anti-Semitic connotations. “His response was to refer to me as son of a dog. Is that anti-Semitism or political discourse? I leave that up to you,” he said, according to a US embassy spokeswoman. Abbas’s comments appeared to be in response to a tweet by Friedman earlier on Monday. In it he referred to an attack in the West Bank as “in the north”, raising questions over whether he views it as part of Israeli territory, and accused Abbas’s Palestinian Authority (PA) of failing to condemn it. “Such brutality and no condemnation from the PA!” he tweeted, referring to a Friday car ramming that killed two soldiers and a Sunday stabbing in Jerusalem that left an Israeli dead, both carried out by Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later denounced Abbas’s remarks on Twitter. “For the first time in decades, the US administration has stopped pampering Palestinian leaders and tells them ‘that’s enough’. Apparently the shock of the truth has caused them to lose their mind,” he said. Israel has militarily occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem since 1967. Abbas’s government has limited autonomy in parts of the West Bank, while the Jewish state annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognized by the international community. All countries currently have their embassies in Tel Aviv and view the future status of Jerusalem as a matter to be negotiated between the parties. But in December Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and in May Friedman will become the first US ambassador in the city as the embassy is moved. Bomb attack Separately during the speech, Abbas accused rival Palestinian faction Hamas of a bomb attack targeting his prime minister Rami Hamdallah last week and threatened fresh sanctions against the Islamist movement. Abbas had previously said Hamas was responsible as it controls security in the Palestinian enclave, but Monday evening said it was “behind the attack”. Hamdallah was uninjured in last Tuesday’s attack, which saw a roadside bomb explode as his convoy entered Gaza in what Palestinian officials have called an assassination attempt. Six of his security guards were lightly hurt. In the speech to Palestinian leaders in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Abbas said if the attack had succeeded it would have “opened the way for a bloody civil war”. Hamas condemned what it called Abbas’s “provocative positions,” saying its security services were still investigating the explosion. The Islamists and Abbas’s secular party Fatah have been at odds since 2007 when Hamas seized control of Gaza in a near civil war. Abbas controls the internationally recognized Palestinian government, based in the occupied West Bank which Hamdallah leads. Abbas has previously taken a series of measures, including reducing electricity payments for Gaza’s two million residents, in what analysts said was an attempt to punish Hamas. Hamas and Fatah agreed a reconciliation agreement in October but it has collapsed.- AFP ||||| Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday called the US ambassador to Israel a "son of a dog" because of his support for Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. Mr Abbas, speaking at a Palestinian leadership gathering, also blamed Hamas for a bomb attack last week on the convoy of Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in Gaza, remarks that threatened reconciliation efforts with the Islamist group. The Palestinian leader accused Ambassador David Friedman of defending Israeli settlers in the West Bank by saying that they were building on "their land". The slur drew rebukes from the diplomat and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In an angry tone, Mr Abbas said: "The son of dog says they build on their land? He is a settler, and his family are settlers, and he is the US ambassador in Tel Aviv. What should we expect from him?" Mr Friedman, a strong supporter of Israel's settler movement, was an early and enthusiastic advocate of US President Donald Trump's decision in December to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and to move the US embassy there. ||||| GAZA (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority said on Wednesday it asked Israel to fully restore Israeli electricity flows to the Gaza Strip, a move that could nearly double the daily connection time in an enclave suffering severe power shortages. There was no immediate word from Israel whether it would comply at a time when it says the Islamist Hamas group, which controls Gaza, bears overall responsibility for recent cross-border rocket attacks launched by smaller militant factions. In a statement, Hussein Al-Sheikh, Palestinian minister of civil affairs, said the Palestinian Authority would again guarantee payment of Gaza's Israeli electricity bill and ask Israel to restore the 50 megawatts of power, out of a total 120 megawatts, that it had supplied to the area. A statement issued by Prime Minister Rami Al-Hamdallah said the request was to "alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza and to improve living conditions." Gaza's two million residents now receive only three to four hours of electricity a day, with schools, factories, hospitals and households affected. A Gaza economist said restoration of power from Israel, the enclave's main electricity supplier, could raise that figure to six hours. Gaza's sole power station generates only a small amount of electricity. In April, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced he was cancelling the guarantee, part of a bid to press Hamas to loosen its hold over the enclave, a decade after the Islamist movement seized the territory from forces loyal to him. Prompted partly by Abbas's sanctions and fears of financial and political isolation, Hamas signed an Egyptian-brokered reconciliation agreement with his Fatah movement in October and agreed to hand over administrative control of the Gaza Strip to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. But both groups have failed to finalize details of the deal, which had been due to be completed on December 1. The Authority's decision to resume the electricity payments could help smooth the way towards completing the accord. The PA's request coincides with heightened Israeli-Palestinian tensions. Palestinians have been mounting protests in the occupied West Bank and violence has flared along the Israel-Gaza border since U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Dec. 6 that he was recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a state they seek to establish in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank on Wednesday, Israeli troops shot dead a 17-year-old Palestinian during a confrontation with stone-throwing protesters, Palestinian medics said. An Israeli military spokeswoman said he appeared to have been holding a firearm. His death raised to 13 the number of Palestinians killed in clashes with Israeli forces since Trump's declaration, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. There have been no Israeli fatalities or serious injuries in the confrontations or as a result of the rocket strikes. Two Hamas gunmen were killed in one Israeli retaliatory air strike in December. (Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Jeffrey Heller and William Maclean) ||||| United States, U.S. and Israeli officials have lambasted Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, after he called the American ambassador to Israel a “son of a dog” and a “settler” in a fiery speech the day before. On Tuesday, Israeli Minister for Regional Cooperation Tzachi Hanegbi called the statement “inflammatory” and “inexcusable.” “Negotiations, not insults and hate, are the path to peace and prosperity in the region,” Hanegbi said in a tweet a day after U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman insinuated that the remark is anti-Semitic. The war of words comes at a low point in U.S.-Palestinian relations. US President, Donald Trump recognized the contested city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel last December, sparking Palestinian outrage. President Abbas of Palestine has since said that the U.S can no longer maintain its decades-long role as the main mediator between Israelis and Palestinians, while the White House says it is still planning to release a peace plan. Speaking at the start of a Palestinian leadership meeting in Ramallah on Monday, Abbas sharply increased tensions with the rival Hamas faction, saying that Hamas was behind an assassination attempt on the Palestinian prime minister on Friday. Abbas, who controls the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority government, said that he would respond to the attack with “national, legal, and financial measures.” The Palestinian leader’s strong words appear to foreshadow a new pressure campaign against Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. Abbas has already withheld electricity payments to the coastal enclave in an attempt to mount pressure on Hamas to cede power, causing blackouts for Gaza residents. ||||| The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has labelled the US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, a “son of a dog” during a scathing attack on Donald Trump’s policies. “The US ambassador in Tel Aviv is a settler and a son of a dog,” Abbas said in comments to Palestinian leaders in Ramallah on Monday. Relations between Abbas’s government and President Trump’s US administration have broken down since the White House recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December. The Palestinians see the disputed city as the capital of their future state. Friedman, who was Trump’s personal lawyer before being appointed last year, is a longstanding supporter of settlement building in the occupied West Bank, considered illegal under international law. In response to Abbas, Friedman, who is Jewish, told a conference that Abbas’s comments could have antisemitic connotations. “His response was to refer to me as ‘son of a dog’. Is that antisemitism or political discourse? I leave that up to you,” he said, according to a US embassy spokeswoman. Abbas’s comments appeared to be in response to a tweet by Friedman earlier on Monday. In it he referred to an attack in the West Bank as “in the north”, raising questions over whether he views it as part of Israeli territory, and accused Abbas’s Palestinian Authority (PA) of failing to condemn it. “Such brutality and no condemnation from the PA!” he tweeted, referring to a Friday car ramming that killed two soldiers and a Sunday stabbing in Jerusalem that left an Israeli dead, both carried out by Palestinians. Israel has militarily occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967. Abbas’s government has limited autonomy in parts of the West Bank, while the Jewish state annexed East Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community. All countries currently have their embassies in Tel Aviv and view the future status of Jerusalem as a matter to be negotiated between the parties. But in December Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and in May Friedman will become the first US ambassador in the city as the embassy is moved. Separately during the speech, Abbas accused the rival Palestinian faction Hamas of a bomb attack targeting his prime minister, Rami Hamdallah, last week and threatened fresh sanctions against the Islamist movement. Abbas had previously said Hamas was responsible as it controls security in the Palestinian enclave, but on Monday evening said it was “behind the attack”. Hamdallah was uninjured in last Tuesday’s attack, which saw a roadside bomb explode as his convoy entered Gaza in what Palestinian officials have called an assassination attempt. In the speech to Palestinian leaders in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Abbas said if the attack had succeeded it would have “opened the way for a bloody civil war”. The Islamists and Abbas’s secular party Fatah have been at odds since 2007 when Hamas seized control of Gaza. The two factions agreed a reconciliation agreement in October but it has collapsed. ||||| The administration of US President Donald Trump lashed out at Palestinian Authority Chairman, Mahmoud Abbas for calling US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman “a son of a dog” on Monday. “President Abbas’s comments were outrageous and unhelpful,” said US State Department spokeswoman, Heather Nauert. “We urge the Palestinian Authority to focus its efforts on improving the lives of the Palestinian people and advancing the cause of peace. The administration remains fully committed to those goals.” Abbas made his remarks during a meeting with other officials in the Palestinian Authority and shortly after the US ambassador called the PA out for not condemning separate terror attacks over the last few days. While insulting Friedman, the PA chairman referred to the ambassador’s acceptance of Israel’s presence in the Biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria. “The ambassador, David Friedman, said they’re building on their own land,” Abbas was reported to have said. “You son of a dog, building on their own land?! You are a settler and your family are settlers!” “The time has come for President Abbas to choose between hateful rhetoric and concrete and practical efforts to improve the quality of life of his people and lead them to peace and prosperity,” Greenblatt wrote in a statement on Twitter. “Notwithstanding his highly inappropriate insults against members of the Trump administration, the latest iteration being his insult of my good friend and colleague Ambassador Friedman, we are committed to the Palestinian people and to the changes that must be implemented for peaceful coexistence,” he added. For his part, Ambassador Friedman responded from Jerusalem while addressing the Sixth Global Forum for Combating Anti-Semitism. “Antisemitism or political discourse? Not for me to judge, I will leave that up to you,” he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also joined in the chorus of criticism directed against Abbas. “For the first time in decades, the American administration has stopped pampering the Palestinian leaders and tells them, that’s it,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “Apparently the shock of the truth has caused them lose their cool. Mahmoud Abbas’s attack on US Ambassador David Friedman says it all.” ||||| RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday called the U.S. ambassador to Israel a “son of a dog” because of his support for Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. ||||| Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday called the US ambassador to Israel a “son of a dog” because of his support for Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. Abbas, speaking at a Palestinian leadership gathering, also blamed Hamas for a bomb attack last week on the convoy of Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in Gaza, remarks that threatened reconciliation efforts with the Islamist group. The Palestinian leader accused Ambassador David Friedman of defending Israeli settlers in the West Bank by saying that they were building on “their land”. The slur drew rebukes from the diplomat and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In an angry tone, Abbas said: “The son of dog says they build on their land? He is a settler, and his family are settlers, and he is the US ambassador in Tel Aviv. What should we expect from him?” Friedman, a strong supporter of Israel’s settler movement, was an early and enthusiastic advocate of US President Donald Trump’s Dec. 6 decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and to move the US embassy there. Friedman responded during a speech in Jerusalem to a conference on combating global anti-Semitism, saying: “His response was to refer to me as son of a dog. Anti-Semitism or political discourse? Not for me to judge, I leave that all up to you.” US Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt issued a statement calling Abbas’ comment “highly inappropriate.” He said the Palestinian leader needed “to choose between hateful rhetoric and concrete and practical efforts to improve the quality of life of his people.” Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem delighted the Israeli government but infuriated Palestinians, who have staged regular protests since then. Israel regards Jerusalem as its eternal and indivisible capital, although that is not recognised internationally. Palestinians feel equally strongly, saying that East Jerusalem must be the capital of a future Palestinian state. Peace talks aimed at finding a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict have stalled, while Israeli settlement expansion has continued. Netanyahu said Trump’s decisions on Jerusalem appeared to have brought Abbas to the point of making a verbal attack on a US official. “For the first time in decades, the U.S. administration has stopped spoiling the Palestinian leaders and tells them: enough is enough,” Netanyahu said on Twitter. “Apparently the shock of the truth has caused them to lose it.” Addressing the rancour between Hamas and Fatah, Abbas said there had been “zero” progress in reconciliation, citing efforts to bring a power-sharing deal to bear on the crossings out of the Gaza Strip and on security within the enclave. Relations have grown even worse since Hamdallah and Palestinian security chief Majid Faraj’s convoy was attacked by a roadside bomb in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on March 13. They were uninjured. “We congratulate the two big brothers (Hamdallah and Faraj) that they are safe after the sinful and despicable attack that was carried out against them by the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip,” Abbas said. He offered no evidence of Hamas’ involvement but said he did not trust Hamas to investigate the incident honestly. “We do not want investigation from them, we do not want information from them and we do not want anything from them because we know exactly that they, the Hamas movement, were the ones who committed this incident,” he said. Abbas said Hamas would have to give up control of Gaza or risk taking full responsibility for the enclave and its two million residents without any help from his Western-backed Palestinian Authority. “In my capacity as the president of the Palestinian people I have tolerated much in order to regain unity and unite the homeland and I was met with rejection by Hamas and their illegitimate authority,” he said. Hamas called his comments irresponsible and said they aimed to “burn bridges and reinforce divisions.” The group has previously denied involvement in the bombing. Fatah and Hamas have tried for years to come to an accommodation over running the Gaza Strip, but have repeatedly failed to implement deals mainly brokered by Egypt. For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App ||||| ‘The US ambassador in Tel Aviv is a settler and a son of a dog,’ Abbas said in comments to Palestinian leaders in Ramallah. (Photo: AP) Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas labelled the US ambassador to Israel David Friedman a "son of a dog" Tuesday during an attack on Donald Trump's policies. The scathing comments come with US President Trump still expected to launch a plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians despite Abbas boycotting his administration over his controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "The US ambassador in Tel Aviv is a settler and a son of a dog," Abbas said in comments to Palestinian leaders in Ramallah. Relations between Abbas's government and Trump's administration have broken down since the White House recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December. The Palestinians also see the disputed city as the capital of their future state and have refused to meet with Trump's envoys since. Friedman, who was Trump's personal lawyer before being appointed in 2017, is a longstanding supporter of settlement building in the occupied West Bank, considered illegal under international law. In response to Abbas, Friedman, who is Jewish, told a conference that Abbas's comments could have anti-Semitic connotations. "His response was to refer to me as son of a dog. Is that anti-Semitism or political discourse? I leave that up to you," he said, according to a US embassy spokeswoman. Abbas's comments appeared to be in response to a tweet by Friedman earlier on Monday. In it he referred to an attack in the West Bank as "in the north", raising questions over whether he views it as part of Israeli territory, and accused Abbas's Palestinian Authority (PA) of failing to condemn it. "Such brutality and no condemnation from the PA!" he tweeted, referring to a Friday car ramming that killed two soldiers and a Sunday stabbing in Jerusalem that left an Israeli dead, both carried out by Palestinians. Israel has militarily occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem since 1967. Abbas's government has limited autonomy in parts of the West Bank, while the Jewish state annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community. All countries currently have their embassies in Tel Aviv and view the future status of Jerusalem as a matter to be negotiated between the parties. But in December Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital and in May Friedman will become the first US ambassador in the city as the embassy is moved. Separately during the speech, Abbas accused rival Palestinian faction Hamas of a bomb attack targeting his prime minister Rami Hamdallah last week and threatened fresh sanctions against the Islamist movement. Abbas had previously said Hamas was responsible as it controls security in the Palestinian enclave, but Monday evening said it was "behind the attack". Hamdallah was uninjured in last Tuesday's attack, which saw a roadside bomb explode as his convoy entered Gaza in what Palestinian officials have called an assassination attempt. Six of his security guards were lightly hurt. In the speech to Palestinian leaders in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Abbas said if the attack had succeeded it would have "opened the way for a bloody civil war". Hamas did not immediately respond to the comments. The Islamists and Abbas's secular party Fatah have been at odds since 2007 when Hamas seized control of Gaza in a near civil war. Abbas controls the internationally recognised Palestinian government, based in the occupied West Bank which Hamdallah leads. Abbas has previously taken a series of measures, including reducing electricity payments for Gaza's two million residents, in what analysts said was an attempt to punish Hamas. Hamas and Fatah agreed a reconciliation agreement in October but it has collapsed. ||||| The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the U.S. ambassador to Israel a "son of a dog" and a "settler" in a fiery speech, receiving criticism from the U.S. and Israel. "What can we expect the U.S. Ambassador to Tel Aviv? He defends the construction of homes on occupied territory. He and his family bought homes in these occupied settlements, he is the son of a dog," Abbas said. On Tuesday, Israeli Minister for Regional Cooperation Tzachi Hanegbi called the statement "inflammatory" and "inexcusable." "Negotiations, not insults and hate, are the path to peace and prosperity in the region," Hanegbi said in a tweet a day after U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman insinuated that the remark is anti-Semitic. The war of words comes at a low point in U.S.-Palestinian relations. U.S. President Donald Trump recognized the contested city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December, sparking Palestinian outrage. Abbas has since said that the U.S. can no longer maintain its decades-long role as the main mediator between Israelis and Palestinians, while the White House says it is still planning to release a peace plan. Speaking at the start of a Palestinian leadership meeting in Ramallah on Monday, Abbas also sharply increased tensions with the rival Hamas faction, saying that Hamas was behind an assassination attempt on the Palestinian prime minister last week. Abbas, who controls the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority government, said that he would respond to the attack with "national, legal, and financial measures." The Palestinian leader's strong words appear to foreshadow a new pressure campaign against Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. Abbas has already withheld electricity payments to the coastal enclave in an attempt to pressure Hamas to cede power, causing blackouts for Gaza residents.
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Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas insults U.S. Ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman, calling him a "son of a dog" when he says Israeli settlers build on their land in the occupied West Bank. The U.S. warns Abbas to "choose between hate and peace".
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Appeal judges have ruled that a Scottish court has to properly examine claims that the UK should be able to unilaterally abandon Brexit without permission from other EU member states. A panel of three judges led by Scotland’s most senior judge, Lord Carloway, the lord president, said the cross-party group of politicians behind the case had raised a point “of great importance” that had to be fully heard. The group, which includes Labour, Scottish Green party, Scottish National party and Liberal Democrat politicians, wants the European court of justice to issue a definitive ruling on whether the UK can unilaterally withdraw its article 50 letter which triggered the Brexit process. They say UK government ministers and the European commission are wrong to insist that the article 50 process can only be abandoned if all the other 27 EU member states agree. They argue that EU treaties make no mention of that condition. The group, whose members include MSPs from Holyrood, Westminster MPs and two MEPs, need the permission of a Scottish court to send the case to the European court. The appeal hearing at the court of session, Scotland’s civil court, was arranged after another judge, Lord Doherty, had thrown out the group’s initial application for an interim hearing of the case for a referral to the European court. The appeal hearing ruled Doherty was wrong to claim the issue was hypothetical and academic since the UK government had insisted it had no intention of abandoning Brexit and so far there was no evidence parties at Westminster would block it. Carloway said that raised significant problems for the petitioners because the statements so far by UK ministers on whether article 50 could be unilaterally withdrawn were ambiguous. Even so, in a legal victory for the petitioners, Carloway said they were right to argue that the Westminster parliament was sovereign. “The issue of whether it is legally possible to revoke the notice of withdrawal is one of great importance,” he said. “After all, if parliament is to be regarded as sovereign, the government’s position on the legality of revoking the notice may not be decisive.” ||||| A legal challenge to the UK Government on Brexit can proceed to a full hearing in the Scottish courts, the country's most senior judge has ruled. Lord Carloway, the Lord President, said a previous decision to dismiss the case had "erred" in ruling that there was "no real prospect of success". He has now granted permission for the challenge - which has been brought by a cross-party group of politicians from Holyrood and the European Parliament - to proceed. Jo Maugham QC, director of the Good Law Project and one of the petitioners, tweeted: "The Inner House of the Court of Session has given us permission." While Lord Carloway was critical of the "rhetoric and extraneous and irrelevant material" in the petition, he stated there was a "point of substance" which should be "argued in the normal way" in court. Labour, Scottish Green and SNP representatives united to bring forward the legal challenge, with Green MSPs Andy Wightman and Ross Greer, SNP MEP Alyn Smith and Labour MEPs David Martin and Catherine Stihler all involved, along with Mr Maugham. The group believe the UK Parliament could unilaterally halt the Brexit process if the final deal negotiated by the Government is rejected by MPs in the House of Commons. They claim this offers a third option, instead of Britain having to choose between a bad deal on the UK's future relationship with Europe or crashing out of the EU with no deal. The group is ultimately seeking a definitive ruling from the European Court of Justice (CJEU) on whether the withdrawal process triggered under Article 50 of theTreaty on European Union can be revoked by the UK on its own, without first securing the consent of the other 27 EU member states. Their legal team went to the Court of Session - Scotland's highest civil court - in Edinburgh in February to ask a judge to refer the question to the Luxembourg court. Judge Lord Doherty originally refused to move the case on, saying the issue was "hypothetical and academic", and that he is "not satisfied the application has a real prospect of success". However, in his opinion Lord Carloway said: "The issue of whether it is legally possible to revoke the notice of withdrawal is, as already stated, one of great importance." He added: "On one view, authoritative guidance on whether it is legally possible to do so may have the capacity to influence Members of Parliament in deciding what steps to take in advance of, and at the time of, a debate and vote on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. "After all, if Parliament is to be regarded as sovereign, the Government's position on the legality of revoking the notice may not be decisive." Lord Carloway said that given the case related to "a matter of very great constitutional importance", the court had taken "quite some time to consider the petition" - although he said this was "an exceptional course and it is not one which a court should follow in the ordinary case". ||||| A legal attempt by anti-Brexit campaigners to establish that Britain could unilaterally reverse Brexit was given a boost on Tuesday by Scotland's top court, which said it wants to examine the case in greater depth. The group behind the legal challenge, who include pro-EU Scottish lawmakers, want to show that Britain could stay in the European Union after all -- if, for example, the final terms of Brexit negotiated by the government were rejected by parliament. The campaigners are ultimately seeking a formal opinion by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) asserting that Britain could reverse its decision to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, the formal step that kickstarted the Brexit process. They argue that once the terms of Brexit have been negotiated, Britain's sovereign parliament may well decide not to go ahead with it, so lawmakers need to know in advance if that is legally possible. As things stand, there is no suggestion of a change of course over Brexit, which British voters backed by 52 to 48 percent in a June 2016 referendum. The ruling Conservative Party and main opposition Labour Party are both committed to Britain leaving the European Union. The legal case, headed by anti-Brexit campaigning lawyer Jolyon Maugham, had been rejected by a lower Scottish court. The British government argued that the question of whether Britain could unilaterally stop Brexit was irrelevant because the will of the voters was clear and the government was not going to back out of Brexit. On Tuesday, the Court of Session, Scotland's highest court, overturned an earlier ruling, saying the case raised important issues and there should be a full hearing so all the arguments could be debated. "The issue of whether it is legally possible to revoke the notice of withdrawal is, as already stated, one of great importance," the Court of Session said, referring to the Article 50 process which started in March 2017. "On one view, authoritative guidance on whether it is legally possible to do so may have the capacity to influence(lawmakers) in deciding what steps to take in advance of, and at the time of, a debate and vote on the European Union(Withdrawal) Bill." Once a full hearing has taken place in Edinburgh, a decision will be made on whether to refer it to the ECJ, the court said, although it may ultimately decide that it should not. If the Scottish court decided not to refer to the ECJ, the petitioners can take their appeal to Britain's Supreme Court. They argue that while there is no doubt that Britain could stop Brexit with the permission of the other 27 members, it should seek to establish a legal right to do so unilaterally whether the rest of the bloc likes it or not. ||||| A group of Scottish politicians who want to stop Brexit have won an appeal to have their case heard at the Court of Session. The petitioners want the European Court of Justice to decide if the UK could unilaterally halt the withdrawal process. Those behind the petition include two Green MSPs as well as Labour and SNP MEPs. The UK Government has argued that triggering Article 50 means Brexit cannot be halted and the only two options are to leave with an agreed deal or to exit without a deal at all. Earlier this year, Lord Doherty of the court's Outer House threw out the petition, calling it "hypothetical and academic", but appeal judges ruled on Tuesday that he had "erred" and the case should indeed be considered at the Court of Session. The Court of Session will now decide whether to refer the case to the European Court of Justice, the highest court in EU law, to give its opinion on the question. In his written judgment on the appeal, Lord Carroway wrote: "The issue of whether it is legally possible to revoke the notice of withdrawal is, as already stated, one of great importance. "On one view, authoritative guidance on whether it is legally possible to do so may have the capacity to influence Members of Parliament in deciding what steps to take in advance of, and at the time of a debate and vote on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. "After all, if Parliament is to be regarded as sovereign, the government's position on the legality of revoking the notice many not be decisive." He added later: "In short, therefore, having regard to all the circumstances, the court is of the view that the Lord Ordinary erred in holding that there is no 'real prospect of success' in this petition. "There is a point of substance, albeit one heavily concealed by the averments which should be argued in the normal way." Download: The STV News app is Scotland's favourite and is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from Google Play. Download it today and continue to enjoy STV News wherever you are. ||||| A legal attempt by anti-Brexit campaigners to establish that Britain could unilaterally reverse Brexit was given a boost on Tuesday by Scotland's top court, which said it wants to examine the case in greater depth. The group behind the legal challenge, who include pro-EU Scottish lawmakers, want to show that Britain could stay in the European Union after all, if for example the Brexit negotiations resulted in an unfavourable deal. The campaigners are ultimately seeking a formal opinion by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) asserting that Britain could reverse its decision to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, the formal step that kickstarted the Brexit process. They argue that once the terms of Brexit have been negotiated, Britain's sovereign parliament may well decide not to go ahead with it, so lawmakers need to know in advance if that is legally possible. As things stand, there is no suggestion of a change of course over Brexit, which British voters backed by 52 to 48 per cent in a June 2016 referendum. The ruling Conservative Party and main opposition Labour Party are both committed to Britain leaving the European Union. The legal case, spearheaded by anti-Brexit campaigning lawyer Jolyon Maugham, had been rejected by a lower Scottish court. On Tuesday, the Court of Session, Scotland's highest court, rejected the earlier ruling, saying the case raised important issues and there should be a full hearing so all the arguments can be developed. Once such a hearing has taken place, a decision will be made on whether the case should be referred to the ECJ. If it ultimately requests the ECJ clarify the issue, the Luxembourg-based court will be "bound to reply to the questions asked," the court said. The petitioners argue that while there is no doubt that Britain could stop Brexit with the permission of the other 27 members, it should seek to establish a legal right to do so unilaterally whether the rest of the bloc likes it or not. The British government argues that the question of whether it alone can stop Brexit is irrelevant, since the issue was decided by the 2016 referendum and there are no plans for a second referendum. The petitioners have said they will go all the way to Britain's Supreme Court if necessary. ||||| A cross-party group of Scottish politicians has won permission for a judicial review of whether the UK can unilaterally revoke Article 50. The MEPs and MSPs want to get a ruling from the European Court of Justice on whether Brexit could be called off. Lord Doherty had originally rejected their application for a review, saying it had little prospect of success. However, after an appeal a panel of judges said there was "a point of substance" to be addressed in the case. Lord Carloway, Scotland's top judge, overturned Lord Doherty's decision and has allowed permission for a judicial review to proceed. The legal action was launched by a group of politicians from the SNP, Labour, the Scottish Greens and the Lib Dems following a crowdfunding campaign. The politicians, who are backed by the Good Law Project campaign group, said they were seeking "clarity to inform the democratic process" on whether Brexit could be halted, so that politicians know "what options are open to them". They want their case referred to the EU's Court of Justice to determine whether it would be lawful for the UK to revoke Article 50, the mechanism which was used to trigger exit in March 2017. However Lord Doherty said that "given that neither parliament nor the government has any wish to withdraw the notification", the question whether or not it could be done unilaterally "is hypothetical and academic". He said: "The fact of the matter is that parliament has not proposed, let alone enacted, legislation directed to the United Kingdom's withdrawal of its Article 50 notification. "The government's policy is not in conflict with the legislative will of parliament. Parliament authorised the government to give the notification. Neither parliament nor the government wishes that the notification be withdrawn. "In those circumstances it is not a matter which this court, or the Court of Justice of the European Union, require to adjudicate upon." The politicians appealed against this ruling, and this was subsequently considered by a panel of judges in the Inner House of the Court of Session, led by Lord Carloway. He was critical of the arguments put forward, saying the petition had "significant problems" and calling the position of the UK government "ambiguous". He said that if the petition was "shorn of its rhetoric and extraneous and irrelevant material and reduced, after adjustment, to a manageable size", then "a case of substance - albeit not necessarily one which is likely to succeed - can be discovered". Lord Carloway added: "The issue of whether it is legally possible to revoke the notice of withdrawal is one of great importance. On one view, authoritative guidance on whether it is legally possible to do so may have the capacity to influence members of parliament in deciding what steps to take in advance of, and at the time of, a debate and vote on the EU Withdrawal Bill. "After all, if parliament is to be regarded as sovereign, the government's position on the legality of revoking the notice may not be decisive." He concluded that there was "a point of substance, albeit one heavily concealed" in the case, "which should be argued in the normal way". The judge said he would allow some time for the two sides to formulate their arguments before further hearings in the Scottish courts are set. ||||| EDINBURGH, March 20 (Reuters) - - Scotland's top court gave a favourable ruling on Tuesday to a legal case brought by anti-Brexit campaigners seeking to obtain a court opinion that Britain could unilaterally reverse Brexit if it wanted to. The campaigners want a formal opinion by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) asserting that Britain could reverse its decision to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, the formal step that kickstarted the Brexit process. Scotland's Court of Session, reversing an unfavourable ruling by a lower court, said that the case should be given consideration by the ECJ. The case will not go directly the the ECJ, however, as it must clear other legal hurdles within Britain. The campaigners have said they would go all the way to Britain's Supreme Court if necessary to make their case. (Reporting by Elisabeth O'Leary; Editing by Estelle Shirbon) ||||| A cross party group of Scottish politicians have won the right to have their attempt to find out if Brexit can be cancelled heard in the courts. The group of Green, SNP and Labour politicians are attempting to find out if the UK can go to the European Court of Justice for a judicial review on whether it can unilaterally withdraw its Article 50 notification. Earlier this year a judge at the Court of Session refused to allow their action to proceed. Lord Doherty rejected their application on the grounds that “the prospect of success falls very far short”. But Andy Wightman and Ross Greer of the Greens, the SNP MEP Alyn Smith and Labour MEP’s David Martin and Catherine Stihler have successfully appealed Lord Docherty’s decision. In upholding the politicians’ appeal in the Court of Session the Lord President Lord Carloway said a “case of substance albeit not necessarily one which is likely to succeed, can be discovered”. Lord Carloway said: “The issue of whether it is legally possible to revoke the notice of withdrawal is, as already stated, one of great importance. On one view, authoritative guidance on whether it is legally possible to do so may have the capacity to influence Members of Parliament in deciding what steps to take in advance of, and at the time of, a debate and vote on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. After all, if Parliament is to be regarded as sovereign, the Government’s position on the legality of revoking the notice may not be decisive.“ DOWNLOAD THE SCOTSMAN APP ON ITUNES OR GOOGLE PLAY ||||| The Scottish government's alternative to the EU Withdrawal Bill has been passed by MSPs. Ministers put forward their "continuity bill" as part of an ongoing row over UK frameworks of post-Brexit powers. It has undergone more than 20 hours of debate and scrutiny across three weeks, and the finalised bill was backed by a margin of 95 votes to 32. Brexit minister Mike Russell said he still hoped to strike a deal with the UK government rather than use the bill. There is now a period of four weeks in which a Supreme Court legal challenge could be lodged by law officers. The UK government said the competence of the bill - previously questioned by Holyrood Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh - would be "considered".
• What is the continuity bill?
• Look back on the debate and vote on Holyrood Live The UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill was put forward as an emergency stop-gap measure after Scottish ministers warned they may not put forward the Westminster EU Withdrawal Bill for a consent vote at Holyrood. Both UK and Scottish ministers still say they would rather come to an agreement over post-Brexit powers than have to rely on continuity bills being passed in Edinburgh and Cardiff, but no deal has been yet been finalised despite a series of high-level meetings. The Welsh National Assembly passed its own continuity legislation just hours before the Holyrood bill. All 129 of Holyrood's MSPs were present for the final debate and votes. There was fierce debate once again over section 13 of the bill, despite opposition members stripping back the powers involved in the committee stage. This part of the bill, which is not mirrored in the Westminster legislation, would allow ministers to propose "keeping pace" with EU laws post-Brexit, in order to maintain regulatory equivalence with the EU in key fields. Tory MSP Jamie Greene claimed this was "a back door excuse for the SNP to hand powers back to Brussels", while other members said they were "very extensive" powers to be held by ministers rather than by the parliament. However, Mr Russell argued that the provisions were "necessary", and could indeed prove "vitally important" for fields like environmental protection. Ultimately, 40 amendments were accepted, including proposals from members of all parties. Mr Russell said he was still hopeful that an agreement could be struck with UK ministers over the EU Withdrawal Bill, which would render the Holyrood bill unneeded - but warned that the Westminster bill in its current form is "incompatible with the devolution settlement". He said the continuity bill would ensure that Scottish law could "continue to operate effectively after withdrawal" should members "be unable to consent" to the UK bill, and said passing it proved MSPs were "resolute in defending devolution". He said parliament had "risen to the occasion" of dealing with the bill in emergency procedure - which included 11 hours of scrutiny by the finance committee, sifting through 231 proposed amendments. After the final vote, Mr Russell said: "We are still committed to discussions with the UK government. We now expect them to acknowledge the overwhelming view expressed by the Scottish Parliament - and the Welsh National Assembly - and come forward with proposals that respect the devolution settlement and allow us to come to an agreement." The Scottish Conservatives were the only party to wholly oppose the bill, with Labour and the Greens backing it and the Lib Dems split. Tory MSP Adam Tomkins said there were "grave doubts" about the competence of the bill, urging law officers to refer it to the Supreme Court - something Mr Russell rejected, saying ministers had "no doubt" the legislation was above board. He contended that the bill was "bad law which we have been asked to make badly", with a "rushed, reckless" passage through parliament. He also claimed it "trespasses on reserved powers" - something he said did not "respect the devolution settlement" or the UK's constitution. Mr Tomkins said the "real purpose" of the bill was to "sow the seeds of division within the United Kingdom", to "create legal chaos and confusion". Labour's Neil Findlay also said he would prefer a deal to be done with UK ministers, saying: "We should not easily forget that it is the Tories that have gotten us into this mess and time is running out for them to get us out of it." Green MSP Patrick Harvie urged ministers to "defend this bill robustly" if it is challenged, praising MSPs for maximising the amount of cross-party scrutiny MSPs managed to carry out despite the emergency timetable. And Lib Dem Tavish Scott noted that "most of us would rather not be here", saying that the day the UK leaves the EU would be a "bad day" - adding that parliament would have a "huge workload" in the aftermath. The Lib Dems were divided in the final vote, with Mike Rumbles saying he wanted "no part of voting for what I believe to be an illegal bill". What happens next? The bill has been passed by MSPs, but it is not yet on the statute books. There is now a 28-day period in which law officers - such as Scotland's Lord Advocate James Wolffe, the UK's top law officer in Scotland, Advocate General Lord Keen, or Attorney General Jeremy Wright - can trigger a legal challenge. If any of them think the bill might be acting beyond Holyrood's powers - as Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh thinks it might be - they could refer the case to the Supreme Court in London. If there were a legal challenge during this period, the bill would have to wait until the case was settled before it could receive Royal Assent and actually enter into law. This would be unprecedented at Holyrood - law officers have never sent a Scottish bill to the Supreme Court, although there have been a few examples concerning the National Assembly for Wales. As such, its hard to know what the timeline would be for any court case - but given the significance of the bill, it might be reasonable to expect the court to treat it as a high priority. After the Queen has signed off the bill, there could still be a legal challenge from any party with a relevant interest - like in the case of alcohol minimum pricing, which was held up for several years by challenges from the drinks industry. Of course, at any point through this process, a deal over devolved powers could be struck between Scottish and UK ministers - which would see the Scottish government move to withdraw the bill wholesale. To this end, a "self-destruct" clause has been written into the bill, which allows MSPs to repeal the bill via a vote of parliament. ||||| The voice of Remain voters in Scotland has been muted as political parties concentrate on protecting the devolution settlement or arguing for a soft Brexit, a think tank has warned. The Scottish Centre on European Relations (SCER), which celebrates its first anniverary this week, claimed “all remains to be played for” ahead of Brexit despite there being an “untapped energy, anger, concern and passion” north of the Border on the issue of leaving the European Union. “Given Theresa May’s stance on leaving the EU’s customs union and single market, the UK is heading, at best, for a ‘Canada-dry’ free trade deal with the EU,” said SCER director Dr Kirsty Hughes. “That could cut UK-EU trade by almost half – and by more for services trade. “So why is the Remain voice in Scotland so muted? Current polls show two-thirds or more of Scottish voters now support ‘remain’. The other third are split between those who want Brexit as part of the UK and the ‘yes leavers’ who want independence outside the EU. On top of the ‘power grab’ over devolved powers, a cross-party outcry and campaign against Brexit might not seem unreasonable. “But we are a long way now from the 92-0 vote in the Scottish Parliament (with the Tories abstaining), a week after the Brexit vote in 2016, to explore ways to keep Scotland in the EU and its single market. The ambition fell rapidly from staying in the EU to a focus on the single market – and currently Scottish Labour isn’t even supporting that.” READ MORE: Brexit ‘will not be constitutional game changer’ for SNP The SCER was established in Edinburgh as a non-aligned independent think tank with the aim of informing the debate on Europe and providing high-quality research and analysis on EU developments. It has launched an online fundraiser with a view to funding its work for another year. Dr Hughes added: “It’s a year since Nicola Sturgeon’s abortive attempt to hold a second independence referendum on the back of Brexit. The Scottish Government continues to repeatedly express its ‘regret’ at the UK leaving the EU and to state that the best option would be to stay. But there is no strategy to back this up: how does the Scottish Government think this might happen and what is its role in pushing for a halt to Brexit? “Instead, the Scottish Government’s main efforts are focused on two areas: protecting the devolution settlement including through its introduction of an EU ‘continuity’ bill at Holyrood; and linking up with Labour rebels, LibDem and Green MPs at Westminster to argue for a ‘soft’ Brexit of staying in the customs union and single market.” Brexit minister Michael Russell said the Scottish Government was already working hard to mitigate any potential damage caused by the decision to leave the EU. “The people of Scotland voted overwhelmingly – by a 24-point margin – to remain in the European Union,” he said. And, short of continued EU membership, the least damaging outcome for Scotland and the UK is continued membership of the single market, which is around eight times bigger than the UK’s alone, and customs union. “The Scottish Government has set out both the significant impact of Brexit on Scotland and detailed practical policy proposals for how Scotland can retain a future relationship with the EU – indeed we were the first administration in the UK to do this in December 2016, with further information published in January this year. We will continue to work to mitigate the damage Brexit will cause to jobs, trade, investment, education and to our public services. In everything we do, we will continue to seek agreement in the best interests of the people of Scotland.”
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The Court of Session allows an appeal by a cross-party group of Scottish politicians seeking court permission for a referral to the European Court of Justice. The group wish for a ruling that the UK can abandon Brexit without permission from the European Union's other member states. A lower court will examine the claim.
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The beloved local motto — repeated with equal pride by college students, self-proclaimed slackers, 20-something tech hotshots and high-priced lobbyists — isn’t supposed to apply to something as sinister as the string of deadly recent bombings. The blasts have sent a deep chill through a hipster city known for warm weather, live music, barbeque and, above all, not taking itself too seriously. Could all that make Austin, whose population and economy are booming, whose politics are liberal and whose diversity is rich more likely to be targeted? No one really knows. Police in the Texas capital are still working to determine a motive for the five bombings that have killed two people and wounded four others since March 2. The blasts have struck multiple locations, making detecting a pattern difficult. The first three explosives were hidden in packages left on doorsteps, while a bomb that went off on Sunday used a more sophisticated tripwire. Another parcel detonated Tuesday at a FedEx processing facility in Schertz, about 60 miles from Austin, near San Antonio. Investigators say the blasts could be acts of domestic terrorism or possibly hate crimes since the victims of the first attacks were all black and Hispanic, though the two men hurt in Sunday’s explosion were white. The package shipped via FedEx came from Austin and was heading back to an Austin address, but authorities have not divulged details about where it was going. “For us, it’s personal. This is our home,” Police Chief Brian Manley said Tuesday. He noted that many crime statics still rank Austin among the nation’s safest cities. “We’re facing a big challenge, and we will get through this,” Manley said. “We don’t want to lose, in the middle of all this, that we’re still a safe city.” The population has grown from less than 800,000 in 2010 to nearly 930,000 two years ago, according to census figures and city estimates. Factor in suburbs that have sprawled past Austin’s northern and southern limits and the growth is even faster. The expansion has been fueled by an increasingly large Hispanic community, which has helped make Austin more diverse. Nelson Linder, president of the Austin chapter of the NAACP, originally suggested it was no coincidence that the first two blasts hit victims with ties to people active in Austin’s black community. But Sunday’s explosion involved a tripwire along a public trail that could have ensnared anyone. Now the entire city is watching closely. “It got everybody’s attention,” Linder said. “No one is safe.” Austin is also a liberal bastion, happy to be the blue hole in the middle of the deeply conservative red doughnut of Texas. Its economic surge has been anchored by a thriving tech sector featuring companies like Dell, Samsung and Apple. Facebook and Google also have offices here, and there’s a chance Amazon’s coveted HQ2 could being coming as well. Ken Herman, an Austin American-Statesman columnist with a wickedly dry wit who has lived in the city since 1979 except for five years when he worked in Washington, puzzled over the question of why. “There’s a lot of new people who come to town, and maybe they’re not accepted in for some reason — although this is a fairly accepting community, even if you’re from California,” Herman said. “It could be someone who says, ‘Austin isn’t what it used to be.’ Who knows? That’s what so diabolical about this.” Austin has endured dark times before. It was still a sleepy college town in August 1966, when Marine-trained sniper Charles Whitman climbed to the observation deck of a clock tower on the University of Texas campus and opened fire in an attack that introduced Americans to the idea of a mass shooting. Still, the bombings have not scared people into staying home or disrupted daily routines. Two bombs exploded during the South By Southwest festival last week, but the blasts were far from the main attractions. A PGA golf tournament begins Wednesday on the city’s western outskirts, well removed from any blast site. Austin is also home to the UT campus, one of the nation’s largest universities, with about 50,000 students. Fall football games draw 100,000 fans. But no bombs have so far been placed near the university, and they have similarly spared the city’s tech and entertainment districts. Instead the explosions have hit nondescript suburban enclaves that could be neighborhoods anywhere. Noel Holmes lives in the one where Sunday’s bombing happened. She said the attack left her and many others simply shaking their heads. “I’m hoping someone turns this person in,” Holmes said. “Or that serial bomber will find another neighborhood to put the fear of God in.” ||||| (CNN) Austin, Texas has been on edge after a string of package bomb explosions -- but a possible blast reported Tuesday night turned out to be unrelated, police say. The latest incident turned out to be a Goodwill worker who was injured by simulated military ordnance in a donation box. The worker's injuries were not life-threatening and he was treated and released from a hospital, officials said. Earlier, authorities said they were responding to a report of a possible explosion, setting off fears a serial bomber had struck again in the Texas capital. The Goodwill employee found two artillery simulators in a box of dropped-off items, and was injured when one of the ordnances "initiated," Assistant Chief of Austin Police Ely Reyes told reporters. "This incident is not related to any of the other incidents that we've had here in Austin," Reyes said at a late-night news conference. He added that it didn't appear a copycat was responsible for the Goodwill box. #UPDATE: There was no package explosion in the 9800 block of Brodie Ln. Items inside package was not a bomb, rather an incendiary device. At this time, we have no reason to believe this incident is related to previous package bombs. #Breaking #packagebombmurders — Austin Police Dept (@Austin_Police) March 21, 2018 The news of the incident came on a day two packages, one in a different part of Texas, caused authorities to widen their investigation. The two packages, one that exploded at a FedEx sorting center near San Antonio and another later discovered back in Austin, are connected to four bombings in Austin, law enforcement agencies said Tuesday evening. The ATF tweeted Tuesday evening that it, the FBI and Austin police had confirmed the connection. One package Tuesday injured a FedEx worker in Schertz, near San Antonio, when the parcel went off just after midnight, officials said. Schertz is a little more than an hour southwest of Austin. A second package, which was found at a FedEx facility near Austin's international airport, was being examined by authorities, the FBI's San Antonio office said in a tweet Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday's developments added to the anxiety in the state capital, where four package bombs that caused two deaths and reports of other dubious parcels have Austin in what one US lawmaker from Texas described as "absolute panic." Key developments • A FedEx spokesman, Jim McCluskey, said of the person who sent the package that exploded Tuesday, "The individual responsible also shipped a second package that has now been secured and turned over to law enforcement." • The company also gave law enforcement "extensive evidence related to these packages and the individual that shipped them collected from our advanced technology security systems," McCluskey added in a statement. An ATF vehicle sits at a FedEx sorting center where a package exploded Tuesday in Schertz, Texas. • The FBI is investigating a "confirmed link" between packages involved in the Austin investigations and a mail delivery office in Sunset Valley, southwest of downtown Austin, police in Sunset Valley said Tuesday. They did not indicate which packages were connected to the Sunset Valley office. • The FedEx explosion represents a new method for the bomber or bombers. None of the four previous explosives was shipped, police have said. • Schertz Police Chief Michael Hansen said he was confident the package that exploded there was not meant to target that facility or the city, though he wouldn't say why. • FBI Special Agent James Smith declined to answer reporters' questions about whether the package that blew up was destined for Austin. Smith also said he had no reason to believe people in Schertz face any threat. • There have been more than 1,200 calls about suspicious packages that have come in since March 12, Austin police said • Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee asked an FBI acting deputy director for a briefing in Washington on efforts to find the bomb maker. "There is absolute panic in Austin," said Jackson-Lee, who represents Houston. • President Donald Trump did not comment when asked Tuesday if he thought the bombings were acts of domestic terrorism. Trump called the situation "absolutely disgraceful" and said of those responsible: "We have to find them really immediately." The four Austin bombings In Austin, authorities have been combing for clues to the four explosions there, the first three of which involved cardboard packages left in front yards or on porches. They weren't delivered by the US Postal Service or services such as UPS or FedEx, police say. Those three explosions -- one on March 2 and two more on March 12 -- killed or wounded three African-American people and one Hispanic person. The blasts happened in east Austin areas that predominantly have minority residents, and some in the area expressed concern the attacks might have been racially motivated Police have not uncovered a motive and have not ruled out the possibility those bombings could be hate crimes. In the fourth blast, a device Sunday was triggered by a tripwire, injuring two white men, police said. It had been left on the side of a road in a predominantly white area. Those men are in good condition at St. David's South Austin Medical Center, a hospital representative said. "The use of a tripwire is far less discriminating than leaving parcel bombs at residences and suggests that (Sunday's) victims were not specifically targeted," the global think tank Stratfor said in one of its Threat Lens reports. At the Schertz FedEx facility, a package that was moving along an automated conveyor exploded around 12:25 a.m. Tuesday, Hansen said. A worker standing near the explosion suffered minor injuries and was treated and released, officials said. If one perpetrator is behind all five blasts, then the person deployed an unusually wide range of skills and delivery methods, CNN law enforcement analyst James Gagliano said. "Some of these folks ... as long as the bomb maker walks away with 10 fingers and 10 toes, that's successful to them," said Gagliano, a retired FBI supervisory special agent. "But the method, the delivery system and the different means that he's having these things in place shows that he's trying to show -- if it's the same person on all five of these -- a full panoply of different ways of doing this," he added, "and that's frightening." Three members of the Congressional Black Caucus called Monday for federal officials to classify the bombings as terrorist attacks and determine whether they are "ideologically or racially motivated." 'I was pretty scared' Brian Jaimes, 19, a package handler at the FedEx facility near Austin where investigators were working on a suspicious package, said employees were called to the front office and then told to leave the building. "I was pretty scared," said Jaimes, who has worked at the facility for four months. When asked whether the news about the bombings has made him nervous about coming to work, he said: "I try not to think about it, especially since I work (at a package shipper)." What agencies are involved? More than 350 special agents assigned by the FBI, as well as Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and forensic investigators in Quantico, Virginia, are on the Austin case. At the state level, about 100 Texas Department of Public Safety officers, sergeants and special agents as well as the Texas Ranger bomb squad, bomb-sniffing dogs, intelligence agents and helicopters are also involved, CNN affiliate KXAN reported. Police departments in Houston and San Antonio are sending bomb technicians and canine teams to Austin, their police chiefs said Monday. How are they examining the evidence? ATF has taken evidence from the four blast sites in Austin, Police Chief Brian Manley said. "The prior three scenes are already in the lab at Quantico, and the evidence from the scene from last night is on its way to Quantico as well," he told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Monday night. "They're looking at the devices, they're comparing them, looking for similarities," he said. "The similarities they've seen to this point, lead them to believe -- as we do -- that these are all being constructed by the same person or persons who are responsible for this." How are officials handling the tips? Austin police have received lots of tips, Manley said Monday night. "As each tip comes in, it gets assigned to either a team of FBI agents, ATF agents or Austin police detectives to do follow-up work on," he said. Manley urged residents to call police with any information. "No matter how inconsequential you think it may be, that may be the piece of evidence we need to link it together and solve this before we have someone else in our community that gets seriously injured or killed," he said. What are police asking residents to do? Police are appealing to residents to pay attention to their surroundings. Residents shouldn't approach or touch anything that looks suspicious, Manley said. JUST WATCHED Austin police: We're dealing with a serial bomber Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Austin police: We're dealing with a serial bomber 01:13 "We now need the community to have an extra level of vigilance and pay attention to any suspicious device -- whether it be a package or a bag, a backpack -- anything that looks out of place," he said Monday. "Do not approach items like that." ||||| Investigators are trying to determine whether an explosion early Tuesday at a FedEx facility outside San Antonio is connected to four explosions that have rattled the Austin, Texas, area this month. The most recent blast happened inside a FedEx facility in Schertz, Texas, FBI San Antonio spokeswoman Michelle Lee said. Schertz is a San Antonio suburb that is roughly an hour's drive southwest of Austin. One FedEx team member suffered minor injuries when a "single package exploded" at the ground sorting facility, company spokesman Jim McCluskey said Tuesday in a statement. An ATF spokeswoman earlier had said no injuries were reported. "We are not providing any additional specific information about this package at this time," McCluskey said. Based on preliminary information gathered at the scene, Lee said there could be a connection with the four Austin explosions, which killed two people and injured four others over 17 days starting March 2. "We suspect it is related to our investigation," Lee said. If the FedEx incident is confirmed to be linked to the Austin blasts, it would represent a new method for the suspect or suspects. None of the four previous explosives was mailed. The ATF could not confirm that the latest explosion is associated with the Austin blasts, ATF spokeswoman Nicole Strong said. The ATF's Houston field division is at the FedEx facility in Schertz, the agency said on Twitter. FedEx is "working closely with law enforcement in their investigation," McCluskey said. In Austin, authorities have been combing for clues to the four explosions there -- the first three of which involved cardboard packages that were left in front yards or porches and weren't delivered the US Postal Service or services such as UPS or FedEx, police say. In the fourth blast, a device was triggered by a tripwire Sunday, injuring two men, police said.
• President Donald Trump has been briefed on the Austin bombings, a White House spokesman said Monday, adding that the White House pledges its support to local law enforcement.
• Three members of the Congressional Black Caucus called Monday for federal officials to classify the bombings as terrorist attacks and determine whether they are "ideologically or racially motivated."
• The NAACP called the incidents "acts of domestic terrorism" and called for vigilance and caution for communities in Austin. More than 350 special agents assigned by the FBI, as well as ATF agents and forensic investigators in Quantico, Virginia, are on the case. On the state level, about 100 Texas Department of Public Safety officers, sergeants, and special agents, as well as the Texas Ranger bomb squad, bomb-sniffing dogs, intelligence agents and helicopters are also involved, reported CNN affiliate KXAN. Police departments in Houston and San Antonio are sending bomb technicians and canine teams to Austin, their police chiefs said Monday. How are they examining the evidence? ATF has taken evidence from the four blast sites, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said. "The prior three scenes are already in the lab at Quantico, and the evidence from the scene from last night is on its way to Quantico as well," he told CNN's Anderson Cooper Monday night. "They're looking at the devices, they're comparing them, looking for similarities," he said. "The similarities they've seen to this point, lead them to believe -- as we do -- that these are all being constructed by the same person or persons who are responsible for this." How are they handling the tips? Austin police has received lots of tips, Manley said Monday night. "As each tip comes in, it gets assigned to either a team of FBI agents, ATF agents or Austin Police detectives to do follow-up work on," he said. Manley also urged residents to call police with any tips they may have. "No matter how inconsequential you think it may be, that may be the piece of evidence we need to link it together and solve this, before we have someone else in our community that gets seriously injured or killed," he said. What resources are they getting? Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced more than $265,500 in emergency funding for the Austin Police Department and the Texas Ranger Response Team to purchase seven portable X-ray systems. The systems can be used at the scene so they can quickly assess the safety of packages. "I want to ensure everyone in the Austin region and the entire state that Texas is committed to providing every resource necessary to make sure these crimes are solved as quickly as possible," Abbott said in a statement. The reward for information leading to the arrest of anyone responsible for the blasts is at a total of $115,000. What are police asking residents to do? Police are appealing to residents to pay attention to their surroundings to see if something looks out of place. Manley told residents not to touch or go near anything that looks suspicious. "We now need the community to have an extra level of vigilance and pay attention to any suspicious device -- whether it be a package or a bag, a backpack -- anything that looks out of place," Manley said Monday. "Do not approach items like that." Authorities are also asking anyone in the neighborhood with security camera footage to call police. Many minority residents in Austin have been on edge since the bombings started, as the first three bombings killed or wounded minorities who received packages at their doors. Police have not discovered a motive, but have not ruled out the possibility those bombings could be hate crimes. The fourth explosion injured two white males, who were injured by a device left on the side of a road and triggered by a tripwire. "The use of a tripwire is far less discriminating than leaving parcel bombs at residences and suggests that the latest victims were not specifically targeted," the global think tank Stratfor Threat Lens said. The use of a tripwire suggests that the bomb maker is perhaps more sophisticated and capable of making a more complex bomb, law enforcement and analysts have said. ||||| Sign up for one of our email newsletters. AUSTIN, Texas — A package bomb that authorities believe is linked to the recent string of Austin bombings exploded early Tuesday inside of a FedEx distribution center near San Antonio, leaving one worker with minor injuries. FBI agent Michelle Lee said the explosion happened at around 1 a.m. at a FedEx facility in Schertz, which is just northeast of San Antonio and about 60 miles (95 kilometers) southwest of Austin. One worker was treated for minor injuries and released, according to statements issued by the Schertz Police Department and FedEx. Lee said that although it is still early in the investigation, “it would be silly for us not to admit that we suspect it's related” to the four Austin bombings that have killed two people and injured four others since March 2. She didn't have details about the size, weight or description of the package. The most recent bombing in Austin injured two men Sunday night in the quiet neighborhood of Travis Country in the southeast of the city. It was triggered along a street by a nearly invisible tripwire, suggesting a “higher level of sophistication” than agents saw in three early package bombs left on doorsteps, according to Fred Milanowski, agent in charge of the Houston division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Sunday's attack means the carnage by a suspected serial bomber that has terrorized Austin for weeks is now random, rather than targeted at someone in particular. Authorities haven't identified the two men injured Sunday, saying only that they are in their 20s and white. But William Grote told The Associated Press on Monday that his grandson was one of them and that he had what appeared to be nails embedded in his knees. Police described the men's injuries as significant, and both remained hospitalized in stable condition on Monday. Grote said his grandson was cognizant but was still in a lot of pain. He said on the night of the bombing, one of the victims was riding a bike in the street and the other was on a sidewalk when they crossed a tripwire that he said knocked “them both off their feet.” “It was so dark they couldn't tell and they tripped,” he said. “They didn't see it. It was a wire. And it blew up.” Grote said his son, who lives about 100 yards (90 meters) from the blast, heard the explosion and raced outside. “Both of them were kind of bleeding profusely,” Grote said. That was a departure from the first three bombings, which involved parcels left on doorsteps that detonated when moved or opened. The tripwire twist heightened the fear around Austin, a town famous for its cool, hipster attitude. “It's creepy,” said Erin Mays, 33. “I'm not a scared person, but this feels very next-door-neighbor kind of stuff.” Authorities repeated prior warnings about not touching unexpected packages and also issued new ones to be wary of any stray object left in public, especially ones with protruding wires. “We're very concerned that with tripwires, a child could be walking down a sidewalk and hit something,” Christopher Combs, FBI agent in charge of the bureau's San Antonio division, said in an interview. Police originally pointed to possible hate crimes, but the victims have now been black, Hispanic and white and from different parts of the increasingly diverse city. Domestic terrorism is among the variety of possible motives investigators are looking at. Local and state police and hundreds of federal agents are investigating, and the reward for information leading to an arrest has climbed to $115,000. “We are clearly dealing with what we believe to be a serial bomber at this point,” Austin police Chief Brian Manley said, citing similarities among the four bombs. He would not elaborate, though, saying he didn't want to undermine the investigation. While the first three bombings all occurred east of Interstate 35, a section of town that tends to be more heavily minority and less affluent, Sunday's was west of the highway. The differences in where the blasts have occurred, the lack of a motive and other unknowns make it harder to draw conclusions about a possible pattern, further unnerving a city on edge. Thad Holt, 76, said he is now watching his steps as he makes his way through a section of town near the latest attack. “I think everybody can now say, ‘Oh, that's like my neighborhood,'” he said. The ATF's Milanowski said the latest bomb was anchored to a metal yard sign near the head of a hiking trail. “It was a thin wire or filament, kind of like fishing line,” he said. “It would have been very difficult for someone to see.” Milanowski said authorities have checked more than 500 leads. Police asked anyone with surveillance cameras at their homes to come forward with the footage on the chance it captured suspicious vehicles or people. ||||| ROUND ROCK, Texas — The suspect in the Austin explosions has died, multiple CNN affiliates reported, citing law enforcement sources. CNN is working to confirm this latest information. Since March 2, a serial bomber has terrorized the Texas capital, leaving several explosive packages around the city. Highway closure: Police shut down parts of Interstate 35 early Wednesday following an officer-involved shooting. It’s unclear whether it was related to the explosions investigation. Lots of officers: Police cars swarmed the area as sirens blared, with police, the FBI and other federal agencies at the scene. Latest incident: A package exploded at a FedEx sorting center near San Antonio on Tuesday, and a second unexploded bomb was discovered on the same day at another FedEx facility near Austin. Those two packages are connected to four previous bombings that left two people dead. Secured: FedEx said the person who sent the package that exploded Tuesday also shipped a second one that was turned over to law enforcement officials. Evidence: The company said it provided authorities with “extensive evidence” from its security system on the packages and the person who shipped them. Connected: Austin police and the FBI say the two packages at separate FedEx facilities are connected to the four previous package explosions in the Texas capital. Wrong target: In the incident near San Antonio, the device detonated on an automatic conveyor, Police Chief Michael Hansen said. A female employee was treated on site and released. The FedEx facility was not the intended target. Unrelated: A possible explosion reported Tuesday night at a Goodwill store in Austin turned out to be unrelated. In that incident, an employee was injured by two “artillery simulators” in a donation box, said Ely Reyes, Austin’s assistant police chief. The employee was treated and released from a hospital, Reyes said. Numerous calls: Austin Police say they’ve responded to 1,257 reports of suspicious packages since March 12. With every change in the bomber’s tactic, Austin residents are getting increasingly nervous. Grocery stores, apartment buildings and restaurants have been evacuated at a moment’s notice as investigations intensify. “This is terrorizing the city of Austin,” Rep. Michael McCaul told President Donald Trump on Tuesday. As investigators search for answers, they are checking the cameras at the facilities from Tuesday’s incidents, the source said. Investigators believe the same person is behind all the devices, the source said, adding that the devices have a lot of consistencies. They are similar in the way they are made and use the same items, including a “mouse trap” or a “close pin” switch, according to the source. “We made one to show everyone what it looks like and we did it in an hour,” the source said. The the bombmaker may have taken longer to do it to avoid blowing themselves up, according to the source. The level of bombmaking skill doesn’t necessarily point to military experience, the source added. Investigators said the package that was found intact Tuesday may yield some clues. “Now we have the blueprint and possible DNA on the inside of the bomb. So teams are working to render it safe and then look for DNA,” the source said. The outside of the package would have been touched by employees at the store where it was dropped off and by the bombmaker, the source said. The bombmaker may have been wearing gloves. Of the four previous explosions in Austin, the first three involved cardboard packages left in front yards or on porches. They weren’t delivered by the US Postal Service or services such as UPS or FedEx, police say. Those three explosions — one on March 2 and two more on March 12 — killed or wounded three African-Americans and one Hispanic person. They happened in east Austin areas with predominantly minority residents. Some residents expressed concern the attacks might have been racially-motivated. The first explosion killed 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House on March 2. The second blast on March 12 killed 17-year-old Draylen Mason. The third blast happened several hours later and critically injured a 75-year-old woman. Those three blasts all happened after someone left explosives-laden packages on the victims’ doorsteps. In the fourth blast, a device was triggered by a tripwire, injuring two white men in a predominantly white area. Police have not ruled out the possibility that those bombings could be hate crimes. They urged residents to pay attention to their surroundings, and not approach or touch anything that looks suspicious. ||||| As hundreds of law enforcement officers fanned out across the heart of Texas this month in the hunt for the Austin bomber, laboratory technicians with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives hunched over thousands of tiny bomb fragments in a feverish race to rebuild the devices -- knowing they'd yield key clues about their creator.Although some of the bombs were fashioned into packages left on doorsteps and at least one was triggered by a tripwire planted alongside a street, agents were able to zero in on common parts used in all the devices to discover key clues about where they were purchased and, eventually, who bought them, officials said."To the public, they may have all looked different but when the ATF bomb technicians were able to put those devices back together, the components that were used were very similar," Fred Milanowski, special agent in charge of the Houston Field Division for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told ABC News.The alleged bomber became the victim of his own handy work when he detonated an explosive in his vehicle in a confrontation with police on the side of a highway outside Austin, according to a statement from the Austin Police Department. He was identified as 23-year-old Mark Anthony Conditt of Pflugerville, a suburb of Austin.The bomber first struck March 2, when a package bomb left on a porch in north Austin killed Anthony Stephan House, 39, after he opened it. The bomber then struck twice March 12, leaving similarly packaged explosives on stoops in the Martin Luther King Jr. neighborhood of East Austin, killing 17-year-old Draylen Mason and injuring his mother."So after the first and second one, we were very familiar with what the components were," Milanowski said. "So then when we processed the crime scene we were looking for those components. So, on the insides, they were very similar."Every bomber has what we call a signature and once they find a successful way to make their bomb, they usually stick with it so they don't make mistakes and injure themselves," Milanowski said. "Again, we saw that signature throughout and, you know, one of the things that was consistent in these devices was the nails and screws throughout."In the third attack March 19, the perpetrator changed his method of detonation, using a tripwire to trigger a blast in a residential neighborhood in southwest Austin called Travis Country, severely injuring two men, ages 22 and 23."When he used the tripwire, that obviously made us a little more concerned because of the randomness of it," Milanowski said. "We were really concerned that a child or young children might come across a tripwire."The bomber also began to pick up the pace, using FedEx to mail out at least two packages, one that exploded early Tuesday on a conveyor belt at a FexEx sorting facility near San Antonio that left one worker with minor injuries.ATF technicians had already learned a lot about the mystery bomber by studying the thousands of pieces of metal, bolts, nails and triggering devices he used to build his arsenal."After some analysis from our laboratory, we knew the explosive mixture that was used and so we knew exactly what the bombs were after the first and second ones," Milanowski said.Because the bomber used the same components multiple times, which serial bombers tend to do to decrease the chances of a premature detonation, investigators also knew where he'd purchased them, Milanowski said.Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said Conditt purchased materials he used in his bombs, including nails and battery packs, at a Home Depot near his house. McCaul, who was briefed on the investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety, also said the suspect was caught on security footage at a FedEx shipping center in southwest Austin.Milanowski said agents, cognizant that the bomber could strike again at any time, worked nearly around the clock, some working 17 hours straight, to glean clues in the hunt for the culprit."Like any bombing investigation, we try to identify all the components and we break it down to where the components are sold and who would have bought those and if they bought multiple components," Milanowski said. "And, then, eventually, you get to the suspects and tie them into other areas: The vehicle and the area, what stores they were at; was there videotape?"He said technicians identified several devices that were "unique" and were able to narrow down who bought them."We know when he bought some of the components," Milanowski said. "We don't know when he bought every single one of the components, so it's hard to say whether he was building along the way or, so to speak, had them on the shelf."A major break in the case came Tuesday when FedEx workers discovered an intact package at a sorting facility in Austin and agents were able to quickly ascertain that it was sent by the same individual who sent the package that exploded earlier at the delivery company's facility near San Antonio."Fortunately, we were able to do some digging and identify this individual in the last 48 hours; able to put this together that this was our suspect," Milanowski said.But even though the suspect is dead, Milanowski said, law enforcement can't let down its guard."We are not 100 percent convinced that there are no other devices out there, so we really, really want the public to still be vigilant and if they see a suspect package or bag or backpack, please call 911," he added.Milanowski credited the general public for sending in numerous tips that local, state and federal officers chased down and for reporting hundreds of suspicious packages that were investigated.He said the coordination between the various agencies involved "was the most critical part" of the probe."Every single agency brought their A team to this investigation," Milanowski said. ||||| A package exploded early Tuesday at a FedEx distribution facility in Texas, news reports said, two days after the latest in a series of blasts in Austin attributed to a serial bomber. This time the explosion rocked a facility in the town of Schertz, in the San Antonio area. Reports said one employee was injured. The Washington Post, quoting the FBI, reported that the package had been bound for Austin, the state capital. Hundreds of police officers and FBI agents are searching for a mysterious "serial bomber" after Sunday's blast in Austin the fourth this month left two young men seriously injured and the city on edge. Police said the explosion was connected to three previous bombings in Austin and the bomber used a tripwire in the latest attack, showing a higher level of skill. "We're clearly dealing with what we expect to be a serial bomber at this point," Austin police chief Brian Manley told reporters. ||||| AUSTIN, Texas >> Emergency teams were responding Tuesday night to another reported explosion in Texas’ capital, this one at a Goodwill store in the southern part of the city. In a tweet, the Austin Police Department urged residents to avoid the area. Austin-Travis County EMS said there had been reports of at least one person injured, though it was not immediately clear how serious the injuries were. It came as investigators who have pursued a suspected serial bomber terrorizing Austin for weeks uncovered what seemed like valuable new leads in the case. Even before the report of the Goodwill blast, it had already been a busy day for authorities. Before dawn Tuesday, a bomb inside a package exploded around 1 a.m. as it passed along a conveyer belt at a FedEx shipping center near San Antonio, causing minor injuries to a worker. The Austin Police Department, the FBI and other federal agencies confirmed that the package center blast was related to four previous ones that killed two people and seriously injured four others. That explosion occurred at a FedEx facility in Schertz, just northeast of San Antonio and about 60 miles southwest of Austin. Later in the morning, police sent a bomb squad to a FedEx facility outside the Austin airport to check on a suspicious package that was reported around 6:20 a.m. Federal agencies and police later said that package had indeed contained an explosive that was successfully intercepted by authorities. They added that the intercepted package, too, was believed to be related to the other bombings. Meanwhile, authorities also closed off an Austin-area FedEx store where they believe the bomb that exploded was shipped to the distribution center. They roped off a large area around the shopping center in the enclave of Sunset Valley and were collecting evidence, including surveillance camera footage. Then, authorities closed off an Austin-area FedEx store where they believe the bomb that exploded was shipped to the distribution center — roping off a large area around the shopping center in the enclave of Sunset Valley and were collecting evidence, including surveillance camera footage. U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, a Republican from Austin who is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said that investigators have obtained surveillance videos that “could possibly” show a suspect, but are still poring through video. “I hope his biggest mistake was going through FedEx,” McCaul, who has spoken to federal investigators and Austin police Chief Brian Manley, said of the bomber in a phone interview. He added that the person responsible for the bombings had previously been “very sophisticated in going around surveillance cameras.” “They’ve got a couple of videos that could possibly be the person but they’re not sure at this point,” McCaul said. Before it exploded, the package had been sent from Austin and was addressed to a home in Austin, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said. In a statement, FedEx officials said the same person responsible for sending the package also shipped a second parcel that has been secured and turned over to law enforcement. A company spokeswoman refused to say if that second package might have been linked to the one reported at the distribution center near the airport. The Schertz blast came less than two days after a bombing wounded two men Sunday night in a quiet Austin neighborhood about 3 miles from the FedEx store. It was triggered by a nearly invisible tripwire, suggesting a “higher level of sophistication” than agents saw in three package bombs previously left on doorsteps, according to Fred Milanowski, the agent in charge of the Houston division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A criminologist at the University of Alabama said if a single perpetrator is behind the blasts, changing the means of delivery increases the bomber’s chance of getting caught. “I think it would suggest that the bomber is trying to stay unpredictable,” Adam Lankford said. “But it also increases the likelihood that he would make a mistake.” Authorities have not identified the two men who were hurt Sunday, saying only that they are in their 20s and white. But William Grote told The Associated Press that his grandson was one of them and that he had what appeared to be nails embedded in his knees. On the night of the fourth bombing, one of the victims was riding a bike in the street and the other was on a sidewalk when they hit the tripwire. “It was so dark they couldn’t tell, and they tripped,” Grote said. In Washington, President Donald Trump said the assailant behind the bombing is “very sick.” During an Oval Office meeting Tuesday with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the president said, “This is obviously a very sick individual or individuals,” and authorities are “working to get to the bottom of it.” Despite bombing tactics that have now shifted, investigators have repeated prior warnings about not touching unexpected packages and urged people to be wary of any stray object left in public. Austin police say they have now responded to more than 1,200 reports of suspicious packages in a little more than a week — without finding anything dangerous. Officers originally pointed to possible hate crimes, but the victims have now been black, Hispanic and white and from different parts of the city. “We are clearly dealing with what we believe to be a serial bomber,” Manley says. Associated Press writers Jim Vertuno in Austin and Matt Sedensky in New York contributed to this report. ||||| The suspect in a string of explosions that killed two people and injured four others, terrorizing the area of Austin, Texas, for three weeks, was killed during a confrontation with police early Wednesday. Austin Police Chief Brian Manley announced in a news conference that authorities had zeroed in on the suspect and located him at a hotel in the town of Round Rock, north of Austin. While waiting for additional police support, the suspect drove away and eventually pulled over into a ditch, Manley said. “As members of the Austin Police Department SWAT team approached the vehicle, the suspect detonated a bomb inside the vehicle, knocking one our squad officers back and one of our squad officers fired at the suspect as well,” he said. Manley said that at no point did officials make contact with the suspect before the explosion. “The suspect is deceased and has significant injuries from a blast that occurred from detonating a bomb inside his vehicle,” he added. Manley did not name the suspect, pending positive identification and notification of next of kin, saying only that he was a 24-year-old white male. He said that a motive has not been confirmed and the investigation continues. It is not yet clear if the suspected bomber acted alone or with accomplices, Manley said. He declined to release other specific information about Wednesday’s altercation. Manley also urged residents of Austin and the surrounding communities to remain vigilant, as the suspect could have planted or mailed more bombs before his death. “This is the culmination of three very long weeks for our community,” he said. A high-ranking law enforcement official told the that police tracked down the suspect using surveillance footage from a FedEx store where he shipped a package bomb. Authorities also “relied upon store receipts showing suspicious transactions from the person and obtained a search warrant for his Google search history that showed him conducting searches they considered suspicious,” according to the newspaper.
• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Police then reportedly used cell phone triangulation technology to locate the suspect. Manley said Wednesday that the officer who was injured in the blast that killed the suspect received minor injuries. The chief said the veteran officer who fired his weapon during the confrontation will be placed on leave while the department conducts an investigation, as is standard. President Donald Trump reacted to the news on Twitter, writing early Wednesday, “AUSTIN BOMBING SUSPECT IS DEAD. Great job by law enforcement and all concerned!” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also praised the work of Austin police and warned that residents exercise caution. “BIG NEWS. The Austin Bomber is dead. More work needs to be done to ensure no more bombs had been sent before he died. The investigation continues to learn more information,” Abbott said via Twitter. “Congratulations to the combined law enforcement effort.” On March 2, the first bomb detonated and killed Anthony House, a 39-year-old Austin resident who picked up the explosive device disguised as a package on his doorstep, authorities have said. The explosions continued on March 12, where 17-year-old Draylen Mason died after picking up a package and another person, a middle-aged woman, was injured. Hours after that explosion occurred, police reported a third blast, which injured a 75-year-old Hispanic woman. Authorities soon announced a $115,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for those explosions — and shortly after, a fourth explosion, believed to be caused by a trip wire, occurred. Two men were injured. A fifth explosion was reported on Tuesday, shortly after midnight, when a package believed to be bound for Austin exploded at a FedEx facility northeast of San Antonio. An employee at the facility was treated for ringing in her ears but no one was injured in the bombing. Another blast at a Goodwill in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday night was determined to have been caused by an incendiary device rather than a bomb. “At this time, we have no reason to believe this incident is related to previous package bombs,” police said. A retired FBI criminal profiler, James R. Fitzgerald, previously told PEOPLE the suspect appeared familiar with the area. “He’s not offending where he lives right now because it would be a little too close to home,” Fitzgerald said. “But he probably has familiarity with one or more of those areas.” Fitzgerald added, “These are sophisticated devices put together by someone who knows what he’s doing. He knew not just how to design it and place it, but how to travel with it too.” ||||| A blog purportedly written by Texas serial bombing suspect Mark Conditt outlines his extreme views on controversial issues and in the wake of the bombings, reads like a manifesto. The blog, entitled “Defending My Stance,” appears to be an assignment for a U.S. government course he took while attending Austin Community College. “Why gay marriage should be illegal,” read one entry. “Homosexuality is not natural. It would be like trying to fit two screws together.” Conditt also took aim at the death penalty, internet piracy and abortions. “If a woman does not want a baby… she should not participate in activities that were made for that reason,” he wrote in another post. Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow spoke to Inside Edition about what may have caused Conditt to snap. “So many of these assailants feel disenfranchised in some fashion,” Dr. Ablow said. “Socially, they may feel ostracized. We haven’t heard a lot of people coming forward saying, ‘This man was my friend.’ Some people feel so isolated that a kind of rage can build up. A kind of antipathy for all other human beings.” The 23-year-old, who considered himself a conservative, grew up in the small town of Pflugerville, 20 miles north of Austin, Texas. He was homeschooled most of his life and once worked as a computer-repair technician. One neighbor said “it is hard to imagine” and “surreal” that Conditt is the main suspect and grew up in the area. By all accounts, Conditt appeared to have a happy childhood. His mother also posted photos of him from a family snowboarding trip and from the day he finished high school. He father posted a video of the family on vacation in North Carolina. But only a few years later, Conditt wrote his so-called manifesto on a blog. The circumstances are drawing parallels to the infamous Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, who terrorized the nation for 17 years, demanded his credo be published in The Washington Post and The New York Times. Authorities say Kaczynski’s manifesto was a break in the case after it was published in The Times and The Post at the request of Attorney General Janet Reno and the FBI. After it was published, the manifesto got the attention of Kaczynski’s brother, David, who alerted the FBI. The suspect known as the Unabomber was arrested in April 1996. LeRoy Bearnson and Gary Wright were targeted by Kaczynski in the 1980s. They are shocked to see a bombing spree happen again, but they are thankful it is over. “It is kind of scary,” Bearnson told Inside Edition. “It can happen anywhere or any place now.” Wright added: “Hopefully the community comes together as best they can. It is a thing that no one can prepare for.” Conditt was unemployed, had no criminal history and was living with two roommates when he started placing bombs around the city. Former Navy SEAL and bomb expert Jonathan Gilliam says in the final days of his life, Conditt went on a frenzy of terror that made his capture inevitable. “He wanted to get out there,” he told Inside Edition. “He wanted to get as many bombs out there as he could. He was on a rampage.” Gilliam said that Conditt was moving at a rapid pace, adding, “It makes you wonder, was there some kind of gain from doing this as quickly as possible and getting as much of these explosives out there to people?” Accused Parkland Shooter Nikolas Cruz and His Brother Start Fan Club to Meet Girls: Prosecutor Austin Bomber Dead But Residents Warned to Remain Vigilant of Other Possible Explosives
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A bomb detonates overnight at a FedEx facility in San Antonio, Texas, United States. The FBI believes the bombing is linked to the other bombings in the area. The ATF reports that there were no serious injuries. Both the bomb's point of origin and intended destination were in Austin.
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Afghan police say two suicide bombers struck a Shi'ite mosque in the western city of Herat, killing at least one person and wounding seven others. Police spokesman Abdul Ahad Walizada said the suicide bombers tried to enter the Nabi Akram Mosque on March 25, but one was shot dead by security guards and the other blew himself up before reaching the hall where worshippers were praying. The Islamic State extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack. The area around the mosque was cordoned off by police and ambulances were seen rushing victims to hospitals in the city. The Sunni extremists have frequently targeted Afghanistan’s Shi'ite minority, which they view as apostates. The group claimed responsibility for a suicide attack outside a Shi'ite mosque in Kabul on March 21 that killed 33 people and wounded dozens as people in the capital celebrated Norouz, the Persian new year holiday. According to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, 161 people were killed and 257 others were wounded in 2017 in targeted sectarian attacks against Shi'ite places of worship or worshippers. Based on reporting by Reuters and Tolo News ||||| HERAT, Afghanistan - Two suicide bombers blew themselves up near a Shi'ite mosque in the Western Afghan city of Herat, killing at least one person and wounding seven others, police said on Sunday. Deputy police chief Aminullah Amin said the bombers had tried to enter the mosque but blew themselves up when challenged by guards at the site. ||||| One person has been killed and seven more wounded in the Western Afghan city of Herat, where two suicide bombers blew themselves up near a Shi'ite mosque, when guards stopped them from entering the Nabi Akram mosque. The Daesh* terror group has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, however no evidence for the claim has yet been provided. According to Walizada, the injured people have been taken to local hospitals and the death toll may increase. Earlier, two explosions hit Kabul, Afghanistan with 1 killed and 7 wounded and a car blast in Lashcar dah with 12 killed and 40 wounded. *Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia ||||| HERAT: A suicide attack near a mosque in the western Afghan city of Herat killed at least one person and wounded eight others, police and health officials said on Sunday. Militant Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, which followed another blast that was claimed by the group in Kabul last week and killed about 30 people near a Shia shrine as the city celebrated Nauroz, the Persian new year. Deputy police chief Aminullah Amin said that two bombers had tried to enter the mosque but were challenged by security guards who opened fire on them. “Our Shia brothers were praying in the mosque when two suicide bombers entered the mosque compound. Fortunately, the bombers were identified by Afghan police and local residents,” he said. Amin said that one of the bombers was shot by security guards while the second detonated his explosives. Health officials said one person was confirmed dead with eight wounded, but the final figures could change. Herat, one of the most prosperous cities in Afghanistan, has experienced periodic episodes of violence but has not suffered the same level of attacks as the capital Kabul. While sectarian violence in Afghanistan was previously rare, a series of attacks over recent years, many claimed by IS, have killed hundreds of people from Shia community, many from the Hazara ethnic minority. IS appeared in Afghanistan three years ago. As well as its main stronghold in the eastern region of Nangarhar, on the border with Pakistan, fighters declaring allegiance to the group have been active in northern Afghanistan. The group has also claimed numerous attacks in Kabul and other cities, though many experts doubt whether it has the capacity to conduct such attacks alone and believe it may have received help at times from other militant groups. The violence has occurred alongside a general deterioration in security in Afghanistan as the Taliban insurgents have fought government forces across much of the country, killing thousands of civilians every year. ||||| At least one person was killed and seven others wounded in an explosion outside a Shia mosque in the western Afghan city of Herat, an official told Al Jazeera. Two suicide bombers attempted to enter the Nabi Akram mosque in Police District 7 on Sunday, but were pushed back by security guards, the official said. "One was killed in firing and the other triggered his explosives causing casualties," he added. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to media, without providing evidence for the claim. The area of the explosion has been cordoned off by police. Shia Muslims are a persecuted minority in Afghanistan and have been threatened by the affiliate of the ISIL group that operates in the country's east. The attack comes days after an ISIL bomber targeted a group of Shia marking the Persian new year in kabul, killing at least 30 people. ||||| Two suicide bombers attacked a Shia mosque in Afghanistan’s western Herat province on Sunday, killing one person and wounding seven others, an official said. Police spokesman Abdul Ahad Walizada said the toll may rise from Sunday’s attack. He said both bombers tried to enter the mosque but one was shot dead by guards before making it inside. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, but provided no evidence for its claim. The group made the claim via a statement released online by its Amaq news agency. An Islamic State suicide bomber targeted a group of Shias marking the Persian new year in Afghanistan’s capital last week, killing more than 30 people. ||||| HERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A suicide attack near a Shi’ite mosque in the Western Afghan city of Herat killed at least one person and wounded eight others, police and health officials said on Sunday. Militant group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which followed another blast claimed by the group in Kabul last week, which killed around 30 people near a Shi’ite shrine as the city celebrated Nawruz, the Persian new year. Deputy police chief Aminullah Amin said two bombers had tried to enter the mosque but were challenged by guards at the site who opened fire on them. Health officials said one person was confirmed dead, with eight wounded but the final casualty figure may change. Herat, one of the most prosperous cities in Afghanistan, has seen periodic episodes of violence but has not suffered the same level of attacks as the capital Kabul. While sectarian violence in mainly Sunni Muslim Afghanistan was previously rare, a series of attacks over recent years, many claimed by Islamic State, have killed hundreds of Shi’ites, many from the Hazara ethnic minority. The violence has gone on alongside a general deterioration in security in Afghanistan as Taliban insurgents have fought government forces across much of the country, killing thousands of civilians every year. ||||| Blast near mosque in western Afghan city of Herat, says police The earlier target of the bombers was a mosque. — Reuters picHERAT (Afghanistan), March 25 — Two suicide bombers blew themselves up near a Shiah mosque in the Western Afghan city of Herat, killing at least one person and wounding seven others, police said today. Deputy police chief Aminullah Amin said the bombers had tried to enter the mosque but blew themselves up when challenged by guards at the site. — Reuters ||||| Alwaght- At least one civilian was killed and eight more injured after two terrorists attacked a Shiite mosque in Afghanistan on Sunday, in the latest assault against the Muslim minority. ISIS terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack, which followed another blast that was claimed by the group in Kabul last week and killed about 30 people near a Shiite shrine as the city celebrated Nawruz, the Persian new year. The suicide bombers stormed the grounds of the mosque in the western city of Herat, but security guards shot dead one of them and the other blew himself up before reaching the hall where worshippers were praying, provincial governor spokesman Jilani Farhad told AFP. Reuters cited Deputy police chief Aminullah Amin as saying that “Our Shiite brothers were praying in the mosque when two suicide bombers entered the mosque compound. Fortunately, the bombers were identified by Afghan police and local residents”. The area around the mosque was cordoned off by police and ambulances were seen rushing victims to hospitals in the city, an AFP photographer at the scene said. While sectarian violence in mainly Sunni Muslim Afghanistan was previously rare, a series of attacks over recent years, many claimed by Islamic State, have killed hundreds of Shiites, many from the Hazara ethnic minority. ISIS made the claim via a statement released online by its Amaq news agency. ||||| KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Two suicide bombers attacked a Shiite mosque in Afghanistan’s western Herat province on Sunday, killing one person and wounding seven others, an official said. Police spokesman Abdul Ahad Walizada said the toll may rise from Sunday’s attack. He said both bombers tried to enter the mosque but one was shot dead by guards before making it inside. No one immediately claimed responsibility, but an Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan frequently targets the country’s Shiite minority, which it views as apostates. An Islamic State suicide bomber targeted a group of Shiites marking the Persian new year in Afghanistan’s capital last week, killing more than 30 people.
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Two suicide bombers strike a Shi'ite mosque in Herat, Afghanistan, killing one person and wounding seven others. Security forces kill one bomber while the device kills the other. ISIL claims responsibility.
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ORLANDO, Fla. — Jurors in the trial of a woman accused of aiding her husband's terrorist attack against an Orlando nightclub will deliberate her fate for a third day. Noor Salman is charged with obstruction and providing material support to a terrorist organization. She faces up to life in prison if convicted of all charges. Salman's husband was Omar Mateen, who shot and killed 49 people in the Pulse nightclub in June 2016. Police killed him after the attack. Prosecutors say Salman knew about Mateen's plans and did nothing to stop them. Her lawyers say she had no knowledge of them and was mentally and physically abused by him. They say she wasn't an Islamic extremist. ||||| ORLANDO, Fla. — Jurors in the trial of a woman accused of aiding her husband's terrorist attack against an Orlando nightclub will deliberate her fate for a third day. Noor Salman is charged with obstruction and providing material support to a terrorist organization. She faces up to life in prison if convicted of all charges. Salman's husband was Omar Mateen, who shot and killed 49 people in the Pulse nightclub in June 2016. Police killed him after the attack. Prosecutors say Salman knew about Mateen's plans and did nothing to stop them. Her lawyers say she had no knowledge of them and was mentally and physically abused by him. They say she wasn't an Islamic extremist. ||||| ORLANDO, Fla. — Jurors in the trial of a woman accused of aiding her husband’s terrorist attack against an Orlando nightclub will deliberate her fate for a third day. Noor Salman is charged with obstruction and providing material support to a terrorist organization. She faces up to life in prison if convicted of all charges. Salman’s husband was Omar Mateen, who shot and killed 49 people in the Pulse nightclub in June 2016. Police killed him after the attack. Prosecutors say Salman knew about Mateen’s plans and did nothing to stop them. Her lawyers say she had no knowledge of them and was mentally and physically abused by him. They say she wasn’t an Islamic extremist. ||||| ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuters) - A U.S. jury weighing the fate of a woman whose husband killed 49 people at a Florida nightclub in 2016 began deliberations on Wednesday after her defense attorney said federal agents coerced her into saying she played a role in the rampage. Noor Salman, 31, could face life in prison if convicted of helping her husband Omar Mateen plan the attack on the Pulse nightclub and then failing to do anything to stop one of the worst mass shootings in modern U.S. history. The jury in U.S. District Court broke for the night after starting deliberations on Wednesday afternoon. It will resume work at 9 a.m. EDT on Thursday, a court aide told reporters. In closing arguments on Wednesday, defense lawyer Charles Swift said that FBI agents had planted Salman’s statements during initial questioning that she had helped Mateen case targets. “That’s his words,” Swift said, referring to one of the first interrogators who transcribed what Salman said. “Those are not her words.” Swift said FBI agents questioned Salman for more than 11 hours and her statement was filled with phrases Salman would never have used, such as “green light” and “long gun.” He also said Salman could not have known that her husband would attack the Pulse, a gay nightspot. “Even Omar didn’t know he was going to attack the Pulse nightclub,” Swift said. “If he doesn’t know, she can’t know.” In her closing statement, prosecutor Sara Sweeney contended that Salman had helped her husband check out potential sites and later sought to mislead investigators about what she knew. Sweeney said Salman first told investigators that Mateen had acted without her knowledge but later admitted knowing he had left home with a gun and had watched jihadist videos online. The prosecutor also said Salman had aided Mateen by making up a cover story to his mother on the night of the shooting that he was going to dinner with a friend. Salman faces charges of obstruction of justice and aiding Mateen in providing support to the Islamic State militant group. Mateen had claimed allegiance to a leader of the group. Police killed him in an exchange of gunfire at the nightclub. On Monday, Judge Paul Byron rejected a defense motion to dismiss the charges against Salman or declare a mistrial because the prosecution had failed to disclose Mateen’s father had been an FBI informant before the attack. ||||| (CNN) Noor Salman was far from an innocent bystander ahead of her husband Omar Mateen's mass shooting in 2016 at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, prosecutors said Wednesday in closing arguments of her federal trial. "This case is about what she knew and what she did," Assistant US Attorney Sara Sweeney said. "The defendant didn't pull the trigger that night, but she did serve as a green light for her husband." Defense attorneys countered that Salman was a simple-minded victim and argued the prosecution had shifted its story several times in closing "because they haven't proven their case." Salman's fate is now in the hands of the jury, which began deliberations in the afternoon. Salman, 31, is charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and obstruction of justice for allegedly misleading law enforcement agents in their investigation of the massacre. ||||| ORLANDO, Fla., March 29 (Reuters) - Jurors in the trial of the woman whose husband killed dozens at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub in 2016 resume deliberations on Thursday to decide whether she helped him plan the rampage and then misled authorities. Noor Salman, 31, the widow of gunman Omar Mateen, could face up to life in prison if convicted of federal charges that she did nothing to stop her husband from killing 49 people at the Pulse nightclub. Before the case went to the jury on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Orlando, defense lawyers said FBI interrogators had planted Salman's statements made during questioning that she helped him scout targets. She also could not have known he would attack Pulse, a gay nightspot, on June 12, 2016, they said. But prosecutors argued that she had helped her husband check out potential sites and sought to mislead investigators about what she knew. They said Salman first told investigators that Mateen had acted without her knowledge but later admitted knowing he had left home with a gun and had watched jihadist videos online. Salman faces charges of obstruction of justice and aiding Mateen in providing support to the Islamic State militant group. Mateen, who had claimed allegiance to a leader of the group, died in an exchange of gunfire with police at the nightclub. (Reporting by Joey Roulette Writing by Ian Simpson Editing by James Dalgleish) ||||| Jurors in the trial of a woman accused of aiding her husband's terrorist attack against an Orlando nightclub will deliberate her fate for a third day. Noor Salman is charged with obstruction and providing material support to a terrorist organization. She faces up to life in prison if convicted of all charges. Salman's husband was Omar Mateen, who shot and killed 49 people in the Pulse nightclub in June 2016. Police killed him after the attack. Prosecutors say Salman knew about Mateen's plans and did nothing to stop them. Her lawyers say she had no knowledge of them and was mentally and physically abused by him. They say she wasn't an Islamic extremist. ||||| ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuters) - Jurors in the trial of the woman whose husband killed dozens at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub in 2016 ended their second day of deliberations on Thursday with no decision about whether she helped him plan the rampage and then misled authorities. Noor Salman, 31, the widow of gunman Omar Mateen, could face up to life in prison if convicted of federal charges that she did nothing to stop her husband from killing 49 people at the Pulse nightclub. Salman, the only person charged in connection with the attack, is accused of obstruction of justice and aiding Mateen in providing support to the Islamic State militant group. Mateen, who had claimed allegiance to an Islamic State leader, died in an exchange of gunfire with police at the nightclub. Jurors will resume deliberations on Friday morning in U.S. District Court in Orlando. Since getting the case on Wednesday, they have weighed the evidence for nearly 11 hours. On Thursday, they asked the trial judge to provide an example of an act of aiding and abetting. U.S. District Judge Paul Byron declined. In response to another question, Byron said in order for Salman’s actions to be considered “willful,” it had to be proven that she provided support for and participated in something she wished would succeed. Defense lawyers have accused FBI agents of adding words that they say Salman never used to her statements, made during questioning, that she helped Mateen scout targets. Salman also could not have known he would attack Pulse, a gay nightspot, on June 12, 2016, the lawyers said. The government said during its closing argument that Mateen originally planned to target the Disney Springs entertainment and shopping complex when he left home that night. “Even Omar didn’t know he was going to attack the Pulse nightclub,” defense attorney Charles Swift said. “If he doesn’t know, she can’t know.” Salman’s family was hopeful the jurors’ questions suggested they were carefully weighing the evidence, her spokeswoman Susan Clary said. “The jury has been asking questions, that shows that they want to know more about the law,” she told reporters outside the courthouse. “More questions is better than no questions.” But prosecutors argued that Salman had helped her husband check out potential sites and sought to mislead investigators about what she knew. They said she first told investigators that Mateen had acted without her knowledge but later admitted knowing he had left home with a gun and had watched jihadist videos online. ||||| A judge has ruled that the revelation that the Pulse nightclub shooter’s father was an FBI informant for 11 years before the attack has little bearing on the trial of the gunman’s widow. U.S. District Judge Paul Byron on Monday rejected a defence motion for a mistrial of Noor Salman, who is accused of helping her husband plan his June 2016 mass shooting at the gay nightclub in Orlando, where he killed 49 people. Lawyers for Salman said that because prosecutors didn’t disclose that Mateen’s father, Seddique Mateen, was an FBI informant until halfway through the trial, her Fifth Amendment right to due process and Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial were denied. “This trial is not about Seddique Mateen. It’s about Noor Salman,” the judge said. Salman, now 31 and the mother of a small child, is being tried in federal court in Orlando. Her defence is scheduled to wrap up this week and lawyers will give closing arguments. In court on Monday, an FBI agent testified that they considered trying to develop Omar Mateen as an informant, like his father, after investigating him in 2013 and finding he didn’t have ties to terrorism. Salman’s lawyers say the government’s belated disclosure about Mateen’s father and his ties to the FBI has prevented them from exploring the possibilities that Seddique Mateen was more directly involved, and that Salman may have been framed to hide the government’s mistakes. The government’s “violations in this case have placed Ms. Salman, the jury, and this Court in a dark wood where the search for truth has been thwarted,” they wrote, paraphrasing and citing 15th Century Italian poet Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy. Her lawyers’ motion said U.S. Attorney Sara Sweeney sent them an email Saturday revealing some details of the FBI’s involvement with Seddique Mateen’s activities leading up to the Pulse attack. “I have just received authorization to disclose the following information about Seddique Mateen,” her email said. “Seddique Mateen was a FBI confidential human source at various points in time between January 2005 and June 2016.”
• ‘I love you babe’: Pulse nightclub shooter swapped texts with his wife during killing spree
• ‘It was either we all die or we open the door’: Pulse nightclub bouncer describes how he led dozens to safety This email was sent after jurors heard Shahla Mateen, Omar’s mother, deny during cross-examination that her husband had any relationship with the FBI. The email also revealed other details the prosecution didn’t tell jurors, including the discovery in the hours after the shooting that “receipts for money transfers to Turkey and Afghanistan” made in the days and weeks before the shooting were found at Seddique Mateen’s home, and that in 2012, an anonymous tipster had accused Seddique Mateen of “seeking to raise $50,000 – $100,000 via a donation drive to contribute towards an attack against the government of Pakistan.” Defence attorneys said had they known about this information in advance of her trial, they would have investigated “whether Mateen’s father was involved in or had foreknowledge of the Pulse attack,” they wrote. Prosecutors told the jury that Salman knew Omar Mateen was buying rounds of ammunition for his AR-15, helped him spend thousands of dollars before the attack and knew about his plan when he left their home in the hours before the shooting. They also say she lied in an attempt to mislead FBI agents and had knowledge of her husband’s sick fascination with violent jihadist videos and terrorism. Defence attorneys describe Salman as a simple woman with a low IQ, who was abused by her husband. This latest evidence, they said, points instead to Mateen’s father as a potential accomplice. A man who answered a Florida phone number for Seddique Mateen hung up after asking an AP reporter to identify himself. ||||| ORLANDO, Fla. - The fate of Noor Salman, the widow of the Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen, is now in the hands of a jury. The 12-member jury, which consists of seven women and five men, received instructions, and deliberations began shortly before 1:45 p.m. Wednesday. Judge Paul Byron allowed the jurors to deliberate until 5 p.m., but since no verdict was reached, deliberations will resume at 9 a.m. Thursday. Salman is accused of helping her husband plan a mass shooting at Pulse Orlando nightclub in June 2016. Forty-nine people were killed and more than 50 injured in the attack. Salman, 31, has pleaded not guilty to charges of aiding the support of a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death and obstruction of justice. If Salman is found not guilty of aiding and abetting, jurors have the option to select attempted aiding and abetting. During deliberations, jurors asked to examine a statement Salman made to FBI agents in the hours after her husband carried out the attack. The judge printed out copies of it to be given to the panel. The statement suggests Salman knew of an attack and did nothing to stop it. Read: Salman's attorneys ask judge to dismiss charges Before Salman's trial, her attorneys had sought to prevent the statement from being presented as evidence. They have argued at trial that it was coerced. The jurors also asked a question about an index of evidence and the wording on one of the charges Salman faces. During their closing arguments Wednesday, prosecutors revealed new information that Mateen wanted to target Disney Springs, and that Salman knew. Prosecutors said Mateen had a baby stroller and a doll inside his van. They said Mateen planned to hide an AR-15 rifle inside the stroller when he got to Disney Springs, but got spooked by police and chose Pulse as his target instead. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Sweeney told the jury that Salman "knowingly engaged in misleading conduct" when she spoke with the FBI in the hours after the attack, the Associated Press said. But the defense called the planned attack on Disney Springs a "new theory." "It was all about scouting the Pulse (nightclub) and casing the Pulse (nightclub)," she said. "And then, all of a sudden, for the first time, in the closing arguments, no, that's not their emphasis anymore. Now, it's Disney." “This will be really telling what the evidence really was since I wasn't able to come to every day of the trial,” said Christine Leinonen, whose son died in the 2016 attack. "Now, I will be able to see exactly what each side thinks they did prove." She said she believes that Salman knew of Mateen's plans. "I believe that she full well knew that the jihad was imminent, and she helped him," Leinonen said. Defense attorneys for Salman told the jury that she had no idea what her husband had planned that night in June 2016. They said that she couldn't have known about the attack because Mateen didn't even know he was going to attack the Pulse nightclub. Prosecutors said Salman knew Mateen was buying ammunition and that she helped him spend money before the attack and knew about his plan when he left home the night he killed 49 people. Defense attorneys describe Salman as a simple woman with a low IQ who was abused by her husband, and who didn't know of his plans because he concealed much of his life from her.
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The trial of Noor Salman, widow of Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen, hears closing arguments. Jurors begin deliberations. During the trial it was revealed that Mateen's father was an FBI informant.
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A strong magnitude 6.9 earthquake has struck off the coast of Papua New Guinea's New Britain island, the US Geological Survey (USGS) says. Hazardous tsunami waves were forecast for some coastlines but there were no immediate reports of damage. The quake struck some 162km (100 miles) from Rabaul, on New Britain island, at 07:25 on Friday (21:25 GMT Thursday). The USGS originally estimated a shallow depth of 10km but later revised it to 35km. Dellie Minding, a receptionist at the Rabaul Hotel in the east of New Britain, told Reuters news agency the earthquake had been felt, with many guests running outside, but there had been no damage. At the Rapopo Plantation Resort on the coast, receptionist May Dovon said she had not heard of any casualties or damage, the agency adds. "We felt the earthquake, everything was moving so we went out of the building," the receptionist told Reuters. "Nothing was damaged." The country is still recovering from a magnitude 7.5 quake on 26 February. At least 100 people died in Enga province, where massive landslides buried whole villages. It took weeks to establish the full extent of damage in the remote, worst-affected areas. ||||| A strong earthquake struck off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea’s New Britain Island on Thursday, initially prompting tsunami warnings in the area. The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.9, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a tsunami warning for the coasts of Papua New Guinea, though the threat had passed without incident nearly two hours later. It is unclear if the earthquake caused any damage to the island. Papua New Guinea, north of Australia, is still recovering from a pair of deadly earthquakes that hit the country in recent weeks. A magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit the country’s highland region on Feb. 26, triggering powerful aftershocks, according to CNN. The earthquake killed at least 67 people and left 500 others injured. One week later, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the country and killed at least 18 more people. After the second earthquake, the International Red Cross said that as many as 143,000 people could have been affected by the disaster and 17,000 people have been displaced from their homes, Reuters reported. ||||| A 6.9 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Papua New Guinea, triggering a tsunami warning for nearby coastlines.The quake struck at a depth of 10km, about 162 kilometres from the town of Rabaul on New Britain Island, about 7.25am on Friday.There have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties, though one hotel worker told Reuters her guests ran out of the building in fright.The tsunami warning was later called off.Little more than a month ago, the country suffered a lethal 7.5 magnitude earthquake.At least 100 people in the Enga province died in the quake on February 26, and massive landslides saw entire villages buried.The townspeople spent weeks trying to determine the damage caused by the quake, and are still struggling to get aid to the most remote and worst affected areas.Water supplies also took a hit on the country's main island after they were damaged by the tremors.Papua New Guinea is no stranger to earthquakes, as it sits on the 'ring of fire' in the Pacific Ocean.The Ring of Fire forms a horse-shoe shape and affects more than a dozen counties. About 90 per cent of the world's earthquakes, and 81 per cent of the largest earthquakes occur in this area.More to come. ||||| WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A magnitude 6.6 earthquake has rattled the Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea, a month after a deadly quake there killed more than 100 people. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from Monday's quake, which the U.S. Geological Survey said was centered in a remote area of East New Britain province. USGS reported the quake had a depth of 40 kilometers (25 miles). Deeper earthquakes tend to cause less damage on the Earth's surface. A magnitude 7.5 earthquake on Feb. 26 killed at least 125 people, injured dozens and brought work to a halt at four oil and gas fields. Home to 7 million people, Papua New Guinea is located to the east of Indonesia and sits on the Pacific's "Ring of Fire." ||||| An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale has struck off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea’s New Britain Island. It has reportedly triggered a tsunami warning for surrounding coastlines. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred 144km East of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea. The depth of the earthquake was 35.0 km depth. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage by far. ||||| A strong magnitude 6.9 earthquake has struck off the cost of Papua New Guinea's New Britain island, the US Geological Survey (USGS) says. Hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coastlines. The quake struck at a shallow depth of 10km (six miles), around 162km from the town of Rabaul, on New Britain island. It hit near the coast at around 07:25 on Friday (21:25 GMT on Thursday). There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The country is still recovering from a magnitude 7.5 quake on 26 February. At least 100 people died in Enga province, where massive landslides buried whole villages. It took weeks to establish the full extent of damage in the remote, worst-affected areas.
• A disaster unfolding out of sight in PNG ||||| FILE - This file image made from video provided Feb. 28, 2018, show the damaged building following an earthquake in Mendi, Papua New Guinea. | AP SYDNEY: A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea on Saturday, US seismologists said, but there was no tsunami warning or immediate reports of damage. The quake struck at 9:23pm local time (1123 GMT) at a depth of 67 kilometres (41 miles), about 175 kilometres from the New Britain town of Rabaul, the US Geological Survey said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake did not pose a tsunami risk. The Pacific nation was hit by a 7.5-magnitude quake on February 26 that buried homes and triggered landslides in its highlands region, killing at least 125 people. PNG sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates. Its mountainous and remote terrain means it often takes several days for information about damage from quakes to reach officials and aid agencies. ||||| A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea's New Britain island on Friday, initially triggering a tsunami warning for surrounding coastlines, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The shallow quake struck close to the coast, 162 km south-west of Rabaul, a much more remote region than the country's mountainous mainland highlands where a magnitude 7.5 tremor struck on February 26, killing 100 people. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) issued a threat warning for the country's coastline located within 300 km of the quake's epicentre, but later advised that the threat had passed. Dellie Minding, a receptionist at the Rabaul Hotel in the east of New Britain, around 20 minutes from the coast, said the earthquake was felt, with many guests running outside, but there was no damage. ||||| A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea’s New Britain island on Friday, initially triggering a tsunami warning for surrounding coastlines, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The shallow quake struck close to the coast, around 100 miles (162 km) southwest of Rabaul, a much more remote region than the country’s mountainous mainland highlands where a magnitude 7.5 tremor struck on Feb. 26, killing 100 people. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) issued a threat warning for the country’s coastline located within 300 km of the quake’s epicentre, but later advised that the threat had passed. Dellie Minding, a receptionist at the Rabaul Hotel in the east of New Britain, around 20 minutes from the coast, told Reuters that the earthquake was felt, with many guests running outside, but there was no damage. At the Rapopo Plantation Resort on the coast, receptionist May Dovon said she had not heard of any casualties or damage. “We felt the earthquake, everything was moving so we went out of the building,” Dovon told Reuters. “Nothing was damaged.” Australian authorities said there was no threat to the Australian coastline from the quake, which was initially reported as a magnitude 7.2. Quakes are common in Papua New Guinea, which sits on the Pacific’s “Ring of Fire”, a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates. Rabaul lies in the shadow of Mount Tavurvur, an active volcano that destroyed the town in 1994 during a severe eruption. The latest quake came as Papua New Guinea struggles to get aid to survivors of the Feb. 26 quake, which flattened whole villages and spoiled water supplies on the country’s main island. The impoverished country is also missing its largest revenue earner since the quake forced a shutdown of Exxon Mobil Corp’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, which has annual sales of $3 billion at current LNG prices. The company is still assessing quake damage at its facilities. ||||| A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea’s New Britain island on Friday, triggering a tsunami warning for surrounding coastlines. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the shallow quake close to the coast, about 162km southwest of Rabaul. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) issued a threat warning for the country’s coastline located within 300km of the quake’s epicentre, but later advised that the threat had passed. “Government agencies responsible for threatened coastal areas should take action to inform and instruct any coastal populations at risk,” the PTWC said in its alert. “Persons located in threatened coastal areas should stay alert for information.” Australian authorities said there was no threat to the Australian coastline from the quake, which was initially reported as a magnitude 7.2. Papua New Guinea, one of the world’s poorest countries, is still reeling a month after a magnitude 7.5 quake in its rugged and remote highlands, killing at least 100 people as landslides buried villages. – Reuters
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A magnitude 6.9 earthquake strikes off the coast of New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 35 km (22 mi). There are no reports of immediate damage. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43592321 (BBC)
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Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Police used tear gas to disperse crowds desperate for news of loved ones Relatives of 68 people who died when a fire broke out at a police station in the Venezuelan city of Valencia have demanded answers as to what happened. The blaze reportedly started after prisoners set fire to mattresses in an attempt to break out on Wednesday. The United Nations has called on the Venezuelan authorities to carry out a speedy investigation and to provide reparations to victims' families. The fire is one of the deadliest incidents in Venezuela's prisons. The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement that "where applicable" those responsible should be brought to justice. On Wednesday, anguished relatives had gathered in front of the police station demanding information about their loved ones. They were dispersed by police firing tear gas. Chief prosecutor Tarek William Saab said 66 men and two women, who had been visiting the cells overnight, were killed in the blaze. He also said that an investigation would be launched "immediately". Venezuela's worst prison tragedies: August 2017: A riot in police holding cells leaves 37 dead in Amazonas state March 2017: 14 bodies are found in a mass grave in a jail in Guarico state September 2015: A blaze in a prison in Tocuyito prison kills 17 January 2013: More than 60 inmates are killed in a prison riot in Barquisimeto What happened at the police station? The circumstances surrounding the fire have not been officially confirmed. The association Una Ventana a la Libertad (A Window on Freedom), which monitors jail conditions, said its reports showed a police officer had been shot in the leg by a detainee and that shortly afterwards mattresses in cells were set ablaze and the fire quickly spread. Mr Santander did confirm one police officer had been shot. Rescuers reportedly broke through walls to try to free those trapped by the blaze. Nearly all of those who died were inmates but at least two women who were visiting at the time were also killed, Mr Saab said. Some of the victims burned to death, others died of smoke inhalation. What has the response been? Angry relatives gathered outside the detention centre and clashed with police as they sought information about loved ones. Image copyright AFP Image caption Relatives complained they had been given no information Image copyright Reuters Aida Parra, who said she had last seen her son the day before, told the Associated Press news agency: "I don't know if my son is dead or alive. They haven't told me anything." Dora Blanco told local media: "I am a desperate mother. My son has been here a week. They have not given any information." The government has set up an inquiry. Carabobo state governor Rafael Lacava expressed his condolences, adding: "A serious and profound investigation has been initiated to find the causes and those responsible for these regrettable events." What's the state of Venezuela's penal system? Facilities are notoriously overcrowded, with violence and deadly riots common. The country has struggled to accommodate its prisoners amid an ongoing economic crisis, leading to the use of temporary facilities such as the one in Valencia. 'De facto prisons' By Daniel García Marco, BBC Mundo, Caracas Many police stations in Venezuela are being used as de facto prisons. Their holding cells were built for 30 to 40 people but often hundreds are crammed inside awaiting trial or transfer to a proper jail. Detainees can sometimes spend years there. When I visited such a police station several months ago in Caracas, I saw dozens of men sharing a very small cell. Their relatives came twice a day to deliver them some food which the prisoners shared among themselves. Carlos Nieto of Una Ventana a la Libertad says that about 45,000 people are currently locked up in 500 police stations across the country. He says that a disaster like the one that happened in Valencia could "happen anytime, anywhere and [the next one] could even be worse". Inmates are supposed to be held for only 48 hours in police holding cells. Una Ventana a la Libertad says some police facilities are overfilled at five times their capacity. The organisation says that 65 people died last year in temporary cells due to violence, disease or malnutrition. Last month inmates at a different prison in Carabobo took a number of prisoners and guards hostage in another riot. ||||| Caracas: At least 68 people were killed in a fire at a prison in Venezuela’s Carabobo state, according to a government official. “The Public Prosecutor’s Office informs the public that in the face of the terrible events that took place at the General Command of Carabobo, where 68 people died in the wake of a fire, we have appointed four prosecutors to clarify these dramatic events,” Chief State Prosecutor Tarek Saab tweeted on Wednesday. The Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigation Service Corps (Cicpc) as well as the Prosecutor and the director of the Carabobo Police Jose Aldama, are investigating to identify the cause of the incident, reports Efe news. The blaze reportedly started after prisoners set fire to mattresses in an attempt to break out on Wednesday. Relatives surrounded the station after news of the fire broke. The situation soon turned violent, leading the 20 state police officers who were guarding the station to launch tear gas. Last month inmates at a different prison in Carabobo took a number of prisoners and guards hostage in another riot. ||||| VALENCIA, Venezuela—Venezuela’s chief prosecutor reported late Wednesday that 68 people, nearly all of them prisoners, were killed by a fire that erupted inside a police station, which townspeople said followed a riot by detainees being held there. Attorney General Tarek William Saab said on his official Twitter account that four prosecutors had been named to determine what happened at the police headquarters in Valencia, a town about 100 miles west of Caracas. ||||| VALENCIA, Venezuela — Venezuela’s chief prosecutor says 68 dead after riot and fire at police station. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| Officials say 68 people are dead after a riot and fire erupted Wednesday night at a Venezuelan police station, the BBC reports. The blaze at the Valencia city station was reportedly sparked by prisoners setting mattresses alight in a jailbreak attempt. Many are believed to have died due to smoke inhalation. Tarek Saab, the chief state prosecutor, said an investigation into the incident will begin immediately. Outside the station, officers in riot gear reportedly used tear gas to disperse a crowd of angry relatives gathered to see if their loved ones had survived. Photos shared by prison watchdog A Window to Freedom show detainees in grisly conditions being taken out of the station on stretchers. “I don’t know if my son is dead or alive!” Aida Parra told the Associated Press, adding that she last saw her son when she delivered him food one day earlier. “They haven’t told me anything.” Notoriously overcrowded and lawless, Venezuela’s prisons sporadically see clashes between inmates and officers, which are sometimes deadly. Drugs, weapons and gangs are reportedly pervasive behind bars. ||||| 08:30 (GMT+4) A fire at the Venezuelan prison in the northern state of Carabobo killed 68 people overnight, including two female visitors, the chief prosecutor said Wednesday, Sputnik reported. Attorney General Tarek Saab appointed four prosecutors to investigate the tragedy, which caused suffering to dozens of families. "The result of preliminary inquiries suggests that 66 men and two female visitors have died," Saab said on Twitter. Earlier, local media suggested that the alleged cause of the blaze was riot attempt. Venezuelan prisons are reportedly extremely overcrowded and filled with weapons. Riots leaving dozens dead are not unusual. In August, clashes between rioting prisoners and security forces reportedly killed 37 inmates in the southern Venezuelan state of Amazonas, In 2016, the explosion occurred on the visiting day in jail of San Juan de los Morros, in Guarico State. At least one person was killed and 22 others were injured. 06:45 (GMT+4) A fire at a police station in the Venezuelan city of Valencia, in Carabobo State, has killed at least five prisoners in holding cells, BBC News reported. ||||| At least 68 people have been killed at a Venezuela police station, where an apparent riot and escape attempt resulted in a fire. The casualties have been confirmed by the country's prosecutor general. The fire took place in the General Command of the Carabobo Police in the city of Valencia. After the fire, dozens of relatives gathered outside the station, trying to break in to get answers, reportedly forcing police to intervene. Venezuela Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab has confirmed the incident in a series of tweets, saying 68 people were killed in "a presumed fire," including 66 men and two female visitors. He said four special prosecutors have been appointed to investigate the incident. The rioting reportedly started early Wednesday morning. Venezuelan officials have not shared any versions of the events, but witnesses reported hearing gunfire from inside the police station before plumes of black smoke started rising from it. Relatives say many of the victims died from burns and smoke inhalation. ||||| VALENCIA, Venezuela — The latest on riot and fire inside police station in Venezuela (all times local): Venezuela’s chief prosecutor says 68 people died during a fire that erupted in a police station Wednesday after a riot involving prisoners. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab says on his official Twitter account that four prosecutors have been named to determine what happened in Valencia, a town about 100 miles from Caracas. Local officials had earlier confirmed only that there had been fatalities. They said they were working to determine the exact number and declined to provide any estimates “out of respect for the families.” Distraught relatives clamouring for information about detained loved ones clashed with police outside the station during the day. Officers used tear gas to disperse the crowd. ||||| Nearly 70 people have died after fire swept through the cell area inside a police station in Venezuela. Nearly 70 people have died after fire swept through the cell area inside a police station in Venezuela. The country’s chief prosecutor, Attorney General Tarek William Saab, said that nearly all the dead were prisoners. He said two women who were staying overnight at the station were also killed, but did not provide any further details. It was one of the worst jail disasters in a country where human rights groups complain about bad prison conditions. A fire at a prison in the western state of Zulia killed more than 100 inmates in 1994. Local authorities in Valencia had confirmed earlier only that there were fatalities, and said they were working to determine an exact number. They said they were not providing any estimates “out of respect for the families”. A woman kicks at a riot police shield as relatives of prisoners wait to hear news about their family members imprisoned at a police station where a riot broke out, in Valencia, Venezuela (Juan Carlos Hernandez/AP) Angry relatives who gathered outside the station said dozens of detainees had been kept in squalid conditions at the station and expressed fear that their loved ones were dead. Dozens of men and women demanding to know if their loved ones had survived clashed with police officers in riot gear. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. “I don’t know if my son is dead or alive!” cried Aida Parra, who said she last saw her son a day before, when she went to deliver him food. “They haven’t told me anything.” Shortly after that a fire broke out, with flames growing quickly as the blaze spread to mattresses in the cells, it said. Rescuers apparently had to break a hole through a wall to free some of the prisoners inside. Photos shared by the group showed prisoners being taken out on stretchers, their limbs frozen in awkward positions as skin peeled off. A Window to Freedom’s director, Carlos Nieto Palma, said officials should be held accountable for failing to address deteriorating conditions in police station jails. The group said overcrowding has become common throughout the country as detainees are kept long past customary brief holding periods before being sent to other larger jails before trial or freed. “It’s grave and alarming,” Mr Nieto Palma said, adding: “What happened today in Carabobo is a sign of that.” Outside the police station, some relatives buried their hands in their faces as tears streamed down their cheeks. Others had to be held up with the support of friends and family as they collapsed in despair. Still others wept quietly and clutched their hands in prayer. Nearby, National Guard troops wearing bullet-proof vests and carrying rifles across their backs walked in and out of the station. Fire trucks and ambulances stood outside, and unused stretchers leaned against a wall. Opposition lawmaker Juan Miguel Matheus demanded that the pro-government leader of Carabobo state inform relatives about what had happened. “The desperation of relatives should not be played with,” he said. Clashes between prisoners and guards are not uncommon in Venezuela. Inmates are frequently able to obtain weapons and drugs with the help of corrupt guards and heavily armed groups control cellblock fiefdoms. ||||| At least 68 people have been killed following rioting and a fire at a police station in Venezuela. Forensic doctors are on the scene in the city of Valencia, in the state of Carabobo, to determine the exact number of fatalities, authorities said. A police officer was shot in the leg and is in a stable condition in hospital. Distraught relatives gathered outside the police station were dispersed with tear gas. News of the horror broke late on Wednesday night when authorities released the information. Chief Prosecutor Tarek William Saab tweeted: “The State Prosecutor’s Office guarantees to deepen investigations to immediately clarify what happened in these painful events that have left dozens of Venezuelan families in mourning." Venezuelan prisons are notoriously overcrowded and filled with weapons and drugs. Riots leaving dozens dead are not uncommon. State official Jesus Santander said the state of Carabobo was in mourning after the incident in the city of Valencia. "Forensic doctors are determining the number of fatalities," Santander said He added that a policeman was shot in the leg and was in a stable condition and firefighters had extinguished the flames. Many Venezuelan prisons are lawless and have been for decades. Prisoners often openly wield machine guns and grenades, use drugs and leave guards powerless. "There are people who are inside those dungeons (...) and the authorities do not know they exist because they do not dare to enter," said Humberto Prado, a local prisons rights activist.
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An attempted prison break and subsequent rioting and fires at a police station in Valencia, Carabobo State, Venezuela, results in at least 68 people dead. Two women who were visiting inmates are thought to be among the dead. Prosecutor General Tarek Saab says an investigation into what has happened would begin immediately.
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Image copyright Reuters Image caption The driver of the Tesla Model X died shortly after the crash Electric carmaker Tesla says a vehicle involved in a fatal crash in California was in Autopilot mode, raising further questions about the safety of self-driving technology. One of the company's Model X cars crashed into a roadside barrier and caught fire on 23 March. Tesla says Autopilot was engaged at the time of the accident involving the driver, 38, who died soon afterwards. But they did not say whether the system had detected the concrete barrier. "The driver had received several visual and one audible hands-on warning earlier in the drive," a statement on the company's website said. "The driver's hands were not detected on the wheel for six seconds prior to the collision." "The driver had about five seconds and 150m (490ft) of unobstructed view of the concrete divider... but the vehicle logs show that no action was taken," the statement added. Tesla's Autopilot system does some of the things a fully autonomous machine can do. It can brake, accelerate and steer by itself under certain conditions, but it is classified as a driver assistance system, is not intended to operate independently and as such the driver is meant to have their hands on the wheel at all times. In 2016, a Tesla driver was killed in Florida when his car failed to spot a lorry crossing its path. It led the company to introduce new safety measures, including turning off Autopilot and bringing the car to a halt if the driver lets go of the wheel for too long. Federal investigators said last year that Tesla "lacked understanding" of the semi-autonomous Autopilot's limitations. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Uber dashcam footage shows moment before fatal impact The accident in California comes at a difficult time for self-driving technology. Earlier this month, Uber was forbidden from resuming self-driving tests in the US state of Arizona. It followed a fatal crash in the state in which an autonomous vehicle hit a woman who was walking her bike across the road. It was thought to be the first time an autonomous car had been involved in a fatal collision with a pedestrian. The company suspended all self-driving tests in North America after the accident. ||||| Tesla Inc has said that a Tesla Model X involved a fatal crash in California last week had activated its Autopilot system, raising new questions about the semi-autonomous system that handles some driving tasks. Tesla also said vehicle logs from the accident showed no action had been taken by the driver soon before the crash and that he had received earlier warnings to put his hands on the wheel. "The driver had about five seconds and 150 meters of unobstructed view of the concrete divider with the crushed crash attenuator, but the vehicle logs show that no action was taken," Tesla said. The statement did not say why the Autopilot system apparently did not detect the concrete divider. The fatal crash and vehicle fire of the Tesla near Mountain View, California, involved two other cars and delayed traffic for hours. The 38-year-old Tesla driver died at a nearby hospital shortly after the crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which launched an investigation into the crash earlier this week, did not immediately comment late Friday. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the fatal crash. Autopilot allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel for extended periods under certain conditions. Tesla requires users to agree to keep their hands on the wheel “at all times” before they can use autopilot, but users routinely tout the fact they can use the system to drive hands-free. In September, NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said operational limitations in the Tesla Model S played a major role in a May 2016 crash that killed a driver using autopilot. That death -- the first fatality in a Tesla vehicle operating in Autopilot mode -- raised questions about the safety of systems that can perform driving tasks for long stretches with little or no human intervention, but which cannot completely replace human drivers. The NTSB said Tesla could have taken further steps to prevent the system’s misuse, and faulted the driver for not paying attention and for "overreliance on vehicle automation." In January, NHTSA and NTSB launched investigations into a Tesla vehicle, apparently traveling in semi-autonomous mode, that struck a fire truck in California. Neither agency nor Tesla has offered any update. The government probes raise the risk for Tesla and automakers at a time when the industry is seeking federal legislation that would ease deployment of self driving cars. The crash comes soon after an Uber vehicle in Arizona in self-driving mode struck and killed a pedestrian in the first death linked to an autonomous vehicle. Tesla said late Friday that "Autopilot does not prevent all accidents – such a standard would be impossible – but it makes them much less likely to occur. It unequivocally makes the world safer for the vehicle occupants, pedestrians and cyclists." Tesla said that in the United States "there is one automotive fatality every 86 million miles across all vehicles from all manufacturers. For Tesla, there is one fatality, including known pedestrian fatalities, every 320 million miles in vehicles equipped with Autopilot hardware." Tesla in September 2016 unveiled improvements to Autopilot, adding new limits on hands-off driving. On Thursday, Tesla said it was recalling 123,000 Model S sedans built before April 2016 in order to replace bolts in the power steering component that can begin to corrode after contact in cold temperatures with road salt. No accidents or injuries were reported. ||||| In a statement Friday night, Tesla reported that the Autopilot system was engaged when a Model X crashed into a highway divider on March 23rd. Further, Tesla says the unnamed male driver’s hands were “not detected on the wheel for six seconds prior to the collision,” and that he had received “several” automated warnings to keep his hands on the wheel earlier in the same drive. The driver, according to data in the vehicle’s logs, had about five seconds to react before striking the divider, but did not. The driver was killed in the crash, which Tesla says was made worse by an unrepaired highway crash guard. The case highlights a key and persistent worry about Tesla’s Autopilot system – not whether it is effective, but whether drivers understand its intended use. Despite its name, Autopilot is not a full self-driving system, and Tesla has implemented a variety of safeguards and alerts to remind drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road when Autopilot is activated. But this is not the first time a crash apparently resulted when a driver did not heed those warnings. A fatal May 2016 crash was caused in part by overreliance on Autopilot, according to a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. Autopilot was also active during a nonfatal Model S crash in California this January. Despite those incidents, statistics show that Autopilot increases driver safety overall. The U.S. Department of Transportation has found that Autopilot reduces crash rates by 40%, and Tesla says Autopilot-equipped vehicles are 3.7 times less likely than average to be involved in a fatal accident. Despite that bigger picture, the latest crash has helped hammer the carmaker’s stock, which dropped more than 15% early this week before recovering slightly. ||||| Tesla Inc said on Friday that vehicle logs from last week's fatal accident of a Tesla Model X in California showed that the autopilot had been engaged prior to the crash. Tesla said that the autopilot was on with adaptive cruise control follow-distance set to minimum. The company also said no action had been taken by the driver, who had a 5-second view of the concrete divider. "The driver had received several visual and one audible hands-on warning earlier in the drive and the driver's hands were not detected on the wheel for six seconds prior to the collision," Tesla said. The fatal crash and vehicle fire of the Tesla Model X near Mountain View, California, last week involved two other cars. Tesla vehicles have a system called Autopilot that handles some driving tasks. The 38-year-old Tesla driver died at a nearby hospital shortly after the crash. |||||
• A Tesla Model X destroyed in a fiery crash that also killed the driver had been operating on Autopilot moments before the collision, Tesla announced on Friday night, citing information collected from vehicle logs.
• The company said the driver had set a distance-control feature that determines how much space the Model X keeps between itself and other vehicles to the "minimum" setting.
• Tesla also asserts that the driver had received "several visual and one audible hands-on warning," and their hands were not detected on the wheel "six seconds prior to the collision." Tesla revealed new information about a collision involving a Model X, in which the driver of the electric SUV was killed last week. The company said in a blog post on Friday night that the Model X had been operating on Autopilot, its semi-autonomous driving system, before the crash, according to data obtained from onboard vehicle logs. The driver had also set a distance-control feature that determines how much space the Model X keeps between itself and other vehicles to the "minimum" setting, the company said. According to Tesla, the driver had received "several visual and one audible hands-on warning" during the drive, and their hands were not detected on the steering wheel "six seconds prior to the collision." The Model X slammed into a highway barrier in the Northern California city of Mountain View on March 23. The driver later died at a hospital. Tesla said the driver "had about five seconds and 150 meters of unobstructed view of the concrete divider with the crushed crash attenuator, but the vehicle logs show that no action was taken." The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating. Two other vehicles were involved in the collision. It is the second collision involving a Tesla operating on Autopilot that the NTSB has investigated so far this year. The agency was also looking into a Model S sedan that collided with a fire truck in the Los Angeles suburb of Culver City in January. Tesla has said that "Autopilot is not a fully self-driving technology and drivers need to remain attentive at all times." The Autopilot system is designed to warn drivers whenever it detects that the driver's hands are not on the wheel. The severity of those alerts gradually escalates if the driver does not respond. The Autopilot system eventually deactivates itself if the driver ignores the warnings. ||||| (KGTV) - The Tesla vehicle involved in a deadly California crash last week was operating in "Autopilot" mode, the company confirmed Friday. The vehicle is now the latest accident involving an autonomous vehicle in the last month. The fatal crash on March 23 occurred in Mountain View, Calif. The vehicle had been engaged in Autopilot and alerted the driver with "several" visual and audible "hands-on" warnings, Tesla said in a release. The driver, identified as 38-year-old Walter Huang, did not have his hands on the wheel in the six seconds leading up to the fiery crash, according to the drive logs Tesla recovered. "The driver had about five seconds and 150 meters of unobstructed view of the concrete divider with the crushed crash attenuator, but the vehicle logs show that no action was taken," according to Tesla. Tesla said the force of the crash was so severe the highway safety barrier designed to reduce impact into the concrete lane divider had been crushed. "We have never seen this level of damage to a Model X in any other crash," Tesla said. Officials from Tesla said they are working with investigators to understand what led to the crash. The company maintained, however, that drivers using Autopilot are 3.7 times less likely to be involved in a fatal crash. "No one knows about the accidents that didn’t happen, only the ones that did. The consequences of the public not using Autopilot, because of an inaccurate belief that it is less safe, would be extremely severe," Tesla said. In March, a self-driving Uber vehicle hit and killed a pedestrian in Arizona. That crash had also been utilizing a self-driving system. Dashboard video showed the driver appeared to not have his hands on the wheel at the time of the collision. ||||| Tesla's Autopilot feature was on during the recent fatal crash of a Tesla Model X car, the company said late Friday, potentially increasing concerns over the safety of automated-driving technologies. In a post on its website, the electric-car maker said computer logs retrieved from the wrecked SUV show that Tesla's driver-assisting Autopilot technology was engaged and that the driver doesn't appear to have grabbed the steering wheel in the seconds before the crash. The car's 38-year-old driver died after the vehicle hit a concrete lane divider on a Northern California freeway and caught fire. The accident happened March 23. Three days earlier, an Arizona pedestrian was killed by a fully self-driving car being tested by Uber with a ride-along human safety driver, raising questions about whether automated technologies can be trusted. Nearly every carmaker worldwide, including General Motors, BMW, Ford and Toyota, has plans to offer self-driving cars in the next few years. Proponents say the vehicles are safer because their software and sensors let them "see" and react to surroundings faster than humans can. But critics say the cars may not be road ready and that the process shouldn't be rushed. On its website, Tesla, led by CEO Elon Musk, says Enhanced Autopilot includes features like Autosteer, Emergency Braking and Side Collision Warning. It adds that "every driver is responsible for remaining alert and active when using Autopilot, and must be prepared to take action at any time." The site also says all Tesla cars include hardware that in the future will allow them to go beyond Enhanced Autopilot to offer "full self-driving capability at a safety level substantially greater than that of a human driver." In its Friday post, Tesla said the crashed Model X's computer logs show that the driver's hands weren't detected on the steering wheel for 6 seconds prior to the accident. It said they also show the driver had "about five seconds and 150 meters of unobstructed view of the concrete divider" before the crash but that "no action was taken." The company cited various statistics in defending Autopilot in the post and said there's no doubt the technology makes vehicles safer than traditional cars. "Over a year ago," the post said, "our first iteration of Autopilot was found by the US government to reduce crash rates by as much as 40 percent. Internal data confirms that recent updates to Autopilot have improved system reliability." "Tesla Autopilot does not prevent all accidents -- such a standard would be impossible -- but it makes them much less likely to occur," the post reads. "It unequivocally makes the world safer for the vehicle occupants, pedestrians and cyclists." It's not the first time Autopilot has been involved in a fatal collision. In regard to a 2016 accident, the US National Transportation Safety Board faulted the driver for "overreliance on vehicle automation" but said that though the Autopilot system operated as designed, it didn't do enough to make sure drivers paid adequate attention. Tesla said in the post that the driver in the recent crash had gotten several warnings at various times during the trip about the need to take control of the steering wheel. It also said the reason the accident was so serious is because the safety barrier on the concrete lane divider, designed to reduce impact, was damaged in an earlier accident and hadn't been replaced. Tesla's business is having a difficult month, with unprecedented dips in stock prices fueled in part by the recent crash and by Model 3 production delays. On Thursday, the company recalled 123,000 Model S cars because of a faulty steering bolt. CNET Magazine: Check out a sample of the stories in CNET's newsstand edition. CNET en Español: Get all your tech news and reviews in Spanish. ||||| After the driver of a Tesla Model X died in a fiery crash on a Bay Area freeway last week, federal and local authorities are investigating what happened. The crash on Highway 101 near Mountain View, California, last Friday looked gruesome with the front half of the electric SUV destroyed in the crash and subsequent fire. National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Christopher O'Neil said in a phone call Thursday that the federal agency was investigating the crash, mostly looking into the fire after the crash and how the vehicle was transported and removed from the scene. He said the NTSB would be "interested" in knowing if Tesla's autopilot mode was in use leading up to the crash, but its field investigation didn't have any updated information on whether that was the case. Tesla said this week it was still working on retrieving the vehicle's logs from an internal computer. Severe damage has made it difficult to review what happened in the car and on the road before the fatal accident. But Tesla, in a post about the accident, defended its autopilot feature even though the semi-autonomous driving mode hasn't been confirmed as a factor in the crash. Based on user data, Tesla drivers on the same part of the highway where the crashed occurred have used autopilot mode about 85,000 times since 2015 — that's 20,000 times since the beginning of this year. Tesla said it doesn't know about any accidents. Tesla also explained that the investigation is more focused on the highway road barrier. "The reason this crash was so severe is that the crash attenuator, a highway safety barrier which is designed to reduce the impact into a concrete lane divider, had either been removed or crushed in a prior accident without being replaced," the electric car company wrote. A fatal Tesla crash investigation in Florida in 2016 cited an "over-reliance" on Tesla's automated feature. A driver in another Tesla crash in Los Angeles earlier this year was also in autopilot mode. ||||| Tesla said autopilot was activated during a fatal Model X crash last week in California. The driver’s hands were not on the steering wheel for about six seconds before the Model X collided with a highway median on Highway 101 in Mountain View, the company said in a statement issued late Friday. And the driver had received “several visual and one audible” cue from the vehicle to grab the wheel “earlier in the drive,” it added. The autopilot feature is not fully autonomous. It handles some driving functions, but not all, and drivers are expected to stay engaged when the feature is activated. In a blog post, Tesla called the crash, which killed the driver, “devastating.” It also said that drivers are safer when they have autopilot activated than when they do not. “Tesla Autopilot does not prevent all accidents — such a standard would be impossible — but it makes them much less likely to occur,” the post reads. The company also pointed to a government report from January 2017 that found autopilot reduced crash rates for Tesla by 40%. “The consequences of the public not using Autopilot, because of an inaccurate belief that it is less safe, would be extremely severe,” Tesla said. The incident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, and the news came amid a brutal week of headlines for Tesla as the company continues to struggle with production issues of its new mass-market car, the Model 3. And a recall for 123,000 luxury Model S sedans was issued Thursday due to an issue that can make the cars difficult to steer at low speeds. The company’s shares are down more than 22% so far this month. The Tesla crash followed a high-profile crash in Tempe, Arizona, in which a fully autonomous Uber car struck and killed a pedestrian. Tesla’s semi-autonomous autopilot technology has been a factor in crashes before. In January, a Model S sedan struck a fire truck while driving down a California highway. The driver was unharmed. And federal investigators found that Tesla’s autopilot was partly to blame in the fatal crash of a Model S in 2016. Tesla vehicles typically rank very high in terms of crash safety ratings. Last June, the Model X was deemed the safest SUV ever tested by federal regulators. ||||| A Tesla Model X owner had the vehicle’s Autopilot system engaged when the all-electric SUV crashed on a California highway, Tesla confirmed on Friday while alleging the driver who died in the crash missed key warnings to take control of the car. Prior to the March 23 collision, Tesla said the Model X owner had Autopilot engaged with adaptive cruise control follow-distance set to a minimum. The driver, Walter Huang, had received “several visual and one audible hands-on warning” earlier in the drive. Huang’s hands weren’t detected on the wheel six seconds prior to the collision, Tesla said. Huang died in the crash. “The driver had about five seconds and 150 meters of unobstructed view of the concrete divider with the crushed crash attenuator, but the vehicle logs show that no action was taken,” Tesla wrote in a blog post late Friday. Tesla said it believes the crash was severe because the “crash attenuator,” a highway safety barrier which is designed to reduce the impact into a concrete lane divider, had been crushed in a prior accident without being replaced. “We have never seen this level of damage to a Model X in any other crash,” the company said. The confirmation that Tesla’s Autopilot system was engaged at the time of the crash comes amid a troubling time for the nascent self-driving car industry. This month, an Uber-owned self-driving car fatally struck a pedestrian, raising significant questions about the safety of automated driving technology. Following the fiery crash involving the Model X driver, the National Transportation Safety Board launched an investigation that’s expected to take months to complete. The Model X crash is the third known fatality to occur when Autopilot was engaged. In January 2016, 23-year-old Gao Yaning died while driving a Model S on a highway in China, and his family’s attorney recently told Jalopnik that Tesla’s own data confirmed Autopilot was engaged at the time. A half-year later, Joshua Brown died in Florida after his Model S crashed into a truck. The NTSB said an over-reliance on Autopilot was partly to blame in that crash. Tesla has been quick to post updates on the Model X crash in recent days, saying late Friday that it has been “working as quickly as possible to establish the facts of last week’s accident.” “Our hearts are with the family and friends who have been affected by this tragedy,” the company said. The NTSB initially said it wasn’t clear if Autopilot was engaged at the time it sent investigators to the scene earlier this week. But the confirmation that Autopilot was on should only add more questions for an industry currently trying to untangle how to approach self-driving cars in wake of this month’s fatal Uber crash, the first known to involve a pedestrian and an autonomous car. Update, March 31, 9:50 a.m.: This post has been updated to include more information about previous fatal crashes that occurred when Autopilot was engaged.
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U.S.-based automobile manufacturer Tesla confirms that one of their Model X cars was placed into Autopilot mode moments before a fatal crash in California, United States. Tesla's Autopilot system is not intended to operate independently and as such the driver is meant to have their hands on the wheel at all times. The recorder of the system logged that the driver did not have their hands on the wheel at the time of the crash.
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People react as they evacuate deaf Palestinian Tahreer Abu Sabala, 17, who was shot and wounded in the head during clashes with Israeli troops, at Israel-Gaza border, in the southern Gaza Strip April 1, 2018. — Reuters picGAZA CITY, April 2 — Israel rejected calls for an independent probe yesterday after its soldiers killed 16 Palestinians and wounded hundreds more when a major demonstration led to clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip. Israel’s military has faced questions from rights groups over its use of live fire on Friday, the bloodiest day in the conflict since a 2014 war, while Palestinians accused soldiers of firing on protesters posing no threat. Both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini have called for an independent investigation. On Saturday, the United States blocked a draft UN Security Council statement urging restraint and calling for an investigation of the violence, diplomats said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the soldiers for “guarding the country’s borders,” while Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the protests were not a “Woodstock festival”. Lieberman said calls for an independent investigation were hypocritical and yesterday repeated his rejection of such a probe. “There will be no commission of inquiry,” he told Israel’s public radio. “There will be no such thing here. We shall not cooperate with any commission of inquiry.” Netanyahu also hit back at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his sharp criticism of what he called Israel’s “inhumane attack” in Gaza. “The most moral army in the world will not be lectured to on morality from someone who for years has been bombing civilians indiscriminately,” Netanyahu tweeted. He has previously labelled Erdogan as someone who “bombs Kurdish villagers”. Erdogan responded later in the day by calling Netanyahu a “terrorist.” On Friday, Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians who strayed from a main protest camp attended by tens of thousands and approached the heavily fortified fence cutting off the blockaded Gaza Strip. The military has defended actions of its soldiers and said they opened fire only when necessary against those throwing stones and firebombs or rolling tyres at soldiers. It said there were attempts to damage the fence and infiltrate Israel, while alleging there was also an attempted gun attack against soldiers along the border. Israel accuses Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza and with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, of using the protest as cover to carry out violence. In addition to the 16 Palestinians killed, more than 1,400 were wounded Friday, 758 of them by live fire, with the remainder hurt by rubber bullets and tear gas inhalation, the health ministry in Gaza said. No casualties were reported among Israelis. The armed wing of Hamas said five of those killed were its members who were participating “in popular events side-by-side with their people”. The Israeli army alleges 10 of the dead had “documented terror backgrounds” in Hamas and other groups and were killed “whilst carrying out acts of terror”. Unverified videos being shared online have fuelled the debate, including one appearing to show a protester running with a tyre being shot while seeming to pose no threat. Israel’s army has issued a statement saying footage is being “edited and fabricated,” without referring to specific videos. Rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticised Israel’s use of live fire. Israel had deployed troop reinforcements along the border, including more than 100 special forces snipers, saying it would prevent attempts to break through the fence. In Tel Aviv yesterday, between 200 and 300 leftwing Israeli opposition demonstrators staged a protest outside the offices of Netanyahu’s rightwing Likud party to denounce the government’s role in the killings. “The government is doing everything it can to present the Palestinians as the only guilty party whereas it played an important part in the responsibility for what happened,” Hagit Ofran of the Peace Now group which opposes Israeli settlement of Palestinian land told AFP. Peace Now issued a statement condemning what it called the army’s “trigger happy” policies under orders from the government. The Gaza protests, which include tents erected at various areas, are designed to last six weeks, ending around the time the United States moves its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in mid-May. The embassy move has deeply angered the Palestinians, who see Jerusalem’s annexed eastern sector as the capital of their future state. But while tens of thousands attended Friday’s start of the protests, demonstrations have since dwindled. Several hundred attended on Saturday, while yesterday dozens were in the area, with low-level clashes occurring. “I left the hospital today and I came straight back,” Hamada Zaza, 18 and with a bloodied bandage on his hand covering what he said was a bullet wound, told AFP. The protests may however again see large crowds after this coming Friday’s main Muslim prayers and for other key dates ahead. May 14 will mark 70 years since the creation of Israel and is when the United States is expected to open its new Jerusalem embassy. Palestinians will mark what they call the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” the following day. The Nakba commemorates the more than 700,000 Palestinians who either fled or were expelled from their homes in the war surrounding Israel’s creation in 1948. Gaza’s protest is in support of refugees, including those in the Palestinian enclave who want to return to their former homes in what is now Israel. — AFP ||||| GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel will target militant groups inside Gaza if violence along the territory’s border with Israel drags on, the chief military spokesman warned on Saturday, a day after 15 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the area’s deadliest violence in four years. The violence significantly petered out Saturday as just small groups of Palestinians threw stones in several areas near the fence, drawing Israeli fire that injured 25 people, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Friday’s mass marches were largely led by Gaza’s ruling Hamas group and touted as the launch of a six-week-long protest campaign against a stifling decade-old blockade of the territory. Protests are aiming to culminate in a large border march on May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel founding. The date is mourned by Palestinians as their “nakba,”or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were uprooted in the 1948 Mideast war over Israel’s creation. Organizers set up five tent encampments, each several hundred meters from the border to serve as launch points for protest. Some young men broke away Saturday, throwing stones at Israeli soldiers on the other side of the fence, drawing live rounds and tear gas. In two separate incidents, an Associated Press reporter saw two men who walked close to the fence get shot in the legs by soldiers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated the soldiers Saturday for allowing the rest of the country to celebrate the Passover holiday safely. “Israel is acting determinedly and decisively to protect its sovereignty and the security of its citizens,” he said. Palestinian health officials said 15 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire and more than 750 hit by live rounds Friday, making it the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 cross-border war between Israel and Hamas. It appears unlikely protests will continue at such a scale, with larger turnouts only expected after Friday noon prayers, the highlight of the Muslim religious week. In Friday’s confrontations, large crowds gathered near the fence, with smaller groups of protesters rushing forward, throwing stones and burning tires. Israeli troops responded with live fire and rubber-coated steel pellets, while drones dropped tear gas from above. Soldiers with rifles were perched on high earthen embankments overlooking the scene. Israel’s military initially said Friday that “thousands of Palestinians are rioting in six locations throughout the Gaza Strip, rolling burning tires and hurling stones.” Video released by the army appeared to show fewer actually engaged in direct violence. On Saturday, the chief army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, said that while thousands of Palestinians approached the border Friday, those engaged in stone-throwing were in the hundreds. Manelis denied soldiers used excessive force, saying those killed by Israeli troops were men between the ages of 18 and 30 who were involved in violence and belonged to militant factions. He alleged Gaza health officials exaggerated the number of wounded, and that several dozen at most were injured by live fire, with others suffering from tear gas inhalation or other types of injuries. Manelis said soldiers knew who they were shooting at and how many people were hit by live fire. The Gaza Health Ministry did not provide names and ages of those killed. Four of the 15 dead were members of the Hamas military wing, the group said Saturday. The group said a fifth member who was not on the Health Ministry list was killed near the border, and that Israel has the body. It said another man is also missing in the border area. Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital received 284 injured people Friday, the majority with bullet injuries, said spokesman Ayman Sahbani. He said 70 were under the age of 18 and 11 were women. He said 40 surgeries were performed Friday and that 50 were planned Saturday. “These are all from live bullets that broke limbs or caused deep, open wounds with damage to nerves and veins,” he said. Among those recovering from surgery was 16-year-old Marwan Yassin, who said he had thrown stones with a slingshot at the fence Friday and was shot in both legs. One leg was wrapped in bandages and the other had a cast and metal fixtures. Yassin said he would not return to the border because of the risks. His mother said at his bedside that she would forbid him from participating in future protests. Protest organizers have said mass marches would continue until the day of the “nakba,” an anniversary with particular resonance in Gaza, where the vast majority of 2 million residents are descendants of refugees. The day, May 15, will this year also coincide with the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Manelis reiterated Saturday that Israel “will not allow a massive breach of the fence into Israeli territory.” He said that Hamas and other Gaza militant groups are using protests as a cover for staging attacks. If violence continues, “we will not be able to continue limiting our activity to the fence area and will act against these terror organizations in other places too,” he said. The border protests were seen as a new attempt by Hamas to break the border blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group seized Gaza in 2007 from forces loyal to its rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The continued closure has made it increasingly difficult for Hamas to govern. Life in the coastal strip has deteriorated further in recent months, with rising unemployment, grinding poverty and daily blackouts that last for hours. The prospect of more protests and Palestinian casualties in coming weeks could also place Israel on the defensive. At the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres called for an independent investigation, while Security Council members urged restraint on both sides. The council didn’t decide on any action or joint message after an emergency meeting Friday evening. Abbas, the West Bank-based leader, renewed a call for international protection of Palestinians. In the West Bank, shopkeepers observed a commercial strike called by political activists Saturday to protest Israel’s response to the Gaza marches. ||||| Israel says it will expand response if Gaza clashes go on GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel will target militant groups inside Gaza if violence along the territory's border with Israel drags on, the chief military spokesman warned on Saturday, a day after 15 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the area's deadliest violence in four years. The violence significantly petered down Saturday as just small groups of Palestinians threw stones in several areas near the border fence, drawing Israeli fire that injured 25 people, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Friday's mass marches were largely led by Gaza's ruling Hamas group and touted as the launch of a six-week-long protest campaign against a stifling decade-old blockade of the territory. Protests are aiming to culminate in a large border march on May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel founding. The date is mourned by Palestinians as their "nakba,"or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were uprooted in the 1948 Mideast war over Israel's creation. Organizers set up five tent encampments, each several hundred meters from the border to serve as launch points for protest. Some young men broke away Saturday, throwing stones at Israeli soldiers on the other side of the fence, drawing live rounds and tear gas. In two separate incidents, an Associated Press reporter saw two men who walked close to the fence get shot in the legs by soldiers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated the soldiers Saturday for allowing the rest of the country to celebrate the Passover holiday safely. "Israel is acting determinedly and decisively to protect its sovereignty and the security of its citizens," he said. Palestinian health officials said 15 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire and more than 750 hit by live rounds Friday, making it the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 cross-border war between Israel and Hamas. It appears unlikely protests will continue at such a scale, with larger turnouts only expected after Friday noon prayers, the highlight of the Muslim religious week. In Friday's confrontations, large crowds had gathered near the fence, with smaller groups of protesters rushing forward, throwing stones and burning tires. Israeli troops responded with live fire and rubber-coated steel pellets, while drones dropped tear gas from above. Soldiers with rifles were perched on high earthen embankments overlooking the scene. Israel's military initially claimed Friday that "thousands of Palestinians are rioting in six locations throughout the Gaza Strip, rolling burning tires and hurling stones." Video released by the army appeared to show fewer actually engaged in direct violence. On Saturday, the chief army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, said that while thousands of Palestinians approached the border Friday, those engaged in stone-throwing were in the hundreds. Manelis denied soldiers used excessive force, saying those killed by Israeli troops were men between the ages of 18 and 30 who were involved in violence and belonged to militant factions. The army later released the names and ages of 10 of the dead, including eight members of Hamas and two from other militant groups. Manelis alleged Gaza health officials exaggerated the number of wounded, and that several dozen at most were injured by live fire, with others suffering from tear gas inhalation or other types of injuries. Manelis said soldiers knew who they were shooting at and how many people were hit by live fire. The Gaza Health Ministry did not provide names and ages of those killed. Four of the 15 dead were members of the Hamas military wing, the group said Saturday. The group said a fifth member who was not on the Health Ministry list was killed near the border, and that Israel has the body. It said another man is also missing in the border area. Gaza City's Shifa Hospital received 284 injured people Friday, the majority with bullet injuries, said spokesman Ayman Sahbani. He said 70 were under the age of 18 and 11 were women. He said 40 surgeries were performed Friday and that 50 were planned Saturday. "These are all from live bullets that broke limbs or caused deep, open wounds with damage to nerves and veins," he said. Among those recovering from surgery was 16-year-old Marwan Yassin who said he had thrown stones with a slingshot at the fence Friday and was shot in both legs. One leg was wrapped in bandages and the other had a cast and metal fixtures. Yassin said he would not return to the border because of the risks. His mother said at his bedside that she would forbid him from participating in future protests. Protest organizers have said mass marches would continue until the day of the "nakba," an anniversary with particular resonance in Gaza where the vast majority of 2 million residents are descendants of refugees. The day, May 15, will this year also coincide with the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Manelis reiterated Saturday that Israel "will not allow a massive breach of the fence into Israeli territory." He said that Hamas and other Gaza militant groups are using protests as a cover for staging attacks. If violence continues, "we will not be able to continue limiting our activity to the fence area and will act against these terror organizations in other places too," he said. The border protests were seen as a new attempt by Hamas to break the border blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group seized Gaza in 2007 from forces loyal to its rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The continued closure has made it increasingly difficult for Hamas to govern. Life in the coastal strip has deteriorated further in recent months, with rising unemployment, grinding poverty and daily blackouts that last for hours. The prospect of more protests and Palestinian casualties in coming weeks could also place Israel on the defensive. At the United Nations, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation, while Security Council members urged restraint on both sides. The council didn't decide on any action or joint message after an emergency meeting Friday evening. Abbas, the West Bank-based leader, renewed a call for international protection of Palestinians. In the West Bank, shopkeepers observed a commercial strike called by political activists Saturday to protest Israel's response to the Gaza marches. Heller reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Karin Laub in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report. ||||| Israel says it will expand response if Gaza clashes go on GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel will target "terror organizations" in Gaza if violence along the territory's border with Israel drags on, the chief military spokesman warned Saturday, a day after thousands of Palestinians staged protests near the border fence. The mass marches were led by Gaza's ruling Hamas group and touted as the launch of a six-week-long protest campaign. Palestinian health officials said 15 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire and more than 750 hit by live rounds, making it the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 cross-border war between Israel and Hamas. In Friday's confrontations, large crowds gathered near the border fence, with smaller groups of protesters rushing forward, throwing stones and burning tires. Israeli troops responded with live fire and rubber-coated steel pellets, while drones dropped tear gas from above. The army released video showing soldiers with rifles perched on high earthen embankments overlooking the scene. Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, the chief army spokesman, denied allegations of excessive use of force, saying those killed by Israeli troops were men between the ages of 18 and 30 who were involved in violence and belonged to militant factions. He alleged Gaza health officials exaggerated the number of those wounded, and that several dozen at most were injured by live fire while the rest were merely shaken up by tear gas and other riot dispersal means. Gaza City's Shifa Hospital received 284 injured people Friday, the majority with bullet injuries, said spokesman Ayman Sahbani. He said 70 were under the age of 18 and 11 were women. He said 40 surgeries were performed Friday and that 50 were planned Saturday. "These are all from live bullets that broke limbs or caused deep, open wounds with damage to nerves and veins," he said. Among those recovering from surgery was 16-year-old Marwan Yassin who had thrown stones with a slingshot at the fence Friday and was shot in both legs. One of his legs was wrapped in bandages and the other had a cast and metal fixtures. His mother said at his bedside that she would ban him from future protests. On Saturday, a few hundred people gathered at five tent encampments that have been set up several hundred meters from the border fence. The tents serve as the launch points for marches. Protest organizers have said mass marches would continue until May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel's creation. Palestinians mark that date as their "nakba," or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were uprooted during the 1948 war over Israel's creation. The vast majority of Gaza's 2 million people are descendants of Palestinians who fled or were driven from homes in what is now Israel. Manelis reiterated Saturday that Israel "will not allow a massive breach of the fence into Israeli territory." He said that Hamas and other Gaza militant groups are using protests as a cover for staging attacks. If violence continues, "we will not be able to continue limiting our activity to the fence area and will act against these terror organizations in other places too," he said. The border protests were seen as a new attempt by Hamas to break the border blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group seized Gaza from forces loyal to its rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in 2007. The continued closure has made it increasingly difficult for Hamas to govern. The large turnout of marchers in the dangerous border zone also seemed to signal desperation among Gaza residents. Life in the coastal strip has deteriorated further in recent months, with rising unemployment, grinding poverty and daily blackouts that last for hours. The protest campaign is also meant to spotlight Palestinian demands for a "right of return" to what is now Israel. The prospect of more protests and Palestinian casualties in coming weeks could also place Israel on the defensive. At the United Nations, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation, while Security Council members urged restraint on both sides. The council didn't decide on any action or joint message after an emergency meeting Friday evening. Abbas, the West Bank-based leader, renewed a call for international protection of Palestinians. In the West Bank, shopkeepers observed a commercial strike called by political activists Saturday to protest Israel's response to the Gaza marches. ||||| Left-wing activists take part in a protest in solidarity with Palestinians living in Gaza, next to the Gaza-Israel border, near Kibbutz Nahal Oz, Israel March 31, 2018. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad ANKARA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday condemned Israel over its "inhumane attack" in Gaza after a major demonstration there led to clashes that saw Israeli forces kill 16 Palestinians. The violence broke out on Friday after tens of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip marched near the Israeli border. Over 1,400 people were also wounded, 758 of them by live fire, with the remainder hurt by rubber bullets and tear gas inhalation, the Gazan health ministry said. "I strongly condemn the Israeli government over its inhumane attack," Erdogan said during a speech in Istanbul. The protesters were demanding hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who fled or were expelled during the war surrounding Israel's creation in 1948 be allowed to return. "Have you heard any noteworthy objections to the massacre by Israel that happened yesterday in Gaza from those who criticise the Afrin operation?" Erdogan demanded. Turkey on January 20 launched a cross-border operation against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in its enclave of Afrin and the city was captured on March 18. Ankara has come under heavy criticism from opponents and activists over its own operations in northern Syria. "This is the biggest proof of insincerity of those who fixate on us but say nothing about Israel using heavy weapons to attack people who are protesting on their own lands," Erdogan said, without saying which governments and organisations he meant. Erdogan on Friday spoke with US President Donald Trump in a call and the Turkish leader said he told Trump: "'Aren't you going to intervene here?". The Turkish leader, a fervent supporter of the Palestinians, often criticises Israel's policies but the two sides have increased cooperation since the end of a rift in 2016 caused by Israel's storming in 2010 of a Gaza-bound ship that left 10 Turkish activists dead. The Turkish foreign ministry on Friday accused Israel of using "disproportionate force" against Palestinians during "peaceful protests". ||||| Israel rejected calls for an independent probe on Sunday after its soldiers killed 16 Palestinians and wounded hundreds more when a major demonstration led to clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip. Israel's military has faced questions from rights groups over its use of live fire on Friday, the bloodiest day in the conflict since a 2014 war, while Palestinians accuse soldiers of firing on protesters posing no threat. Both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini have called for an independent investigation. On Saturday, the United States blocked a draft UN Security Council statement urging restraint and calling for an investigation of the violence, diplomats said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised soldiers' actions for "guarding the country's borders," while Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the protests were not a "Woodstock festival". Lieberman said calls for an independent investigation were hypocritical and on Sunday repeated his rejection of such an investigation. "There will be no commission of inquiry," he told Israel's public radio. "There will be no such thing here. We shall not cooperate with any commission of inquiry." Netanyahu also hit back at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his sharp criticism of what he called Israel's "inhumane attack" in Gaza. "The most moral army in the world will not be lectured to on morality from someone who for years has been bombing civilians indiscriminately," Netanyahu tweeted. He has previously labelled Erdogan as someone who "bombs Kurdish villagers". On Friday Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians who strayed from a main protest camp attended by tens of thousands and approached the heavily fortified fence cutting off the blockaded Gaza Strip. The military has defended the soldiers' action and said they opened fire only when necessary against those throwing stones and firebombs or rolling tyres at soldiers. It said there were attempts to damage the fence and infiltrate Israel, while alleging there was also an attempted gun attack against soldiers along the border. Israel accuses Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza and with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, of using the protest as cover to carry out violence. In addition to the 16 Palestinians killed, more than 1,400 were wounded Friday, 758 of them by live fire, with the remainder hurt by rubber bullets and tear gas inhalation, the health ministry in Gaza said. No casualties were reported among Israelis. The armed wing of Hamas said five of those killed were its members who were participating "in popular events side-by-side with their people". The Israeli army alleges 10 of the dead had "documented terror backgrounds" in Hamas and other groups and were killed "whilst carrying out acts of terror". Unverified videos being shared online have fuelled the debate, including one appearing to show a protester running with a tyre being shot while seeming to pose no threat. Israel's army has issued a statement saying footage is being "edited and fabricated," without referring to specific videos. Rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticised Israel's use of live fire. Israel had deployed troop reinforcements along the border, including more than 100 special forces snipers, saying it would prevent attempts to break through the fence. "While some Palestinian demonstrators have thrown stones and other objects towards the fence, it's hard to believe how this would be an imminent danger to the lives of well-equipped soldiers protected by snipers, tanks and drones," Amnesty said. The protest, which includes tents erected at various areas, is designed to last six weeks, ending around the time the United States moves its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in mid-May. The embassy move has deeply angered the Palestinians, who see Jerusalem's annexed eastern sector as the capital of their future state. But while tens of thousands attended Friday's start of the protests, demonstrations have since dwindled. Several hundred attended on Saturday, while on Sunday dozens milled around protest tents. The protests may however again see large crowds after Friday's main Muslim prayers and for upcoming key dates. May 14 will mark 70 years since the creation of Israel and is when the United States is expected to open its new Jerusalem embassy. Palestinians will mark what they call the Nakba, or "catastrophe," the following day. The Nakba commemorates the more than 700,000 Palestinians who either fled or were expelled from their homes in the war surrounding Israel's creation in 1948. Gaza's protest is in support of refugees, including those in the Palestinian enclave who want to return to their former homes in what is now Israel. ||||| Israel's military faces questions over its use of live fire which killed 16 Palestinians and injured at at least 1,400 JERUSALEM – Israel rejected calls for an independent probe on Sunday, April 1, after its soldiers killed 16 Palestinians and wounded hundreds more when a major demonstration led to clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip. Israel's military has faced questions from rights groups over its use of live fire on Friday, March 30, the bloodiest day in the conflict since a 2014 war, while Palestinians accuse soldiers of firing on protesters posing no threat. Both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini have called for an independent investigation. On Saturday, the United States blocked a draft UN Security Council statement urging restraint and calling for an investigation of the violence, diplomats said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised soldiers' actions for "guarding the country's borders," while Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the protests were not a "Woodstock festival". Lieberman said calls for an independent investigation were hypocritical and on Sunday repeated his rejection of such an investigation. "There will be no commission of inquiry," he told Israel's public radio. "There will be no such thing here. We shall not cooperate with any commission of inquiry." Netanyahu also hit back at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his sharp criticism of what he called Israel's "inhumane attack" in Gaza. "The most moral army in the world will not be lectured to on morality from someone who for years has been bombing civilians indiscriminately," Netanyahu tweeted. He has previously labelled Erdogan as someone who "bombs Kurdish villagers". On Friday Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians who strayed from a main protest camp attended by tens of thousands and approached the heavily fortified fence cutting off the blockaded Gaza Strip. The military has defended the soldiers' action and said they opened fire only when necessary against those throwing stones and firebombs or rolling tyres at soldiers. It said there were attempts to damage the fence and infiltrate Israel, while alleging there was also an attempted gun attack against soldiers along the border. Israel accuses Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza and with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, of using the protest as cover to carry out violence. In addition to the 16 Palestinians killed, more than 1,400 were wounded Friday, 758 of them by live fire, with the remainder hurt by rubber bullets and tear gas inhalation, the health ministry in Gaza said. No casualties were reported among Israelis. The armed wing of Hamas said five of those killed were its members who were participating "in popular events side-by-side with their people". The Israeli army alleges 10 of the dead had "documented terror backgrounds" in Hamas and other groups and were killed "whilst carrying out acts of terror". Unverified videos being shared online have fuelled the debate, including one appearing to show a protester running with a tyre being shot while seeming to pose no threat. Israel's army has issued a statement saying footage is being "edited and fabricated," without referring to specific videos. Rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticised Israel's use of live fire. Israel had deployed troop reinforcements along the border, including more than 100 special forces snipers, saying it would prevent attempts to break through the fence. "While some Palestinian demonstrators have thrown stones and other objects towards the fence, it's hard to believe how this would be an imminent danger to the lives of well-equipped soldiers protected by snipers, tanks and drones," Amnesty said. The protest, which includes tents erected at various areas, is designed to last six weeks, ending around the time the United States moves its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in mid-May. The embassy move has deeply angered the Palestinians, who see Jerusalem's annexed eastern sector as the capital of their future state. But while tens of thousands attended Friday's start of the protests, demonstrations have since dwindled. Several hundred attended on Saturday, while on Sunday dozens milled around protest tents. The protests may however again see large crowds after Friday's main Muslim prayers and for upcoming key dates. May 14 will mark 70 years since the creation of Israel and is when the United States is expected to open its new Jerusalem embassy. Palestinians will mark what they call the Nakba, or "catastrophe," the following day. The Nakba commemorates the more than 700,000 Palestinians who either fled or were expelled from their homes in the war surrounding Israel's creation in 1948. Gaza's protest is in support of refugees, including those in the Palestinian enclave who want to return to their former homes in what is now Israel. – Rappler.com ||||| Gaza Strip — Israel will target militant groups inside Gaza if violence along the territory's border with Israel drags on, the chief military spokesperson warned on Saturday, a day after 15 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the area's deadliest violence in four years. The violence significantly petered down Saturday as just small groups of Palestinians threw stones in several areas near the fence, drawing Israeli fire that injured 25 people, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Friday's mass marches were largely led by Gaza's ruling Hamas group and touted as the launch of a six-week-long protest campaign against a stifling decade-old blockade of the territory. Protests are aiming to culminate in a large border march on May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel founding. The date is mourned by Palestinians as their "nakba,"or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were uprooted in the 1948 Mideast war over Israel's creation. READ: Gazans ready for new protests after bloodiest day in years Organisers set up five tent encampments, each several hundred meters from the border to serve as launch points for protest. Some young men broke away Saturday, throwing stones at Israeli soldiers on the other side of the fence, drawing live rounds and tear gas. In two separate incidents, an Associated Press reporter saw two men who walked close to the fence get shot in the legs by soldiers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated the soldiers Saturday for allowing the rest of the country to celebrate the Passover holiday safely. "Israel is acting determinedly and decisively to protect its sovereignty and the security of its citizens," he said. Palestinian health officials said 15 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire and more than 750 hit by live rounds Friday, making it the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 cross-border war between Israel and Hamas. A protester runs for cover during clashes with Israeli security forces following a demonstration near the border with Israel. (Said Khatib/AFP) It appears unlikely protests will continue at such a scale, with larger turnouts only expected after Friday noon prayers, the highlight of the Muslim religious week. In Friday's confrontations, large crowds had gathered near the fence, with smaller groups of protesters rushing forward, throwing stones and burning tires. Israeli troops responded with live fire and rubber-coated steel pellets, while drones dropped tear gas from above. Soldiers with rifles were perched on high earthen embankments overlooking the scene. Israel's military initially claimed Friday that "thousands of Palestinians are rioting in six locations throughout the Gaza Strip, rolling burning tires and hurling stones." Video released by the army appeared to show less actually engaged in direct violence. On Saturday, the chief army spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, said that while thousands of Palestinians approached the border Friday, those engaged in stone-throwing were in the hundreds. Manelis denied soldiers used excessive force, saying those killed by Israeli troops were men between the ages of 18 and 30 who were involved in violence and belonged to militant factions. He alleged Gaza health officials exaggerated the number of wounded, and that several dozen at most were injured by live fire, with others suffering from tear gas inhalation or other types of injuries. Manelis said soldiers knew who they were shooting at and how many people were hit by live fire. The Gaza Health Ministry did not provide names and ages of those killed. Four of the 15 dead were members of the Hamas military wing, the group said Saturday. The group said a fifth member who was not on the Health Ministry list was killed near the border, and that Israel has the body. It said another man is also missing in the border area. Gaza City's Shifa Hospital received 284 injured people Friday, the majority with bullet injuries, said spokesperson Ayman Sahbani. He said 70 were under the age of 18 and 11 were women. He said 40 surgeries were performed Friday and that 50 were planned Saturday. "These are all from live bullets that broke limbs or caused deep, open wounds with damage to nerves and veins," he said. Among those recovering from surgery was 16-year-old Marwan Yassin who said he had thrown stones with a slingshot at the fence Friday and was shot in both legs. One leg was wrapped in bandages and the other had a cast and metal fixtures. Yassin said he would not return to the border because of the risks. His mother said at his bedside that she would forbid him from participating in future protests. Protest organizers have said mass marches would continue until the day of the "nakba," an anniversary with particular resonance in Gaza where the vast majority of 2 million residents are descendants of refugees. The day, May 15, will this year also coincide with the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Manelis reiterated Saturday that Israel "will not allow a massive breach of the fence into Israeli territory." He said that Hamas and other Gaza militant groups are using protests as a cover for staging attacks. If violence continues, "we will not be able to continue limiting our activity to the fence area and will act against these terror organizations in other places too," he said. The border protests were seen as a new attempt by Hamas to break the border blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group seized Gaza in 2007 from forces loyal to its rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The continued closure has made it increasingly difficult for Hamas to govern. Life in the coastal strip has deteriorated further in recent months, with rising unemployment, grinding poverty and daily blackouts that last for hours. The prospect of more protests and Palestinian casualties in coming weeks could also place Israel on the defensive. At the United Nations, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation, while Security Council members urged restraint on both sides. The council didn't decide on any action or joint message after an emergency meeting Friday evening. Abbas, the West Bank-based leader, renewed a call for international protection of Palestinians. In the West Bank, shopkeepers observed a commercial strike called by political activists Saturday to protest Israel's response to the Gaza marches. ||||| At least six Palestinians were killed and hundreds injured in clashes with Israeli troops in several locations along the Israel-Gaza fence Friday. Witnesses said hundreds of Palestinians participated in the clashes and the Israeli military said some of those protesters rolled burning tires and threw stones at forces stationed at the border. It said trooped opened fire at the “main instigators.” The Palestinian Health Ministry said five Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers and one by Israeli tank fire earlier in the day. More than 500 people were hurt in the clashes. Thousands of Gaza residents streamed to five tent encampments, each located near the border, and, from there, large crowds marched to the fence. Israel’s military said ahead of the protests it doubled its standard troop level along the border, deploying snipers, special forces and paramilitary border police units, which specialize in riot control. The military said it would not allow the crowds to breach the fence or damage military infrastructure. On Friday, mosques across Gaza called on Palestinians to join the protests. Buses took protesters to the border area, and, by noon, thousands had arrived at the encampments. “The large crowds…reflect the Palestinian people’s determination to achieve the right of return and break the siege and no force can stop this right,” he said. The sit-ins are seen as a new attempt by Hamas to break a crippling, decade-old Gaza border blockade by Israel and Egypt that’s made it increasingly difficult for the Islamic militant group to govern. Other tactics over the years, including cross-border wars with Israel and attempts to reconcile with political rival Mahmoud Abbas, the West Bank-based Palestinian president, have failed to end Gaza’s isolation. Friday’s actions are to be the first in a series of protests planned in Gaza in the coming weeks. The activities are set to culminate on May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel’s creation. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ||||| Thousands of Palestinians marched to Gaza's border with Israel on Friday in the largest such demonstration in recent memory with more than a dozen killed by Israeli fire. It was the first day of what organisers said will be six weeks of daily protests against a stifling border blockade, and it was also the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 cross-border war between Israel and Hamas. Fourteen of the marchers were killed and more than 750 wounded by Israeli fire in clashes along the border fence, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Palestinian protesters carry a wounded man was shot by Israeli troops during a demonstration near the Gaza Strip border with Israel, in eastern Gaza City, Friday, March 30, 2018. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra) The Israeli military said thousands of Palestinians threw stones and rolled burning tyres toward troops deployed on the other side of the border fence. It accused militants of trying to carry out attacks under the cover of mass protests, saying in one incident Palestinian gunmen fired toward soldiers. The large turnout of the flag-waving marchers in the dangerous border zone was a testament to Hamas' organising skills, but it also signalled desperation among Gaza residents after a decade-old border closure. Life in the coastal strip has deteriorated further in recent months, with rising unemployment, grinding poverty and daily blackouts that last for hours. Asmaa al-Katari said she participated in the march despite the risks and would join upcoming protests because "life is difficult here in Gaza and we have nothing to lose". The history student said she is a descendant of refugees from what is now Israel's southern Negev Desert. She said her grandfathers had lived in tents as refugees. "I want to tell the world that the cause of our grandfathers is not dead," she added. Palestinian protesters carry a wounded man was shot by Israeli troops during a demonstration near the Gaza Strip border with Israel, in eastern Gaza City, Friday, March 30, 2018. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra) Gaza resident Ghanem Abdelal, 50, said he hopes the protest "will bring a breakthrough, an improvement, to our life in Gaza". He had brought his family to a protest tent camp near Gaza City - one of five set up several hundred meters from the border fence - where he distributed water bottles to women and children sitting on a mat. Israel had threatened a tough response, hoping to deter breaches of the border fence. The Israeli military released video showing a row of snipers perched on a high earthen embankment facing the Gaza crowd in one location. Friday's high death toll and prospects of daily protests in coming weeks have raised concerns about another escalation along the volatile frontier. Israel and the Islamic militant Hamas have fought three cross-border wars in recent years. The protest campaign is meant to spotlight Palestinian demands for a "right of return" to what is now Israel. A large majority of Gaza's two million people are descendants of Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes in the 1948 Mideast war over Israel's creation. The 70th anniversary of the establishment of Israel, on May 15, is marked by Palestinians as their "nakba", or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were uprooted. The planned mass sit-ins on the border are also seen as a new attempt by Hamas to break the border blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt after Hamas seized Gaza from forces loyal to its rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in 2007. The continued closure has made it increasingly difficult for Hamas to govern. Other attempts to break the blockade, including wars with Israel and attempts to reconcile with the West Bank-based Abbas, have failed over the years. Palestinian protesters carry a wounded man who was shot by Israeli troops during a demonstration near the Gaza Strip border with Israel in eastern Gaza City, Friday, March 30, 2018. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra) The latest Egyptian-led reconciliation efforts collapsed earlier this month, when a bomb targeted but missed Abbas' prime minister and intelligence chief during a visit to Gaza. Hamas and Mr Abbas traded accusations after the bombing, signalling any deal on Hamas handing the Gaza government to him is increasingly unlikely. The Hamas leader in Gaza, Yehiyeh Sinwar, said the protests are a signal to Israel and the world that "our people will not accept the continuation of the siege." Israel and the Trump administration expressed concern in recent months about a looming humanitarian crisis in Gaza and appealed to the international community to fund large-scale development projects there, including a desalination plant. However, such plans appeared to be linked to a deal on Abbas taking charge in Gaza, and Israel didn't say what it would do if such an arrangement didn't work out. Friday's violence began before dawn when a 27-year-old farmer picking parsley in his field was hit by an Israeli tank shell in southern Gaza, the Health Ministry said. Another farmer was injured by shrapnel. Israel's military said troops directed tank fire toward suspicious figures on the border. Later in the day, mosque loudspeakers urged Gaza residents to head to the border encampments. A Hamas-linked bus company ferried protesters to the area. In all, tens of thousands gathered at the encampments, though not all headed to the border, witnesses said. Other Palestinian factions also participated in organising the protests. The Health Ministry said at least 1,000 people were injured, including 758 by live fire and the rest by rubber bullets and tear gas. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum praised the turnout, saying: "The large crowds... reflect the Palestinian people's determination to achieve the right of return and break the siege and no force can stop this right." Groups of marchers threw stones at Israeli soldiers who responded with live fire, tear gas and rubber bullets. The military said thousands participated in the clashes. Major General Eyal Zamir, commander of the Israeli military's Southern Command, which includes the Gaza border, said he held Hamas responsible for the violence and alleged there were attempts to "carry out terror attacks under the camouflage of riots". The army said Israeli soldiers opened fire at two Palestinians who approached the fence and shot at soldiers in northern Gaza. It said troops also fired on Palestinians who had infiltrated into Israel. The military had doubled its standard troop level along the border, deploying snipers, special forces and paramilitary border police units, which specialise in riot control. Friday's protest campaign began as Jews prepared to mark Passover, and it is scheduled to culminate with the start of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, in mid-May. The anniversary of Israel's founding will be particularly fraught for Palestinians this year. The administration of US President Donald Trump has pledged to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to mark the occasion. The planned embassy move falls in line with Mr Trump's recognition in December of contested Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a decision that has infuriated Palestinians who seek the city's Israeli-annexed eastern sector as a future capital.
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Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas accuses Israel of responsibility for the deaths of 16 protestors at the border with Gaza. Israel accuses Palestinian terrorists of using civilians as human shields. A video begins circulating on social media appearing to show an unarmed teenager being shot.
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City of Balikpapan is struggling to deal with toxic smoke from fire that killed four fisherman The Indonesian port city of Balikpapan, on the island of Borneo, has declared a state of emergency after a devastating oil spill spread along the coast, killing four fisherman when it ignited. The oil spill, which occurred over the weekend, has now stretched to an area of around seven square miles (18 sq km), contaminating the sea and polluting the air with thick black smoke. One protected dugong has already washed up dead on the shore. The four fisherman died after being caught up in the fire caused by the spill – another is still missing – and the port city of Balikpapan, which has a population of 700,000, is struggling to deal with the toxic smoke. China: oil slick from sunken tanker trebles in size Read more “We’re in a state of emergency because of the oil spill’s impact,” said the Balikpapan city secretary MN Fadli. Around 1,200 people who live in the Penajam North Penajam Paser subdistrict reported symptoms of nausea, vomiting and breathing problems after the spill caught fire on Saturday and the city has distributed masks to help residents cope with the smell. “I may sound like I’m exaggerating, but the state of the bay is like that of a gas station,” said Fadli. The spill is thought to have been caused by a bulk coal carrier, which was carrying coal from Indonesia to Malaysia, but samples have also been taken from Pertamina, a state-owned oil refinery that has pipelines across the bay. Pertamina has denied it is responsible for the leak. The full environmental impact of the oil spill is not yet known but it is already affecting the livelihoods of the local fisherman who rely on going out in their boats every day. The Indonesian Environment and Forestry Ministry said a recovery team was working to contain and clean up the spill. Rasio Ridho Sani, the director general of the ministry, said: “Our team in the field is investigating it thoroughly. We will soon find out how big the impact is on the environment and who will be held responsible.” ||||| The Indonesian port city of Balikpapan, on the island of Borneo, has declared a state of emergency after an oil spill spread along the coast, killing five fishermen when the oil caught fire. Balikpapan is home to one of Indonesia's largest oil refineries. But the country's state energy company, Pertamina, has denied the spill was a result of its operations. ||||| April 3 (UPI) -- Indonesian authorities on Tuesday declared a state of emergency after an oil spill last weekend that killed multiple people. A fire ignited from the spill killed four fishermen in the port city of Balikpapan, off the coast of Borneo Island. "We're in a state of emergency because of the oil spill's impact," Balikpapan City Secretary Fadli told The Straits Times. Fadli added that the situation near the spill is still volatile. "I may sound like I'm exaggerating, but the state of the bay is like that of a gas station," he said. The spill has spread rapidly since Saturday to areas around ports and beaches. Environmental officials said a recovery team is working to contain the oil with floating barriers and chemical sprays. "Our focus now is to mitigate the impact of the oil spill," environmental director Rasio Ridho Sani said. "[We] have worked together to minimize the impact." Rasio said masks have been distributed to protect residents from the spilled fuel. About 1,200 people have become sickened so far. The cause of the spill is under investigation. ||||| Indonesia declared a state of emergency Tuesday after a deadly oil spill off the coast of the island of Borneo continued to spread, the BBC reports. At least four people were killed and hundreds of local residents say they have experienced health problems since the spill was reported early Saturday near the port city of Balikpapan in Indonesia’s East Kalimantan province. The slick, which now covers an area of seven sq. mi., also threatens fishing waters off the tropical island. Authorities managed to extinguish the flames after the oil spill caught fire over the weekend, Agence France-Presse reports. “The fire was quite big, about two kilometers [1.2 miles] high. It can be seen from Balikpapan city and the smell was all over the place,” a senior official with East Borneo’s search and rescue agency told AFP. The cause of the spill, which occurred near a refinery operated by the state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, is not yet known. Pertamina has denied responsibility for the disaster, according to the BBC. ||||| Indonesia has declared a state of emergency after a large oil spill ignited and killed at least four people in the port city of Balikpapan off the island of Borneo over the weekend. Black smoke rises from a burned oil spill at the waters in Balikpapan, Indonesia, March 31, 2018. A cargo ship caught fire in waters off East Kalimantan province in central Indonesia on Saturday, leaving two people dead and two others missing, an official said. See also: Oilspill BP Gulf of Mexico: BP Macondo 252 Well Is Effectivily and Finally ‘Dead’ – The Next Oil Spill at Mumbai Coast: Clean up to take 45 days – Oil & Water: An Oil Documentary Like No Other – Stop Deepwater Drilling for Oil in The Arctic: It’s Time to Go Beyond Oil by Greenpeace – Trailer movie H2Oil – Toxic Fuels: Dirty Oil narrated by Neve Campbell – Crude: The Real Price of Oil – A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash – Toxic Fuels: Petropolis by Peter Mettler – Edward Burtynsky: OIL, a photographic documentation – Shell’s Big Dirty Secret ||||| JAKARTA (THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Officials in the Indonesian port city of Balikpapan declared a state of emergency on Monday (April 2) after an oil spill and a subsequent fire killed four people off Borneo island over the weekend. "We're in a state of emergency because of the oil spill's impact," said Balikpapan city secretary MN Fadli. He warned residents to be extra careful when spending time at affected beaches near Balikpapan Bay in East Kalimantan province, adding that they should not smoke near the area. "I may sound like I'm exaggerating, but the state of the bay is like that of a gas station," he said. The oil spill, which stretched for more than 400 metres in the bay on Saturday morning, has now spread to a radius of more than 2 kilometres in the waters around Semayang Port to Margasari, the Makassar Strait and beaches in the southeastern part of Makassar. The Semayang Port Authority is coordinating with private oil company PT Chevron Indonesia and state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina to clean up the spill. The Environment and Forestry Ministry's law enforcement director general, Rasio Ridho Sani, said a recovery team had deployed oil spill containment booms, which are temporary floating barriers used to contain an oil spill, as well as sprayed chemicals on the oil spots to make recovery easier. "Our focus now is to mitigate the impact of the oil spill. Since Saturday, our team as well as Pertamina and the Balikpapan Environment and Sanitation Agency have worked together to minimise the impact." Rasio said the agency also took some samples to determine the impact and source of the spill. "Our team in the field is investigating it thoroughly. We will soon find out how big the impact is on the environment and who will be held responsible," he added. The city has also distributed masks to protect local residents from the smell of fuel. Some 1,200 people, who live in Penajam subdistrict, Penajam Paser Utara regency, said they became nauseous and experienced breathing problems after Saturday's incident. Police have not yet released an official statement about the spill. But state-owned energy giant Pertamina and the Balikpapan Disaster Mitigation Agency said the fire that flared up after the spill had not been caused by recovery activities, as was widely reported on Saturday. ||||| JAKARTA
• Indonesia has declared a state of emergency around a port on Borneo island, officials said, after a large oil spill and fire killed four people at the weekend. Disaster mitigation officials were able to control the blaze in the port city of Balikpapan but were still working to contain the spill, which started last Saturday and spread over an area of around 12 sq km. "We have warned the public not to carry out activities that could spark fires," Mr Suryanto, head of the city's environmental agency, said yesterday. Balikpapan, in East Kalimantan, is a major mining and energy hub and home to one of the few oil refineries in the country, run by state energy firm Pertamina. The Semayang Port Authority is working with Pertamina and the private PT Chevron Indonesia to clean up the spill. The Environment and Forestry Ministry's law enforcement director-general Rasio Ridho Sani said that a recovery team had deployed oil spill containment booms, which are temporary floating barriers used to contain an oil spill, as well as sprayed chemicals on the oil spots to make recovery easier. "Our focus now is to mitigate the impact of the oil spill. Since Saturday, our team as well as Pertamina and the Balikpapan Environment and Sanitation Agency have worked together to minimise the impact." Mr Rasio said the agency had taken samples to determine the impact and source of the spill. "Our team in the field is investigating it thoroughly. We will soon find out how big the impact is on the environment and who will be held responsible," he added. Pertamina said it was doing its own investigations and that its underwater pipeline in the area did not have any leaks. The city has distributed masks to local residents after some 1,200 people living in the Penajam sub-district, Penajam Paser Utara regency, complained of nausea and breathing problems after Saturday's incident. ||||| Indonesia has declared a state of emergency around a port on Borneo island, officials said on Tuesday, after a large oil spill and fire killed four people at the weekend, Reuters reports. Disaster mitigation officials were able to control the blaze in the port city of Balikpapan but were still working to contain the spill, which started on Saturday and spread over an area of around 12 square km (4.5 square miles). “We have warned the public not to carry out activities that could spark fires,” Suryanto, head of the city’s environmental agency, said. Balikpapan, in East Kalimantan, is a major mining and energy hub and home to one of the few oil refineries in the country, run by state energy firm Pertamina. ||||| JAKARTA, Indonesia — Waters off an Indonesian port city reek like a gas station after an oil spill and fire that killed four people over the weekend, an official said Wednesday. Balikpapan city secretary Sayid Fadli said that the city on the island of Borneo was in its third day of a state of emergency following the weekend spill around Semayang Port. “The city is in an emergency situation because of the oil spill and the bay is now like a gas station,” Fadli said. “We have warned workers and residents around the bay to refrain from lighting cigarettes and make safety the priority.” Four people died after the fuel caught fire on Saturday, filling skies around the city with choking black smoke. One person is missing. The city has distributed masks, and more than 1,300 people have suffered breathing problems, nausea and vomiting. Fadli said police were still investigating the source of the spill, which as of Tuesday had an area of about 12 square kilometres (4.6 square miles). A preliminary investigation showed it was marine fuel oil. The port authority was working with Chevron Indonesia and state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, which operates an oil refinery in Balikpapan, in its attempts to clean up the spill, Fadli said. Environment Minister Siti Nurbaya said in a statement Wednesday that officials from the ministry were assessing the environmental damage. As of Monday, the spill was estimated at about 400 barrels of oil, but officials are still measuring its full extent, she said. The joint team responding to the emergency should prioritize residential areas for cleanup “due to the stench and other potential risks,” said Nurbaya. ||||| Indonesia has declared a state of emergency around a port on Borneo island, officials said on Tuesday, after a large oil spill and fire killed four people at the weekend. JAKARTA: Indonesia has declared a state of emergency around a port on Borneo island, officials said on Tuesday, after a large oil spill and fire killed four people at the weekend. Disaster mitigation officials were able to control the blaze in the port city of Balikpapan but were still working to contain the spill, which started on Saturday and spread over an area of around 12 square km (4.5 square miles). "We have warned the public not to carry out activities that could spark fires," Suryanto, head of the city's environmental agency, said. Balikpapan, in East Kalimantan, is a major mining and energy hub and home to one of the few oil refineries in the country, run by state energy firm Pertamina. The state-owned company said it was investigating where the oil had originated and that its own underwater pipeline in the area did not have any leaks. Pertamina said there had been no disruptions to operations. "At this time, our team is prioritising management (of the incident)," said Arya Dwi Paramita, external communications manager at Pertamina.
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The port city of Balikpapan, Borneo, Indonesia declares a state of emergency in response to an ongoing oil spill fire off the coast. The spill and fire killed four fishermen and is releasing toxic fumes. The slick currently extends to around seven square miles and marine fauna including protected species are being affected.
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Earlier today, Russian officials called an emergency meeting of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at the Hague. Moscow said it wanted to "address allegations of non-compliance" with the chemical weapons convention made by the UK against Russia. Vladmir Putin's regime has repeatedly denied responsibility for the attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury last month. On Twitter, the Russian embassy in the Netherlands listed the 13 other countries which apparently supported its joint statement to the OPCW. The countries listed were Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Cuba, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Nicaragua. But the UK Government accused Russia of attempting to undermine the OPCW, as well as engaging in "another diversionary tactic". It comes a day after the head of Porton Down said his scientists have not verified that the nerve agent used in Salisbury came from Russia. Taking aim at Russia, a Foreign Office spokesman said: "Russia has called this meeting to undermine the work of the OPCW. "Of course, there is no requirement in the chemical weapons convention for the victim of a chemical weapons attack to engage in a joint investigation with the likely perpetrator." Today's meeting of the OPCW executive council at the Hague was held behind closed doors. Speaking during a visit to Turkey, Russian president Mr Putin called for a thorough investigation into the poisoning. In a furious broadside at the UK, he added: "The speed at which the anti-Russian campaign has been launched causes bewilderment." Theresa May successfully recruited international support in the dispute with Moscow following the shocking attack in Salisbury on April 4. It resulted in the expulsion of more than 100 Russian diplomats from more than 20 countries. German politician Armin Laschet, an ally of Angela Merkel, said: "If one forces nearly all NATO countries into solidarity, shouldn't one have certain evidence? "Regardless of what one thinks about Russia, my study of international law taught me a different way to deal with other states." A Downing Street spokesman said: "As the Prime Minister has made clear, the UK would much rather have in Russia a constructive partner ready to play by the rules. "But this attack in Salisbury was part of a pattern of increasingly aggressive Russian behaviour, as well as a new and dangerous phase in Russian activity within the continent and beyond." ||||| Russia has failed in its "ludicrous" bid for a joint UK/Russian investigation into the Salisbury attack, Boris Johnson has said. Moscow called a meeting of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague to insist its experts must be involved in the testing programme and probe. But it lost the vote after Britain told the extraordinary meeting the demand was a sign Moscow was "nervous" of what the inquiries will find. Mr Johnson said Russia's goal was to "obscure the truth and confuse the public". The Foreign Secretary, who has faced claims he has exaggerated the evidence against Moscow, said countries around the world "continue to share our assessment" about the nerve-agent attack. He said: "The purpose of Russia's ludicrous proposal at The Hague was clear - to undermine the independent, impartial work of the international chemical weapons watchdog. "Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon - to obscure the truth and confuse the public. "The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia's attempts today to derail the proper international process. "It shows that many countries around the world continue to share our assessment of what happened in Salisbury and are determined to stand up to Russia's behaviour." In a vote at OPCW, six of the 41 members backed Russia while 15 voted against, 17 abstained, two were absent, and one was not entitled to vote. Nick Heath, deputy British ambassador to The Hague, said Russia had failed again in its attempts to "frustrate the process of justice". Russian officials speaking after the meeting concluded said they had presented a "common sense" case and pointed to the "lies by Tony Blair" over Iraq as they criticised the intelligence about the attack. Moscow has called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Thursday to discuss the case. Only six of the 41 OPCW members voted in favour of the Russian draft decision proposing the joint UK/Russian investigation. 15 voted against, including the UK, 17 abstained, 2 were absent, and one was not entitled to vote. UK ambassador John Foggo accused Russia of showing "disdain" for the independence of the international body, which is conducting tests on samples of the nerve agent used in the March 4 attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. He told the meeting: "The work of the Technical Secretariat must remain impartial. "Russia's refusal to accept the results of the OPCW's investigation unless Russian experts participate in it suggests that Russia is opposed to the independence and impartiality of the Technical Secretariat and is nervous about what the results will show." Mr Foggo said that Russia's statements displayed a "wilful ignorance" of the Chemical Weapons Convention and "disdain for the independence and competence" of the OPCW's Technical Secretariat. The UK was backed by the European Union, which reaffirmed its support for Britain's demand for answers from Russia on how the Novichok agent which it developed came to be used in Salisbury. Speaking on behalf of the EU, Bulgarian ambassador Krassimir Kostov said: "We have full confidence in the UK investigation and laud UK's collaboration with the OPCW Technical Secretariat, in full compliance with the convention." Tension between Moscow and London has risen a notch after the head of the Porton Down military research facility said scientists had not verified Russia as the source of the substance used in the attack on the Skripals. Vladimir Putin seized on the comments from the chief executive of the Government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), Gary Aitkenhead, as he accused the UK of launching an "anti-Russian campaign". Russia has flatly denied UK claims that it was to blame for the March 4 attack, with foreign intelligence service director Sergei Naryshkin even claiming it was staged by the UK and US as a "provocation". Mr Naryshkin told a global security conference in Moscow: "Even as far as the Skripal case goes - which is a grotesque provocation rudely staged by the British and US intelligence agencies - some European countries are in no hurry to follow London and Washington, preferring to sort the situation out." ||||| Russia’s has failed in a “ludicrous” bid for a joint inquiry into the Salisbury attack at a meeting of the global weapons watchdog. Russia called an emergency meeting of the decision-making executive of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to counter accusations it was behind the nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. But it was outvoted by 15-6 in a vote in the Hague. Boris Johnson branded the bid “ludicrous” and said Russia’s goal was to “obscure the truth and confuse the public.” The Foreign Secretary, who is under pressure for wrongly claiming Porton Down scientists had pointed the finger at Russia for the attack, said countries around the world "continue to share our assessment" of the incident. He said: "The purpose of Russia's ludicrous proposal at The Hague was clear - to undermine the independent, impartial work of the international chemical weapons watchdog. "Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon - to obscure the truth and confuse the public. "The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia's attempts today to derail the proper international process. "It shows that many countries around the world continue to share our assessment of what happened in Salisbury and are determined to stand up to Russia's behaviour." In a vote at OPCW, six of the 41 members backed Russia while 15 voted against, 17 abstained, two were absent, and one was not entitled to vote. Nick Heath, deputy British ambassador to The Hague, said Russia had failed again in its attempts to "frustrate the process of justice". Russian officials speaking after the meeting concluded said they had presented a "common sense" case and pointed to the "lies by Tony Blair " over Iraq as they criticised the intelligence about the attack. Moscow has called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Thursday to discuss the case. Only six of the 41 OPCW members voted in favour of the Russian draft decision proposing the joint UK/Russian investigation. 15 voted against, including the UK, 17 abstained, 2 were absent, and one was not entitled to vote. UK ambassador John Foggo accused Russia of showing "disdain" for the independence of the international body, which is conducting tests on samples of the nerve agent used in the March 4 attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. He told the meeting: "The work of the Technical Secretariat must remain impartial. "Russia's refusal to accept the results of the OPCW's investigation unless Russian experts participate in it suggests that Russia is opposed to the independence and impartiality of the Technical Secretariat and is nervous about what the results will show." Russia has flatly denied UK claims that it was to blame for the March 4 attack, with foreign intelligence service director Sergei Naryshkin even claiming it was staged by the UK and US as a "provocation". ||||| Russian President Putin said he hopes the upcoming UN chemical watchdog meeting will put to rest the UK's accusations against Russia in the Skripal poisoning case, adding that 20 other countries could produce the nerve agent used.Putin said in Ankara, where he held a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.In a rare comment on the case, in which the UK is accusing Moscow of poisoning former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a military-grade nerve agent, Putin said he was baffled by how quickly the incident turned into a full-blown attack on Russia."It's surprising how quickly an anti-Russian campaign unfolded," Putin said.based on allegations that it was "highly likely" that Russia was involved. London demands that Moscow admits its guilt, but investigators are yet to draw any definitive conclusions or produce proof pointing to Russian involvement."As you know, I learned about the incident from media reports," Putin said. "I would only like to add that according to international experts, about 20 countries around the world are able to produce similar nerve agents."Earlier the Russian Foreign Ministry published a list of 13 questions for the OPCW, focusing on its interactions with UK investigators in the Skripal case, the process of sample collection at the scene of the poisoning, and France's involvement in the probe. Questions concerning the probe have also been handed to the UK and France. Moscow maintains that the entire Skripal case has been a false flag operation against Russia.Russia has launched its own criminal investigation into the poisoning. "We want to be allowed to participate in the investigation and we are counting on receiving the respective materials, since it involves Russian citizens," Putin said.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday told media he expects London to eventually apologize for its baseless allegations against Russia. He cited the fresh admission by Porton Down chemical lab's chief that the nerve agent could not be traced back to Russia, as a "strong argument" against the "insane accusations" made by British Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. ||||| Earlier today, Russian officials called an emergency meeting of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at the Hague. Moscow said it wanted to "address allegations of non-compliance" with the chemical weapons convention made by the UK against Russia. Vladmir Putin's regime has repeatedly denied responsibility for the attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury last month. On Twitter, the Russian embassy in the Netherlands listed the 13 other countries which apparently supported its joint statement to the OPCW. The countries listed were Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Cuba, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Nicaragua. But the UK Government accused Russia of attempting to undermine the OPCW, as well as engaging in "another diversionary tactic". It comes a day after the head of Porton Down said his scientists have not verified that the nerve agent used in Salisbury came from Russia. Taking aim at Russia, a Foreign Office spokesman said: "Russia has called this meeting to undermine the work of the OPCW. "Of course, there is no requirement in the chemical weapons convention for the victim of a chemical weapons attack to engage in a joint investigation with the likely perpetrator." Today's meeting of the OPCW executive council at the Hague was held behind closed doors. Speaking during a visit to Turkey, Russian president Mr Putin called for a thorough investigation into the poisoning. In a furious broadside at the UK, he added: "The speed at which the anti-Russian campaign has been launched causes bewilderment." Theresa May successfully recruited international support in the dispute with Moscow following the shocking attack in Salisbury on April 4. It resulted in the expulsion of more than 100 Russian diplomats from more than 20 countries. German politician Armin Laschet, an ally of Angela Merkel, said: "If one forces nearly all NATO countries into solidarity, shouldn't one have certain evidence? "Regardless of what one thinks about Russia, my study of international law taught me a different way to deal with other states." A Downing Street spokesman said: "As the Prime Minister has made clear, the UK would much rather have in Russia a constructive partner ready to play by the rules. "But this attack in Salisbury was part of a pattern of increasingly aggressive Russian behaviour, as well as a new and dangerous phase in Russian activity within the continent and beyond." Shortly before the emergency meeting, Moscow claimed a relative of Sergei and Yulia Skripal is planning to visit the pair in hospital. A spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said that Viktoria Skripal had been in contact with the Russian Embassy in London. The spokeswoman added: "Viktoria Skripal plans to visit her relatives in the UK to provide moral and psychological support. "We consider this an absolutely natural and sincere desire, and especially important now, as Yulia Skripal's condition has reportedly improved." Ms Skripal is understood to be the niece of former spy Sergei, who remains in a critical condition at Salisbury District Hospital. ||||| Russia has failed in its “ludicrous” bid for a joint UK/Russian investigation into the Salisbury attack, Boris Johnson has said. Moscow called a meeting of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague to insist its experts must be involved in the testing programme and probe. But it lost the vote after Britain told the extraordinary meeting the demand was a sign Moscow was “nervous” of what the inquiries will find. Mr Johnson said Russia’s goal was to “obscure the truth and confuse the public”. The Foreign Secretary, who has faced claims he has exaggerated the evidence against Moscow, said countries around the world “continue to share our assessment” about the nerve-agent attack. He said: “The purpose of Russia’s ludicrous proposal at The Hague was clear – to undermine the independent, impartial work of the international chemical weapons watchdog. “Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon – to obscure the truth and confuse the public. “The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia’s attempts today to derail the proper international process. “It shows that many countries around the world continue to share our assessment of what happened in Salisbury and are determined to stand up to Russia’s behaviour.” In a vote at OPCW, six of the 41 members backed Russia while 15 voted against, 17 abstained, two were absent, and one was not entitled to vote. Nick Heath, deputy British ambassador to The Hague, said Russia had failed again in its attempts to “frustrate the process of justice”. Russian officials speaking after the meeting concluded said they had presented a “common sense” case and pointed to the “lies by Tony Blair” over Iraq as they criticised the intelligence about the attack. Moscow has called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Thursday to discuss the case. Only six of the 41 OPCW members voted in favour of the Russian draft decision proposing the joint UK/Russian investigation. 15 voted against, including the UK, 17 abstained, 2 were absent, and one was not entitled to vote. UK ambassador John Foggo accused Russia of showing “disdain” for the independence of the international body, which is conducting tests on samples of the nerve agent used in the March 4 attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. He told the meeting: “The work of the Technical Secretariat must remain impartial. “Russia’s refusal to accept the results of the OPCW’s investigation unless Russian experts participate in it suggests that Russia is opposed to the independence and impartiality of the Technical Secretariat and is nervous about what the results will show.” Mr Foggo said that Russia’s statements displayed a “wilful ignorance” of the Chemical Weapons Convention and “disdain for the independence and competence” of the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat. The UK was backed by the European Union, which reaffirmed its support for Britain’s demand for answers from Russia on how the Novichok agent which it developed came to be used in Salisbury. Speaking on behalf of the EU, Bulgarian ambassador Krassimir Kostov said: “We have full confidence in the UK investigation and laud UK’s collaboration with the OPCW Technical Secretariat, in full compliance with the convention.” Tension between Moscow and London has risen a notch after the head of the Porton Down military research facility said scientists had not verified Russia as the source of the substance used in the attack on the Skripals. Vladimir Putin seized on the comments from the chief executive of the Government’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), Gary Aitkenhead, as he accused the UK of launching an “anti-Russian campaign”. Russia has flatly denied UK claims that it was to blame for the March 4 attack, with foreign intelligence service director Sergei Naryshkin even claiming it was staged by the UK and US as a “provocation”. Mr Naryshkin told a global security conference in Moscow: “Even as far as the Skripal case goes – which is a grotesque provocation rudely staged by the British and US intelligence agencies – some European countries are in no hurry to follow London and Washington, preferring to sort the situation out.” ||||| Earlier today, Russian officials called an emergency meeting of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at the Hague. Moscow said it wanted to "address allegations of non-compliance" with the chemical weapons convention made by the UK against Russia. Vladmir Putin's regime has repeatedly denied responsibility for the attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury last month. On Twitter, the Russian embassy in the Netherlands listed the 13 other countries which apparently supported its joint statement to the OPCW. The countries listed were Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Cuba, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Nicaragua. But the UK Government accused Russia of attempting to undermine the OPCW, as well as engaging in "another diversionary tactic". It comes a day after the head of Porton Down said his scientists have not verified that the nerve agent used in Salisbury came from Russia. Taking aim at Russia, a Foreign Office spokesman said: "Russia has called this meeting to undermine the work of the OPCW. "Of course, there is no requirement in the chemical weapons convention for the victim of a chemical weapons attack to engage in a joint investigation with the likely perpetrator." Today's meeting of the OPCW executive council at the Hague was held behind closed doors. Speaking during a visit to Turkey, Russian president Mr Putin called for a thorough investigation into the poisoning. In a furious broadside at the UK, he added: "The speed at which the anti-Russian campaign has been launched causes bewilderment." Theresa May successfully recruited international support in the dispute with Moscow following the shocking attack in Salisbury on April 4. It resulted in the expulsion of more than 100 Russian diplomats from more than 20 countries. German politician Armin Laschet, an ally of Angela Merkel, said: "If one forces nearly all NATO countries into solidarity, shouldn't one have certain evidence? "Regardless of what one thinks about Russia, my study of international law taught me a different way to deal with other states." A Downing Street spokesman said: "As the Prime Minister has made clear, the UK would much rather have in Russia a constructive partner ready to play by the rules. "But this attack in Salisbury was part of a pattern of increasingly aggressive Russian behaviour, as well as a new and dangerous phase in Russian activity within the continent and beyond." ||||| Russia’s has failed in a “ludicrous” bid for a joint inquiry into the Salisbury attack at a meeting of the global weapons watchdog. Russia called an emergency meeting of the decision-making executive of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to counter accusations it was behind the nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. But it was outvoted by 15-6 in a vote in the Hague. Boris Johnson branded the bid “ludicrous” and said Russia’s goal was to “obscure the truth and confuse the public.” The Foreign Secretary, who is under pressure for wrongly claiming Porton Down scientists had pointed the finger at Russia for the attack, said countries around the world "continue to share our assessment" of the incident. He said: "The purpose of Russia's ludicrous proposal at The Hague was clear - to undermine the independent, impartial work of the international chemical weapons watchdog. "Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon - to obscure the truth and confuse the public. "The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia's attempts today to derail the proper international process. "It shows that many countries around the world continue to share our assessment of what happened in Salisbury and are determined to stand up to Russia's behaviour." In a vote at OPCW, six of the 41 members backed Russia while 15 voted against, 17 abstained, two were absent, and one was not entitled to vote. Nick Heath, deputy British ambassador to The Hague, said Russia had failed again in its attempts to "frustrate the process of justice". Russian officials speaking after the meeting concluded said they had presented a "common sense" case and pointed to the "lies by Tony Blair " over Iraq as they criticised the intelligence about the attack. Moscow has called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Thursday to discuss the case. Only six of the 41 OPCW members voted in favour of the Russian draft decision proposing the joint UK/Russian investigation. 15 voted against, including the UK, 17 abstained, 2 were absent, and one was not entitled to vote. UK ambassador John Foggo accused Russia of showing "disdain" for the independence of the international body, which is conducting tests on samples of the nerve agent used in the March 4 attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. He told the meeting: "The work of the Technical Secretariat must remain impartial. "Russia's refusal to accept the results of the OPCW's investigation unless Russian experts participate in it suggests that Russia is opposed to the independence and impartiality of the Technical Secretariat and is nervous about what the results will show." Russia has flatly denied UK claims that it was to blame for the March 4 attack, with foreign intelligence service director Sergei Naryshkin even claiming it was staged by the UK and US as a "provocation". ||||| THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Russia’s call for a joint inquiry to be held into the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in England failed on Wednesday when it was outvoted 15-6 at a meeting of the global chemical weapons watchdog. Russia had called an emergency meeting of the decision-making executive of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to counter accusations by Britain that it was behind the March 4 nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England. UK’s security services believe they have pinpointed the location of Russian laboratory that manufactured the nerve agent Novichok used in Salisbury attack, The Times reported on Wednesday. Britain was aware of the existence of the site before March 4, the report said. It cited an unidentified security source as saying they have a “high degree of confidence in the location”. Britain’s charges of Russian involvement, strongly denied by Moscow, have triggered mass expulsions of diplomats by both Britain’s allies in the West, including the United States, and similar retaliatory action by Russia. When the meeting convened on Wednesday, Russia proposed a joint investigation into the poisoning as it was not invited to participate in an independent probe being carried out by the OPCW at Britain’s request, results of which are due next week. Britain called the Russian proposal for a joint investigation a “perverse” attempt to escape blame for the poisoning of the Skripals, and part of a disinformation campaign mounted by Moscow. Russia’s proposal in the end drew support from China, Azerbaijan, Sudan, Algeria and Iran, a source told Reuters, with U.S. and European members voting against the plan. There were 17 abstentions among members of the organization’s 41-member council, only 38 of whose members were present and eligible to vote on Wednesday. Related Coverage UK welcomes Russia defeat on joint chemical weapons inquiry Russia’s ambassador to the OPCW, Aleksander Shulgin, confirmed that the vote had been lost. RUSSIA CALL TO SECURITY COUNCIL Separately on Wednesday, Russia requested a public meeting of the United Nations Security Council on April 5 to discuss the British accusations against Moscow, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said. British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson welcomed Russia’s defeat. “Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon - to obscure the truth and confuse the public,” he said in a statement. “The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia’s attempts today to derail the proper international process.” The closed-door OPCW meeting itself triggered sharp verbal exchanges between the Britain and Russia’s representatives. In a tweet, the British delegation called Moscow’s idea for a joint investigation “a diversionary tactic, and yet more disinformation designed to evade the questions the Russians authorities must answer”. Police officers guard the cordoned off area around the home of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, Britain, April 3, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah McKay John Foggo, Britain’s acting envoy, said Russian assertions that the attack may have been carried out by Britain, the United States or Sweden were “shameless, preposterous statements”. Shulgin, at a news conference, said the vote showed more than half of the OPCW’s members had “refused to associate themselves with the West’s point of view” - referring to those who voted in favor of Russia’s proposal or abstained. He repeated that Russia had had nothing to do with the attack on the Skripals, which he said looked like “a terrorist attack.” Britain’s remarks were “a dirty flow of complete lies ... outright Russia-phobia,” he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday the OPCW should draw a line under a case that has triggered the worst crisis in East-West relations since the Cold War. Scientists at the Porton Down biological and chemical weapons laboratory in England have concluded that the toxin was among a category of Soviet-era nerve agents called Novichok, though could not yet determine whether it was made in Russia. TAKING SAMPLES The OPCW, which oversees the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, has taken samples from the site of the Salisbury attack and is expected to provide results from testing at two designated laboratories next week. Shulgin said earlier that if Moscow was prevented from taking part in the testing of the Salisbury toxin samples, it would reject the outcome of the OPCW research. Slideshow (2 Images) Russia’s request to open a parallel, joint Russian-British inquiry has been portrayed by Western powers as an attempt to undermine the investigation by OPCW scientists. The EU said it was very concerned Moscow was considering rejecting the OPCW findings. Instead of cooperating with the OPCW, Russia had unleashed “a flood of insinuations targeting EU member states ... This is completely unacceptable,” an EU statement read to the council session said. Skripal, 66, a former Russian military intelligence officer who betrayed scores of Russian agents to Britain and was exchanged in a Russia-West spy swap, remains in a critical but stable condition. His daughter, Yulia, 33, has shown signs of improvement. ||||| Russia has sent a dire warning to fifteen countries over the Salisbury attack Yesterday Russia lost a vote in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) after demanding access to the details of the Sergei Skripal investigation. Today Russian Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko listed out the 15 countries who voted against allowing Russia access, and accused them of voting “against transparency”. In a thinly-veiled warning, he said: “They voted against access to full and fair information.” He said: “It was quite an interesting result. Fifteen countries voted against that decision - against transparency. “This is mostly the countries of the EU and NATO. We’re talking about Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, UK, US, Australia, Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy and a few more, two countries more who are not part of NATO.” He claimed the UK had misled the world and most countries did not support Mrs May.
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At a meeting of the OPCW, 17 of the 41 countries abstain from a vote on not allowing Russia to participate in the inquiry. 15 countries vote in favour and six against. Three countries were not present at the meeting.
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Manohar Parrikar-led Goa government on Friday sounded alert to all fishing vehicles and casinos operating off the state’s coast after an intelligence input about a possible terror attack. (IE) Manohar Parrikar-led Goa government on Friday sounded alert to all fishing vehicles and casinos operating off the state’s coast after an intelligence input about a possible terror attack. The state’s Ports Minister Jayesh Salgaoncar said that Indian Coast Guard has shared an intelligence input about a possible terror attack on the western coast. Following which, his department has issued a warning to all the offshore casinos, water sports operators and barges to be alert. Here are the top developments you should know about the alert: 1. Fishing vessels and casinos along the coast put on high security to fend off possible terror attack. 2. According to Indian Coast Guard, terrorists may arrive on board a fishing trawler. 3. Ports Minister also informed that Pakistani authorities had seized an Indian fishing trawler and according to intelligence it may carry terrorists on its way back to India. 4. The alert has been registered along the entire western coast – from Gujarat to Goa. 5. Salgaoncar said that the alert is not restricted to Goa but has been sounded along Mumbai and Gujarat coasts too. 6. In the wake of the alert Goa’s Ports Department has written to the offshore casinos and cruise vessels, and barges. 7. The Goa department of ports implemented the alert after Goa tourism received a letter of alert from Captain of Ports James Braganza. 8. The letter said that he received intelligence from District Coast Guard that anti-national elements boarded the Indian vessel apprehended in Karachi and may attack vital installations. 9. Braganza in his reports also asked the vessels to tighten security and report any sighting or untoward movement to concerned authorities. 10. Braganza confirmed sending the letter to all concerned authorities marking State Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma on Friday. ||||| Panaji: Goa today issued an alert to all the vessels and casinos operating off the state’s coast following an intelligence input about possible arrival of terrorists on board a fishing trawler, the state’s ports minister said. State’s Ports Minister Jayesh Salgaoncar told PTI that his department has issued a warning to all the offshore casinos, water sports operators and barges to be alert as the Indian Coast Guard has shared an intelligence input about a possible terror attack on the western coast. “The alert is not specific to Goa. It can be even to Mumbai or Gujarat coast, but we have alerted the vessels and concerned agencies,” Salgaoncar said. “A fishing trawler from India which was seized by Pakistan has been released and there is intelligence input that on its way back, it may carry terrorists,” the minister said. State’s Ports Department has written to the off shore casinos and cruise vessels, and barges to remain alert in the wake of the intelligence input. “Have received intelligence input from District Coast Guard that anti-national elements have boarded an apprehended Indian fishing boat in Karachi and (are) likely to land on Indian coast and attack vital installations,” states the communication by Captain of Ports James Braganza to Goa’s tourism department and all the water sports operators, casinos, and cruise vessels and barges. “All vessels to increase security and report any sighting or untoward movement to concerned authorities,” the letter states. When contacted, Braganza confirmed sending the letter today to all the people concerned. The letter was also marked to State Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma. ||||| On April 7, Goa was put on high alert following an intelligence input about a possibility where Pakistan based terrorists on board a fishing trawler might try to infiltrate the Indian land through waters. Following the inputs, the Goa’s ports minister issued alerts to all the vessels and casinos operating in Goa. Commenting on the matter, Ports Minister Jayesh Salgaoncar said that an alert was issued by his office to all the off shore casinos, water sports operators and barges. As per reports, the alerts were issued after Indian Coast Guard had shared an input of a possible attack on the western coast. The threat is not just limited to Goa and might extend to Mumbai or Gujarat coast. Talking to PTI, Goa ports minister said, “The alert is not specific to Goa. It can be even to Mumbai or Gujarat coast, but we have alerted the vessels and concerned agencies.” He further added that Pakistan has released a fishing trawler into the waters which is carries a possibility of having terrorists onboard. The Indian fishing trawler was earlier seized by Pakistan. As per intelligence inputs, the fishing trawler has been released by the neighbours and is said to be on its way to India. Following the inputs, State’s Ports Department wrote to the off shore casinos and other vessels to remain on alert till any update comes. The alert issued read, “Have received intelligence input from District Coast Guard that anti-national elements have boarded an apprehended Indian fishing boat in Karachi and (are) likely to land on Indian coast and attack vital installations.” The letter said that all vessels to increase security and report any sighting or untoward movement to concerned authorities. ALSO READ: Indrani Mukerjea, accused in Sheena Bora murder case, admitted to JJ Hospital in Mumbai ALSO READ: Uttar Pradesh to get New Ayodhya, Yogi Adityanath plans 500-acre township worth Rs 350 crore ||||| The Southern Indian state of Goa has sounded an alert to all ships and casinos operating off the state's coast after an intelligence agency warned about a possible terror attack from the sea. The alert was issued by the state's ports minister Jayesh Salgaonkar Friday. Salgaonkar added that the alert is not specific to Goa, PTI reported. "It is also for Mumbai and Gujarat coast," he added. Terrorists might come on board a fishing boat Salgaonkar said the warning concerns all offshore casinos, water sports operators, and barges. The intelligence input was from the Indian Coast Guard and warned about the possible arrival of terrorists to the western coast on board a fishing trawler. "A fishing trawler from India which was seized by Pakistan has been released and there is intelligence input that on its way back, it may carry terrorists," the minister said. The captain of ports, James Braganza, also echoed the same alert. "Have received intelligence input from District Coast Guard that anti-national elements have boarded an apprehended Indian fishing boat in Karachi and (are) likely to land on Indian coast and attack vital installations," Braganza told the news agency. Security instructions given to cruises and boats Goa's tourism department and all the water sports operators, offshore casinos and cruise vessels and barges are now to remain on alert. In a letter sent to the owners and managers of the ships and casinos, the ministry has asked them to increase the security of the vessels and report any sighting or untoward movement to concerned authorities. The letter was also sent to Goa's chief secretary Dharmendra Sharma. ||||| The alert is also for Mumbai and Gujarat and vessels and concerned agencies have been duly informed. State's Ports Minister Jayesh Salgaoncar said that his department has issued a warning to all the off shore casinos, water sports operators and barges to be alert as the Indian Coast Guard has shared an intelligence input about a possible terror attack on the western coast. (Photo: Representational | PTI) Panaji: Goa issued an alert on Friday to all the vessels and casinos operating off the state's coast following an intelligence input about possible arrival of terrorists on board a fishing trawler, the state's ports minister said. State's Ports Minister Jayesh Salgaoncar said that his department has issued a warning to all the off shore casinos, water sports operators and barges to be alert as the Indian Coast Guard has shared an intelligence input about a possible terror attack on the western coast. The alert is not specific to Goa. It is also for Mumbai and Gujarat coast, but we have alerted the vessels and concerned agencies, Salgaoncar said. An Indian fishing trawler, which was seized by Pakistan, has been released and there is intelligence input that on its way back, it may carry terrorists, the minister said. State's Ports Department has written to the off shore casinos and cruise vessels, and barges to remain alert in the wake of the intelligence input. "Have received intelligence input from District Coast Guard that anti-national elements have boarded an apprehended Indian fishing boat in Karachi and (are) likely to land on Indian coast and attack vital installations," states the communication by Captain of Ports James Braganza to Goa's tourism department and all the water sports operators, casinos, and cruise vessels and barges. All vessels to increase security and report any sighting or untoward movement to concerned authorities, the letter states. When contacted, James Braganza confirmed sending the letter to all the concerned people. The letter was also marked to State Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma. ||||| A high-alert has been issued in Goa following intercepts suggesting a terror attack. An alert suggesting sea-borne terrorists could attack the state has led to heightened security in the state. Goa's Ports Minister Jayesh Salgaoncar said that his department had issued a warning to all the shore casinos, water sports operators and barges to be alert. The directive came in the wake of the Indian Coast Guard sharing an intelligence input about a possible terror attack on the western coast. "The alert is not specific to Goa. It can be even to Mumbai or Gujarat coast, but we have alerted the vessels and concerned agencies," Salgaoncar said. "A fishing trawler from India which was seized by Pakistan has been released and there is intelligence input that on its way back, it may carry terrorists," the minister said. For breaking news & Instant updates throughout the day ||||| Agency PANJIM: Goa on Friday issued an alert to all the vessels and casinos operating off the state’s coast following an intelligence input about possible arrival of terrorists on board a fishing trawler, the state’s ports minister said. State’s Ports Minister Jayesh Salgaoncar told PTI that his department has issued a warning to all the off shore casinos, water sports operators and barges to be alert as the Indian Coast Guard has shared an intelligence input about a possible terror attack on the western coast. “The alert is not specific to Goa. It ||||| [India] Apr 8 (ANI): An Indian Navy patrol vessel, INS Subhadra towed a fishing boat to safety which was stranded in the middle of Arabian Sea, off Karwar coast in Karnataka due to a failed engine. INS Subhadra, which was on a routine mission spotted the Indian fishing boat - Jay Vittal, about 20 nautical miles North West of Karwar on April 7. The boat along with it's nine crew members were stranded at sea since the main engines had stopped working. The boat was handed over to Coastal Security Police at Karwar for further assistance and coordination. Currently, the boat is undergoing repairs at Karwar fishing harbour and its crew members are safe and are planning to proceed for fishing soon after the repair work. (ANI) ||||| Indian men’s hockey team fell prey to some lax defending and was held to a 2-2 draw by Pakistan in their 2018 Commonwealth Games campaign opener in Gold Coast. Leslie Xavier Indian men's hockey team’s SV Sunil (left) and Paksitan hockey team’s Muhammad Faisal Qadir vie for position during their match at the 2018 Commonwealth Games (CWG 2018) in Gold Coast, Australia, on Saturday.(AP) As expected, the India vs Pakistan hockey opener at the 2018 Commonwealth Games threw up high drama in Gold Coast on Saturday. Pakistan, who were trailing India 0-2 after the first half, scored twice including one in the dying seconds of the match to hold India 2-2. Dilpreet Singh scored in the first quarter while Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner in the second to give Indian men’s hockey team a 2-0 lead after the first half. Pakistan stepped up the tempo in the second half even as Indians lost their shape in the middle. They made it 1-2 via a strike from Muhammad Irfan Jr. before Ali Mubashar scored the equaliser when Pakistan were awarded a penalty corner with just seven seconds to go in the match. Get highlights of the India vs Pakistan hockey match from the 2018 Commonwealth Games here. (CWG 2018 LIVE UPDATES) 11:58 hrs IST: With that we wind up our live coverage of the India vs Pakistan hockey match from Gold Coast. To follow live action from other disciplines at the Commonwealth Games, click here. 11:54 hrs IST: The late equaliser was again a sad reminder for Indians of the curse that has afflicted them through the last 30 years or so. Indian hockey team, down the years, have always faded in the latter stages of the match. While earlier, the loss of tempo was against world-class sides, this time it came against Pakistan, a lower-ranked side, who are not exactly world beaters anymore. With the result, coach Sjoerd Marijne will be forced to go back to the drawing board before the next match a must-win against Wales on Sunday, while Pakistan take on England. 11:52 hrs IST: What’s interesting to figure out is the role Pakistan head coach Roelant Oltmans had in this result. Oltmans was with Hockey India since 2012 -- first as high performance director and then head coach -- was unceremoniously removed in September last year. This current Indian squad developed during Oltmans’ time in India and perhaps the Dutchman knew how to push the right areas at the right time to unsettle the Indians. 11:51 hrs IST: Indians would have only themselves to blame for the result. While they started off with intent, it was evident by the end of the first half that Manpreet Singh and Co. were losing shape in the middle. One could sense no strategy or system in their play while Pakistan, despite being erratic, were at least making forays into the Indian D. It was a matter of time before they scored. 11:45 hrs IST: Ali Mubashar scored for Pakistan with a low and hard shot. Sreejesh was a bit slow to react and conceded the equaliser. A disappointing result for India as going into the match they were the clear favourites. 11:37 hrs IST: Goal. Heartbreak for India in the dying seconds of the match. Pakistan convert the penalty corner to draw the match 2-2. 11: 35 hrs IST: Pakistan get another penalty corner. It’s literally the last play of the match. 11:33 hrs IST: Penalty corner is taken but the attempt thwarted. Pakistan ask for a video review again. Drama continues. 11:32 hrs IST: Pakistan get a penalty corner with 10 seconds to go. Drama indeed! 11:30 hrs IST: Drama in the final seconds. Pakistan asks for a review after a scuffle for ball in the Indian D. 11:28 hrs IST: Mandeep Singh wastes a golden chance to take things away from Pakistan’s grasp. With two minutes to go India lead 2-1. 11:24 hrs IST: Five minutes to go in the match and India lead 2-1 against Pakistan. But things are getting tight as Pak players are running more and more at the Indian defence while Manpreet Singh and Co. have not been able to make any meaningful foray into the Pakistani D in the second half. 11:21 hrs IST: The ball sails above the bar but Indian custodian P Sreejesh seems to have injured his side. He takes his time getting up. Play begins with India running up the left flank, intercepted by Pakistani defence.Such up and down running of the ball has been the hallmark of this match with both the sides unable to assume full control of the proceedings. So much for strategies and systems. 11:20 hrs IST: Pakistan get a penalty corner. 11:13 hrs IST: The fourth quarter begins with Pakistan playing running hockey, attacking looking for the equaliser. India lead 2-1 at the moment. 11.11 hrs IST: That’s the end of the third quarter. India lead Pakistan 2-1 but Manpreet Singh and Co. will have to get their act together in the final quarter or risk a Pakistan comeback in the match. 11:09 hrs IST: Muhammad Irfan Jr. taps in a diagonal shot from the left. The Indian defence, solid till that point, was in disarray as Pakistan ran at them with some crisp passing. The Indians better get their act together as the third quarter has seen a resurgent Paksitan. With less than two minutes to go in the quarter, India lead 2-1. 11:01 hrs IST: Pakistan get a goal back. It’s 2-1 in third quarter. 10:54 hrs IST: The third quarter of the India vs Pakistan match begins. India lead 2-0 thanks to goals from Dilpreet Singh and Harmanpreet Singh in the opening two quarters. 10:52 hrs IST: While the scoreline reads 2-0 in favour of India at half time, India coach Sjoerd Marijne would want his side to assert more in the midfield and also hold a ball a little longer. The latter half of second half saw Pakistan spend more time in the Indian half. Though the rivals didn’t show much firepower in front of goal, giving them chances is always dangerous and India’s Dutch coach would have given his side a talk at half time to refine their act further. 10:44 hrs IST: Pakistan are trying to go forward and get a goal back but the Indian defence seems solid with no weak links whatsoever. Manpreet Singh and Co. go into half-time with a 2-0 lead. 10:38 hrs IST: However, Pakistan earns another penalty corner as threat continues to loom over the Indian goal. This time, goalkeeper P Sreejesh comes to the rescue. 10:37 hrs IST: The Pakistan flick from the PC is intercepted beautifully by Kothajit Singh, who clears it to the side. 10:35 hrs IST: Pakistan get a penalty corner after a player goes down in the Indian D. The weak shot is dealt with by the Indian defence. but the ball seemed to have hit an Indian defender’s foot. Pakistan asks for a review and gets another PC. 10:33 hrs IST: The Pakistan custodian Imran Butt has been a busy man under the bar. India attack in waves, the latest being a strike by Mandeep Singh, which was thwarted by Butt. 10:28 hrs IST: India strikes from the PC. Harmanpreet Singh scores with the brilliant strike from the PC. Pakistan opted to review but it was turned down. India lead 2-0 in second quarter. 10:26 hrs IST: The chance is squandered again by India, but Pakistan fail to clear the ball and India get another PC after a goalmouth melee. 10:24 hrs IST: Second quarter begins with India applying a full press against Pakistan, trying to keep the ball within the Pak half of the field. The intention is clear, Manpreet Singh and Co need more goals. And their efforts get rewarded by a penalty corner. 10:20 hrs IST: India would be very happy with the 1-0 lead going into the second quarter, especially since Manpreet Singh and Co. showed signs of taking control of the match in the latter stages of the first quarter. India scored via Dilpreet Singh, who found the target from a cross bt SV Sunil. The move began as a counter attack and Sunil passed across the face of the goal to Dilpreet in the far post, who hammered the ball home. 10:19 hrs IST: The answer is no. Rupinder Pal Singh misses the mark and the penalty corner chance is wasted. The first quarter ends with India leading Pakistan 1-0. 10:18 hrs IST: India get a penalty corner, Will they be able to take a 2-0 lead going in to break after the first quarter. 10:15 hrs IST: And it’s a goal, Dilpreet Singh strikes for India who take 1-0 lead against Pakistan with just two minutes to go in the first quarter. 10:12 hrs IST: The tempo for the game is set -- high-paced action. But both teams don’t seem to be sure on how to convert the pacy moves into a meaningful attack in front of goal at the moment. The scores remain tied 0-0 with four minutes left to play in the first quarter. 10:09 hrs IST: Pakistan making an inroad into the Indian D from the left flank but easily dealt with by the defence. From the counter, the Indians build their own foray into the Pakistan D, but a cross from the left flank is wasted with no Indian in the middle to tap in. 10:06 hrs IST: Opening exchanges of the match promises intense action. Both teams are intent on attack -- Pakistan going down the flank twice, while Indians countering down the middle. Nothing meaningful coming out of the initial exchanges. A sign of nerves probably. Both teams should settle down and then try and control the tempo of the match, applying their strategies and systems from the middle. 10:01 hrs IST: Skipper Manpreet Singh is seen rallying his players and the ball is rolled. The start of Indian men’s hockey team’s CWG campaign in Gold Coast. 10:00 hrs IST: The national anthems are being played at the moment. Indians would be going all out for a big win in the opening match to have a strong start to the tournament. They would also want to banish the memories of a poor outing at the Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia where they finished out of the podium. 09:57 hrs IST: With former India coach, Dutchman Roelant Oltmans, at the helm with Pakistan, there is an additional variable for the Indian hockey team to deal with. The match is set to start with the players in the field. Though Pakistan are not the powerhouses they were once, sparks do fly when they play India. And this match is sure to be a hard-fought one. 09:53 hrs IST: Welcome all to the live coverage of Indian men’s hockey team’s 2018 Commonwealth Games opening match. And a big match that too, against arch rivals Pakistan. The rivalry has lost sheen in recent times with the standard of hockey in Pakistan going down as they have lurched from one setback to other. They finished last in the 2010 World Cup in New Delhi, had failed to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and are currently ranked 13th in the FIH rankings. India, on the other hand, are on a resurgence and are ranked sixth in the World and one of the favourites for gold in the Commonwealth Games. Hindustan Times ||||| Fishing area for children is opening this week SUNBURY – Soon, some children in the Valley eager to fish will have their own area to enjoy. Thanks to a request from landowners along the Little Shamokin Creek, the PA Fish and Boat Commission has established a “Special Regulations, Children Only” fishing area on the creek. This regulation makes the area available to fishing exclusively for children 12 and younger. It will go into affect this Saturday and run through May 31. Saturday is the mentored youth fishing day on the stream, where fishing will be allowed for children 12 and younger from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. only. There is a two trout limit for all youth. Both youth and mentor must posssess a valid fishing license or a voluntary youth fishing license on the mentored youth day. The adult must also possess a valid trout permit. We have more details at WKOK.com, and on the website for the Little Shamokin Creek Watershed group…we have that link at WKOK.com. No fishing will then be allowed from Saturday at 7 p.m. until April 14 at 8 a.m., which is the opening day for trout fishing on these waters. During the period of April 14 to May 31, an adult won’t need a valid license to assist the child. The daily limit for anglers during this period is five trout. The regulation also says adults are not allowed to fish or kill any trout in this area until June 1
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Local authorities in Goa, India, issue a terror alert for the West Coast for fishing vessels, resorts, barges, and offshore casinos. The alert states a fishing vessel may be used to launch a terrorist attack. The Ports Minister states that Pakistan has seized an Indian fishing vessel in connection with the alleged plot.
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Iran has strongly condemned the Israeli regime's attack on an air base in the Syrian province of Homs, saying it was a blatant violation of international law which would strengthen terrorists.and runs counter to all international regulations and principles," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Monday.Russia and Syria said on Monday that Israeli warplanes struck an air base in Homs and that Syrian air defense systems shot down five of eight missiles fired.The Interfax news agency cited the Russian Defense Ministry as saying that two Israeli F-15 warplanes carried out strikes from Lebanese air space on the T-4 air base on Sunday.The Syrian state media also reported that the deadly attack was carried out by Israeli warplanes."The Israeli attack on the T-4 airport was carried out with F-15 aircraft that fired several missiles from above Lebanese territory," a Syrian military source said. ||||| Just moments ago The Duran posed the question: Israel or France, who attacked Syrian airfields, after false flag chemical attack? We just got our answer… Two Israeli F-15 fighters targeted Syria’s T-4 airbase in Homs province, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday. The jets fired eight guided missiles, but five of them were shot down before they hit the airfield. In a statement on Monday, the Russian military said: “Two Israeli Air Force F-15 jets fired eight guided missiles at the T-4 airfield.” The Israeli aircraft did not enter Syrian airspace and launched the strikes while flying over Lebanon. “Syrian air defense units have shot down five guided missiles,” the military said, but confirmed that three of the missiles “reached the western part of the airfield.” Citing its own correspondent, Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen channel said earlier on Monday that an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft was airborne during the attack on the Syrian base. The missiles crossed Lebanese airspace over Keserwan and Bekaa, heading towards Syria, according to the broadcaster. The IDF telegraphed its intentions to strike Syria way back in February with this tweet suggesting that Israel has had its eye on T4 for some time, all it needed was another scripted Deep State/Al Qaeda sponsored chemical weapons false flag to legitimize its actions… Buy us a coffee ☕ Every Dollar, Pound and Euro you send us helps our publication stay active, reach more people and to continue to shed light on the social-political issues of our time. Will you help expose the lies of the mainstream media? As a reader of The Duran, you are well aware of all the propaganda and disinformation reported by the mainstream media. You know how important it is to bring real news to light. Please support The Duran and help us keep reporting on news that is fair, balanced, and real. ||||| AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria and its main ally Russia blamed Israel for carrying out an attack on a Syrian air base near Homs on Monday which followed reports of a poison gas attack by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces on a rebel-held town. Israel, which has struck Syrian army locations many times in the course of its neighbour’s seven-year-old civil war, has not confirmed nor denied mounting the raid. But Israeli officials said the Tiyas, or T-4, air base was being used by troops from Iran and that Israel would not accept such a presence in Syria by its arch foe. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitor, said at least 14 people were killed including some fighters of various nationalities, a reference to Iranian-backed Shi’ite militia members, mostly from Iraq, Lebanon and Iran fighting alongside the Syrian army. The attack demonstrated the multi-faceted nature of the Syria conflict, which started in March 2011 as an uprising against Assad and now involves several countries and various insurgent groups in a web of alliances. It took place hours after U.S. President Donald Trump warned of a “big price to pay” following the reports of a poison gas attack on the rebel-held town of Douma which killed dozens of people, including children. Trump referred in a Tweet to “Animal Assad” and criticised Russia and Iran for backing the Syrian leader, directly naming Russian President Vladimir Putin. Damascus denied its forces had launched any chemical assault and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said such allegations were false and a provocation. Lavrov also said the strike on the T-4 base was a dangerous development. Syrian state TV initially said the United States was suspected of carrying out the attack on T-4. Washington denied this, and France, which in February had said it would strike in the event of a chemical weapon attack on civilians by Syrian government forces, also said its forces were not involved. The Russian military, whose support for Assad has turned the war in his favour, said two Israeli F-15 war planes carried out the strike. Interfax news agency cited the Russian Defence Ministry as saying Syrian air defence systems had shot down five of eight missiles fired. Syrian state media, citing a military source, carried a similar report. “The Israeli aggression on the T4 airport was carried out with F-15 planes that fired several missiles from above Lebanese land,” state news agency SANA said. The Israeli government had no immediate comment. Israel has accused Damascus of allowing Iran to set up a complex at the T-4 base to supply arms to its ally, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and in the past its forces have hit convoys and bases of Iranian-backed militias that fight alongside Assad’s troops. Defence analysts say a number of Russian troops are also based there and jets fly regular sorties from T-4. Israeli opposition lawmaker Yair Lapid told Army Radio: “Israel will not accept an Iranian military presence in Syria and will not accept Iran’s creeping entrenchment in Syria and this has costs.” Housing Minister Yoav Galant, while also not confirming that Israel had carried out the attack, said: “We have clear interests in Syria. We laid down red lines there, which said that we would not allow Syrian land to be a springboard for game-changing weaponry to Lebanon, we would not allow the building of an Iranian army in Syria and we would not allow the opening of another front on the Golan Heights. “In this context we are taking action with all means, over time.” As international officials worked to try to confirm Saturday’s chemical attack on Douma, a Syria medical relief group said at least 60 people had been killed there and more than 1,000 injured in several sites. The toll is likely to rise, said the Union of Medical Care Organizations (UOSSM), a group of international aid agencies. “The numbers keep rising as relief workers struggle to gain access to the subterranean areas where gas has entered and hundreds of families had sought refuge,” the group said. The Syrian American Medical Society and the civil defence service, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 people had been killed in the suspected gas attack. The Syrian opposition blamed the suspected chemical attack on government forces, who launched an air and ground assault on Douma, the last rebel-held town in the eastern Ghouta district, on Friday. One video shared by activists showed bodies of about a dozen children, women and men, some with foam at the mouth. Reuters could not independently verify the reports. The United States launched a missile strike on a Syrian air base a year ago in response to the killing of dozens of civilians in a sarin gas attack in an opposition-held town in northwest Syria. The gas attack was blamed on Assad. U.S. government sources said Washington’s assessment of Saturday’s attack was that chemical weapons were used. The European Union also said evidence pointed to the use of chemical weapons by Assad’s forces. The U.N. Security Council will meet twice on Monday following rival requests by Russia and the United States. U.N. war crimes investigators had previously documented 33 chemical attacks in Syria, attributing 27 to the Assad government, which has repeatedly denied using the weapons. UOSSM said doctors could not determine the origin of the chemical attacks. Dr. Muhammad, a doctor in Ghouta, said patients were coughing blood, a symptom not seen in previous chemical attacks. Professor Rapharl Pitti of UOSSM France said that after viewing videos from the site, the patients seem to present convulsions more typical of sarin. “Everything suggests that during the second attack, chlorine was used to conceal the use of sarin at the same time ,” he said. The attack appears to have brought Assad closer to sealing victory in the military campaign for eastern Ghouta launched by the Russian-backed Syrian army in February. Following the attack, the rebel group Jaish al-Islam gave way to a Syrian government demand that it accept safe passage out to rebel-held areas at the Turkish border. It marks Assad’s most significant victory over the rebellion against his rule since 2016, and underlines his unassailable position in the conflict. ||||| Russian Defense Ministry says Israel was behind airstrike in Syria, fired 8 missiles at a Syrian government air base MOSCOW (AP) — Russian Defense Ministry says Israel was behind airstrike in Syria, fired 8 missiles at a Syrian government air base. ||||| BEIRUT -- Missiles struck an air base in central Syria early Monday, but the Pentagon quickly denied claims from Syrian state media that the strikes were "an American aggression." A war monitoring group said Iranian-backed militia members were killed in the strikes, and Russia and then Syria accused Israeli jets of firing the missiles. Syria's state-run SANA news agency said the missile attack on the T4 military air base in Homs province had resulted in a number of casualties. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said 14 people were killed, including foreign nationals -- an allusion to Iranian, or at least Iran-backed, fighters. Russia's allegation that two Israeli F-15s had fired a total of eight missiles at the T4 base came several hours after Pentagon spokesman Christopher Sherwood said in a statement that the "Department of Defense is not conducting air strikes in Syria." The missile attack followed a suspected poison gas attack Saturday on the last remaining foothold for the Syrian opposition in the eastern suburbs of Damascus. At least 40 people were killed, including families found in their homes and shelters, opposition activists and local rescuers said. As CBS News correspondent Holly Williams reports, videos from Douma show lifeless bodies with no visible injuries, all of them apparently inside buildings, survivors struggling to breathe, many of them children. Victims are seen being washed down, apparently to remove a substance from their skin. President Trump has promised a "big price to pay" for the suspected chemical attack and called Syrian President Bashar Assad an "animal" in tweets sent earlier Sunday: CBS News can not independently verify the reports of a chemical attack in Syria, and the Syrian government denied the allegations, calling them fabrications. Survivors, though, reportedly smelled of chlorine -- a chemical that can be deadly in confined spaces. Dr. Ahmad Tarakji, of the Syrian American Medical Society, told CBS News via Skype that at his field hospital in eastern Ghouta, they "received many patients who suffered from symptoms compatible with exposure to chlorine gas -- high concentration chlorine gas." On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the accusations against Bashar Assad's regime a "provocation" and, referring to the airstrikes on the base in Homs, he added that the situation in Syria was, "becoming too dangerous" as "actors whom nobody invited" show up on the complex battlefield. Israel's government did not confirm that it had carried out any strikes in Syria, but it has targeted Assad's forces, and their Iranian allies, inside the country before. Some Israeli media noted Russia's Ministry of Defense said Monday that "two F-15 aircraft of the Israeli Air Force, without entering Syrian airspace, struck eight controlled missiles at the airfield." It said the missiles were fired from within Lebanese airspace, and that five of them were destroyed by Syria's air defenses before landing. Three missiles "reached the western part of the airfield," according to the Russian military, which also has personnel in the area in support of Assad's forces. No Russian "advisers" were hit in the early morning missile strike, according to Russia. In the statement released early Monday morning, U.S. military spokesman Sherwood said the Pentagon would "continue to closely watch the situation and support the ongoing diplomatic efforts to hold those who use chemical weapons, in Syria and otherwise, accountable." The U.S. launched several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base in 2017 after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people. Israel has also struck inside Syria in recent years. The suspected poison gas attack Saturday on the besieged town of Douma came almost exactly a year after the U.S. missile attack prompted by the Khan Sheikhoun deaths. First responders said they found families suffocated in their homes and shelters, with foam on their mouths. The opposition-linked Syrian Civil Defense were able to document 42 fatalities but were impeded from searching further by strong odors that gave their rescuers difficulties breathing, said Siraj Mahmoud, a spokesman for the group, which is known as the White Helmets. "Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!" the president wrote. Mr. Trump later blamed his predecessor President Barack Obama for not taking action against the Assad regime earlier in the civil war. Hours after the attack, the Army of Islam rebel group agreed to surrender the town and evacuate their fighters to rebel-held northern Syria, Syrian state media reported. The group also agreed to give up its prisoners, a key demand of the government. The government agreed to halt its assault after three days of indiscriminate air and ground attacks. "There's nothing left for civilians and fighters. We don't have anything to stand fast," said Haitham Bakkar, an opposition activist inside the town. He spoke to the Associated Press via WhatsApp. "People now are going out in the streets looking for their loved ones in the rubble," Bakkar said. "And we don't have any space left to bury them." More than 100 buses entered the town Sunday night to transport fighters and their families to Jarablus, a town under the shared control of rebels and Turkey, said Syrian state-affiliated al-Ikhbariya TV. The preparations follow a pattern of evacuations around the capital and other major Syrian cities as the government reasserts its control after seven years of war. Human rights groups and United Nations officials say the tactic amounts to forced displacement, a war crime. The U.N. Security Council planned to hold an emergency meeting Monday to discuss the attack. It's unclear what the administration's next steps are with regard to responding to the attack. In response to a similar chemical attack in April of last year, Mr. Trump ordered a missile strike on a Syrian military target in Shayrat, about 50 miles due south of the village that was hit in a gas attack. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Sunday on CBS News' "Face the Nation" that he and the administration "will be reviewing with the president all different alternatives" for a response. ||||| April 9 (UPI) -- Russia and Syria blamed the Israeli military Monday for a missile strike on an air base near the Mediterranean coast that killed more than a dozen people. The base, known as Tiyas, was struck late Sunday by at least 20 Tomahawk cruise missiles. The government-controlled Syrian Arab News Agency said their direction of travel indicated they may have come from Israel. Eight of them were shot down. SANA also reported the United States was responsible for the airstrike, but Pentagon officials have denied it. The Russian Defense Ministry said two Israeli F-15 fighter planes fired the missiles from Lebanese airspace, and that five of eight missiles were intercepted. The Israeli military did not initially confirm or deny information on the strikes. Israel has remained largely neutral in the Syria conflict -- as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with allies Russia, Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah, have fought rebel factions backed by the United States. Tel Aviv, though, has concerns about Iran establishing military sites inside Syria that could be used to attack Israel. The Tiyas base is not known to contain chemical weapons, but Israel has accused Syria of allowing Iran to establish a base there to supply Hezbollah with weapons. "We have clear interests in Syria and we set red lines," Yoav Galant of Israel's security cabinet said after the attack. "We will not allow weapons to be transferred from Syria to Lebanon and we will not allow an Iranian entrenchment." The airstrike, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said killed three Syrian commanders, came after reports Saturday of a chemical attack on civilians in the embattled city of Ghouta, a Damascus suburb. U.S. President Donald Trump said Syria would pay "a big price" for the chemical attack and said Assad should expect a "strong, joint response" with France. Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron are scheduled to meet in Washington on April 23. A year ago, Trump fired dozens of cruise missiles into the al-Shayrat airfield, near Homs, following a chemical attack that killed and injured hundreds of civilians. ||||| UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russia and the United States tangled on Tuesday at the United Nations over the use of chemical weapons in Syria as Washington and its allies considered whether to strike at President Bashar al-Assad’s forces over a suspected poison gas attack last weekend. Moscow and Washington halted attempts by each other in the U.N. Security Council to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria, which is in the throes of a seven-year-old civil war. U.S. President Donald Trump and Western allies are discussing possible military action to punish Assad for a suspected poison gas attack on Saturday on a rebel-held town that long had held out against government forces. Trump on Tuesday canceled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on responding to the Syria incident, the White House said. Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the Syria attack was established. Pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria in next 72 hours. On the diplomatic front, the United Nations Security Council failed to approve three draft resolutions on chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Russia vetoed a U.S. text, while two Russian-drafted resolutions failed to get a minimum nine votes to pass. Moscow opposes any Western strike on its close ally Assad and has vetoed Security Council action on Syria 12 times since the conflict started. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the Security Council that adopting the U.S.-drafted resolution was the least that member nations could do. “History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people,” Haley said, referring to Assad. At least 60 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured in Saturday’s suspected chemical weapons attack on the town of Douma, according to a Syrian relief group. Doctors and witnesses have said victims showed symptoms of poisoning, possibly by a nerve agent, and reported the smell of chlorine gas. RUSSIA ACCUSES Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Washington’s decision to put forward its resolution could be a prelude to a Western strike on Syria. “I would once again ask you, once again beseech you, to refrain from the plans that you’re currently developing for Syria,” he said after the council failed to approve a third draft resolution on chemical weapons attacks in Syria. International chemical weapons experts are expected to go to Douma to investigate the suspected poison gas attack. France and Britain discussed with the Trump administration how to respond to the Douma attack. Both stressed that the culprit still needed to be confirmed. The Douma incident has thrust Syria’s conflict back to the forefront of the international stage, pitting Washington and Moscow against each other once again. Trump said that he would make a decision about how to respond within a few days, adding that the United States had “a lot of options militarily” on Syria. Assad’s government and Russia have said there was no evidence a gas attack had taken place and that the claim was bogus. Any U.S. strike is likely to involve naval assets, given the risk to aircraft from Russian and Syrian air defense systems. A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, is in the Mediterranean. A key issue being considered by U.S. defense and intelligence agencies and war planners is the effectiveness of Syrian air defenses and the extent to which Russia is helping to organize, and ultimately, direct Syrian air defense operations, according to two U.S. government sources. Last year, the United States launched strikes from two Navy destroyers against a Syrian air base. U.S. military action similar to last year’s would likely not cause a shift in the direction of the war that has gone Assad’s way since 2015 with massive aid from Iran and Russia. There was little expectation that members of Congress would object if Trump launched an attack on Syria, despite some calls for lawmakers to exert their power to authorize military action. Most members of Congress – Democrats as well as his fellow Republicans - praised Trump after the strike last year. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that any strikes would not target the Syrian government’s allies or anybody in particular, but would be aimed at the Syrian government’s chemical facilities. CHEMICAL WEAPONS PROBE The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Syria had been asked to make the necessary arrangements for the deployment of an investigation team. “The team is preparing to deploy to Syria shortly,” it said in a statement. The mission will aim to determine whether banned munitions were used but will not assign blame. The Assad government and Russia both urged the OPCW to investigate the allegations of chemical weapons use in Douma, a move by the two countries that was apparently aimed at averting any U.S.-led action. “Syria is keen on cooperating with the OPCW to uncover the truth behind the allegations that some Western sides have been advertising to justify their aggressive intentions,” Syria’s state news agency SANA said. A European source said European governments were waiting for the OPCW to carry out its investigation and for more solid forensic evidence from the attack to emerge. Any plan by Washington and its allies to take military action was likely to be on hold until then, the source said. In Syria, thousands of militants and their families arrived in rebel-held parts of the country’s northwest after surrendering Douma to government forces. Their evacuation restored Assad’s control over eastern Ghouta, formerly the biggest rebel bastion near Damascus, and gave him his biggest battlefield victory since 2016, when he took back Aleppo. Aggravating the volatile situation in the region, Iran - Assad’s other main ally - threatened to respond to an air strike on a Syrian military base on Monday that Tehran, Damascus and Moscow have blamed on Israel. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, meanwhile, said there was no threat of the situation in Syria resulting in a military clash between Russia and the United States. TASS news agency quoted him as saying he believed common sense would prevail. A man is washed following alleged chemical weapons attack, in what is said to be Douma, Syria in this still image from video obtained by Reuters on April 8, 2018. White Helmets/Reuters TV via REUTERS A Russian warplane flew over a French warship at low altitude in the eastern Mediterranean this weekend, a deliberate breach of international regulations, a French naval source said on Tuesday. The weekly magazine Le Point said the Russian plane had flown over the frigate Aquitaine and was fully armed. The Aquitaine is equipped with 16 cruise missiles and 16 surface-to-air missiles. It is currently operating off Lebanon alongside U.S. ships as part of France’s military contingent fighting Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. Despite the international revulsion over chemical weapons attacks, the death toll from such incidents in Syria is only a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of combatants and civilians killed since the war began in 2011. ||||| The Latest: Russia says Israel was behind Syria airstrike BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on the situation on Syria (all times local): The Russian military says the Israeli Air Force was behind the airstrike in Syria and had launched eight missiles on a Syrian air base. A Syrian military official also says Israel was behind the attack. Russia's Defense Ministry says two Israeli fighter jets launched the attack on the T4 air base in central Syria from Lebanon's air space in the early hours on Monday. The ministry says Syria shot down five out of the eight missiles that targeted the base. It says the other three landed in the western part of the T4 base. Syrian state TV meanwhile quoted the unnamed military official as saying Israeli F-15 warplanes had fired several missiles while flying over neighboring Lebanon. The TV gave no further details. Syrian state media are saying that dozens of civilians who had been held for years by a rebel group near the capital of Damascus have been set free. The state SANA news agency says the people were freed around midnight on Sunday. It says they had been held by the Army of Islam group since 2013. Their release is part of a newly reached deal in which thousands of Army of Islam fighters and their relative will be allowed to leave the town of Douma and head to rebel-held part in northern Syria. SANA released pictures of men, women and children waving from buses shortly after they crossed into government-controlled areas on the edge of Douma. The Army of Islam is holding thousands of people in the Tawba prison that they run inside Douma. A Syrian war-monitoring group says 14 people, including Iranians, were killed in a missile attack early in the morning on an air base in central Syria. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says most of the 14 killed were either Iranians or members of Iran-backed groups. Syria's state-run news agency earlier reported that missiles struck the T4 air base early on Monday. It said the attack left people dead and wounded. Although the agency said it was likely "an American aggression," U.S. officials said the United States had not launched any airstrikes on Syria. Al-Manar TV station of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which is fighting in Syria alongside the government forces, described the attack as an "Israeli aggression." The Observatory says it wasn't immediately clear who was behind the attack. Syria's state news agency says missiles have struck an air base in central Syria in the early hours of the day. The agency said it was likely "an American aggression" but U.S. officials say the United States had not launched airstrikes on Syria. Monday's missile attack followed a suspected poison gas attack on Saturday on the last remaining foothold for the Syrian opposition in the eastern suburbs of Damascus. At least 40 people were killed, including families found in their homes and shelters, according to opposition activists and local rescuers. SANA reported that the missile attack on the T4 military air base in Homs province resulted in a number of casualties. The U.N. Security Council planned to hold an emergency meeting Monday to discuss the chemical attack. ||||| Following Sundays chemical weapon attack in Douma that was blamed on the Syrian government, Israel launched missiles at a Syrian airbase according to the Russian MoD. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday that two Israeli F-15 fighters targeted Syria’s T-4 airbase in the Homs province. The jets fired eight guided missiles, but five of them were shot down before they hit the airfield. The missiles crossed Lebanese air space to reach their intended target. Activists ssay that at least 14 people were killed in the strike, including Iranians. RT reports: In a statement on Monday, the Russian military said: “Two Israeli Air Force F-15 jets fired eight guided missiles at the T-4 airfield.” The Israeli aircraft did not enter Syrian airspace and launched the strikes while flying over Lebanon. Syrian air defense units have shot down five guided missiles,” the military said, but confirmed that three of the missiles “reached the western part of the airfield.” The Israeli embassy in Moscow refused to comment on the Russian Defense Ministry’s report, Alex Gandler, the diplomatic mission’s press attache, told Sputnik. Asked about the Russian military’s statement, an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman said he had no immediate comment, the Jerusalem Post reported. Citing its own correspondent, Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen channel said earlier on Monday that an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft was airborne during the attack on the Syrian base. The missiles crossed Lebanese airspace over Keserwan and Bekaa, heading towards Syria, according to the broadcaster. The missile attack took place on Sunday night in Syria’s Homs governorate. State news agency SANA reported there were several “martyrs and wounded,” but did not disclose the exact number of casualties. The report also said that the US was “probably” behind the attack, although Washington denied any complicity in the strike. “At this time, the Department of Defense is not conducting airstrikes in Syria,” the Pentagon told Reuters in a statement. “However, we continue to closely watch the situation and support the ongoing diplomatic efforts to hold those who use chemical weapons, in Syria and otherwise, accountable.” France, which was also suspected of being involved in the attack, denied any responsibility for the military strike, AFP reported on Monday. The strike on the T-4 base came shortly after Western powers accused the Syrian government of orchestrating an alleged a chlorine attack in the militant-held town of Douma. The chemical incident was reported by the White Helmets, a controversial group repeatedly accused of having ties to terrorists. Commenting on the unconfirmed gas attack, US President Donald Trump denounced the “mindless” atrocity, which he described as a “humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever.” He also accused Russia and Iran of bearing responsibility for the incident, due to their support for Syrian President Bashar Assad. Washington and Paris have already held telephone talks, during which Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron decided to oppose Russia at the upcoming United Nations Security Council meeting, which is being convened to discuss the Douma incident. President Macron previously signaled that Paris might consider unilateral actions, including a military strike, if chemical weapons were ever used in Syria again. The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced allegations regarding the chemical attack, calling them a “continuous series of fake news” and “baseless speculation.” It noted that Moscow had already warned about a false-flag chemical attack being prepared in recent months. Damascus also rejected the accusations, with the Syrian Foreign Ministry pointing out that similar allegations emerge every time the Syrian Army makes advances in its fight against terrorists. ||||| Syrian air defences shot down eight missiles after a major air base in central Syria was struck in the early hours of Monday, Syrian state television reported. The state broadcaster said explosions were heard at the T-4 airfield near Homs, which is close to the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria. It said there were several dead and wounded. Syrian state media said they were suspected to be U.S. strikes but U.S. officials said that the U.S. military had not launched air strikes. U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier on Sunday there would be a “big price to pay” after medical aid groups reported dozens of people were killed by poison gas in a besieged rebel-held town in Syria. The Syrian state denied government forces had launched any chemical attack. Russia, President Bashar al-Assad’s most powerful ally, called the reports fake.
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Eight missiles are launched at the Syrian T4 air base in Homs Governorate, reportedly by Israeli F-15s. Syria claimed that five of the missiles are intercepted by the Syrian Air Defense Force. Reports stated that 14 soldiers were killed in the strike, including 4 Iranian Revolution Guards.
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One thousand "lightly armed" Saudi troops and an unspecified number of troops from the United Arab Emirates entered Bahrain on the morning of March 14, in a bid to end the country’s monthlong political crisis. They are reportedly heading for the town of Riffa, the stronghold of the ruling Khalifa family. The troops’ task, apparently, is to protect the oil installations and basic infrastructure from the demonstrators. The Arab intervention marks a dramatic escalation of Bahrain’s political crisis, which has pitted the country’s disgruntled Shiite majority against the Sunni ruling family — and has also been exacerbated by quarrels between hard-liners and liberals within the Khalifa clan. The clashes between protesters and government forces worsened over the weekend, when the security services beat back demonstrators trying to block the highway to the capital of Manama’s Financial Harbor. The protesters’ disruption of the harbor, which was reportedly purchased by the conservative Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa for one dinar, was an important symbolic gesture by the opposition. For the United States, the intervention is a slap in the face. On Saturday, March 12, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Bahrain, where he called for real reforms to the country’s political system and criticized "baby steps," which he said would be insufficient to defuse the crisis. The Saudis were called in within a few hours of Gates’s departure, however, showing their disdain for his efforts to reach a negotiated solution. By acting so soon after Gates’s visit, Saudi Arabia has made the United States look at best irrelevant to events in Bahrain, and from the Shiite opposition’s point of view, even complicit in the Saudi military intervention. The number of foreign troop is so far very small and should not make one iota of difference in Bahrain’s balance of power. The Bahraini military already total 30,000 troops, all of whom are Sunnis. They are under control of Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa and supposedly fully faithful to King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa. Bahrain also has a similar number of police and general security forces, mainly mercenaries from Baluchistan, Yemen, and Syria, reputed to be controlled by the prime minister and his followers in the family. At this time, therefore, the Saudi intervention is largely a symbolic maneuver. It is so far not an effort to quell the unrest, but intended to scare the more extreme Shiite groups into allowing negotiations to go forward. The crown prince recently laid out six main issues to be discussed in talks, including the establishment of an elected parliament empowered to affect government policy, fairly demarcated electoral constituencies, steps to combat financial and administrative corruption, and moves to limit sectarian polarization. He notably failed to mention one of the opposition’s primary demands — the prime minister’s resignation. The Saudi move, however, risks backfiring. It is extremely unlikely that the Saudi troops’ presence will entice moderate Shiite and Sunni opposition figures to come to the table — the intervention will force them to harden their position for fear of being seen as Saudi stooges. The demands of the more extreme groups, such as the Shiite al-Haq party, are also likely to increase prior to negotiations. These elements, having seen job opportunities go to foreign workers and political power dominated by the ruling family for decades, have grown steadily disenchanted with prospects of talks. The crown prince is well aware that the Saudi intervention only makes a negotiated solution to this crisis more challenging, so it is difficult to imagine that he invited the Saudis into Bahrain. The more liberal Khalifas, such as the crown prince, know very well that the only way out of the crisis is to obtain the resignation of the prime minister and some of the more extreme Sunni ministers. However, the prime minister — with whom Gates did not meet with during his weekend visit — does not appear to have any intention of resigning and is the most likely figure behind the invitation to the Saudis to intervene. Although details are still sketchy, he is likely joining with the Saudi king to pass the message to the United States that he is in charge and no one can tell him what to do. Furthermore, it signals that the Saudis agree with Bahrain’s conservatives that the Shiite must be reined in rather than negotiated with, even at the cost of telling the United States to kiss off. The Saudi intervention may also have been precipitated by the deepening rift between the extreme Sunni elements and the liberal Khalifas. If the Saudis are indeed heading to Riffa, it is possible they are tasked with defending the Khalifa stronghold not so much against the Shiite rabble but against the Bahraini military, which is under the command of the crown prince. The Saudi intervention would therefore be an effort by the prime minister and the Saudis to pressure the crown prince into not giving in to the protesters’ demands and to fall in line with their plans to secure Bahrain as the personal fiefdom of the Khalifas and their tribal allies. Whatever the case, the future appears bleak. The Saudi intervention will no doubt provoke a reaction from Iran, which will argue that their Shiite brothers are being systematically oppressed. Any troubles caused by Bahraini Shiites will only provoke further Saudi intervention. Ultimately, the island risks falling under de facto, if not de jure, Saudi control. The Saudi intervention, however small, is therefore a major step backward for the region. It represents a major slap in the face to the United States, a defeat for the liberal Shiite and Sunni elements in Bahrain, and ultimately a catastrophe for the entire Khalifa family, both the liberal and conservative wings, who may have just surrendered their power to the giant next door. Ultimately, this may also be a defeat for Saudi Arabia as well. The Saudis have long tried to avoid overt interventions in their neighbors’ affairs. They intervened once during the 1994 upheavals in Bahrain and in the past two years have been active on the Yemeni border — but under King Abdullah they have tried to arbitrate, rather than dominate, events on the Arabian Peninsula. Their decision to intervene directly in Bahrain’s affairs suggests a weakness in the Saudi leadership and Riyadh’s surrender to the more conservative elements in the country. ||||| PARIS, April 10 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia on Tuesday called for those behind the chemical attack in Syria over the weekend to be brought to justice. The attack late on Saturday killed at least 60 people and hurt more than 1,000 at several sites in Douma, a town near the capital, Damascus, according to the Union of Medical Care Organizations. “Our position is that those responsible have to be held accountable and brought to justice,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Paris. When asked whether Saudi Arabia would take part in any eventual military response, the minister said discussions on how to react were ongoing. (Reporting by John Irish; writing by Michel Rose; editing by Richard Lough) ||||| As the crown prince charms Hollywood, the reality sets in: Global studios and talent are jockeying for position in a politically fraught movie market that could grow to $1 billion a year. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman — alongside an entourage big enough to book out the entire Beverly Hills Four Seasons — swooped into Hollywood last week as part of the royal’s whirlwind U.S. tour. The schedule included a star-studded soiree on April 2 thrown by Rupert Murdoch (and attended by studio bosses Bob Iger, Jeff Shell, Kevin Tsujihara and Stacey Snider), and the 32-year-old, commonly known as MBS, also swung by Endeavor (the $230 billion sovereign wealth fund he controls is buying a $400 million stake). But although major announcements may have been limited to Cirque du Soleil signing an agreement for its debut performance in Saudi Arabia, the prince’s Hollywood visit coincided with the historic news that AMC Theatres had won his country’s first cinema license and would be opening its first site on April 18, breaking a 35-year ban on public screens that was only lifted in December. Saudi’s cultural reforms are set to have a significant impact to a cinema-starved country of 32.3 million (70 percent under the age of 30), offering significant industry opportunities even as the country faces criticism of its human rights practices. Here’s The Hollywood Reporter’s take on the opening up of what could be the last great untapped market. The fact that Black Panther is set to historically break Saudi Arabia’s 35-year cinema ban (immediately followed by Avengers: Infinity War) is a sure sign that Hollywood will play a significant part in Saudi Arabia’s film future. With the country likely to be underscreened for first few years as exhibitors race to satisfy pent-up demand, one regional distributor predicts that they will likely “give space only to tentpole tites.” Analysts have suggested that Saudi’s untapped market could reach $1 billion in ticket sales (making it the 10th biggest globally), and, much like other regional box offices, U.S. studio fare is likely to dominate. It’s not only Hollywood output expected to reap the rewards. An estimated 4.1 million Indians — 13 percent of the population — live in Saudi Arabia, making them the biggest expatriate group by some margin. In the neighboring United Arab Emirates, where Indians also dominate (27 percent), Bollywood has become a growing force. Last year, Indian films sat atop the UAE box office for eight weeks, with fantasy actioner Baahubali 2: The Conclusion fending off Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (and in its second week). "There's also a sizable population of expats [in Saudi Arabia] from other South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, who are a target audience," says Deloitte India partner Jehil Thakkar, who says there's "tremendous potential" for Bollywood. "Moreover, the country also has residents from other countries, such as Egypt, where Bollywood has had a strong following." 3. IT SHOULD BRING SOME (MUCH-NEEDED) GOOD NEWS FOR WANDA China’s once-mighty Dalian Wanda Group — which recently received a multibillion-dollar bailout out by former tech rivals Tencent and Alibaba — could enjoy a prolonged period in the Saudi sun thanks to its AMC theater chain. The exhibitor was the first to announce it was looking at opportunities in the kingdom, and such proactive behavior has paid off: It’s now set to open the country’s first cinema on April 18, and CEO Adam Aron has said that with “up to 100” other sites planned, he hopes AMC will command “approximately a 50 percent” share of the market. “Where else are you going to find a movie market that literally doesn’t exist today that could be $1 billion in size in five years or so?” said Aron. “I think we’re going to sell a lot of tickets.” 4. PLENTY OF INTERNATIONAL CHAINS ARE GETTING INVOLVED Even if AMC achieves it goal of snaring half the $1 billion Saudi cinema market, there’s still plenty left to go around. THR has learned that regional chain Vox, which operates in the UAE, Lebanon, Egypt and Oman, will follow hot on the heels of the U.S. giant, opening its first outpost at the end of April. Although Vox wouldn’t confirm, its holding company Majid Al Futtaim already has more than $3.7 billion invested in retail and leisure projects in the kingdom and has said it will have an “active role” in its cinema revolution. London-based European exhibitor Vue International has also said it plans to build “up to 30” multiplexes, while Gulf group Cinescape has it sights on 27 screens across three locations by the end of 2018. Luxury chain iPic is also prepping its Saudi arrival, tapping into the region's demand for higher-class offerings. 5. HOMEGROWN FILMMAKERS MAY GET AN INDUSTRY TO CALL THEIR OWN While Saudi’s nascent film industry should be a major beneficiary of the country’s cultural reforms, filmmakers are remaining cautious. Mahmoud Sabbagh, whose comedy-drama Barakah Meets Barakah debuted in Berlin in 2016, says announcements regarding incoming cinemas have so far “neglected” local productions, and hopes the country will follow France’s lead in the '90s by introducing “either a quota for local films, or a tax payed by all foreign films” that goes toward homegrown productions. But the recent setting up of the Saudi Film Council, which includes a fund for Saudi filmmakers, is a hugely positive sign, as is the appointment of acclaimed local filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour (Wadjda, Mary Shelley) to the board of directors of the General Culture Authority. Thanks to its abundance of modern multiplexes, the UAE city of Dubai has become a major destination for movie-starved Saudis (one politician has claimed that hundreds of thousands flew over each year specifically to watch films). Such tourism is lilkely to — eventually — dry up as Saudis head to screens closer to home, but there could also be an impact on Dubai’s position as the regional industry hub thanks to its well-established film festival. “If Saudi Arabia launched a film festival or created a fund, it will of course affect Dubai,” says Alaa Karkouti of the Arab Cinema Center. But he points to Dubai’s hugely well-respected team and strong industry focus, plus uncertain issues regarding censorship in Saudi Arabia. “Also, the market in the Arab world can have a space for more festivals,” he says. A version of this story first appeared in the April 11 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. ||||| Saudi Arabia wants to get oil prices near $80 a barrel to pay for the government’s crowded policy agenda and support the valuation of state energy giant Aramco before an initial public offering. In conversations with OPEC delegates and oil market participants, Saudi officials had been careful to avoid pinpointing an exact price target. Yet people who have spoken to them said the inescapable conclusion from the conversations was that Riyadh is aiming for $80. The private discussions, relayed by several people who met the Saudis over the last month and asked not to be named to protect their relationship with the kingdom, chimes with the hawkish tone in public from Saudi officials. Oil extended gains. London’s benchmark Brent crude futures rose as much as 2.3 percent to $70.21 a barrel. In an interview with Time magazine last week, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made the first public statement linking his expectation of higher oil prices with the timing of the initial public offering of Saudi Aramco. "We believe oil prices will get higher in this year and also get higher in 2019, so we are trying to pick the right time," he told the magazine in reference to the IPO. Riyadh, which initially targeted the second half of 2018 for the listing, is now aiming for next year. Saudi Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih has also sounded increasingly hawkish in public, suggesting that OPEC should keep tightening the oil market even through the cartel is close to meeting its goal of cutting crude inventories in industrialized countries back to their five-year average. In an interview in New York last month, he said today’s price near $70 a barrel hadn’t been sufficient to stimulate investment in the industry, which remains significantly below levels seen before 2014’s price crash. "That tells me that the pricing signals that have come out of the recovery haven’t been sufficient," he said, without giving a target for prices. The Saudi Ministry of Energy didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Riyadh’s desire for higher prices is driven by domestic policy imperatives. Although Saudi Arabia’s budget deficit has narrowed sharply as oil has recovered, Prince Mohammed has set out an ambitious and expensive economic and social reform program. He also needs to pay for the kingdom’s increasingly drawn-out military entanglement in Yemen. While there’s little indication the Saudis are prepared to deepen their oil cuts to achieve $80, at the very least the aspiration suggests they’ll keep with the current measures until the price goal is closer. Riyadh is counting on declining Venezuelan oil production, the likely imposition of new U.S. sanctions on Iran, and continued demand growth to absorb U.S. shale production. The Saudi strategy, which isn’t universally shared within OPEC, the same people said, carries risk as it could further boost U.S. production, already at a record of 10 million barrels a day. Current oil prices below $70 a barrel have already propelled drilling in the prolific shale regions of the Permian, Bakken and others. The number of oil rigs in operation in the U.S. last week rose to 808, up nearly 20 percent from a year ago and the highest since 2015. So far, Riyadh has public support from other OPEC countries for continuing the cuts, but privately some nations are increasingly worried that Saudi Arabia is trying to boost oil prices too high, the same people said. For the kingdom, the most important thing is to keep Russia supporting the current OPEC and non-OPEC production cuts. So far, Moscow has backed Riyadh, at least in public, with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak saying that the alliance between the cartel and Russia that coordinated historic oil-output cuts could last " indefinitely." ||||| RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia’s air defence forces intercepted a ballistic missile over Riyadh on Wednesday, state media said, after at least three blasts were heard and three clouds of smoke were seen in the sky above the capital. Yemen’s Houthis has stepped up missile attacks on the kingdom in what it says is retaliation for air raids by a Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-aligned armed movement. One man was killed in Riyadh last month by debris after the military shot down a flurry of missiles, the first casualty of the Yemen war in the Saudi capital. Saudi Arabia and a coalition of mostly Gulf Arab states intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 to try and push back the Houthis after the movement drove the internationally recognized government into Saudi exile. The attack on Wednesday marked the fourth time in five months that missiles have flown over Riyadh, as the Houthis step up efforts to demonstrate they can reach the Saudi capital, and threatens to escalate a regional rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The coalition has launched thousands of air strikes in Yemen which have hit schools, markets and hospitals, killing hundreds of people - though it says it does not target civilians. ||||| DUBAI (Reuters) - Human Rights Watch accused Saudi Arabia on Thursday of violating international humanitarian law in Yemen and stepping up arrests and prosecutions of activists seeking reform or voicing peaceful dissent. In its World Report 2018, which reviews human rights practices in more than 90 countries, the rights group reported it had documented 87 unlawful attacks by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, leading to nearly 1,000 civilian deaths. Yemen's internationally recognized government, backed by the coalition and supported by the United States and Britain, is trying to roll back the Iran-aligned Houthi militia which controls most of northern Yemen. The coalition has repeatedly denied allegations of war crimes and says its attacks are directed against its Houthi foes, not civilians. A spokesperson for the coalition, in a statement responding to the report, said it was "unfair" to blame Saudi Arabia for the humanitarian situation in Yemen, adding that it had established an oversight mechanism which found that the coalition did not target civilians. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has given more than $8 billion in aid to Yemen from 2015 until 2017 and on Wednesday deposited $2 billion in the Central Bank of Yemen of the legitimate government, with the aim of boosting the country’s financial and economic situation while bolstering the Yemeni Riyal to improve the people’s living conditions," the statement said. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has rocketed to the pinnacle of power in Saudi Arabia, pushing a reform agenda called Vision 2030 aimed at weaning the country off oil and introducing social changes. Last week, women were allowed to attend a men's soccer match in stadiums for the first time. This week, women-focused motorshows opened in Jeddah and Riyadh and a decades-long ban on screening films in the conservative kingdom was lifted. Meanwhile, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said, more than a dozen prominent political activists convicted on "vague charges arising from their peaceful activities" were serving lengthy prison sentences. “Mohammad bin Salman's well-funded image as a reformist falls flat in the face of Yemen's humanitarian catastrophe and scores of activists and political dissidents languishing in Saudi prisons on spurious charges," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Baby steps on women's rights reforms don't paper over Saudi Arabia's systemic abuses." (Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Mark Heinrich) ||||| Jointly owned by the Paris-based Safran group and the Europe-wide armaments manufacturer MBDA, Roxel manufactures an assortment of propulsion systems intended for air to air, air to ground and ground to ground launched missile systems, something anti-war groups fear are being purchased by Saudi Arabia. "What prompted this action though was what appears to be an order of a thousand missiles on the SIPRI Arms Transfer Database. So we felt it important to get down there to the Roxel factory and do something to protest what was going on," Nicholas Cooper, a spokesman for the Christian peace group called "Put Down the Sword," told Sputnik. Protesters arrived at the Roxel site at around 10:00 a.m. local time (09:00 GMT) and blocked the primary entrance to the factory. Several other activists attempted to gain access to the factory proper, hoping to talk to senior management and present evidence of alleged war crimes in Yemen, some of which are believed to potentially involve Roxel missiles. Thus, the activists presented the evidence of the weapons deal with Saudi Arabia to the HR manager and went on to speak of the country's war crimes in Yemen, which, according to Cooper, was left without any reaction by the factory's employee. "When I asked him directly as to what he was making and where it was going he basically could not tell us. He said he was not able to talk about that. He also did not give a reaction at all to the war crimes we were talking about," Cooper indicated. Protesters have then engaged in a prayer session to honor those killed since the launch of the Saudi-led coalition's military campaign in Yemen in 2015. "Yemen for me is a very British issue as Britain has sold so many weapons to Saudi Arabia, so I feel a particular responsibility, being British, to do something about that," Cooper acknowledged. "With the Saudi air force targeting civilian targets… I'm convinced there are multiple cases of war crimes going on, and I fear it could escalate into a much more serious war," Cooper warned. London's continuing support for Saudi Arabia has proven contentious for much of the UK population, with polls indicating that just six percent of British citizens approve of continued arms exports. The growing discontent with the UK-Saudi Arabian partnership has already found its manifestation in a series of protests during the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the United Kingdom in early March when hundreds of people descended on Downing Street to protest his talks with Prime Minister Theresa May. During manifestations many anti-war activists waved the Yemeni flags and openly accused both London and Riyadh of instigating a "humanitarian disaster." According to figures compiled by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), over 4.6 billion pounds ($6.4 billion) worth of military equipment has been approved by the UK government for export to Riyadh since the start of the Yemeni campaign three years ago. Whereas the UK government continues to insist that such sales are in compliance with the international law, critics have become increasingly alarmed at increasing civilian deaths, lack of aid supplies and a sweeping cholera epidemic contributing to the humanitarian disaster in Yemen. ||||| The hotly-awaited stock market debut of Saudi energy giant Aramco will be launched in 2018 if market conditions permit, otherwise in 2019, the kingdom's finance minister told AFP on Tuesday. "If the market is ready in 2018, we will go in 2018. If not, we will wait until 2019," Mohammed al-Jadaan told AFP in an interview at a French-Saudi forum in Paris, referring to the planned initial public offering (IPO) of shares in Aramco, tipped to be the world's biggest. "We are not desperate for listing. We will only list when the market is right," he said. Aramco's CEO Amin Nasser said last month that his company was on track for a 2018 listing, but that the choice of date and venue was a decision for the company's owner, the Saudi government. In the interview Tuesday, Jadaan said the government had not yet decided whether to list Aramco on the Saudi exchange alone, on a stock market abroad or seek a dual listing. He also said that Aramco "is ready now" for its IPO. "What is left is are we going to list outside, and if we are going to list outside, where," said Jadaan. Saudi authorities plan to list five percent of Aramco on an as-yet unspecified stock market, but the company has struggled to arrive at a $2 trillion valuation sought by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Investors are reportedly sceptical about the lengthy process of placing Aramco on a foreign stock exchange, with New York, London and Hong Kong among the potential sites. Nasser, however, said there was "a lot of demand for the listing". Saudi Arabia's energy minister has raised concerns that litigation would complicate a listing in New York, although President Donald Trump has publicly lobbied for listing of Aramco in the United States. The Aramco IPO plan is a pillar of the petro-state's "Vision 2030" reform programme, which aims to wean the economy off its reliance on oil revenues. Saudi Arabia, which counted on crude for more than 90 percent of its public revenues, has struggled to bounce back from a 2014 global oil market crash triggered by an output surplus. The kingdom this year introduced a value-added tax for the first time in its history, along with new fees on its sizeable expatriate workforce, and it is opening up the ultraconservative country to tourism. ||||| BEIRUT, April 11 - Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said on Wednesday he had held an "excellent" meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and expected Lebanon to sign economic deals with Saudi Arabia soon. "We will see very soon certain agreements that will be signed with Saudi Arabia vis-a-vis different sectors of the economy, whether it is industry, and tourism and services," Hariri said during a news conference in Beirut without giving further details. "God willing in the coming few weeks this is what we are trying to work towards," he said. Lebanon's relations with Saudi Arabia had plunged into crisis in November, when Hariri abruptly resigned from his post as prime minister during a visit to the kingdom. Lebanese officials said at the time that Saudi Arabia had forced him to step down - which Riyadh denied. Hariri retracted his resignation after returning to Lebanon weeks later, following French intervention. (Writing by Tom Perry Editing by Alison Williams) ||||| Saudi Arabia's air defence forces intercepted a ballistic missile over Riyadh on Wednesday, state media said, after at least three blasts were heard and three clouds of smoke were seen in the sky above the capital. Yemen's Houthis targeted Saudi Arabia's defence ministry and other targets in Riyadh with Burkan-2 ballistic missiles on Wednesday, the group's Al Masirah TV said on Twitter. There were no immediate reports of damage. Saudi state media said air defences had intercepted a missile over the capital. Masirah TV also reported the Houthis had fired missiles at Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Najran and Jazan. The Saudi coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen meanwhile said its air defences had shot down two unmanned Yemeni drones in the south of the country. The first targeted Abha international airport in Asir province, while the second was approaching a "civilian object" in Jizan province. The Houthis have said they targeted areas of southern Saudi Arabia with Qasef-1 drones. According to a 2017 report by Conflict Armament Research, the Qasef-1 is "consistent with descriptions and imagery" of an Iranian drone, the Ababil-T. Qasefs do not carry missiles but have previously be used as "suicide drones" to target Saudi air defences in Yemen, the research group said. But the latest use inside Saudi territory appears to have widened Houthi tactics, and comes only weeks after Houthi forces fired several ballistic missiles at Riyadh, killing one civilian. #المسيرة_عاجل | #القوه_الصاروخية تقصف وزارة الدفاع السعودية وأهدافا أخرى بالرياض بصواريخ بركان2 إتش — المسيرة - عاجل (@MasirahTV) April 11, 2018 Translation: Saudi defence ministry and other targets in Riyadh bombed with Burkan-2 ("volcano") rockets Yemen's Houthis have stepped up missile attacks on the kingdom in what it says is retaliation for air raids by a Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-aligned armed movement. One man was killed in Riyadh last month by debris after the military shot down a flurry of missiles, the first casualty of the Yemen war in the Saudi capital.
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The Royal Saudi Air Defense intercepts a ballistic missile fired from Yemen over the Saudi capital Riyadh that caused panic among residents. Houthis say they fired several Burkan-2 missiles at targets in Saudi Arabia, including Saudi Aramco oil facilities. Separately, Saudi Air Defenses shoot down two Houthi-operated Qasef-1 drones near the border.
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JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military says it has destroyed a Gaza attack tunnel that penetrated Israeli territory. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, says Sunday the new tunnel was connected to a network dug by Hamas militants in the northern Gaza Strip and entered Israel near the Israeli community of Nahal Oz. It’s the fifth such Hamas tunnel Israel has destroyed in as many months. Conricus says the tunnel was adjacent to the site of recent mass protests, which Israel says Hamas is using as a cover for attacks. He says Hamas began building the tunnel following the 2014 war. Israel has placed a high priority on halting the tunnel threat since Hamas infiltrated Israel during the war. ||||| Smaller groups moved closer to the fence, throwing stones, torching tires and burning large Israeli flags, U.S. flags, as well as posters of Israel's prime minister and defence minister. Large plumes of black smoke from burning tires rose into the sky. Israeli forces fired tear gas, rubber-coated steel pellets and live rounds. Military spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said that Palestinians repeatedly tried to damage the border fence, throwing several explosives and fire bombs at it. Footage distributed by the military showed an area of the fence made up of several layers of barbed wire coils. Protesters stuck a Palestinian flag into the fence and affixed a rope, using it to tug at the coils. One man threw a burning tire into the fence, while another was seen walking nearby with the help of a crutch. Gaza has endured a border blockade by Israel and Egypt since Hamas overran the territory in 2007, a year after winning Palestinian parliament elections. The blockade has driven Gaza deeper into poverty, with unemployment approaching 50 per cent and electricity available for less than five hours a day. The marchers are protesting against the blockade, but are also asserting what they say is a "right of return" of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel. Hamas leaders have sent mixed signals about whether they plan an eventual mass breach of the border fence. The protests are to culminate in a large rally on May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel's creation. Palestinians mourn the event as their "nakba," or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were uprooted in the 1948 war over Israel's creation. Several thousand people gathered Friday at one of the tent camps, east of Gaza City. The camp was decked out in Palestinian flags. At the entrance, organizers had laid a large Israeli flag on the ground for protesters to step on. Hamada, the construction worker, was critical of Hamas, saying the group has set back Gaza by decades, but added that "this is the reality and we have to deal with it." Critics argue that Hamas's refusal to disarm is a key reason for the continued blockade. One path toward lifting the blockade would be to have Hamas's political rival, West Bank-based Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, take over the Gaza government, but recent Egypt-led talks on such a deal appear to have run aground. The debate over Israel's open-fire regulations has intensified with a rising number of dead and wounded since the first protests on March 30. In all, 35 Palestinians were killed in the past two weeks, 28 during protests. Seven were killed in other circumstances, including six militants engaged in apparent attempts to carry out attacks or infiltrate Israel. The Israeli military has argued that Gaza militant groups are trying to turn the border area into a combat zone, and said it has a right to defend its sovereign border. Conricus said Friday that the military is trying to minimize Palestinian casualties, but hadn't changed open-fire regulations. Yair Lapid, the leader of Israel's centrist Yesh Atid party, called Hamas a "despicable terror organization" and accused it of exploiting civilians. He said the Israeli military is "operating against it (Hamas) with determination and according to international law." Human rights groups have reiterated that soldiers can only use lethal force if they face an apparent imminent threat to their lives. The Israeli rights group B'Tselem said Friday that open-fire policy must not be dictated by worst-case scenarios, such as a feared mass breach of the border. "An order to open live fire at unarmed protesters is manifestly unlawful," it said. Another Israeli group, Breaking The Silence, published a statement by five former snipers in the Israeli military who said they were "filled with shame and sorrow" over the recent incidents in Gaza. "Instructing snipers to shoot to kill unarmed demonstrators who pose no danger to human life, is another product of the occupation and military rule over millions of Palestinian people, as well as of our country's callous leadership, and derailed moral path," said the statement. The group has been criticized in Israel for publishing often anonymous testimony by current or former Israeli soldiers who have misgivings about their military service and treatment of Palestinians. The five ex-snipers in Friday's statement were identified by name. ||||| Israeli troops shot and wounded 30 Palestinians during a large protest on the Gaza-Israel border on Friday in which demonstrators hurled stones and burning tires near the frontier fence, Palestinian medics said. Some in the Gaza crowd threw firebombs and an explosive device, according to the Israeli military. Thousands of Palestinians arrived at tented camps near the frontier as a protest dubbed “The Great March of Return” - evoking a longtime call for refugees to regain ancestral homes in what is now Israel - moved into its third week. Israeli troops have shot dead 30 Gaza Palestinians and wounded hundreds since the protests began, drawing international criticism of the lethal tactics used against them. An Israeli military spokesman said troops were being confronted by rioters and “responding with riot dispersal means while also firing in accordance with the rules of engagement.” On Friday, groups of youths waved Palestinian flags and burnt hundreds of tires and Israeli flags near the fenced-off border after Friday prayers. At one camp east of Gaza City, youths carried on their shoulders a coffin wrapped in an Israeli flag bearing the words “The End of Israel.” Israel has declared a no-go zone close to the Gaza border fence, and deployed army sharpshooters along it. No Israelis have been killed during the demonstrations, and human rights groups say the Israeli military has used live fire against demonstrators who pose no immediate threat to life. Israel says it is doing what it must to defend its border, and to stop any of the protesters getting across the fence. The planned six-week protest has revived a longstanding demand for the right of return of Palestinian refugees to towns and villages from which their families fled, or were driven out, when the state of Israel was created 70 years ago. The protest began on March 30, and is expected to culminate on May 15. That is the day Palestinians will mark the 70th anniversary of the “Nakba” or “Catastrophe”, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced amid violence culminating in war between newly created Israel and its Arab neighbors in May 1948. Successive Israeli governments have ruled out any right of return, fearing the country would lose its Jewish majority. “Some people believe we are idiots to think the Israelis will allow us in, they may not, but we will not stop trying to return,” said a protester, 37-year-old civil servant Ahmed, as he stood on a hilltop overlooking the Israeli fence. Like most of the 2 million Palestinians packed into the tiny, impoverished Gaza Strip, Ahmed is a descendant of refugees from Jaffa, a coastal town in Israel just south of Tel Aviv. “No peace, no jobs, no unity and no future, so what difference would death make? If we are going to die, then let it not be in vain,” said Ahmed, who refused to give his full name, fearing Israeli reprisals. The Israeli government accuses Hamas, the Islamist movement that has ruled Gaza largely since Israeli soldiers and settlers withdrew in 2005, of having instigated the protests and of using them as cover to launch attacks. “Israel will continue to defend its borders and its citizens. Your country would do the same,” an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman said on Twitter. In recent days the Israeli military has displayed video footage in which the frontier fence is seen being cut and breached, with, Israel says, explosives planted there to target its troops. ||||| GAZA BORDER (Reuters) - A Palestinian was killed and more than 200 others wounded during clashes with Israeli troops as thousands gathered in protest along the Gaza-Israel border on Friday, Gaza officials said. Palestinians hurled stones and burning tyres near the frontier fence, where Israeli army sharpshooters are deployed. Some in the crowd threw firebombs and an explosive device and tried cross into Israel, according to the Israeli military. Palestinian medical officials said Israeli troops opened fire on the demonstrators, killing one and wounding 220. An Israeli military spokesman said troops were being confronted by rioters and responded "with riot dispersal means while also firing in accordance with the rules of engagement". Palestinians had arrived en masse at tented camps near the frontier as a protest dubbed “The Great March of Return” - evoking a longtime call for refugees to regain ancestral homes in what is now Israel - moved into its third week. Israeli troops have shot dead 31 Gaza Palestinians and wounded hundreds since the protests began, drawing international criticism of the lethal tactics used against them. On Friday, groups of youths waved Palestinian flags and burnt hundreds of tyres and Israeli flags near the fenced-off border after Friday prayers. At one camp east of Gaza City, youths carried on their shoulders a coffin wrapped in an Israeli flag bearing the words "The End of Israel". Israel has declared a no-go zone close to the Gaza border fence. No Israelis have been killed during the demonstrations, and human rights groups say the Israeli military has used live fire against demonstrators who pose no immediate threat to life. Israel says it is doing what it must to defend its border, and to stop any of the protesters getting across the fence. The planned six-week protest has revived a longstanding demand for the right of return of Palestinian refugees to towns and villages from which their families fled, or were driven out, when the state of Israel was created 70 years ago. The protest began on March 30, and is expected to culminate on May 15. "CATASTROPHE" OF 1948 That is the day Palestinians will mark the 70th anniversary of the “Nakba” or “Catastrophe”, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced amid violence culminating in war between newly created Israel and its Arab neighbors in May 1948. Successive Israeli governments have ruled out any right of return, fearing the country would lose its Jewish majority. "Some people believe we are idiots to think the Israelis will allow us in, they may not, but we will not stop trying to return," said a protester, 37-year-old civil servant Ahmed, as he stood on a hilltop overlooking the Israeli fence. Like most of the 2 million Palestinians packed into the tiny, impoverished Gaza Strip, Ahmed is a descendant of refugees from Jaffa, a coastal town in Israel just south of Tel Aviv. "No peace, no jobs, no unity and no future, so what difference would death make? If we are going to die, then let it not be in vain," said Ahmed, who refused to give his full name, fearing Israeli reprisals. The Israeli government accuses Hamas, the Islamist movement that has ruled Gaza largely since Israeli soldiers and settlers withdrew in 2005, of having instigated the protests and of using them as cover to launch attacks. "Israel will continue to defend its borders and its citizens. Your country would do the same," an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman said on Twitter. The Israeli military has displayed video footage in which the frontier fence is seen being cut and breached during the recent clashes, with, Israel says, explosives planted there to target its troops. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Mark Heinrich) ||||| Palestinian terror organization Islamic Jihad said Saturday that four of its members were killed in an accidental explosion near the Gaza Strip border with Israel. The group said in a statement that the four died during “preparations,” without giving further details. Army Radio reported that the terrorists were killed while carrying explosives in an all-terrain vehicle, suggesting the blast may have been a “work accident.” AFP said they were riding a tuk tuk vehicle which exploded a few hundred meters from the border with Israel. The four fatalities were named as Hisham Abdel Al, Elias Al Katrous, Ae’d Al Hamaydeh, and Mohammad Al Krinawi, according to Palestinian sources. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up Islamic Jihad is an ally of terrorist group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip. The group, which is supported by Iran, has fought alongside Hamas against Israel in multiple wars, most recently in 2014. The Hamas-controlled Health Ministry initially claimed the blast east of Rafah in southern Gaza was caused by an Israeli strike. The IDF denied any involvement in the incident and said none of its forces had opened fire in the area. The incident came amid tensions along the security fence in recent weeks, with the Palestinians holding mass marches near the border, and in some cases rioting, for the last three consecutive weekends. Israel says the violence is being orchestrated by Hamas, which it accuses of trying to carry out border attacks under the cover of large protests. Israel has noted a gradual decrease in the number of Gazans protesting each week. On Friday, at least 10,000 Gazans took part in large-scale demonstrations, with the Israeli military saying protesters hurled an explosive device and firebombs at Israeli troops deployed at the border, as well as making “several attempts” to damage the fence between Israel and Gaza and cross over into Israeli territory. Protesters torched tires and burned large Israeli flags, as well as posters of Israel’s prime minister and defense minister. Large plumes of black smoke from burning tires rose into the sky. They also burned pictures of US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Last Friday, about 20,000 Palestinians took part in the demonstrations, with the previous week attracting an estimated 30,000. More than 30 Palestinians have been killed in the clashes over the part three weeks, according to Hamas-run health authorities. Hamas has acknowledged that several of those killed were its members, and Israel has identified other fatalities as members of terrorist groups. The protests are part of what Hamas said will be several weeks of “March of Return” demonstrations, which Hamas leaders say ultimately aim to see the removal of the border and the liberation of Palestine. The idea of mass protests was initially floated by Palestinian social media activists in Gaza, but was later co-opted by Hamas, which avowedly seeks Israel’s destruction, with the backing of smaller terror groups. Gaza leaders have planned the so-called Marches of Return to culminate in a million-strong march in mid-May, coinciding with Israel’s 70th Independence Day, the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem, and Nakba Day — when the Palestinians mark what they call the “catastrophe” that befell them with Israel’s creation. The “Return” refers to Palestinians’ demand that tens of thousands of refugees and their millions of descendants be allowed to live in today’s Israel, an influx that would spell the end of Israel as the world’s sole Jewish-majority state. Agencies contributed to this report ||||| Mohammed Daraghmeh And Fares Akram, The Associated Press GAZA, Palestinian Territory -- Thousands of Palestinians flocked Friday to tent camps on Gaza's border with Israel for a third mass protest, amid concerns about more bloodshed after 27 Palestinians were killed and hundreds wounded by Israeli fire during the rallies in the preceding two weeks. Rights groups have branded the Israeli military's open-fire regulations as unlawful, saying they permit soldiers to use potentially lethal force against unarmed protesters. Israel has accused Gaza's Islamic militant Hamas rulers of using the protests as a cover for attacks and says snipers only target the main "instigators." The marches have been organized by Hamas, but large turnouts on two preceding Fridays were also driven by desperation among the territory's 2 million residents. Gaza has endured a border blockade by Israel and Egypt since Hamas overran the territory in 2007, a year after winning Palestinian parliament elections. The blockade has driven Gaza deeper into poverty, with unemployment approaching 50 per cent and electricity available for less than five hours a day. The marchers are protesting against the blockade, but are also asserting what they say is a "right of return" of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel. About 2,000 people gathered Friday at a tent camp east of Gaza City, one of five set up by organizers, and located several hundred meters from the border fence. Several dozen young men moved closer to the fence, some of them throwing stones. The Gaza Health Ministry said three Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire Friday. In the camp, 37-year-old construction worker Omar Hamada said he is protesting to draw world attention to Gaza and get the border reopened. "We want to live like everyone else in the world," he said. "We came here so the world can see us and know that life here is miserable, and that there should be a solution." Hamada was critical of Hamas, saying the group has set back Gaza by decades, but added that "this is the reality and we have to deal with it." Critics argue that Hamas' refusal to disarm is a key reason for the continued blockade. One path toward lifting the blockade would be to have Hamas' political rival, West Bank-based Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, take over the Gaza government, but recent Egypt-led talks on such a deal have run aground. The protest camp was decked out in Palestinian flags. At the entrance, organizers had laid a large Israeli flag on the ground for protesters to step on. The debate over Israel's open-fire regulations has intensified with a rising number of dead and wounded since the first protests March 30. In all, 34 Palestinians were killed in the past two weeks, 27 during protests. Seven were killed in other circumstances, including six militants engaged in apparent attempts to carry out attacks or infiltrate Israel. Gaza's Health Ministry said some 1,300 Palestinians were wounded by live fire in the past two weeks. The Israeli military has argued that Gaza militant groups are trying to turn the border area into a combat zone, and said it has a right to defend its sovereign border. It has said that soldiers fire live bullets as a last resort, in a "precise and measured manner." Human rights groups have said soldiers can only use lethal force if they face an apparent imminent threat to their lives. The Israeli rights group B'Tselem said Friday that open-fire policy must not be dictated by worst case scenarios, such as a feared mass breach of the border. "An order to open live fire at unarmed protesters is manifestly unlawful," it said. Another Israeli group, Breaking The Silence, published a statement by five former snipers in the Israeli military who said they were "filled with shame and sorrow" over the recent incidents in Gaza. "Instructing snipers to shoot to kill unarmed demonstrators who pose no danger to human life, is another product of the occupation and military rule over millions of Palestinian people, as well as of our country's callous leadership, and derailed moral path," said the statement. The group has been criticized in Israel for publishing often anonymous testimony by current or former Israeli soldiers who have misgivings about their military service and treatment of Palestinians. The five ex-snipers in Friday's statement were identified by name. Akram reported from Khuzaa, Gaza Strip. Associated Press writer Karin Laub in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report. ||||| Palestinians carry the body of Islam Herzallah, 28, who was killed after Israeli occupation forces opened fire during Friday demonstrations on the border of the Gaza Strip, at his funeral ceremony in Shujaiyya neighbourhood, Gaza, on Saturday (Anadolu Agency photo) GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories —Thousands protested for a third consecutive Friday along Gaza’s border with Israel amid violence in which Israeli occupation forces have killed 34 Palestinians and wounded hundreds of others. The numbers of protesters were smaller than in previous weeks, though still substantial and with Gaza’s health ministry reporting dozens more Palestinians wounded and one killed by Israeli gunfire. Islam Herzallah, 28, died in a hospital after being shot by Israeli occupation forces east of Gaza City, the ministry said. More than 500 people were wounded, including 122 from gunfire, according to Gaza’s health ministry, with the other injuries including those from tear gas. Two journalists were wounded by gunfire, the Palestinian journalists’ syndicate said, a week after a Gazan journalist was killed by Israeli occupation forces. Israel estimated the number of people protesting at 10,000 and alleged there were attempts to damage and breach the border fence. Israeli claimed occupation forces responded “with riot dispersal means and are firing in accordance with the rules of engagement”. It distributed a photo claiming to show “a terrorist wielding an item suspected of being an explosive device”, but an AFP journalist who witnessed the event said it was a firework that did not explode. Dozens of Israeli flags were burned, as were photos of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, seen by protesters as cooperating with Israel. Israel has dismissed criticism from human rights groups of its use of live fire, saying its rules of engagement are “necessary” and “will not change”. Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Friday that “there are fewer riots on our border”, adding that “our resolve is well-understood on the other side”. In the northern Gaza Strip, Sumaya Abu Awad, 36, attended the protest with her three daughters and son. “I am not afraid of death because there is no life in Gaza already,” she said. The protests, planned to last six weeks, are calling for Palestinian refugees to return to their former homes, from which they were forced to flee amid violence surrounding the creation of Israel. Israelis say that “amounts to calling for the country’s destruction”. The first two Fridays saw tens of thousands gather at five locations along the border with Israel. Smaller numbers have approached the fence, throwing stones and rolling burning tyres towards soldiers who took up positions on the other side. Israel accuses Hamas, the Islamist resistance movement that runs Gaza and with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, of using the protests as “cover to carry out violence”. But Palestinians say protesters are being shot while posing no threat to soldiers, and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the European Union have called for an independent investigation. The dead from last Friday included a journalist, Yasser Murtaja, who witnesses said was wearing a press vest at the time he was shot by Israeli occupation forces. Israel claimed he was a paid member of Hamas, but produced no evidence. The company Murtaja co-founded had been vetted for US government funding, while an international journalists federation said he was harassed and beaten by Hamas police in 2015. Rights groups have strongly criticised Israeli forces while pointing to unverified videos that have spread online of Gazans appearing to be shot, including one seeming to show a Palestinian targeted as he ran away from the fence while holding a tyre. “The Israeli authorities must put an immediate end to the excessive and lethal force being used to suppress Palestinian demonstrations in Gaza,” Amnesty International said Friday. Hamas officials had said in recent days they wanted this week’s protest to see less bloodshed and hoped to keep momentum building for May 14, when the United States is expected to move its Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The embassy move has deeply angered the Palestinians, who see the Israel-annexed eastern sector of Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Organisers have reiterated their call for peaceful protests. The official end date of the protests is May 15, when Palestinians mark the Nakba, or “catastrophe”, commemorating the more than 700,000 who fled or were expelled during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation. Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade for more than 10 years, while its border with Egypt has also been largely closed in recent years. ||||| An explosion in the southern Gaza Strip killed four Palestinians on Saturday, the local health ministry said. Medics at the scene in the Rafah area said it was caused by an Israeli tank shell. But an Israeli military spokesman said the army was not involved. “We have no knowledge of any Israeli strike in the area,” he said. Local residents at the hospital morgue identified the four dead men as members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group. Islamic Jihad did not immediately confirm the men were members. Violence has flared in the Gaza Strip since March 30, when Palestinians began protests along the border area with Israel. Israeli troops have shot dead 31 Gaza Palestinians and wounded hundreds since the protests began, drawing international criticism of their lethal tactics. Protesters have set up tented camps near the frontier as a protest dubbed “The Great March of Return” – evoking a longtime call for refugees to regain ancestral homes in what is now Israel – moved into its third week. Israel has declared a no-go zone close to the Gaza border fence. Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005. The Palestinian enclave is ruled by the Islamist Hamas movement, designated by Israel and the West as a terrorist group. Citing security concerns, Israel maintains a naval blockade of the coastal territory, keeping tight restrictions on the movement of Palestinians and goods across the frontier. Egypt, battling an Islamist insurgency in neighbouring Sinai, keeps its border with Gaza largely closed. ||||| GAZA: The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group said four of its members were killed in an apparent accidental blast in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, reported Reuters. The group said in a statement that it was “mourning its fighters who were martyred during preparations”. It usually employs those terms to refer to casualties caused by the accidental detonation of weapons or explosives used in attacks against Israel. The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed four fatalities in the incident. Medics at the scene in the Rafah area said the explosion was caused by Israel. But an Israeli military spokesman said the army was not involved. “Contrary to reports currently circulating I can tell you that the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) is not aware of any IDF fire in the area surrounding Rafah,” the spokesman said. Violence has flared in the Gaza Strip since March 30, when Palestinians began protests along the border area with Israel. Israeli troops have shot dead 31 Gaza Palestinians and wounded hundreds since the protests began, drawing international criticism of their lethal tactics. Protesters have set up tented camps near the frontier as a protest dubbed “The Great March of Return” – evoking a longtime call for refugees to regain ancestral homes in what is now Israel – moved into its third week. Israel has declared a no-go zone close to the Gaza border fence. Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005. The Palestinian enclave is ruled by the Islamist Hamas movement, designated by Israel and the West as a terrorist group. Citing security concerns, Israel maintains a naval blockade of the coastal territory, keeping tight restrictions on the movement of Palestinians and goods across the frontier. Egypt, battling an Islamist insurgency in neighboring Sinai, keeps its border with Gaza largely closed. ||||| Clashes erupted as thousands gathered for a third consecutive Friday of mass protests along Gaza’s border with Israel after violence in which Israeli forces have killed 33 Palestinians and wounded hundreds of others. Limited clashes between stone-throwing Palestinians and Israeli soldiers took place in at least two areas along the border, AFP reporters said, with larger protests expected after Friday Muslim prayers. At least eight Palestinians were wounded, the health ministry in Gaza said, with one shot in the head. Most were injured east of Gaza City, but two were hurt in clashes near Al-Bureij in central Gaza. Many protesters left for midday prayers but larger numbers are expected to gather in five spots along the border on Friday afternoon. In northern Gaza, a large Israeli flag was burned that had earlier been set on the ground for protesters to walk over. The protests since March 30 have posed a challenge to Israel, which has dismissed criticism of its use of live fire, saying its rules of engagement are necessary and will not change. Organisers were calling on Friday’s demonstrators to burn Israeli flags and raise Palestinian ones. In the northern Gaza Strip, Sumaya Abu Awad, 36, attended the protest with her three daughters and son. “I am from the village of Hiribya and it is my right to return to it,” she said, referring to a village north of Gaza destroyed in the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation. “I am not afraid of death because there is no life in Gaza already.” Last week, protesters burned mounds of tyres, sending plumes of smoke into the air in the border area. Israeli soldiers used large fans in a bid to push the smoke away. The protests, planned to last six weeks, are calling for Palestinian refugees to return to their former homes that are now inside Israel — which Israelis say essentially amounts to calling for the country’s destruction. The first two Fridays — with far less on intervening days — saw tens of thousands gather near the border with Israel at five locations. Smaller numbers approached the fence, throwing stones and rolling burning tyres toward soldiers taking up positions on the other side. Israel accuses Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs Gaza and with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, of using the protests as cover to carry out violence. It has pledged to stop attacks, damage to the fence and infiltration bids, and says there have been attempts at all three. But Palestinians say protesters are being shot while posing no threat to soldiers, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the European Union have called for an independent investigation. The dead from last Friday included a journalist, Yasser Murtaja, who witnesses said was wearing a press vest at the time he was shot. Israel claimed he was a paid member of Hamas, but produced no evidence. The company Murtaja co-founded had been vetted for US government funding, while an international journalists federation said he was harassed and beaten by Hamas police in 2015. Rights groups have strongly criticised Israeli forces while pointing to unverified videos that have spread online of Gazans appearing to be shot, including one seeming to show a Palestinian targeted as he ran away from the fence while holding a tyre. Hamas officials have said in recent days they want this week’s protest to see less bloodshed and hope to keep momentum building for May 14, when the United States is expected to move its Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The embassy move has deeply angered the Palestinians, who see the Israel-annexed eastern sector of Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Organisers also again said they want the protest to be peaceful this week, but it is unclear to what extent they or even Hamas remain in control. The official end date of the protests is May 15, when Palestinians mark the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” commemorating the more than 700,000 who fled or were expelled during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation. Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade for more than 10 years, while its border with Egypt has also been largely closed in recent years. In a rare move, Egypt opened its crossing with Gaza on Thursday and it will remain open until Saturday. Israeli media reports have said Egypt, one of only two Arab countries to have signed a peace treaty with the Jewish state, had been negotiating with Hamas to seek to calm the crisis, but there has been no confirmation.
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An explosion near the Israel–Gaza border fence kills at least four Palestinians. Hamas says terrorists from Islamic Jihad were killed. Locals claim the explosion was from the Israeli Defence Forces shelling Hamas. Israel denies any involvement.
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• Sean Hannity was revealed to be the mysterious third client of Donald Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen.
• It’s not the first time Hannity and Trump have been linked.
• Hannity has delivered unwavering support for Trump for years, while Trump has helped Hannity soar to the best ratings in cable news. Fox News opinion host Sean Hannity was revealed on Monday to be one of the clients of Michael Cohen, the attorney for President Donald Trump, several news outlets reported. Monday’s revelation wasn’t the first time Trump and Hannity have been linked. The pair have been close for years, well before Trump announced his candidacy for the presidency. In fact, Trump and Hannity have benefited from each others’ platforms immensely – Hannity lent unwavering support to Trump when other news outlets were critical of him, while Trump’s frequent appearances on Hannity’s show boosted Hannity to some of the highest ratings in cable news. Look inside the relationship of Trump and Hannity to see how what they first bonded over and how close they remain today: Before he was president, Trump was a frequent guest on Fox News. His friendship with Hannity seems to have formed around 2011, when Hannity gave Trump airtime to promote a conspiracy theory that President Barack Obama wasn’t born in the United States. A year later, in 2012, Hannity revealed on his show that he advised Trump not to run in that year’s presidential election as an independent candidate. Throughout Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, the candidate found a safe haven in Hannity’s show, where he was shielded from the critical press coverage he received on other networks. Hannity has defended a number of Trump’s most controversial incidents, his boasts about being sexually aggressive with women, and his racially-charged attacks against a Mexican-American federal judge and NFL players who kneeled during the national anthem. Their relationship has become so close that Hannity is a de facto Trump adviser. In October, the Los Angeles Times reported that Trump often calls Hannity after the host’s nightly show. In February, reports emerged that Hannity had advised Trump to release a controversial memo by Rep. Devin Nunes that fueled conspiracy theories about the FBI’s Russia investigation, even though the FBI advised against releasing it and neither Trump nor Hannity had read the memo. Hannity’s unwavering support of Trump earned him higher viewership than any other cable news show for months, although he was recently surpassed by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. Observers consider Hannity’s relationship to a sitting president highly unorthodox. ‘He’s talking for four hours a day. He’s got social media. He’s empowered by his new status at Fox, this massive institution of Republican power,’ media history expert Nicole Hemmer told The New York Times. Hannity has made the most of his status in the Trump orbit, including appearances at Trump-owned golf courses with local Republican politicians. Meanwhile, Trump frequently tweets about upcoming appearances on Hannity’s evening show. Hannity told The New York Times his support for Trump makes him ‘more honest’ than mainstream reporters who hide their biases. And their close relationship is mutually beneficial. ‘Hannity’s a numbers guy, Trump’s a numbers guy. He thinks there’s nothing worse than bad numbers, and he knows Hannity’s got his finger on the pulse,’ a friend of Hannity’s told The Times. ||||| The New York Times used a full page to print an editorial on Sunday to call on Republicans to stand up to President Donald Trump. In an editorial titled "The President Is Not Above The Law," the newspaper's editorial board said that it is up to the Republican-controlled Congress to affirm the rule of law. The Times editorial comes at a time when there are growing concerns that Trump could look to undermine or completely shut down special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election and Trump's alleged ties to Russia. Trump has recently ramped up his public and private attacks on Mueller's probe. Many Republicans and Democrats have urged the president not to fire Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing the special counsel's investigation on behalf of the Justice Department. Lawmakers have told Trump to allow the investigation to run its course and not to impede, as it could lead to a constitutional crisis and a potential impeachment. Some lawmakers have proposed legislation to protect Mueller and the investigation from being disbanded, but GOP leadership does not seem to believe that is a necessary step. "Make no mistake: If Mr. Trump takes such drastic action, he will be striking at the foundation of the American government, attempting to set a precedent that a president, alone among American citizens, is above the law", The Times editorial board said. The editorial board noted Trump's history of sharp criticism of individuals followed by lack of action on firing them. However, The Times reported that Trump has wanted to fire Mueller twice before being dissuaded by his legal team and advisers to take such an action. While the American public is overwhelmingly supportive of Mueller keeping his job and could be upset if action is taken against the special counsel's investigation, the editorial board fears that the public could see this as just another food fight in Washington, DC and let it go. The Times applauded the warnings that some Republicans are sending to Trump if he interferes with the investigation, but went to say that there needs to be more action so that Trump does not set a new precedent. "But should Mr. Trump move to hobble or kill the investigation, he would darken rather than dispel the cloud of suspicion around him," the editorial board said. "Far worse, he would free future presidents to politicize American justice. That would be a danger to every American, of whatever political leaning." The editorial concluded by saying that Trump is a citizen, not a king, and that it is up to the GOP to protect the rule of law. "The president is not a king but a citizen, deserving of the presumption of innocence and other protections, yet also vulnerable to lawful scrutiny," the editorial board wrote. "We hope Mr. Trump recognizes this. If he doesn't, how Republican lawmakers respond will shape the future not only of this presidency and of one of the country's great political parties, but of the American experiment itself." ||||| This article is more than 1 year old This article is more than 1 year old The most famous names of American journalism were honoured on Monday with Pulitzer prizes for investigating Donald Trump and exposing endemic sexual harassment in Hollywood. And in a dramatic cultural breakthough, 30-year-old rapper Kendrick Lamar won a Pulitzer for music in a category long reserved for classical works. Kendrick Lamar: Damn review – more mellow but just as angry Read more The New York Times and New Yorker were jointly awarded the Pulitzer prize for public service on Monday for investigating accusations of sexual harassment and assault made against one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, Harvey Weinstein. Reports on the allegations, which Weinstein has denied, led to a cascade of accusations and admissions of sexual misconduct in Hollywood, Silicon Valley, politics and beyond as the #MeToo movement made 2017 a year of reckoning for powerful men. The Times also shared the national reporting Pulitzer with rival the Washington Post, in recognition of each newspaper’s dedicated coverage of Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election. But in a year when the media has been galvanised by digging into Trump’s chaotic presidency, Lamar’s award for his album Damn also stood out as the rapper from Compton, California became the first rap artist to win a Pulitzer in music. It is the first piece of popular music to receive the music award since it was introduced in 1943. The music award was the last to be announced at the Pulitzer prize ceremony on Monday afternoon at Columbia University in New York City. Pulitzer administrator Dana Canedy, the first woman and person of color to announce the award, smiled while reading Lamar’s name. Before announcing the journalism winners, Canedy explained why these works were selected: “Their work is real news of the highest order, executed nobly as journalism was always intended, without fear or favor.” Her reference to “real news” was a subtle rebuke to Donald Trump’s constant badgering of journalists, which has helped make the phrase “fake news” part of the cultural lexicon. The two national newspapers to take home the most awards, the New York Times and the Washington Post, have been subjected to repeated attacks by the president. Trump has called for the Post to be registered as a lobbying group and frequently complains about reporting done by the “failing” New York Times. The New York Times, however, won the most Pulitzer prizes with three awards. Its final award was in the editorial cartooning for a series profiling a real-life family of refugees in the US. The Times’ rival, the Washington Post, secured two awards. The second was the investigative reporting prize, handed down for the newspaper’s examination of the Republican nominee for the Alabama’s special Senate election, Roy Moore. He lost the race after six women said Moore pursued them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s. He denied dating anyone underage and that he had sexually assaulted anyone. Marty Baron, executive editor at the Washington Post, said in a statement: “In the end, the work of these Post journalists stands as a case study in why we need a free and independent press in this country.” The allegations made against Moore also helped drive the commentary award, which was given to John Archibald, an Alabama Media Group writer and longtime Birmingham News columnist, for his writing on state politics. He was one of several regional journalists and newspapers to be awarded a Pulitzer. The Press Democrat, in Santa Rosa, California, earned the breaking news award for its coverage of the wildfires that devastated the state last year. The Arizona Republic, with the USA Today Network, was awarded the explanatory journalism award for a series on the border wall between the US and Mexico. And the Cincinnati Enquirer took home the local reporting award for a package on how the region has been affected by the opioid addiction crisis. Andie Dominick, of the Des Moines Register, received the editorial writing prize for “examining in a clear, indignant voice, free of cliché or sentimentality” the consequences of Iowa healthcare laws. Photographer Ryan Kelly, of the Daily Progress in Charlottesville, Virginia, won the breaking news photography award for capturing the moment a car struck demonstrators during a clash between white supremacists and their opponents. Persistent racism in the US also marked the feature writing award, which went to Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah, for her reporting on Dylann Roof, who killed nine black people at a church in South Carolina, for GQ magazine in the piece A Most American Terrorist. The international reporting prize went to Reuters for its coverage of the Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, which has seen thousands killed. The wire reporting service also won the feature photography award for following the plight of Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar. And the New York magazine art critic Jerry Saltz won the criticism prize. Along with Lamar’s Damn, the other winners outside of the journalism categories were Andrew Sean Greer’s Less, for fiction; Cost of Living, for drama; The Gulf: The Making of An American Sea for US history and Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder, for biography. Poet Frank Bidart won the award for his collection Half-Light and the nonfiction award went to James Forman Jr for Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America. ||||| The New York Times and The New Yorker jump-started the #MeToo movement with back to back stories about Harvey Weinstein's systemic abuse. Now those stories are widely expected to be recognized with one of America's most prestigious prizes. The Pulitzers, administered by Columbia University, are annual awards for newspaper, magazine and digital news coverage. In newsrooms like The Times and The Washington Post, the Pulitzers are considered the pinnacle of achievement. The 2018 winners will be announced on Monday afternoon at Columbia University. The 3 p.m. ET announcement will be live-streamed. "Every few years a dominant story — brilliantly handled — emerges as front-runner for the year's top journalism Pulitzer Prize," longtime Pulitzer handicapper Roy J. Harris Jr. wrote for Poynter last week. "Amid the mind-boggling series of exclusives coming from Washington, and often focused on President Donald Trump's White House, perhaps 2017's most impactful work was reporting that created a groundswell out of the phenomenon so widely described now by #MeToo and #TimesUp," Harris wrote. That's why there has been speculation that the Times and New Yorker investigations could share the Pulitzer for the public service category. Scoops about the Trump administration and other subjects are also likely to be recognized. The awards recognize "the importance of a strong vibrant independent press," new Pulitzers administrator Dana Canedy said at a recent reception. In an allusion to President Trump's frequent "fake news" attacks against the media, she said the Pulitzers recognize "real news of the highest order." Each year, judges narrow down the nominees in 14 journalism categories and 7 arts categories. Then the Pulitzer board meets in secret to determine the winners. Last year, The New York Daily News and ProPublica were the twin recipients of the public service prize for their joint investigation into NYPD abuse of eviction rules. The Washington Post's David Fahrenthold won the national reporting prize for investigating Trump's track record of charitable giving. Other winners included the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, McClatchy and the Miami Herald, in the explanatory reporting category, for coverage of the Panama Papers; the East Bay Times for breaking news; and the Charleston Gazette-Mail for investigative reporting. ||||| NEW YORK — The Latest on the Pulitzer Prizes (all times local): Andrew Sean Greer's "Less" has won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Greer's novel tells the comic story of a middle-aged novelist. The awards were given out Monday at an announcement at New York's Columbia University. The drama prize went to Martyna Majok for "Cost of Living," Carolyn Fraser's work on author Laura Ingalls Wilder, "Prairie Fires," won for biography. James Forman Jr's "Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America" won for general nonfiction, and Jack E. Davis' The Gulf" for history. Rapper Kendrick Lamar's "DAMN." has won the Pulitzer Prize for music. It's the first non-classical or jazz work to win the award. The Pulitzer board on Monday called the album a work that captures the complexity of African-American life. Lamar has been praised and lauded for his deep lyrical content, remarkable live performances, and his profound mix of hip-hop, spoken word, jazz, soul, funk, poetry and African sounds. His major-label albums "good kid, m.A.A.d city," ''To Pimp a Butterfly" and "DAMN." became works of art, with Lamar writing songs about blackness, street life, police brutality, perseverance, survival and self-worth. His piercing raps helped him become the voice of the generation, and easily ascend as the leader in hip-hop and cross over to audiences outside of rap, from rock to pop to jazz. The New York Times and The Washington Post have won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting for illuminating the ongoing investigation into possible contacts between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russian officials. American journalism's most prestigious awards were announced Monday at Columbia University. A string of stories in the two newspapers shined light on connections between Russian officials and Trump's 2016 campaign. The ties fueled Special Counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing probe into alleged Russian attempts to influence the presidential election. The New York Times and the New Yorker won the public service prize for sexual misconduct reporting that galvanized the #MeToo movement. The Press Democrat of Santa Rosa, California, won the breaking news award for coverage of the wildfires that swept through California's wine country last fall. The New York Times and The New Yorker have won the Pulitzer Prize for public service for their reporting on Harvey Weinstein and sexual misconduct that galvanized the #MeToo movement. American journalism's most prestigious awards are being announced Monday at Columbia University. In stories that appeared within days of each other in October, The Times and The New Yorker reported that Weinstein had faced allegations of sexual harassment and assault from multiple women in Hollywood going back decades. The movie producer's attorneys have said he denies any non-consensual sexual contact with anyone. The stories' impact soon spread beyond Weinstein to allegations against other prominent men. And the #MeToo hashtag quickly became rallying cry for people to speak out about their own experiences of sexual harassment and assault. The winners of the Pulitzer Prizes in journalism and the arts are set to be announced in New York City. The winners are being revealed Monday afternoon at Columbia University. The Pulitzer Prizes recognize the best journalism of 2017 in newspapers, magazines and websites. There are 14 categories for reporting, photography, criticism and commentary. In the arts, prizes are awarded in seven categories, including fiction, drama and music. The first journalism prizes were awarded in 1917, including one to the New York Tribune for an editorial on the first anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania. That year, two daughters of abolitionist Julia Ward Howe won for a biography of their mother — at a time when women couldn't vote and the literary world was dominated by men. ||||| The New York Times and The New Yorker were awarded one of America’s most prestigious prizes on Monday for reporting that put the #MeToo movement in the national spotlight. The two publications received the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for their reporting on Harvey Weinstein’s systemic abuse of women in the entertainment industry. The Pulitzers, administered by Columbia University, are annual awards for newspaper, magazine and digital news coverage. In newsrooms like The Times and The Washington Post, the Pulitzers are considered the pinnacle of achievement. Among the other winners:
• The Press Democrat of Sonoma County, California, received the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Reporting for the paper’s coverage of wildfires in the state last fall.
• The Washington Post received the Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting for its reporting about U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore.
• The Arizona Republic and the USA Today Network received the Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting for its examination of President Trump’s proposed border wall.
• The Cincinnati Enquirer received the Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting for its coverage of the heroin epidemic.
• The New York Times and the Washington Post shared the Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting for its coverage of Trump and Russia.
• Reuters received the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting for its coverage of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his reported connections to police assassination squads.
• GQ received the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing for a profile of Dylann Roof, who shot and killed nine people at a South Carolina church in 2015.
• The Alabama Media Group received the Pulitzer Prize in Commentary for columns about Civil War monuments in the state.
• New York Magazine received the Pulitzer Prize in Criticism for work by art critic Jerry Saltz.
• The Des Moines Register received the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for work related to health care in the state.
• The New York Times received the Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Cartooning.
• The Daily Progress received the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Photography for coverage of protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.
• Reuters received the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography for coverage of the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. Prizes were also awarded for fiction, nonfiction, drama, history, biography, poetry and music. Kendrick Lamar made history for being the first rapper to take home the music prize for his fourth studio album, “Damn.” “Every few years a dominant story — brilliantly handled — emerges as front-runner for the year’s top journalism Pulitzer Prize,” longtime Pulitzer handicapper Roy J. Harris Jr. wrote for Poynter last week. “Amid the mind-boggling series of exclusives coming from Washington, and often focused on President Donald Trump’s White House, perhaps 2017’s most impactful work was reporting that created a groundswell out of the phenomenon so widely described now by #MeToo and #TimesUp,” Harris wrote. The awards recognize “the importance of a strong vibrant independent press,” new Pulitzers administrator Dana Canedy said at a recent reception. In an allusion to Trump’s frequent “fake news” attacks against the media, she said the Pulitzers recognize “real news of the highest order.” Each year, judges narrow down the nominees in 14 journalism categories and 7 arts categories. Then the Pulitzer board meets in secret to determine the winners. Last year, The New York Daily News and ProPublica were the twin recipients of the public service prize for their joint investigation into NYPD abuse of eviction rules. The Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold won the national reporting prize for investigating Trump’s track record of charitable giving. Other winners included the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, McClatchy and the Miami Herald, in the explanatory reporting category, for coverage of the Panama Papers; the East Bay Times for breaking news; and the Charleston Gazette-Mail for investigative reporting. ||||| NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times and The New Yorker won the Pulitzer Prize for public service Monday for breaking the Harvey Weinstein scandal with reporting that galvanized the #MeToo movement and set off a worldwide reckoning over sexual misconduct in the workplace. The Times and The Washington Post took the award in the national reporting category for their coverage of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and contacts between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russian officials. The Press Democrat of Santa Rosa, California, received the breaking news reporting award for coverage of the wildfires that swept through California wine country last fall, killing 44 people and destroying thousands of homes. The Washington Post also won the investigative reporting prize for revealing decades-old allegations of sexual misconduct against Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama. The Republican former judge denied the accusations, but they figured heavily in Doug Jones' victory as the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state in decades. One of the biggest surprises of the day came in the non-journalism categories when rap star Kendrick Lamar was awarded the Pulitzer for music, becoming the first non-classical or non-jazz artist to win the prize. The Pulitzers, American journalism's most prestigious awards, reflected a year of unrelenting news and unprecedented challenges for U.S. media, as Trump repeatedly branded reporting "fake news" and called journalists "the enemy of the people." The New York Times won three Pulitzers and The Washington Post and Reuters received two apiece. In announcing the journalism prizes, Pulitzer administrator Dana Canedy said the winners "uphold the highest purpose of a free and independent press, even in the most trying of times." "Their work is real news of the highest order, executed nobly, as journalism was always intended, without fear or favor," she said. A string of stories in The Times and The Washington Post shined a light on Russian interference in the presidential election and its possible connections to the Trump campaign and transition — ties now under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller. The president has called the investigation a "witch hunt." The Pulitzer judges commended the two newspapers for "deeply sourced, relentlessly reported coverage in the public interest." In stories that appeared within days of each other in October, The Times and The New Yorker reported that movie mogul Weinstein faced allegations of sexual harassment and assault from a multitude of women in Hollywood and had secretly paid settlements to keep the claims from becoming public. The Pulitzer judges said The Times' reporters, led by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, and The New Yorker's Ronan Farrow produced "explosive, impactful journalism that exposed powerful and wealthy sexual predators" and forced the issue of sexual abuse into the open. "By revealing secret settlements, persuading victims to speak and bringing powerful men to account, we spurred a worldwide reckoning about sexual abuse that only seems to be growing," New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet said in remarks to the newsroom. "People have been saying for decades that this kind of behavior is endemic in society," New Yorker editor David Remnick said, adding that he hoped the stories would "help not only bring it to light but change the culture." Weinstein was ousted from the studio he co-founded and now faces criminal investigations in New York and Los Angeles. He has apologized for "the way I've behaved with colleagues in the past" but denied any non-consensual sexual contact. The stories' impact spread beyond Weinstein to allegations against other powerful men in entertainment, politics and other fields, toppling such figures as "Today" show host Matt Lauer, actor Kevin Spacey, newsman Charlie Rose and Sen. Al Franken. Men and women, famous or not, have spoken about their own experiences with sexual harassment and assault in what has become known as the #MeToo movement. "This moment gets called a reckoning, but we just started telling the truth about old abuses of power," Farrow tweeted Monday. Weinstein spokeswoman Holly Baird declined to comment on the Pulitzer except to suggest similar recognition should be given to Tarana Burke, an activist who founded the #MeToo movement on Twitter about a decade ago to raise awareness of sexual violence. In other categories, the Arizona Republic and USA Today Network won the explanatory reporting prize for a multi-format look at the challenges and consequences of building the Mexican border wall that was a centerpiece of Trump's campaign. The project included footage from a helicopter flight along the entire 2,000-mile border. The local reporting award went to The Cincinnati Enquirer for what the judges called "a riveting and insightful" narrative and video about the heroin epidemic in the area. More than four dozen reporters and photographers dove into the drug's toll over one week. Clare Baldwin, Andrew R.C. Marshall and Manuel Mogato of Reuters won the international reporting award for their coverage of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly crackdown on drugs, and the news agency's photographers received the feature photography prize for their images of the plight of Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar. The breaking news photography award went to Ryan Kelly of The Daily Progress of Charlottesville, Virginia, who captured the moment a car plowed into counter-protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in the college town. The car killed counter-demonstrator Heather Heyer. Kelly made the photo on his last day at the newspaper before moving on to a job at a brewery. In a text Monday, Kelly described the prize as an "incredible honor" but added: "Mostly I'm still heartbroken for Heather Heyer's family and everybody else who was affected by that tragic violence." Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah, a freelance writer for GQ magazine, took the feature writing award for a profile of Dylann Roof, the avowed white supremacist convicted of killing nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina. The commentary award went to John Archibald of Alabama Media Group in Birmingham, Alabama, for pieces on politics, women's rights and other topics. Art critic Jerry Saltz of New York magazine won the criticism award . Andie Dominick of The Des Moines Register received the editorial writing prize for pieces about the consequences of privatizing Iowa's administration of Medicaid. Freelance writer Jake Halpern and freelance cartoonist Michael Sloan were awarded the editorial cartooning prize for a graphic narrative in The New York Times about a family of refugees fearing deportation. The Pulitzers were announced at Columbia University, which administers the prizes. This is the 102nd year of the contest, established by newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer. Winners of the public service award receive a gold medal; the other awards carry a prize of $15,000 each. Associated Press writers Justin Lynch and Colleen Long in New York and Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia, contributed to this report. ||||| The winners of the Pulitzer Prizes in journalism and arts were announced on Monday at New York's Columbia University. Several journalists were awarded recognition for their stories highlighting sexual harassment at the workplace, Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 United States presidential election and the Rohingya crisis among other issues. Pulitzer administrator Dana Canedy, the first black woman to present the awards began the announcement by saying that “The journalism categories yet again uphold the highest purpose of a free and independent press, even in the most trying of times” and indicated that, “These courageous, inspiring and committed journalists and their news organisations are undaunted in their mission in support of the Fourth Estate.” "It is a mandate that has been under a seemingly relentless assault of late but that remains central to a healthy democracy," she added. Here is a look at some of the winners and their contribution: The New York Times and The New Yorker The New York Times and The New Yorker were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for public service for stories about disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and other powerful men who have been accused of sexual harassment and abuse. The citation noted that the reporting by the Times' Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey and Ronan Farrow of The New Yorker had spurred "a worldwide reckoning about sexual abuse of women." The prestigious prize was awarded to the Times team led by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey and New Yorker contributor Ronan Farrow, for reports that disgraced the Hollywood mogul and sparked an avalanche of accusations against other powerful men. Since the Times and New Yorker articles last October, more than 100 women have publicly accused the producer of misconduct ranging from sexual harassment to rape, sparking the #MeToo movement that has seen a string of influential men lose their jobs and reputation. Weinstein's marriage has ended, he has been under police investigation in London, Los Angeles and New York, hit by a litany of civil lawsuits and his former production company has been forced to file for bankruptcy. Farrow, 30, is the son of actress Mia Farrow and film director Woody Allen, and something of a prodigy who has previously fronted his own television show, worked in Afghanistan and Pakistan for late US diplomat Richard Holbrooke, and formerly advised then Hillary Clinton on global youth issues when she was secretary of state. The former Rhodes scholar, who graduated from Yale Law School at just 21, has sided with his sister Dylan's claims that Allen molested her when she was seven. Allen has repeatedly denied the allegations. "So so so proud," tweeted Mia Farrow minutes after her son's award was announced. Ronan Farrow paid tribute to his co-winners and The New Yorker. "This moment gets called a reckoning, but we just started telling the truth about old abuses of power. Thanks to all who keep doing so," he wrote on Twitter to his nearly half a million followers. The Washington Post was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in the investigative category for relentless reporting seen as having influenced the outcome of the 2017 Senate race in Alabama, revealing Republican candidate Roy Moore's alleged past sexual harassment of teenage girls. The Republican former judge denied the accusations, but they figured heavily in Doug Jones' victory as the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state in decades. The New York Times and The Washington Post also shared the national reporting prize for furthering understanding of Russian interference in the 2016 election, and the connections between Russian actors and the Trump campaign, his transition team and administration, Canedy said. The Washington Post first carried a story in the summer of 2016 that Russian agents had been involved in the hacking of the Democratic National Committee. The paper gave readers an inside-view into the US government's decision-making response to the alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election in a detailed 7,000-word article, drawing on months of extensive reporting and interviews with nearly three dozen officials. Acknowledging the award, The New York Times detailed some of its work covering the 2016 election scandal saying, "When The Times approached the White House in July 2017 with knowledge of a secret meeting during the 2016 campaign between Russians and top advisers to Donald J. Trump, the administration put out a false statement, saying the meeting was set up to discuss Russian adoptions. But continued digging showed Moscow had offered compromising information on Hillary Clinton, and that the Trump campaign was eagerly interested in the information. The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, learned of the meeting’s true purpose from The Times, prompting him to investigate further." The Pulitzers, the most prestigious awards in American journalism, recognised Reuters in international reporting for exposing the methods of police killing squads in Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, and for feature photography documenting the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar and Bangladesh. “In a year in which many Pulitzers were rightly devoted to US domestic matters, we’re proud at Reuters to shine a light on global issues of profound concern and importance,” Reuters Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler said. It was the first time Reuters has won two prizes in one year. In the Philippines coverage, Reuters reporters Clare Baldwin, Andrew RC Marshall and Manuel Mogato “demonstrated how police in the president’s ‘drug war’ have killed with impunity and consistently been shielded from prosecution,” Adler said. The coverage included a report that revealed how a police anti-drug squad on the outskirts of Manila had recorded an unusually high number of killings. Many members of the squad came from a distant place that was also Duterte’s hometown, where the campaign’s brutal methods originated during his time as mayor there. The Reuters photography staff was honoured for images of the violence endured by the Rohingya, a Muslim minority, as they fled Myanmar for Bangladesh. “The extraordinary photography of the mass exodus of the Rohingya people to Bangladesh demonstrates not only the human cost of conflict but also the essential role photojournalism can play in revealing it,” Adler said. Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been jailed in Myanmar since 12 December, charged under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, while investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in Rakhine state. Ryan M. Kelly won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography for his “chilling image” of a car ploughing into a crowd of protesters in Charlottesville. The image was taken during Kelly's final assignment on his last day as a staff photographer at The Daily Progress. Kelly had been covering a white nationalist rally on 12 August when a car plowed into a crowd of counter-protesters, resulting in the death of one person and injuring 19 others who had been scrambling to escape being hit by the car when they were tossed about in the ensuing chaos. The Arizona Republic and USA Today Network received the award for explanatory reporting for multimedia reporting, including podcasts and virtual reality, that examined US President Donald Trump's proposal to construct a wall along the US-Mexico border. USA Today noted, "The Wall: Unknown Stories, Unintended Consequences project, led by The Arizona Republic and involving more than 30 USA Today Network journalists from California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, won the Pulitzer for explanatory journalism. The project used virtual reality, aerial video, 360-degree video, documentary video, photos, podcasts and interactive maps — as well as more than a dozen stories — to examine and explain President Trump's complicated border wall proposal that spans 2,000 miles." Here is the full list of winners ||||| Journalism’s top prize was awarded Monday to The New York Times and The New Yorker for reporting that sparked the #MeToo movement. Staffs of The New York Times and The Washington Post shared a prize for national reporting for scoops about Russian interference in the U.S. elections. The awards, which honor newspapers, magazines, online journalism, literature and music, were announced by Columbia University’s journalism school. Speculation leading up to the announcement pitted the Times against the New Yorker for the top public service prize for stories that stayed in the headlines for much of the year. They ended up sharing the prize for stories about the #MeToo movement, which revealed sexual harassment in Hollywood and beyond, and put an end to the Tinseltown reign of filmmaker Harvey Weinstein. The public service prize mentioned the work of The New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow, and the Times’ Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. “Most journalists consider the work they do a calling,” said new Pulitzer administrator Dana Canedy. “Their work is real news of the highest order.” Canedy’s appearance at the event marked the first time in the prize’s 102-year history that the awards were announced by a black woman. Each year, judges narrow down the more than 2,400 submissions in 14 journalism and seven arts categories, including music. Then the Pulitzer board meets in secret to determine the winners. Among the big names walking away with a prize was rapper Kendrick Lamar, who was recognized for his album “DAMN.” Last year, the Daily News, along with ProPublica, won in the coveted public service category for “uncovering, primarily through the work of reporter Sarah Ryley, widespread abuse of eviction rules by the police to oust hundreds of people, most of them poor minorities.” The award was established in 1917 after newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer left $250,000 in his will to Columbia to launch a journalism school. In the will, Pulitzer specified “four awards in journalism, four in letters and drama, one in education and four traveling scholarships.” The first Pulitzer Prizes were given out after his death on June 4, 191, and the ceremony is now held every April. John F. Kennedy was the only President to win the award for his book “Profiles in Courage.” The Pulitzer Prize luncheon takes place in May at Low Library on the Columbia University campus Winners in the Public Service category are given a gold medal. Public service Pulitzer awards cannot be given to an individual. But journalists are often named in the citation. ||||| NEW YORK: The New York Times and The New Yorker won the Pulitzer Prize for public service on Monday (Apr 16) for explosive reporting that brought down Harvey Weinstein and spawned a cultural watershed on the issue of sexual harassment. The prestigious prize was awarded to the Times team led by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey and New Yorker contributor Ronan Farrow, for reports that disgraced the Hollywood mogul and sparked an avalanche of accusations against other powerful men. Since the Times and New Yorker articles last October, more than 100 women have publicly accused the producer of misconduct ranging from sexual harassment to rape, sparking the #MeToo movement that has seen a string of influential men lose their jobs and reputation. Weinstein's marriage has ended, he has been under police investigation in London, Los Angeles and New York, hit by a litany of civil lawsuits and his former production company has been forced to file for bankruptcy. Farrow, 30, is the son of actress Mia Farrow and film director Woody Allen, and something of a prodigy who has previously fronted his own television show, worked in Afghanistan and Pakistan for late US diplomat Richard Holbrooke, and formerly advised then Hillary Clinton on global youth issues when she was secretary of state. The former Rhodes scholar, who graduated from Yale Law School at just 21, has sided with his sister Dylan's claims that Allen molested her when she was seven. Allen has repeatedly denied the allegations. "So so so proud," tweeted Mia Farrow minutes after her son's award was announced. Ronan Farrow paid tribute to his co-winners and The New Yorker. "This moment gets called a reckoning, but we just started telling the truth about old abuses of power. Thanks to all who keep doing so," he wrote on Twitter to his nearly half a million followers. The 102th edition of the Pulitzer Prizes were announced at Columbia University in New York by administrator Dana Canedy at a time when the US news media still under assault from the White House for peddling "fake news." Canedy praised the winners but also counselled the media to do more to improve trust with a skeptical public and to work harder to include more varied gender and racial perspectives. 'MOST TRYING OF TIMES' The Washington Post won the Pulitzer in the investigative category for relentless reporting seen as having influenced the outcome of the 2017 Senate race in Alabama, revealing Republican candidate Roy Moore's alleged past sexual harassment of teenage girls. Moore's opponent Doug Jones won the race last December, becoming Alabama's first Democratic senator in 25 years and dealing a humiliating blow to President Donald Trump's Republican administration. The New York Times and The Washington Post shared the national reporting prize for furthering understanding of Russian interference in the 2016 election, and the connections between Russian actors and the Trump campaign, his transition team and administration, Canedy said. "Winners uphold the highest purpose of a free and independent press even in the most trying of times," she announced. "These courageous, inspiring and committed journalists and their news organisations are undaunted in their mission in support of the fourth estate. "It is a mandate that has been under a seemingly relentless assault of late but that remains central to a healthy democracy," she added. Reuters won the 2018 prize in international reporting for coverage of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs. Reuters also won in the feature photography category for its coverage of the Rohingya crisis. The prize for breaking news photography went to Ryan Kelly of The Daily Progress for a chilling image that captured the moment of impact by a car at a racially-charged protest in Charlottesville, Virginia that left one woman dead last August. The Pulitzer for fiction went to Andrew Sean Greer for "Less" about growing older and love. The history prize was awarded to "The Gulf: The Making of An American Sea," and the prize in drama for "Cost of Living" by playwright Martyna Majok.
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The annual Pulitzer Prizes, which celebrate US journalism, are awarded. The New York Times wins the most with three. Pieces on Donald Trump and the #MeToo movement feature prominently.
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ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences One of the most extraordinary aspects of the BRE report into the Grenfell Tower disaster is that it hammers home how a fire in a single fridge-freezer can go on to consume a 24-storey building if adequate fire safety mechanisms have not been put in place to stop it. This is an abridged version of BRE’s suggested narrative of how the inferno started and the route it took as it spread: 1 The fire began on the fourth floor It started in Flat 16 in a fridge-freezer situated within one metre of the kitchen window. This window was in the tilt-open position. Construction of the window breached building regulations and failed to provide “any substantial barrier” to the fire taking hold in the facade outside. 2 The facade ignited Once the flames breached the window, BRE suggests several options as to what happened next: that the flames ignited the “highly combustible” polyethylene core of the aluminium cladding; that they ignited the “combustible” foam insulation; or that they took hold of the “flammable” materials around the window frame. Or several of these things could have happened at once. 3 Flames fanned up, across and down the facade BRE believes the fire spread up the column adjacent to the kitchen of Flat 16, assisted by “combustible components in the construction and lack of appropriate subdivision of this fuel to prevent one component involving the next”. Flames also spread laterally, aided by the same shortcomings. The impact of flames entering the cavity between the concrete and the facade was exacerbated by the lack of adequate cavity barriers. These failed to seal the gap and created what appears to be a calamitous chimney-like effect. Downward fire spread also occurred, “as a result of burning droplets of polyethylene falling and igniting combustible materials below”. 4 Fire entered the other flats As flames fanned out across the facade they encountered windows of other flats. BRE believes the same deficient construction around the window that let the fire escape from Flat 16 now afforded it a route to spread back into the other apartments. 5 Fire burned within the flats Once the blaze was in any one apartment, it would burn from room to room at a speed that depended on whether or not doors inside were closed. Any single flat, once caught up, “would be substantively destroyed, as a flat is normally designed to be a single fire compartment”. 6 Fire and smoke entered the lobbies and stairwell As residents fled, the lack of door closers meant some front doors did not automatically close, allowing flames and smoke to billow out of flats into the central core, including the lobby and stairwell, impinging on the means of escape for residents further up the tower. BRE do not provide a specific timeframe for this suggested sequencing. Waste chute rooms could have been safe havens The report says: “It is worthy of note that every one of the waste chute rooms has survived intact, having been protected by the fire-resisting door”. These rooms were accessed from the lobby on each floor and situated near the stairwell. It raises the poignant possibility that if trapped residents had sought shelter in the waste chute room on their floor, they might have been saved. The report shows photographs from the 13th floor which contrast the fire-damaged lobby and exterior of the waste chute room door with the barely blemished interior of the waste chute room itself. It says: “Bin chute rooms have been largely undamaged. "Whilst the fire has been kept out of these rooms, it is unclear whether the atmosphere within these rooms would have sustained life [during the fire].” Sprinkler system might not have made a difference The fact that the tower had no sprinkler system means that, like many buildings erected in the Seventies, it did not conform to current building regulations which require that blocks of flats over 30 metres tall have sprinklers inside each flat. But what was the impact? BRE says once the fire had taken hold across the facade and ignited more than four flats, a sprinkler system was “very unlikely” to have made “any appreciable difference”. Sprinklers could only have altered the outcome if they had “prevented the fire from leaving Flat 16 and igniting the cladding”. Yet if a sprinkler had been installed in the middle of the kitchen ceiling, they said, “it is possible the chassis of the fridge freezer might have shielded the fire from the sprinkler”. This will be tested by reconstructing the fire in Flat 16 off-site and testing a sprinkler system. How close was the Tower to collapse? BRE says that the fire burned “at a level of severity which would significantly impact upon the fire resistance of the structure for between nine and 12 hours”. The original tower block, built with reinforced concrete in 1972, had floor slabs 10 inches thick and walls 12 inches thick, which tapered to eight inches from above the 13th floor. Standard fire resistance tests show that eight-inch walls provide only six hours of fire resistance. Victims of the Grenfell Tower fire 59 show all Victims of the Grenfell Tower fire 1/59 Final death toll: Just some of the victims who were killed in the Grenfell Tower blaze PA 2/59 Final death toll: Just some of the victims who were killed in the Grenfell Tower blaze 3/59 Five-year-old Isaac Paulos Family Handout 4/59 Logan Gomes, who was stillborn after his family escaped from the 21st floor of the Grenfell Tower AP 5/59 Victoria King, 71, and her 40-year-old daughter Alexandra Atala were among those who died in the blaze PA 6/59 A photograph of Mohamed Amied Neda as his family were forced to hold a second funeral PA 7/59 Mary Mendy 8/59 Maria Del Pilar Burton, who was rescued from the 19th floor of Grenfell Tower, has died seven months on from the blaze 9/59 Alexandra Atala, 40, the last victim to be named and pictured from the Grenfell fire Metropolitan Police 10/59 Gloria Trevisan and Marco Gottardi 11/59 Rania Ibrahim, Fethia Hassan and Hania Hassan PA 12/59 Raymond Bernard 13/59 Bassem Choucair and Nadia Choucair PA 14/59 Sirria Choucair PA 15/59 Mierna Choucair PA 16/59 Fatima Choucair died along with five other relatives PA 17/59 Mariem Elgwahry AP 18/59 Hashim Kedir, wife Nura and children Yahya, 13, left, Firdaws, 11, and Yaqub, six. 19/59 Mehdi El-Wahabi, 8, lived on the 21st floor of Grenfell Tower Met Police 20/59 Ligaya Moore, 79, a Filipino living in the tower Met Police 21/59 Artist Khadija Saye PA 22/59 Victim: 12-year-old Jessica Urbano Ramirez was killed in the fire 23/59 Victim: Farah Hamdan, 31, pictured with her baby daughter 24/59 Mohamednur Tuccu, 44, and his three-year-old daughter Amaya Tuccu-Ahmedin PA 25/59 Berkti Haftom, 29 and Biruk Haftom, 12 Metropolitan Police 26/59 Victim: Sakina Afrasehabi, 65, died in the Grenfell Tower fire PA 27/59 Fatima Afraseiabi 28/59 'Well respected': Grandmother-of-six Sheila Smith was killed in the Grenfell Tower blaze Met Police 29/59 Hamid Kani was found on the 23rd floor PA 30/59 Steve Power 31/59 Mohammed Al-Haj Ali Syrian Solidarity Campaign 32/59 Denis Murphy PA 33/59 Young victim: Jeremiah Deen, two, died in the blaze Met Police 34/59 Zainab Deen 35/59 Anthony Disson 36/59 Ali Yawar Jafari PA 37/59 Nora Huda 38/59 Kedir Hashim: His wife and their three children died 39/59 Hesham Rahman PA 40/59 Gary Maunders PA 41/59 Ernie Vital and his mother Marjorie PA 42/59 Amal Ahmedin and Amaya PA 43/59 Amna Mahmud Idris PA 44/59 Kamru Miah, 79, who died in the Grenfell Tower fire PA 45/59 Rabeya Begum PA 46/59 Mohammed Hamid, 27, died in the fire PA 47/59 Mohammed Hanif PA 48/59 Husna Begum PA 49/59 Fathia Ali Ahmed Elsanosi PA 50/59 Vincent Chiejina PA 51/59 Abdulaziz El-Wahabi PA 52/59 Faouzia El-Wahabi, 41 PA 53/59 Yasin El-Wahabi, 20 PA 54/59 Nur Huda El-Wahabi, 16, PA 55/59 Mehdi El-Wahabi, 8, lived on the 21st floor of Grenfell Tower Met Police 56/59 Khadija Khaloufi PA 57/59 Omar Belkadi, 32, and Farah Hamdan, 31 PA 58/59 Deborah Lamprell 59/59 Mohammed Al-Haj Ali PA 1/59 Final death toll: Just some of the victims who were killed in the Grenfell Tower blaze PA 2/59 Final death toll: Just some of the victims who were killed in the Grenfell Tower blaze 3/59 Five-year-old Isaac Paulos Family Handout 4/59 Logan Gomes, who was stillborn after his family escaped from the 21st floor of the Grenfell Tower AP 5/59 Victoria King, 71, and her 40-year-old daughter Alexandra Atala were among those who died in the blaze PA 6/59 A photograph of Mohamed Amied Neda as his family were forced to hold a second funeral PA 7/59 Mary Mendy 8/59 Maria Del Pilar Burton, who was rescued from the 19th floor of Grenfell Tower, has died seven months on from the blaze 9/59 Alexandra Atala, 40, the last victim to be named and pictured from the Grenfell fire Metropolitan Police 10/59 Gloria Trevisan and Marco Gottardi 11/59 Rania Ibrahim, Fethia Hassan and Hania Hassan PA 12/59 Raymond Bernard 13/59 Bassem Choucair and Nadia Choucair PA 14/59 Sirria Choucair PA 15/59 Mierna Choucair PA 16/59 Fatima Choucair died along with five other relatives PA 17/59 Mariem Elgwahry AP 18/59 Hashim Kedir, wife Nura and children Yahya, 13, left, Firdaws, 11, and Yaqub, six. 19/59 Mehdi El-Wahabi, 8, lived on the 21st floor of Grenfell Tower Met Police 20/59 Ligaya Moore, 79, a Filipino living in the tower Met Police 21/59 Artist Khadija Saye PA 22/59 Victim: 12-year-old Jessica Urbano Ramirez was killed in the fire 23/59 Victim: Farah Hamdan, 31, pictured with her baby daughter 24/59 Mohamednur Tuccu, 44, and his three-year-old daughter Amaya Tuccu-Ahmedin PA 25/59 Berkti Haftom, 29 and Biruk Haftom, 12 Metropolitan Police 26/59 Victim: Sakina Afrasehabi, 65, died in the Grenfell Tower fire PA 27/59 Fatima Afraseiabi 28/59 'Well respected': Grandmother-of-six Sheila Smith was killed in the Grenfell Tower blaze Met Police 29/59 Hamid Kani was found on the 23rd floor PA 30/59 Steve Power 31/59 Mohammed Al-Haj Ali Syrian Solidarity Campaign 32/59 Denis Murphy PA 33/59 Young victim: Jeremiah Deen, two, died in the blaze Met Police 34/59 Zainab Deen 35/59 Anthony Disson 36/59 Ali Yawar Jafari PA 37/59 Nora Huda 38/59 Kedir Hashim: His wife and their three children died 39/59 Hesham Rahman PA 40/59 Gary Maunders PA 41/59 Ernie Vital and his mother Marjorie PA 42/59 Amal Ahmedin and Amaya PA 43/59 Amna Mahmud Idris PA 44/59 Kamru Miah, 79, who died in the Grenfell Tower fire PA 45/59 Rabeya Begum PA 46/59 Mohammed Hamid, 27, died in the fire PA 47/59 Mohammed Hanif PA 48/59 Husna Begum PA 49/59 Fathia Ali Ahmed Elsanosi PA 50/59 Vincent Chiejina PA 51/59 Abdulaziz El-Wahabi PA 52/59 Faouzia El-Wahabi, 41 PA 53/59 Yasin El-Wahabi, 20 PA 54/59 Nur Huda El-Wahabi, 16, PA 55/59 Mehdi El-Wahabi, 8, lived on the 21st floor of Grenfell Tower Met Police 56/59 Khadija Khaloufi PA 57/59 Omar Belkadi, 32, and Farah Hamdan, 31 PA 58/59 Deborah Lamprell 59/59 Mohammed Al-Haj Ali PA However, the thicker lower walls and floors exceeded the girth for which tests have been conducted. This appears to have saved the building from collapse. BRE conducted independent tests to assess “spalling” (break-up and buckling) of the concrete and exposure of the building’s reinforced steelwork to determine how close to collapse it was. It concluded: “The physical evidence confirms parts of the structure very close to their point of failure.” Had the building been built to the lower requirements of current building regulations, “it is likely the tower would have collapsed”. ||||| ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences A report prepared as part of the police investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire has uncovered calamitous deficiencies in the installation of the windows, cavity barriers and cladding system, and their failure to meet building regulations. The 210-page interim document, by fire investigation experts BRE Global, is set to dramatically assist the Metropolitan police in their wide-ranging investigation. It was leaked exclusively to the Standard and recounts in forensic detail how the original concrete building was turned from a safe structure into a tinderbox by the refurbishment between 2014 and 2016. It not only finds the cladding material and insulation was combustible, but also exposes hitherto unknown areas of incompetence relating to the design and installation of the windows and cavity barriers. The latter are critical in closing the gap between the inner and outer skins of the building to prevent a chimney-like effect in the event of a blaze. It reveals how in the early hours of June 14 last year, the fire started in a single fridge-freezer in a single flat on the fourth floor; travelled through an open window within a metre of the fridge; took hold in the cladding; and consumed an entire 24-storey, 70-metre-high building. A total of 71 lives were lost. Victims of the Grenfell Tower fire 59 show all Victims of the Grenfell Tower fire 1/59 Final death toll: Just some of the victims who were killed in the Grenfell Tower blaze PA 2/59 Final death toll: Just some of the victims who were killed in the Grenfell Tower blaze 3/59 Five-year-old Isaac Paulos Family Handout 4/59 Logan Gomes, who was stillborn after his family escaped from the 21st floor of the Grenfell Tower AP 5/59 Victoria King, 71, and her 40-year-old daughter Alexandra Atala were among those who died in the blaze PA 6/59 A photograph of Mohamed Amied Neda as his family were forced to hold a second funeral PA 7/59 Mary Mendy 8/59 Maria Del Pilar Burton, who was rescued from the 19th floor of Grenfell Tower, has died seven months on from the blaze 9/59 Alexandra Atala, 40, the last victim to be named and pictured from the Grenfell fire Metropolitan Police 10/59 Gloria Trevisan and Marco Gottardi 11/59 Rania Ibrahim, Fethia Hassan and Hania Hassan PA 12/59 Raymond Bernard 13/59 Bassem Choucair and Nadia Choucair PA 14/59 Sirria Choucair PA 15/59 Mierna Choucair PA 16/59 Fatima Choucair died along with five other relatives PA 17/59 Mariem Elgwahry AP 18/59 Hashim Kedir, wife Nura and children Yahya, 13, left, Firdaws, 11, and Yaqub, six. 19/59 Mehdi El-Wahabi, 8, lived on the 21st floor of Grenfell Tower Met Police 20/59 Ligaya Moore, 79, a Filipino living in the tower Met Police 21/59 Artist Khadija Saye PA 22/59 Victim: 12-year-old Jessica Urbano Ramirez was killed in the fire 23/59 Victim: Farah Hamdan, 31, pictured with her baby daughter 24/59 Mohamednur Tuccu, 44, and his three-year-old daughter Amaya Tuccu-Ahmedin PA 25/59 Berkti Haftom, 29 and Biruk Haftom, 12 Metropolitan Police 26/59 Victim: Sakina Afrasehabi, 65, died in the Grenfell Tower fire PA 27/59 Fatima Afraseiabi 28/59 'Well respected': Grandmother-of-six Sheila Smith was killed in the Grenfell Tower blaze Met Police 29/59 Hamid Kani was found on the 23rd floor PA 30/59 Steve Power 31/59 Mohammed Al-Haj Ali Syrian Solidarity Campaign 32/59 Denis Murphy PA 33/59 Young victim: Jeremiah Deen, two, died in the blaze Met Police 34/59 Zainab Deen 35/59 Anthony Disson 36/59 Ali Yawar Jafari PA 37/59 Nora Huda 38/59 Kedir Hashim: His wife and their three children died 39/59 Hesham Rahman PA 40/59 Gary Maunders PA 41/59 Ernie Vital and his mother Marjorie PA 42/59 Amal Ahmedin and Amaya PA 43/59 Amna Mahmud Idris PA 44/59 Kamru Miah, 79, who died in the Grenfell Tower fire PA 45/59 Rabeya Begum PA 46/59 Mohammed Hamid, 27, died in the fire PA 47/59 Mohammed Hanif PA 48/59 Husna Begum PA 49/59 Fathia Ali Ahmed Elsanosi PA 50/59 Vincent Chiejina PA 51/59 Abdulaziz El-Wahabi PA 52/59 Faouzia El-Wahabi, 41 PA 53/59 Yasin El-Wahabi, 20 PA 54/59 Nur Huda El-Wahabi, 16, PA 55/59 Mehdi El-Wahabi, 8, lived on the 21st floor of Grenfell Tower Met Police 56/59 Khadija Khaloufi PA 57/59 Omar Belkadi, 32, and Farah Hamdan, 31 PA 58/59 Deborah Lamprell 59/59 Mohammed Al-Haj Ali PA 1/59 Final death toll: Just some of the victims who were killed in the Grenfell Tower blaze PA 2/59 Final death toll: Just some of the victims who were killed in the Grenfell Tower blaze 3/59 Five-year-old Isaac Paulos Family Handout 4/59 Logan Gomes, who was stillborn after his family escaped from the 21st floor of the Grenfell Tower AP 5/59 Victoria King, 71, and her 40-year-old daughter Alexandra Atala were among those who died in the blaze PA 6/59 A photograph of Mohamed Amied Neda as his family were forced to hold a second funeral PA 7/59 Mary Mendy 8/59 Maria Del Pilar Burton, who was rescued from the 19th floor of Grenfell Tower, has died seven months on from the blaze 9/59 Alexandra Atala, 40, the last victim to be named and pictured from the Grenfell fire Metropolitan Police 10/59 Gloria Trevisan and Marco Gottardi 11/59 Rania Ibrahim, Fethia Hassan and Hania Hassan PA 12/59 Raymond Bernard 13/59 Bassem Choucair and Nadia Choucair PA 14/59 Sirria Choucair PA 15/59 Mierna Choucair PA 16/59 Fatima Choucair died along with five other relatives PA 17/59 Mariem Elgwahry AP 18/59 Hashim Kedir, wife Nura and children Yahya, 13, left, Firdaws, 11, and Yaqub, six. 19/59 Mehdi El-Wahabi, 8, lived on the 21st floor of Grenfell Tower Met Police 20/59 Ligaya Moore, 79, a Filipino living in the tower Met Police 21/59 Artist Khadija Saye PA 22/59 Victim: 12-year-old Jessica Urbano Ramirez was killed in the fire 23/59 Victim: Farah Hamdan, 31, pictured with her baby daughter 24/59 Mohamednur Tuccu, 44, and his three-year-old daughter Amaya Tuccu-Ahmedin PA 25/59 Berkti Haftom, 29 and Biruk Haftom, 12 Metropolitan Police 26/59 Victim: Sakina Afrasehabi, 65, died in the Grenfell Tower fire PA 27/59 Fatima Afraseiabi 28/59 'Well respected': Grandmother-of-six Sheila Smith was killed in the Grenfell Tower blaze Met Police 29/59 Hamid Kani was found on the 23rd floor PA 30/59 Steve Power 31/59 Mohammed Al-Haj Ali Syrian Solidarity Campaign 32/59 Denis Murphy PA 33/59 Young victim: Jeremiah Deen, two, died in the blaze Met Police 34/59 Zainab Deen 35/59 Anthony Disson 36/59 Ali Yawar Jafari PA 37/59 Nora Huda 38/59 Kedir Hashim: His wife and their three children died 39/59 Hesham Rahman PA 40/59 Gary Maunders PA 41/59 Ernie Vital and his mother Marjorie PA 42/59 Amal Ahmedin and Amaya PA 43/59 Amna Mahmud Idris PA 44/59 Kamru Miah, 79, who died in the Grenfell Tower fire PA 45/59 Rabeya Begum PA 46/59 Mohammed Hamid, 27, died in the fire PA 47/59 Mohammed Hanif PA 48/59 Husna Begum PA 49/59 Fathia Ali Ahmed Elsanosi PA 50/59 Vincent Chiejina PA 51/59 Abdulaziz El-Wahabi PA 52/59 Faouzia El-Wahabi, 41 PA 53/59 Yasin El-Wahabi, 20 PA 54/59 Nur Huda El-Wahabi, 16, PA 55/59 Mehdi El-Wahabi, 8, lived on the 21st floor of Grenfell Tower Met Police 56/59 Khadija Khaloufi PA 57/59 Omar Belkadi, 32, and Farah Hamdan, 31 PA 58/59 Deborah Lamprell 59/59 Mohammed Al-Haj Ali PA For the first time, the truth of how the refurbishment fell short of building regulations, and allowed a catastrophe to happen, is laid bare. The first conclusion of the report is that the fire would not have spread beyond Flat 16 — the flat of origin — and would not have claimed even a single life if the original facade of the building had not been re-clad. It states that the 2014-16 refurbishment failed, in several fundamental areas, to meet fire safety standards set out in the building regulations — known as Approved Document B. Taken together, these areas proved critical for the rapid spread of flames across the length and breadth of the building. The report, dated 31 January 2018, says: “Grenfell Tower, as originally built, appears to have been designed on the premise of providing very high levels of passive fire protection. “The original facade of Grenfell Tower, comprising exposed concrete and, given its age, likely timber or metal frame windows, would not have provided a medium for fire spread up the external surface. In BRE’s opinion … there would have been little opportunity for a fire in a flat of Grenfell Tower to spread to any neighbouring flats.” The experts found instead that “deficiencies” in the construction of the new facade provided fuel for the fire to spread — and that it did so with such ferocity that if the original building had been built to less stringent modern standards of fire resistance, “it is likely the Tower would have collapsed, whether fully or partially”. The report identifies five significant breaches of building regulations that appear directly implicated in the loss of life: Gaps that fanned fire The cavity barriers — which in the event of fire are meant to expand and seal the gap between the concrete surface of the building and the cladding insulation — were of “insufficient size specification” to perform this vital function. Some cavity barriers were installed “upside down” or “back to front”, further retarding their effectiveness. They were “designed to close a gap of 25mm”, but the actual gap “measured up to 50mm”. The result was to create a catastrophic chimney-like effect in the gap between the cladding and the concrete surface that “provided a route for fire spread”. Window frames that helped flames spread The window frames were “significantly narrower than the gap between the concrete surfaces of the columns, 150mm narrower”, leaving large gaps at either end. These spaces were filled by a rubberised membrane, rigid foam insulation and uPVC lightweight plastic panels — but crucially “none of the materials used would be capable of providing 30 minutes fire resistance”. The result was “a direct route for fire spread around the window frame into the cavity of the facade … and from the facade back into flats”. This has added importance, as the first obstacle the fire encountered as it escaped from Flat 16 was the window frame which provided “fuel” instead of a barrier. BRE says: “The construction of the window did not provide any substantial barrier to fire taking hold on the facade outside.” Key pages from leaked Grenfell Tower report - In pictures 13 show all Key pages from leaked Grenfell Tower report - In pictures 1/13 01 2/13 02 3/13 03 4/13 04 5/13 05 6/13 06 7/13 07 8/13 08 9/13 09 10/13 10 11/13 11 12/13 12 13/13 13 1/13 01 2/13 02 3/13 03 4/13 04 5/13 05 6/13 06 7/13 07 8/13 08 9/13 09 10/13 10 11/13 11 12/13 12 13/13 13 Combustible insulation The insulation used was “combustible” and “provided a medium for fire spread up, across and within sections of the facade”. BRE notes that the 75mm insulation foam used on most of the spandrel beams had “no markings to identify the manufacturer of the foam”, unlike the 100mm Celotex foam insulation used on the columns. BRE records this oddity of the mystery manufacturer but does not further distinguish between the foam types, concluding both were “combustible”. Flammable core The aluminium composite material used in the facade had a polyethylene (plastic) core that “appears to be highly combustible” and “appears to have provided a medium for fire spread up and across the facade”. Lack of door closers The “absence of door closers” on many front doors to flats, contrary to building regulations, resulted in a significant number of doors being inadvertently left open when residents fled. “Where this occurred, the fire in each flat appears to have emitted large quantities of smoke and later fire directly into the immediate lobby, and these have gone on to affect the lifts and single stairwell”. This is a major failing because it created “shortcomings in compartmentation” of the fire and would have affected residents’ life chances as they sought to escape down the single stairwell. BRE notes that individual breaches relating to the cladding system assume far greater importance when “considered in combination as opposed to when they occur in isolation”. Firefighting weaknesses Firefighting facilities were “deficient”, hampered by poor access and lack of installation of a wet rising main. There was room for just “a single fire engine” on the hard standing at the base of the east side of the tower, as other sides of the tower were not accessible due to landscaping. This single fire engine would be “unlikely to provide sufficient pressure and flow of water for firefighting at the top of the tower” using the dry rising main. The report says: “A building of Grenfell’s height ought to have been fitted with a wet rising main [which contains water at all times] as part of the refurbishment; instead the existing dry rising main [which has to be supplied from a fire engine] was extended and modified.” BRE cites two other breaches of building regulations — the absence of a sprinkler system and the single stairwell being 8cm too narrow. However it does not necessarily regard these weaknesses as directly responsible for loss of life. It adds that the stairwell would have been “difficult and expensive to change as part of any refurbishment”. Notting Hill Grenfell Tower Fire - In pictures 37 show all Notting Hill Grenfell Tower Fire - In pictures 1/37 A blaze rages through Grenfell Tower block in Notting Hill Jeremy Selwyn 2/37 Aerial view of the fire at Grenfell Tower, Notting Hill Jason Hawkes 3/37 Jeremy Selwyn 4/37 Aerial view of the fire at Grenfell Tower, Notting Hill Jason Hawkes 5/37 Jeremy Selwyn 6/37 A firefighter investigates a floor after a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower PA 7/37 Exhausted firefighter rest on steps of houses after ours of tackling the blaze Alex Lentati 8/37 Jeremy Selwyn 9/37 10/37 Residents wave frantically at a window during the blaze Nigel Howard 11/37 Emergency personnel operate during the fire at the Grenfell Tower, a 27-storey apartment block in North Kensington, London EPA 12/37 A police officer helps to evacuate a local resident from close to the scene of a serious fire in a tower block at Latimer Road in West London Reuters 13/37 Debris and ash surrounding Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate, Latimer road Jeremy Selwyn 14/37 A fleet of ambulances at the scene ready to deal with the injured AFP/Getty Images 15/37 A firefighter rests during the battle against the blaze at Grenfell Tower Jeremy Selwyn 16/37 Firefighters prepare to enter the building to tackle the flames EPA 17/37 Nigel Howard 18/37 Smoke billows from a fire that has engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London PA 19/37 Flames engulf the tower block in Notting Hill AFP/Getty Images 20/37 This shocking image shows flames engulfing the 27 storey tower Jeremy Selwyn 21/37 Police and Emergency services at the scene of a major fire in Notting Hill after a block of flats Grenfell Tower is engulfed in flames Nigel Howard 22/37 A person peers out of a window from the building on fire in London AP 23/37 Firefighters react as a huge fire engulfs the Grenfell Tower AFP/Getty Images 24/37 Smoke rises from the fire at the Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey apartment block in North Kensington, London EPA 25/37 Smoke billows across the London skyline follwing a fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate Alex Lentati 26/37 Aw omen react followign the blaze at Grenfell Tower Alex Lentati 27/37 Smoke billows across the London skyline follwing a fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate Jeremy Selwyn 28/37 A water jet douses the fire at the Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey apartment block seen through a fence in North Kensington EPA 29/37 Young children wear protective face masks near the burning 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images 30/37 Two men hug within the security cordon as Grenfell Tower is engulfed by fire AFP/Getty Images 31/37 A man (circled) looks from a window as smoke pours from a fire that has engulfed the 27-storey Grenfell Tower PA 32/37 Smoke billows across the London skyline follwing a fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate Alex Lentati 33/37 Firefighters on the scene at Grenfell Tower on Latimer Road early this morning Alex Lentati 34/37 A view of debris from the Grenfell Tower fire covering a football pitch EPA 35/37 Aerial view of the closed of Westway follwing a the fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate, Latimer Road. Jeremy Selwyn 36/37 Fire fighters tackle the building after a huge fire engulfed the 24 story Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images 37/37 A local resident is carried to receive some medical aid at a community centre close to a fire that has engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower PA 1/37 A blaze rages through Grenfell Tower block in Notting Hill Jeremy Selwyn 2/37 Aerial view of the fire at Grenfell Tower, Notting Hill Jason Hawkes 3/37 Jeremy Selwyn 4/37 Aerial view of the fire at Grenfell Tower, Notting Hill Jason Hawkes 5/37 Jeremy Selwyn 6/37 A firefighter investigates a floor after a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower PA 7/37 Exhausted firefighter rest on steps of houses after ours of tackling the blaze Alex Lentati 8/37 Jeremy Selwyn 9/37 10/37 Residents wave frantically at a window during the blaze Nigel Howard 11/37 Emergency personnel operate during the fire at the Grenfell Tower, a 27-storey apartment block in North Kensington, London EPA 12/37 A police officer helps to evacuate a local resident from close to the scene of a serious fire in a tower block at Latimer Road in West London Reuters 13/37 Debris and ash surrounding Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate, Latimer road Jeremy Selwyn 14/37 A fleet of ambulances at the scene ready to deal with the injured AFP/Getty Images 15/37 A firefighter rests during the battle against the blaze at Grenfell Tower Jeremy Selwyn 16/37 Firefighters prepare to enter the building to tackle the flames EPA 17/37 Nigel Howard 18/37 Smoke billows from a fire that has engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London PA 19/37 Flames engulf the tower block in Notting Hill AFP/Getty Images 20/37 This shocking image shows flames engulfing the 27 storey tower Jeremy Selwyn 21/37 Police and Emergency services at the scene of a major fire in Notting Hill after a block of flats Grenfell Tower is engulfed in flames Nigel Howard 22/37 A person peers out of a window from the building on fire in London AP 23/37 Firefighters react as a huge fire engulfs the Grenfell Tower AFP/Getty Images 24/37 Smoke rises from the fire at the Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey apartment block in North Kensington, London EPA 25/37 Smoke billows across the London skyline follwing a fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate Alex Lentati 26/37 Aw omen react followign the blaze at Grenfell Tower Alex Lentati 27/37 Smoke billows across the London skyline follwing a fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate Jeremy Selwyn 28/37 A water jet douses the fire at the Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey apartment block seen through a fence in North Kensington EPA 29/37 Young children wear protective face masks near the burning 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images 30/37 Two men hug within the security cordon as Grenfell Tower is engulfed by fire AFP/Getty Images 31/37 A man (circled) looks from a window as smoke pours from a fire that has engulfed the 27-storey Grenfell Tower PA 32/37 Smoke billows across the London skyline follwing a fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate Alex Lentati 33/37 Firefighters on the scene at Grenfell Tower on Latimer Road early this morning Alex Lentati 34/37 A view of debris from the Grenfell Tower fire covering a football pitch EPA 35/37 Aerial view of the closed of Westway follwing a the fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate, Latimer Road. Jeremy Selwyn 36/37 Fire fighters tackle the building after a huge fire engulfed the 24 story Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images 37/37 A local resident is carried to receive some medical aid at a community centre close to a fire that has engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower PA The draft report was submitted to the Metropolitan Police Service so that its interim conclusions could speed up “other parts of the MPS-led investigation”, including gathering documentation and interviewing contractors. BRE was asked to achieve three aims: “To establish the circumstances surrounding as many deaths resulting from the fire as possible;” “To establish any failings of duty of care owed to victims of the fire, both fatalities and surviving residents;” “To provide expert witness support in relation to any criminal prosecution, public inquiry or inquest.” The Standard understands, from a separate source, that the police investigation has already downloaded over 30 million emails and documents from the servers of Kensington and Chelsea council and the Tenant Management Organisation, and that they are beginning to trace and interview about 500 key contractors and sub-contractors involved in the refurbishment. The on-site work that formed the basis for the report involved fingertip searches and the examination of all 129 flats, and was scheduled to run until the end of March. Evaluations of the condition of each flat on the fourth, fifth, sixth and 23rd floors are in this draft — with the “damage overview” ranging from “total destruction” to “undamaged”. Reports on flats on other floors were still being drafted. Further tests of the fire resistance of doors and lifts, and safety of gas installation, were still being carried out at the date of the draft. The report could also feed into the public inquiry, due to start on May 21. A specialist architect shown the document said: “The question is: could this fire have been avoided? This damning report is saying it absolutely could have been and that the refurb was to blame. “Construction around the cavity barriers and windows was particularly poor. The uPVC used in the panels to close the gap around the windows was a terrible mistake. It has no fire integrity and provided a vulnerable route for fire to spread. “These findings could result in people going to prison. But the report has left open the vital question as to whether the design or the installation was at fault, whether the works were approved and/or inspected, or whether it was a combination of all of these. “The buck stops with the owner of the building Kensington and Chelsea council, and its management organisation, which have ultimate duty of care. Some people will not be sleeping well at night once this report is made public. You read it and think: heads are going to roll.” Building Research Establishment is a former government laboratory that was privatised in 1997 and is now owned by charitable organisation BRE Trust. Based in Watford, it provides research, testing, certification and standards. A Kensington and Chelsea Council spokesperson said: “We think the public inquiry and the police investigation are the right places for testing all the evidence as a whole. The Council is clear – we have handed over thousands of documents – we are committed to finding the truth. We hope full disclosure of all the evidence, tested by the inquiry judge, will deliver the answers to ensure this never happens again.” A spokesman for survivor group Grenfell United "The report in the Evening Standard is shocking but it is not surprising to those of us that lived in the tower. It was clear to us the refurbishment was shoddy and second rate. We raised concerns time and time again. We were not just ignored but bullied to keep quiet. "That a refurbishment could make our homes dangerous and unsafe shows that the contractors put profit before lives. It's an industry that is broken. "It's also an industry that has been allowed to get away with this behaviour. Six people died in a fire at Lakanal House in 2009 and the Government failed to act and make changes to regulations that would have stopped a fire like that happening again. Tonight we know people are going to sleep in homes with dangerous cladding on them. "It is vital the police investigation and the public Inquiry uncover everything that led to the fire and that the Government now actually act so that this can never happen again.” ||||| The Grenfell Tower fire that claimed 71 lives would not have spread beyond a single flat if it had started before a refurbishment that saw it clad in flammable materials, a leaked report has revealed. The findings by fire investigation experts BRE Global, uncovered by the London Evening Standard, reveal serious deficiencies in the installation of the windows, cavity barriers and cladding system, and their failure to meet building regulations. It states that the fire would have remained confined to Flat 16 — the flat of origin — and would not have claimed even a single life if the original facade of the building had not been re-clad between 2014 and 2016. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. The draft report, dated 31 January 2018, was submitted to the Metropolitan Police Service as part of its investigation. It finds not only that the cladding material and insulation was combustible, but also serious deficiencies in the design and installation of the windows and cavity barriers, which are critical in preventing a chimney-like effect in the event of a fire. The leaked document reads: “Grenfell Tower, as originally built, appears to have been designed on the premise of providing very high levels of passive fire protection. “The original facade of Grenfell Tower, comprising exposed concrete and, given its age, likely timber or metal frame windows, would not have provided a medium for fire spread up the external surface. “In BRE’s opinion…there would have been little opportunity for a fire in a flat of Grenfell Tower to spread to any neighbouring flats.” Responding to the report, John Healey MP, Labour’s shadow secretary of state for housing, said: “The terrible fire at Grenfell Tower exposed a breakdown in our system of fire-safety checks and controls. It demands a national response from government to make sure it never happens again. “Ten months on, it is shameful that only seven other tower blocks with dangerous cladding have had it replaced. Ministers need to stop sitting on their hands, and act urgently to help fund essential fire safety work in tower blocks that they know are dangerous.” Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Enter your email address Continue Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. Log in to update your newsletter preferences Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive morning headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts by email Update newsletter preferences Green Party Councillor Sian Berry, who has been trying to get to the bottom of a similarly botched refurbishment at the Chalcots estate in Camden, meanwhile urged that parties needed to show a clear commitment to action in order to ensure that a tragedy similar to the Grenfell Tower fire never happens again. “The residents of Grenfell were failed by many people - those who chose the materials, planned and carried out the work on their homes, but also by the council and the TMO who were responsible for overseeing the works," she said. "All of this needs to come out in the inquiry and the people responsible must be fully held to account. Justice for Grenfell cannot just remain a campaign slogan." In a statement, the Met Police said the force was “disappointed” that an interim draft report appeared to have been leaked and published, adding that to protect the integrity of the investigation they would not confirm specifics of the ongoing probe. “We have made it clear from the outset that this is a wide-ranging criminal investigation that will examine all possible offences and breaches of regulations. That includes a detailed and thorough examination of how the fire started, and how and why it spread,” it read. “The investigation focuses upon the original construction of the building, all the changes made over the decades and the most recent refurbishment.” It explained that this included “not just the cladding system, but all the fire doors, windows, building management, and how all of those elements reacted together”, adding that the force was using a range of specialists and experts to provide the detailed analysis needed as part of the “robust” investigation. Shape Created with Sketch. In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Show all 51 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire 1/51 Police have released images from inside the tower where at least 58 people have died Metropolitan Police 2/51 A still from a video shared by polices what appears to be a stationary bicycle sitting among the ashes 3/51 A still from a video shared by police shows the remnants of a burnt-out bathroom 4/51 Picture showing the lifts on an unknown floor Metropolitan Police 5/51 Emergency crews outside the front entrance to the tower Metropolitan Police 6/51 Fire crews inspecting flats in the burnt out tower London Metropolitan Police 7/51 Grenfell Tower is seen in the distance PA 8/51 A drone flies near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth 9/51 'Theresa May Stay Away' message written on the messages of support at Latymer Community Church for those affected by the fire Ray Tang/REX 10/51 An aerial view of the area surrounding Grenfall tower Getty 11/51 Donated shoes sit in the Westway Sports Centre near to the site of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images 12/51 Messages of support for those affected by the massive fire in Grenfell Tower are displayed on a well near the tower in London AP 13/51 A local resident stands on her balcony by the gutted Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road Getty Images 14/51 Messages of condolence are left at a relief centre close to the scene of the fire that broke out at Grenfell Tower, EPA 15/51 A police officer stands by a security cordon outside Latimer Road station Getty Images 16/51 Firemen examine the scorched facade of the Grenfell Tower in London on a huge ladder AP 17/51 A search dog is led through the rubble of the Grenfell Tower in London as firefighting continue to damp-down the deadly fire AP 18/51 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn comforts a local resident (name not given) at St Clement's Church in west London where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower David Mirzoeff/PA 19/51 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hugs councillor Mushtaq Lasharie as he arrives at St Clement's Church in Latimer Road, where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower Getty Images 20/51 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meeting staff and volunteers at St Clementís Church in Latimer Road David Mirzoeff/PA 21/51 Firefighters with a dog walk around the base of the Grenfell Tower REUTERS/Peter Nicholls 22/51 Emotions run high as people attend a candle lit vigil outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images 23/51 Debris hangs from the blackened exterior of Grenfell Tower Getty Images 24/51 A woman speaks to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire 25/51 A woman holds a missing person posters near the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth 26/51 Sadiq Khan speaking with a resident James Gourley/REX 27/51 Ken Livingstone walks near the scene of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images 28/51 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is confronted by Kai Ramos, 7, near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire 29/51 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks to a woman outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Yui Mok/PA Wire 30/51 Volunteers distribute aid near Grenfell Tower Getty Images 31/51 Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA 32/51 Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA 33/51 Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA 34/51 People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images 35/51 People gather to observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images 36/51 People light candles as they observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images 37/51 People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images 38/51 A man distributes food from the back of a van near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett 39/51 A firefighter is cheered near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett 40/51 A T-shirt with a written message from the London Fire Brigade hangs from a fence near The Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth 41/51 A young girl on her way to lay flowers near Grenfell Tower Getty Images 42/51 The remains of residential tower block Grenfell Tower are seen from Dixon House a nearby tower block Getty 43/51 Volunteers prepare supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block which was destroyed in a fire REUTERS/Neil Hall 44/51 Volunteers move a car to make space for a lorry picking up supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth 45/51 People distribute boxes of food near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower bloc REUTERS/Paul Hackett 46/51 A woman touches a missing poster for 12-year-old Jessica Urbano on a tribute wall after laying flowers on the side of Latymer Community Church next to the fire-gutted Grenfell Tower AP 47/51 A man looks at messages written on a wall near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett 48/51 Candles and messages of condolence near where the fire broke out at Grenfell Tower EPA 49/51 Police carry a stretcher towards Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire 50/51 Emergency services at Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire 51/51 Police carry out a body from Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Rick Findler/PA Wire 1/51 Police have released images from inside the tower where at least 58 people have died Metropolitan Police 2/51 A still from a video shared by polices what appears to be a stationary bicycle sitting among the ashes 3/51 A still from a video shared by police shows the remnants of a burnt-out bathroom 4/51 Picture showing the lifts on an unknown floor Metropolitan Police 5/51 Emergency crews outside the front entrance to the tower Metropolitan Police 6/51 Fire crews inspecting flats in the burnt out tower London Metropolitan Police 7/51 Grenfell Tower is seen in the distance PA 8/51 A drone flies near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth 9/51 'Theresa May Stay Away' message written on the messages of support at Latymer Community Church for those affected by the fire Ray Tang/REX 10/51 An aerial view of the area surrounding Grenfall tower Getty 11/51 Donated shoes sit in the Westway Sports Centre near to the site of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images 12/51 Messages of support for those affected by the massive fire in Grenfell Tower are displayed on a well near the tower in London AP 13/51 A local resident stands on her balcony by the gutted Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road Getty Images 14/51 Messages of condolence are left at a relief centre close to the scene of the fire that broke out at Grenfell Tower, EPA 15/51 A police officer stands by a security cordon outside Latimer Road station Getty Images 16/51 Firemen examine the scorched facade of the Grenfell Tower in London on a huge ladder AP 17/51 A search dog is led through the rubble of the Grenfell Tower in London as firefighting continue to damp-down the deadly fire AP 18/51 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn comforts a local resident (name not given) at St Clement's Church in west London where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower David Mirzoeff/PA 19/51 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hugs councillor Mushtaq Lasharie as he arrives at St Clement's Church in Latimer Road, where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower Getty Images 20/51 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meeting staff and volunteers at St Clementís Church in Latimer Road David Mirzoeff/PA 21/51 Firefighters with a dog walk around the base of the Grenfell Tower REUTERS/Peter Nicholls 22/51 Emotions run high as people attend a candle lit vigil outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images 23/51 Debris hangs from the blackened exterior of Grenfell Tower Getty Images 24/51 A woman speaks to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire 25/51 A woman holds a missing person posters near the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth 26/51 Sadiq Khan speaking with a resident James Gourley/REX 27/51 Ken Livingstone walks near the scene of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images 28/51 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is confronted by Kai Ramos, 7, near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire 29/51 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks to a woman outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Yui Mok/PA Wire 30/51 Volunteers distribute aid near Grenfell Tower Getty Images 31/51 Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA 32/51 Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA 33/51 Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA 34/51 People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images 35/51 People gather to observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images 36/51 People light candles as they observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images 37/51 People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images 38/51 A man distributes food from the back of a van near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett 39/51 A firefighter is cheered near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett 40/51 A T-shirt with a written message from the London Fire Brigade hangs from a fence near The Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth 41/51 A young girl on her way to lay flowers near Grenfell Tower Getty Images 42/51 The remains of residential tower block Grenfell Tower are seen from Dixon House a nearby tower block Getty 43/51 Volunteers prepare supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block which was destroyed in a fire REUTERS/Neil Hall 44/51 Volunteers move a car to make space for a lorry picking up supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth 45/51 People distribute boxes of food near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower bloc REUTERS/Paul Hackett 46/51 A woman touches a missing poster for 12-year-old Jessica Urbano on a tribute wall after laying flowers on the side of Latymer Community Church next to the fire-gutted Grenfell Tower AP 47/51 A man looks at messages written on a wall near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett 48/51 Candles and messages of condolence near where the fire broke out at Grenfell Tower EPA 49/51 Police carry a stretcher towards Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire 50/51 Emergency services at Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire 51/51 Police carry out a body from Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Rick Findler/PA Wire It added: “Our aim is to carry out an investigation that has integrity and if it uncovers evidence that any individual or organisation is criminally culpable we want that evidence to be tested through the judicial system.” A Kensington and Chelsea Council spokesperson said: “We think the public inquiry and the police investigation are the right places for testing all the evidence as a whole. “The council is clear – we have handed over thousands of documents – we are committed to finding the truth. We hope full disclosure of all the evidence, tested by the inquiry judge, will deliver the answers to ensure this never happens again.” ||||| Survivor groups have reacted with anger after a leaked report into the Grenfell Tower fire revealed the blaze would have had “little opportunity” to spread beyond the flat it started in, had the building not been renovated with combustible material. The 210-page report, which has been prepared as part of the Metropolitan Police Service investigation, concludes that the fire would not have spread beyond flat 16 - where the fire originated on the fourth floor - if the original facade of the building had not been re-clad. The interim document, leaked to the Evening Standard, was authored by fire investigation experts BRE Global. In addition to the cladding, the installation of the windows and cavity barriers were also deficient, the report reveals. Experts found that if the original building had been built to less stringent modern safety standards of fire resistance “it is likely the Tower would have collapsed, whether fully or partially”. Grenfell United, the main group for survivors and bereaved families of the fire, said that the report was “shocking but it is not surprising to those of us that lived in the tower”. It has been a little over ten months since the fire tore through the 24-storey building in west London last summer killing 71 people. According to the Standard, the report reveals that the original concrete building was turned from a safe structure into a tinderbox by the refurbishment between 2014 and 2016. In the immediate aftermath of the blaze residents from the estate where Grenfell Tower sat blamed the new cladding for the pace at which the fire spread. While survivors and relatives of those who died in the blaze have expressed concerns about the tower’s refurbishment, the leaked report shows for the first time how it fell short of building regulations, the Standard reports. The police investigation into the blaze is running concurrently to the public inquiry. The frames were “significantly narrower than the gap between the concrete surfaces of the columns, 150mm narrower”. This meant that large gaps were left at either end, which were then filled by a rubberised membrane, rigid foam insulation and uPVC lightweight plastic panels. Yet none of these materials used were able to provide 30 minutes fire resistance. This meant that a direct route was created which allowed the fire to spread “into the cavity of the facade … and from the facade back into flats”. The BRE report states that the construction of the window “did not provide any substantial barrier to fire taking hold on the facade outside”. The report states that the insulation used was “combustible” and “provided a medium for fire spread up, across and within sections of the facade”. The manufacturer of the insulation foam was not clearly identified on the beams. These were of “insufficient size specification” to fulfil their role of expanding and sealing the gap between the concrete surface of the building and the cladding insulation. According to the report, some of the cavity barriers were installed “upside down” or “back to front”, thereby hindering their effectiveness. As a result of these failings, a chimney-like effect was created in between the cladding and the concrete surface which provided a route for fire to spread. The aluminium composite material used in the facade had a polyethylene (plastic) core that “appears to be highly combustible” and “appears to have provided a medium for fire spread up and across the facade”. Contrary to building regulations, many front doors to the flats did not have door closers. As a result, a number of doors were inadvertently left open and the fire and smoke from each flat could travel more easily into communal areas. Facilities available to firefighters were “deficient” and they were hindered by poor access to the tower. Three sides of the tower were not accessible due to landscaping and on the east side of the tower there was only room for a single fire engine. A wet rising main had also not been installed, hindering the pressure and flow of water for firefighters. Critcisms were also made at the lack of a sprinkler system and the narrow width of the single stairwell. ||||| There would have been "little opportunity" for a fire at Grenfell Tower to spread with such devastating consequences as it did if the outside of the building had not been renovated with "combustible" material, according to a report seen by the Evening Standard . The draft report from January this year - said to have been prepared by fire investigation experts BRE Global as part of the police investigation into the tragic blaze last June - also said the fire damage was so severe that if the building had been constructed to less stringent current safety regulations "it is likely the tower would have collapsed, whether fully or partially". According to the Evening Standard , the leaked report said: “Grenfell Tower, as originally built, appears to have been designed on the premise of providing very high levels of passive fire protection." And the report added: “In BRE’s opinion… there would have been little opportunity for a fire in a flat of Grenfell Tower to spread to any neighbouring flats.” However, it found alleged “deficiencies” in the construction of a new facade during refurbishment of the tower block from 2014 to 2016 , which were said to have helped the flames spread up and down the building's exterior. The Evening Standard's report refers to the investigation saying the fire would not have spread from a fridge freezer in a fourth floor kitchen had the building not been re-clad. It also identified flaws with wall cavity barriers, window frames, 'door closers' and flammable insulation and cladding, the paper said. A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said the force was "disappointed that an interim draft report appears to have been leaked", adding it would not "confirm specifics of the ongoing investigation". She said the police investigation into the fire was looking at the original construction of the building and any changes such as the recent refurbishment - "that includes not just the cladding system, but all the fire doors, windows, building management, and how all of those elements reacted together." The police spokeswoman added: “Our aim is to carry out an investigation that has integrity and if it uncovers evidence that any individual or organisation is criminally culpable, we want that evidence to be tested through the judicial system. "The heart of our investigation is and will continue to be the families of those who lost their lives, those for whom Grenfell Tower was home and the local community so impacted by events that night." A spokesman for Kensington and Chelsea Council commented: “We think the public inquiry and the police investigation are the right places for testing all the evidence as a whole. "We hope full disclosure of all the evidence, tested by the inquiry judge, will deliver the answers to ensure this never happens again." Grenfell United, the main group supporting survivors and bereaved families of the fire , described the apparent findings of the report as "shocking". BRE Global said it would not be commenting. Keep up to date with the latest news in west London via the free getwestlondon app. You can set up your app to see all the latest news and events from your area, plus receive push notifications for breaking news. Available to download from the App Store or Google Play for Android . ||||| A report into the causes of last year’s Grenfell Tower fire by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) has alleged substantial and significant shortcomings in the building’s 2016 refurbishment. Not only was the cladding chosen badly, the design and installation of windows and cavity barriers was also flawed, turning what had originally been a safe structure into a tinderbox. The 210-page report produced by BRE Global for the Metropolitan Police’s criminal investigation into the fire has been seen by London’s Evening Standard newspaper, which carries a full report on the findings. In summary, it says that windows, cavity barriers and the cladding system all failed to meet building regulations. The fire started in a fridge-freezer in a flat on the fourth floor on 14th June 2017. Flames escaped through an open window, took hold in the cladding. All 24 storeys were rapidly consumed, killing 71 residents. The first conclusion of the report is that had the building not been re-clad, the fire would not have gone beyond the first flat. Grenfell Tower was built in 1974 and underwent an £8.6m refurbishment. This was completed only in May 2016. The refurbishment included recladding the building in panels of Arconic's Reynolux coated aluminium sheets with a Reynobond polyethylene (PE) core. Celotex supplied RS5000 insulation. The refurbishment was carried out by Rydon Maintenance for Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation and approved by Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea building control. According to the Evening Standard, the BRE report says: “Grenfell Tower, as originally built, appears to have been designed on the premise of providing very high levels of passive fire protection. “The original facade of Grenfell Tower, comprising exposed concrete and, given its age, likely timber or metal frame windows, would not have provided a medium for fire spread up the external surface. In BRE’s opinion … there would have been little opportunity for a fire in a flat of Grenfell Tower to spread to any neighbouring flats.” The BRE identified five significant breaches of building regulations that appear directly implicated in the loss of life: 1. The cavity barriers, which in the event of fire are meant to expand and seal the gap between the concrete surface of the building and the cladding insulation, were of “insufficient size specification” to be effective. Some cavity barriers were installed upside down or back to front, further retarding their effectiveness. The chosen cavity barriers were designed to close a gap of 25mm but the actual gap was up to 50mm. This failure provided a route for fire to spread. 2. The window frames were 150mm narrower than the gap between the concrete surfaces of the columns. Spaces were filled by a rubberised membrane, rigid foam insulation and uPVC lightweight plastic panels incapable of providing 30 minutes fire resistance, providing fuel for, rather than a barrier to, the fire. 3. The insulation used was combustible and provided a medium for fire spread up, across and within sections of the facade. 4. The aluminium composite material used in the facade had a highly combustible polyethylene core. 5. Many flats had no door closers on their front doors so as residents fled, doors remained opened, further encouraging fire to spread.
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• Buy & Sell Construction Plant Machinery online with TCiTrader.co.uk. Find new, used & reconditioned Construction Equipment. Click here to view Construction Equipment Classifieds. ||||| A damning report into the Grenfell Tower fire has revealed that 'nobody wold have died had the building not been re-clad'. A 210-page report into the fatal inferno in west London states the fire would have had "little opportunity" to spread from the flat it started in if the exterior of the tower had not been renovated with combustible material. According to the report, seen by the Evening Standard , the 2014-2016 refurbishment of the tower block failed to meet fire safety standards and "deficiencies" in the new facade helped the fire to spread up the building's exterior. The report, by fire investigation experts BRE Global, was prepared as part of the police investigation into the June 14 fire at the 24-storey block. It also identified flaws with the cavity barriers, window frames, "door closers" and flammable insulation and cladding, the paper said. The horrifying fire at Grenfell Tower in June last year killed 71 people. The report goes into detail on how the concrete building was turned into a tinderbox due to the refurbishment. According to the Evening Standard the first conclusion of the report is that the fire would not have spread beyond Flat 16 — the flat of origin — and would not have claimed even a single life if the original facade of the building had not been re-clad. The Standard say the report, which is dated January 31 2018, says: “Grenfell Tower, as originally built, appears to have been designed on the premise of providing very high levels of passive fire protection. “The original facade of Grenfell Tower, comprising exposed concrete and, given its age, likely timber or metal frame windows, would not have provided a medium for fire spread up the external surface. "In BRE’s opinion … there would have been little opportunity for a fire in a flat of Grenfell Tower to spread to any neighbouring flats.” Colourful panels designed to improve insulation and soften the look of the brutalist concrete block were fitted to the tower in Kensington as part of a £9million refurb which was completed in May 2017. BRE was asked to achieve three aims:
• “To establish the circumstances surrounding as many deaths resulting from the fire as possible;”
• “To establish any failings of duty of care owed to victims of the fire, both fatalities and surviving residents;”
• “To provide expert witness support in relation to any criminal prosecution, public inquiry or inquest.” More than 200 tower blocks were found to have similar cladding to Grenfell in the months after the fire. ||||| London: An incompetent refurbishment of Grenfell Tower turned the previously safe building into a tinderbox, according to an expert report commissioned by London police and leaked to London’s Evening Standard . A total of 71 people died in the inferno of June 14 last year, when the apartment building in London’s west went up like a torch in the early hours of the morning. The fire began in a malfunctioning fridge-freezer near a kitchen window in a fourth floor flat and quickly spread to envelop almost the entire tower, with fire crews helpless to stop the blaze or reach many trapped residents. The draft report by fire investigation experts BRE Global found that new cladding and insulation made the outside of the building highly combustible, and exposed other areas of incompetence in the design, installation and maintenance of windows, doors and other features. It revealed that the building came perilously close to collapse - and would have done if the original building had not been constructed well beyond modern standards of fire resistance. ||||| Botched renovations have been blamed for fuelling the Grenfell Tower fire, with a leaked report revealing there would have been “little opportunity” for flames to spread if the structure had not been renovated with combustible material. According to the Metropolitan police report, the 2014-16 refurbishment of the building failed to meet fire safety standards and “deficiencies” in the new facade helped the fire to spread up the building’s exterior. The fire, which started in a fridge-freezer in a fourth floor flat, travelled through a nearby open window before spreading via the external cladding. The fire damage was so severe that had the tower been built to the less stringent requirements of existing building regulations “it is likely the tower would have collapsed”, the report allegedly said. A total of 71 people died in the west London tower block fire on 14 June last year. The report, by fire investigation experts BRE Global, was quoted as saying: “Grenfell Tower, as originally built, appears to have been designed on the premise of providing very high levels of passive fire protection. “The original facade of Grenfell Tower, comprising exposed concrete and, given its age, likely timber or metal frame windows, would not have provided a medium for fire spread up the external surface. “In BRE’s opinion … there would have been little opportunity for a fire in a flat of Grenfell Tower to spread to any neighbouring flats.” The report dated 31 January was prepared as part of the police investigation into the fatal blaze. The document also identified flaws with the cavity barriers, window frames, “door closers” and flammable insulation and cladding. Cavity barriers were installed back to front or upside down and were “insufficient” to bridge the gap between the surface of the building and the cladding, creating a chimney-like effect that aided the spread of flames. Window frames were narrower than the gap they were placed in, meaning fire could spread around the frame, onto the building’s facade and back into other flats. There was also a lack of “door closers”, meaning that when residents fled their flat doors stayed open, allowing the fire to spread into the lobby. The absence of a sprinkler system and the narrow single internal stairwell also breached building regulations. The report noted the waste chute rooms, located on every floor, were “largely undamaged” as fire doors protected them from the blaze. ||||| The 210-page interim document undertaken on behalf of fire investigation experts BRE Global, dated January 31, has allegedly uncovered five major failures caused by below-standard building work at the 24-story tower block in London. The inferno broke out on June 14 when flames from an exploding fridge engulfed the building within minutes, with the fire fanned due to ‘gaps’ in the building’s newly installed cladding and windows. The fire would not have spread beyond its source and that nobody would have died if the buildings outside had not been re-clad, according to the report leaked to the Evening Standard. The report said: “Grenfell Tower, as originally built, appears to have been designed on the premise of providing very high levels of passive fire protection. “The original facade of Grenfell Tower, comprising exposed concrete and, given its age, likely timber or metal frame windows, would not have provided a medium for fire spread up the external surface. “In BRE's opinion ... there would have been little opportunity for a fire in a flat of Grenfell Tower to spread to any neighbouring flats.'
• The fire escalated further because the insulation used in the refurbishment, which was carried out between 2014 and 2016, was actually flammable
• Only a fifth of the building’s fire doors worked properly, thus accelerating the speed at which smoke and flames spread through the core
• Firefighting facilities were below standard, with no ‘wet rising main’ pipe that meant fire fighting water could not be easily fired on all 24 floors
• New landscaping at the base of the building also meant that just one fire engine could park there, with the only real benefit of the refurbishment being that it did stop the tower collapsing
• The refurbishment, which was completed a year earlier, had failed to meet fire safety standards and ‘deficiencies’ in the new facade helped the fire spread up the building’s exterior
• Cavity barriers were actually found to have been installed back to front or upside down and were “insufficient” to bridge the gap between the surface of the building and the cladding, helping to spread the flames
• Window frames were also narrower than the gap they were placed in, meaning the fire could spread around the frame, onto the tower’s facade and back into other flats
• When residents attempted to flee the fire, many of their flat doors stayed open, enabling the fire to spread into the lobby, while the absence of a sprinkler system and the narrow single internal stairwell also breached building regulations Grenfell United, a group for survivors and bereaved families, said in a statement: “The report is shocking but it is not surprising to those of us that lived in the tower. It was clear to us the refurbishment was shoddy and second rate. “We raised concerns time and time again - we were not just ignored but bullied to keep quiet.' “It's an industry that is broken. It's also an industry that has been allowed to get away with this behaviour.
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A leaked draft report by fire investigators BRS Global for the Metropolitan Police reveals new details of mistakes in the construction and refurbishment of Grenfell Tower in London. As well as flammable cladding the report finds errors in window and cavity installation. It concludes the fire would have not spread beyond a single flat and all 71 victims would have survived had refurbishment not been performed, and that victims may also have survived had they sought refuge behind fire doors protecting waste chute rooms on each floor.
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PHILADELPHIA — A Southwest Airlines pilot who made an emergency landing Tuesday after the jet apparently blew an engine, got hit by shrapnel and lost a window, is being praised for her “nerves of steel” in helping to prevent a far worse tragedy after the catastrophe killed one passenger and left seven others hurt. Tammie Jo Shults was at the controls of the Dallas-bound Flight 1380 when it made an emergency landing in Philadelphia, said her husband, Dean Shults. The twin-engine Boeing 737 that left New York with 149 people board was hit by shrapnel that smashed a window and damaged the fuselage, killing a passenger and injuring seven others, authorities said. Shults took the plane into a rapid descent as passengers using oxygen masks that dropped from the ceiling braced for impact. Shults was among the first female fighter pilots in the U.S. military, according to friends and the alumni group at Shults’ alma mater, MidAmerica Nazarene. Shults was a 1983 graduate of the university in Olathe, Kansas, where she earned degrees in biology and agribusiness, said Carol Best, a university spokeswoman told The Kansas City Star. Passenger Alfred Tumlinson, of Corpus Christi, Texas, lauded Shults and her crew for their professionalism. “She has nerves of steel. That lady, I applaud her. I’m going to send her a Christmas card — I’m going to tell you that — with a gift certificate for getting me on the ground. She was awesome,” Tumlinson said. “The lady, the crew, everything, everybody was immaculate. They were so professional in what they did to get us on the ground.” Shults’ brother-in-law, Gary Shults, said her husband also is a Southwest pilot and told him she had made the emergency landing. “She’s a formidable woman, as sharp as a tack,” said Gary Shults, a dentist in San Antonio. “My brother says she’s the best pilot he knows. She’s a very caring, giving person who takes care of lots of people.” Passengers said she walked through the aisle and talked with them to make sure they were OK after the plane touched down. U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao extended her sympathies to the loved ones of the passenger who died, Jennifer Riordan, of New Mexico, and praised the pilot, crew and others who were on board. “I commend the pilots who safely landed the aircraft, and the crew and fellow passengers who provided support and care for the injured, preventing what could have been far worse,” Chao said in a statement. Travelers said fellow passengers dragged Riordan back in as the sudden decompression of the cabin pulled her part way through the smashed window. National Transportation Safety Board chairman Robert Sumwalt said it was the first passenger fatality in an accident involving a U.S. airline since 2009. ||||| A woman died after a Southwest Airlines jet suffered engine failure and made an emergency landing on Tuesday, marking the first accidental fatality on a domestic flight in nine years, according to the National Transportation Safety Board Flight 1380 was en route from New York City's LaGuardia International Airport to Dallas Love Field when the plane was forced to land at Philadelphia International Airport Tuesday morning.Jennifer Riordan of New Mexico died after she was partially sucked out a window near the engine, according to witnesses. Officials did not immediately confirm that account."Jennifer Riordan has passed away as a result of previously reported events on Southwest Airlines flight No. 1380," her family said in a statement. "Jennifer's vibrancy, passion and love infused our community and reached across our country. Her impact on everything and everyone she touched can never be fully measured."But foremost, she is the bedrock of our family. She and Mike wrote a love story unlike any other. Her beauty and love is evident through her children. We are so appreciative of the outpouring of support from family, friends and our community."Riordan previously worked in marketing at the University of New Mexico's Health Sciences Center."Jennifer was an amazing community leader, team member, wife and mother," Dr. Paul Roth, chancellor for Health Sciences Center, said in a statement. "Her passion for our community, our students and our future was unwavering. We are committed to carrying on her work to ensure quality education and career opportunities to New Mexico's youth. Our thoughts and prayers remain with her family during this difficult time. She will be forever missed by her Lobo family."Passenger Matt Tranchin said the flight took a turn when he saw a "huge explosion and glass shattering three rows ahead of me.""Flight attendants rushed up," he said. "There was momentary chaos. Everyone kind of descended on where this hole was. As passengers, we weren't sure if they were trying to cover up the hole, but the plane smelled like smoke. There was ash coming through the ventilation system.""We started dropping," Tranchin told ABC station WPVI in Philadelphia. "Some of the crew couldn't hold back their horror. And some were crying as they looked out through the open window onto the engine."Passengers posted photos from inside showing descended oxygen masks, a blown-out window and the remains of an engine.Jim Demetros, a passenger who said he was about three rows ahead of where the engine failed, told ABC News everybody was looking at "the woman who was sitting next to the window that had blown out.""It was a pretty harrowing experience," he said, adding that the "crew did fantastic job ... keeping everyone calm."Another passenger, Cassie Adams, said she was sitting "right over the engine" and could see the damage immediately after it failed.A few minutes after the oxygen masks came down, the window two rows behind where Adams was sitting blew out, "and the woman was sucked out," she told ABC News."Two brave men immediately responded and helped grab her and tried to pull her back in," Adams said.The men were able to pull her back in and performed CPR on her, Adams said. One of them then stood in front of the broken window so no one else would get hurt, she said, adding that she thought "the plane was going down.""It was terrifying," Adams said. "Those men are heroes."Another passenger, a woman from Albuquerque, New Mexico, also confirmed that a female passenger was "partially sucked out of the window.""I talked to the guy who pulled her back in, and he said that ... her head, when she flew out the window, hit the window and she died on impact," the woman told ABC affiliate KOAT . "And then there was a nurse who helped to pull her back in, but before we knew what was really going on you could feel the plane instantly dropping."Seven people suffered minor injuries and weren't taken to hospitals, officials said. The NTSB said 144 passengers and five crew members were on board.Southwest Airlines Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly expressed gratitude that no one else was seriously injured, but described the passenger's death as a "tragic loss.""This is a sad day, and our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased customer," Kelly said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.Kelly said he was not aware of any issues with the Boeing 737, which was last inspected on Sunday. No issues with the plane or engine were reported at that time, he said, calling the Boeing 737 the "workhorse of the airline industry ."The engine that failed had gone through 40,000 cycles, Kelly said, adding that it had been 10,000 cycles since it was last overhauled. Engines are typically overhauled after 30,000 cycles, Kelly said.Today's accident appears to be the first of its kind for the company, Kelly said. "To my knowledge, it's the first time we have lost a window."Kelly commended the crew and described the flight's captain as "very experienced," adding that he started at the company in 1994 and has been a captain "for well over a decade.""They did their jobs superbly today," Kelly added.NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt described the emergency as engine failure. The crew reported damage to the main body of the plane, an engine and a window, the Federal Aviation Administration said.Kelly said in a statement that the victim's family are the company's "immediate and primary concern and we will do all that we can to support them during this difficult time and the difficult days ahead.""I'm immensely grateful there are no other reports of injuries but truly this is a tragic loss," Kelly said. "Please join us in offering thoughts and prayers and support to all of those affected by today's tragedy."In a statement, Boeing expressed its "deepest condolences" to the victim's family.The runway was closed for more than two hours before reopening.The NTSB and the FAA still are investigating, and Boeing said it is providing technical help to the investigation, with which Southwest is cooperating.The NTSB has asked witnesses with videos or images to contact the agency directly via email.The last accidental domestic airline fatality was in 2009, when Colgan 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 on board and a person on the ground. ||||| (CNN) — For 20 minutes, the Southwest Airlines jet was a normal flight from New York to Dallas with 149 people aboard. The plane was flying at 32,500 feet Tuesday morning as passengers settled in for the three-hour flight. Suddenly, alarms blared in the cockpit as what sounded like an explosion boomed from the left side of the plane. Oxygen masks swiftly dropped from the ceiling. What followed was a terrifying sequence of events that ended with one woman dead, seven people injured and an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport. Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 took off from LaGuardia Airport at 10:27 a.m. and landed in Philadelphia about 11:23 a.m. The Boeing 737 was headed to Dallas with 144 passengers and five crew members. For about 20 minutes, everything seemed calm. Then “a loud boom” suddenly jolted the plane, passenger Marty Martinez said. “About five seconds later, all the oxygen masks deployed,” he said. “I immediately knew something was wrong. It just didn’t register what could have been.” Something in the engine broke apart midair and burst through the window, passengers said. A woman was pulled toward the hole where the window once had been as passengers struggled to pull her back in. “Everybody was going crazy, and yelling and screaming,” Martinez said. “As the plane is going down, I am literally purchasing internet just so I can get some kind of communication to the outside world.” As the plane quickly descended and passengers continued scrambling to pull the woman away from the window, other passengers stuffed clothes and jackets into the hole, said Martinez, who was sitting two rows away from the woman. Those items got sucked out of the plane, too, he said. “We could feel the air from the outside coming in, and then we had smoke kind of coming in the window,” Martinez said. In the chaos, it was hard to hear anyone. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 estimated the plane descended from 31,684 feet to 10,000 feet in about five minutes. “It was very loud, so announcements from the pilot or any other crew would not have been heard,” passenger Amy Serafini said. Passenger Matt Tranchin watched the commotion as people tried to help. “Everyone kind of descended on where this hole was,” he said. He thought about his family and whether he’d see them again. The thoughts were terrifying. “That I’ll never live to see my son born. That I’ll never be able to say goodbye to my wife, say goodbye to my parents. But I am. I feel really very fortunate for that,” he told CNN affiliate WPVI. After trying to pull the woman back for several minutes, a man in a cowboy hat and a second man finally got her into her seat, Serafini said. “We started CPR on the lady, which we continued for about 20 minutes. We were still doing CPR when the plane landed,” Peggy Williams said. “We made every effort that we could possibly make to save this woman’s life.” Martinez said it was a rough landing, and he wasn’t sure if the plane was going to crash. The jet could have been landing on a freeway for all he knew, he said. “I didn’t know if we were going to be running into a building. I didn’t know what state the plane or even the pilot was in, if we were in condition to land,” he said. “Finally when we … came to a halt, of course, the entire crowd was (in) tears and people crying and we were just thankful to be alive.” Before the plane landed, the pilot asked the air traffic controller to send medics to meet it on the tarmac. “Injured passengers OK, and is your airplane physically on fire?” the air traffic controller asked. “No, it’s not on fire, but part of it is missing. They said there’s a hole and that someone went out,” the pilot responded. “Um, I’m sorry, you said there was a hole and somebody went out? Southwest 1380, it doesn’t matter we will work it out there,” the air traffic controller said. The controller asked other planes to prepare for the airport to be shut down. The National Transportation Safety Board said a preliminary look at the engine shows one of its 24 fan blades was missing. There was evidence of metal fatigue where the blade attached to a hub, according to NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt. “In aviation, there should be inspection techniques and procedures in place to detect something like that. What we want to find out is why was this not detected ahead of time,” Sumwalt told CNN on Wednesday. Metal fatigue is not something that could be seen at a glance, and because it was internal, even a careful maintenance inspection from outside the engine may have missed it, he said. The fan blade spins at several thousand revolutions per minute, so when it was “liberated,” Sumwalt said, it basically broke into shrapnel. It was not an explosion, he said, likening it more to a car’s combustion engine throwing a rod, which bangs around the engine. “More than likely, when the engine fan blade separated, it caused the cowling to separate and end up in this small town northwest of the airport,” he said. The cowling was found about 70 miles from where the plane landed. The FBI has asked anyone who find parts of the aircraft to contact the agency’s Allentown, Pennsylvania, office. On Wednesday, Pennsylvania State Police secured a hunk of debris found 8 miles north of Reading, near Blue Marsh Lake. Sumwalt said Wednesday afternoon that no material from the broken window was found inside the plane, and investigators don’t know how it broke. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said the plane was inspected Sunday, but he had no details on what parts were examined. “I’m not aware of any issues with the airplane or any issues with the engine involved,” he said. Sumwalt told CNN that Kelly assured him Tuesday night that Southwest will be conducting “an aggressive ultrasonic inspection campaign for their entire fleet.” The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder have been sent to Washington, Sumwalt said. The woman killed was identified as Jennifer Riordan, 43. She worked for Wells Fargo in Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to the bank. Southwest said hers was the first in-flight death in company history. “This is a sad day and our hearts go out to the family and the loved ones of the deceased customer,” Kelly said. “We will do all that we can to support them during this very difficult time.” In a statement, Wells Fargo called her “a well-known leader who was loved and respected.” She is survived by two children and her husband, Michael Riordan, who was once the chief operating officer for the city of Albuquerque, CNN affiliate KOAT reported. Her family said in a statement that her impact on those she touched “can never be fully measured.” “She is the bedrock of our family. She and Mike wrote a love story unlike any other. Her beauty and love is evident through her children,” the statement said. “In her memory, please remember to always be kind, loving, caring and sharing.” ||||| Obtained by ABC News(PHILADELPHIA) — Jennifer Riordan, a bank executive, community leader and mother of two, died Tuesday when her Southwest Airlines flight blew an engine in midair and its debris smashed a cabin window. Riordan of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was among 144 passengers and five crew members on board when the Boeing 737 suffered an engine failure some 20 minutes after takeoff from New York’s LaGuardia International Airport, while en route to Dallas Love Field Airport, according to authorities. Two passengers managed to pull Riordan back inside when she was partially sucked out of the shattered window, according to witnesses. She was given CPR while the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport. Riordan was transported to a nearby hospital where she later died, though officials did not immediately confirm a cause of death. She leaves behind a husband, Michael Riordan, as well as two children. “Jennifer Riordan has passed away as a result of previously reported events on Southwest Airlines flight No. 1380,” her family said in a statement. “Jennifer’s vibrancy, passion and love infused our community and reached across our country. Her impact on everything and everyone she touched can never be fully measured. But foremost, she is the bedrock of our family. She and Mike wrote a love story unlike any other. Her beauty and love is evident through her children.” In addition to being a wife and mother, Riordan was vice president of community relations at Wells Fargo in Albuquerque, where she was “loved and respected,” according to a company statement. “The Wells Fargo family is saddened to learn of the death of our friend and colleague Jennifer Riordan – a community relations leader in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was a well-known leader who was loved and respected,” according to the statement. After graduating from the University of New Mexico, Riordan worked in media relations and marketing at the school’s Health Sciences Center, according to colleagues. “Jennifer was an amazing community leader, team member, wife and mother,” Paul Roth, chancellor for University of New Mexico’s Health Sciences Center, said in a statement posted to Facebook. “Her passion for our community, our students and our future was unwavering. We are committed to carrying on her work to ensure quality education and career opportunities to New Mexico’s youth.” Riordan became a key member of the Albuquerque community through her “leadership and philanthropic efforts,” Mayor Tim Keller. “Albuquerque lost a thoughtful leader who has long been part of the fabric of our community,” Keller said in a statement posted on social media. “This is a tremendous and tragic loss for Jennifer’s family and many others throughout our city. Her leadership and philanthropic efforts made this a better place every day and she will be terribly missed.” The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating Tuesday’s incident. Boeing said it is providing technical help to the investigation, with which Southwest Airlines is cooperating. ||||| An engine cowling belonging to the Southwest Airlines jet that blew an engine in mid-air Tuesday -- killing one passenger -- has been found in Bernville, Pa., about 70 miles west of Philadelphia, the National Transportation Safety Board said late Tuesday. The deadly mid-air engine blast at 30,000 feet forced the Boeing 737 to an emergency landing, WFMZ-TV reported. Seven other passengers were injured from flying shrapnel on the New York-to-Dallas flight A preliminary investigation reportedly showed signs that one of the engine’s fan blades had separated and induced “metal fatigue,” NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said. The engine will be examined further to understand what caused the failure. An investigation could take 12 to 15 months, officials said. Photos of the plane on the tarmac showed a missing window and a chunk gone from the left engine, including part of its cover. As a precaution, Southwest said Tuesday night that it will inspect similar engines in its fleet over the next 30 days. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ||||| One passenger died after a Southwest Airlines flight suffered a serious engine blowout en route to Dallas from New York's La Guardia airport, reports said. The Boeing 737-700 was forced to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia following the major engine failure. Seven passengers were reportedly injured in the accident. The explosion happened when the Southwest Flight 1380 was flying at about 30,000 feet. The flight's left engine exploded with such force that it pierced the fuselage (main body of the aircraft) with a shrapnel and led to breaking a window in the passenger cabin. The deceased female passenger has been identified as Jennifer Riordan, 43, mother of two. She was the vice president of community relations at Wells Fargo in Albuquerque. Following the mishap, Southwest Airlines issued a statement, saying: "We are aware that Southwest flight #1380 from New York La Guardia (LGA) to Dallas Love Field (DAL) has diverted to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). We are in the process of transporting Customers and Crew into the terminal. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-700, has 143 Customers and five Crewmembers onboard. We are in the process of gathering more information. Safety is always our top priority at Southwest Airlines, and we are working diligently to support our Customers and Crews at this time." While describing the incident, one passenger named Marty Martinez told CBSN, "There was blood everywhere. Everybody was crying and upset. You had a few passengers that were very strong and they kept yelling to people, you know, 'It's OK, we're going to do this.'" Martinez also had the access to WiFi. Hence he started doing a Facebook Live and also posted a couple of pictures of the flight's condition. "It was the most terrifying experience," Martinez told CBSN. "I mean, to think that as I'm going down and people are jumping in my live feed and I'm like 'the plane's going down' and I'm just thinking that at any moment now my internet could cut out and that would be that's it." Another passenger Amanda Bourman told CBSN, "I just remember holding my husband's hand, and we just prayed and prayed and prayed. And the thoughts that were going through my head, of course, were about my daughters, just wanting to see them again and give them a big hug so they wouldn't grow up without parents." Some other flight passengers also took to social media to share some footage and details about the incident. Southwest CEO Cary C. Kelly reportedly said that the airline will soon start an thorough inspection. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Jennifer Riordan died after being partially sucked out of the window A woman who was partially sucked out of a window of a US passenger plane after an engine exploded in mid-air has died. Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 made an emergency landing in Philadelphia after a window, wings and fuselage were damaged. Seven passengers were injured. Initial findings say an engine fan blade was missing. In a recording, one of the pilots can be heard saying "there is a hole and someone went out". The last passenger death on a US commercial flight was in 2009. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Video shows exploded plane engine The Boeing 737-700 had been en route from New York's La Guardia airport to Dallas, Texas, with 143 passengers and five crew when the incident happened. Witnesses say an engine on the plane's left side blew, smashing a window and causing cabin depressurisation that nearly sucked the woman out of the aircraft. She was pulled back in by other passengers. Image copyright United Way of Central New Mexico Image caption Jennifer Riordan was a mother-of-two and bank vice-president The plane made a safe landing at 11:20 (15:20 GMT), fire officials said. The victim was Jennifer Riordan, a mother-of-two and bank vice-president at Wells Fargo in Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. In the air traffic control recording released by NBC News, pilot Tammie Jo Shults is heard saying: "We have a part of the aircraft missing, so we're going to need to slow down a bit." Asked if the plane is on fire, she says it is not but adds: "They said there is a hole and someone went out." Image copyright Twitter/ @mtranchin Image caption Passenger images shows a broken window and oxygen masks deployed The former Navy pilot was at the controls when the plane landed. The US Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said a preliminary investigation had revealed that an engine fan blade was missing and there was evidence of metal fatigue at the point where it had apparently broken off. NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said part of the cowling - the engine's covering - was found in Bernville, Pennsylvania, about 70 miles (112km) from Philadelphia. "It is very unusual so we are taking this event extremely seriously," he said, adding that the investigation could take 12 to 15 months. Mr Sumwalt told reporters the type of engine, a CFM56, is "very widely used in commercial transport". Southwest Airlines said it was accelerating its inspection programme for CFM56 engines "out of an abundance of caution" and said inspections should be completed over the next 30 days. In a statement, Southwest said it was "devastated" and extended sympathy to all those affected by the "tragic event". The Philadelphia Fire Department said one passenger had been taken to hospital in a critical condition while seven other people were treated for minor injuries at the scene. Image copyright Reuters Image caption NTSB investigators say a fan blade apparently broke off in the engine Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel told a news conference that passengers and crew "did some pretty amazing things under very difficult circumstances". First responders "found a fuel leak and small fire in one of the engines", he said, adding that they used foam to extinguish the flames. 'Loud bang' Images have been shared on social media showing passengers sitting in oxygen masks as the plane shudders around them. "All of a sudden, we heard this loud bang, rattling..." said one passenger. "It just shredded the left-side engine completely... it was scary," Kristopher Johnson told CNN. Timothy Bourman, a pastor from New York City, told the Philadelphia Inquirer he had been sitting in the rear of the plane when he heard a loud boom. "All the sudden, it felt like we dropped 100 feet," he said. "We were kind of out of control for a while. It seemed like the pilot was having a hard time controlling the plane. Honestly I think we just all thought we were going down." When flight attendants told passengers to brace for impact, Mr Bourman said he and his wife worried for the worst. "We're just all really thankful to be alive right now," he said. "Thankful to God, thankful to that pilot." Passenger Marty Martinez posted a brief Facebook live with the caption: "Something is wrong with our plane! It appears we are going down! Emergency landing!! Southwest flight from NYC to Dallas!!" After landing, he told CBS News that it felt like the plane was "free-falling", and added that he saw one injured woman being taken off the plane by rescuers. "There was blood everywhere," he said. "First there was an explosion and then almost immediately the oxygen masks came down and probably within a matter of 10 seconds the engine hit a window and busted it wide open." ||||| The National Transportation Safety Board yesterday inspected the wrecked engine of a Southwest Airlines Co jet that blew up in mid air, killing a passenger in the first deadly US commercial airline accident in nine years. NTSB officials retrieved the flight data recorder from the Boeing 737-700, which will be sent to Washington for review, as airlines around the world stepped up inspection of engines on that model of aircraft. Southwest Flight 1380, which took off from New York for Dallas, Texas, with 144 passengers and five crew members aboard, made an emergency landing in Philadelphia on Tuesday after an engine on the plane ripped apart, killing bank executive Jennifer Riordan, 43. It was the second incident involving a failure of the same sort of engine, the CFM56, made by a partnership of France’s Safran and General Electric, on a Southwest jet in the past two years. The airline said it would inspect the fan blades of CFM56 engines on all of its 737 jets within 30 days. Passengers described scenes of panic as a piece of shrapnel from the engine shattered a window on the aircraft, almost sucking a female passenger out. “All I could think of in that moment was, I need to communicate with my loved ones,” passenger Marty Martinez told ABC’s Good Morning America yesterday. During the incident, he logged on to the plane’s in-flight WiFi service to send messages to his family. “I thought, these are my last few moments on Earth and I want people to know what happened,” Martinez said. ||||| An engine cowling belonging to the Southwest Airlines jet that blew an engine in mid-air Tuesday — killing one passenger — has been found in Bernville, Pa., about 70 miles west of Philadelphia, the National Transportation Safety Board said late Tuesday. The deadly mid-air engine blast at 30,000 feet forced the Boeing 737 to an emergency landing, WFMZ-TV reported. Seven other passengers were injured from flying shrapnel on the New York-to-Dallas flight A preliminary investigation reportedly showed signs that one of the engine’s fan blades had separated and induced “metal fatigue,” NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said. The engine will be examined further to understand what caused the failure. An investigation could take 12 to 15 months, officials said. Photos of the plane on the tarmac showed a missing window and a chunk gone from the left engine, including part of its cover. As a precaution, Southwest said Tuesday night that it will inspect similar engines in its fleet over the next 30 days. The Associated Press contributed to this report. |||||
• One passenger has died as a result.
• Shares of the airline fell to session lows on the news, and are now down 1.9%. Shares of Southwest Airlines are sliding late Tuesday after the National Transporation Safety Board chairman Robert Sumwalt announced at a press conference that one person died as a result of the uncontained engine failure on flight 1380 from LaGuardia Airport in New York to Love Field in Dallas. The failure, which caused the front of the engine to disintegrate, sprayed shrapnel that penetrated the cabin of the Boeing 737-700, causing the jet to depressurize. According to Philadelphia fire commissioner Adam Thiel, seven other passengers were treated for minor injuries. Tuesday's sell-off has Southwest shares flirting with their lowest close since November. They would need to close below $53.50 in order to do so. Southwest Airlines is down 16.7% this year.
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A passenger jet suffers an uncontained engine failure during a flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Dallas Love Field in Dallas, Texas. One passenger is killed. The aircraft diverts to Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Reuters The summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in next week could result in a historic announcement of an end to the 68-year Korean War, according to a report. The South Korean newspaper Munhwa Ilbo cited an unnamed intelligence source as saying the summit scheduled for April 27 — the first time the leaders will meet face-to-face — could result in a peace announcement. North Korea and South Korea have technically been at war since 1950 because that conflict ended in a cease-fire rather than a peace treaty. The Munhwa Ilbo report follows weeks of planning by North Korea and South Korea that kicked off with a display of thawed tensions at the Winter Olympics. Since then, Kim is said to have expressed an unprecedented willingness to talk with South Korea and discuss denuclearization with the US. He has also traveled outside North Korea for the first time since assuming power in 2011, meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. North Korea has also recently seen diplomatic delegations and K-pop bands visit — Kim even sat in on a performance in Pyongyang that he apparently loved. North Korea also sent Kim's sister to the Olympics and upgraded the status of his wife, Ri Sol Ju, from "comrade" to "revered first lady" in a what could be a bid to create a cult of personality around her. The US has projected a wait-and-see attitude about the talks and vowed to not let up on economic or military pressure on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, though in the past year it has scaled back or delayed some scheduled joint military exercises with South Korea. South Korean diplomats have repeatedly said North Korea maintains a willingness to denuclearize, but experts remain skeptical that North Korea would actually do so, saying it has entered into negotiations in the past that fell apart when it came time to inspect nuclear sites. However, relations with North Korea have shifted in the past year since US President Donald Trump threatened " fire and fury" in response to nuclear provocations and Pyongyang spoke of firing missiles near US forces in Guam and detonating nukes in the sky. ||||| U.S. Secretary of State nominee and CIA Director Mike Pompeo made a secret visit to North Korea over the Easter weekend and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss a planned summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. Pompeo’s trip made him the most senior U.S. official ever known to have met with Kim and provided the strongest sign yet to Trump’s willingness to become the first serving U.S. president ever to meet a North Korean leader. Pompeo’s conversations fueled Trump’s belief that productive negotiations were possible with North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, but far from guaranteed, according to a U.S. senior official briefed on the trip. The visit, a second U.S. official said, was arranged by South Korean intelligence chief Suh Hoon with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Yong Chol, and was intended to assess whether Kim was prepared to hold serious talks. Pompeo, one of Trump’s most trusted advisers, returned to report that it was worth continuing to pursue the possibility of a summit, but added that no site had been selected from lists of options, and consequently no logistical arrangements had been made so far, the second official said. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump said earlier on Tuesday the United States was engaged in direct talks at “extremely high levels” with North Korea to try to set up a summit between him and Kim. He sowed some confusion by suggesting he had been speaking to Kim directly, but later clarified by saying: “Let’s leave it a little bit short of the highest level.” Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders added: “The president said the administration has had talks at the highest levels and added that they were not with him directly.” Asked about Pompeo, she said: “The administration does not comment on the CIA director’s travel.” Pompeo told his Senate confirmation hearing for the post of secretary of state this week he was optimistic a course could be set at a Trump-Kim summit for a diplomatic outcome with North Korea, but added that no one was under any illusion that a comprehensive deal could be reached at that meeting. Pompeo said the aim of the summit would be “an agreement … such that the North Korean leadership will step away from its efforts to hold America at risk with nuclear weapons” and that Pyongyang should not expect rewards until it takes irreversible steps. Pompeo’s trip made him the most senior U.S. official to visit North Korea since then-intelligence chief James Clapper in 2014. The news came after Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe opened two days of talks at the president’s Mar-a-Lago retreat in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump said he believed there was a lot of goodwill in the diplomatic push with North Korea, but added it was possible the summit – first proposed in March and which the president said could take place in late May or early June – may not happen. Efforts to arrange the unprecedented meeting have helped ease tensions over Pyongyang’s development of nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States. Kim has agreed to discuss denuclearization, according to U.S. and South Korean officials. “I really believe there’s a lot of goodwill; a lot of good things are happening,” Trump told reporters. “As I always say, we’ll see what happens, because ultimately it’s the end result that matters, not the fact that we’re thinking about having a meeting or having a meeting.” Trump, who has exchanged bellicose threats with Kim in the past year, said U.S. officials were looking at five locations for a meeting. Asked if any of those were in the United States, Trump replied: “No.” A U.S. official said sites in Southeast Asia and Europe were among those under discussion. Kim has rarely left North Korea. Speculation has centered on a range of sites including Pyongyang, the demilitarized zone between the Koreas, Stockholm, Geneva and Mongolia. Talks between Trump and Abe are largely focused on the prospective summit as Japan seeks a U.S. commitment that any denuclearization deal with Kim will include not just long-range missiles but those that could be aimed at Japan. Reflecting the closeness of their ties, the Trump-Abe meetings included a walk around the carefully manicured grounds of the beachfront club and dinner on the patio with their wives. A round of golf was planned for Wednesday. “For the North Korean issue, I’d like to underscore the importance of achieving the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization, as well as the abandonment of missile programs of North Korea,” Abe told Trump. Abe also obtained an agreement from Trump to bring up the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, a highly emotive issue for the Japanese. Trump stressed that he and Abe were united. “Japan and ourselves are locked, and we are very unified on the subject of North Korea,” he said. Trump said it was possible diplomatic efforts to arrange a Kim summit would fall short and if it did not happen, the United States and its allies would maintain pressure on Pyongyang through sanctions. “It’s possible things won’t go well and we won’t have the meetings and we’ll just continue to go on this very strong path we have taken,” he said. Trump also backed efforts between South Korea and the North aimed at ending a state of war that has existed between the two countries since 1953. “People don’t realize the Korean War has not ended. It’s going on right now. And they are discussing an end to the war. Subject to a deal, they have my blessing and they do have my blessing to discuss that,” he said. Trump and Abe could use a successful summit to give themselves a political boost at home. Trump has been hounded by controversies linked to an investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, and Abe is struggling with declining popularity because of scandals over suspected cronyism. Trump has forged close ties with Abe during his 15 months in power and the two have bonded over rounds of golf during Abe’s last visit to Florida more than a year ago and Trump’s visit to Tokyo last November. Japan fears Trump will try to link vital security matters with touchy trade topics. Tokyo is eager to avoid being pushed into talks on a two-way free trade agreement aimed not only at market access but at currency policies, something South Korea recently accepted when it renegotiated a trade deal with the United States. Another irritant on trade is that Japan has not been given an exemption to tariffs on steel and aluminum exports to the United States, unlike the European Union, Canada and Mexico. ||||| SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (NYTIMES) - Kim Jong Un, North Korea's leader, plans to formally announce his willingness to denuclearise his country when he meets with President Moon Jae In of South Korea this month, an official from the South said on Tuesday (April 17). The statement is expected to be part of a joint declaration that the two leaders will adopt when they meet on April 27, said Moon's chief of staff, Im Jong Seok. Negotiators from both Koreas have agreed on a rough framework for the joint declaration, he said. They are still discussing other aspects of the joint statement, such as whether the two Koreas would commit to holding further summit meetings on a regular basis, Im said. South Korea is also trying to persuade North Korea that Moon and Kim should hold a joint news conference at the end of their meeting in Panmunjom, the so-called truce village on the inter-Korean border. If necessary, Moon's national security adviser, Chung Eui Yong, and his spy chief, Suh Hoon, will visit the North Korean capital of Pyongyang again to resolve any significant issues before the summit meeting, Im said. When Chung and Suh visited Kim last month as Moon's special envoys, Kim told them he would be willing to discuss giving up his nuclear weapons if his government no longer felt threatened militarily and its security was guaranteed. "Although the special envoys have already confirmed a willingness to denuclearise, it will make a difference if the two heads of state will meet and more clearly confirm it and make it a formal statement," Im told reporters on Tuesday. More talks are needed to determine how specific the declaration would be about denuclearisation, said Im, who is in charge of the South Korean officials preparing for the summit meeting. But he said the joint statement would be broad and fairly "abstract," because any substantial deal on the North's nuclear weapons must be struck between Kim and President Donald Trump. Trump has said he plans to meet with Kim in May or early June to try to persuade him to dismantle his nuclear weapons program. Moon, whose envoys brought Trump the message that Kim wanted to talk, has tried to be a mediator between the American and North Korean leaders, viewing his own meeting with Kim as laying the groundwork for the more important one to follow. North Korean and US officials have also been engaged in talks in preparation for their leaders' meeting, during which US officials have said the North reaffirmed a willingness to discuss denuclearisation. But it is still unclear what Kim would seek in return for abandoning nuclear arms, and whether those demands would be acceptable to Washington. When Kim met with President Xi Jinping of China late last month, he called for "phased" and "synchronised" implementation of any denuclearisation deal. Under such an approach, which North Korea has sought in past talks about its nuclear programs, the North would dismantle its program in stages, with each one met by an incentive, like an easing of international sanctions. Some American hard-liners reject such an approach, saying that the North has no real intention of giving up nuclear weapons and is only seeking relief from sanctions. The US National Security Advisor John Bolton made that argument last month before his appointment by Trump. According to South Korean officials and analysts, Moon hopes for a "comprehensive deal," in which Kim commits to dismantling his nuclear arsenal and Trump reciprocates with security guarantees for the North, including normalised ties and a peace treaty with Washington. "When our special envoys visited Pyongyang, the mood was not bad, and we understand that the North Koreans and the Americans are both engaged in sincere discussions, so we are optimistic about the inter-Korean summit," Im said. "But we could face obstacles any time." ||||| Since the Korean War ended with a truce instead of a peace treaty in 1953, North and South Korea have technically been at war. Now, according to a unidentified South Korean official, the two countries are discussing plans to announce an official end to the conflict, South Korean newspaper Munhwa Ilbo reported Tuesday. A South Korean official said the South hopes the North will “confirm a commitment to give up its nuclear program” during a summit between the two countries scheduled for April 27. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are set to meet in the border village of Panmunjom — the first summit to take place since 2007, Reuters reported. It will also mark the first time a North Korean leader has set foot in the South since the Korean War. South Korean presidential chief of staff Im Jon told reporters that lawmakers from the two Koreas are negotiating what will be said in a joint statement to be released at the summit’s end. The statement would most likely focus on denuclarization and peace on the Korean peninsula, as well as an improvement in relations with other nations like the United States, Reuters reported. “This summit is significant because it will set the stage for the North Korea-U.S. summit, and even a possible three-way summit between the countries,” Im said. “Without U.S. support and agreement, it will be difficult to follow through on inter-Korean agreements.” In March, South Korea’s national security adviser said Kim was committed to denuclearization and expressed willingness to meet with President Donald Trump. If Trump and Kim meet in May or June as expected, it would mark the first meeting between two sitting leaders of the two countries. “Even though our special envoys confirmed his denuclearisation will, it is entirely different if the two leaders confirm it directly among themselves and put that into text,” Im said. RELATED: KJU to Trump: We’re Ready To Discuss Abandoning Our Nukes “We expect the summit will confirm the denuclearisation will (of North Korea), and hope to have a comprehensive agreement with the North on the matter.” Seoul-based university professor John Delury told Bloomberg that negotiating a peace treaty could be as complicated as denuclearization. “Ending the state of conflict is the core of the whole thing. Peace is as complicated as denuclearization,” Delury said. “There also has to be a process of actually delivering the peace.” What do you think? Scroll down to comment below. ||||| Trump last month that accepted an invitation from Kim, delivered through a visiting South Korea delegation, to meet. No U.S. leader has ever visited North Korea while serving in the Oval Office. Former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton traveled to the country on peacekeeping missions, but both Democrats had been out of the White House for years before making their trip. Much of Trump's meetings this week with Abe have centered around regional security and his plans to meet with Kim. Sitting alongside Abe at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump said Tuesday that U.S. officials had been holding direct talks with the North Korean government at "extremely high levels" ahead of his planned meeting with Kim. He did not elaborate on who was taking part in the meetings or whether the meetings included Kim himself. Trump's confirmation that the two governments were speaking directly revealed some of the most sustained communication between the two nations in over half a century. "We have had direct talks at very high levels, extremely high levels with North Korea," Trump told reporters. "And I really believe there is a lot of good will, lot of good things are happening." Trump said Tuesday that the meetings could take place in late May or early June and that they are considering five possible locations. However, finding a location has been one of the biggest logistical challenges. It was previously thought that Kim would never agree to leave North Korea given his lack of diplomatic experience and comfort level at home. Other possible locations present significant security concerns. Late last month, Kim, 34, stunned regional officials and experts alike when he journeyed by train for what amounted to a secret trip to neighboring China. His meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping served as his international debut, marking his first trip outside North Korea since taking power in 2011, and his first meeting with another head of state. Pompeo,a hawkish Tea Party conservative from Kansas, said during his confirmation hearing last week that "no one is under any illusions" that the planned summit between Trump and Kim will achieve a comprehensive agreement on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Trump, a foreign policy novice, took an unconventional path to reaching the point of direct talks with North Korea. Diplomatic efforts had waned late last year amid the president's war of words with the North Korean leader. He warned that Kim would be met with “fire and fury” and dubbed him “little rocket man.” However, earlier this year, South Korea made some breakthroughs with its warring neighbor after a series of meetings and discussions that resulted in North Korea sending athletes to compete in the Winter Olympics in South Korea. Athletes from the two countries entered the Olympic arena in Pyeongchang under a unified flag, signaling the potential for warmer ties. South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong – who communicated Kim's interest in meeting Trump during a visit to Washington last month – said Wednesday that it will consider negotiating an end to the decades-old Korean War if North Korea commits to denuclearization. No peace treaty has been signed to replace the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War. The increasing isolation of North Korea over the decades, plus its pursuit of uranium enrichment, has been a great source of concern for countries in the region, including Japan. Trump said Tuesday that the two Koreas "have my blessing" to end the ongoing war. ||||| REPORT: North Korea, South Korea Set To Announce Official End To 64-Year-Long War Hostilities on the Korean peninsula ended on July 27, 1953, but the war didn’t. On that day, the U.S., North Korea and China signed an armistice agreement designed to “insure a complete cessation of hostilities and of all acts of armed force in Korea until a final peaceful settlement is achieved,” according to the agreement. Now, though, North and South Korea are reportedly in talks to permanently end the war, daily newspaper Munhwa Ilbo reported Tuesday, according to CNBC. Ahead of a summit next week between North Korean premier Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, lawmakers from the neighboring states were thought to be negotiating the details of a joint statement that could outline an end to the confrontation. Kim and Moon could also discuss returning the heavily-fortified demilitarized zone separating them to its original state, the newspaper said. Pyongyang and Seoul have technically been at war since the 1950-1953 Korean conflict ended with a truce — and not a peace treaty. Geopolitical tensions have occasionally flared up since the armistice, although to date both countries have managed to avoid another devastating conflict. – READ MORE ||||| U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Mike Pompeo, the current CIA director and his nominee to be the top U.S. diplomat, formed a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un when they met in secret. Pompeo became the most senior U.S. official known to have met Kim when he visited Pyongyang to discuss a planned summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. “Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea last week. Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed. Details of Summit are being worked out now. Denuclearization will be a great thing for World, but also for North Korea!” Trump said on Twitter. Pompeo’s visit and the Tweet provide the strongest sign yet about Trump’s willingness to become the first serving U.S. president ever to meet a North Korean leader, amid a protracted standoff over the North’s nuclear and missile programs it pursues in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. At the same time, old rivals North Korea and South Korea are preparing for their own summit, between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, on April 27, with a bid to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War a major factor in talks. “As one of the plans, we are looking at a possibility of shifting the Korean peninsula’s armistice to a peace regime,” a top South Korean presidential official told reporters in Seoul earlier on Wednesday when asked about the North-South summit. “But that’s not a matter than can be resolved between the two Koreas alone. It requires close consultations with other concerned nations, as well as North Korea,” the official said. South Korea and a U.S.-led U.N. force are technically still at war with North Korea after the Korean War ended with a truce, not a peace treaty. The U.S.-led United Nations Command, Chinese forces and North Korea signed the 1953 armistice, to which South Korea is not a party. “I do not know if any joint statement to be reached at the inter-Korean summit would include wording about ending the war, but we certainly hope to be able to include an agreement to end hostile acts between the South and North,” the official said. Trump said on Tuesday he backed efforts between North and South Korea aimed at ending the state of war. Such discussions between the two Koreas, and between North Korea and the United States, would have been unthinkable at the end of last year, after months of escalating tension, and fear of war, over the North’s weapons programs. But then Kim declared in a New Year’s speech his country was “a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power” and called for lower military tension and improved ties with the South. He also said he was considering sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February, a visit that began a succession of steps to improve ties. Pompeo’s visit to the North was arranged by South Korean intelligence chief Suh Hoon with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Yong Chol, and was intended to assess whether Kim was prepared to hold serious talks, a U.S. official said. Pompeo flew from a U.S. air force base in Osan, south of Seoul, an official with the South’s defense ministry said. The South’s presidential office declined to comment on the trip. Amid the diplomatic flurry, CNN reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping also planned to visit Pyongyang soon, after North Korean leader Kim made a surprise trip last month to China, its major sole ally. Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she had no information about any Xi visit to North Korea. “What I can stress is that China and North Korea have a tradition of high level mutual visits,” she told reporters. “China is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges with North Korea, deepen strategic communications, expand talks and cooperation, and to bring out the important leading role of high-level contact in China-North Korea relations.” Trump said on Tuesday he believed there was a lot of goodwill in the diplomatic push with North Korea, but added it was possible the summit – first proposed in March and which the president said could take place in late May or early June – may not happen, in which case the United States and its allies would maintain pressure on North Korea through sanctions. Nevertheless, Pompeo’s conversations in North Korea had fueled Trump’s belief that productive negotiations were possible, according to a U.S. senior official briefed on the trip. The two Koreas have meanwhile been pressing ahead with preparations for the inter-Korean summit next week. South Korea’s presidential office said they had agreed to broadcast live, for the first time, parts of the summit, including the hand shake between the two leaders. ||||| SEOUL - South Korean security officials may visit North Korea to finalize details ahead for the first summit since 2007, where the South hopes the North will confirm a commitment to give up its nuclear programme, a South Korean official said on Tuesday. After meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang in March, South Korea’s national security adviser and spy chief said Kim was committed to denuclearising the Korean peninsula and had expressed a willingness to meet United States (US) President Donald Trump. The two sides are due to hold “working-level” talks on Wednesday and then South Korea’s intelligence chief, Suh Hoon, or its national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, could visit the North to finish off preparations, if deemed necessary, South Korean presidential chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, told reporters. The 27 April summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim is scheduled to take place in the border village of Panmunjom. That is expected to be followed by a meeting between Kim and Trump in late May or early June, which would mark the first meeting between sitting leaders of the two countries. “Even though our special envoys confirmed his denuclearisation will, it is entirely different if the two leaders confirm it directly among themselves and put that into text,” Im said. “We expect the summit will confirm the denuclearisation will (of North Korea), and hope to have a comprehensive agreement with the North on the matter,” he said. Reclusive North Korea has been pursuing nuclear and missile programs in defiance of United Nations (UN) Security Council sanctions. It conducted its most powerful nuclear test last year and has sought to develop a missile capable of hitting the US mainland. But Kim has changed course since the beginning of the year, sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics held in South Korea in February and agreeing to discuss with South Korea and the United States a nuclear programs the North has defended as a necessary deterrent against US invasion. The two Koreas are discussing the wording of a joint statement that could be released at the summit, Im said. Moon has been reviewing a framework of the statement which could be called the 27 April declaration or the Panmunjom declaration, he said. The statement would likely focus on issues of denuclearisation and peace on the Korean peninsula, and an improvement in relations not only between the two Koreas but also with other countries including the United States. “This summit is significant because it will set the stage for the North Korea-US summit, and even a possible three-way summit between the countries,” Im said. “Without US support and agreement, it will be difficult to follow through on inter-Korean agreements.” Any joint statement is unlikely to include economic cooperation with the North, Im said. UN Security Council sanctions imposed since North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006 and strengthened over the past decade aim to cut North Korea off from international trade. The two Koreas agreed last month to install a hotline for their leaders to help defuse military tension and facilitate consultation. The telephone line could be operational by around Friday, but it is not clear when Moon and Kim would use it the first time, Im said. The two leaders will meet at Peace House, a South Korean building inside Panmunjom, making Kim the first North Korean leader to set foot in the South since the 1950-53 Korean War. Discussions are underway about live coverage of part of the meeting, Im said. North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because the Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. The United States stations 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the conflict. ||||| SEOUL, April 18 (Reuters) - South Korea said on Wednesday it is considering how to change a decades-old armistice with North Korea into a peace agreement, as U.S. officials confirmed an unprecedented top-level meeting with the North Korean leader. U.S. Secretary of State nominee and CIA Director Mike Pompeo became the most senior U.S. official ever known to have met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un when Pompeo visited Pyongyang over a weekend at the end of March to discuss a planned summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Pompeo's visit provided the strongest sign yet about Trump's willingness to become the first serving U.S. president ever to meet a North Korean leader. At the same time, old rivals North Korea and South Korea are preparing for their own summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Kae-in on April 27, with a bid to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War a major factor in talks. "As one of the plans, we are looking at a possibility of shifting the Korean peninsula's armistice to a peace regime," a high-ranking South Korean presidential official told reporters when asked about the North-South summit. "We want to include discussions to end hostile acts between the South and North" South Korea and a U.S.-led U.N. force are technically still at war with North Korea after the Korean War ended with a truce, not a peace treaty. Such discussions between the two Koreas, and between North Korea and the United States, would have been unthinkable at the end of last year, after months of escalating tension, and fear of war, over the North's nuclear and missile programmes. But then North Korea's leader declared in a New Year´s speech his country was "a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power" and called for lower military tension and improved ties with the South. He also said he was considering sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February. A visit by a high-level North Korean delegation to the Olympics began a succession of steps to improve ties. Trump said on Tuesday he backed efforts between North and South Korea aimed at ending the state of war that has existed between their countries for so long. "People don´t realize the Korean War has not ended," Trump told reporters. "It´s going on right now. And they are discussing an end to the war. Subject to a deal, they have my blessing and they do have my blessing to discuss that." Trump said he believed there was a lot of goodwill in the diplomatic push with North Korea, but added it was possible the summit - first proposed in March and which the president said could take place in late May or early June - may not happen. If the summit did not happen, the United States and its allies would maintain pressure on Pyongyang through sanctions, he said. Nevertheless, Pompeo's conversations in North Korea had fuelled Trump´s belief that productive negotiations were possible with North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, but far from guaranteed, according to a U.S. senior official briefed on the trip. The visit, a second U.S. official said, was arranged by South Korean intelligence chief Suh Hoon with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Yong Chol, and was intended to assess whether Kim was prepared to hold serious talks. South Korean officials declined to comment on Pompeo's visit. (Additional reporting by Joyce Lee in SEOUL, John Walcott and Steve Holland in WASHINGTON Editing by Robert Birsel) ||||| SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean security officials may visit North Korea to finalise details ahead for the first summit since 2007, where the South hopes the North will confirm a commitment to give up its nuclear programme, a South Korean official said on Tuesday. After meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang in March, South Korea’s national security adviser and spy chief said Kim was committed to denuclearising the Korean peninsula and had expressed a willingness to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. The two sides are due to hold “working-level” talks on Wednesday and then South Korea’s intelligence chief, Suh Hoon, or its national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, could visit the North to finish off preparations, if deemed necessary, South Korean presidential chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, told reporters. The April 27 summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim is scheduled to take place in the border village of Panmunjom. That is expected to be followed by a meeting between Kim and Trump in late May or early June, which would mark the first meeting between sitting leaders of the two countries. “Even though our special envoys confirmed his denuclearisation will, it is entirely different if the two leaders confirm it directly among themselves and put that into text,” Im said. “We expect the summit will confirm the denuclearisation will (of North Korea), and hope to have a comprehensive agreement with the North on the matter,” he said. Reclusive North Korea has been pursuing nuclear and missile programmes in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions. It conducted its most powerful nuclear test last year and has sought to develop a missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. But Kim has changed course since the beginning of the year, sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics held in South Korea in February and agreeing to discuss with South Korea and the United States a nuclear programmes the North has defended as a necessary deterrent against U.S. invasion. The two Koreas are discussing the wording of a joint statement that could be released at the summit, Im said. Moon has been reviewing a framework of the statement which could be called the April 27 declaration or the Panmunjom declaration, he said. The statement would likely focus on issues of denuclearisation and peace on the Korean peninsula, and an improvement in relations not only between the two Koreas but also with other countries including the United States. “This summit is significant because it will set the stage for the North Korea-U.S. summit, and even a possible three-way summit between the countries,” Im said. “Without U.S. support and agreement, it will be difficult to follow through on inter-Korean agreements.” Any joint statement is unlikely to include economic cooperation with the North, Im said. U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed since North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006 and strengthened over the past decade aim to cut North Korea off from international trade. The two Koreas agreed last month to install a hotline for their leaders to help defuse military tension and facilitate consultation. The telephone line could be operational by around Friday, but it is not clear when Moon and Kim would use it the first time, Im said. The two leaders will meet at Peace House, a South Korean building inside Panmunjom, making Kim the first North Korean leader to set foot in the South since the 1950-53 Korean War. Discussions are underway about live coverage of part of the meeting, Im said. North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because the Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. The United States stations 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the conflict.
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North Korea and South Korea announce that they are planning to officially end the Korean War by writing a peace agreement. An armistice agreement was reached, ending armed conflict, in 1953. U.S. President Donald Trump called the decision to end the war a blessing.
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In the run-up to this week’s 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence, Israel Defense Forces chief of Staff Gen. Gadi Eisenkot pronounced the country “invincible.” This was a bold statement. The country faces a growing threat from Iran and its puppets in Lebanon and Gaza, and the possibility of a clash with Russia over Syria. And yet, few Israelis have disagreed with this assessment. There is mood of confidence here, and its origin lies in a doctrine of strategic defence that has proven itself over nearly a century of intermittent warfare. That doctrine was first enunciated in a 1923 article titled “The Iron Wall” by Ze’ev Jabotinsky, a visionary Zionist leader and the ideological father of the Likud. The Jews of Palestine were then a small, embattled minority. Only three years had passed since the first Arab riots in Jerusalem against them. The Jewish community’s socialist leaders hoped they could appease Arab enmity by offering economic co-operation, progress and prosperity. Jabotinsky derided this as childish, and insulting to the Arabs, who would not barter away their homeland for more bread or modern railroads. They would, he said, resist while they had a spark of hope of preventing a Jewish state. “There is only one thing the Zionists want, and that is the one thing the Arabs do not want,” he wrote. Nothing short of abandoning the Zionist project would placate Arab hostility and violence. If the Jews wanted to remain, they would have to come to terms with a harsh reality: this was a zero-sum game. There could be no peace until the Arabs accepted Israel’s right to exist. Jabotinsky saw that the Arabs (in Palestine and beyond) were far too numerous to be defeated in a single decisive war. The Jews needed to erect an iron wall of self-defence and deterrence — a metaphorical wall built of Jewish determination, immigration, material progress, strong democratic institutions and a willingness to fight. Gradually, the enemy would be forced to conclude that this wall could not be breached. The Iron Wall concept was intended to deter aggression until psychological victory was won, and extremists, “whose watchword is ‘Never!’,” were replaced by more moderate leaders willing to live peacefully with a Jewish state. David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s founding prime minister, despised Jabotinsky and his political heir, the future prime minister Menachem Begin. He certainly rejected their ideological commitment to a Jewish state on both sides of the Jordan River. In 1947, he accepted a two-state partition. The Arabs of Palestine, and their allies in the Arab world, rejected it. The war that followed created the Jewish state, but as Jabotinsky had predicted, the Arabs refused to accept it. Ben-Gurion came to the reluctant conclusion that his rival’s doctrine — deterrence by gradual demoralization of the enemy — was correct. In 1953, Ben-Gurion essentially adopted this concept (without, of course, crediting Jabotinsky). Israel would be forced to fight a long, existential war composed of many small wars. It must win each time, and use the interim to strengthen the national wall of iron by cultivating Israel’s advantages in human resources, technology and military experience. Egypt, Jordan and Syria bounced off the Iron Wall in the Six Day War of 1967. That was enough for Jordan, which withdrew permanently from armed conflict with Israel. But in 1973, Egypt and Syria tried again, launching a surprise attack that caught the IDF completely unprepared. It was their last best shot and it failed. Israel did not crumble. Four years later, Egyptian president Anwar Sadat came to Jerusalem and cut a deal with Begin. A few years later, King Hussein of Jordan followed. The rest of the Arab states have gradually come to terms with the permanence of Israel. The Palestinian Arabs have a harder time reading the writing on the Iron Wall. Palestine Liberation Organization leaders Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas have resisted any deal that would end the Palestinian “right of return,” which is a euphemism for the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a political disciple of Jabotinsky’s, has embraced the diplomatic precept of the Iron Wall doctrine and stalled until that happens. “The only way to reach an agreement in the future is to abandon all idea of seeking an agreement in the present.” In the meantime, Israel maintains its essential security doctrine. It defends its skies with an anti-missile system whose first component was dubbed “iron dome.” And the metaphorical wall has now reached outer space. “Israel’s ability to develop and launch satellites projects a clear message of national might,” says Isaac Ben-Israel, the chairman of the Israel Space Agency. “This contributes to and reinforces the image of the Iron Wall in the eyes of Israel’s enemies.” Meanwhile, back on Earth, the IDF continues to build and fortify its tangible security barriers — defences against terrorism in the West Bank and aggression along the northern front with Iran’s puppet Syria and its surrogate Hezbollah. There is also a barrier separating Israel from Gaza, where Hamas has lately been staging marches under the century-old Palestinian banner of Never! Hamas intends to march again during the Independence Day weekend. It is a futile gesture. The Iron Wall is no longer simply a metaphor. It is a description of the Jewish state itself. And, as Eisenkot says, it is invincible. Zev Chafets is a journalist and author of 14 books. He was a senior aide to Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and the founding managing editor of the Jerusalem Report Magazine.
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• Ending years of speculation, Israeli military confirms it hit Syrian nuclear site in 2007 ||||| As their country turns 70, Israelis are coming together to celebrate at beach parties from the shores of Lake Tiberias in the north down to the the southern city of Eilat. Celebrations will also take place on Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv where David Ben Gurion announced Israel's independence on May 14, 1948. In keeping with the Hebrew calendar, Israel's independence day festivities begin in April. "I am very proud of what my country is today. The state of Israel is its people, its ordinary people, who make this state," says Laura Artzi, who is out shopping on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem. For most Israelis, Independence day is first and foremost a day off to spend with family and friends, have a barbecue or watch air force jets fly over Tel Aviv. Days before, street vendors sell the Israeli flag and other items in blue and white to commemorate the day. Actor Yair Lehman is preparing to play Theodor Herzl, the father of modern political Zionism, during the Independence Day festivities. "70 years, it means on the one hand, I am glad, for all its historical reasons," he says. "But it is also a time to be worried, where is this country, the nation going from here? What will be the relationship with our neighbors, and what about all our internal disagreements?" Reminiscent of Israel's long history of wars and conflict, the renewed tensions at Israel's northern border have overshadowed this year's celebrations. The Israeli army is on high alert for a potential Iranian retaliation after an airstrike on a Syrian base last week that Russia attributed to Israel. The airstrikes the US, Britain and France carried out on Syrian military installations last Friday, in retaliation for an alleged chemical attack on civilians in the Syrian town of Douma, have added to the tension. And in the south, mass protests by Palestinians in the Gaza-Strip at the demarcation fence with Israel are expected to continue into May. Read more: US-led strikes on Syria: A move with unpredictable consequences Traditionally, the day before independence day, Israel officially mourns its fallen soldiers and victims of conflict. For many years, an "alternative" memorial day has also been held by Israeli and Palestinian civil society organizations to jointly honor their loved ones who have been killed in the conflict. The somber mood of memorial day will transition to a festive mood with a traditional torch lightning ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem to celebrate Israel's birthday. 70 years ago, Michael Shiloh was a 14-year-old pupil when he listened to David Ben Gurion's announcement of independence in Tel Aviv. Looking at pictures from that time in his home in Jerusalem, he remembers the euphoria after the speech and the singing and dancing in the streets. "This was only three years after the Holocaust. Auschwitz still existed in April of 1945," says Shiloh whose parents fled Nazi-Germany and came to what was Mandatory Palestine in 1935. "So there was this cloud over my parents head, but on the other hand, there was euphoria, there was this collective feeling, we've made it, we are safe, we have a state of our own." But that feeling did not last for long: A coalition of Arab countries, who had already rejected the UN partition plan in November 1947, attacked the new state. Ten months of fighting ended in an armistice in 1949. An estimated 700,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced or fled their towns and villages during this war, which Israel refers to as Independence War. Those Palestinians became refugees in today's occupied West Bank and Gaza and in other Arab countries they fled to like Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Only a minority stayed in today's Israel. A day after Israel celebrates its creation, Palestinians mourn the loss of their land, which they refer to as "nakba" ("catastrophe"). Since the end of March, at least 30 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded by Israeli sniper fire in the current mass protests in Gaza which have put the issue of the right of return of Palestinian refugees firmly back on the agenda. "It is a reminder to Israel, that the questions of Palestinian refugees, is still not solved, even after 70 years," says Ahmad Abu Irtema, 33, one of the young initiators of the protests from Gaza City, who insists that the majority of the events are peaceful. The small territory is home to about 1.2 million refugees and their descendants. Israel accuses Hamas which controls the Gaza Strip of using these demonstrations for its own violent means. The issue of refugees is one of the most contentious in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But beyond asking for a just solution for refugees, protesters also say they want to highlight the decade-long closure of the Gaza-Strip, as well as Israel's military occupation of Palestinian territories, which it has maintained for over 50 years. For Michael Shiloh, who went on to become a diplomat serving in Israeli missions and embassies around the world, it is the missing peace that is his main concern. He was closely involved with the team that worked on the Oslo peace negotiations in the early 1990's. "We are successful in many ways," Shiloh says. "But we didn't arrive at any arrangement; not at peace with the neighbors, not even with an interim arrangement that would give us the feeling of security and justice." Read more: When Israelis started to talk about the occupation ||||| For decades, the U.S. relationship with Israel has been sustained by a bipartisan consensus in Washington. Both Republicans and Democrats have had their own close relations with the Jewish state, and both have agreed that supporting it has been a vital national interest. Yet today we see that U.S. support for Israel is becoming an increasingly partisan issue, willfully exploited by politicians both here and in Jerusalem. This growing trend is undermining the consensus that has long made the U.S.-Israeli bond so special. If this bipartisanship is compromised, it is only a matter of time until the special relationship will be as well. The current administration is now consolidating a link between Israel and the Republican Party that its predecessors never pursued quite so single-mindedly. Here are the numbers: According to a recent Gallup poll, there is now a historically unprecedented 38-point gap between Republican and Democratic sympathy for Israel vs. the Palestinians. And this gap could widen over time as the Hispanic vote grows, younger evangelicals prioritize other concerns and the Democratic party tilts to the left. Together we have a combined total of 50 years of experience involving the U.S.-Israel partnership — and never have we felt more concerned about its prospects than we do today. Overall, Americans continue to favor Israel. But there is a growing divide between Republicans and Democrats that is fundamentally unhealthy for U.S.-Israeli ties. Bipartisan support for Israel reflected the postwar liberal moment, when Americans saw the best of themselves in looking at Israel: patriotic but pluralistic, fierce defenders of sovereignty but attentive to civil liberties and human dignity, respectful of tradition but innovative and resilient. A country that fought and won defensive wars, fair and square. A shared view of Israel made us prouder of ourselves and ready to hold ourselves to a higher standard. Support for Israel, in short, was American. Democratic supporters of Israel today long for a return to this moment. Many Republicans, especially those who have repudiated the legacy of the more traditional internationalist party of the postwar period, now tend to see Israel in terms that are more in tune with their own self-conception: wary of outsiders, belief in efficacy of unilateral action and self-reliance, subordination of humanitarian interest to strategic concerns, a majoritarian impulse that equates tribe and nation, and a preference for hard power in managing strategic challenges. None of these images of Israel has ever been entirely accurate, nor are these characteristics consistently good or bad in all circumstances. But the shattering of our shared image of Israel and its transformation into a political football — a shift that a changing Israel has encouraged — will ultimately diminish ourselves. Why? Because it deprives us of a communal symbol and shared value as our social cohesion is becoming increasingly frayed. It is also dangerous. Alliances are most vulnerable when they are perceived to be weakening. And a United States divided regarding Israel might forgo intervention on its behalf in a crisis in a way that could create doubts about U.S. reliability while forsaking a solemn commitment to a people that had passed through the gas chambers and crematoria. Israel is especially significant to American Jews, a diverse religious and ethnic community. A partisan approach to Israel essentially cuts off many American Jews from a focus of their emotional and historical roots. It devalues some American Jews while privileging others. This is deeply un-American. Israel is changing, too. It is now more religious, more right-leaning and, in some respects, less Westernized. It is also more inclined to devalue the civil liberties of Israeli Arabs and feels safer controlling the West Bank than not. And it sees increasing promise in ties to non-Western countries than to Europe and a United States that urges territorial compromise and supports a Palestinian state. There are, to be sure, offsetting factors that may slow the bipartisan unraveling. Israel remains the only democratic polity in an undemocratic region and the only nation with whom the United States shares both values and interests. And the anti-Americanism and bad behavior of any number of regional actors — Iran, al-Qaeda, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Hamas and Hezbollah — will ensure that Washington will look to Israel as a force for stability and good in the Middle East. Still, countries develop along their own unique trajectories. A century of protracted conflict, the shadow of the Holocaust, the pull of religion and nationalism, the power of demographics and an unresolved Palestinian issue have shaped the evolution of Israel's state and society and are pulling Israel in one direction. A set of different forces has produced a deeply divided America and set it moving in another uncertain direction. None of this is set in stone or hostage to inexorable forces. Pragmatic leaders with courage and vision can bend the future for good and positive change. We hope that for the sake of both countries, such leaders will emerge. It would be a tragedy for the United States and Israel and for the future of a troubled Middle East if they didn't. Aaron David Miller, a former State Department Middle East analyst and adviser in Republican and Democratic administrations, is a vice president and director of the Middle East program at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Steven Simon, a professor at Amherst College, served as senior director for the Middle East and North Africa on the National Security Council from 2011 to 2012. He is also the author of the forthcoming book "The Long Goodbye: The US and Middle East from the Islamic Revolution to the Arab Spring." Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @SoFlaOpinion or Facebook ||||| JERUSALEM — Is Israel a success as it turns 70? As Israelis commemorate the milestone this week, satisfaction and a grim disquiet share the stage. It has a standard of living that rivals Western Europe, though it lacks significant natural resources. It can boast of scientific achievements and military and technological clout beyond its modest size. It controls most of biblical Israel, and despite widespread criticism of its policies toward the Palestinians, it has cultivated good diplomatic ties with most of the world. But it’s also a country that is weary from decades of conflict with the Palestinians. It is riven by religious, ethnic and economic divisions. It is still seeking recognition in a region that has not fully come to terms with the presence of a Jewish state. Its founding declaration offers it as a “light unto the nations,” but it still is regularly accused of war crimes against Palestinians, millions of whom it has controlled for decades without the right to vote. There is no end in sight to its occupation of the West Bank, or to its crippling blockade of Hamas-ruled Gaza. The grand peace hopes of the 1990s have mostly evaporated. Israel still feels endangered, with well-armed adversaries calling for its destruction and no permanent borders. Israelis are fretting over the possibility of war with archenemy Iran, which has a military presence in neighbouring Syria. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite winning three elections since 2009, is reviled by many and faces corruption scandals. A look at Israel at 70: Fueled by a vibrant high-tech sector, Israel’s per capita GDP of almost $40,000 ranks with Italy and South Korea, and is within reach of Britain and France. But it also suffers from one of the highest levels of inequality in the developed world, and poverty is especially prevalent among its Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews. These two sectors, at nearly a third of the population and growing, risk dragging down the rest of the economy. For a country of just under 9 million, Israel has enjoyed surprising success. It counts eight living Nobel winners among its citizens and has helped give the world instant messaging, Intel chips and smart, autonomous vehicles. High-tech units in the military have made Israel a global cybersecurity powerhouse. It is in a small club of nations to have launched a satellite, and is widely believed to be among an even smaller group with nuclear weapons, although the government won’t confirm it. Israel has one of the world’s strongest air forces. It has won European basketball championships and song contests, and hit shows like “Homeland,” “In Treatment” and “Fauda” are Israeli creations. Last year’s blockbuster “Wonder Woman” — the highest-grossing live-action movie directed by a woman — starred Israeli actress Gal Gadot. Despite decades of development, Israel is still working at forging a national identity. Over a century ago, Zionists in Europe saw the Jews as a nation, not just a religion. Persecution in Europe, culminating in the Holocaust, sent European Jews pouring into the Holy Land. Soon after Israel’s establishment in 1948, they were joined by immigrants from countries like Morocco, Yemen, Iraq and Iran. These Middle Eastern, or Mizrahi, Jews had little in common with their European counterparts. They were poorer, more religious and often targets of discrimination. Three generations of integration and intermarriage have blurred the distinctions, but gaps remain. Arrivals from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia have made Israel even more diverse, yet the different communities still often keep to themselves. The entire arrangement can seem an affront to the founding idea of the Jews as a nation — yet it is also a rare feat that all of these have been forged into a Hebrew-speaking population with considerable national pride. Still, antipathy exists along cultural lines: Many Europeans, still said to account for perhaps half the Jews in Israel, cannot stand the popular Arabic-style “Mizrahi music” that in earlier days was suppressed; Moroccan-descended Culture Minister Miri Regev once boasted she does not read Chekhov. Meanwhile, nationalist lawmakers push legislation that would define Israel as the Jewish nation-state. These initiatives have faltered so far amid criticism that they would discriminate against the Arab minority of about one in five citizens. After 70 years, the place of Judaism in the Jewish state is unclear. Most Israelis are either secular or mildly religious. Yet the devout ultra-Orthodox, about 10 per cent of the population, wield disproportionate influence because right-wing coalitions never have been able to muster a majority without them. They have used their political power to shut down much of the country on Saturdays, the Jewish day of rest; obtain exemptions from compulsory military service; and gain a monopoly overseeing rituals like weddings and funerals. Their strict rules have upset the secular majority, but attempts at change frequently result in violent protests. The issue of religion has also affected relations with U.S. Jews — the largest Jewish community outside Israel and a key base of support. Israel’s Orthodox establishment repeatedly has sought to prevent inroads made by the liberal streams of Judaism popular in the U.S. Last year, it blocked plans to allow egalitarian prayer at Jerusalem’s Western Wall. Such moves have created a sense that liberal American Jews are unwelcome. They also have been disenchanted by Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. American Jews tend to be liberal and support the Democratic Party, while Netanyahu boasts close ties with President Donald Trump. After Israel declared independence, its Arab neighbours attacked it. And even after the watershed 1967 Mideast war, in which Israel captured territories from Syria, Jordan and Egypt, the Arab world refused to engage. That began to change with the 1979 peace agreement with Egypt, Israel’s first with an Arab country. Jordan followed in 1994, after Israel reached an interim peace deal with the Palestine Liberation Organization. Meanwhile, Netanyahu strengthened ties with countries like India, China and Russia. He often boasts of covert ties with moderate Arab countries — presumably Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations that share Israel’s concerns about Iran. Saudi Arabia now allows flights between Israel and India to use its airspace. But without resolution of the Palestinian issue, formal relations remain elusive. The euphoria that accompanied the interim peace accords of the mid-1990s was short-lived. The sides established an autonomous “Palestinian Authority” with limited powers on islands of territory but were never able to complete a final deal, due to deep disagreements and repeated violence that killed thousands. Israel’s relations with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank are poor; its relations with Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers, who seized the territory from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, are hostile. Israel has faced heavy criticism and war crimes allegations for high civilian casualties in Gaza — most recently with the deaths of over two dozen Palestinians in border protests. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars. Hamas, which is committed to Israel’s destruction, has repeatedly fired rockets at Israel, with Israel accusing its leaders of using civilians as cover for attacks. Despite the autonomy arrangement, Israel has effective control in the West Bank over 2.5 million Palestinians who are left without voting rights, while it has expanded Jewish settlements in the same territory. That has drawn international condemnation and comparisons to apartheid in South Africa. For years, it seemed that Israel would agree to a Palestinian state next door in order to preserve its status as a democracy with a Jewish majority. But after failed talks, Israel’s current hard-line government opposes the very idea of negotiations. Opponents consider this a suicidal path. If things continue this way, a fateful decision awaits: Give Palestinians citizenship in a single state, and end Israel’s status as a Jewish-majority country; or maintain a two-tiered system, with a disenfranchised Palestinian population that could no longer credibly claim to be a democracy. ||||| After truck bomb attack thwarted, checkpoint closed Liberman orders closure of northern Samaria checkpoint until further notice, after PA truck headed for Jewish communities found with bomb. Arutz Sheva Staff, Crossings Authority in Defense Ministry The truck carrying the bomb Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman ordered the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, to close until further notice the Reihan checkpoint after a bomb was discovered yesterday, Wednesday, in a PA Arab truck passing through the checkpoint. Following the closure of the checkpoint, west of Jenin, only humanitarian cases approved by the Civil Administration will be allowed through. Yesterday, officials discovered a powerful explosive device hidden in the roof of a PA truck that reached the checkpoint. The truck had merchandise intended for Jewish communities in the seam zone. The Arab driver was arrested. Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman welcomed the seizure of the truck bomb and said, "The vigilance and professionalism of the crossings authority at the Defense Ministry led to the discovery of a bomb and the thwarting of a large-scale attack on the 70th Independence Day.” "We will pursue those who planned to harm our holiday. They will not rest until we get our hands on them, "Liberman promised. top ||||| JERUSALEM – Is Israel a success as it turns 70? As Israelis commemorate the milestone this week, satisfaction and a grim disquiet share the stage. It has a standard of living that rivals Western Europe, without the natural resources. It can boast of scientific achievements and military and technological clout beyond its modest size. It controls most of biblical Israel, and despite widespread criticism of its policies toward the Palestinians, it has cultivated good diplomatic ties with most of the world. But it’s also a country that is weary from decades of conflict with the Palestinians. It is riven by religious, ethnic and economic divisions. It is still seeking recognition in a region that has not fully come to terms with the presence of a Jewish state. Its founding declaration offers it as a “light unto the nations,” but it still is regularly accused of war crimes against Palestinians, millions of whom it has controlled for decades without the right to vote. The grand peace hopes of the 1990s have mostly evaporated. Israel still feels endangered, with well-armed adversaries calling for its destruction and no permanent borders. Israelis are fretting over the possibility of war with archenemy Iran, which has a military presence in neighbouring Syria. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite winning three elections since 2009, is reviled by many and faces corruption scandals. A look at Israel at 70: Fueled by a vibrant high-tech sector, Israel’s per capita GDP of almost $40,000 ranks with Italy and South Korea, and is within reach of Britain and France. But it also suffers from one of the highest levels of inequality in the developed world, and poverty is especially prevalent among its Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews. These two sectors, at nearly a third of the population and growing, risk dragging down the rest of the economy. For a country of just under 9 million, Israel has enjoyed surprising success. It counts eight living Nobel winners among its citizens and has helped give the world instant messaging, Intel chips and smart, autonomous vehicles. High-tech units in the military have made Israel a global cybersecurity powerhouse. It is in a small club of nations to have launched a satellite, and is widely believed to be among an even smaller group with nuclear weapons, although the government won’t confirm it. Israel has one of the world’s strongest air forces. It has won European basketball championships and song contests, and hit shows like “Homeland,” ”In Treatment” and “Fauda” are Israeli creations. Last year’s blockbuster “Wonder Woman” — the highest-grossing live-action movie directed by a woman — starred Israeli actress Gal Gadot. Despite decades of development, Israel is still working at forging a national identity. Over a century ago, Zionists in Europe saw the Jews as a nation, not just a religion. Persecution in Europe, culminating in the Holocaust, sent European Jews pouring into the Holy Land. Soon after Israel’s establishment in 1948, they were joined by immigrants from countries like Morocco, Yemen, Iraq and Iran. These Middle Eastern, or Mizrahi, Jews had little in common with their European counterparts. They were poorer, more religious and often targets of discrimination. Three generations of integration and intermarriage have blurred the distinctions, but gaps remain. Arrivals from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia have made Israel even more diverse, yet the different communities still often keep to themselves. The entire arrangement can seem an affront to the founding idea of the Jews as a nation — yet it is also a rare feat that all of these have been forged into a Hebrew-speaking population with considerable national pride. Still, antipathy exists along cultural lines: Many Europeans, still said to account for perhaps half the Jews in Israel, cannot stand the popular Arabic-style “Mizrahi music” that in earlier days was suppressed; Moroccan-descended Culture Minister Miri Regev once boasted she does not read Chekhov. Meanwhile, nationalist lawmakers push legislation that would define Israel as the Jewish nation-state. These initiatives have faltered so far amid criticism that they would discriminate against the Arab minority of about one in five citizens. After 70 years, the place of Judaism in the Jewish state is unclear. Most Israelis are either secular or mildly religious. Yet the devout ultra-Orthodox, about 10 per cent of the population, wield disproportionate influence because right-wing coalitions never have been able to muster a majority without them. They have used their political power to shut down much of the country on Saturdays, the Jewish day of rest; obtain exemptions from compulsory military service; and gain a monopoly overseeing rituals like weddings and funerals. Their strict rules have upset the secular majority, but attempts at change frequently result in violent protests. The issue of religion has also affected relations with U.S. Jews — the largest Jewish community outside Israel and a key base of support. Israel’s Orthodox establishment repeatedly has sought to prevent inroads made by the liberal streams of Judaism popular in the U.S. Last year, it blocked plans to allow egalitarian prayer at Jerusalem’s Western Wall. Such moves have created a sense that liberal American Jews are unwelcome. They also have been disenchanted by Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. American Jews tend to be liberal and support the Democratic Party, while Netanyahu boasts close ties with President Donald Trump. After Israel declared independence, its Arab neighbours attacked it. And even after the watershed 1967 Mideast war, in which Israel captured parts of Syria, Jordan and Egypt, the Arab world refused to engage. That began to change with the 1979 peace agreement with Egypt, Israel’s first with an Arab country. Jordan followed in 1994, after Israel reached an interim peace deal with the Palestine Liberation Organization. Meanwhile, Netanyahu strengthened ties with countries like India, China and Russia. He often boasts of covert ties with moderate Arab countries — presumably Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations that share Israel’s concerns about Iran. Saudi Arabia now allows flights between Israel and India to use its airspace. But without resolution of the Palestinian issue, formal relations remain elusive. The euphoria that accompanied the interim peace accords of the mid-1990s was short-lived. The sides established an autonomous “Palestinian Authority” with limited powers on islands of territory but were never able to complete a final deal, due to deep disagreements and repeated violence that killed thousands. Israel’s relations with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank are poor; its relations with Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers, who seized the territory from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, are hostile. Israel has faced heavy criticism and war crimes allegations for high civilian casualties in Gaza — most recently with the deaths of over two dozen Palestinians in border protests. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars. Hamas, which is committed to Israel’s destruction, has repeatedly fired rockets at Israel, with Israel accusing its leaders of using civilians as cover for attacks. Despite the autonomy arrangement, Israel has effective control in the West Bank over 2.5 million Palestinians who are left without voting rights, while it has expanded Jewish settlements in the same territory. That has drawn international condemnation and comparisons to apartheid in South Africa. For years, it seemed that Israel would agree to a Palestinian state next door in order to preserve its status as a democracy with a Jewish majority. But after failed talks, Israel’s current hard-line government opposes the very idea of negotiations. Opponents consider this a suicidal path. If things continue this way, a fateful decision awaits: Give Palestinians citizenship in a single state, and end Israel’s status as a Jewish-majority country; or maintain a two-tiered system, with a disenfranchised Palestinian population that could no longer credibly claim to be a democracy. ||||| Is Israel a success as it turns 70? As Israelis commemorate the milestone this week, satisfaction and a grim disquiet share the stage. It has a standard of living that rivals Western Europe, without the natural resources. It can boast of scientific achievements and military and technological clout beyond its modest size. It controls most of biblical Israel, and despite widespread criticism of its policies toward the Palestinians, it has cultivated good diplomatic ties with most of the world. But it's also a country that is weary from decades of conflict with the Palestinians. It is riven by religious, ethnic and economic divisions. It is still seeking recognition in a region that has not fully come to terms with the presence of a Jewish state. Its founding declaration offers it as a "light unto the nations," but it still is regularly accused of war crimes against Palestinians, millions of whom it has controlled for decades without the right to vote. The grand peace hopes of the 1990s have mostly evaporated. Israel still feels endangered, with well-armed adversaries calling for its destruction and no permanent borders. Israelis are fretting over the possibility of war with archenemy Iran, which has a military presence in neighboring Syria. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite winning three elections since 2009, is reviled by many and faces corruption scandals. A look at Israel at 70: Fueled by a vibrant high-tech sector, Israel's per capita GDP of almost $40,000 ranks with Italy and South Korea, and is within reach of Britain and France. But it also suffers from one of the highest levels of inequality in the developed world, and poverty is especially prevalent among its Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews. These two sectors, at nearly a third of the population and growing, risk dragging down the rest of the economy. For a country of just under 9 million, Israel has enjoyed surprising success. It counts eight living Nobel winners among its citizens and has helped give the world instant messaging, Intel chips and smart, autonomous vehicles. High-tech units in the military have made Israel a global cybersecurity powerhouse. It is in a small club of nations to have launched a satellite, and is widely believed to be among an even smaller group with nuclear weapons, although the government won't confirm it. Israel has one of the world's strongest air forces. It has won European basketball championships and song contests, and hit shows like "Homeland," ''In Treatment" and "Fauda" are Israeli creations. Last year's blockbuster "Wonder Woman" - the highest-grossing live-action movie directed by a woman - starred Israeli actress Gal Gadot. Despite decades of development, Israel is still working at forging a national identity. Over a century ago, Zionists in Europe saw the Jews as a nation, not just a religion. Persecution in Europe, culminating in the Holocaust, sent European Jews pouring into the Holy Land. Soon after Israel's establishment in 1948, they were joined by immigrants from countries like Morocco, Yemen, Iraq and Iran. These Middle Eastern, or Mizrahi, Jews had little in common with their European counterparts. They were poorer, more religious and often targets of discrimination. Three generations of integration and intermarriage have blurred the distinctions, but gaps remain. Arrivals from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia have made Israel even more diverse, yet the different communities still often keep to themselves. The entire arrangement can seem an affront to the founding idea of the Jews as a nation - yet it is also a rare feat that all of these have been forged into a Hebrew-speaking population with considerable national pride. Still, antipathy exists along cultural lines: Many Europeans, still said to account for perhaps half the Jews in Israel, cannot stand the popular Arabic-style "Mizrahi music" that in earlier days was suppressed; Moroccan-descended Culture Minister Miri Regev once boasted she does not read Chekhov. Meanwhile, nationalist lawmakers push legislation that would define Israel as the Jewish nation-state. These initiatives have faltered so far amid criticism that they would discriminate against the Arab minority of about one in five citizens. After 70 years, the place of Judaism in the Jewish state is unclear. Most Israelis are either secular or mildly religious. Yet the devout ultra-Orthodox, about 10 percent of the population, wield disproportionate influence because right-wing coalitions never have been able to muster a majority without them. They have used their political power to shut down much of the country on Saturdays, the Jewish day of rest; obtain exemptions from compulsory military service; and gain a monopoly overseeing rituals like weddings and funerals. Their strict rules have upset the secular majority, but attempts at change frequently result in violent protests. The issue of religion has also affected relations with U.S. Jews - the largest Jewish community outside Israel and a key base of support. Israel's Orthodox establishment repeatedly has sought to prevent inroads made by the liberal streams of Judaism popular in the U.S. Last year, it blocked plans to allow egalitarian prayer at Jerusalem's Western Wall. Such moves have created a sense that liberal American Jews are unwelcome. They also have been disenchanted by Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. American Jews tend to be liberal and support the Democratic Party, while Netanyahu boasts close ties with President Donald Trump. After Israel declared independence, its Arab neighbors attacked it. And even after the watershed 1967 Mideast war, in which Israel captured parts of Syria, Jordan and Egypt, the Arab world refused to engage. That began to change with the 1979 peace agreement with Egypt, Israel's first with an Arab country. Jordan followed in 1994, after Israel reached an interim peace deal with the Palestine Liberation Organization. Meanwhile, Netanyahu strengthened ties with countries like India, China and Russia. He often boasts of covert ties with moderate Arab countries - presumably Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations that share Israel's concerns about Iran. Saudi Arabia now allows flights between Israel and India to use its airspace. But without resolution of the Palestinian issue, formal relations remain elusive. The euphoria that accompanied the interim peace accords of the mid-1990s was short-lived. The sides established an autonomous "Palestinian Authority" with limited powers on islands of territory but were never able to complete a final deal, due to deep disagreements and repeated violence that killed thousands. Israel's relations with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank are poor; its relations with Gaza's militant Hamas rulers, who seized the territory from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, are hostile. Israel has faced heavy criticism and war crimes allegations for high civilian casualties in Gaza - most recently with the deaths of over two dozen Palestinians in border protests. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars. Hamas, which is committed to Israel's destruction, has repeatedly fired rockets at Israel, with Israel accusing its leaders of using civilians as cover for attacks. Despite the autonomy arrangement, Israel has effective control in the West Bank over 2.5 million Palestinians who are left without voting rights, while it has expanded Jewish settlements in the same territory. That has drawn international condemnation and comparisons to apartheid in South Africa. For years, it seemed that Israel would agree to a Palestinian state next door in order to preserve its status as a democracy with a Jewish majority. But after failed talks, Israel's current hard-line government opposes the very idea of negotiations. Opponents consider this a suicidal path. If things continue this way, a fateful decision awaits: Give Palestinians citizenship in a single state, and end Israel's status as a Jewish-majority country; or maintain a two-tiered system, with a disenfranchised Palestinian population that could no longer credibly claim to be a democracy. ||||| Is Israel a success as it turns 70? As Israelis commemorate the milestone this week, satisfaction and a grim disquiet share the stage. It has a standard of living that rivals Western Europe, though it lacks significant natural resources. It can boast of scientific achievements and military and technological clout beyond its modest size. It controls most of biblical Israel, and despite widespread criticism of its policies toward the Palestinians, it has cultivated good diplomatic ties with most of the world. But it's also a country that is weary from decades of conflict with the Palestinians. It is riven by religious, ethnic and economic divisions. It is still seeking recognition in a region that has not fully come to terms with the presence of a Jewish state. Its founding declaration offers it as a "light unto the nations," but it still is regularly accused of war crimes against Palestinians, millions of whom it has controlled for decades without the right to vote. There is no end in sight to its occupation of the West Bank, or to its crippling blockade of Hamas-ruled Gaza. The grand peace hopes of the 1990s have mostly evaporated. Israel still feels endangered, with well-armed adversaries calling for its destruction and no permanent borders. Israelis are fretting over the possibility of war with archenemy Iran, which has a military presence in neighboring Syria. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite winning three elections since 2009, is reviled by many and faces corruption scandals. A look at Israel at 70: Fueled by a vibrant high-tech sector, Israel's per capita GDP of almost $40,000 ranks with Italy and South Korea, and is within reach of Britain and France. But it also suffers from one of the highest levels of inequality in the developed world, and poverty is especially prevalent among its Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews. These two sectors, at nearly a third of the population and growing, risk dragging down the rest of the economy. For a country of just under 9 million, Israel has enjoyed surprising success. It counts eight living Nobel winners among its citizens and has helped give the world instant messaging, Intel chips and smart, autonomous vehicles. High-tech units in the military have made Israel a global cybersecurity powerhouse. It is in a small club of nations to have launched a satellite, and is widely believed to be among an even smaller group with nuclear weapons, although the government won't confirm it. Israel has one of the world's strongest air forces. It has won European basketball championships and song contests, and hit shows like "Homeland," ''In Treatment" and "Fauda" are Israeli creations. Last year's blockbuster "Wonder Woman" — the highest-grossing live-action movie directed by a woman — starred Israeli actress Gal Gadot. Despite decades of development, Israel is still working at forging a national identity. Over a century ago, Zionists in Europe saw the Jews as a nation, not just a religion. Persecution in Europe, culminating in the Holocaust, sent European Jews pouring into the Holy Land. Soon after Israel's establishment in 1948, they were joined by immigrants from countries like Morocco, Yemen, Iraq and Iran. These Middle Eastern, or Mizrahi, Jews had little in common with their European counterparts. They were poorer, more religious and often targets of discrimination. Three generations of integration and intermarriage have blurred the distinctions, but gaps remain. Arrivals from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia have made Israel even more diverse, yet the different communities still often keep to themselves. The entire arrangement can seem an affront to the founding idea of the Jews as a nation — yet it is also a rare feat that all of these have been forged into a Hebrew-speaking population with considerable national pride. Still, antipathy exists along cultural lines: Many Europeans, still said to account for perhaps half the Jews in Israel, cannot stand the popular Arabic-style "Mizrahi music" that in earlier days was suppressed; Moroccan-descended Culture Minister Miri Regev once boasted she does not read Chekhov. Meanwhile, nationalist lawmakers push legislation that would define Israel as the Jewish nation-state. These initiatives have faltered so far amid criticism that they would discriminate against the Arab minority of about one in five citizens. After 70 years, the place of Judaism in the Jewish state is unclear. Most Israelis are either secular or mildly religious. Yet the devout ultra-Orthodox, about 10 percent of the population, wield disproportionate influence because right-wing coalitions never have been able to muster a majority without them. They have used their political power to shut down much of the country on Saturdays, the Jewish day of rest; obtain exemptions from compulsory military service; and gain a monopoly overseeing rituals like weddings and funerals. Their strict rules have upset the secular majority, but attempts at change frequently result in violent protests. The issue of religion has also affected relations with U.S. Jews — the largest Jewish community outside Israel and a key base of support. Israel's Orthodox establishment repeatedly has sought to prevent inroads made by the liberal streams of Judaism popular in the U.S. Last year, it blocked plans to allow egalitarian prayer at Jerusalem's Western Wall. Such moves have created a sense that liberal American Jews are unwelcome. They also have been disenchanted by Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. American Jews tend to be liberal and support the Democratic Party, while Netanyahu boasts close ties with President Donald Trump. After Israel declared independence, its Arab neighbors attacked it. And even after the watershed 1967 Mideast war, in which Israel captured territories from Syria, Jordan and Egypt, the Arab world refused to engage. That began to change with the 1979 peace agreement with Egypt, Israel's first with an Arab country. Jordan followed in 1994, after Israel reached an interim peace deal with the Palestine Liberation Organization. Meanwhile, Netanyahu strengthened ties with countries like India, China and Russia. He often boasts of covert ties with moderate Arab countries — presumably Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations that share Israel's concerns about Iran. Saudi Arabia now allows flights between Israel and India to use its airspace. But without resolution of the Palestinian issue, formal relations remain elusive. The euphoria that accompanied the interim peace accords of the mid-1990s was short-lived. The sides established an autonomous "Palestinian Authority" with limited powers on islands of territory but were never able to complete a final deal, due to deep disagreements and repeated violence that killed thousands. Israel's relations with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank are poor; its relations with Gaza's militant Hamas rulers, who seized the territory from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, are hostile. Israel has faced heavy criticism and war crimes allegations for high civilian casualties in Gaza — most recently with the deaths of over two dozen Palestinians in border protests. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars. Hamas, which is committed to Israel's destruction, has repeatedly fired rockets at Israel, with Israel accusing its leaders of using civilians as cover for attacks. Despite the autonomy arrangement, Israel has effective control in the West Bank over 2.5 million Palestinians who are left without voting rights, while it has expanded Jewish settlements in the same territory. That has drawn international condemnation and comparisons to apartheid in South Africa. For years, it seemed that Israel would agree to a Palestinian state next door in order to preserve its status as a democracy with a Jewish majority. But after failed talks, Israel's current hard-line government opposes the very idea of negotiations. Opponents consider this a suicidal path. If things continue this way, a fateful decision awaits: Give Palestinians citizenship in a single state, and end Israel's status as a Jewish-majority country; or maintain a two-tiered system, with a disenfranchised Palestinian population that could no longer credibly claim to be a democracy. © Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| JERUSALEM — Is Israel a success as it turns 70? As Israelis commemorate the milestone this week, satisfaction and a grim disquiet share the stage. It has a standard of living that rivals Western Europe, without the natural resources. It can boast of scientific achievements and military and technological clout beyond its modest size. It controls most of biblical Israel, and despite widespread criticism of its policies toward the Palestinians, it has cultivated good diplomatic ties with most of the world. But it’s also a country that is weary from decades of conflict with the Palestinians. It is riven by religious, ethnic and economic divisions. It is still seeking recognition in a region that has not fully come to terms with the presence of a Jewish state. Its founding declaration offers it as a “light unto the nations,” but it still is regularly accused of war crimes against Palestinians, millions of whom it has controlled for decades without the right to vote. The grand peace hopes of the 1990s have mostly evaporated. Israel still feels endangered, with well-armed adversaries calling for its destruction and no permanent borders. Israelis are fretting over the possibility of war with archenemy Iran, which has a military presence in neighbouring Syria. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite winning three elections since 2009, is reviled by many and faces corruption scandals. A look at Israel at 70: Fueled by a vibrant high-tech sector, Israel’s per capita GDP of almost $40,000 ranks with Italy and South Korea, and is within reach of Britain and France. But it also suffers from one of the highest levels of inequality in the developed world, and poverty is especially prevalent among its Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews. These two sectors, at nearly a third of the population and growing, risk dragging down the rest of the economy. For a country of just under 9 million, Israel has enjoyed surprising success. It counts eight living Nobel winners among its citizens and has helped give the world instant messaging, Intel chips and smart, autonomous vehicles. High-tech units in the military have made Israel a global cybersecurity powerhouse. It is in a small club of nations to have launched a satellite, and is widely believed to be among an even smaller group with nuclear weapons, although the government won’t confirm it. Israel has one of the world’s strongest air forces. It has won European basketball championships and song contests, and hit shows like “Homeland,” “In Treatment” and “Fauda” are Israeli creations. Last year’s blockbuster “Wonder Woman” — the highest-grossing live-action movie directed by a woman — starred Israeli actress Gal Gadot. Despite decades of development, Israel is still working at forging a national identity. Over a century ago, Zionists in Europe saw the Jews as a nation, not just a religion. Persecution in Europe, culminating in the Holocaust, sent European Jews pouring into the Holy Land. Soon after Israel’s establishment in 1948, they were joined by immigrants from countries like Morocco, Yemen, Iraq and Iran. These Middle Eastern, or Mizrahi, Jews had little in common with their European counterparts. They were poorer, more religious and often targets of discrimination. Three generations of integration and intermarriage have blurred the distinctions, but gaps remain. Arrivals from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia have made Israel even more diverse, yet the different communities still often keep to themselves. The entire arrangement can seem an affront to the founding idea of the Jews as a nation — yet it is also a rare feat that all of these have been forged into a Hebrew-speaking population with considerable national pride. Still, antipathy exists along cultural lines: Many Europeans, still said to account for perhaps half the Jews in Israel, cannot stand the popular Arabic-style “Mizrahi music” that in earlier days was suppressed; Moroccan-descended Culture Minister Miri Regev once boasted she does not read Chekhov. Meanwhile, nationalist lawmakers push legislation that would define Israel as the Jewish nation-state. These initiatives have faltered so far amid criticism that they would discriminate against the Arab minority of about one in five citizens. After 70 years, the place of Judaism in the Jewish state is unclear. Most Israelis are either secular or mildly religious. Yet the devout ultra-Orthodox, about 10 per cent of the population, wield disproportionate influence because right-wing coalitions never have been able to muster a majority without them. They have used their political power to shut down much of the country on Saturdays, the Jewish day of rest; obtain exemptions from compulsory military service; and gain a monopoly overseeing rituals like weddings and funerals. Their strict rules have upset the secular majority, but attempts at change frequently result in violent protests. The issue of religion has also affected relations with U.S. Jews — the largest Jewish community outside Israel and a key base of support. Israel’s Orthodox establishment repeatedly has sought to prevent inroads made by the liberal streams of Judaism popular in the U.S. Last year, it blocked plans to allow egalitarian prayer at Jerusalem’s Western Wall. Such moves have created a sense that liberal American Jews are unwelcome. They also have been disenchanted by Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. American Jews tend to be liberal and support the Democratic Party, while Netanyahu boasts close ties with President Donald Trump. After Israel declared independence, its Arab neighbours attacked it. And even after the watershed 1967 Mideast war, in which Israel captured parts of Syria, Jordan and Egypt, the Arab world refused to engage. That began to change with the 1979 peace agreement with Egypt, Israel’s first with an Arab country. Jordan followed in 1994, after Israel reached an interim peace deal with the Palestine Liberation Organization. Meanwhile, Netanyahu strengthened ties with countries like India, China and Russia. He often boasts of covert ties with moderate Arab countries — presumably Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations that share Israel’s concerns about Iran. Saudi Arabia now allows flights between Israel and India to use its airspace. But without resolution of the Palestinian issue, formal relations remain elusive. The euphoria that accompanied the interim peace accords of the mid-1990s was short-lived. The sides established an autonomous “Palestinian Authority” with limited powers on islands of territory but were never able to complete a final deal, due to deep disagreements and repeated violence that killed thousands. Israel’s relations with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank are poor; its relations with Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers, who seized the territory from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, are hostile. Israel has faced heavy criticism and war crimes allegations for high civilian casualties in Gaza — most recently with the deaths of over two dozen Palestinians in border protests. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars. Hamas, which is committed to Israel’s destruction, has repeatedly fired rockets at Israel, with Israel accusing its leaders of using civilians as cover for attacks. Despite the autonomy arrangement, Israel has effective control in the West Bank over 2.5 million Palestinians who are left without voting rights, while it has expanded Jewish settlements in the same territory. That has drawn international condemnation and comparisons to apartheid in South Africa. For years, it seemed that Israel would agree to a Palestinian state next door in order to preserve its status as a democracy with a Jewish majority. But after failed talks, Israel’s current hard-line government opposes the very idea of negotiations. Opponents consider this a suicidal path. If things continue this way, a fateful decision awaits: Give Palestinians citizenship in a single state, and end Israel’s status as a Jewish-majority country; or maintain a two-tiered system, with a disenfranchised Palestinian population that could no longer credibly claim to be a democracy. ||||| President of Aggies for Israel celebrates 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Israel. On April 18, Aggies of different cultures, religions and sexual orientations will come together to celebrate this historic occasion as part of a campaign on more than 160 campuses across the U.S. and Canada. By showcasing the positive energy and pride emanating from the Jewish state and its supporters, we hope to inspire students who have little to no knowledge of Israel — a country that’s deeply important to me as a proud Jew. In anticipation of this event, I interviewed Aggies about their personal connections to Israel and why they’re excited to celebrate its 70th birthday with Celebrate 70. Daniel Vainish, a fourth-year political science and philosophy double major and an LGBTQIA student, feels an irreplaceably strong bond with Israel. Since 2008, same-sex families have been allowed to jointly adopt, compared to the limited “co-guardianship” rights that were instilled before. In the Israeli Defense Force, openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender soldiers serve without hindrance in all branches of the military. Transgender soldiers’ transitions, injections and surgeries are also covered by the military’s health insurance — something the U.S. has never done. “In most places I need to stand up for my identity and beliefs as a gay Israeli Jew,” Vainish said. “Israel is a place where my identity is protected by its legal system, a place where I’m not relegated to a minority status because of who I am. I know there is a place that will welcome me for who I am. I am so excited to celebrate this monumental time in Israel’s history with Celebrate 70.” The beauty about Israel is that you can feel this connection that binds you to the land without ever visiting. First-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major Sascha Recht has never been but still feels this sense of connection to Israel. “Israel is important to me because it’s a connection to my people, my culture — a way to constantly remind me of those who came before me and the traditions they embraced,” Recht said. “As a Jew, there is an immense comfort knowing I can go to Israel and feel at home at any time because our people’s connection to that land is unprecedented. I’ve been so fortunate to be welcomed by the Jewish community at Davis and found a community that shares this love for Israel. Israel’s 70th birthday is important to me because it signifies the permanence of Israel.” Jews around the world feel this connection to Israel, to their homeland. Most people think that Israel is only important to Jews, but that’s far from reality. Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is home to three major religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam. On a recent trip to Israel, fourth-year political science major Nicholas Francois came back feeling more connected than ever. “Being a non-denominational Christian with no cultural ties to Israel and understanding the instability of that part of the world, I never expected the overwhelming feelings of joy and fulfillment I found in Israel,” Francois said. “Calling it magical sounds cheesy, but that is the word I’d use to describe standing in 1,000-year-old churches, floating in the Dead Sea, visiting the West Bank and camping in a Bedouin village. Challenge your beliefs and experience Israel for yourself. Israel’s 70th birthday event on campus will be a wonderful way to celebrate a country that embraces different religions and cultures.” Dana Benavi, the vice president of Aggies for Israel, is an Israeli-born student who feels a deeper connection and love for her country. “Israel is my home,” Benavi said. “It’s where my parents got married, where I was born, where my family lives, where I laugh, where I cry, but most importantly it’s where I can proudly be Jewish. Celebrating Israel’s 70th birthday is important to me because it’s a chance for me to proudly celebrate my family and my country.” There is this sense of connection for Jews who move from Israel that comes from all the history that the land of Israel holds: from feeling secure in a country where Jews are the majority to knowing that you always have a home to go to. As an Iranian Jew, Israel is a place I can call my home. It’s a country where 33 of my relatives live. It’s the home for Arabs, Muslims, Christians, Baha’is, Druze and many other religions. It’s a place where people invite strangers to their homes for weekly Shabbat dinners. It’s the country that opened her arms to my parents when they had fled Iran from religious persecution. Israel is about having a place that anyone can go to and be granted sanctuary. Israel is much more than a sliver of tiny land in the Middle East; she is living proof that the Jewish people have, against all odds, survived and returned to their home where they will continue to live and thrive. Charline Delkhah is a fourth-year student studying managerial economics and computer science at UC Davis. She is currently a CAMERA Fellow and the president of Aggies for Israel, which can be reached at [email protected]. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.
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As Israel marks Memorial Day followed immediately by Independence Day a truck driver is arrested at a checkpoint at the Reihan Crossing in the West Bank suspected of being on his way to launch a terror attack. The truck's contents were marked as supplies for communities on the border but were actually explosives. Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman orders the checkpoint closed. Henceforth only humanitarian cases will be allowed passage at Israel's discretion.
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By Simon Hradecky, created Tuesday, Apr 17th 2018 17:19Z, last updated Tuesday, Nov 20th 2018 12:06Z A Southwest Boeing 737-700, registration N772SW performing flight WN-1380 from New York La Guardia,NY to Dallas Love,TX (USA) with 143 passengers and 5 crew, was climbing through FL320 out of New York when the left hand engine (CFM56) was damaged causing inlet and parts of the cowl to separate from the airframe, debris impacted the side of the fuselage shattering a passenger window causing the loss of cabin pressure. The crew donned their oxygen masks, reported they had an engine failure and engine fire and were to initiate an emergency descent, shut the engine down and diverted to Philadelphia,PA (USA). The crew requested a 20nm final, reported part of the aircraft was missing, they needed to slow down, they did have an engine fire indication, the crew requested medical services to meet the aircraft, they had injured passengers. ATC understood a passenger might have been sucked out of the aircraft but stopped that discussion "we'll work it out" once the aircraft was on the ground. ATC cleared the flight down to 3000 feet, airspeed on pilot's discretion and instructed the crew to report as soon as they wanted to turn base. While the aircraft was on short final tower advised emergency services there was a hole in the aircraft's side. The aircraft landed safely on runway 27L, vacated the runway and stopped on the adjacent taxiway. The crew advised emergency services their left hand side was damaged, they had injuries inside the cabin. Emergency services foamed the left hand engine, the passengers disembarked via stairs onto the taxiway and were taken to the terminal. One passenger was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. The NTSB later reported one passenger has died (presumably the one taken to the hospital). Passengers reported a woman was nearly sucked out of the aircraft and was pulled back into the cabin by fellow passengers. Philadelphia emergency services reported one of the passengers was taken to a hospital with serious injuries in critical condition, 7 other passengers were treated at the airport for minor injuries, none of them was taken to a hospital. The NTSB reported they have dispatched a go team on site and opened an investigation. In a press briefing the NTSB reported one passenger has died without providing further detail. As of current the occurrence is treated as an engine failure, it might subsequently be rated an uncontained engine failure depending on investigation results. The airline stated they are deeply saddened to confirm there is one fatality resulting from this accident, the entire Southwest Family is devastated. "This is a sad day and our hearts go out to the family and the loved ones of the deceased customer", the chairman said. This has been the first inflight fatality ever on a Southwest Airlines Aircraft. In a second media briefing in the late evening the NTSB reported one fan blade, #13 of 24, was broken right at the hub and had separated, the preliminary examination revealed there is evidence of metal fatigue right where the blade separated. There had been no engine fire, there is no evidence of an engine fire, however, it is known there was an engine fire warning, it is possible and even likely the fire wire activated when the fan blade separated. The Captain was a female, the first officer a male, they did an excellent job. The crew elected to land with the flaps at 5 degrees over controllability concerns. A piece of the engine cowling was found on the ground about 60nm northwest of Philadelphia. On Apr 18th 2018 the FAA reported: "aircraft experienced engine failure and made emergency descent, Philadelphia PA" stating one passenger died as result of the occurrence, the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The FAA rated the occurrence an accident. On Apr 18th 2018 in their third media briefing the NTSB reported first data are available from the flight data recorder. The left hand engine parameters ran down to 0, the vibrations increased signficantly, the cabin altitude alert sounded shortly afterwards, the aircraft made an uncommanded rapid roll to a left bank angle of 41 degrees. The crew decided to use flaps at 5 degrees and landed at 165 KIAS about 22 minutes after the left hand engine failed. The FAA was able to see some debris falling off the aircraft on their radar screens, computed the approximate location taking winds into the account, today additional pieces of engine cowling were found as result. The cockpit voice recorder is going to be read out in the coming days. The NTSB established pieces of cowling impacted the leading edge of the wing. The fatally injured passenger was seated in row 14, the window area is being looked at to determine how the window became shattered. Interviews with flight attendants and flight crew are ongoing. This was the last on scene media briefing. The NTSB has not yet been able to determine whether the fan blades of this particular engine were subject to an Airworthiness Directive a few years ago. The crew sounded very calm and assuring, the hat is off to them. The NTSB does have the root part of the fan blade. The fan blade cracked right at the entry into the hub and also fractured about half way. The initiating event looks like to be the crack at th hub where fatigue occurred. On May 3rd 2018 the NTSB released an investigation update reporting that parts of the engine inlet and cowling struck the wing and the fuselage causing a "rapid depressurization of the cabin after the loss of one of the passenger windows". The NTSB wrote: "Initial examination of the airplane revealed that the majority of the inlet cowl was missing, including the entire outer barrel, the aft bulkhead, and the inner barrel forward of the containment ring. The inlet cowl containment ring was intact but exhibited numerous impact witness marks. Examination of the fan case revealed no through-hole fragment exit penetrations; however, it did exhibit a breach hole that corresponded to one of the fan blade impact marks and fan case tearing." Two pieces of fan blade #13, that had separated, were recovered in addition to the dovetail that had remained at the fan disk. Laboratory examination revealed 6 cracks had developed originating from different points at the convex side. None of the other fan blades showed any crack. All fan blades had accumulated more than 32,000 engine cycles since new, maintenace records show the blades were lubricated as required. In addition, the fan blades had been overhauled 10,712 engine cycles before the accident in November 2012. Since that overhaul the dovetails were visually inspected six times during fan blade lubrication. With respect to the passenger partially pulled out of the cracked window the NTSB wrote: "Three flight attendants were assigned to the flight, and an additional SWA employee was in a jumpseat in the cabin. During interviews, the flight attendants and the employee reported that they heard a loud sound and experienced vibration. The oxygen masks automatically deployed in the cabin. The flight attendants retrieved portable oxygen bottles and began moving through the cabin to calm passengers and assist them with their masks. As they moved toward the mid-cabin, they found the passenger in row 14 partially out of the window and attempted to pull her into the cabin. Two male passengers helped and were able to bring the passenger in." The NTSB stated: "A large gouge impact mark, consistent in shape to a recovered portion of fan cowl and latching mechanism, was adjacent to the row 14 window (see figure 4; the window was entirely missing. No window, airplane structure, or engine material was found inside the cabin." (See photo below) On Jul 25th 2018 the NTSB revealed in a press release announcing a hearing into this and related engine failures on Nov 14th 2018: " During climb out following departure from New York’s LaGuardia Airport April 17, 2018, the engine experienced a failure of a fan blade which resulted in the loss of the inlet and cowling. Almost the entire inner and outer barrels of the inlet cowl were missing as were the forward and aft inlet bulkheads." (see photo below) On Nov 20th 2018 the NTSB released their investigation docket including the cockpit voice recorder transcript and the factual report by the operations group providing the flight's history as: The crew had arrived at Nashville International Airport (BNA), Nashville, Tennessee, the night before the accident (Monday), and had ended their duty day at 2017 CDT5 after completing a block time6 of 7 hours and 53 minutes, and a total duty time7 of 12 hours and 28 minutes. The following morning, (the day of the accident) they reported to BNA at 0600 CDT for their first flight to LGA. The flight to LGA was uneventful. The accident flight was the second flight of the day for the crew and was planned to go from LGA to DAL. There were 144 passengers, two flightdeck crewmembers and three cabin crewmembers aboard. The passenger count included one Southwest Airlines ramp employee who was seated on a flight attendant jumpseat. The accident flight had an on-time departure from LGA at 1030. The first officer (FO) was the pilot-flying (PF). The crew stated nothing unusual occurred during the taxi, takeoff, and climb to their cleared cruising altitude of FL380. At 1103, and about 40.444° north latitude, 76.235° west longitude8, and shortly after passing through FL320, the crew noted a loud bang, significant aircraft vibration, and aircraft yaw and bank to the left. The CABIN ALTITUDE warning light and horn (indicating cabin altitude of more than 10,000 ft) were activated almost immediately after the onset of the vibration. The crew donned their oxygen masks. The PF rolled the airplane back to wings-level and began an emergency descent. About one minute later, the aircraft was descending through FL307. At 1104, the air traffic controller in communication with the flight (unaware of the situation) issued a clearance direct to VINSE waypoint. The controller reported hearing a response that contained only static. He also stated he heard an alarm in the background. In the crew interviews, (Attachment 1) they reported some initial confusion about the position of one of the switches which allowed the crew to communicate through a microphone in the oxygen masks. By 1105, the communication issue had been resolved, and the crew reported an engine fire to the controller, and that they were descending.9 They asked for vectors to the nearest airport. The controller responded with Harrisburg International Airport (MDT), Middletown, Pennsylvania, and issued a heading of 250 degrees to that airport. The crew then requested a destination of PHL. At 1106, after coordination with another controller, the controller in contact with the flight cleared the flight to fly direct to PHL. Shortly after the descent was begun, the captain, per Southwest Airlines requirement, took the airplane’s controls to become the PF, and the FO assumed the duties of pilot monitoring (PM.)10 He then began executing the Engine Fire or Engine Severe Damage or Separation checklist from the Southwest Airlines B737NG Quick Reference Handbook (QRH.) The crew reported they accomplished the non-normal Engine Fire or Engine Severe Damage or Separation checklist. The pilots stated during their respective interviews they were very busy controlling the plane and assessing the damage and they did not execute two other appropriate non-normal checklist, Cabin Altitude Warning or Rapid Depressurization (indicated by the CABIN ALTITUDE warning light and horn), or Emergency Descent (required by step 5 of the Cabin Altitude Warning or Rapid Depressurization checklist.) The other checklist they stated they accomplished was the Before Landing checklist. The three non-normal checklists mentioned above are shown and discussed in section 7.2. According to the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcript, about 11 minutes after the engine failure, the FO attempted to call the cabin to speak to the flight attendants. The FO stated in his interview there was no reply to his call. In separate interviews11, a flight attendant stated she heard the interphone chime, but when she answered it, she could not hear anything. She stated it was too loud in the cabin. A few seconds later, another flight attendant was successful in reaching the flightdeck on the interphone. The CVR transcript confirms that shortly after the FO reported no reply to his first call, a chime was heard on the flightdeck, and the FO began speaking with one of the flight attendants. This was the first communication between the flightdeck and the cabin and was when the flightdeck crew first learned of the situation in the cabin, including an injured passenger. According to information from the Flight Data Recorder, from the time of the event until reaching about 17,000 feet msl, the airplane maintained an airspeed between 280 and 300 knots. As the descent continued, the airplane gradually slowed, reaching an airspeed of about 185 knots two minutes before landing. The airplane maintained this speed through the approach until touchdown. The flight conducted a visual approach to runway 27L at PHL and landed without further incident 17 minutes after the engine failure. The captain stated in the interview that she initially flew slower than the recommended speed for emergency descent to reduce the severity of the airframe vibration. The captain also stated she flew the final segment of the approach at a higher-than-normal airspeed of 180 knots because she was concerned about controllability problems and did not want to get too slow. The recommended landing flap configuration from the Aircraft Operating Manual for a single engine landing was flaps 15. The captain said she chose to land with flaps 5 to avoid getting too slow and because of the airplane’s sluggish handling. The aircraft operating manual does not list recommended reference speeds for landing with flaps 5, so the captain decided to use the speed for flaps 15 and add 20 knots. She obtained the speed for flaps 15 landing from the referring to the approach reference page on the Flight Management Computer, then added 20 knots (to account for the flap 5 vs flaps 15 setting.) She stated this came to 180 knots. The captain (56, ATPL, 11,715 hours total, 10,513 hours on type) was initially pilot monitoring, following the engine failure assumed the role as pilot flying. The first officer (44, CPL, 9,508 hours total, 6,927 hours on type) was initially pilot flying and assumed the role as pilot monitoring following the engine failure. A similiar occurrence had happened in 2016, see Accident: Southwest B737 near Pensacola on Aug 27th 2016, uncontained engine failure. EASA had released Airworthiness Directive 2018-0071 dated Mar 26th 2018 and effective Apr 2nd 2018 reasoning: "An occurrence was reported of fan blade failure on a CFM56-7B engine. The released fan blade was initially contained by the engine case, but there was subsequent uncontained forward release of debris and separation of the inlet cowl. Preliminary investigation determined that the fracture in the blade initiated from the fan blade dovetail. This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to fan blade failure, possibly resulting in uncontained forward release of debris, with consequent damage to the engine and the aeroplane." The AD requires an ultrasonic inspection of each affected fan blade within 9 months of the AD becoming effective. The FAA had released an AD 2010-12-03 for CFM56-3 and CFM56-3B engines not applicable to this aircraft which features CFM56-7B engines. The FAA AD and EAD register shows no other airworthiness directives concerning fan blades of CFM56 engines. Late Apr 20th 2018 the FAA released an Emergency Airwortihiness Directive (EAD) 2018-09-51 to address the fan blade issue, see News: FAA issues Emergency AD on CFM56-7B engines. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA1380/history/20180417/1430Z/KLGA/KDAL Walk around including various views of the engine (Updated Video: NTSB): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TA8VWF2O8k Second Media Briefing with first FDR results (Video: NTSB): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL5eMVGz5gk Media Briefing (Video: NTSB): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxNS8H63oAc Photo/Graphics of engine released in press release (Photo: NTSB): Fan cowl part and impact marks at missing window row 14 (Photo: NTSB): Pieces of engine cowl found near Philadelphia (Photo: NTSB): The fan of the left hand engine, one fan blade missing (Photo: NTSB): The shattered passenger window (Photo: Matt Tranchin): The damaged engine (Photo: Matt Tranchin): The aircraft seen from the ground, the winglet obscures the shattered window: The aircraft seen from the ground: ||||| The National Transportation Safety Board will likely take more than a year to determine what caused the catastrophic failure of an engine on Southwest Flight 1380, rupturing the cabin and killing a passenger. No surprise, then, that nobody’s waiting for the final verdict to try to stop it from happening again. The NTSB says the engine failed after one of the blades that make up the fan at the front of the CMF56-7B engine sheared off, at 32,500 feet. Investigators found signs of metal fatigue in the blade’s stumpy remains. Here, “fatigue” essentially means weakening—a possible result of subjecting metal alloys to the extreme temperatures and heavy loads that come with every flight. The regular expansion and contraction of the metal can exaggerate the smallest defects, like micro fractures, to the point where they become dangerous. So the CMF56-7B, made by CFM International (a joint venture between Safran and General Electric) and bolted to 6,700 planes around the world, is getting a lot of extra attention. Southwest crews will spend the next 30 days inspecting hundreds of its CFM engines, according to Reuters. And the Federal Aviation Administration says it will issue an airworthiness directive within the next two weeks, requiring all airlines run an ultrasonic inspection of all 24 fan blades on every CFM56-7B they use, after it has been through a certain number of takeoff and landing cycles. The ultrasonic bit is important, since the fatigue on the blown engine was on the interior of the snapped blade, according to the NTSB, where it would have been hard to spot in a visual inspection. Much like a doctor inspecting an expectant mother, technicians go back and forth over each blade with a hand-held sensor, pulsing ultrasonic waves through the metal, looking for defects. The results don’t came back as an image, but more like an EKG graph, says Antonios Kontsos, an expert in structural fatigue and failure detection at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Cracks in the metal show up as an abnormal signal. It’s laborious, time-consuming, and the best way to see inside these all-important metals. The FAA and NTSB are already investigating another Southwest flight, in August 2016, where this type of engine failed in midair. The plane made an emergency landing in Pensacola, Florida, without injuries. Afterward, the FAA proposed voluntary airworthiness inspections for the CMF56-7B. This time around, it’s making them mandatory. Still, modern jet engines are a paragon of reliability. Failures—ie, In-flight Engine Shutdowns—cause less than 3 percent of flight diversions. That’s largely because airlines have robust inspection and maintenance programs. As engines cost up to $30 million and are the main thing keeping air between the plane and the ground, they’re worth looking after. KLM, for example, says the CF6-80E, which powers its Airbus A330s, needs major maintenance about every 7,300 takeoff and landing cycles, and minor maintenance every 200 to 400 cycles. At Delta’s Atlanta maintenance facility—which is the size of 47 football fields—techs dismantle entire engines. They clean and inspect every part, from the albatross-like fan blades to the tiny component inside the fuel injector. It takes them 50 to 80 days to do that, replacing the worn out bits and putting everything back together. They then haul the refreshed engine into a bunker-like concrete cell, where they run it at speed to verify it is indeed good as new. Only then do they bolt the thing back onto a jet wing and let it return to work. Long before they get to fly, new engine types go through a bruising array of tests—ingesting water, ice, sand from all over the world, and dead chickens. And when they are in service, airlines collect reams of data on vibration, temperature, and speed, hoping to spot problems before they become catastrophic. In the future, a new generation of ultrasound and infrared sensors, built into the engines, could detect structural defects before they present any danger at all. “It would be a paradigm shift, integrating diagnostics and prognostics,” says Kontsos, who is working with military and commercial operators to develop such systems. “You could infer the engine health as you fly or operate the device.” As with all such aviation advances, it will be years, at a minimum, before such sensors can make their way onto real, people-packed airplanes. Until then, we’ll have to rely on the men and women building—and rebuilding—those engines to keep us in the air.
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• A day with the zombies who help airports practice plane crashes ||||| By Simon Hradecky, created Saturday, Apr 21st 2018 04:46Z, last updated Friday, May 4th 2018 13:25Z The FAA have released Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) 2018-09-51 concerning all CFM56-7B engines with 30,000 or more flight cycles (estimated 352 engines within the USA and 681 engines globally). The FAA reasons: This emergency AD was prompted by a recent event in which a Boeing Model 737-700 airplane powered by CFM56-7B model engines experienced an engine failure due to a fractured fan blade, resulting in the engine inlet cowl disintegrating. Debris penetrated the fuselage causing a loss of pressurization and prompting an emergency descent. Although the airplane landed safely, there was one passenger fatality. Fan blade failure due to cracking, if not addressed, could result in an engine in-flight shutdown (IFSD), uncontained release of debris, damage to the engine, damage to the airplane, and possible airplane decompression. See Accident: Southwest B737 near Philadelphia on Apr 17th 2018, uncontained engine failure takes out passenger window for details of the accident referenced by the EAD. The FAA reports that CFM Service Bulletin CFM56-7B S/B 72-1033 dated April 20 (SB) 2018 provides action for engines with fewer than 30,000 flight cycles, however, the EAD affects engines with 30,000 or more flight cycles only. In addition the SB requires reporting of the inspection results, the EAD does not require reporting. Otherwise there is no difference between the SB and the EAD. The EAD requires all 24 fan blade dovetail concave and convex sides of CFM56-7B engines to undergo ultrasonic inspection to detect cracking within 20 days. If any unservicable fan blades are being found, they are to be removed from service before further flight. On May 2nd 2018 the FAA released another Airworthiness Directive 2018-09-10 that based on the same reasoning as the previously released EAD introduces a more generic inspection scheme requiring inspections of fan blades as follows: (1) Perform an ultrasonic inspection (USI) or eddy current inspection (ECI) of the concave and convex sides of the fan blade dovetail as follows: (i) Perform an initial inspection on each fan blade before the fan blade accumulates 20,000 cycles since new, or within 113 days from the effective date of this AD, whichever occurs later. (ii) If cycles since new on a fan blade is unknown, perform an initial inspection within 113 days from the effective date of this AD. (iii) Thereafter, repeat this inspection no later than 3,000 cycles since the last inspection. (iv) Use the Accomplishment Instructions, paragraphs 3.A.(3)(a) through (i), of CFM Service Bulletin (SB) CFM56-7B S/B 72-1033, dated April 20, 2018, to perform a USI or use the instructions in subtask 72-21-01-220-091, of task 72-21-01-200-001, from CFM CFM56-7B Engine Shop Manual, Revision 57, dated January 15, 2018, to perform an ECI. (2) If any unserviceable indication, as specified in the applicable service information in paragraph (g)(1)(iv) of this AD, is found during the inspections required by paragraph (g) of this AD, replace the fan blade before further flight with a part eligible for installation. The FAA estimates that 3,716 engines under US registration will be affected by the AD. ||||| The notification comes from the FAA and will affect roughly 352 engines administered by U.S. operators. Following the fatal engine failure that led to the mid-air accident of Southwest Flight 1380 earlier this week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has demanded a massive engine inspection, CNBC reports. The FAA has issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) on Friday, April 20, regarding CFM56-7B engines — the same engine type on the Boeing 737 airplane involved in the Southwest accident on Tuesday, April 17. According to the directive, airline operators are required to perform an inspection of the CFM56-7B engine fan blades, which in the case of Flight 1380, exploded at 32,000 feet, killing one passenger and forcing the Southwest Airlines airplane to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia. “We are issuing this [airworthiness directive] because we evaluated all the relevant information and determined the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design,” notified the FAA. The EAD applies to certain CFM56-7B engines, specifically those that have been used for more than 30,000 total cycles. A cycle is a unit measure for airplane use and runs from take-off to shut down after landing, CNBC notes. Furthermore, the directive states that operators must complete this verification within 20 days. The EAD comes after the CFM56-7B engine manufacturer, CFM International, released a service bulletin calling for more rigid testing of this type of engine, the FAA explained. The airline regulator also mentioned that data from the investigation on Boeing 737 engine failure factored into Friday’s emergency directive. The CFM bulletin, also issued on Friday, recommends that the CFM56-7B fan blades be examined with an ultrasonic probe — a procedure that lasts for four hours per each of the airplanes’ engines and which can be performed without removing the engines from the aircrafts’ wings. The reason why CFM is suggesting that operators conduct the CFM56-7B engine verifications via ultrasonic probe is that the fan blades might hide tiny cracks, which would not be detected with the naked eye. According to CFM estimates, the inspection order will affect some 352 engines in the U.S. and 681 worldwide, specified the FAA. In addition, the engine manufacturer also recommends that operators verify the CFM56-7B engines with about 20,000 cycles as well. This will be applicable to an estimated 2,500 engines, states CFM. The CFM56-7B engine is one of the most widely used airplane engines worldwide. Tuesday’s tragic failure of the popular engine model resulted in the first passenger fatality on a U.S. airline in the last nine years and the first accident-related passenger death ever recorded in the history of Southwest Airlines. ||||| WASHINGTON, April 18 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Wednesday it would order inspection of some 220 jet engines after investigators said a broken fan blade touched off the explosion on a Southwest Airlines flight, shattering a window and killing a passenger. The so-called air-worthiness directive would require an ultrasonic inspection within the next six months of the fan blades on all CFM56-7B engines that have accrued a certain number of flights. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Sandra Maler) ||||| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Wednesday it would order inspection of some 220 jet engines after investigators said a broken fan blade touched off the explosion on a Southwest Airlines flight, shattering a window and killing a passenger. The so-called air-worthiness directive would require an ultrasonic inspection within the next six months of the fan blades on all CFM56-7B engines that have accrued a certain number of flights. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Sandra Maler) ||||| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Wednesday it would order inspection of some 220 jet engines after investigators said a broken fan blade touched off the explosion on a Southwest Airlines flight, shattering a window and killing a passenger. The so-called air-worthiness directive would require an ultrasonic inspection within the next six months of the fan blades on all CFM56-7B engines that have accrued a certain number of flights. ||||| The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered airlines to inspect the fan blades of some engines of the same type that exploded on a Southwest Airlines flight earlier this week. One passenger was killed after she was partially sucked through a window that blew open in the blast when a fan blade on one of the Boeing 737's engines broke loose when the plane was above 30,000 feet. It was the first passenger death on a U.S. airline since 2009 and the first ever passenger fatality due to an accident or incident in Southwest's history. The Federal Aviation Administration said the "emergency" order was based on a service bulletin, also issued Friday from the engine's manufacturer, CFM International, calling for more stringent testing of the CFM56-7B engine, and an investigation into the deadly engine failure on Southwest Flight 1380, the airline regulator said. Under the FAA's order some engines will have to be inspected within 20 days. The engine type is one of the most commonly used around the world. Friday's order will affect some 352 engines in the U.S. and 681 worldwide. CFM International, a joint venture of General Electric and France's Safran Aircraft Engines, said engine inspectors can examine the engine while it is still on the wing using an ultrasonic probe. Tiny cracks in the engine's fan blades may not be visible to the naked eye. That test takes about four hours per engine, CFM said. CFM also recommended that engines with about 20,000 cycles, which it estimates applies to 2,500 engines. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) that requires operators to inspect fan blades on certain CFM56-7B engines within 20 days. The directive is based on a CFM International Service Bulletin issued today and on information gathered from the investigation of Tuesday's Southwest Airlines engine failure. The inspection requirement applies to CFM56-7B engines. Specifically, engines with more than 30,000 total cycles from new must undergo inspections within 20 days. The EAD becomes effective upon publication. The engine manufacturer estimates today's corrective action affects 352 engines in the U.S. and 681 engines worldwide. This story is developing. Please check back for updates. ||||| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and European regulators on Friday will announce they are requiring emergency inspections within the next 20 days of fan blades of nearly 700 CFM56-7B engines worldwide after the crash this week of a Southwest Airlines jet that killed one person, two sources said. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and European regulators will announce they are mandating the inspections that were recommended by engine maker CFM International, a partnership of France’s Safran SA and General Electric Co, in a bulletin earlier Friday. The emergency inspections apply to 681 engines worldwide, including 352 in the United States. CFM said more than 150 have already been inspected. ||||| The order, called an air-worthiness directive, would require an ultrasonic inspection within the next six months of the fan blades on all CFM56-7B engines that have accrued a certain number of takeoffs. Bank executive Jennifer Riordan, 43, was killed Signs of metal fatigue were found where the fan blade separated from the engine. Pic/AFP The US Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday it would order inspection of some 220 jet engines after investigators said a broken fan blade started off an engine explosion on a Southwest Airlines flight, shattering a window and killing a passenger. The order, called an air-worthiness directive, would require an ultrasonic inspection within the next six months of the fan blades on all CFM56-7B engines that have accrued a certain number of takeoffs. Bank executive Jennifer Riordan, 43, was killed in the engine explosion. 220 No. of jet engines that will be inspected Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
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The United States Federal Aviation Administration issues an emergency Airworthiness Directive for CFM56-7B jet engines. The EAD expands on previous orders requiring ultrasonic testing to search for metal fatigue in fan blades. It mandates testing on engines that have reached 30,000+ flights, believed to cover 352 US engines and 681 engines worldwide.
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JERUSALEM: Israel's defence minister said on Sunday a Palestinian scientist shot dead in Malaysia was a rocket expert and "no saint", but dismissed suggestions by Hamas that Israel's Mossad spy agency assassinated him. Two men on a motorcycle fired 10 shots at Fadi al-Batsh, an engineering lecturer, in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, killing him on the spot, the city's police chief, Mazlan Lazim said. Hamas, an Islamist militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, said one of its members had been assassinated in Malaysia. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Mossad had been behind past attempts to kill Palestinian scientists, and the attack on Batsh "follows this sequence." Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said it was likely that Batsh was killed as part of an internal Palestinian dispute. "We heard about it in the news. The terrorist organisations blame every assassination on Israel - we're used to that," Lieberman told Israel Radio. "The man was no saint and he didn't deal with improving infrastructure in Gaza - he was involved in improving rockets' accuracy ... We constantly see a settling of accounts between various factions in the terrorist organisations and I suppose that is what happened in this case." Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the suspects in the killing, who fled the scene, were believed to be Europeans with links to a foreign intelligence agency, state news agency Bernama reported. He added that Batsh was active in pro-Palestinian non-governmental organisations, describing him as an expert in electrical engineering and rocket-building. He could have been seen as "a liability for a country that is an enemy of Palestine," Zahid was quoted as saying by Bernama. Batsh was a lecturer at Universiti Kuala Lumpur, specialising in power engineering, according to the university. Batsh's uncle Jamal al-Batsh, speaking to Reuters in the Gaza Strip, said he believed Mossad was behind the killing because "Israel knows Palestine will be liberated by scientists". Hamas, which advocates Israel's destruction, fired thousands of rockets at Israel, most of them intercepted by an anti-missile system, during a 2014 Gaza war that included devastating Israeli attacks in the enclave of two million Palestinians. In recent weeks, tensions have been running high at the Gaza-Israel border as Palestinians have ramped up protests demanding the right to return to homes that are now in Israel. Israel's use of live fire, killing at least 35 Palestinians, has drawn international criticism. Israel says it is protecting its borders and takes such action when protesters come too close to the border fence. ||||| GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group said Saturday that a man who was gunned down in Malaysia was an important member of the organization, accusing Israel of being behind the brazen killing. Hamas said Palestinian engineer Fadi al-Batsh was a "loyal" member and a "scientist of Palestine's youth scholars." It gave no further details on his scientific accomplishments but said he had made "important contributions" and participated in international forums in the field of energy. Hamas initially stopped short of blaming Israel, saying only that he had been "assassinated by the hand of treachery." But later its top leader accused Israel's Mossad spy agency intelligence of killing him and threatened retaliation. Ismail Haniyeh told The Associated Press Saturday that based on previous assassinations "Mossad is not away from this disgraceful, terrible crime." "There will be an unsettled account between us and it," Haniyeh said at the Gaza mourning tent, referring to Mossad. "We cannot give up on the blood of our sons, youths and scholars." The Israeli government had no comment. But Israel has a long history of suspected targeting of wanted Palestinian militants in daring overseas operations around the globe and has been linked to other assassinations as well, though it has rarely publicly acknowledged them. Malaysian police say the 34-year-old al-Batsh was gunned down early Saturday by two assailants who shot at least eight bullets from a motorbike as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers in Kuala Lampur. It said closed-circuit television footage showed him targeted by assassins who had waited for him for almost 20 minutes. Malaysia's deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government was looking into the possibility of the involvement of "foreign agents" in his killing. He told local media that initial investigations showed the assailants were "white men" driving a powerful BMW 1100cc motorbike. Besides his Hamas affiliation, al-Batsh was also a cousin of Khaled al-Batsh, a senior official in the Islamic Jihad militant group, who accused Mossad of the assassination, without providing evidence. Though Hamas stressed al-Batsh's scientific background, the funeral service of the Islamic movement's militant wing suggested al-Batsh was actually one of its military commanders. At a mourning tent in the Gaza Strip, a banner described al-Batsh as a member of the military wing. Ten masked militants in camouflage uniforms stood in a line outside the tent in Jabaliya, the slain man's hometown, to greet mourners. The ceremony is typical for senior Hamas commanders. Al-Batsh specialized in electrical and electronic engineering and worked at a Malaysian university. He had lived there with his family for the past eight years and was an imam at a local mosque. He received his Ph.D degree from the University of Malaya in 2015 and was a senior lecturer at the British Malaysian Institute. His official biography said his research interests included power converters, power quality and renewable energy. However, Israeli media reported that he was also deeply involved in the Hamas drone development project. Israel and Hamas are bitter foes who have fought three wars since 2008. Tensions have risen in recent weeks with a series of mass protests along the Gaza border in which 32 Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli troops since late March. Hamas says the protests are aimed at breaking a crippling border blockade that was imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group overran Gaza in 2007, a year after winning Palestinian parliamentary elections. It says it also aims to assert the right of refugees to return to their former homes in Israel. Israel accuses Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction and has carried out dozens of deadly suicide bombings against it, of cynically exploiting Gaza civilians for its political aims by staging the protests and trying to carry out attacks under their cover. Israel has used lethal force against unarmed protesters, but it says it is only targeting instigators who are trying to damage the border fence with explosives, firebombs and other means. However, the United Nations, the European Union and rights groups have questioned Israel's use of force when soldiers' lives are not in danger and the U.N. and E.U. have called for investigations. Protests are aiming to culminate in a large border march on May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel founding. The date is mourned by Palestinians as their "nakba,"or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were uprooted in the 1948 Mideast war over Israel's creation. Associated Press writer Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. ||||| GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group said Saturday that a man who was gunned down in Malaysia was an important member of the organization, accusing Israel of being behind the brazen killing. Hamas said Palestinian engineer Fadi al-Batsh was a "loyal" member and a "scientist of Palestine's youth scholars." It gave no further details on his scientific accomplishments but said he had made "important contributions" and participated in international forums in the field of energy. Hamas initially stopped short of blaming Israel, saying only that he had been "assassinated by the hand of treachery." But later its top leader accused Israel's Mossad spy agency intelligence of killing him and threatened retaliation. Ismail Haniyeh told The Associated Press Saturday that based on previous assassinations "Mossad is not away from this disgraceful, terrible crime." "There will be an unsettled account between us and it," Haniyeh said at the Gaza mourning tent, referring to Mossad. "We cannot give up on the blood of our sons, youths and scholars." The Israeli government had no comment. But Israel has a long history of suspected targeting of wanted Palestinian militants in daring overseas operations around the globe and has been linked to other assassinations as well, though it has rarely publicly acknowledged them. Malaysian police say the 34-year-old al-Batsh was gunned down early Saturday by two assailants who shot at least eight bullets from a motorbike as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers in Kuala Lampur. It said closed-circuit television footage showed him targeted by assassins who had waited for him for almost 20 minutes. Malaysia's deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government was looking into the possibility of the involvement of "foreign agents" in his killing. He told local media that initial investigations showed the assailants were "white men" driving a powerful BMW 1100cc motorbike. Besides his Hamas affiliation, al-Batsh was also a cousin of Khaled al-Batsh, a senior official in the Islamic Jihad militant group, who accused Mossad of the assassination, without providing evidence. Though Hamas stressed al-Batsh's scientific background, the funeral service of the Islamic movement's militant wing suggested al-Batsh was actually one of its military commanders. At a mourning tent in the Gaza Strip, a banner described al-Batsh as a member of the military wing. Ten masked militants in camouflage uniforms stood in a line outside the tent in Jabaliya, the slain man's hometown, to greet mourners. The ceremony is typical for senior Hamas commanders. Al-Batsh specialized in electrical and electronic engineering and worked at a Malaysian university. He had lived there with his family for the past eight years and was an imam at a local mosque. He received his Ph.D degree from the University of Malaya in 2015 and was a senior lecturer at the British Malaysian Institute. His official biography said his research interests included power converters, power quality and renewable energy. However, Israeli media reported that he was also deeply involved in the Hamas drone development project. Israel and Hamas are bitter foes who have fought three wars since 2008. Tensions have risen in recent weeks with a series of mass protests along the Gaza border in which 32 Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli troops since late March. Hamas says the protests are aimed at breaking a crippling border blockade that was imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group overran Gaza in 2007, a year after winning Palestinian parliamentary elections. It says it also aims to assert the right of refugees to return to their former homes in Israel. Israel accuses Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction and has carried out dozens of deadly suicide bombings against it, of cynically exploiting Gaza civilians for its political aims by staging the protests and trying to carry out attacks under their cover. Israel has used lethal force against unarmed protesters, but it says it is only targeting instigators who are trying to damage the border fence with explosives, firebombs and other means. However, the United Nations, the European Union and rights groups have questioned Israel's use of force when soldiers' lives are not in danger and the U.N. and E.U. have called for investigations. Protests are aiming to culminate in a large border march on May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel founding. The date is mourned by Palestinians as their "nakba,"or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were uprooted in the 1948 Mideast war over Israel's creation. Associated Press writer Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. ||||| GAZA, Palestinian Territory — The Hamas militant group says a man who was gunned down in Malaysia was one of its members who had made “important contributions” in science. In a statement, Hamas said Saturday that Palestinian engineer Fadi al-Batsh was a “loyal” member and a “scientist of Palestine’s youth scholars.” It gave no further details on his scientific accomplishments but said he had participated in international forums in the field of energy. Hamas stopped short of blaming Israel, saying only that he had been “assassinated by the hand of treachery.” But relatives of al-Batsh believe Israel targeted him. Malaysian police say Batsh was gunned down by two assailants on a motorbike as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers. Besides his Hamas affiliation, he was also a relative of a senior official in the Islamic Jihad militant group. ||||| GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Latest on developments related to Gaza protests (all times local): The Hamas militant wing is suggesting that a Palestinian engineer and lecturer shot dead in Malaysia was one of its commanders. The armed wing of Hamas has opened a mourning house in Gaza Saturday for Fadi al-Batsh. A main banner at the entrance of the tent described al-Batsh as a member of the military wing and "a commander." Ten masked militants in camouflage uniforms stood in a line outside the tent in Jabaliya, the slain man's hometown, to greet mourners. The ceremony is typical for senior Hamas commanders. A photographer says a Palestinian teen who was killed by Israeli army fire was dozens of meters (yards) from the Gaza border fence when he was hit by a bullet. Gaza health officials have identified Mohammed Ayyoub, either 15 or 14 years old, as one of four Palestinians killed Friday by Israeli troops firing from across the fence in the fourth round of weekly Hamas-led protests near the border. Photographer Abed Alhakeem Abu Rish said Saturday he saw the teen standing about 150 meters (164 yards) from the fence. He says Ayyoub was about to take cover behind a low sand berm when he was shot and fell to the ground. Abu Rish's photographs show the teen as he collapses head first and then lies motionless in the same spot. The European Union has urged the Israeli military to "refrain from using lethal force against unarmed protesters," after four Palestinians, including a teen-age boy, were killed by army fire in protests along Gaza's border with Israel. In Saturday's statement, the European Union's diplomatic service called for a full investigation of Friday's shootings. Friday marked the fourth round of weekly mass border protests, led by Gaza's ruling Hamas group. The marches are aimed, in part, at breaking a border blockade of Gaza enforced by Israel and Egypt since 2007, when the Islamic militant group seized the territory, a year after winning Palestinian parliament elections. Since late March, 32 Palestinians were killed and more than 1,600 wounded by Israeli army fire in these protests, according to Gaza health officials. Israel's defense minister says Gaza's Hamas rulers are the "only culprits" in the death of a Palestinian boy who was killed by Israeli army fire in protests on the Gaza-Israel border. Avigdor Lieberman alleged on Twitter that Hamas uses women and children as human shields. His comments Saturday came after a top U.N. envoy in the region, Nikolay Mladenov, said it is "outrageous to shoot at children" and demanded an investigation. The Israeli military has not commented on the killing of Mohammed Ayyoub. Gaza health officials initially gave his age as 15, but a local rights group, citing official documents, said he was 14. Ayyoub was one of four Palestinians killed Friday by Israeli army fire in the fourth round of weekly border protests led by the Islamic militant Hamas. Health officials say Israeli soldiers firing from across a border fence have killed four Palestinians, including a 15-year-old boy, and wounded more than 150 others as several thousand people in blockaded Gaza staged a fourth round of weekly protests on the border with Israel. Huge black plumes of smoke from burning tires engulfed the border area on Friday. Some of the activists threw stones toward the fence or flew kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. The latest deaths brought to 32 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli troops in protests since late March. More than 1,600 have been wounded by live rounds in the past three weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. ||||| GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group said Saturday that a man who was gunned down in Malaysia was an important member of the organization, accusing Israel of being behind the brazen killing. Hamas said Palestinian engineer Fadi al-Batsh was a "loyal" member and a "scientist of Palestine's youth scholars." It gave no further details on his scientific accomplishments but said he had made "important contributions" and participated in international forums in the field of energy. Hamas initially stopped short of blaming Israel, saying only that he had been "assassinated by the hand of treachery." But later its top leader accused Israel's Mossad spy agency intelligence of killing him and threatened retaliation. Ismail Haniyeh told The Associated Press Saturday that based on previous assassinations "Mossad is not away from this disgraceful, terrible crime." "There will be an unsettled account between us and it," Haniyeh said at the Gaza mourning tent, referring to Mossad. "We cannot give up on the blood of our sons, youths and scholars." The Israeli government had no comment. But Israel has a long history of suspected targeting of wanted Palestinian militants in daring overseas operations around the globe and has been linked to other assassinations as well, though it has rarely publicly acknowledged them. Malaysian police say the 34-year-old al-Batsh was gunned down early Saturday by two assailants who shot at least eight bullets from a motorbike as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers in Kuala Lampur. It said closed-circuit television footage showed him targeted by assassins who had waited for him for almost 20 minutes. Malaysia's deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government was looking into the possibility of the involvement of "foreign agents" in his killing. He told local media that initial investigations showed the assailants were "white men" driving a powerful BMW 1100cc motorbike. Besides his Hamas affiliation, al-Batsh was also a cousin of Khaled al-Batsh, a senior official in the Islamic Jihad militant group, who accused Mossad of the assassination, without providing evidence. Though Hamas stressed al-Batsh's scientific background, the funeral service of the Islamic movement's militant wing suggested al-Batsh was actually one of its military commanders. At a mourning tent in the Gaza Strip, a banner described al-Batsh as a member of the military wing. Ten masked militants in camouflage uniforms stood in a line outside the tent in Jabaliya, the slain man's hometown, to greet mourners. The ceremony is typical for senior Hamas commanders. Al-Batsh specialized in electrical and electronic engineering and worked at a Malaysian university. He had lived there with his family for the past eight years and was an imam at a local mosque. He received his Ph.D degree from the University of Malaya in 2015 and was a senior lecturer at the British Malaysian Institute. His official biography said his research interests included power converters, power quality and renewable energy. However, Israeli media reported that he was also deeply involved in the Hamas drone development project. Israel and Hamas are bitter foes who have fought three wars since 2008. Tensions have risen in recent weeks with a series of mass protests along the Gaza border in which 32 Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli troops since late March. Hamas says the protests are aimed at breaking a crippling border blockade that was imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group overran Gaza in 2007, a year after winning Palestinian parliamentary elections. It says it also aims to assert the right of refugees to return to their former homes in Israel. Israel accuses Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction and has carried out dozens of deadly suicide bombings against it, of cynically exploiting Gaza civilians for its political aims by staging the protests and trying to carry out attacks under their cover. Israel has used lethal force against unarmed protesters, but it says it is only targeting instigators who are trying to damage the border fence with explosives, firebombs and other means. However, the United Nations, the European Union and rights groups have questioned Israel's use of force when soldiers' lives are not in danger and the U.N. and E.U. have called for investigations. Protests are aiming to culminate in a large border march on May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel founding. The date is mourned by Palestinians as their "nakba,"or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were uprooted in the 1948 Mideast war over Israel's creation. Associated Press writer Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. ||||| JERUSALEM: Israel's defence minister today dismissed claims the country's spy agency was behind the assassination of a Palestinian scientist in Malaysia, suggesting instead that his killing was a "settling of accounts".Speaking to Israeli radio, Avigdor Lieberman described the dead Palestinian, a member of Islamist militant group Hamas, as "no saint" and said he had been involved in rocket production.Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh, 35, was killed in a Kuala Lumpur drive-by shooting on Saturday, according to Malaysian authorities, with his family accusing Israel's Mossad spy agency of the assassination.Hamas said Batsh, a research scientist specialising in energy issues, was one of its members."There's a tradition among terror organisations of blaming Israel for every instance of settling of accounts," Lieberman told public radio, noting the reports that Batsh's work involved improving the range and accuracy of rockets."The man was no saint and settling accounts among terror groups and different factions is something we see all the time," he said."I assume this was the case here too." An autopsy was being carried out Sunday on the body of Batsh, who was walking to dawn prayers at a local mosque in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Gombak when he was shot by two gunmen riding a motorcycle, Malaysian officials said.At the crime scene, police markers indicated 14 bullets had been sprayed at the victim, some of them hitting a wall.Malaysian Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was quoted by the state-run Bernama news agency as saying Batsh was "an electrical engineer and an expert at making rockets".Militants in Hamas-ruled Gaza fire rockets at southern Israel, but usually without casualties.Malaysia's police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said a task force has been formed to investigate the killing but would not speculate on the motive or whether foreign assassins were involved.Photos of the two suspects provided by witnesses showed they looked like Europeans, he told a news conference Sunday afternoon.When asked if there was evidence of foreign involvement in the killing, he said: "We want to ensure a complete probe. We are still investigating the motive. I urge people not to make any conclusion." No arrests have been made and the murder weapon has not been recovered, he said.Palestinian representative to Malaysia Anwar al-Agha said Fadi's body would be taken back to the Palestinian territories for burial.Mohammad Shedad, 17, a student and a relative of the victim, also blamed Mossad for the killing."It is definitely the work of Mossad. Fadi is a very clever person, anyone who is clever is a threat to Israel," he told AFP outside the victim's Malaysian apartment."Fadi is a Hamas member and knows how to make rockets. So (Israel) think he is dangerous." Batsh was married with three young children and had lived in Malaysia for 10 years.It was the second high-profile killing of a foreigner in Malaysia in just over a year.In February 2017 assassins smeared the banned VX nerve agent on the face of Kim Jong Nam , the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, killing him within minutes.The Mossad is believed to have assassinated Palestinian militants and scientists in the past, but rarely confirms such operations.Hamas has accused Mossad of assassinating one of its drone experts -- Mohamed Zouari -- in Tunisia in 2016, and the spy agency is also believed to have been behind the 2010 murder of top Hamas militant Mahmud al-Mabhuh in a Dubai hotel.In Iran, a total of five scientists -- four of them involved in the country's nuclear programme -- were killed in bomb and gun attacks in Tehran between 2010 and 2012 at the height of tensions over the country's nuclear ambitions. Iran has accused Mossad and the CIA of ordering the killings.Tensions between Israel and Gaza are high, with 38 Palestinians killed in four weeks of clashes along the border.Today, Israel announced the arrest of 19 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, 15 of them allegedly affiliated with Hamas in Gaza "who were instructed to carry out different missions on behalf of the Hamas terror organisation," the army said. ||||| JERUSALEM
• Israel's Defence Minister said yesterday that a Palestinian scientist shot dead in Malaysia was a rocket expert and "no saint", but dismissed suggestions by Hamas that Israel's Mossad spy agency assassinated him. Two men on a motorcycle fired 10 shots at Dr Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh, an engineering lecturer, in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, killing him on the spot, said the city's police chief Mazlan Lazim. Dr Batsh was walking from his apartment to dawn prayers at a local mosque at the suburb of Gombak when he was shot. An autopsy on his body was being carried out yesterday. Hamas, an Islamist militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, said one of its members had been assassinated in Malaysia. Its leader Ismail Haniyeh said Mossad had been behind past attempts to kill Palestinian scientists, and the attack on Dr Batsh "follows this sequence". Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said it was likely that Dr Batsh was killed as part of an internal Palestinian dispute. "The terrorist organisations blame every assassination on Israel - we're used to that," Mr Lieberman told Israel Radio. "The man was no saint and he didn't deal with improving infrastructure in Gaza - he was involved in improving rockets' accuracy... We constantly see a settling of accounts between various factions in the terrorist organisations and I suppose that is what happened in this case." Malaysian police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said yesterday that a task force has been formed to investigate the killing but would not speculate on the motive or whether foreign assassins were involved. Photos of the two suspects provided by witnesses showed they looked like Europeans but police could not confirm they were in fact from Europe, he told a news conference. "We want to ensure a complete probe. We are still investigating the motive," Tan Sri Fuzi said. No arrests have been made so far and the murder weapon has not been recovered, he said, as he appealed for witnesses to come forward. Palestinian representative to Malaysia Anwar al-Asha said Dr Batsh's body will be taken back to the Palestinian territories for burial after it is handed back to the family. Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was quoted by the state-run Bernama news agency yesterday as saying that Dr Batsh was "an electrical engineer and an expert at making rockets". Militants in Hamas-ruled Gaza fire rockets at southern Israel, but usually without casualties. In recent weeks, tensions have run high at the Gaza-Israel border as Palestinians ramped up protests demanding the right to return to homes that are now in Israel. ||||| Sign up for one of our email newsletters. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli soldiers firing Friday from across a border fence killed four Palestinians, including a 15-year-old boy, and wounded more than 150 others, health officials said, as several thousand people in blockaded Gaza staged a fourth round of weekly protests on the border with Israel. Huge black plumes of smoke from burning tires engulfed the border area. Some of the activists threw stones toward the fence or flew kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. The latest deaths brought to 32 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli troops in protests since late March. More than 1,600 have been wounded by live rounds in the past three weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The rising Palestinian casualty toll signaled that Israel's military is sticking to its open-fire rules despite international criticism of the use of lethal force against unarmed protesters. Israel says it's defending its border, and alleges Gaza's ruling Hamas uses protests as cover for attacks. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, said in a letter to the U.N. Security Council late Friday that Israeli forces continue demonstrating the “cruelty of their occupation machine, responding to the calls of unarmed civilians for freedom and justice with brutal and lethal force.” He said one of the latest victims was a 25-year-old disabled man. Israeli soldiers are positioned on the other side of the border fence, including snipers taking cover behind earthen berms, and none have been hurt. Turnout for the marches has fluctuated, with the biggest showing on March 30, but Friday's crowd appeared to have been somewhat larger than the one the previous week. The marches are part of what organizers, led by Hamas, have billed as an escalating showdown with Israel, to culminate in a mass march on May 15. The top Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said Friday that people should get ready for large crowds spilling across the border that day. “Our people will outnumber the occupation and force it from our land,” he said, referring to Israel. Hamas says the protests are aimed at breaking a crippling border blockade that was imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group overran Gaza in 2007, a year after winning Palestinian parliament elections. The marches also press for a “right of return” of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced from homes in the 1948 war over Israel's creation. Palestinians mark May 15, the anniversary of Israel's founding, as their “nakba,” or catastrophe, to mourn their mass uprooting. “We will stay here until we reclaim our lands,” said Ahmed Nasman, 21, speaking in a protest tent camp east of Gaza City, as activists near him prepared kites. “Every day, we will come here with a new way to resist them,” he said, referring to Israel. Several thousand protesters flocked to the border area Friday, most gathering at five tent camps several hundred meters (yards) away from the border. Smaller groups advanced toward the fence, throwing stones, burning tires and flying kites with burning rags. The kites are part of a new tactic aimed at setting fields on the Israeli side on fire. Most kites showed the colors of the Palestinian flag. One white kite bore a Nazi swastika. Earlier on Friday, Israeli military aircraft had dropped leaflets urging Palestinians to stay away from the fence and warning that they endanger their lives if they follow Hamas directives. While Hamas and smaller Palestinian factions have taken a lead as organizers, the mass marches are also fueled by growing desperation among Gaza's 2 million residents. The border blockade has trapped nearly all of them in the tiny coastal territory, gutted the economy and deepened poverty. Gaza residents typically get fewer than five hours of electricity per day, while unemployment has soared above 40 percent. Yehiyeh Sinwar, a top Hamas official, told activists that even if conditions are tough, “we will not bargain on the Palestinian people's rights in exchange for bread.” Israel has accused Hamas of cynically exploiting Gaza civilians for its political aims. Hamas critics say the group's refusal to disarm has been a key obstacle to ending the blockade. Gaza's Health Ministry said those killed Friday included three men in their 20s and a 15-year-old boy. In addition, 729 protesters were hurt, including 156 hit by live fire, the ministry said, adding that five of the wounded were in serious condition. Some of the others were hurt by rubber-coated steel pellets or overcome by tear gas. The military has said Palestinians have tried to damage the border fence with explosives, firebombs and other means. It has said snipers only target the “main instigators.” Rights groups have branded open-fire orders as unlawful, saying they effectively permit soldiers to use potentially lethal force against unarmed protesters. ||||| JERUSALEM: Israel's defence minister on Sunday (Apr 22) dismissed claims the country's spy agency was behind the assassination of a Palestinian scientist in Malaysia, suggesting instead that his killing was a "settling of accounts". Speaking to Israeli radio, Avigdor Lieberman described the dead Palestinian, a member of Islamist militant group Hamas, as "no saint" and said he had been involved in rocket production. Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh, 35, was killed in a Kuala Lumpur drive-by shooting on Saturday, according to Malaysian authorities, with his family accusing Israel's Mossad spy agency of the assassination. Hamas said Batsh, a research scientist specialising in energy issues, was one of its members. "There's a tradition among terror organisations of blaming Israel for every instance of settling of accounts," Lieberman told public radio, noting the reports that Batsh's work involved improving the range and accuracy of rockets. "The man was no saint and settling accounts among terror groups and different factions is something we see all the time," he said. "I assume this was the case here too." An autopsy was being carried out Sunday on the body of Batsh, who was walking to dawn prayers at a local mosque in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Gombak when he was shot by two gunmen riding a motorcycle, Malaysian officials said. At the crime scene, police markers indicated 14 bullets had been sprayed at the victim, some of them hitting a wall. Malaysian Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was quoted by the state-run Bernama news agency as saying Batsh was "an electrical engineer and an expert at making rockets". Militants in Hamas-ruled Gaza fire rockets at southern Israel, but usually without casualties. Malaysia's police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said a task force has been formed to investigate the killing but would not speculate on the motive or whether foreign assassins were involved. Photos of the two suspects provided by witnesses showed they looked like Europeans, he told a news conference on Sunday afternoon. When asked if there was evidence of foreign involvement in the killing, he said: "We want to ensure a complete probe. We are still investigating the motive. I urge people not to make any conclusion." No arrests have been made and the murder weapon has not been recovered, he said. Palestinian representative to Malaysia Anwar al-Agha said Fadi's body would be taken back to the Palestinian territories for burial. Mohammad Shedad, 17, a student and a relative of the victim, also blamed Mossad for the killing. "It is definitely the work of Mossad. Fadi is a very clever person, anyone who is clever is a threat to Israel," he told AFP outside the victim's Malaysian apartment. "Fadi is a Hamas member and knows how to make rockets. So (Israel) think he is dangerous." Batsh was married with three young children and had lived in Malaysia for 10 years. It was the second high-profile killing of a foreigner in Malaysia in just over a year. In February 2017 assassins smeared the banned VX nerve agent on the face of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, killing him within minutes. The Mossad is believed to have assassinated Palestinian militants and scientists in the past, but rarely confirms such operations. Hamas has accused Mossad of assassinating one of its drone experts - Mohamed Zouari - in Tunisia in 2016, and the spy agency is also believed to have been behind the 2010 murder of top Hamas militant Mahmud al-Mabhuh in a Dubai hotel. In Iran, a total of five scientists - four of them involved in the country's nuclear programme - were killed in bomb and gun attacks in Tehran between 2010 and 2012 at the height of tensions over the country's nuclear ambitions. Iran has accused Mossad and the CIA of ordering the killings. Tensions between Israel and Gaza are high, with 38 Palestinians killed in four weeks of clashes along the border. On Sunday, Israel announced the arrest of 19 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, 15 of them allegedly affiliated with Hamas in Gaza "who were instructed to carry out different missions on behalf of the Hamas terror organisation," the army said.
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Hamas says Palestinian engineer Fadi al-Batsh, shot dead on his way to a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today, was an important member. Hamas does not ascribe responsibility for the killing but the victim's relatives allege Israeli involvement. Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett calls al-Batsh a terrorist and says no burial will be permitted in Gaza.
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CLOSE SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick breaks down the Pelicans' shocking sweep of the Trail Blazers and the rest of Saturday's NBA playoff action. USA TODAY Sports New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) celebrates during the second half in game three of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Smoothie King Center. (Photo: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports) When C.J. McCollum made a recent visit on USA TODAY Sports’ NBA A to Z podcast, the fifth-year Portland guard made a valid point about the lack of accountability in sports media. “I don’t like…the fact that everyone’s not always held accountable for predictions that go wrong,” said McCollum, who graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in journalism. “There’s just that dynamic that I don’t always like, because I think we should all be held accountable for what we say.” Little did he know at the time how ironic his words would be. As it turns out, we were dead wrong about these Blazers. The third-seeded Trail Blazers were swept by sixth-seeded New Orleans in their first-round playoff series on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center, where they fell 131-123 in Game 4 and thus proved seemingly every prognosticator wrong in the process. Not only did all four of USA TODAY Sports’ experts pick Portland, but all 22 of ESPN’s writers and all six from CBS Sports did as well. The Washington Post and The Action Network, however, got it right. More NBA The Pelicans, who are likely headed toward a second-round matchup with the defending champion Golden State Warriors (they’re up 3-0 on San Antonio), were carried by Anthony Davis (47 points on 15 of 24 shooting, 11 rebounds) and Jrue Holiday (41 points on 15 of 23 shooting, eight assists) and Rajon Rondo (16 assists). What’s more, they made plenty of history along the way. New Orleans became the first No. 6 seed (or lower) to sweep its first-round series since the NBA switched from its best-of-five format in 2003. The Blazers, who could surely reevaluate their future plans now that they’ve been upset in such stunning fashion, have now lost 10 consecutive playoff games. McCollum did his part on the offensive end, scoring 38 points on 15 of 22 shooting. But fellow backcourt mate Damian Lillard, it’s safe to say, will face all sorts of scrutiny for the way his season came to an end. In the four games, Lillard averaged 18.5 points (35.2% shooting overall, 30% from three-point range) to go with 4.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds and four turnovers. The Pelicans, who lost DeMarcus Cousins to a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in late January, led 58-56 at halftime but pulled away with a 42-point third quarter that included Davis scoring 19 points. The sixth-year big man was spectacular in the series, averaging 33 points (57% shooting), 12 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.8 steals. Holiday, who has been one of the under-the-radar standouts so far, was right there with him (27.8 points points per on 56.8% shooting to go with 6.5 assists, four rebounds and 1.3 steals). Follow USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick on Twitter. ||||| Four quick games and, just like that, the clock ran out on the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA playoffs. Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday took down the Blazers in a stunning upset to become the first team through to the second round of the NBA playoffs. Davis set a playoff career-high with 47 points and 12 rebounds in the 131-123 Game 4 win to take the series, 4-0, and upset the No. 3-seed Trail Blazers team some expected to be a tough out in the Western Conference this season. While “Playoff Rondo” frustrated Portland in the first half and facilitated the offense with 16 assists, it was Holiday and Davis who found the bottom of the net. The duo combined for 88 points on Saturday and made it seem like, even when it got close in the end, the relentless offensive attack would prevail in front of a raucous NOLA crowd. https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/987812601148030976 There was a lot more where this came from, too. Davis finished inside early and often, and Holiday continued to keep shooting the lights out, adding 41 points of his own in the win. Every time Portland got close, the duo would come up with a big shot to keep them at arm’s length. ||||| Anthony Davis (47) and Jrue Holiday (41) combined to score 88 points as the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 131-123 on Saturday, finishing off a surprising first-round sweep. Davis and Holiday were excellent all series, but took it to another level in Game 4 to help the Pelicans hold off a Blazers team that refused to quit. First it was Davis, who scored 19 in the third quarter to put New Orleans up by as many as 15. Then, as Portland made its comeback, Holiday scored 14 in the fourth to ensure that the Pelicans never surrendered the lead. The Pelicans will likely face the Warriors in the next round, as Golden State has a 3-0 series lead on the Spurs. ||||| (AP Photo/Scott Threlkeld). New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) goes to the basket during the first half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers in New Orleans, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Scott Threlkeld). New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) shoots over Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) during the first half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in New Orleans, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Scott Threlkeld). New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) is fouled by Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic (27) as he drives to the basket during the first half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in New Or... (AP Photo/Scott Threlkeld). New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, top, slam-dunks over Portland Trail Blazers center Zach Collins (33) during the first half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in New Orleans, Saturday, April ... (AP Photo/Scott Threlkeld). New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis reacts after making a 3-point shot during the first half of Game 4 of the team's first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers in New Orleans, Saturda... NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Anthony Davis scored 33 of his franchise playoff-record 47 points in the second half, and the New Orleans Pelicans completed a first-round playoff sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers with a 131-123 victory on Saturday. Jrue Holiday capped his 41-point performance with an 18-foot pull-up jumper that gave the Pelicans a six-point lead with 40 seconds left. Rajon Rondo added 16 assists, and Davis also had 11 rebounds and three blocks for New Orleans, which is moving on to the second round of the playoffs for only the second time since the NBA returned to the city 16 seasons ago. C.J. McCollum scored 38 for the Trail Blazers, who responded to a blowout loss in Game 3 by keeping Game 4 close until the final minute. Al-Farouq Aminu scored 27, Damian Lillard added 18 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 18 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out. Lillard's difficult driving layup had just tied the game at 60 when the Pelicans briefly pulled away, going on an 11-2 run capped by Davis' 3. Soon after, Nikola Mirotic added step-back 3. Davis, who scored 19 in the third quarter, then added a layup while falling down after a hard foul by Aminu, after which Davis flexed both biceps while still sitting on the court. Holiday's transition 3 made it 87-72, prompting Portland to call timeout while Holiday walked slowly toward mid-court, nodding and smiling wide as he soaked in the crowd's adulation. New Orleans led by 13 to start the fourth quarter, but Portland refused to wilt, opening the period on a 15-4 run that included Nurkic's hook shot, 20-foot jumper and dunk. McCollum's transition layup made it 104-102 with nearly nine minutes to play. Portland got as close as a single point on Aminu's layup with 5:08 to go, but Davis responded with 12 points over the final 4:56, staring with a layup as he was fouled and a 3-pointer. Holiday scored six points during the final 2:52, starting with his 3-pointer. The pair combined for all but one of New Orleans' points during that pivotal stretch. Leading up to Game 4, Lillard spoke of the need for the Blazers to ramp up their intensity and physicality. From the tip, it looked as though they'd done so. In stark contrast to Game 3, when New Orleans led by 18 in the first quarter, this game was tight and testy. Anthony and Ed Davis received double technical fouls after bumping one another following one of Anthony Davis' dunks - and that was just the beginning. McCollum was called for a flagrant foul when he stormed into the lane behind E'Twaun Moore and grabbed the Pelicans guard by the shoulders to thwart a driving layup attempt. Moore then shoved McCollum and was assessed a technical foul. And in the final seconds of the half, double technical were assessed to Rondo and Portland center Zach Collins after Rondo lowered his forehead into Collins' chest and Collins shoved back. Trail Blazers: Played without 6-foot-9 forward Maurice Harkless. Coach Terry Stotts said Harkless, who'd started Game 3 when Turner was out, had a recurrence of knee soreness that had hampered him late this season. Stotts said that while Harkless was in too much pain to play, his knee did not appear to have structural damage. ... Became the first No. 3 seed to lose in the first round since Denver lost to Golden State in the 2013 playoffs. ... The Blazers fell to 6-7 in first round playoff series in which they had home-court advantage. ... McCollum was Portland's leading scorer during the series, averaging 25.3. Pelicans: Mirotic had 10 points and 11 rebounds. ... Moore finished with 14 points. ... Captured the first playoff sweep in the franchise's 16-year history ... Committed 14 turnovers, with Holiday committing seven. Pelicans: Prepare for a second-round series for the first time since 2008. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| NEW ORLEANS – Anthony Davis scored 33 of his franchise playoff-record 47 points in the second half, and the New Orleans Pelicans completed a first-round playoff sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers with a 131-123 victory on Saturday. Jrue Holiday capped his 41-point performance with an 18-foot pull-up jumper that gave the Pelicans a six-point lead with 40 seconds left. Rajon Rondo added 16 assists, and Davis also had 11 rebounds and three blocks for New Orleans, which is moving on to the second round of the playoffs for only the second time since the NBA returned to the city 16 seasons ago. C.J. McCollum scored 38 for the Trail Blazers, who responded to a blowout loss in Game 3 by keeping Game 4 close until the final minute. Al-Farouq Aminu scored 27, Damian Lillard added 18 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 18 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out. Lillard’s difficult driving layup had just tied the game at 60 when the Pelicans briefly pulled away, going on an 11-2 run capped by Davis’ 3. Soon after, Nikola Mirotic added step-back 3. Davis, who scored 19 in the third quarter, then added a layup while falling down after a hard foul by Aminu, after which Davis flexed both biceps while still sitting on the court. Holiday’s transition 3 made it 87-72, prompting Portland to call timeout while Holiday walked slowly toward mid-court, nodding and smiling wide as he soaked in the crowd’s adulation. New Orleans led by 13 to start the fourth quarter, but Portland refused to wilt, opening the period on a 15-4 run that included Nurkic’s hook shot, 20-foot jumper and dunk. McCollum’s transition layup made it 104-102 with nearly nine minutes to play. Portland got as close as a single point on Aminu’s layup with 5:08 to go, but Davis responded with 12 points over the final 4:56, staring with a layup as he was fouled and a 3-pointer. Holiday scored six points during the final 2:52, starting with his 3-pointer. The pair combined for all but one of New Orleans’ points during that pivotal stretch. Leading up to Game 4, Lillard spoke of the need for the Blazers to ramp up their intensity and physicality. From the tip, it looked as though they’d done so. In stark contrast to Game 3, when New Orleans led by 18 in the first quarter, this game was tight and testy. Anthony and Ed Davis received double technical fouls after bumping one another following one of Anthony Davis’ dunks — and that was just the beginning. McCollum was called for a flagrant foul when he stormed into the lane behind E’Twaun Moore and grabbed the Pelicans guard by the shoulders to thwart a driving layup attempt. Moore then shoved McCollum and was assessed a technical foul. And in the final seconds of the half, double technical were assessed to Rondo and Portland centre Zach Collins after Rondo lowered his forehead into Collins’ chest and Collins shoved back. Trail Blazers: Played without 6-foot-9 forward Maurice Harkless. Coach Terry Stotts said Harkless, who’d started Game 3 when Turner was out, had a recurrence of knee soreness that had hampered him late this season. Stotts said that while Harkless was in too much pain to play, his knee did not appear to have structural damage. … Became the first No. 3 seed to lose in the first round since Denver lost to Golden State in the 2013 playoffs. … The Blazers fell to 6-7 in first round playoff series in which they had home-court advantage. … McCollum was Portland’s leading scorer during the series, averaging 25.3. Pelicans: Mirotic had 10 points and 11 rebounds. … Moore finished with 14 points. … Captured the first playoff sweep in the franchise’s 16-year history … Committed 14 turnovers, with Holiday committing seven. Pelicans: Prepare for a second-round series for the first time since 2008. ||||| NEW ORLEANS — Anthony Davis scored 33 of his franchise playoff-record 47 points in the second half, and the New Orleans Pelicans completed a first-round playoff sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers with a 131-123 victory on Saturday. Jrue Holiday capped his 41-point performance with an 18-foot pull-up jumper that gave the Pelicans a six-point lead with 40 seconds left. Rajon Rondo added 16 assists, and Davis also had 11 rebounds and three blocks for New Orleans, which is moving on to the second round of the playoffs for only the second time since the NBA returned to the city 16 seasons ago. C.J. McCollum scored 38 for the Trail Blazers, which responded to a blowout loss in Game 3 by keeping Game 4 close until the final minute. Al-Farouq Aminu scored 27, Damian Lillard added 18 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 18 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out. ||||| Anthony Davis scored 47 points and Jrue Holiday added 41 more as the New Orleans Pelicans completed their first-round NBA playoff sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers 131-123 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Saturday. Rajon Rondo nearly posted a triple-double by amassing seven points, 16 assists and seven rebounds. C.J. McCollum led the Blazers with 38 points, while Al-Farouq Aminu contributed 27. Damian Lillard (19 points) led the rest of the starters, who scored 117 of the team's 123 points. Both teams put on offensive clinics: New Orleans made 57.0 percent of its field goals, while Portland wasn't far behind as it hit 52.6 percent of its shots. The difference was New Orleans' ability to get to the free-throw line, as it connected on 32 of its 39 attempts from the charity stripe (Portland went 13-of-16). The Pels also won the battle of the boards, 44-33. After taking a 58-56 lead into halftime, the Pelicans caught fire in a 42-point third quarter, as noted by the NBA's Twitter account: In particular, Davis scored 19 of his points in the frame: Will Guillory of The Times-Picayune put it best: The Pels took a 100-87 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Blazers refused go away, opening the frame on a 15-4 run to cut the New Orleans lead to just 104-102 with 8:47 remaining. The advantage got as low as one when Aminu made a layup with 5:08 left. However, Davis and Holiday were simply too strong down the stretch, as the duo scored New Orleans' final 12 points to maintain the lead and earn the eight-point victory. During that span, Davis had a key putback slam to give the Pels a four-point lead: Holiday also made a clutch bucket with less than a minute remaining: This is New Orleans' second playoff series win dating back to 2002-03. The Pels have never advanced past the conference semifinals. For the Blazers, a strong season that featured a stellar second half and a third seed in the Western Conference playoffs ends in disappointment. Portland has now lost in the first round three times in the past four years. New Orleans will play the winner of the Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals. Currently, Golden State is up 3-0 on the Spurs and will advance to the second round with a win on Sunday. ||||| NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Anthony Davis sat on the court, a scowl on his face and his biceps flexed on each side of his head. The Pelicans All-Star had just converted a layup as he fell to the court after a hard foul. His strength-projecting celebration afterward was that of a franchise player determined to lay the foundation of his playoff legacy with a dominant performance in the clutch. "In a close-out game and then the magnitude of the situation, this is probably the best game he's played since I've been here," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "He just was not going to let us lose." Davis scored 33 of his franchise playoff-record 47 points in the second half — including 12 points in the final five minutes — and New Orleans completed a first-round playoff sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers with a 131-123 victory on Saturday night. "It was fun," Davis said. "It was an amazing feeling for me to go out and sweep these guys and play the way that I played." And when Davis wasn't devastating the Blazers, Jrue Holiday was giving Portland fits with explosive drives or pull-up jumpers. Holiday capped his 41-point night with an 18-footer that gave the Pelicans a six-point lead with 40 seconds left. Rajon Rondo had 16 assists, and Davis also had 11 rebounds and three blocks for New Orleans, which is moving on to the second round of the playoffs for only the second time since the NBA returned to the city 16 seasons ago. Rondo has said he came to New Orleans to play with what he viewed as the best "Big Three" in the NBA — Davis, Holiday and DeMarcus Cousins. Misfortune struck Cousins in late January, when he was lost for the season to a left Achilles tear. Davis and Holiday had to raise their games, and have come through beyond expectations. Portland never gave up, trimming a 15-point second-half deficit to a single point on Al-Farouq Aminu's layup with 5:08 to go, but Davis responded with 12 points over the final 4:56, staring with a layup as he was fouled and a 3-pointer. Holiday scored six points during the final 2:52, starting with his 3-pointer. The pair combined for all but one of New Orleans' points during that pivotal stretch. "You put the ball in these two guys' hands and they delivered for us," Rondo said. "I couldn't ask for a better duo right now, especially at the time of the game where we needed to get the ball in the hole." C.J. McCollum scored 38 for the Trail Blazers, who responded to a blowout loss in Game 3 by keeping Game 4 close until the final minute. Aminu scored 27, Damian Lillard added 19 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 18 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out. The sweep represented a quick, unceremonious and somewhat surprising end to a season that saw the Blazers climb to third in the Western Conference on the strength of a recent 13-game winning streak. But Portland seemed to cool off shortly before the regular season ended, and never regained peak form. "It's not how we envisioned it happening for us, especially getting home court," Lillard said. "We just weren't playing our best basketball like we had been during that stretch of 13 games. And then we come in here against a team that probably played their best stretch of basketball when they had to." Trail Blazers: Played without 6-foot-9 forward Maurice Harkless. Coach Terry Stotts said Harkless, who'd started Game 3 when Turner was out, had a recurrence of knee soreness that had hampered him late this season. Stotts said that while Harkless was in too much pain to play, his knee did not appear to have structural damage. ... Became the first No. 3 seed to lose in the first round since Denver lost to Golden State in the 2013 playoffs. ... The Blazers fell to 6-7 in first round playoff series in which they had home-court advantage. ... McCollum was Portland's leading scorer during the series, averaging 25.3. Pelicans: Nikola Mirotic had 10 points and 11 rebounds. ... Moore finished with 14 points. ... Captured the first playoff sweep in the franchise's 16-year history ... Committed 14 turnovers, with Holiday committing seven. Leading up to Game 4, Lillard spoke of the need for the Blazers to ramp up their intensity and physicality. From the tip, it looked as though they'd done so. In stark contrast to Game 3, when New Orleans led by 18 in the first quarter, this game was tight and testy. Anthony and Ed Davis received double technical fouls after bumping one another following one of Anthony Davis' dunks — and that was just the beginning. McCollum was called for a flagrant foul when he stormed into the lane behind E'Twaun Moore and grabbed the Pelicans guard by the shoulders to thwart a driving layup attempt. Moore then shoved McCollum and was assessed a technical foul. And in the final seconds of the half, double technical were assessed to Rondo and Portland center Zach Collins after Rondo lowered his forehead into Collins' chest and Collins shoved back. "I live for those moments," a grinning Rondo said. "I was trying to stay smart as far as not getting thrown out. ... We knew what kind of game it was, especially when Dame came out with the comments he made." Lillard, who never scored more than 20 in the series and was held below that three times, said he would have loved to shoot more, but the Pelicans' commitment to defend him early in possessions with multiple players made it difficult. "They came in with a great defensive game plan, threw something at us that we hadn't seen and it worked out for them," Lillard said. Pelicans: Prepare for a second-round series for the first time since 2008. ||||| Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday each achieved career playoff scoring highs as the New Orleans Pelicans held off the Portland Trail Blazers 131-123 Saturday at Smoothie King Center. Davis scored 47 points and Holiday 41 as the Pelicans clinched the best-of-seven playoff series with a four-game sweep. Rajon Rondo dished out 16 assists to go with seven points and seven rebounds for New Orleans. CJ McCollum had 38 points, Al-Farouq Aminu scored 27 points, Damian Lillard added 19 and Jusuf Nurkic contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Trail Blazers. Portland lost despite shooting 52.6 percent from the field and turning the ball over just six times. But the Blazers could not stop New Orleans, which shot 57 percent and assisted on 28 of their 45 baskets. Davis and Holiday each scored 14 points and E'Twaun Moore added 12 as New Orleans took a 58-56 lead into intermission. McCollum and Aminu each had 15 points and Evan Turner 12 for the Blazers before the break. The Pelicans scored 42 points in breaking things open in the third quarter. They hiked their advantage to 87-72 late in the quarter. The difference was 100-87 heading into the fourth quarter. Portland scored the first five points of the final period to draw within 100-92. Nurkic and Holiday traded baskets, and Davis' dunk gave New Orleans a 110-104 edge with seven minutes to go. Aminu hit a 3-point shot to cut it to 110-107, but Holiday scored on a drive to make it 112-107 with 6:33 to play. McCollum made a short jumper, and Aminu scored off a fast break to get Portland to within 112-111. But Davis converted a three-point play to give New Orleans a 115-111 lead with 4:56 remaining. Nurkic made a reverse layup, but Davis drilled a 3 to make it 118-113. Lillard's jumper got the Blazers to within 118-115 with 4:07 left. Nikola Mirotic split a pair at the line to make it 119-115 with 3:51 to go. McCollum scored on a drive to cut it to 119-117, but Davis dunked a rebound for a 121-117 lead with 3:24 to play. Turner hit a pair at the line to make it 121-119 with 3:06 left, but Holiday's 3-point shot pushed the Pelicans' lead to 124-119 with 2:44 to go. Davis made two free throws for a 126-119 edge with 2:29 remaining. Aminu's driving layup drew Portland to within 126-121 with 1:47 remaining. Holiday made one of two foul shots to make it 127-121 with 1:09 left. McCollum's driving layup cut it to 127-123 with one minute to go, but Holiday's jumper pulled the Pelicans ahead 129-123 with 40.4 seconds left. When Davis sank a pair at the line with 20.9 ticks on the clock, the issue was decided. Portland jumped to a 9-3 lead. New Orleans took a 26-25 advantage into the second quarter. The Pelicans extended the margin to 35-29, but the Blazers came back to tie it at 35-35. New Orleans carried a two-point edge into halftime. ||||| NEW ORLEANS -- When DeMarcus Cousins went down with a torn Achilles in January, one of the NBA's most promising big threes was dismantled -- and it looked like the? New Orleans Pelicans' playoff hopes would crumble as well. But the remaining big two of Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday just responded with one of the greatest two-man playoff performances in NBA history to cap a stunning sweep of the third-seeded Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. Davis (47 points) and Holiday (41) tied the NBA record for most points ever scored by a duo in a single game in NBA playoff history, joining John Havlicek and Jo Jo White in 1973, according to Elias Sports Bureau research. It was one point better than Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen ever produced in a playoff game. And they joined LeBron James and Kyrie Irving as the only pair of teammates to score 40-plus points in the same playoff game in the past 18 years. Davis and Holiday scored 28 of the Pelicans' final 29 points in the fourth quarter as New Orleans completed the sweep with a 131-123 victory.? "Their stars really put on a show tonight," said Blazers coach Terry Stotts, whose team had valiantly cut New Orleans' 15-point lead down to one point with five minutes remaining -- to no avail. "We put the ball in these guys' hands and they delivered for us," said Pelicans point guard Rajon Rondo, who lived up to his own "playoff Rondo" reputation with 53 assists in the four-game series. Rondo had Davis and Holiday laughing and mocking him a bit as they sat on the postgame podium together and Rondo only ranked their performance as one of the four or five best he had seen from teammates in his career. But Davis also credited the veteran floor general, who joined New Orleans as a free agent last summer, for constantly being in their ears this week and insisting that this is their time to "be great." "It's a great feeling for me to go out and, like [Rondo] said, 'Build your legacy. Be great.' So it was a great time for me to show that," said Davis, who acknowledged earlier this week that it would "mean a lot" to that growing legacy to win his first playoff series after the Pelicans got swept by the Golden State Warriors in his only other postseason appearance in 2015. "I just tried to go out every game and play to the best of my ability so I can help the team win," Davis said. "Just trying to build a legacy in New Orleans, and let people know that we're for real." Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry offered much loftier praise for Davis, who lifted his game to an MVP level while winning NBA Player of the Month in each of the past two months of the regular season. "In a close-out game and with the magnitude of the situation, this was probably the best game he's played since I've been here," Gentry said. "He just was not gonna let us lose." Davis was especially feeling the moment when he drained 3-pointers in both the third and fourth quarters -- one of which came after Portland had cut the lead to two points with 4:34 remaining. But his inside game was working just fine, too. He also made the Smoothie King Center erupt with an emphatic putback dunk after Portland had again cut the lead to two with 3:12 remaining. Holiday drained a 3 of his own when Portland cut the lead to two points one final time one possession later. Holiday has proven his worth with the best season of his nine-year career after signing a five-year, $126 million contract last summer. He also scored 33 points in Game 2 and averaged 27.8 points in the four-game series against Portland. On the flip side was dejected Blazers star Damian Lillard, who was held to 20 points or less in every game of the series while shooting 35.2 percent against a stifling New Orleans defense that was determined to take the ball out of his hands. Lillard and Davis embraced after the game, and Lillard showed great respect for his fellow star afterward. "I'm sure it meant a lot. In our six years previous to this year, he had only been to the playoffs once. And they played Golden State and got swept. You know, he's had it hard," said Lillard, who was picked five spots after Davis became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft. "I couldn't imagine what it's like going all these years with not being able to compete in the postseason when you're that level of player. So I congratulate him. I wish his success hadn't come against us, but at the end of the day, as a competitor, you can't be a poor sport. You've gotta give credit where it's due." Lillard and the Blazers have made the playoffs in each of the past five years -- but they haven't made it past the second round, and they have now been swept in the first round for the second straight year. "I think this one probably hurt a little bit more, just because we had such a great season and we came in with really, really high expectations," Lillard said. "We expected more from ourselves, and we saw things going in a different direction than they did."
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The New Orleans Pelicans became the first No. 6 seed (or lower) to sweep its first-round series since the NBA switched from its best-of-five format in 2003 after their 131–123 game 4 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Anthony Davis scored 47 points and Jrue Holiday 41 points during the win.
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WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Top European Union official Donald Tusk said Monday he had no power or role in the preparation of any flights taken by himself or Poland's president when he was the nation's prime minister. Tusk was testifying before a three-judge panel at the Provincial Court in Warsaw in a case relating to the 2010 plane crash in Russia that killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others. Families of some of the victims have sued officials in Tusk's government of the time, including the head of his office, saying they failed to make sure the flight would be safe. Some relative of the victims are acting as auxiliary prosecutors. Tusk, who is now the president of the European Council, appeared as a witness, not a defendant. Part of the hearing was held behind closed doors. He told the court he had no influence or role in the preparation of his or the president's flights and had high praise for the work of the head of his office. "It is not and should not be the task of the prime minister or the president to influence any decisions as to place of the landing, the time of the landing, the destination, the type and the choice of the plane," Tusk said. "So from my point of view it was obvious that I should not be interested and should not be influencing" flights, he said. Kaczynski, the first lady and many state officials and military leaders were killed in the crash on April 10, 2010, near the rudimentary airport in Smolensk, Russia. They were traveling to pay homage to thousands of Polish officers killed by Soviet secret security in 1940, during World War II. Observers say the current right-wing government in Poland is using the trial to undermine Tusk, who still has significant political potential in the country. The leader of the ruling party is the late president's twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski. He has blamed the crash on Tusk and on Russia. Official investigations have ruled the crash an accident, but Kaczynski alleges it resulted from foul play. A group of supporters chanted "Donald, Donald" as Tusk entered the courtroom. Dozens of both supporters and opponents also stood in front of the court building. Last year, an appeals court confirmed an 18-month suspended prison term for the deputy head of the Government Protection Office for irregularities in Kaczynski's flight and in a flight taken by Tusk three days earlier. ||||| WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Top European Union official Donald Tusk said Monday he had no power or role in the preparation of any flights taken by himself or Poland's president when he was the nation's prime minister. Tusk was testifying before a three-judge panel at the Provincial Court in Warsaw in a case relating to the 2010 plane crash in Russia that killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others. Families of some of the victims have sued officials in Tusk's government of the time, including the head of his office, saying they failed to make sure the flight would be safe. Some relative of the victims are acting as auxiliary prosecutors. Tusk, who is now the president of the European Council, appeared as a witness, not a defendant. Part of the hearing was held behind closed doors. He told the court he had no influence or role in the preparation of his or the president's flights and had high praise for the work of the head of his office. "It is not and should not be the task of the prime minister or the president to influence any decisions as to place of the landing, the time of the landing, the destination, the type and the choice of the plane," Tusk said. "So from my point of view it was obvious that I should not be interested and should not be influencing" flights, he said. Kaczynski, the first lady and many state officials and military leaders were killed in the crash on April 10, 2010, near the rudimentary airport in Smolensk, Russia. They were traveling to pay homage to thousands of Polish officers killed by Soviet secret security in 1940, during World War II. Observers say the current right-wing government in Poland is using the trial to undermine Tusk, who still has significant political potential in the country. The leader of the ruling party is the late president's twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski. He has blamed the crash on Tusk and on Russia. Official investigations have ruled the crash an accident, but Kaczynski alleges it resulted from foul play. A group of supporters chanted "Donald, Donald" as Tusk entered the courtroom. Dozens of both supporters and opponents also stood in front of the court building. Last year, an appeals court confirmed an 18-month suspended prison term for the deputy head of the Government Protection Office for irregularities in Kaczynski's flight and in a flight taken by Tusk three days earlier. ||||| WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Top European Union official Donald Tusk said Monday he had no power or role in the preparation of any flights taken by himself or Poland's president when he was the nation's prime minister. Tusk was testifying before a three-judge panel at the Provincial Court in Warsaw in a case relating to the 2010 plane crash in Russia that killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others. Families of some of the victims have sued officials in Tusk's government of the time, including the head of his office, saying they failed to make sure the flight would be safe. Some relative of the victims are acting as auxiliary prosecutors. Tusk, who is now the president of the European Council, appeared as a witness, not a defendant. Part of the hearing was held behind closed doors. He told the court he had no influence or role in the preparation of his or the president's flights and had high praise for the work of the head of his office. "It is not and should not be the task of the prime minister or the president to influence any decisions as to place of the landing, the time of the landing, the destination, the type and the choice of the plane," Tusk said. "So from my point of view it was obvious that I should not be interested and should not be influencing" flights, he said. Kaczynski, the first lady and many state officials and military leaders were killed in the crash on April 10, 2010, near the rudimentary airport in Smolensk, Russia. They were traveling to pay homage to thousands of Polish officers killed by Soviet secret security in 1940, during World War II. Observers say the current right-wing government in Poland is using the trial to undermine Tusk, who still has significant political potential in the country. The leader of the ruling party is the late president's twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski. He has blamed the crash on Tusk and on Russia. Official investigations have ruled the crash an accident, but Kaczynski alleges it resulted from foul play. A group of supporters chanted "Donald, Donald" as Tusk entered the courtroom. Dozens of both supporters and opponents also stood in front of the court building. Last year, an appeals court confirmed an 18-month suspended prison term for the deputy head of the Government Protection Office for irregularities in Kaczynski's flight and in a flight taken by Tusk three days earlier. ||||| WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Top European Union official Donald Tusk said Monday he had no power or role in the preparation of any flights taken by himself or Poland's president when he was the nation's prime minister. Tusk was testifying before a three-judge panel at the Provincial Court in Warsaw in a case relating to the 2010 plane crash in Russia that killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others. Families of some of the victims have sued officials in Tusk's government of the time, including the head of his office, saying they failed to make sure the flight would be safe. Some relative of the victims are acting as auxiliary prosecutors. Tusk, who is now the president of the European Council, appeared as a witness, not a defendant. Part of the hearing was held behind closed doors. He told the court he had no influence or role in the preparation of his or the president's flights and had high praise for the work of the head of his office. "It is not and should not be the task of the prime minister or the president to influence any decisions as to place of the landing, the time of the landing, the destination, the type and the choice of the plane," Tusk said. "So from my point of view it was obvious that I should not be interested and should not be influencing" flights, he said. Kaczynski, the first lady and many state officials and military leaders were killed in the crash on April 10, 2010, near the rudimentary airport in Smolensk, Russia. They were traveling to pay homage to thousands of Polish officers killed by Soviet secret security in 1940, during World War II. Observers say the current right-wing government in Poland is using the trial to undermine Tusk, who still has significant political potential in the country. The leader of the ruling party is the late president's twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski. He has blamed the crash on Tusk and on Russia. Official investigations have ruled the crash an accident, but Kaczynski alleges it resulted from foul play. A group of supporters chanted "Donald, Donald" as Tusk entered the courtroom. Dozens of both supporters and opponents also stood in front of the court building. Last year, an appeals court confirmed an 18-month suspended prison term for the deputy head of the Government Protection Office for irregularities in Kaczynski's flight and in a flight taken by Tusk three days earlier. ||||| WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Top European Union official Donald Tusk said Monday he had no power or role in the preparation of any flights taken by himself or Poland's president when he was the nation's prime minister. Tusk was testifying before a three-judge panel at the Provincial Court in Warsaw in a case relating to the 2010 plane crash in Russia that killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others. Families of some of the victims have sued officials in Tusk's government of the time, including the head of his office, saying they failed to make sure the flight would be safe. Some relative of the victims are acting as auxiliary prosecutors. Tusk, who is now the president of the European Council, appeared as a witness, not a defendant. Part of the hearing was held behind closed doors. He told the court he had no influence or role in the preparation of his or the president's flights and had high praise for the work of the head of his office. "It is not and should not be the task of the prime minister or the president to influence any decisions as to place of the landing, the time of the landing, the destination, the type and the choice of the plane," Tusk said. "So from my point of view it was obvious that I should not be interested and should not be influencing" flights, he said. Kaczynski, the first lady and many state officials and military leaders were killed in the crash on April 10, 2010, near the rudimentary airport in Smolensk, Russia. They were traveling to pay homage to thousands of Polish officers killed by Soviet secret security in 1940, during World War II. Observers say the current right-wing government in Poland is using the trial to undermine Tusk, who still has significant political potential in the country. The leader of the ruling party is the late president's twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski. He has blamed the crash on Tusk and on Russia. Official investigations have ruled the crash an accident, but Kaczynski alleges it resulted from foul play. A group of supporters chanted "Donald, Donald" as Tusk entered the courtroom. Dozens of both supporters and opponents also stood in front of the court building. Last year, an appeals court confirmed an 18-month suspended prison term for the deputy head of the Government Protection Office for irregularities in Kaczynski's flight and in a flight taken by Tusk three days earlier. ||||| WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Top European Union official Donald Tusk said Monday he had no power or role in the preparation of any flights taken by himself or Poland's president when he was the nation's prime minister. Tusk was testifying before a three-judge panel at the Provincial Court in Warsaw in a case relating to the 2010 plane crash in Russia that killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others. Families of some of the victims have sued officials in Tusk's government of the time, including the head of his office, saying they failed to make sure the flight would be safe. Some relative of the victims are acting as auxiliary prosecutors. Tusk, who is now the president of the European Council, appeared as a witness, not a defendant. Part of the hearing was held behind closed doors. He told the court he had no influence or role in the preparation of his or the president's flights and had high praise for the work of the head of his office. "It is not and should not be the task of the prime minister or the president to influence any decisions as to place of the landing, the time of the landing, the destination, the type and the choice of the plane," Tusk said. "So from my point of view it was obvious that I should not be interested and should not be influencing" flights, he said. Kaczynski, the first lady and many state officials and military leaders were killed in the crash on April 10, 2010, near the rudimentary airport in Smolensk, Russia. They were traveling to pay homage to thousands of Polish officers killed by Soviet secret security in 1940, during World War II. Observers say the current right-wing government in Poland is using the trial to undermine Tusk, who still has significant political potential in the country. The leader of the ruling party is the late president's twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski. He has blamed the crash on Tusk and on Russia. Official investigations have ruled the crash an accident, but Kaczynski alleges it resulted from foul play. A group of supporters chanted "Donald, Donald" as Tusk entered the courtroom. Dozens of both supporters and opponents also stood in front of the court building. Last year, an appeals court confirmed an 18-month suspended prison term for the deputy head of the Government Protection Office for irregularities in Kaczynski's flight and in a flight taken by Tusk three days earlier. ||||| WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Top European Union official Donald Tusk said Monday he had no power or role in the preparation of any flights taken by himself or Poland's president when he was the nation's prime minister. Tusk was testifying before a three-judge panel at the Provincial Court in Warsaw in a case relating to the 2010 plane crash in Russia that killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others. Families of some of the victims have sued officials in Tusk's government of the time, including the head of his office, saying they failed to make sure the flight would be safe. Some relative of the victims are acting as auxiliary prosecutors. Tusk, who is now the president of the European Council, appeared as a witness, not a defendant. Part of the hearing was held behind closed doors. He told the court he had no influence or role in the preparation of his or the president's flights and had high praise for the work of the head of his office. "It is not and should not be the task of the prime minister or the president to influence any decisions as to place of the landing, the time of the landing, the destination, the type and the choice of the plane," Tusk said. "So from my point of view it was obvious that I should not be interested and should not be influencing" flights, he said. Kaczynski, the first lady and many state officials and military leaders were killed in the crash on April 10, 2010, near the rudimentary airport in Smolensk, Russia. They were traveling to pay homage to thousands of Polish officers killed by Soviet secret security in 1940, during World War II. Observers say the current right-wing government in Poland is using the trial to undermine Tusk, who still has significant political potential in the country. The leader of the ruling party is the late president's twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski. He has blamed the crash on Tusk and on Russia. Official investigations have ruled the crash an accident, but Kaczynski alleges it resulted from foul play. A group of supporters chanted "Donald, Donald" as Tusk entered the courtroom. Dozens of both supporters and opponents also stood in front of the court building. Last year, an appeals court confirmed an 18-month suspended prison term for the deputy head of the Government Protection Office for irregularities in Kaczynski's flight and in a flight taken by Tusk three days earlier. ||||| WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Top European Union official Donald Tusk said Monday he had no power or role in the preparation of any flights taken by himself or Poland's president when he was the nation's prime minister. Tusk was testifying before a three-judge panel at the Provincial Court in Warsaw in a case relating to the 2010 plane crash in Russia that killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others. Families of some of the victims have sued officials in Tusk's government of the time, including the head of his office, saying they failed to make sure the flight would be safe. Some relative of the victims are acting as auxiliary prosecutors. Tusk, who is now the president of the European Council, appeared as a witness, not a defendant. Part of the hearing was held behind closed doors. He told the court he had no influence or role in the preparation of his or the president's flights and had high praise for the work of the head of his office. "It is not and should not be the task of the prime minister or the president to influence any decisions as to place of the landing, the time of the landing, the destination, the type and the choice of the plane," Tusk said. "So from my point of view it was obvious that I should not be interested and should not be influencing" flights, he said. Kaczynski, the first lady and many state officials and military leaders were killed in the crash on April 10, 2010, near the rudimentary airport in Smolensk, Russia. They were traveling to pay homage to thousands of Polish officers killed by Soviet secret security in 1940, during World War II. Observers say the current right-wing government in Poland is using the trial to undermine Tusk, who still has significant political potential in the country. The leader of the ruling party is the late president's twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski. He has blamed the crash on Tusk and on Russia. Official investigations have ruled the crash an accident, but Kaczynski alleges it resulted from foul play. A group of supporters chanted "Donald, Donald" as Tusk entered the courtroom. Dozens of both supporters and opponents also stood in front of the court building. Last year, an appeals court confirmed an 18-month suspended prison term for the deputy head of the Government Protection Office for irregularities in Kaczynski's flight and in a flight taken by Tusk three days earlier. ||||| WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Top European Union official Donald Tusk said Monday he had no power or role in the preparation of any flights taken by himself or Poland's president when he was the nation's prime minister. Tusk was testifying before a three-judge panel at the Provincial Court in Warsaw in a case relating to the 2010 plane crash in Russia that killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others. Families of some of the victims have sued officials in Tusk's government of the time, including the head of his office, saying they failed to make sure the flight would be safe. Some relative of the victims are acting as auxiliary prosecutors. Tusk, who is now the president of the European Council, appeared as a witness, not a defendant. Part of the hearing was held behind closed doors. He told the court he had no influence or role in the preparation of his or the president's flights and had high praise for the work of the head of his office. "It is not and should not be the task of the prime minister or the president to influence any decisions as to place of the landing, the time of the landing, the destination, the type and the choice of the plane," Tusk said. "So from my point of view it was obvious that I should not be interested and should not be influencing" flights, he said. Kaczynski, the first lady and many state officials and military leaders were killed in the crash on April 10, 2010, near the rudimentary airport in Smolensk, Russia. They were traveling to pay homage to thousands of Polish officers killed by Soviet secret security in 1940, during World War II. Observers say the current right-wing government in Poland is using the trial to undermine Tusk, who still has significant political potential in the country. The leader of the ruling party is the late president's twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski. He has blamed the crash on Tusk and on Russia. Official investigations have ruled the crash an accident, but Kaczynski alleges it resulted from foul play. A group of supporters chanted "Donald, Donald" as Tusk entered the courtroom. Dozens of both supporters and opponents also stood in front of the court building. Last year, an appeals court confirmed an 18-month suspended prison term for the deputy head of the Government Protection Office for irregularities in Kaczynski's flight and in a flight taken by Tusk three days earlier. ||||| WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Top European Union official Donald Tusk said Monday he had no power or role in the preparation of any flights taken by himself or Poland's president when he was the nation's prime minister. Tusk was testifying before a three-judge panel at the Provincial Court in Warsaw in a case relating to the 2010 plane crash in Russia that killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others. Families of some of the victims have sued officials in Tusk's government of the time, including the head of his office, saying they failed to make sure the flight would be safe. Some relative of the victims are acting as auxiliary prosecutors. Tusk, who is now the president of the European Council, appeared as a witness, not a defendant. Part of the hearing was held behind closed doors. He told the court he had no influence or role in the preparation of his or the president's flights and had high praise for the work of the head of his office. "It is not and should not be the task of the prime minister or the president to influence any decisions as to place of the landing, the time of the landing, the destination, the type and the choice of the plane," Tusk said. "So from my point of view it was obvious that I should not be interested and should not be influencing" flights, he said. Kaczynski, the first lady and many state officials and military leaders were killed in the crash on April 10, 2010, near the rudimentary airport in Smolensk, Russia. They were traveling to pay homage to thousands of Polish officers killed by Soviet secret security in 1940, during World War II. Observers say the current right-wing government in Poland is using the trial to undermine Tusk, who still has significant political potential in the country. The leader of the ruling party is the late president's twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski. He has blamed the crash on Tusk and on Russia. Official investigations have ruled the crash an accident, but Kaczynski alleges it resulted from foul play. A group of supporters chanted "Donald, Donald" as Tusk entered the courtroom. Dozens of both supporters and opponents also stood in front of the court building. Last year, an appeals court confirmed an 18-month suspended prison term for the deputy head of the Government Protection Office for irregularities in Kaczynski's flight and in a flight taken by Tusk three days earlier.
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European Commission President Donald Tusk testifies in Warsaw about the disaster which killed 96 including then-President Lech Kaczynski. Tusk was Prime Minister at the time. He is locked in disputes with Law and Justice over the crash.
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DALLAS -- Two Dallas police officers were shot and critically wounded Tuesday afternoon in a shooting at a Home Depot, CBS Dallas/Fort Worth reports. A store loss-prevention officer was also shot in the incident in northern Dallas, according to Police Chief U. Renee Hall. After a brief car chase, a suspect was arrested along with a female passenger. More DFW News From CBS Dallas At a late night news conference, Hall said that suspect Armando Juarez faces multiple counts of aggravated assault on a police officer. Also it was announced that all three victims were out of surgery. "Our police department was attacked this afternoon," Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said during a news conference earlier in the night. "I continue to be upset at the lack of respect for our police in this city and this country," Rawlings added. A source told CBS DFW that a male police officer was shot in the back of the head and a female officer was shot in the face. "We're asking you to continue praying for our officers," Hall said. A large police presence was seen outside the store and one person was seen being loaded into an ambulance. Shooting suspect identified Police identified the suspect as Armando Juarez, 29, and was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jean shorts. State, local and federal authorities assisted in the manhunt. Armando Juarez Dallas Police Dept. via CBS Dallas/Fort Worth Police were looking for a white pickup truck -- possibly a Ford F250 -- with "GX4" on the back fender, a ladder rack and large exhaust pipes rising from the front of the bed. Police response to shooting Police with guns drawn were seen at the back of the Home Depot as employees appeared to be rushing out of the back of the store and away from the area. "The officers got him and they started doing the shots it was about seven shots that we heard," said Mercedes Espinosa, a Home Depot employee. "I've seen two officers down surrounded in a puddle of blood." A massive search from police helicopters in the air and on the ground followed after witnesses reported the shooter fled on foot and may be hiding in a nearby creek. But when police reviewed security camera video they discovered the suspect took off in the pickup truck. Inside the store, employees and customers either froze in panic or fled in fear from the brutal violence that played out in front of them. The store was evacuated and workers were sent home for the day. In a tweet earlier Tuesday, Dallas police asked for prayers for the officers and their families. We can confirm that two @DallasPD officers have been shot and critically wounded. We will provide updates as we get them. Please pray for our officers and their families. — Dallas Police Dept (@DallasPD) April 24, 2018 ||||| DALLAS (WHDH) – Dallas police confirm two officers were shot and critically wounded Tuesday evening. The officers were called a Home Depot in Northeast Dallas regarding a shoplifting incident, according to authorities. The situation quickly turned violent, and the officers were shot. A civilian was also shot in the incident, according to a tweet from police, and their condition is unknown at this time. Police are reportedly still on scene looking for a suspect. The Home Depot was evacuated and closed for the rest of the day. This is a developing story; stay with 7News on air and on WHDH.com for the latest updates. ||||| Two police officers have been shot and critically wounded in an incident at a hardware store in Dallas. DALLAS — Two police officers have been shot and critically wounded in an incident at a hardware store in Dallas. The incident happened about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday outside a Home Depot store on U.S. 75 in northern Dallas. A message on the Dallas Police Department Twitter feed said the officers were critically wounded but provided no other details. Aerial video showed police using a helicopter and trained dogs to search for a suspect in a wooded area next to the store parking lot. ||||| Sign up for one of our email newsletters. DALLAS — Two Dallas police officers were critically wounded in a shooting Tuesday outside a home improvement store, authorities said. Police Chief U. Renee Hall said a store loss-prevention officer also was shot in the incident about 4:15 p.m. outside a Home Depot in northern Dallas. In a tweet about the shooting Tuesday evening, the Dallas Police Department said the officers were critically wounded. During a news conference Tuesday night at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Hall declined to give an update on their conditions, citing consideration for the privacy of the officers' families. "We're asking you to continue praying for our officers," Hall said. The two police officers went to the store to assist an off-duty police officer with taking a man into custody and then the shooting happened. A 29-year-old man is being sought as a person of interest. Hall said the man left the scene in a white pickup truck. "I continue to be upset at the lack of respect of our police in this city and in our country," said Mayor Mike Rawlings, who also attended the hospital news conference. In 2016, four Dallas police officers and a transit officer were fatally shot by a sniper in an ambush that occurred toward the end of a peaceful protest over the police killings of black men that had occurred in other cities. ||||| Two officers in critical condition after shooting at Home Depot in Dallas DALLAS - Two police officers are seriously hurt after a shooting at a Home Depot in Texas Tuesday afternoon. According to the Dallas Police Department, two of its officers were shot while helping a security guard who was responding to an incident in the store. WFAA says police are still looking for 29-year-old Armando Juarez, the suspected shooter. The two officers, a man and a woman, are still in critical condition. ||||| DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Two Dallas police officers remain hospitalized after a shooting at a North Dallas Home Depot that also injured a store employee. The man who police say shot the officers and the Home Depot security guard – Armando Luis Juarez – woke up behind bars today. After the shooting, a manhunt, and late night police chase Juarez was taken into custody and ultimately transferred to the Dallas County Jail very early Wednesday morning. Both of the Dallas police officers, Crystal Almeida and Rogelio Santander, are in critical condition at Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas hospital. The Home Depot employee, who was also taken to Presbyterian and has not been identified, is in the ICU as well. Both Officers Almeida and Santander are three-year veterans with the Dallas Police Department, assigned to the Northeast Division. A source close to the investigation told CBS 11 News reporter J.D. Miles that Officer Santander was shot in the back of the head and Officer Almeida was shot in the face. Wednesday morning Michael Mata, the president of the Dallas Police Association, said, “When an officer is shot or killed or injured in one city, it affects every officer across the country. We are one huge family.” The shooting happened just after 4:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Home Depot store in the 11600 block of Forest Central Drive, near U.S. Highway 75 and Forest Lane, after the two police officers were called to help an off-duty officer remove a man, believed to be Juarez, from the store. Immediately after the shooting police, with guns drawn, were seen at the back of the Home Depot as employees and customers rushed out of the back of the store and away from the area. Juarez fled from the scene in a white-colored work truck. It was then police put out a description of the truck — that had “GX4” on the back fender, a ladder rack, and large exhaust pipes rising from the front — and issued a be on the lookout (BOLO) alert. Police later spotted the truck, with Juarez behind the wheel, in Southeast Dallas and gave chase. Officers were ultimately able to corner Juarez in a residential neighborhood near Dallas Love Field Airport and took the 29-year-old into custody. “We got our man,” Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said at a late-night news conference. ||||| Two Dallas Police officers have been shot and critically wounded, the Dallas Police Department wrote on Twitter. The shooting occurred at a Home Depot in North Dallas, according to the ATF, which is responding to the scene. A civilian was also shot, and his or her condition is unknown at this time, police said. The shooting suspect may be in custody, according a U.S. Marshal on the scene. Police were actively searching for the shooting suspect in a nearby wooded area. The police department asked for prayers for the officers and their families. Further details were not immediately available. In 2016, five Dallas law enforcement officers were shot and killed and seven more injured after they were ambushed by 25-year-old former Army reservist Micah Xavier Johnson. Johnson later died in a standoff with police. Former Dallas Police Chief and ABC News contributor David Brown said the most recent shooting on two police officers is "too much to bear for one department in such a short time frame." This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates. ||||| (CNN) — Two Dallas police officers were shot and critically wounded Tuesday, the city’s police department said. A civilian also was wounded, the department said, but that person’s condition was not known. Dallas police are looking for a 29-year-old Hispanic man named Armando Luis Juárez in connection with the shooting at a Home Depot, Chief Reneé Hall told reporters Tuesday night. The man fled in a white pickup, she said. The truck is a Ford, possibly F250, police said on Facebook. The back fender has “GX4” on it and the truck bed has a ladder rack and large exhaust pipes rising from the front. The incident began Tuesday afternoon, she said, when an off-duty officer at the Home Depot called to request backup officers for an arrest. The chief asked for people to keep the officers, their families and department in their prayers. “We need you right now, our hearts are very heavy,” she said. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings also tweeted on the shooting: “We are closely monitoring the situation in northeast Dallas and praying for our officers and their families.” No further details were immediately available. Five Dallas officers were killed and seven others injured in July 2016 when a military veteran who had served in Afghanistan fired on them. The shooter, Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, of Mesquite, Texas, was killed after a lengthy standoff with police. ||||| NORTHEAST DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Two police officers and one civilian were shot at a Home Depot Tuesday afternoon. Police are actively searching for the suspect. A source close to the investigation told CBS11 reporter J.D. Miles that the male police officer was shot in the back of the head. The female officer was shot in the face, according to the source. Both officers were gravely injured and one was resuscitated according to Dallas Police. They were taken to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. “We can confirm that two Dallas police officers have been shot and critically wounded,” DPD reported on Twitter. “We will provide updates as we get them. Please pray for our officers and their families.” Police could not confirm the civilian’s condition. Police identified the suspect as Armando Juarez, 29, they say he should be considered armed and dangerous. Police say he was wearing a white t-shirt and blue jean shorts. Police are looking for a white work truck they say the suspect may have gotten into. The shooting happened in the 11600 block of Forest Central Drive near the Hamilton Park neighborhood. Police with guns drawn were seen at the back of the Home Depot as employees appeared to be rushing out of the back of the store and away from the area. Dallas SWAT and Canine Units were searching a creek bed nearby for the suspect. The store was evacuated and workers were sent home for the day. ||||| DALLAS — Two Dallas police officers have been critically wounded in a shooting outside a hardware store. The shooting happened about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday outside a Home Depot in northern Dallas. The Dallas Police Department tweeted about the shooting, giving the conditions of the officers. But it did not immediately provide other details. The department tweeted that a civilian was also shot. That person’s condition wasn’t immediately known. Aerial video showed police using a helicopter and trained dogs to search for a suspect in a wooded area next to the store parking lot.
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Three people are shot and critically wounded, two of them Dallas Police officers and the other a security guard, at a Home Depot in Dallas, Texas. The suspected shooter, who was also attempting to shoplift merchandise, was arrested soon after. One of the police officers died from his injuries the next day.
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KIGALI, Rwanda — Mass graves that authorities say could contain more than 2,000 bodies have been discovered in Rwanda nearly a quarter-century after the country's genocide, and further graves are being sought nearby. The new discovery is being called the most significant in a long time in this East African nation that is still recovering from the 1994 killings of more than 800,000 people. Some Rwandans are shocked and dismayed that residents of the community outside the capital, Kigali, where the mass graves were found kept quiet about them for so many years. "Those who participated in the killing of our relatives don't want to tell us where they buried them. How can you reconcile with such people?" asked a tearful France Mukantagazwa. She told The Associated Press she lost her father and other relatives in the genocide and believes their bodies are in the newly found graves. The discovery of the graves in Gasabo district came just days after Rwanda marked 24 years since the mass killings of ethnic Tutsi and moderate ethnic Hutus. "It is very disturbing that every now and then mass graves are discovered of which the now-free perpetrators never bothered to reveal to bereaved families so that they can get closure," the daily newspaper The New Times said in an editorial this week. "Definitely some very cruel people still live in our midst," it added. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are thought to be buried in the graves based on the number of area residents who went missing during the genocide, Rashid Rwigamba, an official with the genocide survivors' organization Ibuka, told AP. The information leading to the discovery came from a local landlord who at first refused to answer questions about the suspected mass graves until threatened with arrest, Rwigamba said. The landlord was later arrested, suspected of taking part in the killings and accused of knowing where people were buried all along, he added. Houses and toilets that had been built on top of the graves have been destroyed to make way for the search. "The exercise is ongoing and we have identified another house we suspect was built on a piece of land where victims were buried," Rwigamba said. Bodies found so far include those of babies, based on the clothing that has been found, he said. ||||| Image copyright AFP Image caption Some 800,000 people were killed in the genocide Four mass graves have been unearthed in Rwanda, which are believed to date from the 1994 genocide. The sites were found in the Gasabo district, outside the capital Kigali, and about 200 bodies have been exhumed. Around 3,000 people from the area went missing during the massacres, and local people believe the graves may contain all of their bodies. Some 800,000 people - ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus - were slaughtered in 100 days by Hutu militias. The graves were uncovered two weeks after commemorations were held to mark the start of the killings. Volunteers are leading the search after being told of the location of the graves by a woman, who claims to have seen bodies dumped there. Houses had to be destroyed in order to get to the graves, which were located underneath. "The exercise is ongoing as we have identified four mass graves," Théogene Kabagambire, an official with the genocide charity Ibuka, told News Day, a Rwandan newspaper. Many of the genocide's perpetrators have been released from prison after having completed their sentences. BBC Africa security correspondent Tomi Oladipo says the discovery has raised questions in the local media about why the people who knew about these sites have held back from revealing their locations. Mr Kabagambire says they are still searching for a fifth grave, and adds that some genocide convicts "are doing little to reveal the whereabouts of our loved ones". Relatives of genocide victims have been scouring through the sites in search of their loved ones' remains. "I have information that both my parents were killed and dumped in one of [the] mass graves here and I came with hope that I can identify the clothes they were wearing when they left," Isabelle Uwimana, one of survivors, told News Day. "I wish to be sure that they are here so that I give them a decent burial." Prudent Nsengiyumva from the BBC Great Lakes service says there are many more graves in the country that have yet to be located. The genocide began on 6 April 1994, when a plane carrying Rwandan President Habyarimana and his Burundian counterpart Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down. No-one survived the crash. Hutu extremists blamed Tutsi rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), for the attack, before starting a well-organised slaughter campaign. ||||| KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Mass graves that authorities say could contain more than 2,000 bodies have been discovered in Rwanda nearly a quarter-century after the country's genocide, and further graves are being sought nearby. The new discovery is being called the most significant in a long time in this East African nation that is still recovering from the 1994 killings of more than 800,000 people. Some Rwandans are shocked and dismayed that residents of the community outside the capital, Kigali, where the mass graves were found kept quiet about them for so many years. "Those who participated in the killing of our relatives don't want to tell us where they buried them. How can you reconcile with such people?" asked a tearful France Mukantagazwa. She told The Associated Press she lost her father and other relatives in the genocide and believes their bodies are in the newly found graves. The discovery of the graves in Gasabo district came just days after Rwanda marked 24 years since the mass killings of ethnic Tutsi and moderate ethnic Hutus. "It is very disturbing that every now and then mass graves are discovered of which the now-free perpetrators never bothered to reveal to bereaved families so that they can get closure," the daily newspaper The New Times said in an editorial this week. "Definitely some very cruel people still live in our midst," it added. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are thought to be buried in the graves based on the number of area residents who went missing during the genocide, Rashid Rwigamba, an official with the genocide survivors' organization Ibuka, told AP. The information leading to the discovery came from a local landlord who at first refused to answer questions about the suspected mass graves until threatened with arrest, Rwigamba said. The landlord was later arrested, suspected of taking part in the killings and accused of knowing where people had been buried all along, he added. Houses and toilets that had been built on top of the graves have been destroyed to make way for the search. "The exercise is ongoing and we have identified another house we suspect was built on a piece of land where victims were buried," Rwigamba said. Bodies found so far include those of babies, based on the clothing that has been found, he said. At least 207 bodies have been exhumed from one of the graves and 156 have been exhumed from another, said Theogen Kabagambire, an Ibuka official from Gasabo district. It was not immediately clear what would be done with the bodies or the graves. During the genocide, a roadblock manned by Hutu militias was established meters away from the sites of the mass graves, survivors told the AP. Authorities have launched investigations and those found to have participated in the killings will be prosecuted, Kabagambire said. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| Mass graves that authorities say could contain more than 2,000 bodies have been discovered in Rwanda nearly a quarter-century after the country's genocide, and further graves are being sought nearby. The new discovery is being called the most significant in a long time in this East African nation that is still recovering from the 1994 killings of more than 800,000 people. Some Rwandans are shocked and dismayed that residents of the community outside the capital, Kigali, where the mass graves were found kept quiet about them for so many years. "Those who participated in the killing of our relatives don't want to tell us where they buried them. How can you reconcile with such people?" asked a tearful France Mukantagazwa. She told The Associated Press she lost her father and other relatives in the genocide and believes their bodies are in the newly found graves. The discovery of the graves in Gasabo district came just days after Rwanda marked 24 years since the mass killings of ethnic Tutsi and moderate ethnic Hutus. "It is very disturbing that every now and then mass graves are discovered of which the now-free perpetrators never bothered to reveal to bereaved families so that they can get closure," the daily newspaper The New Times said in an editorial this week. "Definitely some very cruel people still live in our midst," it added. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are thought to be buried in the graves based on the number of area residents who went missing during the genocide, Rashid Rwigamba, an official with the genocide survivors' organization Ibuka, told AP. The information leading to the discovery came from a local landlord who at first refused to answer questions about the suspected mass graves until threatened with arrest, Rwigamba said. The landlord was later arrested, suspected of taking part in the killings and accused of knowing where people had been buried all along, he added. Houses and toilets that had been built on top of the graves have been destroyed to make way for the search. "The exercise is ongoing and we have identified another house we suspect was built on a piece of land where victims were buried," Rwigamba said. Bodies found so far include those of babies, based on the clothing that has been found, he said. At least 207 bodies have been exhumed from one of the graves and 156 have been exhumed from another, said Theogen Kabagambire, an Ibuka official from Gasabo district. It was not immediately clear what would be done with the bodies or the graves. During the genocide, a roadblock manned by Hutu militias was established meters away from the sites of the mass graves, survivors told the AP. Authorities have launched investigations and those found to have participated in the killings will be prosecuted, Kabagambire said. ||||| KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Mass graves that authorities say could contain more than 2,000 bodies have been discovered in Rwanda nearly a quarter-century after the country’s genocide, and further graves are being sought nearby. The new discovery is being called the most significant in a long time in this East African nation that is still recovering from the 1994 killings of more than 800,000 people. Some Rwandans are shocked and dismayed that residents of the community outside the capital, Kigali, where the mass graves were found kept quiet about them for so many years. “Those who participated in the killing of our relatives don’t want to tell us where they buried them. How can you reconcile with such people?” asked a tearful France Mukantagazwa. She told The Associated Press she lost her father and other relatives in the genocide and believes their bodies are in the newly found graves. The discovery of the graves in Gasabo district came just days after Rwanda marked 24 years since the mass killings of ethnic Tutsi and moderate ethnic Hutus. “It is very disturbing that every now and then mass graves are discovered of which the now-free perpetrators never bothered to reveal to bereaved families so that they can get closure,” the daily newspaper The New Times said in an editorial this week. “Definitely some very cruel people still live in our midst,” it added. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are thought to be buried in the graves based on the number of area residents who went missing during the genocide, Rashid Rwigamba, an official with the genocide survivors’ organization Ibuka, told AP. The information leading to the discovery came from a local landlord who at first refused to answer questions about the suspected mass graves until threatened with arrest, Rwigamba said. The landlord was later arrested, suspected of taking part in the killings and accused of knowing where people had been buried all along, he added. Houses and toilets that had been built on top of the graves have been destroyed to make way for the search. “The exercise is ongoing and we have identified another house we suspect was built on a piece of land where victims were buried,” Rwigamba said. Bodies found so far include those of babies, based on the clothing that has been found, he said. At least 207 bodies have been exhumed from one of the graves and 156 have been exhumed from another, said Theogen Kabagambire, an Ibuka official from Gasabo district. It was not immediately clear what would be done with the bodies or the graves. During the genocide, a roadblock manned by Hutu militias was established meters away from the sites of the mass graves, survivors told the AP. Authorities have launched investigations and those found to have participated in the killings will be prosecuted, Kabagambire said. ||||| KIGALI, Rwanda — Mass graves that authorities say could contain more than 2,000 bodies have been discovered in Rwanda nearly a quarter-century after the country’s genocide, and further graves are being sought nearby. The new discovery is being called the most significant in a long time in this East African nation that is still recovering from the 1994 killings of more than 800,000 people. Some Rwandans are shocked and dismayed that residents of the community outside the capital, Kigali, where the mass graves were found kept quiet about them for so many years. “Those who participated in the killing of our relatives don’t want to tell us where they buried them. How can you reconcile with such people?” asked a tearful France Mukantagazwa. She told The Associated Press she lost her father and other relatives in the genocide and believes their bodies are in the newly found graves. The discovery of the graves in Gasabo district came just days after Rwanda marked 24 years since the mass killings of ethnic Tutsi and moderate ethnic Hutus. “It is very disturbing that every now and then mass graves are discovered of which the now-free perpetrators never bothered to reveal to bereaved families so that they can get closure,” the daily newspaper The New Times said in an editorial this week. “Definitely some very cruel people still live in our midst,” it added. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are thought to be buried in the graves based on the number of area residents who went missing during the genocide, Rashid Rwigamba, an official with the genocide survivors’ organization Ibuka, told AP. The information leading to the discovery came from a local landlord who at first refused to answer questions about the suspected mass graves until threatened with arrest, Rwigamba said. The landlord was later arrested, suspected of taking part in the killings and accused of knowing where people had been buried all along, he added. Houses and toilets that had been built on top of the graves have been destroyed to make way for the search. “The exercise is ongoing and we have identified another house we suspect was built on a piece of land where victims were buried,” Rwigamba said. Bodies found so far include those of babies, based on the clothing that has been found, he said. At least 207 bodies have been exhumed from one of the graves and 156 have been exhumed from another, said Theogen Kabagambire, an Ibuka official from Gasabo district. It was not immediately clear what would be done with the bodies or the graves. During the genocide, a roadblock manned by Hutu militias was established meters away from the sites of the mass graves, survivors told the AP. Authorities have launched investigations and those found to have participated in the killings will be prosecuted, Kabagambire said. ||||| KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Mass graves that authorities say could contain more than 2,000 bodies have been discovered in Rwanda nearly a quarter-century after the country’s genocide, and further graves are being sought nearby. The new discovery is being called the most significant in a long time in this East African nation that is still recovering from the 1994 killings of more than 800,000 people. Some Rwandans are shocked and dismayed that residents of the community outside the capital, Kigali, where the mass graves were found kept quiet about them for so many years. “Those who participated in the killing of our relatives don’t want to tell us where they buried them. How can you reconcile with such people?” asked a tearful France Mukanagazwa. She told The Associated Press she lost her father and other relatives in the genocide and believes their bodies are in the newly found graves. The discovery of the graves in Gasabo district came just days after Rwanda marked 24 years since the mass killings of ethnic Tutsi and moderate ethnic Hutus. “It is very disturbing that every now and then mass graves are discovered of which the now-free perpetrators never bothered to reveal to bereaved families so that they can get closure,” the daily newspaper The New Times said in an editorial this week. “Definitely some very cruel people still live in our midst,” it added. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are thought to be buried in the graves based on the number of area residents who went missing during the genocide, Rashid Rwigamba, an official with the genocide charity Ibuka, told AP. The information leading to the discovery came from a local landlord who at first refused to answer questions about the suspected mass graves until threatened with arrest, Rwigamba said. Houses and toilets that had been built on top of the graves have been destroyed to make way for the search. “The exercise is ongoing and we have identified another house we suspect was built on a piece of land where victims were buried,” Rwigamba said. Bodies found so far include those of babies, based on the clothing that has been found, he said. At least 207 bodies have been exhumed from one of the graves and 156 have been exhumed from another, said Theogen Kabagambire, an Ibuka official from Gasabo district. It was not immediately clear what would be done with the bodies or the graves. During the genocide, a roadblock manned by Hutu militias was established meters away from the sites of the mass graves, survivors told the AP. Authorities have launched investigations and those found to have participated in the killings will be prosecuted, Kabagambire said. ||||| Mass graves that authorities say could contain more than 2,000 bodies have been discovered in Rwanda nearly a quarter-century after the country’s genocide, and further graves are being sought nearby. The new discovery is being called the most significant in a long time in this East African nation that is still recovering from the 1994 killings of more than 800,000 people. Some Rwandans are shocked and dismayed that residents of the community outside the capital, Kigali, where the mass graves were found kept quiet about them for so many years. “Those who participated in the killing of our relatives don’t want to tell us where they buried them. How can you reconcile with such people?” asked a tearful France Mukantagazwa. She told The Associated Press she lost her father and other relatives in the genocide and believes their bodies are in the newly found graves. The discovery of the graves in Gasabo district came just days after Rwanda marked 24 years since the mass killings of ethnic Tutsi and moderate ethnic Hutus. “It is very disturbing that every now and then mass graves are discovered of which the now-free perpetrators never bothered to reveal to bereaved families so that they can get closure,” the daily newspaper The New Times said in an editorial this week. “Definitely some very cruel people still live in our midst,” it added. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are thought to be buried in the graves based on the number of area residents who went missing during the genocide, Rashid Rwigamba, an official with the genocide survivors’ organization Ibuka, told AP. The information leading to the discovery came from a local landlord who at first refused to answer questions about the suspected mass graves until threatened with arrest, Rwigamba said. The landlord was later arrested, suspected of taking part in the killings and accused of knowing where people had been buried all along, he added. Houses and toilets that had been built on top of the graves have been destroyed to make way for the search. “The exercise is ongoing and we have identified another house we suspect was built on a piece of land where victims were buried,” Rwigamba said. Bodies found so far include those of babies, based on the clothing that has been found, he said. At least 207 bodies have been exhumed from one of the graves and 156 have been exhumed from another, said Theogen Kabagambire, an Ibuka official from Gasabo district. It was not immediately clear what would be done with the bodies or the graves. During the genocide, a roadblock manned by Hutu militias was established meters away from the sites of the mass graves, survivors told the AP. Authorities have launched investigations and those found to have participated in the killings will be prosecuted, Kabagambire said. ||||| KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Mass graves that authorities say could contain more than 2,000 bodies have been discovered in Rwanda nearly a quarter-century after the country's genocide, and further graves are being sought nearby. The new discovery is being called the most significant in a long time in this East African nation that is still recovering from the 1994 killings of more than 800,000 people. Some Rwandans are shocked and dismayed that residents of the community outside the capital, Kigali, where the mass graves were found kept quiet about them for so many years. "Those who participated in the killing of our relatives don't want to tell us where they buried them. How can you reconcile with such people?" asked a tearful France Mukantagazwa. She told The Associated Press she lost her father and other relatives in the genocide and believes their bodies are in the newly found graves. The discovery of the graves in Gasabo district came just days after Rwanda marked 24 years since the mass killings of ethnic Tutsi and moderate ethnic Hutus. "It is very disturbing that every now and then mass graves are discovered of which the now-free perpetrators never bothered to reveal to bereaved families so that they can get closure," the daily newspaper The New Times said in an editorial this week. "Definitely some very cruel people still live in our midst," it added. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are thought to be buried in the graves based on the number of area residents who went missing during the genocide, Rashid Rwigamba, an official with the genocide survivors' organization Ibuka, told AP. The information leading to the discovery came from a local landlord who at first refused to answer questions about the suspected mass graves until threatened with arrest, Rwigamba said. The landlord was later arrested, suspected of taking part in the killings and accused of knowing where people had been buried all along, he added. Houses and toilets that had been built on top of the graves have been destroyed to make way for the search. "The exercise is ongoing and we have identified another house we suspect was built on a piece of land where victims were buried," Rwigamba said. Bodies found so far include those of babies, based on the clothing that has been found, he said. At least 207 bodies have been exhumed from one of the graves and 156 have been exhumed from another, said Theogen Kabagambire, an Ibuka official from Gasabo district. It was not immediately clear what would be done with the bodies or the graves. During the genocide, a roadblock manned by Hutu militias was established meters away from the sites of the mass graves, survivors told the AP. Authorities have launched investigations and those found to have participated in the killings will be prosecuted, Kabagambire said. ||||| KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Mass graves that authorities say could contain more than 2,000 bodies have been discovered in Rwanda nearly a quarter-century after the country's genocide, and further graves are being sought nearby. The new discovery is being called the most significant in a long time in this East African nation that is still recovering from the 1994 killings of more than 800,000 people. Some Rwandans are shocked and dismayed that residents of the community outside the capital, Kigali, where the mass graves were found kept quiet about them for so many years. "Those who participated in the killing of our relatives don't want to tell us where they buried them. How can you reconcile with such people?" asked a tearful France Mukantagazwa. She told The Associated Press she lost her father and other relatives in the genocide and believes their bodies are in the newly found graves. The discovery of the graves in Gasabo district came just days after Rwanda marked 24 years since the mass killings of ethnic Tutsi and moderate ethnic Hutus. "It is very disturbing that every now and then mass graves are discovered of which the now-free perpetrators never bothered to reveal to bereaved families so that they can get closure," the daily newspaper The New Times said in an editorial this week. "Definitely some very cruel people still live in our midst," it added. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are thought to be buried in the graves based on the number of area residents who went missing during the genocide, Rashid Rwigamba, an official with the genocide survivors' organization Ibuka, told AP. The information leading to the discovery came from a local landlord who at first refused to answer questions about the suspected mass graves until threatened with arrest, Rwigamba said. The landlord was later arrested, suspected of taking part in the killings and accused of knowing where people had been buried all along, he added. Houses and toilets that had been built on top of the graves have been destroyed to make way for the search. "The exercise is ongoing and we have identified another house we suspect was built on a piece of land where victims were buried," Rwigamba said. Bodies found so far include those of babies, based on the clothing that has been found, he said. At least 207 bodies have been exhumed from one of the graves and 156 have been exhumed from another, said Theogen Kabagambire, an Ibuka official from Gasabo district. It was not immediately clear what would be done with the bodies or the graves. During the genocide, a roadblock manned by Hutu militias was established meters away from the sites of the mass graves, survivors told the AP. Authorities have launched investigations and those found to have participated in the killings will be prosecuted, Kabagambire said.
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Four mass graves are found in Gasabo, Rwanda, thought to date back to the 1994 genocide. Around 3,000 people from the area remain missing. Houses are demolished to access the graves.
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Nine-month sentence described as ‘ridiculous’ by father of 17-year-old who posed no threat An Israeli border police officer who fatally shot a Palestinian teenager at a demonstration while the boy was posing no threat to soldiers has been sentenced to nine months in prison after a protracted court process. The father of 17-year-old Nadeem Nawara, whose case was covered by the Guardian and other international media four years ago, described the sentence for causing death by negligence as “ridiculous” and claimed that the officer, Ben Deri, had murdered his son. Deri’s plea bargain was held up by the teenager’s family and others in comparison to the long prison sentences typically handed down by the courts to Palestinians found guilty of killing Israelis. Nadeem was one of three Palestinian teenagers shot with live ammunition over a period of over an hour during a stone-throwing demonstration near Ofer prison on 15 May 2014, the day each year when Palestinians mark the Nakba, or “catastrophe”, the war around the time of the creation of Israel in 1948. Mohammad Salameh, 16, was fatally shot an hour after Nawara, and Mohamed al-Azi, who was 15 at the time, survived a gunshot wound to the chest. At the time an Israeli military spokesman tried to deflect outrage over the shootings, claiming footage had been edited to present an unfair picture of events. The sentence on Wednesday comes as Israeli security forces’ use of live fire is again in the spotlight after the fatal shooting of several dozen Palestinians at the Gaza border fence in recent weeks Deri was tried only for firing the fatal shots that killed Nadeem, as only the teenager’s family allowed for the body to be exhumed and an autopsy to be carried out. The examination found Nadeem had been killed by an Israeli M16 roundto the chest. The prosecution demonstrated in court that police and soldiers at the scene had been ordered only to use rubber-coated steel pellets, and that Deri had replaced the magazine on his M16 with one containing live rounds. At 1.45pm, four minutes after Nadeem threw a stone at Israeli forces, Deri shot him in the chest. Video footage seen by the Guardian at the time and taken from a nearby security camera showed that Nadeem was 80-200 metres from the soldiers when he was shot. The court agreed to a plea bargain which dropped a charge of manslaughter, describing Deri’s actions as having involving a “high degree of negligence” when he loaded his weapon with live bullets. Deri was ordered to pay the victim’s family $14,000 (£10,000). “This is not how justice is done,” said Nadeem’s father, Siam Nawara, after the sentencing. “I never expected the Israeli court to do justice for my martyred son, but I had to do all I can to present a solid case and to expose the Israeli judicial system before the world and I did.” He added: “Ben Deri who murders – and I am convinced that he intentionally committed murder – gets nine months and in the height of chutzpah I hear that they are considering appealing the severity of the sentence. “We are dealing with an entire system that discriminates on the basis of race and arrives at decisions that are far from just.” The case leaves multiple questions unanswered, including whether it was Deri or or others who fired the other live rounds. The court accepted that Deri had made two weapons handling errors that led him to fire the round that killed Nadeem. The method used by Israeli border police to fire large rubber bullets from an M16 rifle requires the use of a long barrel extension preventing live rounds being fired through it. The rubber bullet is placed in the extension and blank cartridges are loaded into the gun itself, with the force of the explosion from the blanks propelling the projectile. “The defendant did not check that his magazine contained only blanks and did not load a rubber bullet into the [barrel extension] as required. These two oversights, which amount to gross negligence, caused the death of the deceased,” the court judgment said. ||||| April 25 (UPI) -- An Israeli border police officer was sentenced to nine months in prison Wednesday for shooting a Palestinian teenager to death during a protest. Judge Daniel Teperberg found officer Ben Deri guilty of causing death by negligence by firing live ammunition instead of rubber bullets at 17-year-old Nadeem Nawara when ordered to disperse a crowd of protestors during a Nakba Day demonstration on May 15, 2014, in the West Bank village of Beitunia. In addition to serving nine months in prison he was ordered to pay a $14,000 fine to Nawara's family for damages. "Against protocol and despite the deceased not representing a threat to the unit, the defendant aimed his weapon at the center mass of the deceased's body and fired at him with the intent to harm," the court ruled. According to the court's ruling, Deri's decision to fire the live rounds into the crowd required two acts of negligence. "The defendant did not check that his magazine contained only blanks and did not load a rubber bullet into the Roma as required. These two oversights, which amount to gross negligence, caused the death of the deceased," the court said. Deri was initially charged with manslaughter, but the charged was reduced as part of a plea deal in which he admitted to accidentally using the live rounds. Prosecutors requested Deri be sentenced to 20 to 27 months in prison, but Tepperberg said the nine-month sentence was a balance of his record as a border police men and the order he received to quell a riot. The court also decided to count two months Deri has already spent in jail as served time. Deri's lawyer, Zion Amir, said he was pleased the sentenced was lessened, but added he would appeal the sentencing in hopes of reducing it further. ||||| Jerusalem (CNN) Tension filled the small Jerusalem courtroom as a family sat meters away from the man who killed their son, waiting to hear the judge's verdict. The defendant, Ben Deri, arrived accompanied by his family and girlfriend. Deri was serving as an Israeli border policeman four years ago when clashes erupted near the West Bank village of Beitunya. The date was May 15 -- when Palestinians mark the "Nakba" or Catastrophe, in memory of the more than 700,000 people who were either driven from, or fled, their homes during the Arab-Israeli war that accompanied the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. CNN producer Kareem Khadder had a camera in hand and was filming at the precise moment Deri aimed and fired his rifle at Nadeem Nuwara. Nearby CCTV cameras captured the 17-year-old Palestinian walking unarmed before collapsing as a bullet entered his chest. A second Palestinian teenager was shot and killed by Israeli forces just over an hour later. An Israeli military spokesman said a preliminary inquiry showed that live fire had not been used. Later investigations proved otherwise State prosecutors initially charged Deri with manslaughter, arguing that he knowingly used live ammunition. Under a plea deal, that charge was reduced to negligent homicide, with Deri admitting to an accidental use of live rounds. To the end, Nuwara's family was convinced that Deri knew the type of ammunition he was using. "Ben Deri's mentor described a responsible, accurate, committed and disciplined soldier," Siam Nuwara, Nadeem's father, told CNN. "I agree with the witness. Ben Deri is accurate and truly plans ahead. He knew very well what he was doing." Judge Daniel Teperberg sentenced Deri to nine months in prison, and ordered him to pay Nuwara's family 50,000 Israeli shekels, or nearly $14,000. As the judge read the sentence, Deri's mother cried. Nuwara's family fumed with rage and called the decision a joke. "Nadeem's case is the strongest," Siam told CNN after the trial. "We have all the evidence, strong evidence, but there is no justice in Israel." Deri, flanked by his family and girlfriend, dodged journalists as he left the court just after the verdict. His lawyer, Zion Amir, said he was happy with the reduced charge and sentence, but insisted the case should never have gone to trial in the first place. "We don't like the fact they are putting fighters on trial under circumstances like these," Amir told journalists. "We think [the soldiers and police officers] are carrying out their roles." Video of the incident, including the material from CNN and captured by CCTV, helped build a picture of events. The court subpoenaed CNN's footage and ordered CNN producer Kareem Khadder to testify to defend the video's authenticity and recount the shooting. "I saw a border police officer playing with his rifle, and later aiming at the protesters," Khadder recalled for the court. "I waited until he fired, and waited further for a military personnel next to him to fire at the protesters, before panning the camera on to the protesters. During that time, I heard protesters in the distance shouting, 'Isaaf, Isaaf' -- they were calling for an ambulance." A United Nations report about the incident found that Nuwara, and the other teen killed later, did not present a direct threat when they were shot. The judge agreed with the report. His sentencing detailed how the rock-throwing had ceased by the time Deri shot Nuwara. "Against procedures, and despite the fact there was no threat from the deceased [Nuwara] to the soldiers, the accused pointed his gun at the direction of the chest of the deceased and fired at him," the judgment read. It added that -- crucially -- Deri fired under the belief he was shooting a rubber bullet. Palestinians said the killing and the subsequent verdict highlighted a double standard in the occupied West Bank, a place where they say Israeli soldiers and settlers act without real consequence. "Such a conviction represents Israel's deliberate dehumanization of its Palestinian victims, primarily children, which is the outcome of decades of the military occupation that holds an entire nation under captivity, and employs an unremitting and lethal shoot-to-kill policy against Palestinians," Palestinian Liberation Organization Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi said in a statement condemning the verdict. Prosecutors said they were disappointed with the sentence, but added that it sent an important message to Israeli security forces. "We thought the sentence should have been longer, but still the fact the court says someone will go to jail although he was there as a soldier has a powerful meaning," prosecutor Gula Cohen told CNN after the trial. ||||| JERUSALEM — An Israeli court sentenced a border police officer to nine months in prison on Wednesday for the fatal shooting of a stone-throwing teenage Palestinian protester in 2014. The Jerusalem District Court ruled that Ben Deri unjustly opened fire during demonstrations in the West Bank four years ago. The shooting killed 17-year-old Nadim Nuwara, who did not pose an immediate threat to Deri's life, according to the court's ruling. It said Deri exhibited a "high degree of negligence" when he loaded his weapon with a live bullet rather than the rubber coated bullets typically used to disperse Palestinian demonstrations. Deri agreed to a plea bargain that dropped the charge from manslaughter to causing severe bodily harm and death through negligence. He was also ordered to pay the victim's family $14,000. ||||| An Israeli court sentenced a border policeman to nine months in prison on Wednesday for the fatal shooting of a stone-throwing teenage Palestinian protester in 2014. The Jerusalem District Court ruled that Ben Deri unjustly opened fire during demonstrations in the West Bank four years ago. The shooting killed 17-year-old Nadim Nuwara, who did not pose an immediate threat to Deri's life, according to the court's ruling. It said Deri exhibited a "high degree of negligence" when he loaded his weapon with a live bullet rather than the rubber coated bullets typically used to disperse Palestinian demonstrations. Deri agreed to a plea bargain that dropped the charge from manslaughter to causing severe bodily harm and death through negligence. He was also ordered to pay the victim's family $14,000. Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi condemned the length of the sentence as "ludicrous." She compared its severity to that of a Palestinian teenager, Ahed Tamimi, who is serving an eight-month prison term for slapping and kicking Israeli soldiers outside her West Bank home. "This unwarranted and unjust decision represents a double standard in Israel's outrageous sentences passed against Palestinians by Israeli military courts while Israeli occupation forces and illegal and extremist settlers are given free license to act with complete impunity," she said in a statement. ||||| Israeli border policeman Ben Deri has been sentenced to just nine months in prison for ‘negligent homicide’ after shooting dead 16-year-old Nadim Nuwara on Nakba Day four years ago, in 2014. Under a plea deal, Deri was today ordered to pay 50,000 shekels ($13,960) in compensation for Nuwara’s death, and will only serve seven months in prison as the sentence includes time served. Nadim and another Palestinian teenager, Mohammed Abu Daher, were killed during an unarmed Nakba Day protest on May 15, 2014, in the Palestinian town of Beitunia, near Ramallah. After a video of the shooting emerged, clearly showing Israeli occupation forces targeting unarmed teenagers, who didn’t pose a threat, the US State Department called for the incident to be investigated. The prosecution also noted that Deri “has expressed no regret and taken no responsibility”. Few soldiers face repercussions of any kind; last year the Israeli military police announced that an army officer who opened fire on a car of Palestinian civilians returning from a swimming trip, killing a 15-year-old boy, would face no charges. Siam Nuwara, the father of the victim, said that he wasn’t surprised by what he defines as a ‘ridiculous’ sentence. “It’s interesting that the boy Ahmed Mansara, who was convicted, gets 13 years in prison,” said Nuwara, referring to a 14-year-old Palestinian boy who was sentenced to 12 years in prison (then reduced to nine-and-a-half years by the Supreme Court), for allegedly trying to stab a Jewish settler. ||||| FILE: Prosecutors had originally filed full manslaughter charges against Deri, accusing him of deliberately switching his rubber bullets for the live round that killed Nuwara at Beitunia village in the occupied West Bank. Photo: AFP JERUSALEM - An Israeli former paramilitary policeman was jailed for nine months on Wednesday for killing a teenage Palestinian protester in 2014, prompting protests from the youngster's family who demanded a tougher sentence. In a plea bargain, defendant Ben Deri had earlier confessed to the negligent manslaughter and aggravated injury of 17-year-old Nadim Nuwara - less serious than the full manslaughter charge he originally faced. "This is not how justice is done," Nuwara's father Issam told Reuters after the sentencing. "I never expected the Israeli court to do justice for my martyred son, but I had to do all I can to present a solid case and to expose the Israeli judicial system before the world and I did." Prosecutors had originally filed full manslaughter charges against Deri, accusing him of deliberately switching his rubber bullets for the live round that killed Nuwara at Beitunia village in the occupied West Bank. The amended indictment agreed to by Deri and approved by Jerusalem District Court, described the switch as accidental. Negligent manslaughter carries a maximum three-year jail term in Israel. Manslaughter, by contrast, carries a maximum 20-year sentence as that charge can apply to deliberate killings where there is no clear evidence of premeditation. The court handed Deri a nine-month jail term, an additional six-month suspended sentence, and ordered Deri to pay 50,000 shekels (R 174134.10) in damages to Nuwara's family. Deri was convicted of aggravating injury after the court determined that he had aimed what he thought was a rubber bullet at Nuwara's chest at Beitunia on May 15, 2014. A second teenage protester was killed in the Beitunia incident but Israel did not pursue charges in that case, citing lack of evidence as an autopsy was not carried out. The court statement on Wednesday said the shooting took place after the stone-throwing by the protesters had ceased. "Contrary to regulations, and despite the fact that the deceased posed no threat to the (Israeli) unit, the defendant aimed his weapon at the torso of the deceased and fired at the deceased with the intent of injuring him." The deaths stoked Palestinian fury at Israel in the weeks after U.S.-sponsored peace talks collapsed in April. An Israeli soldier, Elor Azaria, is due to be released from prison next month after serving two-thirds of a 14-month sentence for manslaughter over his killing of a wounded and incapacitated Palestinian assailant in the West Bank in 2016. Azaria was originally sentenced to 18 months in jail, a term the Palestinian government condemned as a "green light" to kill with impunity. Israel's armed forces chief cut that sentence by four months and it was later shortened by a third for good behaviour. ||||| JERUSALEM (AFP) - An Israeli court on Wednesday (April 25) sentenced a police officer to nine months in jail over the fatal shooting of a Palestinian teenager in 2014, an incident documented by video footage. The sentence was handed down after policeman Ben Deri, 24, was found guilty of negligent homicide and also ordered to pay 50,000 shekels (S$14,000) to the family of Nadeem Nuwarah, who was 17. Nuwarah was killed on May 15, 2014 during a day of clashes in Beitunia, south of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, between Israeli forces and Palestinian protesters marking the anniversary of what the Arabs term the Nakba, or "catastrophe", of the 1948 creation of Israel. Footage recorded by US broadcaster CNN captured a group of five or six border police officers in the area, one of whom could be seen firing at the time when the youth was hit. Another teenager was killed in the same location under similar circumstances a little over an hour later, with another seriously injured. Deri was charged only over the first killing as the family of the second teen said they had no confidence in the Israeli court system, a statement from Defence for Children International said. The CNN footage and other video appeared to dispute initial Israeli denials that their soldiers used live fire. Judge Daniel Teperberg of the Jerusalem district court said the circumstances of the defendant's felony were "severe" and the degree of his negligence was "high". Deri said during his trial he had mistakenly introduced live ammunition into his M-16 instead of rubber bullets. Deri did not ensure his rifle was loaded with blank bullets and rubber-coated shells, Teperberg said, noting the firing "was carried out without justification". Siam Nuwarah, Nadeem's father, told AFP the family was not part of the plea deal confirmed by the court, in which he had no faith. "We went to the Israeli court because there's no other way, but this is a lack of justice that will breed violence," he said. Ayed Abu Qtaish from CDI said the sentence was too lenient. "It's almost what a Palestinian child gets for throwing stones," he told AFP by phone. Beitunia was that day the scene of remote skirmishes between young stone throwers and Israeli forces. CNN images from the day show, according to the channel, Nuwarah throwing a stone at the Israeli forces. CCTV showed the two teens falling down in the same place 15 minutes apart. Border guards, a unit on the police, are regularly engaged alongside the Israeli army in the face of Palestinian unrest. The court accepted a guilty plea deal on that basis that Deri had cooperated with the investigation and had no previous record of wrongdoing. The sentencing comes as Palestinians and Israelis prepare for another commemoration of the "Nakba" on May 15. The 2014 protests and increase in tensions eventually escalated into a full scale war between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in Gaza. ||||| The parents of late Palestinian teenager Nadeem Nuwarah, who was killed by an Israeli occupation forces in 2014 in Beitunia in the occupied West Bank, are seen at the district court in Jerusalem on Wednesday (AFP photo) OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — An Israeli court on Wednesday sentenced an Israeli occupation soldier to nine months in jail over the fatal shooting of a Palestinian teenager in 2014, an incident documented by video footage. The sentence was handed down after Ben Deri, 24, was found guilty of negligent homicide and also ordered to pay 50,000 shekels ($14,000) to the family of Nadeem Nuwarah, who was 17. Nuwarah was killed on May 15, 2014, during a day of protests in Beitunia, south of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, with Palestinian demonstrators mourning the anniversary of what the Arabs term the Nakba, or "catastrophe”, which marked mass expulsions and violence amid the 1948 creation of Israel. Footage recorded by US broadcaster CNN captured a group of five or six Israeli occupation forces in the area, one of whom could be seen firing at the time when the youth was hit. Another teenager was killed in the same location under similar circumstances a little over an hour later, with another seriously injured. Deri was charged only over the first killing as the family of the second teen said they had no confidence in the Israeli court system, a statement from Defence for Children International (DCI) said. The CNN footage and other video appeared to dispute initial Israeli denials that their occupation forces used live fire. Judge Daniel Teperberg of the Jerusalem district court said the circumstances of the defendant's felony were "severe" and the degree of his negligence was "high". Deri claimed during his trial he had “mistakenly” introduced live ammunition into his M-16 instead of rubber bullets. Deri did not ensure his rifle was loaded with blank bullets and rubber-coated shells, Teperberg said, noting the firing "was carried out without justification". Siam Nuwarah, Nadeem’s father, told AFP the family was not part of the plea deal confirmed by the court, in which he had no faith. “We went to the Israeli court because there’s no other way, but this is a lack of justice that will breed violence,” he said. Ayed Abu Qtaish from DCI said the sentence was too lenient. “It’s almost what a Palestinian child gets for throwing stones,” he told AFP by phone. Senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said the sentence reflected “Israel’s deliberate dehumanisation of its Palestinian victims”. This, she said, was a result of the occupation of the West Bank that “holds an entire nation under captivity and employs an unremitting and lethal shoot-to-kill policy against Palestinians”. Deri’s action “constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity under international law”, Ashrawi said, warning that if the international community “remains silent, the injustice and oppression of the Palestinian people will continue unabated”. Beitunia was that day the scene of remote skirmishes between young protesters and Israeli occupation forces. CNN images from the day show, according to the channel, Nuwarah throwing a stone at the Israeli forces. CCTV showed the two teens falling down in the same place one hour and 15 minutes apart. The court accepted a guilty plea deal on that basis that Deri had cooperated with the investigation and had “no previous record of wrongdoing”. The sentencing comes as Palestinians and Israelis prepare for another commemoration of the “Nakba” on May 15. ||||| Relatives of an unarmed Palestinian teen killed by an Israeli officer four years ago have slammed a nine-month sentence handed by an Israeli court to the member of the security forces, saying it exposes how "unjust" Israel's judicial system is. Israeli border police officer Ben Deri was filmed shooting dead Nadim Nuwarra in May 2014 during a protest at the Beitunia checkpoint in the occupied West Bank, even though the 17-year-old posed no danger. A second teenage protester, Mohammad Abu Thaher, 16, was also hit with live rounds and killed. Israel did not make an arrest in that case, citing lack of evidence as an autopsy was not carried out. In a plea bargain, the Jerusalem District Court on Wednesday handed Deri a nine-month jail term, an additional six-month suspended sentence and ordered him to pay 50,000 shekels ($14,000) in damages to Nuwarra's family. Under last year's plea deal, Deri had his original charge of manslaughter reduced to negligent use of a firearm. Prosecutors accepted Deri's claim that he had mistakenly loaded a live round into his rifle when he intended to shoot a rubber bullet. Nuwara's family at the time called the plea agreement a "trick" and "shame on the Israeli justice system". Siam Nuwarra, Nadim's father, has over the years fought a long legal battle on behalf of his son - from the moment, he says, he found a live bullet in the backpack Nadim was wearing when he was shot dead. "I have proven that Israel has no justice or fairness when it comes to Palestinians," he told Al Jazeera. "I proved this with evidence, because the case of Nadim is one of the strongest cases in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - by evidence, it proves Nadim was intentionally killed." Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi also condemned the length of the sentence as "ludicrous", comparing it to that of Ahed Tamimi, a Palestinian teenager sentenced to eight months on assault and incitement charges after slapping an Israeli soldier. "This unwarranted and unjust decision represents a double standard in Israel's outrageous sentences passed against Palestinians by Israeli military courts while Israeli occupation forces and illegal and extremist settlers are given free license to act with complete impunity," Ashrawi said in a statement. Ammar Dweik, of the Independent Commission for Human Rights, agreed. "Ahed Tamimi is a child who slapped a soldier and received almost the same sentence as a soldier who put an end to the life of a Palestinian child," he said. "So you can compare the double standards that the Israeli justice system is following." The Israeli police declined to comment on Deri's sentencing.
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Israeli border police officer Ben Deri receives a 9-month sentence for fatally shooting Palestinian teen Nadeem Nawara in 2014. Deri was convicted of causing the unarmed boy's death by negligence. No charges were brought over the shootings of two other teens, one of whom also died. The court heard Deri used live ammunition without authorisation.
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Evacuation Update: Superior Mayor Jim Paine lifts evacuation order as of 6:00 am Friday morning. Air quality situation called 'stable'. LIVE VIDEO Initial Report: Emergency crews are on the scene of what is being referred to as an 'emergency situation' at Husky Refinery in Superior, where reports of an explosion have been followed by plumes of smoke coming from the facility, visible from quite a distance. It was initially reported that there was at least 20 causalities, that number has been updated to 5 according to the Superior Fire Department. Those 5 people were taken to area hospitals. A representative from the Superior Fire Department told WDIO this is a "serious situation". Roadways near the refinery have been blocked off, and employees have been evacuated from the facility. Multiple reports of feeling the ground shake or what is being described as an explosion have been shared by people in Superior. The Superior School District sent a message to parents saying "at this time, there is no reason to evacuate any of the school buildings. We will be keeping all students in the buildings." We'll have more on this story as it develops. UPDATES The explosion occurred just after 10:00 am Thursday morning, and crews have been on the scene since. Superior Police are asking the public to stay away from the area. They also say there is no evacuation of residents at this time from the area. UPDATE (12:26 pm): The Superior Police Department has sent out a tweet informing people that the fire has reignited on site but there is no need to evacuate. Wdio.com is reporting that a contractor that was working on site and said that it sounded like a "sonic boom" UPDATES: 12:20 PM Fire re-ignited at refinery, thick black smoke visible at the scene (as seen in our live video above) 1 person is receiving treatment for "significant blast injuries". while the other four people injured are receiving treatment for other, less severe injuries. Authorities report up to 7 subsequent explosions over the course of the morning since the initial blast just after 10 am. Reports say the materials burning include crude oil and asphalt. Authorities say they are monitoring air quality and currently say there are no current threats to the public. Authorities are pushing back safety lines and ask the public not to approach the area. As of right now, there are still no evacuation orders for area schools or for the public, but the public is asked to avoid trying to approach the area to spectate. UPDATE: 12:54 PM The fire at the facility is continuing to expand. Evacuation order given within 10 miles south the refinery, 2 miles north and 3 miles to the east or west of refinery on the east side of Superior. The public is asked to leave your homes or businesses and get to an area primarily due to the heavy smoke. Students in area schools are being evacuated to Amsoil facility in Superior. UPDATE: 1:37 PM Those being evacuated can go to Yellowjacket Union at UWS or Four Corners Elementary School as a safe shelter place. Essentia Health shared the following information about injuries: At this time, we are caring for ten patients from this incident. We have five patients at Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth – one with a serious blast injury, four with non-life-threatening injuries. We have five patients at St. Mary’s Hospital-Superior – all with non-life-threatening injuries. No other details are available at this time. Essentia Health physicians and staff remain prepared and ready to care for all patients at both St. Mary’s Medical Center and St. Mary’s Hospital-Superior. UPDATE: 2:25 PM Essentia in Superior is being evacuated. Once patients are transferred to Duluth, the Superior emergency room will close. All Superior School District schools are closed and all after school activities are cancelled for today. UPDATE: 3:00 PM The Duluth Transit Authority has announced that they are helping with the evacuation of areas in Superior. They are diverting buses used for regular routes to help transport people to safety. UPDATE: 3:20 PM The DECC has announced that they are now open as a shelter for anyone that is in the mandatory evacuation zone. Visit Duluth has a list of Emergency Lodging that you can check out at http://www.visitduluth.com/emergencylodging. We now have a map of the evacuation area, which can be seen here. UPDATE: 4:10 PM Superior Mayor, emergency response officials, and representation from the refinery held a press conference to address the latest information. Among the updates, the mayor specified that the current evacuation area is 3 miles of the refinery in all directions and 10 miles to the south. The public is asked to leave your homes or businesses and get to an area primarily due to the heavy smoke. There is no end time for this evacuation order at this time. Shelter locations for those evacuated include: 4 corners elementary DECC AMSOIL Arena - Pets allowed at this shelter location Hermantown Public Safety Building Crews are "defensively fighting the fire", which means they are preventing the fire from getting away from the current area, but they do not have the resources currently to actively fight the fire. The concern is that fighting the fire without adequate foam and water would not effectively put out the fire. Asphalt is primarily what is burning, which is why more than just water is needed to fight the blaze. Douglas County has declared a state of emergency, and asked Maple School District to close Friday, joining Superior schools. Crews say they don't know how long this fire will burn. Superior Schools closed Friday Maple Schools closed Friday UWS closed Friday WITC Superior closed Friday UPDATE: 7:10 PM Superior Mayor Jim Paine announced that the fire is out and that he expects to lift the evacuation order before 9 pm tonight. UPDATE: 9:50 PM From Superior Police: Update: A secondary fire has been ignited due to the ongoing high heat at the scene. Although this fire is currently under control, the mandatory evacuation will remain in effect until further notice. It will be re-evaluated on an hourly basis There is a planned press conference to update the status of this continued precaution tomorrow at 10:00 AM. While there are no evacuation orders for any parts of Duluth, those that live west of the ore docks in Duluth are being told to avoid being outdoors overnight tonight and to shut windows and shut off HVAC systems that intake outdoor air to minimize exposure to any smoke that may drift from the refinery into Duluth as the wind shifts overnight Thursday night. ||||| SUPERIOR, Wis. (AP) - The Latest on a Wisconsin refinery explosion that injured several people (all times local): Authorities say a smoky refinery fire that forced many residents of Superior, Wisconsin, to evacuate is out. Douglas County officials posted an update Thursday evening saying the fire is extinguished but asking residents in the evacuation area to stay away from their homes for at least another two hours. An explosion rocked the Husky Energy oil refinery in Superior on Thursday morning. Authorities earlier said the fire was out, but it later reignited, sending up billowing clouds of thick, black smoke. It was unclear how many people were being evacuated, but Superior Mayor Jim Paine said most of the city was being evacuated. At least 11 people were hurt. Hospital officials said only one of the injured was seriously hurt, with what was described as a blast injury. No deaths were reported, and officials said all workers had been accounted for. Authorities have expanded the evacuation zone around a Wisconsin refinery that was rocked by an explosion and are now saying anyone within a three-mile (five-kilometer) radius should leave. Douglas County authorities also say those in a 10-mile (16-kilometer) corridor south of the Husky Energy oil refinery in Superior should leave due to smoke coming from the site. Evacuees are being told to gather at Yellowjacket Union at the University of Wisconsin-Superior or at Four Corners Elementary School in Superior. It isn't clear how many people the evacuation order will effect. The refinery is in an industrial area, but there's a residential neighborhood within a mile to the northeast. The corridor downwind to the south is sparsely populated. At least 11 people were injured in the Thursday morning blast. A spokeswoman for Essentia Health says one person was seriously injured, while another nine being treated at Essentia hospitals in Superior and nearby Duluth, Minnesota, have non-life-threatening injuries. St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth received one patient who is in fair condition. The number of people injured in a refinery explosion in Wisconsin has grown to at least 11. Essentia Health spokeswoman Maureen Talarico says five patients are being treated at St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth, Minnesota. She says emergency room physicians describe those patients as awake and alert. Talarico says another five are being treated at St. Mary's Hospital in Superior, Wisconsin, where the explosion happened. She says the extent of injuries is unknown. In Duluth, spokeswoman Jessica Stauber says St. Luke's Hospital is treating one person. She doesn't know the condition of that person. The explosion at the Husky Energy oil refinery happened Thursday morning. Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger has said there are no known fatalities. Panger earlier said the fire was out, but Superior police tweeted that the fire has reignited but that there is no need for residents to evacuate. Authorities now say five people have been taken to hospitals after an explosion rocked a large refinery in Wisconsin. Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger initially told The Associated Press that six were taken to hospitals in nearby Duluth, Minnesota, after the explosion Thursday at the Husky Energy oil refinery. The Superior Fire Department later updated that number to five. The fire chief says there are no known fatalities. Authorities don't know the extent of injuries. The fire is out. A contractor who was inside the building told WDIO television that the explosion sounded like "a sonic boom" and that it happened when crews were working on shutting the plant down for repairs. Owned by Alberta-based Husky Energy, Wisconsin's only refinery produces gasoline, asphalt and other products. Several people have been injured in an explosion at a refinery in Wisconsin. Authorities in Superior say the explosion at the Husky Energy oil refinery happened at about 10 a.m. Thursday. Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger says six people were taken to hospitals in Duluth, Minnesota. He doesn't know the extent of their injuries. Others were walking wounded. There are no known fatalities. A contractor who was inside the building told WDIO television that the explosion sounded like "a sonic boom" that happened when crews were working on shutting the plant down for repairs. Panger says the fire was out by 11:20 a.m. Superior police are advising people to stay away from the area and roads around the refinery have been blocked off. There have been no neighborhood evacuations. ||||| This morning, a huge explosion the Husky Energy oil refinery wreaked havoc, causing many to die from their injuries. Around 10 a.m. this morning, the small town of Superior, Wisconsin was rocked when a tank containing either crude oil or asphalt exploded at the Husky Energy oil refinery. Pictures from the scene show a fire raging as clouds of black smoke come off many structures on the property. In a statement, Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger told press that multiple causalities that have been reported while also confirming that a number of agencies were responding to the incident. The Grand Forks Herald shares that witnesses claimed to have seen at least seven ambulances on the property in addition to helicopter ambulances. It is believed that at least 20 people were injured in the blast but thankfully, no fatalities have been reported at this time. The extent of injuries to the victims are currently unknown. Many people who were on the property at the time of explosion describe the sound of the blast as a “sonic boom.” Newsweek reports that the fire was initially put out around 10:45 a.m. but later the Superior Police Department sent out a tweet saying that the fire had reignited. One man reported seeing a crack in one of the large white storage tanks with a thick, black liquid pouring out of it. He also stated that the smell on the scene could be compared to that of burning rubber. In a tweet around 12:15 p.m., the Superior Police Department told everyone in the area to steer clear of the area immediately surrounding the refinery but said that it was not necessary for anyone the evacuate. However, another tweet that was just sent out just a few minutes ago states that the Douglas County Emergency Management is asking everyone within a one mile radius of the refinery, 10 miles to the south to evacuate at this time. According to their website, Husky Energy lists their objectives as “increasing feedstock flexibility to bring the best-priced crude to its refineries, improving the range of its products, and enhancing market access to capture the best returns.” The Chicago Tribune reports that Husky is based out of Alberta, Canada but the company recently purchased the Wisconsin refinery sometime last year. The refinery, which is the only one in Wisconsin, produces gasoline, asphalt, and countless other products. ||||| - At least five people were transported to hospitals after an explosion at a Superior, Wisconsin oil refinery Thursday morning. There have been no fatalities reported. The explosion was reported at 10:06 a.m. at the Husky Refinery, which is the former Calumet oil refinery. The Superior Police Department described the situation as an “evolving scene” in a news release. An initial news release from the Superior Fire Department reported at least 20 “casualties,” but an updated release from Fire Chief Steve Panger said “at least 6 transported – no report on severity of injuries.” The fire chief later confirmed five people were taken to hospitals in Duluth, Minnesota. According to Fox 21 in Duluth, the explosion “could be felt from blocks away.” The fire was out and the scene was declared stable by 11:20 a.m., according to the fire chief. But a second fire was reported by Fox 21 Duluth just after noon. The product involved in the explosion and fire is believed to be crude oil or asphalt. Multiple agencies have responded and rescue personnel are on scene and working to manage the incident. Superior Mayor Jim Paine said he was at fire headquarters and reported nearly all of the injured are accounted for and transported from the scene. Calgary-based Husky Energy bought the refinery from Indianapolis-based Calumet Specialty Products Partners last year for more than $490 million. The Husky refinery is Wisconsin's only oil refinery, producing gasoline, asphalt and other products. "Husky Energy is responding to a fire at its Superior Refinery located in Superior, Wisconsin," the company said in a statement. Emergency crews are on site and all workers have been accounted for. Husky’s first priority is the safety of its people, the community and emergency responders. There are injuries, which are being treated at hospital and on site. Regulatory authorities have been notified. Local air quality is being monitored. There is no danger to the public or local residents at this time. Further information will be provided as it becomes available." Husky Fire - Press Release 1: At approximately 10:06 today Superior Fire Department responded to a report of an explosion at Husky Refinery in Superior. There is a report of multiple casualties. Initial reports are at least 20 casualties transported. Multiple agencies have responded. More information to come when available. Husky Fire - Press Release 2: At approximately 10:06 today Superior Fire Department responded to a report of an explosion at Husky Refinery in Superior. There is a report of multiple casualties. Initial reports are at least 6 transported – No report on severity of injuries. Multiple agencies have responded. Fire reported to be out. Reported a smaller tank explosion. Product is believe to be crude or asphalt. Walking wounded still be accounted for. Scene stable. More information to come. ||||| A tank containing crude oil or asphalt exploded at a large refinery in Wisconsin on Thursday, injuring several people and prompting fire officials to order a large-scale evacuation. At least 11 people are being treated for injuries at local hospitals, and so far no fatalities have been reported. The total amount of injured could be as high as 20 however, including walking wounded who were not taken to the hospital. The explosion at the Husky Energy oil refinery happened at about 10am, Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger said, and it was put out a little more than an hour later. Superior police later tweeted that the fire had reignited. Now an evacuation is underway for an area 10 miles south, two miles north, and three miles east and west of the facility. It's unclear how many people are impacted by the evacuation. The area to the south of the plant is mostly rural. Husky Energy is responding to a fire at its Superior Refinery located in Superior, Wisconsin. Emergency crews are on site and all workers have been accounted for. Husky’s first priority is the safety of its people, the community and emergency responders. There are injuries, which are being treated at hospital and on site. Regulatory authorities have been notified. Local air quality is being monitored. There is no danger to the public or local residents at this time. Further information will be provided as it becomes available. The Superior School District evacuated children to n Amsoil plant in Superior. Photos posted to Twitter showed long lines outside the plane as parents rushed to pick up their children. Police blocked roads around the refinery in Superior, which is home to about 27,000 people and borders Minnesota to the north and the tip of Lake Superior. Essentia Health spokeswoman Maureen Talarico said five people injured in the explosion are being treated at St. Mary's Medical Center, a Level II trauma center in Duluth, Minnesota. She said emergency room physicians described those patients as 'awake and alert'. According to WDIO, one of the patients was being treated for serious blast injuries while the four other have non-life-threatening injuries. Another five are being treated at St. Mary's Hospital in Superior, Talarico said. She said the extent of those injuries is unknown. In Duluth, St. Luke's Hospital was treating one worker and did not expect to receive any more, spokeswoman Jessica Stauber said. She did not have a condition for that person. Panger said a small tank containing either crude oil or asphalt exploded in the refinery. A contractor who was inside the building told WDIO television that the explosion sounded like 'a sonic boom' and that it happened when crews were working on shutting the plant down for repairs. No damage estimate was available. Calgary-Alberta-based Husky Energy refinery bought the refinery from Indianapolis-based Calumet Specialty Products Partners last year for over $490 million. It's Wisconsin's only refinery, and it produces gasoline, asphalt and other products. Husky has about 180 employees and said in a statement on Thursday that all workers are accounted for. 'Husky’s first priority is the safety of its people, the community and emergency responders. There are injuries, which are being treated at hospital and on site. 'Regulatory authorities have been notified. Local air quality is being monitored. There is no danger to the public or local residents at this time,' the statement said. The refinery, which dates back to the early 1950s, has a processing capacity of around 50,000 barrels per day and a storage capacity of 3.6 million barrels of crude and products. It processes both heavy crude from the Canadian tar sands in Alberta and lighter North Dakota Bakken crude. ||||| SUPERIOR, Wis. (AP) — The Latest on a Wisconsin refinery explosion that injured several people (all times local): Authorities are ordering residents to evacuate their homes near a Wisconsin refinery that was rocked by an explosion. Superior police tweeted Thursday afternoon that the Douglas County Emergency Management Agency has issued an evacuation order. Police say anyone within a one-mile (two-kilometer) radius of the Husky Energy oil refinery needs to immediately evacuate. It was not immediately clear how many people were affected by the evacuation order. The refinery is in an industrial area, but there's a residential neighborhood within a mile to the northeast. Neither the police department nor the Douglas County Emergency Management Agency immediately responded to phone messages. The blast happened Thursday morning, injuring at least 11 people. Authorities have said there are no known fatalities. The number of people injured in a refinery explosion in Wisconsin has grown to at least 11. Essentia Health spokeswoman Maureen Talarico says five patients are being treated at St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth, Minnesota. She says emergency room physicians describe those patients as awake and alert. Talarico says another five are being treated at St. Mary's Hospital in Superior, Wisconsin, where the explosion happened. She says the extent of injuries is unknown. In Duluth, spokeswoman Jessica Stauber says St. Luke's Hospital is treating one person. She doesn't know the condition of that person. The explosion at the Husky Energy oil refinery happened Thursday morning. Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger has said there are no known fatalities. Panger earlier said the fire was out, but Superior police tweeted that the fire has reignited but that there is no need for residents to evacuate. Authorities now say five people have been taken to hospitals after an explosion rocked a large refinery in Wisconsin. Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger initially told The Associated Press that six were taken to hospitals in nearby Duluth, Minnesota, after the explosion Thursday at the Husky Energy oil refinery. The Superior Fire Department later updated that number to five. The fire chief says there are no known fatalities. Authorities don't know the extent of injuries. The fire is out. A contractor who was inside the building told WDIO television that the explosion sounded like "a sonic boom" and that it happened when crews were working on shutting the plant down for repairs. Owned by Alberta-based Husky Energy, Wisconsin's only refinery produces gasoline, asphalt and other products. Several people have been injured in an explosion at a refinery in Wisconsin. Authorities in Superior say the explosion at the Husky Energy oil refinery happened at about 10 a.m. Thursday. Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger says six people were taken to hospitals in Duluth, Minnesota. He doesn't know the extent of their injuries. Others were walking wounded. There are no known fatalities. A contractor who was inside the building told WDIO television that the explosion sounded like "a sonic boom" that happened when crews were working on shutting the plant down for repairs. Panger says the fire was out by 11:20 a.m. Superior police are advising people to stay away from the area and roads around the refinery have been blocked off. There have been no neighborhood evacuations. ||||| SUPERIOR, Wis. (AP) — The Latest on a Wisconsin refinery explosion that injured several people (all times local): Authorities say a smoky refinery fire that forced many residents of Superior, Wisconsin, to evacuate is out. Douglas County officials posted an update Thursday evening saying the fire is extinguished but asking residents in the evacuation area to stay away from their homes for at least another two hours. An explosion rocked the Husky Energy oil refinery in Superior on Thursday morning. Authorities earlier said the fire was out, but it later reignited, sending up billowing clouds of thick, black smoke. It was unclear how many people were being evacuated, but Superior Mayor Jim Paine said most of the city was being evacuated. At least 11 people were hurt. Hospital officials said only one of the injured was seriously hurt, with what was described as a blast injury. No deaths were reported, and officials said all workers had been accounted for. A convention center in Minnesota has opened to accept people forced from their homes by a smoky fire at a nearby Wisconsin oil refinery. Executive director Chelly Townsend says people were trickling in to the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center after doors opened late Thursday afternoon. Townsend says the center could comfortably handle 5,000 people, but could shelter up to 7,000 if needed. Superior Mayor Jim Paine says most of the northwestern Wisconsin city is being evacuated as black clouds billow from the Husky Energy oil refinery. At least 11 people were hurt in an explosion at the refinery Thursday morning, one seriously. Schools in Superior and nearby Maple, Wisconsin, have called off classes Friday. Federal investigators are headed to a Wisconsin refinery hit by an explosion and fire. Burning asphalt at the Husky Energy refinery in Superior, Wisconsin, has prompted the evacuation of much of the town of about 27,000. Local officials say the evacuations are a precaution as a plume of noxious black smoke drifts southward from the plant. A four-person team from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board will investigate. The board makes safety recommendations after serious chemical incidents. At least 11 people were hurt in Thursday’s explosion, one seriously. Authorities have expanded the evacuation zone around a Wisconsin refinery that was rocked by an explosion and are now saying anyone within a three-mile (five-kilometer) radius should leave. Douglas County authorities also say those in a 10-mile (16-kilometer) corridor south of the Husky Energy oil refinery in Superior should leave due to smoke coming from the site. Evacuees are being told to gather at Yellowjacket Union at the University of Wisconsin-Superior or at Four Corners Elementary School in Superior. It isn’t clear how many people the evacuation order will effect. The refinery is in an industrial area, but there’s a residential neighborhood within a mile to the northeast. The corridor downwind to the south is sparsely populated. At least 11 people were injured in the Thursday morning blast. A spokeswoman for Essentia Health says one person was seriously injured, while another nine being treated at Essentia hospitals in Superior and nearby Duluth, Minnesota, have non-life-threatening injuries. St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth received one patient who is in fair condition. The number of people injured in a refinery explosion in Wisconsin has grown to at least 11. Essentia Health spokeswoman Maureen Talarico says five patients are being treated at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, Minnesota. She says emergency room physicians describe those patients as awake and alert. Talarico says another five are being treated at St. Mary’s Hospital in Superior, Wisconsin, where the explosion happened. She says the extent of injuries is unknown. In Duluth, spokeswoman Jessica Stauber says St. Luke’s Hospital is treating one person. She doesn’t know the condition of that person. The explosion at the Husky Energy oil refinery happened Thursday morning. Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger has said there are no known fatalities. Panger earlier said the fire was out, but Superior police tweeted that the fire has reignited but that there is no need for residents to evacuate. Authorities now say five people have been taken to hospitals after an explosion rocked a large refinery in Wisconsin. Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger initially told The Associated Press that six were taken to hospitals in nearby Duluth, Minnesota, after the explosion Thursday at the Husky Energy oil refinery. The Superior Fire Department later updated that number to five. The fire chief says there are no known fatalities. Authorities don’t know the extent of injuries. The fire is out. A contractor who was inside the building told WDIO television that the explosion sounded like “a sonic boom” and that it happened when crews were working on shutting the plant down for repairs. Owned by Alberta-based Husky Energy, Wisconsin’s only refinery produces gasoline, asphalt and other products. Several people have been injured in an explosion at a refinery in Wisconsin. Authorities in Superior say the explosion at the Husky Energy oil refinery happened at about 10 a.m. Thursday. Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger says six people were taken to hospitals in Duluth, Minnesota. He doesn’t know the extent of their injuries. Others were walking wounded. There are no known fatalities. A contractor who was inside the building told WDIO television that the explosion sounded like “a sonic boom” that happened when crews were working on shutting the plant down for repairs. Panger says the fire was out by 11:20 a.m. Superior police are advising people to stay away from the area and roads around the refinery have been blocked off. There have been no neighborhood evacuations. ||||| The Latest on a Wisconsin refinery explosion that injured several people (all times local): The number of people injured in a refinery explosion in Wisconsin has grown to at least 11. Essentia Health spokeswoman Maureen Talarico says five patients are being treated at St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth, Minnesota. She says emergency room physicians describe those patients as awake and alert. Talarico says another five are being treated at St. Mary's Hospital in Superior, Wisconsin, where the explosion happened. She says the extent of injuries is unknown. In Duluth, spokeswoman Jessica Stauber says St. Luke's Hospital is treating one person. She doesn't know the condition of that person. The explosion at the Husky Energy oil refinery happened Thursday morning. Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger has said there are no known fatalities. Panger earlier said the fire was out, but Superior police tweeted that the fire has reignited but that there is no need for residents to evacuate. Authorities now say five people have been taken to hospitals after an explosion rocked a large refinery in Wisconsin. Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger initially told The Associated Press that six were taken to hospitals in nearby Duluth, Minnesota, after the explosion Thursday at the Husky Energy oil refinery. The Superior Fire Department later updated that number to five. The fire chief says there are no known fatalities. Authorities don't know the extent of injuries. The fire is out. A contractor who was inside the building told WDIO television that the explosion sounded like "a sonic boom" and that it happened when crews were working on shutting the plant down for repairs. Owned by Alberta-based Husky Energy, Wisconsin's only refinery produces gasoline, asphalt and other products. Several people have been injured in an explosion at a refinery in Wisconsin. Authorities in Superior say the explosion at the Husky Energy oil refinery happened at about 10 a.m. Thursday. Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger says six people were taken to hospitals in Duluth, Minnesota. He doesn't know the extent of their injuries. Others were walking wounded. There are no known fatalities. A contractor who was inside the building told WDIO television that the explosion sounded like "a sonic boom" that happened when crews were working on shutting the plant down for repairs. Panger says the fire was out by 11:20 a.m. Superior police are advising people to stay away from the area and roads around the refinery have been blocked off. There have been no neighborhood evacuations. |||||
• Multiple people were injured in an explosion at a Husky Energy oil refinery in Superior, Wisconsin, on Thursday.
• Fire officials said six people were taken to hospitals, but their conditions are unclear.
• So far, there are no known fatalities. At least several people have been injured in an explosion at a refinery in Wisconsin. Authorities in Superior say the explosion at the Husky Energy oil refinery happened at about 10 a.m. Thursday. Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger says six people were taken to hospitals in Duluth, Minnesota. He doesn’t know the extent of their injuries. Others were walking wounded. There are no known fatalities. Local outlets, including The Duluth News Tribune, reported that as many as many as 20 people were injured after the blast. A contractor who was inside the building told WDIO television that the explosion sounded like “a sonic boom” that happened when crews were working on shutting the plant down for repairs. Panger says the fire was out by 11:20 a.m. Superior police are advising people to stay away from the area and roads around the refinery have been blocked off. There have been no neighborhood evacuations. ||||| * HUSKY ENERGY INC - IS RESPONDING TO A FIRE AT ITS SUPERIOR REFINERY LOCATED IN SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN * HUSKY ENERGY - THERE IS NO DANGER TO PUBLIC OR LOCAL RESIDENTS AT THIS TIME * HUSKY ENERGY INC SAYS THERE ARE INJURIES RELATED TO INCIDENT AT SUPERIOR REFINERY, WHICH ARE BEING TREATED AT HOSPITAL AND ON SITE Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:
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An explosion occurs in the Husky Oil Refinery in Superior, Wisconsin. Five people are reportedly injured. Local residents have been ordered to evacuate.
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JERUSALEM, April 27 (Reuters) - The head of a seminary who organised a desert trek in which 10 Israeli teenagers were killed in a flash flood has been arrested on suspicion of causing death through negligence, police said. Nine girls and a boy were killed when a sudden, powerful torrent gushed through a usually arid Zafit river bed in southern Israel near the Dead Sea on Thursday. Seven of the 10 were buried on Friday. Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the head of the seminary and a teacher were remanded in custody until Tuesday on suspicion of causing death through negligence. It was the deadliest incident of several caused by unusually heavy rains over two days, which caused many normally dry river beds to swell into potentially deadly torrents. The floods also claimed the lives of two children from Israel's Bedouin community who were washed away in separate torrents on Wednesday. A Palestinian teenage girl drowned in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, medics said. A truck driver is still missing after he was apparently swept away in another torrent in Israel, south of the Dead Sea, police said. Flash floods are a common phenomenon in Israel and the West Bank after heavy rains, as surges of water run through narrow channels into the Dead Sea and the rift valley region that runs along the Negev Desert. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement saying: "All of Israel laments in the terrible tragedy that cut short the lives of ten young, wonderful people who had such promising futures." A text message conversation published by Israeli media quoted one of the trek's participants, who was unnamed, saying: "I can't believe that I am actually going out in this weather, it's not logical that we should go to such a place where there will be floods, it's tempting fate, we will die, I am serious." Another conversation participant thought her friend's comments were exaggerated; she presumed the organisers "have some sense and will take you to other places." A small section of Israel's concrete separation wall in East Jerusalem that was built to seal off Palestinian areas collapsed due to the heavy rainfall but construction teams were on site to seal the breach, police said. Fearing more heavy thunder storms on Friday, police closed some main roads in the Dead Sea region and warned torrent hunters seeking views of spectacular waterfalls and gushing streams to stay away. (Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Writing by Ori Lewis, Editing by Stephen Farrell and William Maclean) ||||| JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli police say several young people are missing and others have been injured after a group of hikers was caught in flash floods south of the Dead Sea. Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said on Thursday that 25 students in a pre-army course were "caught off guard" and some were "washed away" by heavy rains as they were hiking in the area. Police and army helicopters are searching for the missing. Israeli media says nine of the injured are fighting for their lives. The Dead Sea, the world's lowest point at about 1,400 feet below sea level, is surrounded by desert and generally arid cliffs. Rain can come rushing down the steep descents, causing sudden and violent torrents in otherwise dry spots. Heavy rainfall has fallen sporadically over the past two days. ||||| Three people have been arrested in Israel in connection with the deaths of 10 young hikers in flash floods during a programme to prepare them for military service, police said Friday. The ten students, mostly aged 17 and 18, were caught up in floods while hiking in the Arabah desert in southern Israel following exceptionally heavy rainfall. They were part of a group of around 25 hikers taking part in the training. “Police questioned three staff members from the academy that organised the trip,” Micky Rosenfeld said in a statement. Two remain in detention and the third is under house arrest, he added. The hike was organised by a Tel Aviv-based institute that offers a one-year programme for young people wishing to postpone their military service, compulsory in Israel, in order to strengthen themselves mentally and physically. The hikers were taking a break in the middle of the Nahal Tzafit Gorge when they were taken surprise by the rains, Israeli media reported. Flash floods can turn the picturesque gorge into an instant death trap, they said. Some speculated that organisers may have ignored weather warnings. Israeli media on Friday morning broadcast photos of the ten killed, nine girls and a boy, most of whose funerals are expected during the day. The arid Arabah desert is prone to flash floods. In Whatsapp communications before the hike, one of the teens warned conditions were dangerous. “I cannot believe I’m going on a trip in such weather,” said the teen, who later died. “It doesn’t make sense for us to go to a place where everything is flooding. It’s tempting fate — we’re going to die.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted his condolences to the families on his Facebook page. Separately police in the area were searching for the missing driver of a truck that was caught in the floods after a road accident. On Wednesday a Bedouin teenager died in southern Israel, while east of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, a 17-year-old Palestinian girl was found dead after being swept away. ||||| Flash floods killed nine Israeli teenagers who were hiking south of the Dead Sea on Thursday, Israel's rescue service said. The casualties were all 18 years old. Israeli media said eight of the fatalities were female and one was male. Police said another hiker is still missing. Earlier, spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said 25 students in a pre-army course were "caught off guard" and some were "washed away" by heavy rains while they were hiking in the area. He said 15 people were rescued. The downpour caused parts of Israel's security barrier with the West Bank to collapse, Rosenfeld added. Police and army helicopters were deployed to search for the missing member of the group. But search operations were suspended by nightfall until the morning due to harsh conditions, police said. The Dead Sea, the world's lowest point at about 1,400 feet below sea level, is surrounded by desert and generally arid cliffs. Rain can come rushing down the steep descents, causing sudden and violent torrents in otherwise dry spots. Heavy rainfall has fallen sporadically over the past two days. ||||| Three people have been arrested in Israel in connection with the deaths of 10 young hikers in flash floods during a programme to prepare them for military service, police said Friday. The ten students, mostly aged 17 and 18, were caught up in floods while hiking in the Arabah desert in southern Israel following exceptionally heavy rainfall. They were part of a group of around 25 hikers taking part in the training. "Police questioned three staff members from the academy that organised the trip," Micky Rosenfeld said in a statement. Two remain in detention and the third is under house arrest, he added. The hike was organised by a Tel Aviv-based institute that offers a one-year programme for young people wishing to postpone their military service, compulsory in Israel, in order to strengthen themselves mentally and physically. The hikers were taking a break in the middle of the Nahal Tzafit Gorge when they were taken surprise by the rains, Israeli media reported. Flash floods can turn the picturesque gorge into an instant death trap, they said. Some speculated that organisers may have ignored weather warnings. Israeli media on Friday morning broadcast photos of the ten killed, nine girls and a boy, most of whose funerals are expected during the day. The arid Arabah desert is prone to flash floods. In Whatsapp communications before the hike, one of the teens warned conditions were dangerous. "I cannot believe I'm going on a trip in such weather," said the teen, who later died. "It doesn't make sense for us to go to a place where everything is flooding. It's tempting fate -- we're going to die." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted his condolences to the families on his Facebook page. Separately police in the area were searching for the missing driver of a truck that was caught in the floods after a road accident. On Wednesday a Bedouin teenager died in southern Israel, while east of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, a 17-year-old Palestinian girl was found dead after being swept away. ||||| JERUSALEM — Israeli police say several young people are missing and others have been injured after a group of hikers was caught in flash floods south of the Dead Sea. Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said on Thursday that 25 students in a pre-army course were “caught off guard” and some were “washed away” by heavy rains as they were hiking in the area. Police and army helicopters are searching for the missing. Israeli media says nine of the injured are fighting for their lives. The Dead Sea, the world’s lowest point at about 1,400 feet below sea level, is surrounded by desert and generally arid cliffs. Rain can come rushing down the steep descents, causing sudden and violent torrents in otherwise dry spots. Heavy rainfall has fallen sporadically over the past two days. ||||| The death toll from flash floods that hit a group of teenage hikers in southern Israel Thursday rose from nine to 10 after a body found overnight was identified as the last missing teen Friday morning. Meanwhile, the two Palestinian children also died from flooding in the West Bank. A tractor driver declared missing was located Friday overnight. To really understand Israel - subscribe to Haaretz The ten victims, nine girls and one boy of around 18 years old, were killed when they were swept away by flash floods during a hike at Nahal Tsafit, south of the Dead Sea. The trip was part of a pre-army program and its director has been arrested for suspected negligent manslaughter. skip - Rescue helicopter over Nahal Tsafit, April 26, 2018. Video by Eli Hershkovitz Rescue helicopter over Nahal Tsafit, April 26, 2018. Video by Eli Hershkovitz - דלג Rescue helicopter over Nahal Tsafit, April 26, 2018. Eli Hershkovitz. >> 'We Deserve Answers:' Families, Friends Lay to Rest Teens Killed in Flash Floods Also overnight Friday, an overturned truck was found near Ein Tamar, with no driver in it. A body was found nearby, but officials it was not the truck driver. Due to the fact that the area has seen flooding, possibly dislodging landmines following heavy rain, searches for the driver were proceeded carefully after a short lull. They have since ceased. Ella Or, Gali Balel, Agam Levi, Shani Samir, Adi Ra’anan, Yael Sadan, Maayan Barhum, Romi Cohen and Tzur Alfi were killed in a flash flood April 27, 2018 Flash floods in Israel: Abandoned truck found in southern Israel's Ein Tamar April 27, 2018 Eliyahu Hershkovitz Israelis watch flooded water running through a valley blocking the main road along the Dead Sea in the Judean desert on April 25, 2018. MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP A tractor driver that was caught in the flood, and was declared missing, was found Friday over night. Police reported they were contacted by the man himself, and proceeded to coordinate his rescue. Police have also begun making arrests in their investigation into the death of the young Israelis, and have taken members of the staff of the program which took them on the trip. After the staff members were questioned, two were arrested and a third was released to house arrest. Keep updated: Sign up to our newsletter Email * Please enter a valid email address Sign up Please wait… Thank you for signing up. We've got more newsletters we think you'll find interesting. Click here Oops. Something went wrong. Please try again later. Try again Thank you, The email address you have provided is already registered. Close >> Nine teenagers killed after flash floods hit Israel's south ■ Israel opens investigation ■ Authorities name nine teenage victims ■ 'We're going to die': Text messages reveal teenage flood victim feared for her life on hike >> Yuval Kahan, the head of the Bnei Zion preparatory seminar, was arrested for alleged negligent manslaughter for his decision to take the group out on the trip, despite the harsh weather conditions. Aviv Bardichev, a fellow staff member, was also arrested and both will remain in custody until Tuesday. As of Thursday evening, fourteen other members of the group were rescued, two of whom were taken to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva with hypothermia. Authorities have named the 10 victims as Ilan Bar Shalom, from Rishon Letzion; Ella Or, from the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim; Gali Belali, from the central city of Givatayim; Agam Levi, from Moshav Herut in central Israel; Shani Samir, from the central town of Shoham; Adi Ra’anan, from the coastal community of Mikhmoret; Yael Sadan and Maayan Barhum from Jerusalem; Romi Cohen, from Moshav Maor in the north and Tzur Alfi, from the central town of Mazkeret Batya. The communities are working to create an extensive support network for families and friends coping with the loss of their loved ones. Israel Police has opened an investigation into the deaths, with the focus expected to be on the organizers of the program on suspicion of death by negligence. Text messages show that one of the girls who was killed told friends she was worried for her safety on the hike, the Israel Television News Company reported. "I can't believe I'm actually going hiking in weather like this. It doesn't make sense to go to a place that's completely flooded. It's tempting fate. We're going to die – I'm serious," she wrote to her friends on the messaging application WhatsApp a day before the trip. The incident is the most lethal of such accidents in Israel's history: In 1976, six people were killed in a flood in the Dragot Stream near the Dead Sea; in 2007, four were killed in mountain climbing accident in Qumran; and in 2012 a teenager fell off a cliff during a school trip in the Arava desert, with his father dying in an attempt to save him. All of the agencies responsible for collecting rainfall and flooding information in the south issued rather clear warnings on Wednesday and Thursday regarding the risk of flooding in the area where the group was hiking near the Tzafit stream. The Israel Meteorological Service also issued a warning on the risk of flooding in the Dead Sea region, the southern Judean Desert and the Arava. It should be noted that even relatively small quantities of rainfall in the desert can cause powerful flood waters. "Israel grieves the promising young lives that were cut off by this tragedy in the Arava," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response to the news. "We embrace the families with grief and pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded." President Reuven Rivlin wrote about the flood on Twitter, saying "Our thoughts and prayers go to our brothers, children, our loved ones, and those in danger. We're following the situation in the south closely and are sending a warm embrace to the effected families. We will strengthen and lend help to the forces who are currently working to rescue, find and treat those injured. I ask all to please follow their instructions." ||||| The Israeli teenagers were on a group hike in the Tzafit Valley near the southern Dead Sea when severe storms hit the area, causing flash floods. The youths were students at the Bnei Zion pre-military academy in central Israel. Eight girls and one boy were among the dead, according to Magen David Adom of the Israeli emergency response service. Another girl is missing. More than a dozen other members of the group were rescued as the Israeli military and emergency responders launched massive efforts to find them in southern Israel. "I am sending all my strength to the security and rescue forces that are currently working to save lives and locate those missing in the severe disaster that occurred today in the Tzafit Valley," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Twitter. Former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni , who was set to speak to the students Sunday at the academy, said, "An entire nation is crying today. An unimaginable and unbearable disaster. Today, I hug the families and the other heartbroken cadets." Israeli rescue services search for the teens Thursday after flash floods swept through the area. In the West Bank, Palestinian police and emergency services launched rescue efforts. Fifteen people were rescued in the village of Ubeidiya east of Bethlehem, Palestinian police spokesman Loai Zreqat said. Two other teenagers died in separate flash flooding incidents Wednesday when storms pounded the area, even bringing hail. A Bedouin teenager in southern Israel was swept into a stream in the Negev desert. He was pronounced dead after he was found, according to emergency responders. In the southern West Bank, a young Palestinian girl died when she was swept away by flooding near Hebron, police said. The weather caused accidents, road closures and traffic jams across the region, with low-lying roads submerged under a few feet of water. An Israeli military helicopter takes part in the search mission Thursday in southern Israel. The flash floods came with such force that they broke through Israel's separation barrier -- a 10-foot wall of solid concrete -- in two places. Pictures from Anata, a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, showed what appeared to be about 10 concrete slabs that had been washed away. The water broke through in the Shuafat refugee camp in Jerusalem as well. Security fence in the shuafat area collapsed as a result of flash floods in the Jerusalem area. Border police police are at the scene. pic.twitter.com/BCG4sBDZVk — Micky Rosenfeld (@MickyRosenfeld) April 26, 2018 Such severe storms in late April is surprising, with the region usually prepping for the beginning of an arid summer. Powerful thunderstorms are not unheard of at this time, but they haven't occurred in a number of years. Israeli soldiers and emergency services cover their faces Thursday from the dust from a helicopter. Raging waters filled streets and flooded stores and homes in videos and photos posted on social media, while videos from the desert showed the parched landscape suddenly inundated with torrential waters. ||||| Israeli rescue services search for several young people who went missing near Arava in southern Israel after flash floods swept through the area while they were hiking on April 26, 2018 (AFP Photo/Menahem KAHANA) Jerusalem (AFP) - Three people have been arrested in Israel in connection with the deaths of 10 young hikers in flash floods during a programme to prepare them for military service, police said Friday. The ten students, mostly aged 17 and 18, were caught up in floods while hiking in the Arabah desert in southern Israel following exceptionally heavy rainfall. They were part of a group of around 25 hikers taking part in the training. "Police questioned three staff members from the academy that organised the trip," Micky Rosenfeld said in a statement. Two remain in detention and the third is under house arrest, he added. The hike was organised by a Tel Aviv-based institute that offers a one-year programme for young people wishing to postpone their military service, compulsory in Israel, in order to strengthen themselves mentally and physically. The hikers were taking a break in the middle of the Nahal Tzafit Gorge when they were taken surprise by the rains, Israeli media reported. Flash floods can turn the picturesque gorge into an instant death trap, they said. Some speculated that organisers may have ignored weather warnings. Israeli media on Friday morning broadcast photos of the ten killed, nine girls and a boy, most of whose funerals are expected during the day. The arid Arabah desert is prone to flash floods. In Whatsapp communications before the hike, one of the teens warned conditions were dangerous. "I cannot believe I'm going on a trip in such weather," said the teen, who later died. "It doesn't make sense for us to go to a place where everything is flooding. It's tempting fate -- we're going to die." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted his condolences to the families on his Facebook page. Separately police in the area were searching for the missing driver of a truck that was caught in the floods after a road accident. On Wednesday a Bedouin teenager died in southern Israel, while east of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, a 17-year-old Palestinian girl was found dead after being swept away. ||||| JERUSALEM, April 27 (Reuters) - The head of a seminary who organised a desert trek in which 10 Israeli teenagers were killed in a flash flood has been arrested on suspicion of causing death through negligence, police said. Nine girls and a boy were killed when a sudden, powerful torrent gushed through a usually arid Zafit river bed in southern Israel near the Dead Sea on Thursday. Seven of the 10 were buried on Friday. Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the head of the seminary and a teacher were remanded in custody until Tuesday on suspicion of causing death through negligence. It was the deadliest incident of several caused by unusually heavy rains over two days, which caused many normally dry river beds to swell into potentially deadly torrents. The floods also claimed the lives of two children from Israel’s Bedouin community who were washed away in separate torrents on Wednesday. A Palestinian teenage girl drowned in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, medics said. A truck driver is still missing after he was apparently swept away in another torrent in Israel, south of the Dead Sea, police said. Flash floods are a common phenomenon in Israel and the West Bank after heavy rains, as surges of water run through narrow channels into the Dead Sea and the rift valley region that runs along the Negev Desert. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement saying: “All of Israel laments in the terrible tragedy that cut short the lives of ten young, wonderful people who had such promising futures.” A text message conversation published by Israeli media quoted one of the trek’s participants, who was unnamed, saying: “I can’t believe that I am actually going out in this weather, it’s not logical that we should go to such a place where there will be floods, it’s tempting fate, we will die, I am serious.” Another conversation participant thought her friend’s comments were exaggerated; she presumed the organisers “have some sense and will take you to other places.” A small section of Israel’s concrete separation wall in East Jerusalem that was built to seal off Palestinian areas collapsed due to the heavy rainfall but construction teams were on site to seal the breach, police said. Fearing more heavy thunder storms on Friday, police closed some main roads in the Dead Sea region and warned torrent hunters seeking views of spectacular waterfalls and gushing streams to stay away. (Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Writing by Ori Lewis, Editing by Stephen Farrell and William Maclean)
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The death toll from flash floods in the Dead Sea, Israel, reaches fourteen including ten teenage hikers with a lorry driver still missing. Three youth workers connected to the hike are arrested. Two Palestinian children are reported to have also died in the West Bank.
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The presidents of North Korea and South Korea are scheduled to meet this Friday, in a prelude to a summit in the works between North Korea's Kim Jong Un and President Trump to talk about North Korea's nuclear program. The summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will be the third time the countries' top leaders have met since the Korean War. Trump's meeting with Kim is expected to occur next month. But there's reason for caution when it comes to expectations about North Korea, warns Jean Lee, director of the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Kim's understanding of "denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula — a key U.S. goal — may be very different from what President Trump expects, says Lee, the former Pyongyang bureau chief of the Associated Press. On whether North Korea has agreed to denuclearization I think President Trump is in for a rude surprise if he thinks that he's going to come to this summit with Kim Jong Un and that Kim Jong Un is going to say, "Sure, I'll hand over my nuclear weapons" — because that is certainly not the case. What Kim Jong Un has said is that he supports this concept of a nuclear-free world and that he is willing to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. And so the U.S. may think that that means forcing or requiring North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons without anything from the U.S. side. But North Korea has very consistently said that that, for them, means that the United States also has to give up its nuclear umbrella over the Korean Peninsula and in the Northeast Asian region. On whether South Korea's agenda dovetails with what the U.S. is seeking from North Korea This [inter-Korean] summit will roll out differently, I think, than the anticipated summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un because the North and South Koreans have been preparing for it very methodically, step by step. What we will see is a strong show of unity between the two Korean leaders. This is something that will play well in Pyongyang — for Kim Jong Un to show that he's got the South Korean leader on his side. The South Koreans will certainly want to discuss denuclearization and discuss the upcoming summit with Donald Trump, and perhaps try to pave the way and lay the groundwork for that summit. They will most likely come up with some agreements at this meeting, perhaps some agreement on reducing the military tensions along the [Demilitarized Zone] and also perhaps some agreement on restarting the family reunions of those Koreans on both sides of the DMZ who hadn't seen each other in more than 65, 70 years. On what Kim Jong Un hopes to gain from the summit with South Korea You know, when you tell your people that they are under threat from an outside force or that they are at risk of being attacked, for any country, that brings the people together. And that's what ... North Korea has been doing to its people, is telling them, "We are under threat, we are under attack, and so we need to come together." But the big thing that Kim Jong Un wants is to have a resolution of that peace treaty. He wants something big to celebrate this year. And the big goal for him would be to somehow negotiate a peace treaty to bring that Korean War to an end. ||||| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the historic meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday, even while sounding a note of caution. Kim and Moon pledged to work toward the “complete decentralization of the Korean peninsula,” and to seek to declare an official end to the 1950s Korean War and establish a permanent peace agreement. In a series of tweets, Trump appeared optimistic about the outcome of the summit. The U.S. president is planning his own meeting with Kim, expected in the coming weeks, in what would be the first ever meeting between sitting leaders of the two countries. “After a furious year of missile launches and Nuclear testing, a historic meeting between North and South Korea is now taking place. Good things are happening, but only time will tell!” he said on Twitter, early on Friday morning in Washington. He later added: “KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States, and all of its GREAT people, should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea!” The first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade took place just months after a surge in tensions between the United States and North Korea, as Trump and Kim exchanged threats and personal insults and Pyongyang made rapid advances in pursuit of nuclear-armed missiles capable of hitting the United States. In a television interview on Thursday, Trump acknowledged the angry exchanges, including his dubbing of Kim as “Little Rocket Man” and a boast about the size of his nuclear button, as well as the concerns of critics at home and abroad who had accused him of fanning flames. “Look, it was very, very nasty with Little Rocket Man and with the buttons — and, you know, my button’s bigger than — everybody said this guy’s going to get us into nuclear war,” he told Fox News Channel. “The nuclear war would have happened if you had weak people.” Trump has long called on China to use its leverage as North Korea’s largest trading partner and sole ally to rein in Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions, sometimes expressing disappointment with Beijing. In another tweet on Friday, Trump credited Chinese President Xi Jinping for his help, saying: “Without him it would have been a much longer, tougher, process!” Trump has said he hopes to meet with Kim in May or June, and a White House official has said Trump may seek to meet with Moon beforehand. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said on Friday that Trump could still abandon negotiations with North Korea. “It’s this president who has said he is willing to come to the table but he always has an exit strategy. If it’s not working for the American people, if it’s not working for diplomatic purposes, then he can just walk away,” she said in an interview with Fox News Channel. ||||| North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday night headed for the Demilitarized Zone for a historic summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the strip of land that divides their countries, AFP reported. The meeting on the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjom, only the third of its kind since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, will be the highest-level encounter yet between the two countries, and is intended to pave the way for a much-anticipated encounter between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump. In the most detailed direct reference to the process by the North so far, Pyongyang's official KCNA news agency said Kim will "open-heartedly discuss... all the issues arising in improving inter-Korean relations and achieving peace, prosperity and reunification of the Korean peninsula." Moon greeted Kim at the concrete blocks that mark the border between the two Koreas in the Demilitarized Zone to begin the rare meeting. When Kim stepped over the line he became the first North Korean leader to set foot in the South since the Korean War ended 65 years ago. The North's nuclear arsenal will be high on the agenda at the talks. The White House welcomed the Moon-Kim meeting. “On the occasion of Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in’s historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, we wish the Korean people well. We are hopeful that talks will achieve progress toward a future of peace and prosperity for the entire Korean Peninsula. The United States appreciates the close coordination with our ally, the Republic of Korea, and looks forward to continuing robust discussions in preparation for the planned meeting between President Donald J. Trump and Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks," it said in a statement. Trump in March unexpectedly agreed to a meeting with Kim, to be held by the end of May. Kim later acknowledged for the first time his country’s contacts with the United States. U.S. officials recently said North Korea had directly confirmed that Kim was willing to negotiate about potential denuclearization. Last week, Kim himself announced that his country would close its nuclear test site and suspend long-range missile tests. Last year, Pyongyang carried out its sixth nuclear test, by far its most powerful to date, and launched missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. Those actions sent tensions soaring as Kim and Trump traded personal insults and threats of war. Moon seized on the South's Winter Olympics as an opportunity to broker dialogue between them, and has said his meeting with Kim will serve to set up the summit between Pyongyang and Washington. Trump has demanded the North give up its weapons, and Washington is pressing for it to do so in a complete, verifiable and irreversible way. Administration officials said this week that Trump will urge North Korea to act quickly to dismantle its nuclear arsenal when he meets Kim and is not willing to grant Pyongyang substantial sanctions relief in return for a freeze of its nuclear and missile tests. Trump reiterated on Tuesday that he would walk away from the talks with North Korea if they are not fruitful. "Unlike past administrations, I will leave the table," he said. "But I think we have the chance to do something very special." ||||| SEOUL (Reuters) - Shedding tears behind South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un after the two leaders announced a historic agreement on Friday was a man who has worked for two decades to set up unlikely dialogue between old enemies. Nearly 18 years after Suh Hoon, a South Korean intelligence official, travelled to Pyongyang to persuade reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Il to hold an unprecedented first summit in the North Korean capital in 2000, he watched Kim’s son pledging peace on the Korean peninsula on Friday - this time just south of the heavily militarised border. Friday was the first time any North Korean leader set foot on South Korean soil since the 1950-53 Korean War left the country divided and the two neighbours in a technical state of conflict. The landmark encounter came less than a year after South Korea’s liberal president Moon took office and quickly tapped Suh as chief of the National Intelligence Service, saying he was “the right person” to revive inter-Korean ties strained over North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear-armed missiles. “It is too premature to talk about a next inter-Korean summit,” Suh told reporters last year after his appointment was announced, returning him to the agency he quit in 2008 when a conservative government was elected. “But we need it.” Suh, who personally helped arrange two previous inter-Korean summits in 2000 and 2007, is viewed as the country’s top expert on North Korea. He is known as the South Korean who met with late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il the most. Lee Jong-seok, a former unification minister who visited Pyongyang with Suh in 2003 as then-South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun’s special envoys, called Suh the “No. 1 negotiator with North Korea” in his 2014 memoir. Suh, 64, also lived in North Korea for two years in the late 1990s, involved in a plan to build a nuclear reactor as part of a 1994 international deal to freeze Pyongyang’s nuclear programmes. That deal eventually collapsed. “He came in knowing already how it works and what to do, and Moon gave him clear political guidance,” said John Delury, a North Korea expert at Yonsei University in Seoul. The presidential Blue House declined to comment on Suh’s role. The intelligence service could not be reached for comment. In March, he was part of the 10-member delegation that visited third-generation leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, becoming one of the first South Korean officials to meet Kim since he took power in late 2011 following his father’s death. At the meeting, Kim not only agreed to meet Moon but also stunned Suh and other envoys by saying he would be willing to discuss denuclearisation with U.S. President Donald Trump - setting the stage for an unprecedented first meeting between sitting leaders of the two countries, possibly in late May or early June. Suh later also arranged a trip to Pyongyang for his U.S. counterpart, Mike Pompeo, to meet Kim Jong Un from March 31 to April 2, and lay the groundwork for the planned summit, U.S. officials said. Pompeo, then CIA director and now confirmed as new U.S. Secretary of State, formed a “good relationship” with Kim and their meeting went “very smoothly,” Trump said. “I think the human network was deeply engaged in hosting these events,” said Moon Hong-sik, research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul. Moon noted Suh had a relationship not only with Pompeo, but also with Kim Yong Chol - a former North Korean military intelligence chief, now leading inter-Korean relations. Suh was one of two officials Moon picked to join his first official dialogue with Kim Jong Un, who himself was joined by his younger sister Kim Yo Jong, and Kim Yong Chol. “Just seeing Suh in there spoke volumes about the important role he played in setting up the summit,” said Seo Yu-suk, research manager at the Institute of North Korean Studies in Seoul. ||||| South Korea halted anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts across the rivals’ tense border on Monday ahead of inter-Korean talks this week that are expected to focus on the North’s nuclear program, Seoul officials said. Seoul had blasted anti-Pyongyang messages and K-pop songs from border loudspeakers since the North’s fourth nuclear test in early 2016. Pyongyang quickly matched Seoul’s campaign with its own border broadcasts and launches of balloons carrying anti-South leaflets across the border. Also read | South Korea’s Moon to meet North Korea’s Kim at border for summit South Korea, however, turned off its broadcasts to try to ease military tensions and establish an environment for peaceful talks, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. It said Seoul hopes its action would lead to both sides stopping mutual slander and propaganda activities. Yonhap news agency reported unspecified North Korean broadcasts were sporadically heard in the South on Monday morning. South Korean defense officials said they couldn’t immediately confirm the status of the North’s broadcasts. The move came amid a recent thaw of animosities, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un trying to reach out to Seoul and Washington in recent months. Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are to meet at a border village on Friday in the rivals’ third-ever summit talks. Kim is to hold separate summit talks with President Donald Trump in May or early June. Kim has said he was willing to place his nuclear program up for negotiations. But it was unclear how serious disarmament steps he would offer during the two sets of the summit talks. U.S. officials have said they want to the North to take complete disarmament measures. North Korea said Saturday it would close its nuclear testing facility and suspend nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. But the country stopped short of suggesting it has any intention of giving up its nuclear weapons or scale back its production of missiles and their related component parts. For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App ||||| Trump says NKorea has made nuclear concessions before talks WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that North Korea's Kim Jong Un has made nuclear weapons concessions before even sitting down for talks, while the U.S. hasn't given up anything. Trump's assertions came before Friday's summit between North Korea and South Korea that's expected to pave the way for a historic meeting between Trump and Kim in May or June. Trump told "Fox & Friends" that his tough approach toward the North, and now his willingness to engage with Kim, had reduced the risk of nuclear war. He contended that North Korea has "given up denuclearization, testing, research" and that "we're going to close different sites." North Korea recently announced it will shutter its nuclear test site and suspend nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, and Kim has indicated he's ready to discuss denuclearization. That marks a dramatic shift from the high tensions of last year, when in defiance of world opinion and despite intensified economic sanctions, North Korea rapidly conducted weapons tests. "I'm saying to myself 'wait a minute, all of these things he's given up and we haven't even really that much asked them,'" Trump said. He added: "We would have asked them, but they gave it up before I even asked." But doubts linger over Kim's readiness to relinquish nuclear weapons his nation already has, and what he'd want in return. North Korea is already at the brink of being able to threaten the U.S. mainland with a nuclear-tipped missile, and views that capability as a safeguard against American aggression and a defense against regime change. Trump, who often accuses his predecessors of failing to address the North Korean threat, has argued that the only concession he has made was his surprise decision last month to accept Kim's invitation for a meeting — the first ever between the leaders of the United States and North Korea during six decades of hostility. "I never gave up anything," Trump repeated. Critics say Kim may see the summit as a way to burnish his international standing and legitimize North Korea's declared status as a nuclear power. Trump acknowledged the rhetoric that both he and Kim deployed over the last year and the schoolyard taunts of nuclear "buttons" was "very, very nasty" and heightened fears of nuclear war. "This is a much more dangerous ballgame now, but I will tell you it's going very well." He said "the nuclear war would have happened if you have weak people." Trump revealed more information about outgoing CIA Director Mike Pompeo's secret trip to North Korea this month, saying Pompeo wasn't supposed to meet with Kim, but that they ended up talking for more than an hour. Later Thursday, the White House released photos of Pompeo and Kim shaking hands. Pompeo, who won Senate confirmation Thursday to become secretary of state, was the most senior U.S. official to meet a North Korean leader since 2000. "They had a great meeting," Trump said, without revealing what they discussed. For now, the diplomatic initiative lies in the hands of the rival Koreas. Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a key U.S. ally, were to meet Friday in the heavily militarized frontier between the Koreas. Moon will be looking to make some headway on the nuclear issue in advance of the Trump-Kim summit. They're also expected to discuss ways to both improve relations and settle the 1950-53 Korean War, which was halted with an armistice, not a peace treaty. ||||| GOYANG, South Korea (AP) – The Latest on the summit between the leaders of North Korea and South Korea (all times local): North and South Korea have agreed to stop all hostile acts over “land, sea and air” that can cause military tensions and clashes, after a summit between their leaders at a border truce village. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced Friday that starting May 1 they will suspend all loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts the countries have been blaring at each other across their heavily-armed border. They will also dismantle broadcasting equipment. The Koreas also agreed to stop flying propaganda leaflets across their border. The countries also agreed to take steps to defuse the relatively frequent clashes around their western maritime border by designating the area as a “peace zone” and guarantee safe operations of fishermen from both countries. The Koreas plan to hold military talks in May to further discuss reducing tensions. The two Koreas have agreed for South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in to visit Pyongyang sometime this autumn. The agreement came after a historic summit between the leaders of the two Koreas at the border village of Panmunjom on Friday. A joint statement didn’t say when Moon would visit Pyongyang. But it says Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet on a regular basis and exchange calls via a recently established hotline. North and South Korea have agreed to open a permanent communication office in the North Korean town of Kaesong and resume temporary reunions between relatives separated by the 1950-53 Korean War following a historic summit between their leaders. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in also said after their summit on Friday that the Koreas will seek to expand civilian exchanges and pursue joint sports and cultural events. The family reunions are expected to take place around Aug. 15, an anniversary for both Koreas celebrating their peninsula’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule after the end of World War II. Koreas plan to hold high-level talks and other negotiations to fulfill the agreements made at the summit. North and South Korea say they will jointly push for talks with the United State and also potentially China to officially end the 1950-53 Korean War, which stopped in an armistice and left the Koreas still technically at war. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced after their summit on Friday that the Koreas will push for three-way talks including Washington or four-way talks that also include Beijing on converting the armistice into a peace treaty and establishing permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. The Koreas said they hope the parties will be able to declare an official end to the war by the end of this year. While President Donald Trump has given his “blessing” for the Koreas to discuss an end to the war, there can be no real solution without the involvement of Washington and other parties that fought in the war because South Korea wasn’t a direct signatory to the armistice that stopped the fighting. The two Koreas have agreed to rid their peninsula of nuclear weapons but failed to provide any new specific measures how to achieve that. A joint statement issued after their leaders’ talks Friday says the two Koreas confirmed their goal of achieving “a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through complete denuclearization.” North Korea has placed its nukes up for negotiations. It has previously used the term “denuclearization” to say it can disarm only when the United States withdraws its 28,500 troops in South Korea. The statement didn’t say what other specific disarmament steps North Korea would take. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are walking back to a building at a border truce village to resume their summit after talking privately for around 30 minutes at a nearby bridge. Kim and Moon, after their afternoon session, are expected to jointly announce the outcome of their meeting. The statement is expected to be announced in about an hour. China has welcomed the summit between its ally North Korea and South Korea, saying it applauds the countries’ leaders for taking a “historic step” toward peace. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters at a briefing Friday that Beijing wishes that the meeting between the North’s leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will achieve a “positive result.” Hua quoted the famed Chinese writer Lu Xun: “After all of the suffering, the brotherly friendship still exists; with a smile, let’s forget about the debt of gratitude and revenge.” Hua says China looks forward to taking this summit as an opportunity to expand into a “new journey of long-term peace and stability on the peninsula.” North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are talking privately for more than 20 minutes, sitting on chairs at a blue bridge inside a border truce village where Moon is hosting Kim for a summit. The leaders on Friday walked unaccompanied to the bridge for a private conversation before they are expected to resume the afternoon session of the summit. It isn’t immediately clear what is being said between the leaders. South Korea’s presidential office said earlier Moon expressed satisfaction after the first round of talks with Kim at the border truce village of Panmunjom. The office says the leaders discussed the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and that working level officials from both countries are working on a joint statement. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in have poured a mixture of soil and water from both countries onto a pine tree they planted at a truce village as a symbol of peace before resuming their highly anticipated summit. Kim and Moon have also unveiled a stone plaque placed next to the tree that was engraved with a message saying “Peace and Prosperity Are Planted.” The pine tree dates to 1953, the year the Korean War ended in an armistice. The soil and water were brought from the Koreas’ mountains and rivers. The leaders then talked while walking unaccompanied on a nearby bridge before they are expected to resume the afternoon session of their summit at Panmunjom. Kim at one point was seen waving away photographers as he and Moon continued their talks sitting on chairs placed at the bridge. A Japanese Cabinet official says his government and the families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in the 1980s and 1990s are closely watching the inter-Korean summit in hopes the two leaders discuss the issue. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in aremeeting Friday in the border village of Panmunjom. Katsunobu Kato, Japan’s minister for the abduction issue, says he hopes progress will be made at an upcoming summit that Kim is expected to hold with President Donald Trump. Tokyo has asked Seoul and Washington to press Kim to resolve the decades-old problem. Pyongyang has acknowledged abducting 13 Japanese decades ago. Five of them returned to Japan in 2002. Pyongyang says the eight others have died, but Japan believes they could be alive. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is welcoming the summit between the two Koreas but says he doesn’t expect any great breakthrough that might curb North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. Johnson told reporters at NATO headquarters Friday, “I am very encouraged by what’s happening.” He says: “I don’t think that anybody looking at the history of North Korea’s plans to develop a nuclear weapon would want to be over-optimistic at this point. But it is clearly good news that the two leaders are meeting. Absolutely.” North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are expected to jointly announce the outcome of their summit in a few hours. South Korea’s presidential office said earlier Friday Moon expressed satisfaction after the first round of talks with Kim at the border truce village of Panmunjom. The office says the leaders discussed the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and that working level officials from both countries are working on a joint statement. The leaders will resume their meetings in the afternoon after planting a memorial tree. Moon’s office says he and Kim are expected to announce the results of their meeting before attending a dinner banquet scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Moon’s office says the banquet will be also attended by the wives of Kim and Moon. Also invited to the dinner are famous cultural figures from both countries, including the North’s Hyon Song Wol, the leader of Kim’s hand-picked Moranbong girl band, and South Korean pop star Cho Yong-pil. Seoul says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s wife will cross the border into South Korea to attend a dinner banquet after the Koreas’ summit talks at a border village. Kim crossed the border into South Korea on Friday morning for talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the southern side of Panmunjom. Kim was accompanied by a group of top officials but his wife, Ri Sol Ju, was not present. Moon’s spokesman Yoon Young-chan says that Ri will cross the border and attend the banquet with Kim, Moon and Moon’s wife Kim Jung-sook later Friday. Ri is a former singer with the North’s Unhasu Orchestra. Seoul says the leaders of the two Koreas had “sincere, candid” talks on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula”and other issues during their summit talks. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are holding the Koreas’ third-ever summit talks at the border village of Panmunjom on Friday. Moon’s spokesman Yoon Young-chan told reporters that the two leaders also discussed how to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula and improve ties between the rivals. They are to meet again later Friday. Yoon says the two Koreas are working on a joint statement to be issued after their one-day meeting. North Koreans are reacting to news their leader is holding a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in with cautious expressions of support. Though South Koreans and much of the world were able to watch some of the key summit events live, the only news available from North Korea’s state media well into the afternoon on Friday was a brief dispatch that leader Kim Jong Un had departed the capital to meet Moon inside the Demilitarized Zone that divides their nations. State television was expected to report on the summit later in the day. In the meantime, residents of the capital kept their comments short. Pyongyang resident Jin Kum Il, referring to the ruling party’s daily newspaper, says: “I saw the news today in the Worker’s Daily about our respected supreme leader Kim Jong Un setting off to go to the North-South summit on the south side.” He adds: “This meeting is coming after more than 10 years and I hope it’s successful.” Another resident Kim Song Hui is noting Kim has made it clear this year he intends to repair ties with Seoul. She told an AP Television News crew: “Our respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un already in his New Year’s address this year stressed the importance of improving relations between North and South.” South Korean conservative activists have set fire to North Korean flags during a rally against the summit talks between the leaders of the two Koreas. Hundreds of activists gathered near the border village of Panmunjom on Friday to protest the talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. They set on fire two paper North Korean flags with the images of Kim and his late father and grandfather. They also chanted slogans including “Step down, Moon Jae-in!” No major violence has been reported. South Korea says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described the country’s transport conditions as poor as he and South Korean President Moon Jae-in discussed Moon’s potential visit to the North. Moon’ spokesman Yoon Young-chan says Kim’s comments came after Moon expressed a desire to travel across North Korea to visit Mount Paektu that touches the country’s border with China. According to Yoon, Kim in response said such a trip might be currently uncomfortable for Moon because the country’s transport system was deficient. Yoon says Kim also said North Korean delegates who visited the South during February’s Winter Olympics also came back impressed with South Korea’s bullet train service. Yoon says Moon in response said North Koreans would also be able to enjoy the South’s high-speed trains if the rivals improve relations and reconnect their rail networks across the border. North Korean roads are often bumpy and poorly maintained. Kim earlier this month met with China’s ambassador and visited a hospital where Chinese tourists were being treated after a deadly bus crash killed 32 in North Korea. South Korea says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a reference to North Koreans who escaped from the country while discussing prospects of peace between the rivals in his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Moon’s spokesman Yoon Young-chan says Kim mentioned the defectors among people who have high expectations for the summit to heal scars and improve relations between the rivals. Yoon quoted Kim as saying: “We should value this opportunity so that the scars between the South and North could be healed.” Yoon says Kim added: “The border line isn’t that high; it will eventually be erased if a lot of people pass over it.” North Korea normally expresses anger toward defectors and often accuses South Korea of abducting or enticing its citizens to defect. The North in 2016 accused the South of abducting 12 North Korean women who had worked at restaurant in China and demanded them to be sent back to the North. That was months before the North called a senior North Korean diplomat who defected to the South as “human scum.” Around 30,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a reference to a South Korean island targeted by a North Korean artillery attack that killed four in 2010. South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s senior spokesman said Kim said the residents of Yeonpyeong Island who have been living under the fear of North Korean artillery attacks and also families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War have high hopes for the inter-Korean talks to help heal past scars. Moon called for more meetings between the leaders and said he wishes to travel in North Korea to visit Mount Paektu near the country’s border with China. Kim said the trip under current conditions would be uncomfortable, but the North would improve its transportation networks should Moon decided to visit. Kim also said the North Korean delegation during their visit to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February came back impressed by the South’s bullet train services. Moon in response said the people of both Koreas would be able to enjoy high-speed train services if relations improve and the countries connect their rail networks across borders. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in have finished the morning session of their summit at a border truce village. Television showed bodyguards jogging beside Kim’s black limousine as it rolled back to the northern side of the Panmunjom where Kim and other North Korean officials participating in the summit are expected to have lunch. The leaders plan to meet again in the afternoon at the southern side of the village for talks Seoul says are aimed at resolving the standoff over the North’s nuclear weapons. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has thanked South Korean President Moon Jae-in for greeting him at a “historic place” ahead of their meeting at the border truce village of Panmunjom. At the historic moment when the two leaders shook hands across the Military Demarcation line that bisects the rivals, Kim said that his heart “keeps throbbing.” Moon replied to Kim’s thanks by saying that the North Korean leader made a “very courageous decision” to come to the South. The high-stakes summit is aimed at resolving the standoff over the North’s nuclear weapons North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has given his younger sister a place at the negotiating table for the first North-South Korea summit in more than a decade. Kim Yo Jong has emerged as the most visible member of Kim Jong Un’s regime after her brother – since she became the first member of the ruling North Korean family to travel to the South in early February for the Olympics. She was in Kim’s delegation as he walked across the line that divides the two Koreas on Friday morning and took a seat beside him as he started his first round of talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The only other North Korean official present was former intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol, the top official in charge of relations with the South. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says he’s ready for “heartfelt, sincere and honest” talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on pending issues and that the Koreas must not repeat the past where they were “unable to fulfill our agreements.” Kim did not make any direct mention of the North Korean nuclear issue in the part of his talks with Moon that were shown on live television. Kim also joked that he hoped Moon would enjoy North Korea’s famous cold noodles that will be brought to the banquet after the summit, saying it was difficult to bring the noodles from capital Pyongyang. He then turned to his sister sitting to his left and said “maybe I shouldn’t have said (Pyongyang) was far.” Moon in response there were high expectations surrounding the inter-Korean summit and that they produce an agreement that would please the people of Koreas and also “every peace-loving person in the world.” North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has signed a guestbook with a message wishing for peace between the Koreas as he arrived for a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Kim wrote in the guestbook: “New history starts from now, at the historic starting point of an era of peace.” Kim earlier stepped into the southern side of a border truce village of Panmunjom to become the first North Korean leader to set foot into the South since the 1950-53 Korean War. The meeting between Kim and Moon is only the third-ever summit between the rivals who remain technically at war. Seoul says the meeting will be focused on discussing ways for North Korea’s nuclear disarmament and establishing a permanent peace regime in the Korean Peninsula. The White House says it is hopeful the summit between the two Korean leaders will achieve progress toward peace. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un crossed over to the southern side of the world’s most heavily armed border Friday morning to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in. They shook hands and inspected an honor guard before later holding a closed-door discussion about Kim’s nuclear weapons. The White House said in a statement that it is “hopeful that talks will achieve progress toward a future of peace and prosperity for the entire Korean Peninsula. … (and) looks forward to continuing robust discussions in preparation for the planned meeting between President Donald J. Trump and Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks.” North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made history by crossing over to the southern side of the world’s most heavily armed border to meet rival South Korean President Moon Jae-in. It’s the first time a member of the Kim dynasty has set foot on southern soil since the end of the Korean War in 1953 and the latest bid to settle the world’s last Cold War standoff. The overwhelming focus of the summit, the country’s third-ever, will be on North Korea’s growing arsenal of nuclear weapons. Kim’s news agency said earlier Friday that the leader would “open-heartedly” discuss with Moon “all the issues arising in improving inter-Korean relations.” South Korean President Moon Jae-in has left Seoul’s presidential palace for a high-stakes summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that will kick off a new round of nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang. Moon on Friday briefly stepped out of his black limousine and cheerfully shook hands with hundreds of supporters who waved white South Korean flags and raised banners with messages including “Please Achieve Successful Denuclearization.” Hundreds of members of the Korean Veterans Association arrived on buses from different parts of the nation hours earlier to send off Moon’s motorcade. The meeting between Moon and Kim is just the third summit between the rivals since the 1950-53 Korean War. North Korea’s state media reports that leader Kim Jong Un has left Pyongyang for the North-South summit meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. A report by the North’s Korean Central News Agency said Kim would “open-heartedly”‘discuss with Moon “all the issues arising in improving inter-Korean relations and achieving peace, prosperity and reunification of the Korean peninsula.” The report called the summit on Friday “historic” and noted that it would be held on the south side of the Demilitarized Zone, a first for Kim. It also said that after the talks Kim will plant a memorial tree with Moon, make public the results of the talks and attend a dinner hosted by Moon before returning to Pyongyang. ||||| While much of the world watched the historic meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea as it happened this week, citizens of the nation arguably most impacted by the summit remained in the dark. Multiple sources reported that Korean Central Television, North Korea’s state news agency, aired historical programming, landscapes and the national flag as leader Kim Jong Un crossed the border to the south Friday. The diplomatic gesture led to talks between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in of signing a treaty that would officially end a war that has technically continued since an armistice reached between the two countries more than 60 years ago. It also marked the first time during that period that a North Korean leader stepped into South Korea to meet with that nation’s president. Despite the potentially dramatic implications the meeting could have for those living under Kim’s oppressive regime, the news received barely a mention on the government-controlled airwaves within North Korea. According to analysts who interpret the flow of information within the hermit nation, it is not surprising there would be no live coverage of the leader’s monumental trip. The Lowy Institute’s international security director told Business Insider that state TV must depict Kim in a certain way, so the potential of embarrassment associated with live coverage means it is rarely an option. “North Korean media will cut and splice to show Kim in the most favorable light, and ideally in a superior position to his southern counterpart,” Euan Graham said. He said he was not surprised to find that North Korea shunned a live broadcast, adding that “it was the same for the Winter Olympics.” Much of the current emphasis on diplomacy traces back to unprecedented international outreach by the North Korean regime ahead of the recent Olympic games in PyeongChang, South Korea. While a delegation of athletes, dignitaries and others from the north made appearances aired around the world, analysts say North Koreans only saw a sanitized version on state-run television. According to one Wilson Center scholar who has served as a North Korean correspondent for the Associated Press, the primary exception to a ban on live broadcasts involves highly orchestrated events meant to deliver a specific message. “They don’t like the unpredictability of live broadcasts, except for events that are completely scripted, like military parades,” said Jean H. Lee. Though they did not watch live, North Koreans did reportedly hear about the important meeting via state TV. Hazel Smith of SOAS University of London has lived in North Korea and continues to monitor life in the secretive nation. “I’m not surprised it’s not been shown live, although it has been announced that it was going to happen,” she said. Like other experts, Smith described an ongoing effort by state media to “control the message so they will show the bits that enhance the message they want to get across to their people.” In addition to mitigating the risk of embarrassment, she said Kim’s regime will want to present the leader as “in charge.” What do you think? Scroll down to comment below. ||||| While much of the world watched the historic meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea as it happened this week, citizens of the nation arguably most impacted by the summit remained in the dark. Multiple sources reported that Korean Central Television, North Korea’s state news agency, aired historical programming, landscapes and the national flag as leader Kim Jong Un crossed the border to the south Friday. The diplomatic gesture led to talks between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in of signing a treaty that would officially end a war that has technically continued since an armistice reached between the two countries more than 60 years ago. It also marked the first time during that period that a North Korean leader stepped into South Korea to meet with that nation’s president. Despite the potentially dramatic implications the meeting could have for those living under Kim’s oppressive regime, the news received barely a mention on the government-controlled airwaves within North Korea. According to analysts who interpret the flow of information within the hermit nation, it is not surprising there would be no live coverage of the leader’s monumental trip. The Lowy Institute’s international security director told Business Insider that state TV must depict Kim in a certain way, so the potential of embarrassment associated with live coverage means it is rarely an option. “North Korean media will cut and splice to show Kim in the most favorable light, and ideally in a superior position to his southern counterpart,” Euan Graham said. He said he was not surprised to find that North Korea shunned a live broadcast, adding that “it was the same for the Winter Olympics.” Much of the current emphasis on diplomacy traces back to unprecedented international outreach by the North Korean regime ahead of the recent Olympic games in PyeongChang, South Korea. While a delegation of athletes, dignitaries and others from the north made appearances aired around the world, analysts say North Koreans only saw a sanitized version on state-run television. According to one Wilson Center scholar who has served as a North Korean correspondent for the Associated Press, the primary exception to a ban on live broadcasts involves highly orchestrated events meant to deliver a specific message. “They don’t like the unpredictability of live broadcasts, except for events that are completely scripted, like military parades,” said Jean H. Lee. Though they did not watch live, North Koreans did reportedly hear about the important meeting via state TV. Hazel Smith of SOAS University of London has lived in North Korea and continues to monitor life in the secretive nation. “I’m not surprised it’s not been shown live, although it has been announced that it was going to happen,” she said. Like other experts, Smith described an ongoing effort by state media to “control the message so they will show the bits that enhance the message they want to get across to their people.” In addition to mitigating the risk of embarrassment, she said Kim’s regime will want to present the leader as “in charge.” What do you think? Scroll down to comment below. ||||| The presidents of North Korea and South Korea are scheduled to meet this Friday, in a prelude to a summit in the works between North Korea's Kim Jong Un and President Trump to talk about North Korea's nuclear program. The summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will be the third time the countries' top leaders have met since the Korean War. Trump's meeting with Kim is expected to occur next month. But there's reason for caution when it comes to expectations about North Korea, warns Jean Lee, director of the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Kim's understanding of "denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula — a key U.S. goal — may be very different from what President Trump expects, says Lee, the former Pyongyang bureau chief of the Associated Press. On whether North Korea has agreed to denuclearization I think President Trump is in for a rude surprise if he thinks that he's going to come to this summit with Kim Jong Un and that Kim Jong Un is going to say, "Sure, I'll hand over my nuclear weapons" — because that is certainly not the case. What Kim Jong Un has said is that he supports this concept of a nuclear-free world and that he is willing to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. And so the U.S. may think that that means forcing or requiring North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons without anything from the U.S. side. But North Korea has very consistently said that that, for them, means that the United States also has to give up its nuclear umbrella over the Korean Peninsula and in the Northeast Asian region. On whether South Korea's agenda dovetails with what the U.S. is seeking from North Korea This [inter-Korean] summit will roll out differently, I think, than the anticipated summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un because the North and South Koreans have been preparing for it very methodically, step by step. What we will see is a strong show of unity between the two Korean leaders. This is something that will play well in Pyongyang — for Kim Jong Un to show that he's got the South Korean leader on his side. The South Koreans will certainly want to discuss denuclearization and discuss the upcoming summit with Donald Trump, and perhaps try to pave the way and lay the groundwork for that summit. They will most likely come up with some agreements at this meeting, perhaps some agreement on reducing the military tensions along the [Demilitarized Zone] and also perhaps some agreement on restarting the family reunions of those Koreans on both sides of the DMZ who hadn't seen each other in more than 65, 70 years. On what Kim Jong Un hopes to gain from the summit with South Korea You know, when you tell your people that they are under threat from an outside force or that they are at risk of being attacked, for any country, that brings the people together. And that's what ... North Korea has been doing to its people, is telling them, "We are under threat, we are under attack, and so we need to come together." But the big thing that Kim Jong Un wants is to have a resolution of that peace treaty. He wants something big to celebrate this year. And the big goal for him would be to somehow negotiate a peace treaty to bring that Korean War to an end.
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South Korean President Moon Jae-in meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Moon and Kim agree to officially end the Korean War and the Korean conflict overall. Kim becomes the first North Korean leader to cross the Korean Demilitarized Zone since the war.
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President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis spoke on Saturday with their South Korean counterparts after the historic meeting between leaders of the two Koreas, and Trump said "things are going very well" as he prepares for an expected summit with the North's Kim Jong Un. Mattis and Defense Minister Song Young-moo said they were committed to "a diplomatic resolution that achieves complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization" of the North, according to the Pentagon's chief spokeswoman, Dana W. White. Mattis also reaffirmed "the ironclad U.S. commitment" to defend its ally "using the full spectrum of U.S. capabilities. " Trump tweeted Saturday that he had "a long and very good talk" with President Moon Jae-in. He also said he updated Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, about "the ongoing negotiations" for an anticipated summit with Kim, tentatively scheduled for May or early June. Moon and Kim have pledged to seek a formal end to the Korean War, fought from 1950 to 1953, by year's end and to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. Trump has said he's looking forward to the meeting with Kim and that it "should be quite something." "Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set," Trump tweeted. Trump is claiming credit for the Korean summit, but now faces a burden in helping turn the Korean leaders' bold but vague vision for peace into reality after more than six decades of hostility. Trump must contend with suspicions about his own suitability to conduct that kind of war-and-peace negotiation and succeed where his predecessors have failed, and whether Kim really is willing to give up the nuclear weapons his nation took decades acquiring. "It is still unclear whether North Korea still believes that it can have its cake and eat it too," said Victor Cha, who until January had been in the running to become Trump's choice for ambassador to South Korea. At a White House news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday, Trump basked in the afterglow of the meeting between Kim and Moon, and said he has a responsibility to try to achieve peace and denuclearization. "And if I can't do it, it'll be a very tough time for a lot of countries, and a lot of people. It's certainly something that I hope I can do for the world," he said. Moon and Kim have not specified what steps would be taken to formally end the war or eliminate nuclear weapons. Now the pressure to deliver results, at least on the allies' side, has shifted to Trump. The president pushed back against critics who say he's being manipulated by Kim, who has abruptly shifted to diplomacy after last year's full-scale push to become a nuclear power that could threaten the U.S. mainland. "I don't think he's ever had this enthusiasm for somebody, for them wanting to make a deal," Trump said in the Oval Office. "We're not going to be played, OK. We're going to hopefully make a deal. The United States in the past has been played like a fiddle." New Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who as CIA director met Kim four weeks ago in North Korea, told reporters in Brussels that he got the impression that Kim was "serious" about negotiating on denuclearization because of the Trump-led economic pressure campaign. But Pompeo added a word of caution: "I am always careful. There is a lot of history here. Promises have been made, hopes have been raised and then dashed." North Korea has already called a halt to nuclear and long-range missile tests, which has helped dial down tensions significantly. North Korea was hit with unprecedented economic restrictions during 2017, when the U.S. and North Korean leaders traded threats while Kim pushed his nation to the verge of being able to fire a nuclear-tipped missile at the U.S. mainland. The diplomatic climate has changed dramatically this year, as Kim has ended his international seclusion, reaching out to South Korea, the U.S., and China. Mattis has said the U.S. is "optimistic right now that there's opportunity here that we have never enjoyed since 1950" and any progress will be up to the diplomats. He was referring to the year the Korean War broke out. The fighting, which also involved China, cost hundreds of thousands of lives and ended with the declaration of an armistice, not a peace treaty. That has left the peninsula in a technical state of war for decades. ||||| WASHINGTON (CBS News) — President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis spoke on Saturday with their South Korean counterparts after the historic meeting between leaders of the two Koreas. Mr. Trump also said in a tweet Saturday morning that “things are going very well” as he prepares for an expected summit with the North’s Kim Jong Un. Mattis and Defense Minister Song Young-moo said they were committed to “a diplomatic resolution that achieves complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization” of the North, according to the Pentagon’s chief spokeswoman, Dana W. White. Mattis also reaffirmed “the ironclad U.S. commitment” to defend its ally “using the full spectrum of U.S. capabilities. ” Mr. Trump tweeted Saturday that he had “a long and very good talk” with President Moon Jae-in. He also said he updated Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, about “the ongoing negotiations” for an anticipated summit with Kim, tentatively scheduled for May or early June. “Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set,” Mr. Trump tweeted. Mongolia and Singapore are the final two sites under consideration for the upcoming summit between Mr. Trump and Kim Jong Un, two administration sources told CBS News’ Major Garrett. Mr. Trump told reporters Friday that the location had been narrowed down to two spots. “I will be meeting with Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks, we look forward to that,” Mr. Trump said during a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Mr. Trump declined to say whether he has met with Kim directly. But he did say they have a “good working relationship. Moon and Kim have pledged to seek a formal end to the Korean War, fought from 1950 to 1953, by year’s end and to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. Mr. Trump is claiming credit for the Korean summit. Now he faces a burden in helping turn the Korean leaders’ bold but vague vision for peace into reality after more than six decades of hostility. Mr. Trump must contend with suspicions about his own suitability to conduct that kind of war-and-peace negotiation and succeed where his predecessors have failed, and whether Kim really is willing to give up the nuclear weapons his nation took decades acquiring. “It is still unclear whether North Korea still believes that it can have its cake and eat it too,” said Victor Cha, who until January had been in the running to become Trump’s choice for ambassador to South Korea. At a White House news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday, Mr. Trump basked in the afterglow of the meeting between Kim and Moon, and said he has a responsibility to try to achieve peace and denuclearization. “And if I can’t do it, it’ll be a very tough time for a lot of countries, and a lot of people. It’s certainly something that I hope I can do for the world,” he said. Moon and Kim have not specified what steps would be taken to formally end the war or eliminate nuclear weapons. Now the pressure to deliver results, at least on the allies’ side, has shifted to Mr. Trump. The president pushed back against critics who say he’s being manipulated by Kim, who has abruptly shifted to diplomacy after last year’s full-scale push to become a nuclear power that could threaten the U.S. mainland. “I don’t think he’s ever had this enthusiasm for somebody, for them wanting to make a deal,” Mr. Trump said in the Oval Office. “We’re not going to be played, OK. We’re going to hopefully make a deal. The United States in the past has been played like a fiddle.” New Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who as CIA director met Kim four weeks ago in North Korea, told reporters in Brussels that he got the impression that Kim was “serious” about negotiating on denuclearization because of the Trump-led economic pressure campaign. But Pompeo — who traveled to the Middle East on Saturday — added a word of caution: “I am always careful. There is a lot of history here. Promises have been made, hopes have been raised and then dashed.” North Korea has already called a halt to nuclear and long-range missile tests, which has helped dial down tensions significantly. North Korea was hit with unprecedented economic restrictions during 2017, when the U.S. and North Korean leaders traded threats while Kim pushed his nation to the verge of being able to fire a nuclear-tipped missile at the U.S. mainland. The diplomatic climate has changed dramatically this year, as Kim has ended his international seclusion, reaching out to South Korea, the U.S., and China. Mattis has said the U.S. is “optimistic right now that there’s opportunity here that we have never enjoyed since 1950” and any progress will be up to the diplomats. He was referring to the year the Korean War broke out. The fighting, which also involved China, cost hundreds of thousands of lives and ended with the declaration of an armistice, not a peace treaty. That has left the peninsula in a technical state of war for decades. © 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ||||| Baku. 23 November. REPORT.AZ/ A U.S. Apache helicopter crashed in central South Korea on Monday, killing its pilot and another crew member, police and military officials said. The attack helicopter went down in the county of Wonju in Gangwon province, Report informs referring to Reuters, the officials said. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea in joint defense with the South's forces against North Korea. The two Koreas are in a technical state of war under a truce after their 1950-53 Korean War. On Monday, South Korea's military conducted artillery live-fire drills on islands near a disputed maritime border with North Korea, ignoring Pyongyang's threat to fire back if any of the shells landed in its waters. ||||| WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis spoke on Saturday with their South Korean counterparts after the historic meeting between leaders of the two Koreas, and Trump said “things are going very well” as he prepares for an expected summit with the North’s Kim Jong Un. Mattis and Defense Minister Song Young-moo said they were committed to “a diplomatic resolution that achieves complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization” of the North, according to the Pentagon’s chief spokeswoman, Dana W. White. Mattis also reaffirmed “the ironclad U.S. commitment” to defend its ally “using the full spectrum of U.S. capabilities.” Trump tweeted Saturday that he had “a long and very good talk” with President Moon Jae-in. He also said he updated Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, about “the ongoing negotiations” for an anticipated summit with Kim, tentatively scheduled for May or early June. Moon and Kim have pledged to seek a formal end to the Korean War, fought from 1950 to 1953, by year’s end and to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. Trump has said he’s looking forward to the meeting with Kim and that it “should be quite something.” “Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set,” Trump tweeted. A statement from the White House describing the call between Trump and Moon also referred to the North’s future being contingent upon “complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization.” Trump is claiming credit for the Korean summit, but now faces a burden in helping turn the Korean leaders’ bold but vague vision for peace into reality after more than six decades of hostility. Trump must contend with suspicions about his own suitability to conduct that kind of war-and-peace negotiation and succeed where his predecessors have failed, and whether Kim really is willing to give up the nuclear weapons his nation took decades acquiring.”It is still unclear whether North Korea still believes that it can have its cake and eat it too,” said Victor Cha, who until January had been in the running to become Trump’s choice for ambassador to South Korea. At a White House news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday, Trump basked in the afterglow of the meeting between Kim and Moon, and said he has a responsibility to try to achieve peace and denuclearization. “And if I can’t do it, it’ll be a very tough time for a lot of countries, and a lot of people. It’s certainly something that I hope I can do for the world,” he said. Moon and Kim have not specified what steps would be taken to formally end the war or eliminate nuclear weapons. Now the pressure to deliver results, at least on the allies’ side, has shifted to Trump. The president pushed back against critics who say he’s being manipulated by Kim, who has abruptly shifted to diplomacy after last year’s full-scale push to become a nuclear power that could threaten the U.S. mainland. “I don’t think he’s ever had this enthusiasm for somebody, for them wanting to make a deal,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “We’re not going to be played, OK. We’re going to hopefully make a deal. The United States in the past has been played like a fiddle.”New Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who as CIA director met Kim four weeks ago in North Korea, told reporters in Brussels that he got the impression that Kim was “serious” about negotiating on denuclearization because of the Trump-led economic pressure campaign. But Pompeo added a word of caution: “I am always careful. There is a lot of history here. Promises have been made, hopes have been raised and then dashed.” North Korea has already called a halt to nuclear and long-range missile tests, which has helped dial down tensions significantly. North Korea was hit with unprecedented economic restrictions during 2017, when the U.S. and North Korean leaders traded threats while Kim pushed his nation to the verge of being able to fire a nuclear-tipped missile at the U.S. mainland. The diplomatic climate has changed dramatically this year, as Kim has ended his international seclusion, reaching out to South Korea, the U.S., and China. Mattis has said the U.S. is “optimistic right now that there’s opportunity here that we have never enjoyed since 1950” and any progress will be up to the diplomats. He was referring to the year the Korean War broke out. The fighting, which also involved China, cost hundreds of thousands of lives and ended with the declaration of an armistice, not a peace treaty. That has left the peninsula in a technical state of war for decades. ||||| WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis spoke on Saturday with their South Korean counterparts after the historic meeting between leaders of the two Koreas. Mr. Trump also said in a tweet Saturday morning that “things are going very well” as he prepares for an expected summit with the North’s Kim Jong Un. Mattis and Defense Minister Song Young-moo said they were committed to “a diplomatic resolution that achieves complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization” of the North, according to the Pentagon’s chief spokeswoman, Dana W. White. Mattis also reaffirmed “the ironclad U.S. commitment” to defend its ally “using the full spectrum of U.S. capabilities. “ Mr. Trump tweeted Saturday that he had “a long and very good talk” with President Moon Jae-in. He also said he updated Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, about “the ongoing negotiations” for an anticipated summit with Kim, tentatively scheduled for May or early June. “Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set,” Mr. Trump tweeted. Mongolia and Singapore are the final two sites under consideration for the upcoming summit between Mr. Trump and Kim Jong Un, two administration sources told CBS News’ Major Garrett. Mr. Trump told reporters Friday that the location had been narrowed down to two spots. “I will be meeting with Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks, we look forward to that,” Mr. Trump said during a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Mr. Trump declined to say whether he has met with Kim directly. But he did say they have a “good working relationship. Moon and Kim have pledged to seek a formal end to the Korean War, fought from 1950 to 1953, by year’s end and to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. Mr. Trump is claiming credit for the Korean summit. Now he faces a burden in helping turn the Korean leaders’ bold but vague vision for peace into reality after more than six decades of hostility. Mr. Trump must contend with suspicions about his own suitability to conduct that kind of war-and-peace negotiation and succeed where his predecessors have failed, and whether Kim really is willing to give up the nuclear weapons his nation took decades acquiring. “It is still unclear whether North Korea still believes that it can have its cake and eat it too,” said Victor Cha, who until January had been in the running to become Trump’s choice for ambassador to South Korea. At a White House news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday, Mr. Trump basked in the afterglow of the meeting between Kim and Moon, and said he has a responsibility to try to achieve peace and denuclearization. “And if I can’t do it, it’ll be a very tough time for a lot of countries, and a lot of people. It’s certainly something that I hope I can do for the world,” he said. Moon and Kim have not specified what steps would be taken to formally end the war or eliminate nuclear weapons. Now the pressure to deliver results, at least on the allies’ side, has shifted to Mr. Trump. The president pushed back against critics who say he’s being manipulated by Kim, who has abruptly shifted to diplomacy after last year’s full-scale push to become a nuclear power that could threaten the U.S. mainland. “I don’t think he’s ever had this enthusiasm for somebody, for them wanting to make a deal,” Mr. Trump said in the Oval Office. “We’re not going to be played, OK. We’re going to hopefully make a deal. The United States in the past has been played like a fiddle.” New Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who as CIA director met Kim four weeks ago in North Korea, told reporters in Brussels that he got the impression that Kim was “serious” about negotiating on denuclearization because of the Trump-led economic pressure campaign. But Pompeo — who traveled to the Middle East on Saturday — added a word of caution: “I am always careful. There is a lot of history here. Promises have been made, hopes have been raised and then dashed.” North Korea has already called a halt to nuclear and long-range missile tests, which has helped dial down tensions significantly. North Korea was hit with unprecedented economic restrictions during 2017, when the U.S. and North Korean leaders traded threats while Kim pushed his nation to the verge of being able to fire a nuclear-tipped missile at the U.S. mainland. The diplomatic climate has changed dramatically this year, as Kim has ended his international seclusion, reaching out to South Korea, the U.S., and China. Mattis has said the U.S. is “optimistic right now that there’s opportunity here that we have never enjoyed since 1950” and any progress will be up to the diplomats. He was referring to the year the Korean War broke out. The fighting, which also involved China, cost hundreds of thousands of lives and ended with the declaration of an armistice, not a peace treaty. That has left the peninsula in a technical state of war for decades. ||||| President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis spoke on Saturday with their South Korean counterparts after the historic meeting between leaders of the two Koreas, and Trump said "things are going very well" as he prepares for an expected summit with the North's Kim Jong Un. Mattis and Defense Minister Song Young-moo said they were committed to "a diplomatic resolution that achieves complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization" of the North, according to the Pentagon's chief spokeswoman, Dana W. White. Mattis also reaffirmed "the ironclad U.S. commitment" to defend its ally "using the full spectrum of U.S. capabilities. " Trump tweeted Saturday that he had "a long and very good talk" with President Moon Jae-in. He also said he updated Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, about "the ongoing negotiations" for an anticipated summit with Kim, tentatively scheduled for May or early June. Moon and Kim have pledged to seek a formal end to the Korean War, fought from 1950 to 1953, by year's end and to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. Trump has said he's looking forward to the meeting with Kim and that it "should be quite something." "Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set," Trump tweeted. Trump is claiming credit for the Korean summit, but now faces a burden in helping turn the Korean leaders' bold but vague vision for peace into reality after more than six decades of hostility. Trump must contend with suspicions about his own suitability to conduct that kind of war-and-peace negotiation and succeed where his predecessors have failed, and whether Kim really is willing to give up the nuclear weapons his nation took decades acquiring. "It is still unclear whether North Korea still believes that it can have its cake and eat it too," said Victor Cha, who until January had been in the running to become Trump's choice for ambassador to South Korea. At a White House news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday, Trump basked in the afterglow of the meeting between Kim and Moon, and said he has a responsibility to try to achieve peace and denuclearization. "And if I can't do it, it'll be a very tough time for a lot of countries, and a lot of people. It's certainly something that I hope I can do for the world," he said. Moon and Kim have not specified what steps would be taken to formally end the war or eliminate nuclear weapons. Now the pressure to deliver results, at least on the allies' side, has shifted to Trump. The president pushed back against critics who say he's being manipulated by Kim, who has abruptly shifted to diplomacy after last year's full-scale push to become a nuclear power that could threaten the U.S. mainland. "I don't think he's ever had this enthusiasm for somebody, for them wanting to make a deal," Trump said in the Oval Office. "We're not going to be played, OK. We're going to hopefully make a deal. The United States in the past has been played like a fiddle." New Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who as CIA director met Kim four weeks ago in North Korea, told reporters in Brussels that he got the impression that Kim was "serious" about negotiating on denuclearization because of the Trump-led economic pressure campaign. But Pompeo added a word of caution: "I am always careful. There is a lot of history here. Promises have been made, hopes have been raised and then dashed." North Korea has already called a halt to nuclear and long-range missile tests, which has helped dial down tensions significantly. North Korea was hit with unprecedented economic restrictions during 2017, when the U.S. and North Korean leaders traded threats while Kim pushed his nation to the verge of being able to fire a nuclear-tipped missile at the U.S. mainland. The diplomatic climate has changed dramatically this year, as Kim has ended his international seclusion, reaching out to South Korea, the U.S., and China. Mattis has said the U.S. is "optimistic right now that there's opportunity here that we have never enjoyed since 1950" and any progress will be up to the diplomats. He was referring to the year the Korean War broke out. The fighting, which also involved China, cost hundreds of thousands of lives and ended with the declaration of an armistice, not a peace treaty. That has left the peninsula in a technical state of war for decades. ||||| President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis spoke on Saturday with their South Korean counterparts after the historic meeting between leaders of the two Koreas, and Trump said "things are going very well" as he prepares for an expected summit with the North's Kim Jong Un. Mattis and Defense Minister Song Young-moo said they were committed to "a diplomatic resolution that achieves complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization" of the North, according to the Pentagon's chief spokeswoman, Dana W. White. Mattis also reaffirmed "the ironclad U.S. commitment" to defend its ally "using the full spectrum of U.S. capabilities. " Trump tweeted Saturday that he had "a long and very good talk" with President Moon Jae-in. He also said he updated Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, about "the ongoing negotiations" for an anticipated summit with Kim, tentatively scheduled for May or early June. Moon and Kim have pledged to seek a formal end to the Korean War, fought from 1950 to 1953, by year's end and to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. Trump has said he's looking forward to the meeting with Kim and that it "should be quite something." "Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set," Trump tweeted. Trump is claiming credit for the Korean summit, but now faces a burden in helping turn the Korean leaders' bold but vague vision for peace into reality after more than six decades of hostility. Trump must contend with suspicions about his own suitability to conduct that kind of war-and-peace negotiation and succeed where his predecessors have failed, and whether Kim really is willing to give up the nuclear weapons his nation took decades acquiring. "It is still unclear whether North Korea still believes that it can have its cake and eat it too," said Victor Cha, who until January had been in the running to become Trump's choice for ambassador to South Korea. At a White House news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday, Trump basked in the afterglow of the meeting between Kim and Moon, and said he has a responsibility to try to achieve peace and denuclearization. "And if I can't do it, it'll be a very tough time for a lot of countries, and a lot of people. It's certainly something that I hope I can do for the world," he said. Moon and Kim have not specified what steps would be taken to formally end the war or eliminate nuclear weapons. Now the pressure to deliver results, at least on the allies' side, has shifted to Trump. The president pushed back against critics who say he's being manipulated by Kim, who has abruptly shifted to diplomacy after last year's full-scale push to become a nuclear power that could threaten the U.S. mainland. "I don't think he's ever had this enthusiasm for somebody, for them wanting to make a deal," Trump said in the Oval Office. "We're not going to be played, OK. We're going to hopefully make a deal. The United States in the past has been played like a fiddle." New Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who as CIA director met Kim four weeks ago in North Korea, told reporters in Brussels that he got the impression that Kim was "serious" about negotiating on denuclearization because of the Trump-led economic pressure campaign. But Pompeo added a word of caution: "I am always careful. There is a lot of history here. Promises have been made, hopes have been raised and then dashed." North Korea has already called a halt to nuclear and long-range missile tests, which has helped dial down tensions significantly. North Korea was hit with unprecedented economic restrictions during 2017, when the U.S. and North Korean leaders traded threats while Kim pushed his nation to the verge of being able to fire a nuclear-tipped missile at the U.S. mainland. The diplomatic climate has changed dramatically this year, as Kim has ended his international seclusion, reaching out to South Korea, the U.S., and China. Mattis has said the U.S. is "optimistic right now that there's opportunity here that we have never enjoyed since 1950" and any progress will be up to the diplomats. He was referring to the year the Korean War broke out. The fighting, which also involved China, cost hundreds of thousands of lives and ended with the declaration of an armistice, not a peace treaty. That has left the peninsula in a technical state of war for decades. ||||| WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary James Mattis spoke Saturday with their South Korean counterparts after the meeting between the leaders of the two Koreas, and Trump said "things are going very well" as he prepares for a summit with the North's Kim Jong Un. Mattis and Defense Minister Song Young-moo said they were committed to "a diplomatic resolution that achieves complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization" of North Korea, according to the Pentagon's chief spokesman, Dana White. Mattis also reaffirmed "the ironclad U.S. commitment" to defend South Korea "using the full spectrum of U.S. capabilities." Trump tweeted Saturday that he had "a long and very good talk" with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. He also said he updated Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about "the ongoing negotiations" for an anticipated summit with Kim, tentatively scheduled for May or early June. Today, South Korean presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan said Kim plans to shut down the country's nuclear test site in May and reveal the process to experts and journalists from the United States and South Korea. He said Kim made the comments during his summit with Moon on Friday. According to Yoon, Kim also said Trump will learn he's "not a person" to fire missiles toward the United States. Yoon said North Korea also plans to readjust its current time zone to match the South's. The North in 2015 created its own "Pyongyang Time" by setting the clock 30 minutes behind the South. "If we maintain frequent meetings and build trust with the United States and receive promises for an end to the war and a nonaggression treaty, then why would [we] need to live in difficulty by keeping our nuclear weapons?" Yoon quoted Kim as saying. Moon and Kim have pledged to seek a formal end to the Korean War, fought from 1950-53, by year's end and to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. Trump has said he's looking forward to his meeting with Kim and that it "should be quite something." "Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set," Trump tweeted. A statement from the White House describing the call between Trump and Moon also referred to the North's future being contingent upon "complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization." Mattis has said the U.S. is "optimistic right now that there's opportunity here that we have never enjoyed since 1950" and any progress will be up to the diplomats. The Korean War fighting, which also involved China, cost hundreds of thousands of lives and ended in 1953 with the declaration of an armistice, not a peace treaty. That has left the peninsula in a technical state of war for decades. China, Japan and Russia -- North Korea's neighbors -- while offering praise for the summit meeting with South Korea that riveted the world last week, appeared to acknowledge one thing: Now comes the hard part. In the accord struck Friday, the two sides confirmed a "common goal of realizing, through complete denuclearization, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula," a commitment North Korea has made before but then flouted by conducting six nuclear tests. The two Korean leaders also pledged to work toward a peace treaty. The North's neighbors all have stakes in holding Pyongyang to any commitment that may come out of future talks. China, which has been enforcing U.N. economic sanctions against its longtime but wayward ally North Korea, welcomed the agreement and urged the two Koreas and other countries to maintain the momentum for dialogue and work together to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. Abe described the commitment as a "positive move toward the comprehensive settlement of various issues surrounding North Korea." In Russia, the Kremlin hailed the agreement as "very positive." Dmitri Peskov, the spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, said the Russian president "has stressed many times that sustainable conflict resolution on the Korean Peninsula can only be based on direct dialogue of both sides." But Iran warned the leaders of North and South Korea to keep Trump out of their reconciliation efforts. "The American government has shown with the Iran nuclear deal that it does not hold to international agreements and is therefore not trustworthy," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi said in Tehran. Trump has complained bitterly about the 2015 deal, which aims to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. He has threatened to effectively withdraw from it next month unless its "flaws" are reworked. North Korea's main newspaper devoted four of its six pages Saturday to the previous day's summit between Kim and Moon. It brightened its usually drab pages with 62 color photographs from the historic event. It even printed the leaders' joint declaration professing a goal of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. But, like other state-run North Korean media, the newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, gave no hint to its readers whether Kim would genuinely consider giving up his nuclear weapons, or what he might demand in return. Rather, it focused on Kim's new diplomatic turn. "With his boundlessly noble love for the nation and with his sophisticated political skills, he has laid the groundwork for a turning point in North-South Korean relations," the propaganda-filled Rodong said. However positive the goals described in the three-page agreement, the critical question remained: Does Kim intend to bargain away his nuclear weapons, or are his diplomatic overtures aimed only at softening his image and easing sanctions against his impoverished country? The accord set no timetable for denuclearization but said the two sides planned to achieve a permanent peace within the year. Talks to formally end the Korean War would require negotiations involving the main combatants: North and South Korea, China and the United States. The North Korean media listed denuclearization as the last of three major agenda items from the summit meeting at the border village of Panmunjom -- unlike the South Korean government, which cited it first. The North's coverage described extensively how Kim was spearheading efforts to open "an era of national reconciliation and solidarity, and peace and prosperity" on the divided peninsula. Still, its coverage of the summit meeting reconfirmed North Korea's dramatic shift from raising tensions through weapons tests to creating a reconciliatory mood through high-profile meetings that would have been unthinkable just several months ago. Skeptics say Kim's goal remains to be accepted as a nuclear power. He is merely trying to improve ties with South Korea to steer it further from the United States and to escape sanctions that are increasingly hurting the North's economy, they say. But if Kim intends to win diplomatic recognition, a peace treaty and economic aid from Washington and its allies, as South Korean officials hope he does, trading away his nuclear arsenal is his only bargaining chip. He cannot reveal his hand too soon, they say. South Korean officials say they have heard directly from Kim a willingness to denuclearize. In Japan, there was caution about the lack of specifics in the accord. The document fell far short of the Trump administration's demands for the dismantlement of the North's arsenal and of the need for inspections to verify that the weapons no longer exist, officials and commentators said. The Japanese foreign minister, Taro Kono, called for North Korea to take "concrete actions for the dismantlement of all weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical weapons, and ballistic missiles of all ranges in a complete and irreversible manner." Abe, who has strained relations with South Korea, implied that the new accord may not be too different from a similar commitment in 2007 between a previous South Korean president, Roh Moo-hyun, and Kim Jong Il, the father of the current North Korean leader. That accord fell apart soon after it was signed. "We would like to think about how we respond to the current statement, analyzing and comparing it with the past statement," Abe said. Of all the North's neighbors, Japan is perhaps the most uneasy about the process that began at the inter-Korean summit meeting. It fears Washington will agree to trade away the North's long-range intercontinental missiles that can hit the United States, but allow Pyongyang to keep its medium-range missiles, leaving Japan vulnerable. Abe went out of his way to remind reporters that he had spent 11 hours with Trump this month, insisting that his proximity to the American president meant he had not been left out of the negotiations over North Korea. In China, the state-run news media stressed the need for the United States to quickly enter the picture and seal the deal. Information for this article was contributed by Matthew Pennington and staff members of The Associated Press; by Choe Sang-hun and Jane Perlez of The New York Times; and by Gretel Johnston of Deutsche Presse-Agentur. ||||| WASHINGTON (XINHUA) - US Secretary of Defence James Mattis reaffirmed on Saturday (April 28) the commitment to defend South Korea, voicing support to diplomatic solution to the Korean Peninsula issue. Mr Mattis reiterated "the ironclad US commitment" to defend its ally "using the full spectrum of US capabilities" in phone discussion with his South Korean counterpart Song Young Moo on the results of last Friday's inter-Korea summit, Pentagon chief spokesman Dana White said a statement. The two defence chiefs also expressed commitment to a diplomatic resolution that achieves "complete, verifiable, and irreversible" denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, as reflected in multiple UN Security Council's resolutions, the statement said. In his conversation with Mr Mattis, Mr Song reviewed the Panmunjom Declaration and the efforts to improve inter-Korea relations while achieving denuclearisation. The Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula, signed last Friday by South Korean President Moon Jae In and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, pledged joint efforts for national reconciliation, denuclearisation and lasting peace. Last Friday, Mr Mattis said the United States will discuss with its allies and North Korea the need for US troops to stay stationed on the peninsula. The United States "will build, through confidence-building measures, a degree of trust if it's going to go forward". he added, referring to the dialogue with North Korea on denuclearising the peninsula. The US troops have stayed in South Korea ever since the signing of the Korean War armistice treaty in 1953. Bilateral relations are often strained over issues such as defence burden sharing, the US army's harassment of South Korean civilians and Seoul's initiative to take back the war-time command control from Washington, among others. ||||| South Koreans Cautiously Optimistic About New Promise Of Peace With North Korea North and South Korea committed to a "nuclear-free Korean Peninsula," but details were sparse.
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United States Defense Secretary James Mattis and South Korea Defense Minister Song Young-moo say they are committed to "a diplomatic resolution that achieves complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization" of North Korea, according to a Pentagon spokesperson. Mattis repeats the United States' "ironclad" commitment to defend its ally South Korea "using the full spectrum of U.S. capabilities."
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Russia has revealed it warned the US about 'red lines' it should not cross before it launched airstrikes on Syria. Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is reported to have said that officials in Washington were contacted before last weekend's strikes by the US, UK and France. Mr Lavrov said: "There were military leadership contacts, between generals, between our representatives and the coalition leadership. 'They were informed about where our red lines are, including red lines on the ground, geographically. And the results show that they did not cross these red lines.' Russia says it told US where in Syria they could not bomb 2:27 THE Syrian army is reporting new enemy aggression, with missiles targeting missile bases in the north of the country. “Syria is being exposed to a new aggression with some military bases in rural Hama and Aleppo hit with enemy rockets,” a Syrian army source is reported by state-run media as saying. Military commentators and Middle East analysts are reporting an attack appears to have been made on the headquarters of the Iran-backed Shiite militia Brigade 47 near the village of Maarin al-Jabal, just south of Hama city. It is said to be used as a recruitment and training facility. It was also believed to house a weapons depot, which would account for the intensity of the blast. A second explosion has been reported at the Iranian-backed Brigade 80 headquarters situated north of Aleppo city. Media outlets with connections to the Syrian regime are claiming 38 soldiers have been killed and 57 injured in the attacks. The cause of the blasts remains unclear. Reports of Israeli involvement remain speculation, while some Syrian Democtratic Force rebels have claimed responsibility. Syrian state media reported that authorities were work to “determine the cause of the explosions.” “A new attack with missiles targeted military positions in the provinces of Hama and Aleppo,” respectively in the centre and north of the country, the Assad-government official news agency SANA reported, citing a military source. The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights monitor confirmed the firing of missiles, also confirming that “Iranian elements” were stationed at two of the targeted bases. The Observatory could not immediately say whether there were any casualties, nor who was responsible for the missile strikes. Yesterday, Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said he reserved the right to strike all over Syria against any threats. He said he would not be deterred if Russia supplies the Syrians with advanced S-300 air defence systems. “We will keep our freedom of operation in all of Syria. We have no intention to attack Russia or to interfere in domestic Syrian issues. But if somebody thinks that it is possible to launch missiles or to attack Israel or even our aircraft, no doubt we will respond and we will respond very forcefully,” Liberman said. He added that Israel “will prevent Iran from establishing a forward base in Syria at any cost.” The report came amid heightened tensions in Syria after Damascus and its ally Iran accused Israel on April 9 of conducting deadly strikes against a military base in the centre of the country. Several days later, on April 14, the United States, France and Britain carried out strikes against several of the Syrian regime’s military positions, in response to a suspected chemical attack on the rebel stronghold of Douma, which caused dozens of deaths, according to rescue services. In the April 9 attack, at least 14 soldiers, including seven Iranians, were killed in the strike on a military base in central Homs Syrian government forces at the weekend briefly captured four villages east of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour after rare clashes with US-backed Kurdish-led fighters before losing the area in a counter-offensive by the Kurdish-led force. It’s the same region in which US and Russian forces clashed in February. The area close to the border with Iraq has been the site of ongoing clashes between the two sides who had been focusing on fighting the Islamic State group. The Islamic State had declared its caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq. Crossings into the east bank of the Euphrates in eastern Syria by government forces have been rare. State news agency SANA said the villages were held by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, adding that they are close to the provincial capital, also called Deir el-Zour. The SDF said in a statement later that it regained control of the whole area it earlier lost. Much of Deir el-Zour province was held by the Islamic State group but over the past year Syrian government forces captured most areas west of the Euphrates while SDF fighters took areas east of the river. On February 7, pro-Syrian government fighters attacked SDF positions east of the river and faced a ferocious US counter-attack that left dozens, including Russians, dead. SDF spokesman Kino Gabriel said in a statement earlier yesterday that the Syrian army attack coincided with “our forces’ preparations to complete the Island Storm campaign” to liberate the remaining areas east of the river from Islamic State. Gabriel said the Syrian army and pro-government fighters began targeting SDF fighters to impede “the launching of our campaign against terrorism. Our forces are responding in self-defence.” “We affirm that we are determined to eradicate terrorism from its roots and to assert our right to self-defence,” Gabriel said about Islamic State. “We consider this aggression by regime forces to be a support for terrorism and falls within the attempts to impede the war on terrorism.” The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said yesterday’s offensive left six SDF fighters dead and 22 wounded adding that there were also casualties on the government side. Gabriel issued another statement later saying all the area lost earlier was regained by SDF fighters. He said Syrian troops were backed by Russian fighters adding that after the SDF’s counter-offensive, government forces “are now far away.” ||||| The latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local): Syrian TV is reporting a “new aggression,” with missiles targeting military outposts in northern Syria. The state-run television reported early Monday that the missiles targeted military outposts in the Hama and Aleppo countryside. It did not say who fired the missiles or whether there were any casualties or damage. The news comes less than two weeks after a similar report of airstrikes on government military installations in the central Homs region and the suburbs of Damascus. But the military later said a false alarm had set off air defense systems. Earlier this month, seven Iranian military personnel were killed in an airstrike on Syria’s T4 air base, also in Homs. Syria, Iran and Russia blamed Israel for that attack. Israel did not confirm or deny it. Syrian government forces briefly captured four villages east of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour on Sunday after rare clashes with U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, before losing the area in a counteroffensive by the Kurdish-led force. The area close to the border with Iraq has been the site of recent clashes between the two sides who had been focusing on fighting the Islamic State group. The IS had declared its caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq. Crossings into the east bank of the Euphrates in eastern Syria by government forces have been rare. State news agency SANA said the villages were held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, adding that they are close to the provincial capital, also called Deir el-Zour. The SDF said in a statement later that it regained control of the whole area it earlier lost. ||||| BEIRUT (AP) — The latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local): Syrian TV is reporting a "new aggression," with missiles targeting military outposts in northern Syria. The state-run television reported early Monday that the missiles targeted military outposts in the Hama and Aleppo countryside. It did not say who fired the missiles or whether there were any casualties or damage. The news comes less than two weeks after a similar report of airstrikes on government military installations in the central Homs region and the suburbs of Damascus. But the military later said a false alarm had set off air defense systems. Earlier this month, seven Iranian military personnel were killed in an airstrike on Syria's T4 air base, also in Homs. Syria, Iran and Russia blamed Israel for that attack. Israel did not confirm or deny it. Syrian government forces briefly captured four villages east of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour on Sunday after rare clashes with U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, before losing the area in a counteroffensive by the Kurdish-led force. The area close to the border with Iraq has been the site of recent clashes between the two sides who had been focusing on fighting the Islamic State group. The IS had declared its caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq. Crossings into the east bank of the Euphrates in eastern Syria by government forces have been rare. State news agency SANA said the villages were held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, adding that they are close to the provincial capital, also called Deir el-Zour. The SDF said in a statement later that it regained control of the whole area it earlier lost. ||||| BEIRUT (AP) — The latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local): Syrian TV is reporting a "new aggression," with missiles targeting military outposts in northern Syria. The state-run television reported early Monday that the missiles targeted military outposts in the Hama and Aleppo countryside. It did not say who fired the missiles or whether there were any casualties or damage. The news comes less than two weeks after a similar report of airstrikes on government military installations in the central Homs region and the suburbs of Damascus. But the military later said a false alarm had set off air defense systems. Earlier this month, seven Iranian military personnel were killed in an airstrike on Syria's T4 air base, also in Homs. Syria, Iran and Russia blamed Israel for that attack. Israel did not confirm or deny it. Syrian government forces briefly captured four villages east of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour on Sunday after rare clashes with U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, before losing the area in a counteroffensive by the Kurdish-led force. The area close to the border with Iraq has been the site of recent clashes between the two sides who had been focusing on fighting the Islamic State group. The IS had declared its caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq. Crossings into the east bank of the Euphrates in eastern Syria by government forces have been rare. State news agency SANA said the villages were held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, adding that they are close to the provincial capital, also called Deir el-Zour. The SDF said in a statement later that it regained control of the whole area it earlier lost. ||||| BEIRUT (AP) — The latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local): Syrian TV is reporting a "new aggression," with missiles targeting military outposts in northern Syria. The state-run television reported early Monday that the missiles targeted military outposts in the Hama and Aleppo countryside. It did not say who fired the missiles or whether there were any casualties or damage. The news comes less than two weeks after a similar report of airstrikes on government military installations in the central Homs region and the suburbs of Damascus. But the military later said a false alarm had set off air defense systems. Earlier this month, seven Iranian military personnel were killed in an airstrike on Syria's T4 air base, also in Homs. Syria, Iran and Russia blamed Israel for that attack. Israel did not confirm or deny it. Syrian government forces briefly captured four villages east of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour on Sunday after rare clashes with U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, before losing the area in a counteroffensive by the Kurdish-led force. The area close to the border with Iraq has been the site of recent clashes between the two sides who had been focusing on fighting the Islamic State group. The IS had declared its caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq. Crossings into the east bank of the Euphrates in eastern Syria by government forces have been rare. State news agency SANA said the villages were held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, adding that they are close to the provincial capital, also called Deir el-Zour. The SDF said in a statement later that it regained control of the whole area it earlier lost. ||||| BEIRUT (AP) — The latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local): Syrian TV is reporting a "new aggression," with missiles targeting military outposts in northern Syria. The state-run television reported early Monday that the missiles targeted military outposts in the Hama and Aleppo countryside. It did not say who fired the missiles or whether there were any casualties or damage. The news comes less than two weeks after a similar report of airstrikes on government military installations in the central Homs region and the suburbs of Damascus. But the military later said a false alarm had set off air defense systems. Earlier this month, seven Iranian military personnel were killed in an airstrike on Syria's T4 air base, also in Homs. Syria, Iran and Russia blamed Israel for that attack. Israel did not confirm or deny it. Syrian government forces briefly captured four villages east of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour on Sunday after rare clashes with U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, before losing the area in a counteroffensive by the Kurdish-led force. The area close to the border with Iraq has been the site of recent clashes between the two sides who had been focusing on fighting the Islamic State group. The IS had declared its caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq. Crossings into the east bank of the Euphrates in eastern Syria by government forces have been rare. State news agency SANA said the villages were held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, adding that they are close to the provincial capital, also called Deir el-Zour. The SDF said in a statement later that it regained control of the whole area it earlier lost. ||||| BEIRUT (AP) — The latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local): Syrian TV is reporting a “new aggression,” with missiles targeting military outposts in northern Syria. The state-run television reported early Monday that the missiles targeted military outposts in the Hama and Aleppo countryside. It did not say who fired the missiles or whether there were any casualties or damage. The news comes less than two weeks after a similar report of airstrikes on government military installations in the central Homs region and the suburbs of Damascus. But the military later said a false alarm had set off air defense systems. Earlier this month, seven Iranian military personnel were killed in an airstrike on Syria’s T4 air base, also in Homs. Syria, Iran and Russia blamed Israel for that attack. Israel did not confirm or deny it. Syrian government forces briefly captured four villages east of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour on Sunday after rare clashes with U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, before losing the area in a counteroffensive by the Kurdish-led force. The area close to the border with Iraq has been the site of recent clashes between the two sides who had been focusing on fighting the Islamic State group. The IS had declared its caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq. Crossings into the east bank of the Euphrates in eastern Syria by government forces have been rare. State news agency SANA said the villages were held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, adding that they are close to the provincial capital, also called Deir el-Zour. The SDF said in a statement later that it regained control of the whole area it earlier lost. ||||| BEIRUT (AP) — The latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local): Syrian TV is reporting a "new aggression," with missiles targeting military outposts in northern Syria. The state-run television reported early Monday that the missiles targeted military outposts in the Hama and Aleppo countryside. It did not say who fired the missiles or whether there were any casualties or damage. The news comes less than two weeks after a similar report of airstrikes on government military installations in the central Homs region and the suburbs of Damascus. But the military later said a false alarm had set off air defense systems. Earlier this month, seven Iranian military personnel were killed in an airstrike on Syria's T4 air base, also in Homs. Syria, Iran and Russia blamed Israel for that attack. Israel did not confirm or deny it. Syrian government forces briefly captured four villages east of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour on Sunday after rare clashes with U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, before losing the area in a counteroffensive by the Kurdish-led force. The area close to the border with Iraq has been the site of recent clashes between the two sides who had been focusing on fighting the Islamic State group. The IS had declared its caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq. Crossings into the east bank of the Euphrates in eastern Syria by government forces have been rare. State news agency SANA said the villages were held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, adding that they are close to the provincial capital, also called Deir el-Zour. The SDF said in a statement later that it regained control of the whole area it earlier lost. ||||| BEIRUT (AP) — The latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local): Syrian TV is reporting a "new aggression," with missiles targeting military outposts in northern Syria. The state-run television reported early Monday that the missiles targeted military outposts in the Hama and Aleppo countryside. It did not say who fired the missiles or whether there were any casualties or damage. The news comes less than two weeks after a similar report of airstrikes on government military installations in the central Homs region and the suburbs of Damascus. But the military later said a false alarm had set off air defense systems. Earlier this month, seven Iranian military personnel were killed in an airstrike on Syria's T4 air base, also in Homs. Syria, Iran and Russia blamed Israel for that attack. Israel did not confirm or deny it. Syrian government forces briefly captured four villages east of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour on Sunday after rare clashes with U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, before losing the area in a counteroffensive by the Kurdish-led force. The area close to the border with Iraq has been the site of recent clashes between the two sides who had been focusing on fighting the Islamic State group. The IS had declared its caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq. Crossings into the east bank of the Euphrates in eastern Syria by government forces have been rare. State news agency SANA said the villages were held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, adding that they are close to the provincial capital, also called Deir el-Zour. The SDF said in a statement later that it regained control of the whole area it earlier lost. ||||| AMMAN (Reuters) - U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said they expelled had Syrian troops that briefly took control of a string of villages in oil rich areas east of the Euphrates river near the Iraqi border on Sunday. SDF forces led by the Kurdish YPG militia said they had waged a counter-attack against Syrian troops it said were backed by Russian forces, adding they were driven “far away” from four villages they had seized earlier in the day. “Our forces regained the initiative,” they said in a statement. It did not say if the U.S. coalition took part in the operation. Washington has a strong military presence in the area in eastern Syria which holds the bulk of the country’s oil and gas reserves, according to regional diplomatic sources. A U.S. army statement sent to Reuters confirmed the attack on SDF forces by what it called pro-regime forces near Deir al-Zor city and said the “coalition used established deconfliction channels to de-escalate the situation”, without elaborating. “The coalition remains committed to our SDF partners in the campaign to defeat Daesh (Islamic State) in eastern Syria,” the statement added. A Western diplomatic source earlier told Reuters U.S. coalition jets from bases in northern Syria hit the attacking forces which were believed to include Iranian-backed militias operating in Deir al-Zor area. Iranian-backed forces led by Iraqi and Lebanese Hezbolah Shi’ite militias played a major role in defeating the militants last year in eastern Syria. A source in the SDF also confirmed coalition forces had intervened. Earlier, the Syrian army said it had captured a string of villages east of the Euphrates near the border with Iraq held by Kurdish-led forces, state television said. It gave no explanation for the move. The U.S.-backed proxy forces spearheaded by the YPG since last year control much of the territory east of the Euphrates in Deir al-Zor province as part of a major aerial and ground campaign led by the Pentagon that drove Islamic State militants from eastern Syria and their former de facto capital Raqqa. The Russian-backed Syrian army has rarely clashed with SDF forces in its campaign against Islamic State and had kept away from their areas east of the Euphrates, focusing on regaining territory from the militants west of the river. There have been elaborate “deconfliction lines” separating the coalition forces on the eastern side of the river from the Russian and Iranian backed forces on the western side to prevent clashes, U.S army officials and defense analysts say. In February, U.S. airstrikes killed and wounded hundreds of pro-government forces including Russian paramilitary contractors advancing near the eastern city of Deir al-Zor towards one of the largest gas fields in the hands of U.S.-backed forces. Before the announcement that the Syrian army had taken control of the villages, the SDF said they were engaged in heavy clashes with Syrian army troops on the outskirts of the village of Janin near the Euphrates. They accused Syrian authorities of seeking to disrupt preparations by the U.S.-led coalition to resume an imminent offensive against Islamic State in several pockets of territory along the middle Euphrates River Valley that they still control. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Thursday he expected a “re-energized” effort against Islamic State militants in eastern Syria in the coming days. U.S. officials have said that in recent days they have seen SDF fighters returning to the area of the Euphrates where the militants operate to relaunch new operations against them. The Kurdish-led militia has blamed a Turkish offensive in Afrin against it for diverting efforts away from the fight against the militants.
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The Syrian Army, along with what is believed to be Iranian-backed militias, took control villages east of the Euphrates river near the city of Deir ez-Zor that were under the control by Kurdish-led forces in a rare clash with the Syrian Democratic Forces. The territory was later recaptured by U.S.-backed forces in a counter-attack spearheaded by the YPG with help from U.S.-led coalition jets that took off from American bases in northern Syria. The U.S. military says in a statement that the "coalition used established deconfliction channels to de-escalate the situation".
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday share his thoughts with the people in India and abroad, through his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme. This will be the 43rd edition of the Mann Ki Baat programme, which will broadcast on All India Radio (AIR), Doordarshan and also on the Narendra Modi mobile application. Union Minister Vijay Goel will join the Prime Minister’s programme, along with the people of Village Bharthal, at the residence of former Nigam Parishad, Ramniwas, in Sector 26, Dwarka, Delhi. It will be streamed on the YouTube channels of the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and DD News. In his 42nd edition, Modi emphasised on preventive health care awareness, stating that extensive work is going on to set up Health Wellness Centres across the country. A 3D animation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi depicting ‘Trikonasana’ (the triangle posture) yoga was released in the same edition. Mann ki Baat is now available as an Alexa skill. ||||| By PTI KATHMANDU: A bomb exploded today at the office of a hydroelectricity project in Nepal developed with Indian assistance, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a media report said. The compound wall of 900 MW Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant's office in Khandbari-9, Tumlingtar, nearly 500 km from here, suffered minor damage after the explosion, My Republica reported. The project is slated to come into operation by 2020. The power plant is scheduled to be inaugurated by Modi on his upcoming visit to Nepal on May 11, the report said. A Project Development Agreement (PDA) for Arun III was signed with India's state-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) on November 25, 2014 in the presence of the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and visiting Indian Prime Minister Modi, the report said. The wall on the south side is slightly damaged due to the bomb explosion, Police Inspector Bed Prasad Gautam said. The investigation is going on about the incident. However, no one has claimed responsibility of the blast, he added. This is the second blast within a month in Indian properties in Nepal. On April 17, a pressure cooker bomb went off near the Indian Embassy field office in Biratnagar damaging the walls of the premises. ||||| A bomb went off at the office of a hydroelectricity plant project in Nepal, weeks before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to lay the foundation stone. The blast occurred in eastern Nepal’s Tumlingtar area, almost 500 kms from national capital Kathmandu. India is helping build Nepal develop the project. The compound wall of the plant’s office in Tumlingtar was damaged in the explosion, Siva Raj Joshi, chief district officer of the Sankhuwasabha district, told news agency PTI. There were no injuries or loss of life in the explosion, PTI quoted Joshi, adding that a probe has been initiated. As of yet, no individual or group has come forward to claim responsibility for the same, he said. The explosion comes at a time when the site was being readied for PM Modi to inaugurate the project when he visited Nepal on an official tour on May 11. The 900 MW Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant is scheduled to become functional by 2020. State-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) had signed a Project Development Agreement (PDA) for the hydroelectric plant project on November 25, 2014, during PM Modi visit, in the presence of then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. The project is expected to rake in $1.5 billion FDI into Nepal, and give job creation a big push. Sunday’s explosion is the second within a month at Indian properties in Nepal. A pressure cooker bomb had gone off close to the Indian Embassy field office in Nepal’s Biratnagar on April 17. The walls of the premises had been damaged then. For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App ||||| A bomb exploded on Sunday at the office of a being developed with Indian assistance in eastern Nepal, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official said. The compound wall of the 900 Megawatts (Mw) Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant's office in Khandbari-9, Tumlingtar, nearly 500 km from Kathmandu, was damaged in the explosion, said Siva Raj Joshi, Chief District Officer of the Sankhuwasabha district. The project is slated to come into operation by 2020. The blast comes at a time when preparations are going on for laying foundation stone of the project by Modi during his official visit to Nepal on May 11. No one was injured in the blast and an investigation has been launched, he said. The wall on the south side is slightly damaged due to the bomb explosion, Police Inspector Bed Prasad Gautam said. However, no one has claimed responsibility of the blast, he added. A Project Development Agreement (PDA) for Arun III was signed with India's state-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) on November 25, 2014 in the presence of the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and visiting Indian Prime Minister Modi. This is the second blast within a month in Indian properties in Nepal. On April 17, a pressure cooker bomb went off near the Indian Embassy field office in Biratnagar damaging the walls of the premises. ||||| A bomb exploded today at the office of a hydroelectricity project being developed with Indian assistance in eastern Nepal , an official said, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi The compound wall of the 900 MW Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant's office in Tumlingtar area, nearly 500 km from Kathmandu , was damaged in the explosion, said Siva Raj Joshi, Chief District Officer of the Sankhuwasabha district.The project is slated to come into operation by 2020.The blast comes at a time when preparations are going on for laying foundation stone of the project by Modi during his official visit to Nepal on May 11.No one was injured in the blast and an investigation has been launched, he said.However, no one has claimed responsibility of the blast, he added.A Project Development Agreement (PDA) for Arun III was signed with India's state-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) on November 25, 2014 in the presence of the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and visiting Indian Prime Minister Modi.This is the second blast within a month in Indian properties in Nepal.On April 17, a pressure cooker bomb went off near the Indian Embassy field office in Biratnagar damaging the walls of the premises.Nepal is currently facing shortage of power and the production of hydropower from the project will mainly serve its domestic demands.The project is expected to bring in USD 1.5 billion foreign direct investment into Nepal and create jobs for thousands of people. ||||| KATHMANDU: India has asked Nepal to investigate the bomb blast at the office of a hydroelectricity project developed with the Indian assistance in the eastern part of the Himalayan nation. The compound wall of the 900 MW Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant's office in Tumlingtar area, nearly 500-km from here, was damaged in the explosion, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Indian embassy here has discussed the matter with the Nepal Foreign Affairs Ministry, an official at the embassy has said. Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali yesterday said they had asked the Home Ministry to investigate the matter. The explosion caused minor damaged to the office. However, no one was injured in the blast, officials said yesterday. An unidentified group was behind the explosion targeting Arun III office situated at Tumlingtar, they said. Following the incident, security has been stepped up in the area. The blast comes at a time when preparations were going on for laying foundation stone of the project by Modi during his official visit to Nepal on May 11. This is the second blast in a month targeting Indian properties in Nepal. On April 17, a pressure cooker bomb went off near the Indian Embassy field office in Biratnagar damaging the walls of the premises. Nepal is currently facing shortage of power and the production of hydropower from the project will mainly serve its domestic demands. The project is expected to bring in USD 1. 5 billion foreign direct investment into Nepal and create jobs for thousands of people. ||||| PM Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin may meet in September or October in India ||||| Kathmandu, April 29 (IANS) Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on Sunday urged the Indian government to grant new air entry points for his country. His appeal comes a day after Nepal and India agreed to review a bilateral transit treaty to incorporate issues like providing Nepal access to the sea through Indian waterways, Xinhua news agency reported. Addressing provincial assembly members in Butwal, the Prime Minister said: "India has granted only one cross-border air entry point to Nepal. "So the only option we have now for international flights is Simara air entry point. But we need additional cross-border air entry points in the days to come, and for which, India should cooperate with us." Oli said he had taken up the issue during his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visited India earlier this month. Oli said his government wants to sign a deal with India to allow international flights to and from the Gautam Buddha International Airport being built in Bhairahawa near the Nepal-India border. Meanwhile, during the meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee, a commerce-secretary level forum between India and Nepal which concluded on Saturday, both sides agreed to review the transit treaty in the next three months, Rabi Shankar Sainju, joint secretary at the Nepali Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply told Xinhua. India agreed to provide Nepal access to the sea through the waterways during Oli's India visit. "This facility will be included in the treaty during the review process," said Sainju. ||||| Agency New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India has never been an aggressor nor encroached upon anyone’s territory and saw no distinction between religions, castes and languages. Speaking at an event here on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, he said the teachings of the Buddha were based on humanity and the country was proud the philosophy had originated here. “India has never had a history or tradition of attacking others’ ideology or country. India has never been an aggressor. It has never encroached upon (the territory) of any other country,” Modi said addressing a gathering at the function organised by the Ministry of Culture. While speaking on the teachings of the Buddha, Modi said all ideologies which had originated in India were based on the welfare of humankind and the environment. The teachings of the Buddha had shaped the national character of several Asian countries, he said. “At a time when terrorism, casteism, dynasty politics appear to be overshadowing the teachings of the Buddha, the talk of affection and friendship are becoming more relevant and important,” Modi said. “Distinctions in society, between religions, races, castes and languages can never be a message of India or the teachings of the Buddha, and nor can there be a place for such thoughts,” he added. He asserted that the country embraced individuals from any caste, religion, race or faith. Modi cited the example of Jews and Parsis, and said they had been residing in India for centuries and had become an integral part of India’s identity. The prime minister said B R Ambedkar also trod the path of the Buddha. Modi spoke about the eight-fold path of Buddhism and said the problems that the world faced could be overcome by following this way. His government was working with compassion to serve the people, in line with these teachings, he said. In this context, he listed his government’s flagship initiatives such as opening bank accounts for the underprivileged, enabling a low-cost premium insurance scheme, free gas connections to poor households and other measures for the welfare of the poor. He also said the Union government was working with an elaborate vision to preserve the cultural heritage of India, which includes the heritage associated with Lord Buddha. He said a sum of Rs 360 crore had been approved for a Buddhist Circuit. Modi said 18 states had sites related to the Buddha and it was essential to develop these places for pilgrims and others. Accordingly, the Ministry of Road Transport was making provisions for necessary arrangements on the Kushinagar, Gaya and Varanasi routes, Modi said. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the prime minister said, was also helping in the restoration of Buddhist sites in Afghanistan, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar. Modi urged Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma to ensure that all works on the Buddha and studies done by Buddhist institutes in the country are compiled and brought on a common platform through a web portal in a time-bound manner. The prime minister also exhorted the gathering to make a contribution towards the New India of 2022, when the country would celebrate 75 years of freedom. He offered “Sangh Dana” (donation) to Buddhist monks from countries such as Japan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam who were present at the event. He also presented the Vaishakh Sammaan Prashasti Patra to the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, and the All India Bhikshu Sangha, Bodh Gaya. Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said at the event that after Emperor Asoka, it was Prime Minister Modi who had given Buddha Purnima political honour (rajkiya samman). ||||| Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met and congratulated the medal winners at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. PM Modi also complimented those who could not win medals but had performed creditably.
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A bomb explodes outside the Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant in Tumlingtar, Nepal. No group claimed credit for the attack. The plant was codeveloped with India and is due to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi within weeks.
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When Palestinian Mohammed al-Mughari was shot by an Israeli sniper on the Gaza border, it left a hole in his leg so big he says he could fit a finger into it. Over a month into mass protests, more than 40 Palestinians have been killed and at least 1,500 wounded by Israeli fire during the "Great March of Return", a major protest movement along the border between Gaza and Israel. Doctors are troubled by the high number of disabling wounds, especially to the legs and knees, with Israel facing questions over both its disproportionate use of force and the types of ammunition it is using against demonstrators. Three weeks after being shot, 28-year-old Mughari's leg is propped up and wrapped in plaster, but he's not in the clear yet. He knows there is still a possibility it might need to be amputated. The bullet destroyed "30 centimetres of bone in the leg", he told AFP from his hospital bed in Gaza City. Since March 30, thousands of Palestinians have gathered every Friday at points along the border separating the besieged Gaza Strip and Israel. The marchers are demanding the right to return to their homes seized by Israel in 1948. While most of the crowd stands a few hundred metres (yards) from the border fence, smaller numbers have pushed closer to burn tyres and throw stones. Mughari declined to say whether he threw stones, but he thinks it may be years before he can return to his restaurant job. "I was planning to get married soon. I'm not thinking about it anymore," he said. The Israeli army says it fires live rounds only as a "last resort" to protect soldiers and the fence. It has accused Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas of exploiting the demonstrations and using the protesters as human shields. Since the protests began, Israeli troops have shot more than 1,500 people. The vast majority are young men, and most of the wounded were hit in the legs, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Among those killed there have been two journalists and several teenagers. The asymmetry of force has brought criticism of Israel's policies. No Israelis have been injured since the protests began. The European Union and others have called for an investigation into Israel's response, but the Jewish state has rejected the idea. The United States, Israel's strongest backer, has blocked moves for a probe at the United Nations. "What is unusual is the lesions and the fact that the wounds are very wide, and the bones can be in many fragments," Marie-Elisabeth Ingres, head of the Doctors Without Borders mission (MSF) in the Palestinian territories, told AFP. The charity has given nearly 600 people post-operative care since March 30. Abdel Latif el-Hajj, director general of hospitals in Gaza, accused Israel of using types of ammunition aimed at permanently disfiguring their targets. He told AFP the army was using "expanding bullets" that separate inside the body, "breaking the bones and blood vessels, causing severe rupturing of the tissue". Amnesty International on Friday said some of the wounds appear consistent with bullets that expand inside the body. Such ammunition is considered illegal in international warfare. AFP could not independently confirm the claim. "The nature of these injuries shows that Israeli soldiers are using high-velocity military weapons designed to cause maximum harm to Palestinian protesters that do not pose imminent threat to them," an Amnesty statement said. It accused Israel of "deliberate attempts to kill and maim" protesters. In a statement the Israeli army said it was only using "standard weapons and ammunition that are lawful under international law", and accused Gaza's health ministry of regularly spreading false information. Gaza's severely limited medical facilities have been stretched thin by the number of injuries. Hajj estimates they have only a few weeks of saline solution and antibiotics left. They also have only around 50 orthopaedic devices, used to support damaged bones or replace destroyed ones. "I suspect they will be gone in a week," he said. Ingres from MSF thinks hundreds of people will need costly treatment for months, if not years, with the risk of infection and further amputations if quality treatment is not given. "The impact will be long term -- not only on the individuals but on the health system, on their families, on the society in total." ||||| In Israel's permits, Palestinians see tool to control lives ETZION MILITARY BASE, West Bank (AP) — More than 300 Palestinians showed up at an Israeli military base in the West Bank recently, hoping they could win the lifting of security bans that prevent them for entering Israel. But they were also anxious. Talking in small groups, they recounted past experiences where some had been asked to spy on their neighbors in exchange for a permit — a gut-wrenching choice. Permits mean higher-paying jobs in Israel, but suspected informers are shunned or attacked in their communities. The men waiting outside the Etzion base had seized the offer of security ban reviews as a rare chance to access a secretive system. But they also feared the "clearance campaign" makes it more convenient for Israel's Shin Bet security service to gather information about them. "They control the lives of the people, deciding who can come and who can go," said Majed Ghayada, 35, one of those at the gate who learned of his security block last fall when his permit request was rejected, without explanation. Security bans are the hidden centerpiece of a permit system that Palestinians consider the ultimate tool of control in Israel's half-century-old military occupation. The impact of the permits system reverberates in numerous ways, directly or indirectly affecting the lives of nearly all the 4.5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Having a permit can determine where Palestinians work or study, whether they can visit relatives or afford to get married, even whom they marry. The system, mainly run by a military administration known by its acronym COGAT, has swelled over into a sprawling bureaucracy with intricate categories and arcane rules, often opaque and confusing, according to multiple interviews with those involved in and affected by the system. The result often confounds Palestinians' attempts to live a semblance of a normal life. Israel portrays permits as good-will gestures meant to improve the lives of Palestinians. It says the system is crucial to shield against what it says are ongoing attempts by Palestinian militants to carry out attacks. Hundreds of Israelis were killed in bombings and shootings over a decade ago, and Palestinian militants keep trying to carry out attacks in Israel, said retired Col. Grisha Yakubovich, a veteran of the Civil Administration, which is part of the COGAT system. "So you need to check everybody," he said. Rights activists say the system is unique because of its sophistication and the large number of people it controls— 2.5 million in the West Bank and 2 million in Gaza. Israel typically issues several hundred thousand entry permits a year for West Bankers, ranging from day passes to those valid for several months, for work, health care, study and other purposes. In Gaza, under blockade since a 2007 takeover by the militant Hamas, even the small number of permits for "exceptional" entry to Israel plummeted. Last year, fewer than 6,000 people a month left on average, roughly half the level of 2016, according to the Israeli rights group Gisha. COGAT did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the permit system. But it has defended the shrinking permit numbers from Gaza, saying Hamas exploits travelers to smuggle money or weapons. Underpinning the permit system is the absence of a recognized border between Israel and the war-won territories. Israel never annexed the West Bank, even as it built settlements there. Israelis move freely in and out of the West Bank. But Israel argues that Palestinians don't have an inherent right of entry to pre-1967 Israel and east Jerusalem, their traditional political, cultural and commercial hub, or to travel between the West Bank and Gaza. Yael Berda, a former Israeli lawyer, said she believes a key objective of the permit system is to enable the Shin Bet to recruit informers providing low-grade information. Shin Bet agents use seemingly irrelevant snippets of information to create the impression of omnipotence, she said. She recalled how agents asked one of her clients about a needlepoint rendering of a Muslim shrine on display in his living room. "At that moment, the person thinks their whole life is an open book, that he shouldn't hide anything," said Berda, who has written a book about the permit system. In a statement to The Associated Press, the Shin Bet denied a hidden agenda, saying that security blocks are "solely derived from security considerations and the prevention of terrorism." Tens of thousands of West Bankers are believed to have security bans on them. The Shin Bet refuses to specify how many. The cause of security blocks is often a mystery. Anyone who ever served prison time is almost certain to have one, but others who are banned were never in an Israeli prison. At the Etzion base, Palestinians handed their Israeli-issued ID cards to soldiers last week. Several younger men were called for interviews. One emerged dejected. The 26-year-old said the agent told him that before removing the ban — in place since a one-year prison term for a security offense in 2013 — they first had to "build a bridge of trust." The man, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions, rejected what he saw as an attempt to recruit him. Only a small number of people saw their bans lifted that day, according to those present. Quarry owner Mohammed Thawabta said he had been blocked at the beginning of the year after seven years of having his trader permit renewed without problems. The 39-year-old sells $1.7 million of cut stones a year, including to Israel. By early afternoon, a soldier handed back Thawabta's ID, telling him the ban remains in place. "I was so disappointed because I went there full of hope ... because I'm a businessman and I was never engaged in any problem with anyone," Thawabta later said by phone. He needs the permit to deal with his Israeli customers, he said, adding that "nothing is in my hand." Associated Press writer Fares Akram in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, contributed to this report. ||||| President Mahmoud Abbas called on Monday for Palestinians to keep their children from protests along the border between Israel and Gaza, warning of a "handicapped" generation as the death toll from Israeli fire on protesters in the Gaza Strip mounts. "Keep the young men from the border, move the children away, we do not want to become handicapped people," he said in a speech in the West Bank city of Ramallah. 49 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds - more than 140 seriously - injured by Israeli fire since regular protests and clashes broke out along the Gaza border on March 30. At least six of the dead have been aged 18 or younger. Speaking at the opening of a rare meeting of the Palestinian National Council, Abbas said he supported peaceful protests along the border but wanted to "protect the next generation". The deaths have led to criticism of Israel's use of live ammunition. After a 15-year-old was killed, United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Nickolay Mladenov wrote on Twitter: "It is OUTRAGEOUS to shoot at children... #Children must be protected from #violence, not exposed to it." Israel says it only opens fire when necessary to stop damage to the Gaza fence, infiltrations and attackers. But no Israelis have been hurt, and U.N. chief Antonio Guterres and the European Union have called for an independent investigation into the deaths. Israel has rejected such calls, saying its open-fire rules are necessary to protect the border. For the last four weeks, Gazans have staged mostly peaceful rallies along the border to demand the "right of return" to their homes in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel. The rallies are part of a six-week demonstration that will culminate on May 15, which will mark the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment -- an event Palestinians refer to as "The Catastrophe". ||||| JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli troops fatally shot two Palestinians who infiltrated the country from Gaza and attacked soldiers with explosives Sunday night, and in a separate incident killed another Palestinian who tried to breach the border, the military said. Another Palestinian was detained in the latter incident, and two more were caught trying to cross the border in a third case, the military said. The Gaza border has been tense in recent weeks, with the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules Gaza urging mass Palestinian protests there every Friday as part of a weeks-long campaign against a decade-old blockade of the territory. The protests have turned violent and 39 Palestinians have been killed during the unrest, which began March 30. Israel says that it is defending its sovereign border, including nearby communities, and that its troops target only instigators. Israel accuses Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction, of trying to carry out attacks under the guise of the mass protests. The military said that "two terrorists who infiltrated into Israel hurled explosive devices" at soldiers Sunday night. The soldiers returned fire, killing them. About a half hour earlier, two Palestinians damaged the security fence and tried to cross into Israel. Troops opened fire, killing one, the military said. The other was detained for questioning, it said. In a third incident, soldiers spotted two Palestinians trying to breach the border. They were arrested and found to have knives and wire cutters on their persons, the military said. There was no immediate comment from Hamas in Gaza. Also Sunday, the Israeli army said most of the deaths of Palestinians during the Gaza unrest have been unintentional. An unidentified senior officer in Israel's southern command told the newspaper Haaretz that snipers have been aiming at protesters' legs, but people have been killed after bending down, when struck by a ricocheting bullet or when a sniper misses the target. A second senior officer confirmed the report, saying that while there is no exact breakdown, the "overwhelming majority" of deaths were unintentional, including a teenage boy and two Palestinian journalists who apparently were caught in crossfire. He said an exception was Friday, when soldiers opened fire at a large crowd that attempted to break through the border fence, killing three people. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity under military guidelines. Israel has been accused by the United Nations, European Union and rights groups of using excessive force against unarmed protesters. Israel says it is aiming only at instigators, and accuses Hamas of using civilians for cover to carry out attacks. Israel says some of those protesting have tried to damage the border fence or plant explosives along it. Others have hurled improvised explosives and firebombs at soldiers while others have flown kites with burning rags attached to set Israeli fields on fire. There is considerable fear among Israelis of a mass breach in which Gazans stream across, militants mixed in, wreaking havoc. Israel has warned that anyone approaching the border fence is risking their lives and accused Hamas of cynically exploiting civilians for its agenda. Hamas has attacked Israelis with suicide bombings, shootings and rockets over the years. For more than a decade the group has tightly controlled Gaza, quashing dissent. Hamas says the protests are aimed at breaking a crippling border blockade that was imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group overran Gaza in 2007. The blockade has devastated Gaza's economy, made it virtually impossible for people to enter and exit the territory, and left residents with just a few hours of electricity a day. Tap water is undrinkable and its Mediterranean coast has been polluted with untreated waste. Life in the coastal strip has deteriorated further in recent months, with rising unemployment and grinding poverty. Other blockade-busting tactics by Hamas have failed over the years, including three cross-border wars with Israel and repeated rounds of unsuccessful power-sharing talks with the West Bank-based Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The last round collapsed, in part because Hamas refused to disarm. The protests also press for a "return" of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were displaced in the 1948 war over Israel's creation. The protests are to culminate May 15, the anniversary of Israel's founding. Palestinians mark the date as their "nakba," or catastrophe. ||||| ETZION MILITARY BASE, West Bank (AP) — More than 300 Palestinians showed up at an Israeli military base in the West Bank recently, hoping they could win the lifting of security bans that prevent them for entering Israel. But they were also anxious. Talking in small groups, they recounted past experiences where some had been asked to spy on their neighbors in exchange for a permit — a gut-wrenching choice. Permits mean freedom of movement and higher-paying jobs in Israel, but those suspected of being informers are shunned or attacked by their communities. Those waiting outside the Etzion base had seized the offer of security ban reviews as a rare chance to access a secretive system. But they also feared the roving "clearance campaign," in which the military announces on Facebook which town is next, makes it more convenient for Israel's Shin Bet security service to gather information about them. "They control the lives of the people, deciding who can come and who can go," said Majed Ghayada, 35, one of those at the gate who learned of his security block last fall when his permit request was rejected, without explanation. Security bans are the hidden centerpiece of a permit system that Palestinians consider the ultimate tool of control in Israel's half-century-old military occupation. The restrictions on Palestinians' movements are well known. But the impact of the permit system reverberates in numerous ways, directly or indirectly affecting the lives of nearly all the 4.5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Having a permit can determine where Palestinians work or study, whether they can visit relatives or afford to get married, even whom they marry. The system, mainly run by a military administration known by its acronym COGAT, has swelled into a sprawling bureaucracy with intricate categories and arcane rules, often opaque and confusing, according to interviews with those involved in and affected by the system. The result often confounds Palestinians' attempts to live a semblance of a normal life. Israel portrays the permits as goodwill gestures and the system as crucial to shield against what it says are ongoing attempts by Palestinian militants to carry out attacks. Hundreds of Israelis were killed in bombings and shootings over a decade ago, and Palestinian militants keep trying to carry out attacks in Israel, said retired Col. Grisha Yakubovich, a veteran of the Civil Administration, which is part of the COGAT system. "So you need to check everybody," he said. Critics say the ultimate purpose is to entrench Palestinians' dependence. The system, they say, provides leverage to recruit informers, creates internal suspicions and keeps Palestinian political and business elites compliant through movement perks. It also fuels corruption, they say. Many Palestinian laborers in Israel pay as much as a quarter of their salaries to Palestinian permit brokers. The brokers, in turn, are believed to share kickbacks with Israeli employers, fallout of a system in which the permit is issued to employers, not workers. There are also reports of bribery and favoritism among Palestinian officials who determine what names are submitted to obtain valued Israeli permits for businessmen. As a sign of how central the system is to everyone's lives, the Arabic Facebook page of the head of COGAT, Gen. Yoav Mordechai, has more than 410,000 followers, most likely almost all of them Palestinians, watching for any announcements concerning the permit regime. That would be almost a tenth of the entire Palestinian population — men and women, children and elderly — in the West Bank and Gaza. Rights activists say the system is unique because of its sophistication and the large number of people it controls— 2.5 million in the West Bank and 2 million in Gaza. Israel typically issues several hundred thousand entry permits a year for West Bankers, ranging from day passes to those valid for several months. After years of legal battles with Israeli rights groups, COGAT began making some rules public in a 65-page document on its website. It contains charts describing dozens of different permit types and quotas, carving out oddly narrow subsets like "burial society employees." In Gaza, under blockade since a 2007 takeover by the militant Hamas, even the small number of permits for "exceptional" entry to Israel plummeted. Last year, fewer than 6,000 people a month left on average, roughly half the level of 2016, according to the Israeli rights group Gisha. COGAT did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the permit system. But it has defended the shrinking permit numbers from Gaza, saying Hamas exploits travelers to smuggle money or weapons. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. For the first two decades of Israeli rule, Palestinians could drive to jobs in Israel or trade between the West Bank and Gaza. Restrictions steadily grew from the 1990s, driven by violence linked to the first Palestinian uprising, but also as a by-product of talks on the creation of autonomous Palestinian zones. Underpinning the permit system is the absence of a recognized border between Israel and the war-won territories. Israel never annexed the West Bank, even as it built settlements there. Israelis move freely in and out of the West Bank. But Israel argues that Palestinians don't have an inherent right of entry to pre-1967 Israel and east Jerusalem, their traditional political, cultural and commercial hub, or to travel between the West Bank and Gaza. Mohammed Atta pulled up at a locked gate in Israel's separation barrier, his pickup truck loaded with peach and apple trees to deliver to a nursery on the other side, in what Israel calls the "seam zone." The zone is part of the West Bank, but ended up on the "Israeli" side of the barrier, which for long stretches runs inside the West Bank rather than along the pre-1967 frontier, or Green Line. Critics say that turned a defensive measure into a land grab. It also created a complex subset of the permit regime. A 41-page Civil Administration manual details rules for Palestinians with homes, businesses, jobs or land in the seam zone, from which they can easily cross an invisible Green Line into Israel. Even movements of sheep and goats are regulated. An animal enclosure outside the seam zone can't be more than 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) from pastures in the zone. The frequency of herds crossing the barrier depends on the number of animals and size of the pasture. "It's bureaucracy at its worst," said Hanna Barag, founder of Machsom Watch, a group of Israeli women who monitor checkpoints. Atta, 61, works for a nursery with branches on both sides of the barrier. His permit specifies which barrier gate he can use to enter the seam zone. His work schedule is dictated by its three daily openings, about an hour each. On a recent day, two soldiers arrived a few minutes after the appointed time. Atta and others got through. But the soldiers closed after 45 minutes, and turned away an irritated motorist who gestured to his watch to show he should still be allowed through. From Palestinians' view, decisions on permits seem arbitrary, often making it difficult to plan their lives. For example, long-distance runner Nader al-Masri, who participated in dozens of international competitions, including the 2008 Olympics, shouldn't have a problem getting out of Gaza. Athletes are among the few theoretically eligible for Israeli exit permits, as are major traders and medical patients requiring life-saving treatment. Al-Masri said he's never engaged in politics. Yet for three years, Israel would not approve his exit applications, without stating a reason. Earlier this month, he finally got a permit along with his team of young runners aiming to attend a competition in Jordan. But their permits were issued too late and they only got there on the third day of the tournament. Al-Masri was upset. Among the races his teams missed was the 1,500-meter run. The third-place winner, it turned out, finished well behind the personal best of one of the Gaza runners. "If we had participated, we would have gotten a medal for sure," he said. "Stability is born from prosperity." It's a slogan Gen. Mordechai puts on some of his Facebook posts. A fluent Arabic speaker, he portrays himself as accessible and eager to improve Palestinians' economic situation. But that slogan could also be flipped. Palestinians say their hope for prosperity — receiving a permit — depends on them preserving stability, staying compliant, avoiding any kind of trouble. Yael Berda, a former Israeli lawyer involved in such cases, said she believes a key objective of the permit system is to enable the Shin Bet to recruit informers providing low-grade information. Shin Bet agents use seemingly irrelevant snippets of information to create the impression of omnipotence, she said. She recalled how agents asked one of her clients about a needlepoint rendering of a Muslim shrine on display in his living room. "At that moment, the person thinks their whole life is an open book, that he shouldn't hide anything," said Berda, who has written a book about the permit system. In a statement to The Associated Press, the Shin Bet denied a hidden agenda, saying that security blocks are "solely derived from security considerations and the prevention of terrorism." Tens of thousands of West Bankers are believed to have security bans on them. The Shin Bet refuses to specify how many. The cause of security blocks is often a mystery. Anyone who ever served prison time is almost certain to have one, but others who are banned were never in an Israeli prison. Around 300 Palestinians showed up at the Etzion military base last week, handing their Israeli-issued ID cards to soldiers. Several younger men were called in for interviews, presumably with Shin Bet agents. A 26-year-old emerged a while later, dejected. He said the agent told him that before lifting his ban — in place since a one-year prison term for a security offense in 2013 — they first had to "build a bridge of trust." The man, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of further repercussions, rejected what he believed was an attempt to recruit him. Only a small number of people saw their bans lifted that day, according to those who showed up. One of those rejected, 28-year-old Ibrahim Darie, said he had previously been asked by the Shin Bet to collaborate in exchange for a permit, but was not questioned this time. Mohammed Thawabta, who owns a quarry, said he had been blocked at the beginning of the year after seven years of having his trader permit renewed without problems. The 39-year-old sells $1.7 million of cut stones a year, including to Israel. By early afternoon, a soldier handed back Thawabta's ID, telling him the ban remains in place. "I was so disappointed because I went there full of hope ... because I'm a businessman and I was never engaged in any problem with anyone," Thawabta later said by phone. He needs the permit to deal with his Israeli customers, he said, adding that "nothing is in my hand." ||||| Fares Akram GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip.- Hundreds of Palestinians converged on the Gaza Strip’s border fence with Israel, trying to rip through it before drawing heavy Israeli fire in one of the most violent incidents yet in five weeks of protests. Three Palestinians were killed and dozens were reported wounded. The violence came shortly after a top U.N. official urged Israel to refrain from using excessive force against the protesters. Three Palestinians were killed and dozens were reported wounded At least 38 protesters have been killed by Israeli live fire and more than 1,600 wounded in the weekly protests since they began March 30. Israel has rejected the international criticism, saying it is defending its sovereign border and accusing Gaza’s Hamas leaders, who are organizing the protests, of using the crowds as cover to carry out attacks. In Friday’s unrest, a large crowd gathered a few hundred meters (yards) from the border, with some throwing stones and setting tires on fire in what has become a weekly occurrence. Late in the afternoon, dozens of young men broke away from the larger protest, moving south about 200 meters (yards) and approaching the fence. The crowd then tried to break through the fence with hooks and wire cutters when Israeli forces opened fire. Witnesses said three protesters briefly crossed into Israel and turned around. Hundreds of additional protesters ran to the scene, and the numbers quickly grew to several thousand. Israeli armored vehicles sped to the site and fired barrages of tear gas. As gunfire erupted, the crowd dispersed. A dozen Palestinian ambulances jammed a dirt road lining up to evacuate the wounded. Some in the crowd shouted “shahid,” or “martyr” as bodies were taken away on stretchers. ||||| More than 300 Palestinians showed up at an Israeli military base in the West Bank recently, hoping they could win the lifting of security bans that prevent them for entering Israel. But they were also anxious. Talking in small groups, they recounted past experiences where some had been asked to spy on their neighbours in exchange for a permit — a gut-wrenching choice. Permits mean freedom of movement and higher-paying jobs in Israel, but those suspected of being informers are shunned or attacked by their communities. Those waiting outside the Etzion base had seized the offer of security ban reviews as a rare chance to access a secretive system. But they also feared the roving “clearance campaign,” in which the military announces on Facebook which town is next, makes it more convenient for Israel’s Shin Bet security service to gather information about them. “They control the lives of the people, deciding who can come and who can go,” said Majed Ghayada, 35, one of those at the gate who learned of his security block last fall when his permit request was rejected, without explanation. Security bans are the hidden centerpiece of a permit system that Palestinians consider the ultimate tool of control in Israel’s half-century-old military occupation. The restrictions on Palestinians’ movements are well known. But the impact of the permit system reverberates in numerous ways, directly or indirectly affecting the lives of nearly all the 4.5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Having a permit can determine where Palestinians work or study, whether they can visit relatives or afford to get married, even whom they marry. The system, mainly run by a military administration known by its acronym COGAT, has swelled into a sprawling bureaucracy with intricate categories and arcane rules, often opaque and confusing, according to interviews with those involved in and affected by the system. The result often confounds Palestinians’ attempts to live a semblance of a normal life. Israel portrays the permits as goodwill gestures and the system as crucial to shield against what it says are ongoing attempts by Palestinian militants to carry out attacks. Hundreds of Israelis were killed in bombings and shootings over a decade ago, and Palestinian militants keep trying to carry out attacks in Israel, said retired Col. Grisha Yakubovich, a veteran of the Civil Administration, which is part of the COGAT system. “So you need to check everybody,” he said. Critics say the ultimate purpose is to entrench Palestinians’ dependence. The system, they say, provides leverage to recruit informers, creates internal suspicions and keeps Palestinian political and business elites compliant through movement perks. It also fuels corruption, they say. Many Palestinian labourers in Israel pay as much as a quarter of their salaries to Palestinian permit brokers. The brokers, in turn, are believed to share kickbacks with Israeli employers, fallout of a system in which the permit is issued to employers, not workers. There are also reports of bribery and favouritism among Palestinian officials who determine what names are submitted to obtain valued Israeli permits for businessmen. As a sign of how central the system is to everyone’s lives, the Arabic Facebook page of the head of COGAT, Gen. Yoav Mordechai, has more than 410,000 followers, most likely almost all of them Palestinians, watching for any announcements concerning the permit regime. That would be almost a tenth of the entire Palestinian population — men and women, children and elderly — in the West Bank and Gaza. Rights activists say the system is unique because of its sophistication and the large number of people it controls– 2.5 million in the West Bank and 2 million in Gaza. Israel typically issues several hundred thousand entry permits a year for West Bankers, ranging from day passes to those valid for several months. After years of legal battles with Israeli rights groups, COGAT began making some rules public in a 65-page document on its website. It contains charts describing dozens of different permit types and quotas, carving out oddly narrow subsets like “burial society employees.” In Gaza, under blockade since a 2007 takeover by the militant Hamas, even the small number of permits for “exceptional” entry to Israel plummeted. Last year, fewer than 6,000 people a month left on average, roughly half the level of 2016, according to the Israeli rights group Gisha. COGAT did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the permit system. But it has defended the shrinking permit numbers from Gaza, saying Hamas exploits travellers to smuggle money or weapons. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. For the first two decades of Israeli rule, Palestinians could drive to jobs in Israel or trade between the West Bank and Gaza. Restrictions steadily grew from the 1990s, driven by violence linked to the first Palestinian uprising, but also as a by-product of talks on the creation of autonomous Palestinian zones. Underpinning the permit system is the absence of a recognized border between Israel and the war-won territories. Israel never annexed the West Bank, even as it built settlements there. Israelis move freely in and out of the West Bank. But Israel argues that Palestinians don’t have an inherent right of entry to pre-1967 Israel and east Jerusalem, their traditional political, cultural and commercial hub, or to travel between the West Bank and Gaza. Mohammed Atta pulled up at a locked gate in Israel’s separation barrier, his pickup truck loaded with peach and apple trees to deliver to a nursery on the other side, in what Israel calls the “seam zone.” The zone is part of the West Bank, but ended up on the “Israeli” side of the barrier, which for long stretches runs inside the West Bank rather than along the pre-1967 frontier, or Green Line. Critics say that turned a defensive measure into a land grab. It also created a complex subset of the permit regime. A 41-page Civil Administration manual details rules for Palestinians with homes, businesses, jobs or land in the seam zone, from which they can easily cross an invisible Green Line into Israel. Even movements of sheep and goats are regulated. An animal enclosure outside the seam zone can’t be more than 2.5 kilometres (1.5 miles) from pastures in the zone. The frequency of herds crossing the barrier depends on the number of animals and size of the pasture. “It’s bureaucracy at its worst,” said Hanna Barag, founder of Machsom Watch, a group of Israeli women who monitor checkpoints. Atta, 61, works for a nursery with branches on both sides of the barrier. His permit specifies which barrier gate he can use to enter the seam zone. His work schedule is dictated by its three daily openings, about an hour each. On a recent day, two soldiers arrived a few minutes after the appointed time. Atta and others got through. But the soldiers closed after 45 minutes, and turned away an irritated motorist who gestured to his watch to show he should still be allowed through. From Palestinians’ view, decisions on permits seem arbitrary, often making it difficult to plan their lives. For example, long-distance runner Nader al-Masri, who participated in dozens of international competitions, including the 2008 Olympics, shouldn’t have a problem getting out of Gaza. Athletes are among the few theoretically eligible for Israeli exit permits, as are major traders and medical patients requiring life-saving treatment. Al-Masri said he’s never engaged in politics. Yet for three years, Israel would not approve his exit applications, without stating a reason. Earlier this month, he finally got a permit along with his team of young runners aiming to attend a competition in Jordan. But their permits were issued too late and they only got there on the third day of the tournament. Al-Masri was upset. Among the races his teams missed was the 1,500-meter run. The third-place winner, it turned out, finished well behind the personal best of one of the Gaza runners. “If we had participated, we would have gotten a medal for sure,” he said. “Stability is born from prosperity.” It’s a slogan Gen. Mordechai puts on some of his Facebook posts. A fluent Arabic speaker, he portrays himself as accessible and eager to improve Palestinians’ economic situation. But that slogan could also be flipped. Palestinians say their hope for prosperity — receiving a permit — depends on them preserving stability, staying compliant, avoiding any kind of trouble. Yael Berda, a former Israeli lawyer involved in such cases, said she believes a key objective of the permit system is to enable the Shin Bet to recruit informers providing low-grade information. Shin Bet agents use seemingly irrelevant snippets of information to create the impression of omnipotence, she said. She recalled how agents asked one of her clients about a needlepoint rendering of a Muslim shrine on display in his living room. “At that moment, the person thinks their whole life is an open book, that he shouldn’t hide anything,” said Berda, who has written a book about the permit system. In a statement to The Associated Press, the Shin Bet denied a hidden agenda, saying that security blocks are “solely derived from security considerations and the prevention of terrorism.” Tens of thousands of West Bankers are believed to have security bans on them. The Shin Bet refuses to specify how many. The cause of security blocks is often a mystery. Anyone who ever served prison time is almost certain to have one, but others who are banned were never in an Israeli prison. Around 300 Palestinians showed up at the Etzion military base last week, handing their Israeli-issued ID cards to soldiers. Several younger men were called in for interviews, presumably with Shin Bet agents. A 26-year-old emerged a while later, dejected. He said the agent told him that before lifting his ban — in place since a one-year prison term for a security offence in 2013 — they first had to “build a bridge of trust.” The man, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of further repercussions, rejected what he believed was an attempt to recruit him. Only a small number of people saw their bans lifted that day, according to those who showed up. One of those rejected, 28-year-old Ibrahim Darie, said he had previously been asked by the Shin Bet to collaborate in exchange for a permit, but was not questioned this time. Mohammed Thawabta, who owns a quarry, said he had been blocked at the beginning of the year after seven years of having his trader permit renewed without problems. The 39-year-old sells $1.7 million of cut stones a year, including to Israel. By early afternoon, a soldier handed back Thawabta’s ID, telling him the ban remains in place. “I was so disappointed because I went there full of hope … because I’m a businessman and I was never engaged in any problem with anyone,” Thawabta later said by phone. He needs the permit to deal with his Israeli customers, he said, adding that “nothing is in my hand.” ||||| JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli troops fatally shot two Palestinians who infiltrated the country from Gaza and attacked soldiers with explosives Sunday night, and in a separate incident killed another Palestinian who tried to breach the border, the military said. Another Palestinian was detained in the latter incident, and two more were caught trying to cross the border in a third case, the military said. The Gaza border has been tense in recent weeks, with the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules Gaza urging mass Palestinian protests there every Friday as part of a weeks-long campaign against a decade-old blockade of the territory. The protests have turned violent and 39 Palestinians have been killed during the unrest, which began March 30. Israel says that it is defending its sovereign border, including nearby communities, and that its troops target only instigators. Israel accuses Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction, of trying to carry out attacks under the guise of the mass protests. The military said that "two terrorists who infiltrated into Israel hurled explosive devices" at soldiers Sunday night. The soldiers returned fire, killing them. About a half hour earlier, two Palestinians damaged the security fence and tried to cross into Israel. Troops opened fire, killing one, the military said. The other was detained for questioning, it said. In a third incident, soldiers spotted two Palestinians trying to breach the border. They were arrested and found to have knives and wire cutters on their persons, the military said. There was no immediate comment from Hamas in Gaza. Also Sunday, the Israeli army said most of the deaths of Palestinians during the Gaza unrest have been unintentional. An unidentified senior officer in Israel's southern command told the newspaper Haaretz that snipers have been aiming at protesters' legs, but people have been killed after bending down, when struck by a ricocheting bullet or when a sniper misses the target. A second senior officer confirmed the report, saying that while there is no exact breakdown, the "overwhelming majority" of deaths were unintentional, including a teenage boy and two Palestinian journalists who apparently were caught in crossfire. He said an exception was Friday, when soldiers opened fire at a large crowd that attempted to break through the border fence, killing three people. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity under military guidelines. Israel has been accused by the United Nations, European Union and rights groups of using excessive force against unarmed protesters. Israel says it is aiming only at instigators, and accuses Hamas of using civilians for cover to carry out attacks. Israel says some of those protesting have tried to damage the border fence or plant explosives along it. Others have hurled improvised explosives and firebombs at soldiers while others have flown kites with burning rags attached to set Israeli fields on fire. There is considerable fear among Israelis of a mass breach in which Gazans stream across, militants mixed in, wreaking havoc. Israel has warned that anyone approaching the border fence is risking their lives and accused Hamas of cynically exploiting civilians for its agenda. Hamas has attacked Israelis with suicide bombings, shootings and rockets over the years. For more than a decade the group has tightly controlled Gaza, quashing dissent. Hamas says the protests are aimed at breaking a crippling border blockade that was imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group overran Gaza in 2007. The blockade has devastated Gaza's economy, made it virtually impossible for people to enter and exit the territory, and left residents with just a few hours of electricity a day. Tap water is undrinkable and its Mediterranean coast has been polluted with untreated waste. Life in the coastal strip has deteriorated further in recent months, with rising unemployment and grinding poverty. Other blockade-busting tactics by Hamas have failed over the years, including three cross-border wars with Israel and repeated rounds of unsuccessful power-sharing talks with the West Bank-based Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The last round collapsed, in part because Hamas refused to disarm. The protests also press for a "return" of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were displaced in the 1948 war over Israel's creation. The protests are to culminate May 15, the anniversary of Israel's founding. Palestinians mark the date as their "nakba," or catastrophe. ||||| ETZION MILITARY BASE, West Bank (AP) — More than 300 Palestinians showed up at an Israeli military base in the West Bank recently, hoping they could win the lifting of security bans that prevent them for entering Israel. But they were also anxious. Talking in small groups, they recounted past experiences where some had been asked to spy on their neighbors in exchange for a permit — a gut-wrenching choice. Permits mean freedom of movement and higher-paying jobs in Israel, but those suspected of being informers are shunned or attacked by their communities. Those waiting outside the Etzion base had seized the offer of security ban reviews as a rare chance to access a secretive system. But they also feared the roving "clearance campaign," in which the military announces on Facebook which town is next, makes it more convenient for Israel's Shin Bet security service to gather information about them. "They control the lives of the people, deciding who can come and who can go," said Majed Ghayada, 35, one of those at the gate who learned of his security block last fall when his permit request was rejected, without explanation. Security bans are the hidden centerpiece of a permit system that Palestinians consider the ultimate tool of control in Israel's half-century-old military occupation. The restrictions on Palestinians' movements are well known. But the impact of the permit system reverberates in numerous ways, directly or indirectly affecting the lives of nearly all the 4.5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Having a permit can determine where Palestinians work or study, whether they can visit relatives or afford to get married, even whom they marry. The system, mainly run by a military administration known by its acronym COGAT, has swelled into a sprawling bureaucracy with intricate categories and arcane rules, often opaque and confusing, according to interviews with those involved in and affected by the system. The result often confounds Palestinians' attempts to live a semblance of a normal life. Israel portrays the permits as goodwill gestures and the system as crucial to shield against what it says are ongoing attempts by Palestinian militants to carry out attacks. Hundreds of Israelis were killed in bombings and shootings over a decade ago, and Palestinian militants keep trying to carry out attacks in Israel, said retired Col. Grisha Yakubovich, a veteran of the Civil Administration, which is part of the COGAT system. "So you need to check everybody," he said. Critics say the ultimate purpose is to entrench Palestinians' dependence. The system, they say, provides leverage to recruit informers, creates internal suspicions and keeps Palestinian political and business elites compliant through movement perks. It also fuels corruption, they say. Many Palestinian laborers in Israel pay as much as a quarter of their salaries to Palestinian permit brokers. The brokers, in turn, are believed to share kickbacks with Israeli employers, fallout of a system in which the permit is issued to employers, not workers. There are also reports of bribery and favoritism among Palestinian officials who determine what names are submitted to obtain valued Israeli permits for businessmen. As a sign of how central the system is to everyone's lives, the Arabic Facebook page of the head of COGAT, Gen. Yoav Mordechai, has more than 410,000 followers, most likely almost all of them Palestinians, watching for any announcements concerning the permit regime. That would be almost a tenth of the entire Palestinian population — men and women, children and elderly — in the West Bank and Gaza. Rights activists say the system is unique because of its sophistication and the large number of people it controls— 2.5 million in the West Bank and 2 million in Gaza. Israel typically issues several hundred thousand entry permits a year for West Bankers, ranging from day passes to those valid for several months. After years of legal battles with Israeli rights groups, COGAT began making some rules public in a 65-page document on its website. It contains charts describing dozens of different permit types and quotas, carving out oddly narrow subsets like "burial society employees." In Gaza, under blockade since a 2007 takeover by the militant Hamas, even the small number of permits for "exceptional" entry to Israel plummeted. Last year, fewer than 6,000 people a month left on average, roughly half the level of 2016, according to the Israeli rights group Gisha. COGAT did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the permit system. But it has defended the shrinking permit numbers from Gaza, saying Hamas exploits travelers to smuggle money or weapons. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. For the first two decades of Israeli rule, Palestinians could drive to jobs in Israel or trade between the West Bank and Gaza. Restrictions steadily grew from the 1990s, driven by violence linked to the first Palestinian uprising, but also as a by-product of talks on the creation of autonomous Palestinian zones. Underpinning the permit system is the absence of a recognized border between Israel and the war-won territories. Israel never annexed the West Bank, even as it built settlements there. Israelis move freely in and out of the West Bank. But Israel argues that Palestinians don't have an inherent right of entry to pre-1967 Israel and east Jerusalem, their traditional political, cultural and commercial hub, or to travel between the West Bank and Gaza. Mohammed Atta pulled up at a locked gate in Israel's separation barrier, his pickup truck loaded with peach and apple trees to deliver to a nursery on the other side, in what Israel calls the "seam zone." The zone is part of the West Bank, but ended up on the "Israeli" side of the barrier, which for long stretches runs inside the West Bank rather than along the pre-1967 frontier, or Green Line. Critics say that turned a defensive measure into a land grab. It also created a complex subset of the permit regime. A 41-page Civil Administration manual details rules for Palestinians with homes, businesses, jobs or land in the seam zone, from which they can easily cross an invisible Green Line into Israel. Even movements of sheep and goats are regulated. An animal enclosure outside the seam zone can't be more than 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) from pastures in the zone. The frequency of herds crossing the barrier depends on the number of animals and size of the pasture. "It's bureaucracy at its worst," said Hanna Barag, founder of Machsom Watch, a group of Israeli women who monitor checkpoints. Atta, 61, works for a nursery with branches on both sides of the barrier. His permit specifies which barrier gate he can use to enter the seam zone. His work schedule is dictated by its three daily openings, about an hour each. On a recent day, two soldiers arrived a few minutes after the appointed time. Atta and others got through. But the soldiers closed after 45 minutes, and turned away an irritated motorist who gestured to his watch to show he should still be allowed through. From Palestinians' view, decisions on permits seem arbitrary, often making it difficult to plan their lives. For example, long-distance runner Nader al-Masri, who participated in dozens of international competitions, including the 2008 Olympics, shouldn't have a problem getting out of Gaza. Athletes are among the few theoretically eligible for Israeli exit permits, as are major traders and medical patients requiring life-saving treatment. Al-Masri said he's never engaged in politics. Yet for three years, Israel would not approve his exit applications, without stating a reason. Earlier this month, he finally got a permit along with his team of young runners aiming to attend a competition in Jordan. But their permits were issued too late and they only got there on the third day of the tournament. Al-Masri was upset. Among the races his teams missed was the 1,500-meter run. The third-place winner, it turned out, finished well behind the personal best of one of the Gaza runners. "If we had participated, we would have gotten a medal for sure," he said. "Stability is born from prosperity." It's a slogan Gen. Mordechai puts on some of his Facebook posts. A fluent Arabic speaker, he portrays himself as accessible and eager to improve Palestinians' economic situation. But that slogan could also be flipped. Palestinians say their hope for prosperity — receiving a permit — depends on them preserving stability, staying compliant, avoiding any kind of trouble. Yael Berda, a former Israeli lawyer involved in such cases, said she believes a key objective of the permit system is to enable the Shin Bet to recruit informers providing low-grade information. Shin Bet agents use seemingly irrelevant snippets of information to create the impression of omnipotence, she said. She recalled how agents asked one of her clients about a needlepoint rendering of a Muslim shrine on display in his living room. "At that moment, the person thinks their whole life is an open book, that he shouldn't hide anything," said Berda, who has written a book about the permit system. In a statement to The Associated Press, the Shin Bet denied a hidden agenda, saying that security blocks are "solely derived from security considerations and the prevention of terrorism." Tens of thousands of West Bankers are believed to have security bans on them. The Shin Bet refuses to specify how many. The cause of security blocks is often a mystery. Anyone who ever served prison time is almost certain to have one, but others who are banned were never in an Israeli prison. Around 300 Palestinians showed up at the Etzion military base last week, handing their Israeli-issued ID cards to soldiers. Several younger men were called in for interviews, presumably with Shin Bet agents. A 26-year-old emerged a while later, dejected. He said the agent told him that before lifting his ban — in place since a one-year prison term for a security offense in 2013 — they first had to "build a bridge of trust." The man, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of further repercussions, rejected what he believed was an attempt to recruit him. Only a small number of people saw their bans lifted that day, according to those who showed up. One of those rejected, 28-year-old Ibrahim Darie, said he had previously been asked by the Shin Bet to collaborate in exchange for a permit, but was not questioned this time. Mohammed Thawabta, who owns a quarry, said he had been blocked at the beginning of the year after seven years of having his trader permit renewed without problems. The 39-year-old sells $1.7 million of cut stones a year, including to Israel. By early afternoon, a soldier handed back Thawabta's ID, telling him the ban remains in place. "I was so disappointed because I went there full of hope ... because I'm a businessman and I was never engaged in any problem with anyone," Thawabta later said by phone. He needs the permit to deal with his Israeli customers, he said, adding that "nothing is in my hand." ||||| Israel's use of live fire in Gaza protests faces legal test JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's Supreme Court on Monday heard the first legal challenge of the military's open-fire rules, after 39 Palestinians were killed and more than 1,700 wounded by Israeli fire during mass protests on the Gaza border over the past month. The hearing came amid growing international criticism of Israel for its use of lethal force and a mounting casualty toll since the weekly protests, organized by Gaza's ruling Hamas, began in late March. Organizers say the mass demonstrations are to continue for at least two more weeks, with some threatening a mass border breach. The court is not expected to rule before next week, in what human rights lawyer Michael Sfard said is the first broad review of the army's rules of engagement in almost three decades. On Monday, six human rights groups asked the Supreme Court to declare as unlawful any regulations that allow soldiers to open fire at unarmed civilians. Lawyers for the groups said Israel's response to the Gaza protests must follow the rules of engagement for law enforcement officers, who are barred from using lethal force unless they face imminent danger to "life and limb." The Israeli military argued that the protests are taking place in the context of a long-running armed conflict with the Islamic militant group Hamas, and that open-fire regulations are subject to the rules of armed conflict. Such rules provide greater leeway for the use of lethal force than those governing law enforcement practices. Sfard said the army's rules of engagement don't meet international standards of law enforcement and that the laws of armed conflict don't apply in this case. "Lethal force against unarmed civilians who do not pose danger is illegal," he said. "This is the crux of the case." Michael Oren, a deputy Israeli Cabinet minister, said the protests "are designed to break down the border and any army is charged with defending a border." He acknowledged that mistakes might have been made in some of the shootings and that "bullets can do unpredictable things." The weekly marches are aimed in part at trying to break a border blockade of Gaza, imposed by Israel and Egypt after Hamas overran the territory in 2007, a year after winning Palestinian parliament elections. Organizers say the marches also press for the "right of return" of refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel. The protests, dubbed the "Great March of Return," are to culminate in a mass gathering on the border on May 15, a day Palestinians mark as their "nakba," or catastrophe, to commemorate their mass uprooting during the 1948 war over Israel's creation. Hamas leaders have issued warnings about a possible border breach, but stopped short of specific threats. "Our steadfast national decision is to continue the March of Return and of breaking the siege," Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Monday. He said he hoped the idea would catch on in the West Bank and elsewhere. In the weekly protests, thousands of Palestinians have been heading toward Gaza's border area with Israel. A majority stay in or near five tent camps, each set up several hundred meters (yards) from the border fence. Typically, smaller groups move closer to the fence, throwing stones, burning tires and or hurling firebombs. Soldiers, including snipers, are perched behind protective sand berms on the other side of the border. Last Friday, hundreds of Palestinians converged on a stretch of fence, trying to burn and rip through it before drawing heavy Israeli fire. Three Palestinians were killed and dozens were wounded in the incident, the most serious attempt so far by a large group to break down the barrier. The rights groups that petitioned the high court said that even if protests turn into riots, lethal force against unarmed demonstrators can only be used a last resort — in the event of a life-threatening situation. The groups said that in several cases caught on video, protesters were targeted while standing dozens of meters from the fence, or while trying to take cover. Among those killed were four minors and two journalists. The Israeli military said Hamas has used the protests as cover to damage the fence and carry out attacks. On Sunday night, Israeli troops fatally shot two Palestinians who infiltrated from Gaza and attacked soldiers with explosives, the military said. A third Palestinian was killed during an attempted border breach, it said. In its court brief, the army said Gaza militants have planted some two dozen explosives along the fence.
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The Israel Defense Forces say they shot dead three Palestinians in two incidents yesterday. The IDF says one was killed trying to breach the Israeli-Gazan border fence while a second was wounded and arrested. They say the second incident saw two men shot dead after bypassing the fence and throwing explosives at IDF soldiers.
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An alleged Islamic State (IS) supporter accused of sharing details online of Prince George's school has denied a series of terror offences. Husnain Rashid, 32, of Nelson, Lancashire, who appeared at London's Woolwich Crown Court, is accused of encouraging terrorism with "a photograph of Prince George, along with the address of his school, and a black silhouette of a jihad fighter and a message 'even the royal family will not be left alone"'. The charge alleges he "published statements which intended members of the public to be directly or indirectly encouraged to commit, prepare or instigate acts of terrorism". Rashid pleaded not guilty to three counts of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, a count of encouraging terrorism and two counts of dissemination of a terrorist publication. He also pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with a notice under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. The alleged offences are said to have taken place between October 2016 and November 2017. Rashid is said to have had a map of Sixth Avenue in New York and a message stating "New York Halloween Parade. Have you made you preparations? The Countdown begins", according to the charges. Among the other allegations is that he posted a photograph of the Burmese ambassador to the United Kingdom with the address of the Burmese embassy, saying "you know what to do". There was also a post urging people to "fight and spill the blood to the apes in your land", with a message stating "start planning, start scouting targets, start monitoring enyr/exit routes, start preparing tools and weapons/explosives", it is claimed. Rashid also allegedly messaged people he believed to be in IS territory, sought advice on routes to travel to Syria and Turkey, bought equipment and looked for a recommendation to join IS. He is also charged with using an instant messaging service to send links to another user of videos, documents and materials which set out how to shoot down an aircraft with a laser, manufacture explosives in a confined space and jam anti-tank ground missiles. It is also claimed he created a network of instant messaging channels aimed at "Lone Mujahud and aspiring Lone Mujahid", along with uploading resources to his channels that might help others' attack planning. Rashid is also accused of analysing the fatal Besiktas football stadium bombing in Turkey in 2016 to try to find ways the attack could have been carried out more successfully and at similar venues in the UK. He is also accused of transmitting terrorist publications electronically. A provisional trial date has been set for May 14. ||||| Husnain Rashid appeared at Woolwich Crown Court and denied claims against him Husnain Rashid, 32, of Nelson, Lancashire appeared at Woolwich Crown Court accused of encouraging terrorism with "a photograph of Prince George, along with the address of his school, and a black silhouette of a jihad fighter and a message 'even the royal family will not be left alone”’. Rashid pleaded not guilty to three counts of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, a count of encouraging terrorism and two counts of dissemination of a terrorist publication. The charge alleges he "published statements which intended members of the public to be directly or indirectly encouraged to commit, prepare or instigate acts of terrorism". Rashid also pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with a notice under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. The alleged offences are said to have taken place between October 2016 and November 2017. ||||| Husnain Rashid appeared at Woolwich Crown Court and denied claims against him Husnain Rashid, 32, of Nelson, Lancashire appeared at Woolwich Crown Court accused of encouraging terrorism with "a photograph of Prince George, along with the address of his school, and a black silhouette of a jihad fighter and a message 'even the royal family will not be left alone”’. Rashid pleaded not guilty to three counts of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, a count of encouraging terrorism and two counts of dissemination of a terrorist publication. The charge alleges he "published statements which intended members of the public to be directly or indirectly encouraged to commit, prepare or instigate acts of terrorism". Rashid also pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with a notice under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. The alleged offences are said to have taken place between October 2016 and November 2017. Rashid is said to have had a map of Sixth Avenue in New York and a message stating "New York Halloween Parade. Have you made you preparations? The Countdown begins (sic)", according to the charges. ||||| An alleged ISIS supporter has denied encouraging an attack on Prince George by posting details of his school on an encrypted social media platform. Husnain Rashid, 32, from Nelson, Lancashire, entered not guilty pleas to a series of charges at Woolwich Crown Court today, including allegations he plotted attacks on football stadiums. Rashid was allegedly in touch with an ISIS operative in Syria and was seeking to get to Syria to join the terrorist group. The new charges also allege that Rashid, an unemployed web designer, was running his own 'brand' on the Telegram application which he used to encourage lone wolf attacks. It was alleged that he posted details about the eldest son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on an encrypted forum. The details were said to include a photograph of Prince George, the address of his school, and a black silhouette of a jihadi fighter with the caption: 'Even the royal family will not be left alone.' Rashid also allegedly shared information about a terror attack on a football stadium in Istanbul. He allegedly posted a map of Sixth Avenue in New York with the message, 'New York Halloween Parade. Have you made your preparations? The Countdown begins.' He appeared in court with a large beard, wearing a grey prison sweatshirt, glasses and a black prayer cap. He pleaded not guilty to three charges of preparing acts of terrorism, one of encouraging terrorism and two charges of disseminating terrorist publications and one under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA). He is expected to face trial next month. ||||| LONDON: An alleged supporter of the Islamic State group charged with sharing information about Prince George on social media has denied committing terrorism offenses. Prosecutors say a post by 32-year-old Husnain Rashid on the encrypted messaging app Telegram contained a photo of the 4-year-old prince, the address of his school, a silhouette of a jihadi fighter and the message "even the royal family will not be left alone. " Rashid also is accused of several other posts allegedly encouraging violent attacks and of researching how to go to Syria to join IS. Rashid was arrested Nov. 22 and charged with preparing terrorist acts, encouraging terrorism and disseminating a terrorist publication. He denied all the charges during a hearing Monday at London's Woolwich Crown Court. His trial is due to start May 14. ||||| A man accused of sharing Prince George's school address with potential terrorists has pleaded not guilty to six terror offences. Husnain Rashid, 32, of Nelson, Lancashire is an alleged supporter of the Islamic State group. Woolwich Crown Court heard he is accused of posting the school address along with an image of the prince and a Jihadi fighter with the message "the royal family will not be left alone". He is due to go on trial next month. It is alleged Mr Rashid, of Leonard Street, planned to travel to IS territory and created several groups on the Telegram messaging application aimed at aspiring terrorists. Among the allegations is the claim he had a map of Sixth Avenue in New York and posted a message stating "New York Halloween Parade. Have you made you preparations? The Countdown begins". Mr Rashid is also accused of posting a photograph of the Burmese ambassador to the UK with the Burmese embassy address, saying "you know what to do". He urged people to "fight and spill the blood to the apes in your land", with a message stating "start planning, start scouting targets, start monitoring entry/exit routes, start preparing tools and weapons/explosives", it is claimed. Mr Rashid denied the following counts contrary to the Terrorism Act 2006 between October 2016 and November 2017:
• two counts of preparation to assist others to commit terrorist acts
• two counts of dissemination of a terrorist publication He also denied failure to comply with a notice, contrary to Section 53 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 The defendant is scheduled to go on trial at Woolwich Crown Court on 14 May. ||||| An alleged IS supporter accused of sharing the address of Prince George's school on an encrypted messaging app has denied terror charges. Husnain Rashid is said to have used the Telegram app to post an image of the four-year-old prince, a silhouette of a jihadi and a message reading: "Even the Royal Family will not be left alone." Rashid, from Nelson, Lancashire, pleaded not guilty to three counts of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday. The 32-year-old also denied a count of encouraging terrorism, two counts of dissemination of a terrorist publication, and failing to comply with a notice under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. He faces another charge of transmitting terrorist publications electronically. The offences allegedly took place between October 2016 and November 2017, the court heard. Rashid is accused of using Telegram to send links to another user of videos, documents and materials which set out how to shoot down a plane with a laser, manufacture explosives in a confined space and jam anti-tank ground missiles. He had created a network of instant messaging channels aimed at "lone mujahid and aspiring lone mujahid", the court heard. Rashid is accused of uploading materials to the channels that could help others with planning an attack. In one post he urged people to "fight and spill the blood to the apes in your land", the court heard. In another he allegedly wrote: "Start planning, start scouting targets, start monitoring entry/exit routes, start preparing tools and weapons/explosives." Rashid is also accused of messaging people that he believed to be in IS territories before asking their advice on routes to travel to Syria and Turkey. He bought equipment and sought a recommendation so that he could join the terror group, the court heard. Rashid analysed the Besiktas football stadium bomb in in Turkey in 2016 to try to find ways the attack could have been carried out more successfully and at similar venues in the UK, the court heard. He is also accused of sharing an image of the Burmese ambassador to the United Kingdom with the address of the Burmese embassy, saying: "You know what to do." He was arrested on November 22, 2017. A provisional date for his trial has been been set for 14 May. ||||| Husnain Rashi is accused of sharing information about Prince George's school on an encrypted messaging app, accompanied by a photo of the toddler, a silhouette of a jihadist and the message "even the royal family will not be left alone." LONDON – An alleged supporter of the Islamic State group charged with sharing information about Prince George on social media has denied committing terrorism offenses. Prosecutors say a post by 32-year-old Husnain Rashid on the encrypted messaging app Telegram contained a photo of the 4-year-old prince, the address of his school, a silhouette of a jihadi fighter and the message “even the royal family will not be left alone.” Rashid also is accused of several other posts allegedly encouraging violent attacks and of researching how to go to Syria to join IS. Rashid was arrested Nov. 22 and charged with preparing terrorist acts, encouraging terrorism and disseminating a terrorist publication. He denied all the charges during a hearing Monday at London’s Woolwich Crown Court. His trial is due to start May 14. ||||| LONDON (AP) - An alleged supporter of the Islamic State group charged with sharing information about Prince George on social media has denied committing terrorism offenses. Prosecutors say a post by 32-year-old Husnain Rashid on the encrypted messaging app Telegram contained a photo of the 4-year-old prince, the address of his school, a silhouette of a jihadi fighter and the message "even the royal family will not be left alone." Rashid also is accused of several other posts allegedly encouraging violent attacks and of researching how to go to Syria to join IS. FILE - In this Monday, July 17, 2017 file photo, Britain's Prince William, left, holds the hand of his son Prince George on their arrival at the airport, in Warsaw, Poland. An alleged supporter of the Islamic State group, 32-year-old Husnain Rashid, charged with sharing information about Prince George on social media has denied committing terrorism offenses. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, file) Rashid was arrested Nov. 22 and charged with preparing terrorist acts, encouraging terrorism and disseminating a terrorist publication. He denied all the charges during a hearing Monday at London's Woolwich Crown Court. His trial is due to start May 14. ||||| A trial starts May 14th for the man who posted the address of the 4 year old Prince George's school. Husnain Rashid, an alleged supporter of the Islamic State group, was charged with sharing information on social media which was considered threatening to Prince George, the oldest son of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Rashid denies committing terrorism offenses. A Man Is Charged With Online Threats Towards Prince George Prosecutors in the U.K. say that Husnain Rashid, 32, posted on the encrypted messaging app Telegram a note that contained a photo of Prince George, the name, and address of his school, a silhouette of a jihadi fighter and the message “even the royal family will not be left alone,” says PageSix. Husnain Rashid is also charged with making several other posts encouraging violent attacks and of doing online research about how to join the Islamic State group in Syria. Rashid was arrested November 22 and the charges against him include preparing terrorist acts, encouraging terrorism and disseminating a terrorist publication. Husnain Rashid has denied all of the charges and insists he is not a terrorist. The trial for Rashid is being held on May 14. The royal family welcomed another prince this week, Prince Louis, who joins Prince George and Princess Charlotte as the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. At a hearing at the Woolwich Crown Court today, the terrorism charges against Husnain Rashid were read aloud, says the Mirror. Rashid Is Accused Of Making Other Terrorist Threats The court alleges that Rashid committed these offenses over the course of a year, between October 2016 and November 2017. Police found a map of 6th Avenue in New York City with a message written on it among Rashid’s possessions. Husnain Rashid also allegedly posted a photograph of the Burmese ambassador to the United Kingdom with the address of the Burmese embassy that included another cryptic message. Citizens Wondered Why Anyone Would Threaten Prince George There has been an outcry across the U.K. that terrorists would threaten Prince George, who is a 4-year-old child, says Express. When the news broke, Brits took to Twitter to ask what is wrong with people? Another wondered why others weren’t more upset about threats against Prince George. Prince George started at a new school for the current school year.
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ISIL terror suspect Husnain Rashid appears before Woolwich Crown Court in London. Rashid pleads not guilty to planning and encouraging terrorism, distributing terrorist material, and breaching a notice issued under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. The charges include an allegation he posted details of Prince George's school and encouraged an attack against him.
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The legislative body of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) is set to discuss suspending the recognition of Israel, in addition to several other critical issues of Palestinian politics. For the first time in nine years, the Palestinian National Council (PNC) is scheduled to convene in Ramallah on Monday, in a meeting that has Palestinians split between supporters and opponents of the gathering. Critics of President Mahmoud Abbas have rejected the PNC meeting as a shrewd political manoeuvre, while others see it as a potential turning point in Palestinian politics. The PNC is expected to vote in a new 18-member Executive Committee of the PLO, the governing body of the organisation, and discuss transforming the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the occupied West Bank, into a state with its own institutions and monetary system. Dominant Palestinian faction, Fatah decided to push ahead with convening the PNC, despite the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) boycotting the meeting. Hamas is not invited to the council meeting, even as the topic of Palestinian reconciliation is high on the PNC agenda. "This meeting is vital to continue the Palestinian efforts to end divisions and fragmentation between Palestinian factions," said Wasel Abu Yousef, a current observer-member of the PLO Executive Committee, and head of one of the smaller Palestinian factions, the Palestine Liberation Front. "[The PNC will] elect new executive bodies that will push forward, in support of Palestinian national rights," Yousef added. PLO's Executive Committee member Saeb Erekat told Al Jazeera that "this meeting is a turning point for the Palestinians in this critical junction." Explaining why the PNC needed to convene after being dormant for years, Erekat told Lebanese media that "successive Israeli governments were never interested in two states - Israel and Palestine living side by side". "Rather, what they wanted all along was one state - Israel - with two systems; an apartheid state," Erekat told Beirut-based Al Mayadeed TV. PNC agenda Mohammad Shtayyeh, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, told Al Jazeera that "the reason behind electing a new PLO Executive Committee is to ensure the legal framework and continuity of representation of the Palestinian people." The PNC's agenda will also discuss the United State's positions on Israel - especially the US' recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital - and ways to deal with the measures. "No Palestinian will accept dealing with the United States so long as it insists on its positions on Jerusalem and being against the rights of Palestinian refugees to return home," Erekat said. Palestinians have consistently demanded that the Arab eastern side of the holy city be recognised as their future capital. Israel occupied the east side of Jerusalem during the 1967 war, along with the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula. In 1980, Israel annexed East Jerusalem, in contravention of international laws regarding land occupied during wars. The PNC meeting will also discuss calls to suspend PLO recognition of Israel, cut all ties and agreements with it, and discuss resistance to the Israeli occupation of Palestine in peaceful means. In addition, the PNC will discuss is the transformation of the Palestinian Authority from an authority based on the Oslo agreements to a formal state in the occupied territories. It is also expected to discuss Palestinian reconciliation efforts to end the division between Fatah and Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip. Abbas power play? Critics, however, argue that Abbas' insistence to convene the PNC is motivated by ensuring his legacy and preserving the interests of his Fatah faction. They fear that once Abbas, 82, guarantees the formation of a loyalist PNC and PLO executive body, he would then work to guarantee the continuity of his vision after he leaves the scene. Maher Obeid, a senior Hamas official, told Al Jazeera that Abbas did not want Hamas to participate unless it surrenders to its conditions and gives up its armed resistance to Israeli occupation. "Abbas wants to exact revenge on Hamas for his own personal reasons," Obeid said. Hamas issued a statement rejecting the "convening of the Council under the bayonets of the occupation". After declining the invite, the PFLP, one of the main factions of the PLO, said that the PNC should only be convening to unite the Palestinian factions. Palestinian activist Wael Malalha, who lives in Amman, said the upcoming PNC session in Ramallah is aimed at imposing Abbas' views on the future of the Palestinian national movement. "Abbas has one specific vision and one agenda; self-preservation," he said. "The US, Israel and their Arab allies are mounting great pressure on the Palestinians to accept the so-called 'deal of the century'," said Malalha. "Abbas wants to accept this deal and wants the PNC and the Executive Committee to give him the political cover to accept it," he added. According to regional press reports, the "deal of the century" is a purported agreement between the US, Israel and Arab allies Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt, to end the two-state solution and divide or share sovereignty over the Palestinian population in the occupied territories between Israel, Jordan and Egypt. Several Palestinian organisations and independent figures have called on Abbas and Fatah to cancel this meeting because it would cement Palestinian divisions and fragmentation. Is the PNC still relevant? First convened in Jerusalem in 1964, the PNC now counts 723 members. After the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories in 1967, the PNC came to be considered as the de facto Palestinian parliament, with many of its members living in exile. The idea for it was to represent Palestinians around the world, their political parties, and their trade and professional syndicates. The last ordinary session of the PNC was held in Gaza in 1996, when Yasser Arafat was the chairman of the PLO and recently appointed president of the Palestinian Authority. In that session, the parts of the PLO Charter that denied Israel's right to exist were nullified. In 2009, Abbas convened an extraordinary session of the PNC in Ramallah. According to the Palestinian national charter, the PNC is the highest Palestinian governing body, and its members are supposed to be elected to represent Palestinian communities from around the world in the countries where voting for PNC membership is possible. However, after signing the Oslo peace agreement between the PLO and Israel in 1993, which resulted in the formation of a local Palestinian Authority and Legislative Council, the PLO and PNC were left on the margins. Follow Ali Younes on Twitter @Ali_reports ||||| Rachel is a Verdict reporter covering global business, finance, and politics. You can reach her at [email protected] Israel will allow Palestinians in the West Bank to distribute and control their own electricity for the first time. Israeli authorities today signed a deal that gives the self-ruling Palestinian Authority responsibility for the three million Palestinians living in the Israel-occupied territory and will allow them to build new power plants. Previously the area had to rely on Israel for its electricity needs. The deal lasts for 15 years and is worth $775 million. The deal requires the Palestine Authority to pay off a 915-million-shekel debt to Israel Electric Corp (IEC), which is a state-owned utility company. Israel and the Palestine Authority have frequently clashed over unpaid debts since talks on a Palestinian state broke down in 2014. While the new deal allows the Palestinian Authority to take charge of energy distribution in the West Bank, it does not include the Gaza Strip. The two million Palestinians in the area have frequent blackouts because of fuel shortages and disputes between Gaza’s Islamist Hamas rulers and the Palestinian Authority. Power cuts in Gaza can last for up to 18 hours a day, because the electricity supplied by Israel, Egypt and a local plant is less than half of the 600 megawatts generally required to satisfy daily needs. The Palestinian Electricity Transmission Company will build four new power plants to channel electricity supply to the West Bank. The power itself will sold to the company by the IEC. Hussein Al-Sheikh, who leads the Palestine Authority’s civil affairs agency, celebrated the move. ||||| GAZA: Political rivals accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday of pushing ahead with a rare and disputed national decision-making meeting to tighten his grip on power and sideline them. Abbas has billed Monday's convening of the Palestinian National Council (PNC), a 700-member assembly within the umbrella Palestinian Liberation Organisation, as a chance to forge a united front against Israel and the United States. But the event in Ramallah, the Palestinian hub in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has revived old feuds between Abbas's Fatah party and rivals from Islamist and other factions, many of whose members cannot attend due to Israeli restrictions. Last week, 109 PNC members urged Abbas to postpone the meeting to allow greater participation. The call went unheeded, and on Sunday, censure of the president became more pointed. "The PNC meeting that will be held in Ramallah is not legitimate, is factional, and does not represent all of the Palestinians," Mushir Al-Masri, a lawmaker with the Islamist group Hamas, told reporters at a meeting of PNC critics in Gaza. The Gaza Strip, under de facto Hamas control since 2007, has been a focus of Palestinian infighting. Though Hamas formally resubmitted to Abbas's authority last year, their reconciliation has been held up by disputes over power-sharing. "We stress the need to regain Palestinian unity and end the policy of exclusion and unilateralism by the leadership of the Palestinian Authority and its hijacking of Palestinian institutions," said Masri. Khader Habib of Islamic Jihad, a Hamas political ally, accused Abbas of "holding the PNC meeting to stress his exclusion of all those who oppose him". "The president is keen for the conference to bring about only decisions that suit his own project," Habib told Reuters. Hamas and Islamic Jihad oppose Abbas' strategy of peace talks with Israel. However, diplomacy has been on hold since 2014 and many Palestinians' views have hardened over U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition late last year of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The PNC last met in extraordinary session in 2009 to replace several members of the PLO’s Executive Committee. It last held a regular session in 1996. Political analysts in Gaza said a PNC meeting without wide factional representation would weaken the legitimacy of any decisions it may take. Earlier on Sunday dozens of masked youths gathered on the Palestinian side of the Gaza Strip's main crossing with Israel, threatening to block any PNC official from leaving for the West Bank to attend Monday's session. ||||| GAZA (Reuters) - Political rivals accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday of pushing ahead with a rare and disputed national decision-making meeting to tighten his grip on power and sideline them. Abbas has billed Monday’s convening of the Palestinian National Council (PNC), a 700-member assembly within the umbrella Palestinian Liberation Organisation, as a chance to forge a united front against Israel and the United States. But the event in Ramallah, the Palestinian hub in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has revived old feuds between Abbas’s Fatah party and rivals from Islamist and other factions, many of whose members cannot attend due to Israeli restrictions. Last week, 109 PNC members urged Abbas to postpone the meeting to allow greater participation. The call went unheeded, and on Sunday, censure of the president became more pointed. “The PNC meeting that will be held in Ramallah is not legitimate, is factional, and does not represent all of the Palestinians,” Mushir Al-Masri, a lawmaker with the Islamist group Hamas, told reporters at a meeting of PNC critics in Gaza. The Gaza Strip, under de facto Hamas control since 2007, has been a focus of Palestinian infighting. Though Hamas formally resubmitted to Abbas’s authority last year, their reconciliation has been held up by disputes over power-sharing. “We stress the need to regain Palestinian unity and end the policy of exclusion and unilateralism by the leadership of the Palestinian Authority and its hijacking of Palestinian institutions,” said Masri. Khader Habib of Islamic Jihad, a Hamas political ally, accused Abbas of “holding the PNC meeting to stress his exclusion of all those who oppose him”. “The president is keen for the conference to bring about only decisions that suit his own project,” Habib told Reuters. Hamas and Islamic Jihad oppose Abbas’ strategy of peace talks with Israel. However, diplomacy has been on hold since 2014 and many Palestinians’ views have hardened over U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition late last year of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The PNC last met in extraordinary session in 2009 to replace several members of the PLO’s Executive Committee. It last held a regular session in 1996. Political analysts in Gaza said a PNC meeting without wide factional representation would weaken the legitimacy of any decisions it may take. Earlier on Sunday dozens of masked youths gathered on the Palestinian side of the Gaza Strip’s main crossing with Israel, threatening to block any PNC official from leaving for the West Bank to attend Monday’s session. ||||| Ahmad Abu Hussein, 25, is the second journalist to have died in the protests, which began last month at the Israel-Gaza border. He was shot in the stomach on April 13, the ministry said. Hussein, who worked for local Gaza news agencies, was transferred to Ramallah for treatment two days after being shot, and was later sent to a hospital in Ramat Gan in Israel, where he succumbed to his injuries. Video shows Hussein wearing his press vest and helmet when he was hit by the Israeli sniper. Journalist Yaser Murtaja was also shot dead earlier this month in the protests while wearing his press vest, in an event that drew international condemnation. Palestinian protesters try to pull down part of the Gaza-Israel fence on April 22. Israeli officials claimed Murtaja was a paid member of Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza, but offered no evidence to support their allegations. The Israeli military has denied it targets journalists and said earlier it was looking into the circumstances surrounding Murtaja's shooting. The protests are part of the Palestinian "March of Return," scheduled to run through mid-May. Palestinians say they want to highlight their right to return to places from which their ancestors either fled or were expelled seven decades ago, when the state of Israel was created. Israel says the demonstrators are being exploited by Hamas. Forty-two Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the protests began last month, according to a CNN count. No Israeli soldiers have been killed or injured. ||||| Update: Israeli army kills 3 in Gaza, injures 995 [with photos of those killed] IMEMC 28 Apr — The Palestinian Health Ministry has confirmed that Israeli soldiers killed, Friday, three young Palestinian men, and injured more than 995, including at least 178 who were shot with live fire. It stated that the first Palestinian who was killed by Israeli army fire, Friday, has been identified as Mohammad Amin al-Moqyd, 21, from Gaza city. His body was moved to the Shifa Medical Center. The Ministry added that the soldiers also killed Abdul-Salam Bakr, 29, from Khuza‘a town, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The third Palestinian who was killed by army fire has been identified as Khalil Na‘im Atallah, 22, from Gaza. In addition, the Health Ministry said the soldiers injured 995 Palestinians, including many who suffered serious wounds. It added that 178 of the wounded were shot with live fire. 175 of the wounded Palestinians were injured in Northern Gaza, 251 in Gaza city area, 200 in Central Gaza, 146 in Khan Younis and 183 in Rafah … The ongoing ‘Great Return March’ protests which started on Palestinian Land Day (March 30th) are meant to bring attention to the fact that millions of Palestinians are imprisoned in the Gaza Strip, unable to return to their homes in what is now Israel. Palestinians make up the largest refugee population on earth. Israeli troops again opened fire on the unarmed protesters, as they have done each Friday since the protests began on March 30th. Since March 30th, Israeli forces have killed forty-three Palestinian protesters, and wounded more than five thousand…. http://imemc.org/article/israeli-forces-gun-down-palestinian-protesters-in-gaza-killing-3-and-wounding-611/ Child dies of wounds sustained during Gaza border protests KHAN YOUNIS (WAFA) 28 Apr – A Palestinian child died on Saturday of wounds sustained during the Friday protests at the Gaza borders with Israel, according to the Ministry of Health. WAFA correspondent in Gaza said Israeli soldiers stationed at the border shot Azzam Hilal Oueida, 14, in the head while he was participating in the Great Return March protests near the fence near the town of Khazaa, east of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip. Oueida was rushed to the European Hospital with critical injuries where he was later declared dead. He is the fourth Palestinian to be shot and killed by Israeli soldiers during Friday border protests bringing the total killed so far since the start of the Great Return March protests on March 30 to 44. Thousands were wounded, many of them reported in critical condition. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=nTvLCCa97449989670anTvLCC Second Palestinian journalist succumbs to wounds in Gaza BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 26 Apr — A Palestinian journalist succumbed overnight from wounds sustained by an Israeli army sniper, while covering the recent “Great March of Return” demonstrations in Gaza. Ahmed Abu Hussein was shot in the side of the abdomen on Friday the 13th of April, and later died on the 25th of April in Tel Hashomer hospital in central Israel, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Abu Hussein came under Israeli sniper fire despite the fact he was at a distance of 350-meters from the border fence. Israel has previously declared its “right to defend the border” from demonstrators that come within 300-meters. The 24-year-old journalist from Jabaliya refugee camp worked as a journalist for the Gaza-based Al Shaab radio station, as well as a photographer for Bisan. According to eye-witnesses, he was wearing a helmet, as well as a protective vest marked “PRESS” at the time of his shooting. Unverified video evidence may act to support the claim that Abu Hussein was indeed wearing a blue protective vest as he was struck by an Israeli army sniper. The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate has issued a statement holding the Israeli army “fully responsible for this crime”, calling for an investigation, and ultimately prosecutions.In an interview with Al Jazeera, Sherif Mansour, Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists said: “Protective gear that clearly indicates individuals are members of the press should afford them extra protection- not make them targets.” “The death of Ahmed Abu Hussein underscores the need for Israeli authorities to urgently scrutinize its policies toward journalists covering protests and take immediate, effective action.” Mansour explained. Abu Hussein’s death marks the second death of a journalist whilst covering the march of our lives demonstrations on the Gaza-Israel border, following the death of Yaser Murtaja, 30, who was shot on the 7th of April. Israel has since stated Murtaja was an active member of Hamas- a claim his family and work colleagues have vehemently denied. According to a report from the Committee to Protect Journalists, thirteen journalists in total have come under fire from the Israeli Army whilst covering the events on the border in recent weeks…. http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=780064 Ministry of health: Israel used unknown gas against protesters along Gaza borders GAZA (WAFA) 27 Apr – The Ministry of Health Friday said that Israeli forces used an ‘”unknown” gas against unarmed, peaceful Palestinians on the fifth consecutive Friday of the Great March of Return protests to the east of al-Buriej refugee camp, in central Gaza. The ministry said that Israeli forces randomly fired an unknown gas toward protesters in al-Awdeh refugee camp to the east of al-Buriej, causing suffocation, convulsion, and extreme vomiting to dozens of protesters. Many were transferred to hospital for medical treatment due to the severity of their condition. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=nTvLCCa97448086164anTvLCC Body of assassinated Palestinian given emotional sendoff in Malaysia [with video] KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) 25 Apr – The body of an assassinated Palestinian scientist was on Wednesday (April 25) driven through the Malaysian capital accompanied by a crowd shouting “God is greatest”, as mourners accused Israel of killing him. Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh‘s corpse was set to be flown to Egypt later in the day before being transported on to Gaza for burial … The remains were taken to a mosque, where prayers for the dead were performed before about 500 mourners. “Every Palestinian who has heard of this assassination is saddened and shocked,” Muslim Imran, chairman of the Palestinian Cultural Organisation of Malaysia, told the crowd. “This crime, I believe, is another reflection of the nature of the Israeli occupation. They carry out crimes, massacres, not only in Palestine but also in the rest of the world.” Malik Taibi, an Algerian student who was Batsh’s neighbour, added the victim was a “very kind man”. “We hope that the ones that killed him are caught by the Malaysian government.” Earlier on Wednesday police said they believed the two suspects accused of carrying out the hit were still in the country, and released a photograph of one of them. The men were believed to have entered Malaysia in January but their nationalities were still not known, police said. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/body-of-assassinated-palestinian-given-emotional-send-off-in-malaysia Family of murdered KL lecturer to move to Gaza, says widow KUALA LUMPUR (Straits Times) 25 Apr by Nadirah H. Rodzi — The family of slain Palestinian lecturer Dr Fadi al-Batsh will move back home to the Palestinian territory of Gaza after the academic is laid to rest there. “God willing, we will start a new life in Gaza,” said Dr Fadi’s widow, Ms Enas Batsh. Speaking at the family’s house in Jalan Meranti, Setapak, on Tuesday night (April 24), Ms Enas, who had expected to continue postgraduate studies at the Universiti Malaya, said she would request to continue the programme online. “It was my husband’s wish to see me further my studies. He said I had been patient when he was pursuing his education so now, he wants me to pursue my passion,” she said. The couple have three children, aged one to six. Recalling the days leading up to Saturday’s brutal killing, the 31-year-old widow said there were no signs anything was amiss. “We didn’t get any feeling that he was threatened. We were planning a holiday. It’s unbelievable,” she said … Meanwhile, Dr Fadi’s brother, Ramy, 28, hopes those responsible for the death will be brought to justice. “It was a brutal attack… we want them to be taken to court and given the heaviest punishment,” he said. The family also denied claims that Dr Fadi was a rocket scientist as alleged by the Israeli government. “It’s inaccurate… My brother was only a positive person who loved his religion and knowledge … Israel’s Mossad spy agency has been accused of being behind the killing but the Israeli government dismissed the allegation on Sunday. The Palestine News Network, an Arabic language media network based in the Palestinian Territories, also said Israel had asked Egypt not to allow Dr Fadi’s body to be brought back to Gaza, but the network said this was not under Israel’s control as the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip falls within Egyptian sovereignty. Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman reportedly said the request was in line with Israel’s policy on preventing the transfer of the bodies of martyrs from the Hamas movement for burial in the Gaza Strip. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/family-of-murdered-kl-lecturer-to-move-to-gaza-says-widow Palestinian lecturer killed in Malaysia is buried in Gaza GAZA (Reuters) 26 Apr by Nidal al-Mughrabi — The body of Fadi al-Batsh, a Palestinian lecturer claimed as a member by Hamas who was gunned down in Malaysia at the weekend, was repatriated to Gaza and buried on Thursday … Batsh’s body was flown to Egypt, accompanied by his wife and son, and then taken by road to Gaza for a reception attended by members of all political factions and relatives, followed by burial in the northern Gaza Strip. “We hold the occupation (Israel) responsible for the killing and martyrdom of Fadi, the killers of scientists will not escape punishment,” senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya said as the body was received in Gaza. Policemen carried Batsh’s coffin, draped in the Palestinian flag, past an honor guard as family members wept. “The sinful hands that assassinated Batsh will be severed,” Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s political chief, said at the funeral rally. Hamas has confirmed Batsh was a member, but has not specified what role he had in the movement. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-palestinians-hamas-malaysia/palestinian-lecturer-killed-in-malaysia-is-buried-in-gaza-idUSKBN1HX365 At Gaza’s largest hospital, the wounded keep coming GAZA (Reuters) 25 Apr by Nidal al-Mughrabi — Doctors are on a particularly tight schedule at Gaza’s largest hospital when it comes to treating Palestinians wounded by Israeli army bullets at Friday protests along the border. Many of the injured rushed to Shifa hospital have to be discharged by Thursday, a day before the next mass demonstration, to make room for a new round of wounded. At the facility on Wednesday, two foreign surgeons, contracted by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), joined their Palestinian colleagues in tending the injured in multiple operating rooms. “We have different teams operating on arterial problems in seven theaters at the same time. That meant it was much quicker, much more efficient, and it was very effective,” said British vascular surgeon John Wolfe. But the frequent power outages that have long plagued Gaza mean that, at times, doctors briefly have to operate by the light from cellphones before emergency generators kick in … Slobodan Mirosavljev, a visiting surgeon from Serbia, said Palestinian medical personnel had coped well with a situation that would have been “overwhelming for any health facility in any country”…. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-protests-surgeons/at-gazas-largest-hospital-the-wounded-keep-coming-idUSKBN1HW1YO Due to large number of injuries, PA Health Ministry delays 4,000 scheduled surgeries IMEMC 25 Apr — The Palestinian Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip has announced delaying 4000 scheduled surgeries for patients in the coastal region due to the excessively high number of Palestinians who were shot by the Israeli army during the “Great March of Return Protests.” … The head of the General Administration of Gaza hospitals, Abdul-Latif al-Haj, said the wounded Palestinians, and due to the varying nature of their injuries, consume more medical supplies than ordinary patients, especially sterilized bandages, stitches, and surgery tools, in addition to various sorts of antibiotics, IV solutions, and anti-coagulants. He said that the number of external bone fixation devices used on patients who have suffered gunshot wounds since March 30th is more than the average amount for an entire year. http://imemc.org/article/due-to-large-number-of-injuries-p-a-health-ministry-delays-4000-scheduled-surgeries/ Israeli government justifies killing child protester in Gaza: They’re not in school Mondoweiss 24 Apr by Philip Weiss — The picture of Alaa Zamli, 15, is on top of this post because of his beautiful smile, which should have taken him very far in life. But he lived in Gaza, where he was killed by an Israeli sniper during the fence protests April 10. Today Ben White tweeted Zamli’s picture along with those of three other children protesters Israeli snipers have killed in Gaza … Israeli education minister Naftali Bennett was asked on Sunday if Israel had not gone too far when it killed Ayoub, as Orly Noy reports at +972: Army Radio morning show host Razi Barkai asked Education Minister Naftali Bennett if “we had gone too far” in killing 15-year-old Mohammed Ayoub during the Gaza return march protests last Friday. “If he had gone to school like every other kid,” Bennett responded, “there wouldn’t have been a problem.” That is what Israel’s education minister had to say about the murder of a child – killed by a sniper’s bullet – during a protest. This is now a theme of Israeli propaganda surrounding the killings in Gaza: the children are to blame for not being in school, or not reading books…. http://mondoweiss.net/2018/04/government-justifies-protesters/ Israeli troops first shot a Gaza journalist’s left leg, then his right. And they didn’t stop there Haaretz 27 Apr by Gideon Levy & Alex Levac — The amputation of 19-year-old Gaza photographer Yousef Kronz’s left leg could have been prevented had Israel let him receive timely medical treatment in the West Bank –– His left leg was amputated in Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip, and now efforts are underway, in Istishari Arab Hospital in the West Bank, to ensure that his right leg doesn’t suffer the same fate. More than two weeks passed between the amputation of the first leg – which itself could have been prevented – and the action undertaken to save the other one. Precious time in which Israel refused to allow Yousef Kronz, the first Palestinian seriously wounded during the recent weekly protests in the Gaza Strip, to be moved to the hospital outside Ramallah. The High Court of Justice finally forced the Defense Ministry to bring this disgraceful conduct to an end and allow the transfer of the 19-year-old student and journalist from Bureij refugee camp, to that more sophisticated facility. On Friday, March 30, Kronz was shot, first in the left leg, by an Israel Defense Forces sniper, and then, seconds later, when he tried to get up, in the right leg, by a second sniper. According to Kronz, the rounds that slammed into his legs and shattered his life came from two different directions. In other words, he was shot by two different marksmen, as he stood 750 meters away from the Gaza border fence, armed with no more than his camera, wearing a vest with “Press” emblazoned on it, trying to document the incessant firing by IDF snipers at unarmed Palestinian demonstrators. After he was hit, he tells us now, he saw more and more people falling to the sand, bleeding, “like birds.” The incident occurred on Land Day, the first day of the Marches of Return opposite the Gaza fence…. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-idf-troops-shot-a-gaza-journalist-s-legs-and-they-didn-t-stop-there-1.6032559 Israeli army confirms airstrikes against Hamas in Gaza, Palestinians report four wounded Haaretz 27 Apr by Jack Khoury — At least four people were wounded in Israeli airstrikes on Hamas outpost at a port in Gaza, Palestinian media reported Friday. Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson confirmed the attack, saying the IDF struck six naval targets belonging to the organization. The Gaza Health Ministry has not reported of any wounded thus far. Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson released a statement confirming the airstrike, saying it was in response to the “terrorist actions and extensive attempts to breach Israeli territory earlier today.” The statement adds that “for several weeks now, the terrorist organization Hamas has been leading violent riots that act as a guise for a string of terrorist attacks against Israeli security forces and civilians.” The statement refers to the incident reported by the IDF earlier Friday, in which hundreds of Palestinians allegedly rushed the border fence, “as they hurl charges, grenades and bottle bombs and even hit and set fire to the border fence.”…. https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/palestinians-four-wounded-in-israeli-strike-on-hamas-target-in-gaza-1.6033350 Egypt to open Rafah crossing with Gaza for 3 days starting Saturday CAIRO (WAFA) 27 Apr – Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt will be opened in both directions for three days starting Saturday to allow travel for humanitarian cases, the Palestinian embassy in Egypt announced on Friday…. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=h1H8jPa97444279152ah1H8jP UN says US has cut almost 5 times amount of Gaza aid it originally said Thomson Reuters 24 Apr — Emergency food aid for around a million Palestinians in Gaza may run out from June if the UN agency for Palestinian refugees cannot raise another $200 million US following a cut-off in U.S. funding, the agency said Tuesday. Pierre Kraehenbuehl, who heads the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) providing aid for Palestinians across the Middle East, said U.S. President Donald Trump had withheld $305 million in funding, far more than the $65 million reported in January. “You already have a very, very fragile community [in Gaza],” Kraehenbuehl told Reuters in an interview during an international donor conference in Syria in Brussels. “So if you suddenly have no certainty about the amount of food aid coming from the UN for a million people … you can just imagine the kind of effects it could have,” he said, although he stressed he was not justifying any link to potential outbreaks of unrest. Gulf states, Norway and Canada have stepped in with a total of $200 million to help meet a planned $465 million budget for 2018. The U.S. is providing just $60 million of a promised $365 million, Kraehenbuehl said. That leaves a $200 million shortfall to fill for rice, flour, sugar and also to keep funding schools in Gaza and the West Bank. The U.S. has long been the biggest donor to the agency. In 2010, for example, the Barack Obama administration announced a plan to give $400 million through the UNRW for Gaza and West Bank aid … Kraehenbuehl said the shortfall in funding for the agency could also mean there may not be enough money to reopen schools in August and September for the new academic year. “This is our largest funding crisis ever,” he said. http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/un-us-palestinian-aid-shortfall-1.4632893 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia makes contribution of $50m to UNRWA JERUSALEM (WAFA) 27 Apr — The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) expressed its deep recognition and gratitude for the extraordinary contribution of $50 million announced by King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the recent Arab League Summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia…. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=h1H8jPa97446182658ah1H8jP United Arab Emirates makes contribution of $50m to UNRWA JERUSALEM (WAFA) 27 Apr – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) ‘warmly’ welcomed a $50 million contribution announced upon the directives of the President of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan…. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=h1H8jPa97445230905ah1H8jP UN humanitarian groups say Gaza needs critical intervention following large scale injuries JERUSALEM (WAFA) 28 Apr – The large number of Palestinian deaths and injuries as a result of excessive Israeli force and use of gunfire against protesters at the Gaza border with Israel over the last month has prompted United Nations humanitarian organizations to appeal for urgent medical and health intervention in the Gaza Strip. According to the Ministry of Health, the Friday protests left four Palestinians dead, including a 14-year-old child, almost 1000 injured, including 76 children and 39 women, and 178 injured from live bullets, eight of them in critical condition. Overall, since March 30 when the Great Return March protests began, 44 Palestinians were killed and over 6000 injured, including over 600 children and more than 200 women, around 150 critically injured, and almost 2000 shot with live ammunition including more than 230 shot in the neck and head, 450 in the upper parts, more than 120 in the back and chest, 140 in the abdomen and pelvis, over 1700 in the lower extremities. In addition, the ministry reported 21 cases of limbs amputations (not including the last Friday injuries): … In its flash update report following the Friday protests, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to the occupied Palestinian territory said humanitarian actors have identified three areas of intervention that are critical to respond to the urgent needs arising from the ongoing protests in Gaza: providing immediate life-saving healthcare; monitoring, verifying and documenting possible protection violations; and scaling up the provision of mental health and psychological support for people injured or otherwise affected by the events. According to OCHA, some $5.3 million is urgently required to scale up the immediate response until 31 May, the expected six-week duration of the Great Return March demonstrations, plus an additional two weeks to ensure immediate response to any affected on 15 May, the apex of the protests that coincides on the Palestinian Nakba anniversary marking 70 years of Palestinian dispersion and uprooting from their homeland…. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=h1H8jPa97452844929ah1H8jP 11 years of visiting Gaza, seeing it deteriorate AMERA 25 Apr by Liz Demarest — Since December 2007 I have visited Gaza nine times. It is April 2018 and I just got back from a trip there. Over the course of 11 years, I have seen this beautiful strip of land deteriorate to the point where it is hard to imagine how much worse it can be. On my first visit, the blockade was new. I saw poverty, but there was still some commerce and industry functioning that had existed before the blockade began … With every succeeding year I’ve seen things get more and more dire. The bombings in 2008 – 2009, 2012 and especially 2014 destroyed thousands of homes and entire industrial sectors. They also destroyed water and sewage networks. Schools were flattened … Most upsetting is how much I’ve seen people’s feelings of hope disappear. I have always thought of the Palestinians of Gaza as having an amazing spirit and resilience. But on this trip I’m hearing people say that things just get worse and there’s absolutely no end in sight to it. People have nothing to strive for. They want a better life for their children. But they don’t see that as a real possibility anymore in Gaza. Even people who have been the most committed to Gaza, who have said to me that they believe it’s important to stay and build up their communities and society — because they love it — no longer are saying such things. Many people tell me they would leave if they could, because they need to make sure their children have a brighter future and they don’t want to doom them by keeping them in Gaza. Gaza is full of educated, capable and motivated people who could rebuild their communities very quickly if they were allowed the freedom to interact with the outside world. Isolating them and strangling their livelihoods does not protect Israel. Instead, the level of control exerted over Palestinians in Gaza has created anger, frustration and hopelessness. Isn’t it obvious this is no path to peace?…. https://www.anera.org/11-years-of-visiting-gaza-seeing-it-deteriorate/ Israeli soldiers shoot a teen near Nablus IMEMC 28 Apr — Israeli soldiers shot, on Friday evening, a Palestinian teenage boy, and caused many to suffer the effects of teargas inhalation, after the army invaded the al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya village, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Media sources said the soldiers invaded the village after dozens of Palestinians held a protest against the ongoing occupation. They added that the soldiers fired many rubber-coated steel bullets, wounding a 17-year-old boy in his back. The soldiers also fired dozens of gas bombs and concussion grenades, causing scores of Palestinians to suffer the effects of teargas inhalation, especially since some gas bombs directly struck homes. http://imemc.org/article/israeli-soldiers-shot-a-teen-near-nablus/ Israeli army invades Al-Jalazoun refugee camp [with video] IMEMC 28 Apr — Israeli soldiers invaded, on Friday evening, the Al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of the central west Bank city of Ramallah, reportedly after shots were fired at Beit El illegal colony. Many youngsters hurled stones at the soldiers while armed resistance fighters exchanged fire with the invading forces. Media sources in Ramallah said dozens of soldiers invaded the refugee camp after many live rounds were fired at Beit El nearby illegal colony and military base, which was built on Palestinian lands. Following the invasion, many local youngsters hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at the army jeeps, while the soldiers fired more live founds, rubber-coated steel bullets and gas bombs. The army also invaded a gas station to confiscate surveillance recordings, while local youngsters hurled stones at them, before additional forces invaded the area and fired dozens of live rounds to secure the retreat of the soldiers. During the invasion into the gas station, the soldiers caused excessive damage, and confiscated several computers and surveillance equipment. http://imemc.org/article/israeli-army-invades-al-jalazoun-refugee-camp/ 2 cars torched at Arab village in northern Israel Ynet 25 Apr by Hassan Shaalan & Ahiya Raved — Two cars were torched overnight Tuesday in the northern region village of Iksal [in Israel] and a stone fence was sprayed with “Jews, let’s win” in a suspected hate crime. Police were called to the scene, collected evidence, searched for suspects and opened an investigation into the incident. Police noted the investigation will receive top priority, with several similar such incidents taking place around the West Bank recently, the last of which happened Wedesnday as well—the walls of residences in the village of Jalud in the Binyamin region were sprayed with “Let us handle them” and “Take our destiny in our own hands.” Joint List MK Ahmad Tibi said the attack was serious and racist and that it “necessitated determined police action to end hate crimes towards Arab citizens.” https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5240564,00.html Yitzhar settlement viewed as epicenter of surge in ‘price tag’ attacks Times of Israel 23 Apr by Jacob Magid — But officials in the northern West Bank community say it’s due to an influx of ‘hilltop youth’ evicted from a nearby hardcore outpost last year — The Israeli security establishment views the northern West Bank settlement of Yitzhar as responsible for the recent uptick in hate crimes against Palestinian villages, a defense official told The Times of Israel Monday. The town of roughly 1,500 residents has become a “refuge for hilltop youth” who have been involved in most of the so-called price tag attacks in the past year, the official said. Seven instances of extensive Palestinian property destruction have been documented in the past week alone.“Price tag” refers to vandalism and other hate crimes carried out by Jewish ultra-nationalists ostensibly in retaliation for Palestinian violence or government policies perceived as hostile to the settler movement. Palestinian olive groves, mosques, churches have been targeted by far-right vandals in recent years, as have dovish Israeli rights groups and even IDF military bases … The defense establishment official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the violent instances that have taken place over the past month had been carried out by hilltop youth from Yitzhar. He added that in addition to the rogue settlers, students from Yitzhar’s Od Yosef Chai yeshiva have also been involved in carrying out the hate crimes. The religious institution led by US-born Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh has been long viewed by the Israeli defense establishment as a hotbed for extremism…. https://www.timesofisrael.com/yitzhar-settlement-viewed-as-epicenter-of-surge-in-price-tag-attacks/ Four Palestinians, including wounded teen, detained from West Bank BETHLEHEM (WAFA) 26 Apr – Israeli forces Thursday detained four Palestinians, including a wounded teen, from the West Bank districts of Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Jenin, said security sources and WAFA correspondent. Israeli forces detained a wounded Palestinian teen during a raid in Duheisha refugee camp, south of Bethlehem. Troops broke into and ransacked the family home of Hussein Shahin, 17, before detaining him, triggering clashes with youths who protested the raid and attempted to block troops’ passage. Local youths hurled stones at military jeeps, while troops fired live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets and gas canisters. Shahin reportedly was shot with three live rounds in his leg during a military raid into the camp in December. Meanwhile, Israeli forces conducted a raid into Jaba‘ town, south of Jenin, where they detained a Palestinian young man after storming and thoroughly searching his family home. This came several hours before Israeli police detained two Palestinians after savagely beating them in the Old City of Jerusalem. Several women were reportedly shoved out of the way as they attempted to free the detainee from police. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=tZWkzua97429051104atZWkzu Israeli soldiers abduct five Palestinians in the West Bank IMEMC 27 Apr — Updated: The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) has reported that Israeli soldiers abducted, on Friday at dawn, five young Palestinian men, after invading and searching their homes in Bethlehem, and Qalqilia. Several army jeeps invaded Far‘ata village, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, before the soldiers stormed and searched homes, and abducted two young men, in their twenties. The two abducted residents have been identified as Ehsan Saleh Tawil, a student of the Najah National University in Nablus, and his cousin Shehab Tawil. The PPS added that the soldiers invaded Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem, also searched homes and abducted Dia’ al-Afifi, Mohammad Waleed Thawabta, 17, and Mohammad Mansour Deeriyya, 22. On Thursday at night, the soldiers closed the main entrance of ‘Azzoun town, east of Qalqilia, after the army attacked protesters, and fired live rounds and rubber-coated steel bullets, while several young men hurled stones at the invading army jeeps. The army said several youngsters also “hurled stones at settlers’ cars, causing damage.” In addition, medical sources in Hebron, in southern West Bank, said the soldiers shot two Palestinians in Halhoul Bridge area, north of the city. They added that the two Palestinians suffered moderate-but-stable wounds and were rushed to a local hospital. http://imemc.org/article/israeli-soldiers-abduct-two-palestinians-near-qalqilia-injure-two-near-hebron/ Killer of Palestinian teen praised as ‘excellent’ by Israeli judge EI 25 Apr by Ali Abunimah — A soldier who killed a Palestinian teen has been praised as “excellent” and “conscientious” by an Israeli judge, who sentenced him to a mere nine months in prison. This conclusion to the trial of Ben Dery for the cold-blooded killing of 17-year-old Nadim Siam Nuwara is another all too predictable episode of how Israel’s military investigation system whitewashes crimes against Palestinians. “Despite clear and overwhelming video, spatial and sound forensic analysis showing Ben Dery intentionally killed Nuwara, he was charged with a lesser crime and a wilful killing was whitewashed into an accident,” Brad Parker, international advocacy officer for Defense for Children International Palestine, told The Electronic Intifada on Wednesday. “The lenient sentence announced today is not surprising and illustrates how pervasive and entrenched denial perpetuates impunity even where video evidence shows Israeli forces intentionally killing children.” Dery, a combatant in Israel’s paramilitary Border Police, was initially charged with manslaughter – already a lesser charge – in the slaying of Nuwara on 15 May 2014 – Nakba Day, when Palestinians commemorate their 1948 expulsion from much of their homeland. But that charge was reduced even further under a plea agreement to “negligence and causing severe bodily harm.” Israeli occupation authorities at first denied the use of live ammunition and tried to claim the video evidence was fabricated. Michael Oren, who had been Israel’s ambassador in Washington and is now a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, even went on CNN to claim that Nuwara and another boy shot dead that day might not really be dead. But Israeli authorities later indicted Dery with replacing the bullets in a magazine that was intended for rubber-coated bullets and blanks with live ammunition and then using his M-16 rifle to shoot Nuwara in the chest. In imposing a sentence at the lower end of the guidelines on Wednesday, the Israeli judge described Dery as “an excellent police officer who was conscientious about orders.” While the slaying of Palestinian children by Israeli occupation forces is a horrifyingly frequent occurrence – Israel has already killed 10 children this year – Nuwara’s case was notable for the amount of evidence available. This video shows his slaying as captured by security cameras in the occupied West Bank village of Beitunia…. https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/killer-palestinian-teen-praised-excellent-israeli-judge VIDEO: Israeli soldiers cheer after shooting a Palestinian protester in the village of Madama B’Tselem 24 Apr — At around 2:00 P.M. on Friday afternoon, 13 April 2018, some thirty residents of the Palestinian village of Madama tried to remove a roadblock the Israeli military had placed at the eastern entrance to the village. About eleven soldiers then arrived on the scene. In the clashes that ensued, residents threw stones at the soldiers from a distance of 50-80 meters, and the soldiers fired stun grenades and rubber-coated metal bullets at the villagers. Seven residents sustained injuries from the rubber-coated metal bullets the soldiers fired: two were taken to a hospital in Nablus for medical treatment, and the other five were treated on the spot. Joyfully cheering about shooting a person trying to clear the access road to his home and calmly discussing other ways to hit him and the other people with him are part of the discordant soundtrack accompanying 51 years of occupation. Filmed by B’Tselem volunteers Mu‘awiyah Nassar and Ahmad Ziyadah. https://www.btselem.org/media/1077#full Israeli soldiers use a Palestinian man, ‘Abd a-Rahim Gheith, as human shield during clashes in Jericho B’Tselem 9 Apr — On Friday, 9 March 2018, at midday, clashes developed between dozens of Palestinian youths and Israeli soldiers near the southern entrance to the city of Jericho, close to the settlement of Vered Jericho. The youths threw stones at the soldiers, who fired stun grenades, tear gas and rubber-coated metal bullets at them. At around 4:00 P.M., ‘Abd a-Rahim Gheith, a 34-year-old electrician and father of a month-and-a-half-old baby boy, finished his work for the day in Jericho and set out for his home in Dahiyat al-Bareed near the town of a-Ram. When he reached the southern entrance to Jericho, soldiers detained him, took his ID card, ordered him out of his car and handcuffed him. In video footage shot by freelance journalist ‘Adel Abu Ni’meh, soldiers are seen positioning Gheith’s car so it faces the demonstrating youths, then opening its doors and using the car as cover while they fire at the youths. They sat Gheith down on a traffic island about three meters away from them, handcuffed and defenseless. Some of the stones thrown at the soldiers hit Gheith, and he was injured in the legs, back and head. Stones also struck his car, damaging it. The soldiers kept Gheith in this position for about two hours, and only then did they transfer him to a military ambulance for first aid. At around that time, the clashes ended and the soldiers informed him that he was free to go and told him to make his own way to a hospital. While Gheith, injured and in shock, searched for his belongings and his car keys to drive to hospital, his cousin arrived and said the Red Crescent had contacted him. The cousin was carrying Gheith’s belongings, which the military had handed over to the Red Crescent while he was receiving first aid in the military ambulance. Gheith was taken to the Jericho state hospital. His discharge papers noted that he had sustained lacerations to the forehead, neck, back and both hands…. https://www.btselem.org/video/20180329_human_shield_in_jericho#full Parents of Palestinian teen who was burned alive by Israeli settlers sue killers for damages IMEMC/Agencies 27 Apr — The parents of Palestinian teen Mohammed Abu Khdeir, who was brutally tortured and burned to death by Israeli settlers in July of 2014, have filed a civil lawsuit for 5.6 million Israeli shekels ($1.6 million) in damages. “The goal is not to make money but to add to their punishment, so that, even when they are released, they will know they need to pay the family they hurt so much,” Israeli Haaretz newspaper quoted family lawyer Muhannad Jabara as saying. In an interview with Quds Press, Hussein Abu Khdeir, Mohammed’s father said, “This is not compensation because we do not want to trade in our son’s case. We know that we will not get money and our cause is not finished with Mohammed’s death, but we will continue our legal fighting even if we reach international court.” Abu Khdeir added that the decision to sue his son’s killers for damages is because they are afraid that the killers’ sentence will be reduced by a government special pardon on “racist basis”. The Palestinian family expects the Israeli authorities to reject the lawsuit, according to the PNN. On July, 2 2014, a group of Jewish settlers kidnapped Mohammed Abu Khdeir, 16, from the town of Shu‘fat, north of Jerusalem and took him to west of Jerusalem. There they brutally tortured him before setting him on fire while he was still alive. On May, 3 2016, the Central District Court of Jerusalem sentenced the main perpetrator, Yosef Haim Ben David to life imprisonment, with an additional 20 years. The same court sentenced another defendant to life imprisonment and sentenced the third defendant to 21 years’ imprisonment. http://imemc.org/article/parents-of-palestinian-teen-who-was-burned-alive-by-israeli-settlers-sue-killers-for-damages/ Israeli forces uproot, steal 60 olive trees in Jerusalem AICnews 26 Apr by Amalya Dubrovsky — Israeli authorities plan to build a new settlement in Sur Baher for Israeli police and military — Using bulldozers, cranes and armed police, Israeli authorities uprooted at least 60 olive trees in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Baher on April 23, 2018. Signs reading, “no trespassing” were left in their place. According to settlement watch group Peace Now, Israeli authorities announced plans in 2012 to build a settlement consisting of 180 units in Sur Baher for members of the Israeli military and police. Israeli authorities had originally expropriated the land in 1970, but for “public use” – a designation that typically sets the stage for building Israeli national parks on stolen Palestinian land, rather than residential settlements. Ahmad Nimr, one of the affected landowners, told the Palestinian Information Center that the land and trees belong to the Nimr, Dweiyat, Awad and Amira families. He adds that many of the 500 olive trees on the land are over 100 years old. Until Monday, Israeli authorities had largely ignored the olive grove and the four families continued to cultivate it. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled against their objections to the settlement plan in 2014. Haaretz reports that the stolen trees will be replanted in an Israeli national park in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem municipality is well known for classifying Palestinian areas as so-called national parks to wrest control over more territory. The parks, like Israeli settlements, stand in violation of UN Security Council resolutions 194, 181, 252, 476 and 478. http://aicnews.org/index.php/2018/04/26/israeli-forces-uproot-steal-60-olive-trees-in-jerusalem/ Jerusalem family demolishes own garage to avoid high fines IMEMC 28 Apr — A Palestinian family from occupied Jerusalem had to demolish its own garage, in Wadi Hilweh neighborhood, in Silwan town, to avoid excessively high fees and fines by the City Council. The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan (Silwanic) said the family of Eyad Ramadan, demolished its Karaj, which is attached to its home in Wadi Hilweh. Silwanic added that the family received a demolition order three months ago, and tried to obtain all needed permits, but its applications and appeals were all denied. The police and soldiers invaded the property several days ago and informed the family that if it does not demolish the garage by Sunday, April 29th, the City Council will demolish it, and will impose fines that could exceed 60.000 Shekels. Ramadan said he had to add the garage to his property because there are no parking lots, or any parking space, near his home. http://imemc.org/article/jerusalem-family-demolishes-own-garage-to-avoid-high-fines/ Israel: Army demolishing West Bank schools NEW YORK (HRW) 25 Apr — Could Amount to War Crimes — – Israel has repeatedly denied Palestinians permits to build schools in the West Bank and demolished schools built without permits, making it more difficult or impossible for thousands of children to get an education, Human Rights Watch said today. On April 25, 2018, Israel’s high court will hold what may be the final hearing on the military’s plans to demolish a school in Khan al-Ahmar Ab al-Hilu, a Palestinian community. It is one of the 44 Palestinian schools at risk of full or partial demolition because Israeli authorities say they were built illegally. The Israeli military refuses to permit most new Palestinian construction in the 60 percent of the West Bank where it has exclusive control over planning and building, even as the military facilitates settler construction. The military has enforced this discriminatory system by razing thousands of Palestinian properties, including schools, creating pressure on Palestinians to leave their communities. When Israeli authorities have demolished schools, they have not taken steps to ensure that children in the area have access to schools of at least the same quality. “Israeli authorities have been getting away for years with demolishing primary schools and preschools in Palestinian communities,” said Bill Van Esveld, senior children’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The Israeli military’s refusal to issue building permits and then knocking down schools without permits is discriminatory and violates children’s right to education.” … Over a third of Palestinian communities in Area C, the 60 percent of the West Bank where the Israeli military has exclusive control over building under the 1993 Oslo accords, currently do not have primary schools, and 10,000 children attend school in tents, shacks, or other structures without heating or air-conditioning, according to the UN. About 1,700 children had to walk five or more kilometers to school due to road closures, lack of passable roads or transportation, or other problems, according to 2015 UN estimates. The long distances and fear of harassment by settlers or the military lead some parents to take their children out of school, with a disproportionate impact on girls…. https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/04/25/israel-army-demolishing-west-bank-schools Israeli forces destroy tent structure in Susiya HEBRON (Ma‘an) 24 Apr– Israeli forces demolished a tent in the Palestinian village of Susiya, located in the South Hebron Hills area of the southern occupied West Bank. Khader al-Nawajaa, a resident of Susiya, told Ma‘an that Israeli forces raided the village and demolished a tent structure belonging to him. He added that the Israeli authorities confiscated the tent after the demolition. Earlier this year, in February, the Israeli High Court gave the government a green light to move forward with the demolition of seven structures housing 42 people, half of them children. The move came despite widespread condemnation from British MPs and international activists. The latter maintain an almost constant presence in the village to assist villagers in the event of attacks from Israeli settlers or forces. Susiya is considered “illegal” by the Israeli state and has been embroiled in legal battles with the Israeli state for years. The village is located in Area C — the more than 60 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli military control, where Israel refuses to permit Palestinian construction. Rights groups have pointed out that this policy lines up with Israel’s goals of expanding Israeli settlements throughout Area C while depopulating Palestinian villages there. In the case of Susiya, many of the village’s 200 residents have ties to the land that predate the creation of the state of Israel, and Ottoman-era land documents to prove it. However, the village lies between an Israeli settlement and Israel-controlled archaeological site, making them a target for Israeli demolitions. http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=780063 House prices boom in disputed West Bank settlements FT 25 Apr by Mehul Srivastava in Efrat — When Dan Leubitz moved his family from the US to Israel, he settled on an unlikely location to call home — a villa in the occupied West Bank on the frontline of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Initially he was wary about the risks of putting all his savings into a property in Efrat, an Israeli settlement that much of the world considers illegal … He need not have worried – the property has made him a millionaire, at least on paper … It is a trend that reflects a growing belief among Israelis that most of the settlements that dot the West Bank, especially those closest to Jerusalem, such as Efrat, are de facto permanent…. https://www.ft.com/content/8572b232-46ca-11e8-8ee8-cae73aab7ccb Occupation captured: Photos of Palestinian life and Israeli occupation in the West Bank city of Hebron IMEMC/Agencies 25 April http://imemc.org/article/occupation-captured-photos-of-palestinian-life-and-israeli-occupation-in-the-west-bank-city-of-hebron-2/ ‘I just want him to live like other Jordanians’ Human Right Watch report 24 Apr — Treatment of Non-Citizen Children of Jordanian Mothers — In Jordan, a child born to a Jordanian mother and a non-Jordanian father is considered a non-citizen in the eyes of the state. In violation of international human rights law, which obliges Jordan not to discriminate against women, Jordanian law allows only fathers to pass citizenship to their children. It does not allow Jordanian women to even confer automatic long-term residency on their children. Despite government promises to grant these individuals key economic and social rights, non-citizen children of Jordanian women continue to face legal restrictions that trap many of them at the margins of Jordanian society … In 2014, the Jordanian Ministry of Interior stated that there were over 355,000 non-citizen children of Jordanian women. Popularly referred to in Jordan as “abna’ al-urduniyat,” or the “children of Jordanian women,” these non-citizens’ access to basic rights and services are severely limited. Authorities restrict their rights to work, own property, travel from and return to Jordan (where many were born and live), access public education and health care, and even their ability to acquire a driver’s license … Given that Jordan is home to one of the largest populations of Palestinian refugees and that the majority of Jordanian women married to foreign nationals are married to non-citizen Palestinian men who hold various legal statuses in Jordan, local politicians and officials’ chief argument against repealing this discriminatory policy is the claim that it would both undermine the effort to secure Palestinian statehood and alter Jordan’s demographic balance. These stated justifications are clearly discriminatory, as they are not applied to Jordanian men who choose to marry foreign nationals, the majority of whom are also married to Palestinians…. https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/04/24/i-just-want-him-live-other-jordanians/treatment-non-citizen-children-jordanian Palestinian vies for imaginary seat in Lebanon parliament BEIRUT (AFP) 28 Apr by Layal Abou Rahal — She has been criss-crossing her native Lebanon ahead of May 6 elections but the parliament seat she wants does not exist and she is not even eligible. Manal Kortam is a Palestinian refugee. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have lived in refugee camps across the small Middle Eastern country for decades, facing tough living conditions and barred from certain jobs. But in a country of just four million where each religious community is allocated seats in the legislative chamber, there are none for Palestinians. In the run-up to Lebanon’s first parliamentary polls in almost a decade, Kortam saw an opportunity to stand up for her Palestinian community by launching a symbolic campaign. “Somebody needed to say: ‘There are people who have been in this country for 70 years but who have no place at all in public politics’,” she told AFP during a visit this week to the Mar Elias camp in Beirut…. http://www.france24.com/en/20180428-palestinian-vies-imaginary-seat-lebanon-parliament Estimated 60 percent of Yarmouk destroyed amid violence: Group Al Jazeera 27 Apr — An estimated 60 percent of Syria’s Yarmouk refugee camp for Palestinians has been destroyed as government forces and their allies escalate a military offensive against armed groups in the Damascus-area camp, according to a watchdog group. Citing an eyewitness, the UK-based Action Group for Palestinians of Syria said on Friday that the destruction has largely been caused by barrel bombs, missiles and shelling. The group said that “families were buried under the rubble of their homes” in Yarmouk, where an estimated 3,000 people still reside. On Wednesday, Palestinian refugee Salah al-Abayat was killed by Syrian government air strikes on the camp, bringing the total number of people killed to 31 since April 19, when the latest bout of fighting started. On April 19, the Syrian government and allied Palestinian armed groups launched a renewed military offensive against armed groups – including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) – in the besieged refugee camp. On Thursday, Palestinian political party Hamas issued an appeal to all sides involved in the fighting to reach a truce. That same day, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), warned of “catastrophic consequences” of the intensified violence in Yarmouk and the surrounding areas, including al-Hajar al-Aswad and Yalda. “Yarmouk and its inhabitants have endured indescribable pain and suffering over years of conflict,” Pierre Krahenbuhl, UNRWA’s commissioner-general, said in a statement. “We are deeply concerned about the fate of thousands of civilians, including Palestine refugees, after more than a week of dramatically increased violence.” The UN group said that there are no hospitals currently operational in the camp, which has been blockaded by government forces on the one hand, and armed opposition groups on the other for several years. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/estimated-60-percent-yarmouk-destroyed-violence-group-180427102610652.html Yarmuk, an epicentre of Syria’s bloody conflict AFP 24 Apr — Poverty and exile, siege and starvation, jihadist rule and government shelling — few places have seen more suffering in Syria’s seven year, atrocity-filled war than the Palestinian camp of Yarmuk. A striking 2014 picture [see above] of tired, gaunt-looking residents massing among the ruins for a food distribution drew comparisons with a World War II ghetto and became a symbol of the Syrian conflict. The gutted neighbourhood in southern Damascus, which is now the Islamic State group’s last urban redoubt in Syria or Iraq, was once Syria’s biggest Palestinian refugee camp, home to around 160,000 people. Years of crippling siege and bombardment by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, whose presidential compound is visible from the camp, had already sent tens of thousands of them into a second exile … After months of sporadic shelling as it concentrated its efforts on retaking the rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta, the resurgent regime launched a final offensive last week to retake Yarmuk. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, around 1,000 IS fighters remain in Yarmuk and the adjacent neighbourhoods of Hajar al-Aswad, Tadamun and Qadam. Most of them are former members of Al-Qaeda’s Syrian ex-affiliate Al-Nusra Front, but IS fighters also include Palestinian refugees who joined when the Islamists took over much of the camp in 2015. Facing them are regime and allied forces who have turned their attention to jihadist-held pockets in southern Damascus after completing their recapture of Ghouta, an area east of the capital…. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5651435/Yarmuk-epicentre-Syrias-bloody-conflict.html Video: Palestinians: Stories of resistance Al Jazeera 24 Apr — A mother protests, a teenager comes of age, and a cameraman records his final moments – life in occupied Palestine. https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeera-selects/2018/04/palestinians-stories-resistance-180423062537385.html PA takes pre-emptive measures to prevent Return March in West Bank MEMO 24 Apr — A Palestinian MP has accused the Palestinian Authority security services of carrying out political detentions as a pre-emptive measure to undermine possible Great March of Return protests in the occupied West Bank, Arab48.com reported on Monday. Nayef Al-Rajoub MP is from the Hamas-linked parliamentary bloc. He said that the ongoing escalation of the detention of Palestinian politicians and activists by the PA reflects its fear that the demonstrations will spread to the West Bank. In a related statement issued on Monday, Hamas said that the PA security services had arrested nine Palestinians, including some who were previously freed from prison. It pointed out that many of its members and activists are already being held by the PA security services. Hamas made reference to the ongoing security cooperation between the PA and the Israeli occupation authorities, which have also arrested around 150 Palestinians over the past week. According to Al-Rajoub, the detentions are intended to create a quiet atmosphere during the Palestinian National Council meeting slated for 30 April in Ramallah. It is expected that the decisions taken at the meeting will conform to Israeli policies. The MP, who served as a minister in the ousted Hamas government and has spent several terms in an Israeli prison himself, described the political detentions by the PA as a “sickness”, the symptoms of which are represented in its security cooperation with the Israelis…. https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180424-pa-takes-pre-emptive-measures-to-prevent-return-march-in-west-bank/ Haniyeh vows anti-occupation rallies in West Bank, abroad AA 25 Apr — Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh has vowed to stage protests against the decades-long Israeli occupation in the West Bank and abroad. Since March 30, Palestinians have been staging rallies along border of the Gaza Strip demanding the return of refugees to their towns and villages in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel. The rallies are part of a six-week protest that will culminate on May 15. That day will mark the 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment — an event Palestinians refer to as the “Nakba” or “Catastrophe”. “Rallies will move to the West Bank and will be joined by our people abroad,” Haniyeh told a meeting organized by the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. He said the Palestinians “will rise up against the Israeli occupation in a popular resistance that started from Gaza”…. https://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/haniyeh-vows-anti-occupation-rallies-in-west-bank-abroad-3349815 Palestinian launches hunger strike in Palestinian Authority jail ANABTA, West Bank (Al Jazeera) 26 Apr by Yumna Patel — A Palestinian Authority (PA) court in the West Bank city of Jericho has extended the detention of 25-year-old Ahmad al-Awartani, who was arrested over the weekend for a Facebook post criticising a government campaign. During the court hearing on Tuesday, al-Awartani refused to answer the judge’s questions. He declared that he had launched a hunger strike two days prior, and would continue protesting against his detention by refusing all food and drink. Al-Awartani has been detained under the government’s controversial Cyber Crimes Law. With his detention extended for 15 more days, and faced with the possibility of indefinite renewal, al-Awartani’s parents said they were worried that their son’s health would deteriorate in the Jericho prison, which rights groups say is notorious for torture and abuse … In recent weeks, posters and banners “pledging trust and allegiance” to President Mahmoud Abbas have appeared across the occupied territory. Upon seeing a banner in his hometown of Anabta, in the northern West Bank district of Tulkarem, al-Awartani, who is one of the youth council leaders in the town, took to Facebook to express his disapproval…. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/palestinian-launches-hunger-strike-palestinian-authority-jail-180426112237969.html Palestinian novelist Ibrahim Nasrallah wins top Arab prize AFP 25 Apr by Karim Sahib — Palestinian author Ibrahim Nasrallah has landed the Arab world’s top fiction prize for his novel “The Second War of the Dog”, a dystopian tale of inhumanity. Nasrallah’s work won the International Prize for Arab Fiction, affiliated with the Man Booker Prize, at a ceremony Tuesday hosted by the United Arab Emirates. Set in a violence-wracked nameless country, “The Second War of the Dog” explores the moral and material avarice of humankind through the life of its main character, Rashid, who morphs from a diehard regime opponent into a corrupt extremist. “This novel aims to shake the reader, to shatter his understanding of the world, to shatter his complacency. Because no one can survive if the world around him is collapsing,” Nasrallah told AFP after the ceremony. “We are subject to a sort of oppression by arrogance by the great powers of this world,” he said. “Killing our children, driving us into poverty, plundering the wealth of the Arab world, this is also oppression. Oppression is not just the doing of this or that little [extremist] group.” Born to Palestinian parents in Jordan in 1954, Nasrallah is a former journalist who turned to full-time writing in 2006…. https://www.afp.com/en/news/828/palestinian-novelist-ibrahim-nasrallah-wins-top-arab-prize-doc-14b0ug1 Palestinians in Europe set to hold conference on right of return Al Jazeera 28 Apr — Palestinians across Europe are slated to hold a conference to mark 70 years of exile, in Milan, Italy on Sunday. The conference, which is themed “70 years on … and we shall return”, is the 16th consecutive Palestinians in Europe Conference. The 16 speakers scheduled to address the conference include academics, journalists, filmmakers, actors, prominent Christian and Muslim leaders and legislators from countries including Italy, Tunisia, Jordan and elsewhere. Among the speakers are Nahela al-Waari, vice president of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, Italian legislator Stefano Vasiane, Jordanian parliamentarian Dima Dahboub, Ramallah-based priest Julio Brunila and others. Billed as the largest gathering of Palestinians in Europe, the conference will include lectures, workshops, discussion panels, exhibits and cultural activities. The Palestinians in Europe Conference is being organised by the Europe Palestinians Conference Organisation, the Palestinian Return Centre and the Palestine Coalition in Italy. The conference will be held just two weeks before Nakba Day, which is commemorated each year on May 15 to mourn the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homeland during Israel’s 1948 establishment. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/palestinians-europe-set-hold-conference-return-180427091547221.html Japanese Prime Minister Abe to visit Palestine on Tuesday RAMALLAH (WAFA) 28 Apr – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to visit Palestine on Tuesday, according to a press release by the Japanese Representative Office in Ramallah. In the two-day visit that will also include Israel, “Abe will reconfirm Japan’s commitment to actively contribute to the Middle East Peace Process currently facing challenges, based on its excellent relations with both parties,” said the press release. A high level business delegation is going to accompany Abe on his visit, the second in a little over three years, with a view to enhancing economic ties with Palestine and a focus on the “Corridor for Peace and Prosperity” project and the Jericho Agro-Industrial Park. Abe’s first visit to Palestine was in January 2015. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=h1H8jPa97451893176ah1H8jP 2 die after freak storm whips Israel Ynet 25 Apr — Heavy rain, golf ball-sized hail and flash floods assailed Israel Wednesday, catching many already used to summer weather by surprise and even claiming the lives of two. Kais Alwashla, a 16-year-old Bedouin resident of the south, was swept away by the Mamshit River and was later found in critical condition. He was evacuated to a hospital via helicopter but was later pronounced dead. A young woman around the age of 18 from the village of Arab al-Rashayida in the Bethlehem Governorate, central West Bank was also swept away by a flash flood when she apparently went to tend to her sheep near the village. She was carried off about 8.5 kilometers with her sheep in a stream near Amos, east of Gush Etzion. Palestinian search and rescue teams pulled her body out of the water, pronouncing her dead at the scene…. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5241033,00.html Two Palestinian children drown as rains flood West Bank and Israel Haaretz 27 Apr by Jack Khoury et al. — The lifeless bodies of two Palestinian children were found Friday as rain and flooding continued to take a devastating toll in the West Bank and Israel, where a group of ten young people died after being caught in a flash flood in the south. The two Palestinian children were found in a reservoir that flooded in the El Fuwar refugee camp south of Hebron. The two were identified as Yazen Mohammad Asrahana, 10, and Ahmed Samich Asrahana, 9. The two went missing on Thursday, but were found only today. The two were likely playing near the makeshift reservoir – which serves as a watering tank for local farms – when rain and flooding pushed them inside…. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/two-palestinian-children-drown-as-rains-flood-west-bank-and-israel-1.6032989 Arab MK’s daughter: ‘I was humiliated at Ben-Gurion airport’ Ynet 26 Apr by Amihai Attali — Amna Freige, the daughter of Meretz MK Esawi Freige, says she had to go through a humiliating security check at Ben-Gurion Airport earlier this month because she is of Arab descent. Freige and her friend Lina Jaries had booked flight tickets to Berlin for a vacation. They say they were harassment began as soon as they arrived at the airport. Their personal belongings were checked and they were asked to go through a full body scanner, just like other passengers. But then security personnel asked them to remove their bras. According to Freige and her friend, the security team’s shift manager threatened that if they don’t comply with the security check, they would not be allowed to board their flight. At this point Amna called her father who recommended: “Just suck it up if you want to be on that flight.” And so the young women had to go through the security check naked. They are currently preparing a lawsuit against the Israel Airports Authority, claiming there was no justification for that particular security check and that the entire incident was an unnecessary humiliation. The Israel Airport Authority said, “When we get a specific warning, a security check is required.” https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5240790,00.html Romania’s president wants PM out over Israel embassy move Al Jazeera 27 Apr — Klaus Iohannis says PM didn’t consult him before endorsing secret plan to move Romania’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem … If Romania decides to move its embassy to Jerusalem, it will be the first European Union state to do so. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/romania-president-pm-israel-embassy-move-180427095228699.html Czech Republic to move embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem Ynet’s Itamar Eichner/AP 25 Apr — President Miloš Zeman says his country plans to transfer its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, following a move being led by US President Donald Trump and emulated by Guatemala; Zeman says move to take place in 3 steps; no timetable provided, but Netanyahu expresses hope for completion by end of year…. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5241286,00.html Top US court rules for Arab Bank in Israeli attack case AFP 24 Apr — Victims of attacks in Israel cannot use an 18th century law to sue the Arab Bank, a multinational financial institution, the US Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday in a precedent-setting case for other foreign businesses. The decision rests on a legal provision almost 230 years old. Plaintiffs accused the Jordan-based bank of facilitating transfers to Hamas, the Islamist movement which controls the Gaza Strip and which Israel and the United States label a terrorist group. A majority of five conservative judges on the top US court outnumbered four others who dissented. The Arab Bank was founded in Jerusalem in 1930 when Palestine was under the British Mandate, and now has more than 600 branches worldwide. It plays a central role in the Palestinian territories where it works with major international development agencies. The roughly 6,000 foreign claimants in the case included victims of militant attacks in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, primarily during the second Intifada from 2000 to 2005. They said the Bank contravened international laws by allowing financial transfers aimed at funding the violence to be made to accounts held by Hamas leaders. The plaintiffs based their action on the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) of 1789, which was adopted following an altercation some five years earlier in which a French diplomat was assaulted by a French national in the US. The statute was largely dormant for nearly 200 years before reemerging onto the legal scene. Various legal actions were begun against foreign dictators and multinational corporations implicated in cases outside US territory. But the judges on Tuesday, worried over the risk of diplomatic tensions, refused to extend application of the ATS to multinationals with no link to the United States…. https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/173131-180424-top-us-court-rules-for-arab-bank-in-israel-attack-case Friedman said seeking to call West Bank ‘Judea and Samaria’ in statements Times of Israel/AP 25 Apr — United States Ambassador to Israel David Friedman has been seeking to adopt the Israeli name for the West Bank, Judea and Samaria, in his official remarks and statements, but has so far been prevented from doing so by the Trump administration, officials told the Associated Press … The sources added that Friedman, who lobbied heavily for Trump’s December 6 recognition of Jerusalem and the embassy’s relocation to Jerusalem, has also championed the recent removal of the term “occupied territories,” which had been the standard for more than 20 years, from the title of sections covering Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in the State Department’s annual human rights reports released Friday. The 2017 report did not entirely eliminate the term from the report, but it significantly reduced its use. Compared with more than 40 references in the 2016 report, the words “occupation” or “occupied” appeared only six times…. https://www.timesofisrael.com/friedman-seeking-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria-in-official-statements/ Military aid to Israel US Campaign for Palestinian Rights — US taxpayers will give Israel a total of $38 billion of weapons over ten years ($3.8 billion each year from 2019 to 2028), according to a 2016 agreement between the two countries. Israel uses these weapons, in violation of US laws, to commit human rights abuses against Palestinians living under its brutal, more than half-century-long military occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. These include injuring and killing civilians, detaining and abusing children, demolishing homes, uprooting agriculture, and denying freedom of movement and expression. How much of this annual $3.8 billion allocation do people in your state, Congressional district, county, and city provide and what could be funded instead with this money to benefit your community? Find out below on our interactive map. Click on a state to get started. https://uscpr.org/campaign/government-affairs/resources/military-aid-to-israel/ ||||| GAZA (Reuters) - Political rivals accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday of pushing ahead with a rare and disputed national decision-making meeting to tighten his grip on power and sideline them. Abbas has billed Monday’s convening of the Palestinian National Council (PNC), a 700-member assembly within the umbrella Palestinian Liberation Organisation, as a chance to forge a united front against Israel and the United States. But the event in Ramallah, the Palestinian hub in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has revived old feuds between Abbas’s Fatah party and rivals from Islamist and other factions, many of whose members cannot attend due to Israeli restrictions. Last week, 109 PNC members urged Abbas to postpone the meeting to allow greater participation. The call went unheeded, and on Sunday, censure of the president became more pointed. “The PNC meeting that will be held in Ramallah is not legitimate, is factional, and does not represent all of the Palestinians,” Mushir Al-Masri, a lawmaker with the Islamist group Hamas, told reporters at a meeting of PNC critics in Gaza. The Gaza Strip, under de facto Hamas control since 2007, has been a focus of Palestinian infighting. Though Hamas formally resubmitted to Abbas’s authority last year, their reconciliation has been held up by disputes over power-sharing. “We stress the need to regain Palestinian unity and end the policy of exclusion and unilateralism by the leadership of the Palestinian Authority and its hijacking of Palestinian institutions,” said Masri. Khader Habib of Islamic Jihad, a Hamas political ally, accused Abbas of “holding the PNC meeting to stress his exclusion of all those who oppose him”. “The president is keen for the conference to bring about only decisions that suit his own project,” Habib told Reuters. Hamas and Islamic Jihad oppose Abbas’ strategy of peace talks with Israel. However, diplomacy has been on hold since 2014 and many Palestinians’ views have hardened over U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition late last year of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The PNC last met in extraordinary session in 2009 to replace several members of the PLO’s Executive Committee. It last held a regular session in 1996. Political analysts in Gaza said a PNC meeting without wide factional representation would weaken the legitimacy of any decisions it may take. Earlier on Sunday dozens of masked youths gathered on the Palestinian side of the Gaza Strip’s main crossing with Israel, threatening to block any PNC official from leaving for the West Bank to attend Monday’s session. ||||| Dropping barrels of dynamite on houses and hospitals in a Palestinian refugee camp is apparently of no interest to those who pretend to champion Palestinians around the world. Nor does the issue seem to move the UN Security Council. UNRWA said that of the estimated 438,000 Palestine refugees remaining inside Syria, more than 95% (418,000) are in critical need of sustained humanitarian assistance. As for the leaders of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip? They are otherwise occupied. Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority and Hamas are too busy lunging at each other’s throats and trying to take down Israel to pay much attention to their people’s suffering in Syria. While all eyes are set on the weekly demonstrations organized by Hamas and other Palestinian factions along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, as part of the so-called March of Return, a Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus is facing a wide-scale military offensive and ethnic cleansing by the Syrian army and its allies. The war crimes committed against the Palestinians in Yarmouk camp have so far failed to prompt an ounce of outrage, much less the sort of outcry emerging from the international community over the events of the past four weeks along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The international community seems to differentiate between a Palestinian shot by an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian shot by a Syrian soldier. In the first case, Hamas and several Palestinian groups have been encouraging Palestinians to march towards the border with Israel, with some even trying to destroy the security fence and hurling stones and petrol bombs at Israeli troops. The organizers of the Gaza demonstrations say their real goal is to “achieve the right of return and return to all of Palestine.” Dozens of local and foreign journalists have shown great interest in the “March of Return.” Reporters from different parts of the world have been converging on the Gaza Strip and the border with Israel to report about the weekly demonstrations and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers. How many journalists, though, have traveled to Syria to cover the plight of the Palestinians in that country? A small handful, perhaps? Why? Because the Palestinians who are being maimed and murdered in Syria are the victims of an Arab army — nothing to do with Israel. Yarmouk camp was once home to some 160,000 Palestinians. Since the beginning of the civil war in Syria, however, the number of residents left in the camp is estimated at a few hundred. On April 19, the Syrian army and its allies, including the Russians, launched a massive offensive against opposition groups and Islamic State terrorists based in Yarmouk. Since then, 5,000 of the 6,000 residents left in Yarmouk have fled the camp, according to the United Nations and human rights organizations. Most of the camp’s houses have been destroyed in the past few years as a result of the fighting between the Syrian army and opposition groups that found shelter inside Yarmouk. Yarmouk has been under the full siege of the Syrian army since 2013, a situation that has caused a humanitarian crisis for the residents. According to some reports, the situation has gotten so bad that residents living there have been forced to eat dogs and cats to survive. In the past week, at least 15 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes and artillery shelling on Yarmouk. According to the London-based Action Group for Palestinians of Syria, 3,722 Palestinians (including 465 women) have been killed since the beginning of the civil war in Syria in 2011. Another 1,675 are said to have been detained by the Syrian authorities, and another 309 are listed as missing. More than 200 of the Palestinian victims died because of the lack of food and medical care, most of them in Yarmouk. Since the beginning of the civil war, some 120,000 Palestinians have fled Syria to Europe. An additional 31,000 fled to Lebanon, 17,000 to Jordan, 6,000 to Egypt, 8,000 to Turkey and 1,000 to the Gaza Strip. On April 24, Syrian and Russian warplanes carried out more than 85 airstrikes on Yarmouk camp and dropped 24 barrels of explosives; 24 rocket and dozens of missiles were fired at the camp. A day earlier, Syrian and Russian warplanes launched 220 airstrikes on Yarmouk camp. The warplanes dropped 55 barrels of dynamite on the camp, which was also targeted with 108 rockets and missiles. According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the conflict in Syria “continues to disrupt the lives of civilians, resulting in death and injuries, internal displacement, extensive damage to civilian infrastructure and persistent humanitarian needs. Affected communities suffer indiscriminate violence, restrictions on their freedom of movement and continued violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. Palestinians are among those worst affected by the conflict.” UNRWA said that of the estimated 438,000 Palestine refugees remaining inside Syria, more than 95% (418,000) are in critical need of sustained humanitarian assistance. Almost 254,000 are internally displaced, and an estimated 56,600 are trapped in hard-to-reach or wholly inaccessible locations. The silence of the international community to the war crimes being committed against defenseless Palestinians in a refugee camp in Syria is an insult. Dropping barrels of dynamite on houses and hospitals in a Palestinian refugee camp is apparently of no interest to those who pretend to champion Palestinians around the world. Nor does the issue seem to move the UN Security Council. But the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel: for the world, that is where the real story is unfolding. Certainly not in Syria, where Palestinians face ethnic cleansing on a daily basis. As for the leaders of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip? They are otherwise occupied. Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority and Hamas are too busy lunging at each other’s throats and trying to take down Israel to pay much attention to their people’s suffering in Syria. For the past four weeks, the two rival Palestinian parties have been castigating Israel for its actions along its border with the Gaza Strip. They have also been calling on the international community to hold Israel accountable for its “crimes” against Palestinians. But when it comes to atrocities being committed against their people in an Arab country, words apparently fail Palestinian leaders. Assad and his army can slaughter Palestinians and launch airstrikes on a Palestinian camp without a whimper of protest from Hamas or the Palestinian Authority. In fact, all one hears is the silence of the dead. ||||| GAZA, April 29 (Reuters) - Political rivals accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday of pushing ahead with a rare and disputed national decision-making meeting to tighten his grip on power and sideline them. Abbas has billed Monday's convening of the Palestinian National Council (PNC), a 700-member assembly within the umbrella Palestinian Liberation Organisation, as a chance to forge a united front against Israel and the United States. But the event in Ramallah, the Palestinian hub in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has revived old feuds between Abbas's Fatah party and rivals from Islamist and other factions, many of whose members cannot attend due to Israeli restrictions. Last week, 109 PNC members urged Abbas to postpone the meeting to allow greater participation. The call went unheeded, and on Sunday, censure of the president became more pointed. "The PNC meeting that will be held in Ramallah is not legitimate, is factional, and does not represent all of the Palestinians," Mushir Al-Masri, a lawmaker with the Islamist group Hamas, told reporters at a meeting of PNC critics in Gaza. The Gaza Strip, under de facto Hamas control since 2007, has been a focus of Palestinian infighting. Though Hamas formally resubmitted to Abbas's authority last year, their reconciliation has been held up by disputes over power-sharing. "We stress the need to regain Palestinian unity and end the policy of exclusion and unilateralism by the leadership of the Palestinian Authority and its hijacking of Palestinian institutions," said Masri. Khader Habib of Islamic Jihad, a Hamas political ally, accused Abbas of "holding the PNC meeting to stress his exclusion of all those who oppose him". "The president is keen for the conference to bring about only decisions that suit his own project," Habib told Reuters. Hamas and Islamic Jihad oppose Abbas' strategy of peace talks with Israel. However, diplomacy has been on hold since 2014 and many Palestinians' views have hardened over U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition late last year of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The PNC last met in extraordinary session in 2009 to replace several members of the PLO´s Executive Committee. It last held a regular session in 1996. Political analysts in Gaza said a PNC meeting without wide factional representation would weaken the legitimacy of any decisions it may take. Earlier on Sunday dozens of masked youths gathered on the Palestinian side of the Gaza Strip's main crossing with Israel, threatening to block any PNC official from leaving for the West Bank to attend Monday's session. (Editing by Mark Heinrich) ||||| Update: Israeli army kills 3 in Gaza, injures 995 [with photos of those killed] IMEMC 28 Apr — The Palestinian Health Ministry has confirmed that Israeli soldiers killed, Friday, three young Palestinian men, and injured more than 995, including at least 178 who were shot with live fire. It stated that the first Palestinian who was killed by Israeli army fire, Friday, has been identified as Mohammad Amin al-Moqyd, 21, from Gaza city. His body was moved to the Shifa Medical Center. The Ministry added that the soldiers also killed Abdul-Salam Bakr, 29, from Khuza‘a town, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The third Palestinian who was killed by army fire has been identified as Khalil Na‘im Atallah, 22, from Gaza. In addition, the Health Ministry said the soldiers injured 995 Palestinians, including many who suffered serious wounds. It added that 178 of the wounded were shot with live fire. 175 of the wounded Palestinians were injured in Northern Gaza, 251 in Gaza city area, 200 in Central Gaza, 146 in Khan Younis and 183 in Rafah … The ongoing ‘Great Return March’ protests which started on Palestinian Land Day (March 30th) are meant to bring attention to the fact that millions of Palestinians are imprisoned in the Gaza Strip, unable to return to their homes in what is now Israel. Palestinians make up the largest refugee population on earth. Israeli troops again opened fire on the unarmed protesters, as they have done each Friday since the protests began on March 30th. Since March 30th, Israeli forces have killed forty-three Palestinian protesters, and wounded more than five thousand…. http://imemc.org/article/israeli-forces-gun-down-palestinian-protesters-in-gaza-killing-3-and-wounding-611/ Child dies of wounds sustained during Gaza border protests KHAN YOUNIS (WAFA) 28 Apr – A Palestinian child died on Saturday of wounds sustained during the Friday protests at the Gaza borders with Israel, according to the Ministry of Health. WAFA correspondent in Gaza said Israeli soldiers stationed at the border shot Azzam Hilal Oueida, 14, in the head while he was participating in the Great Return March protests near the fence near the town of Khazaa, east of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip. Oueida was rushed to the European Hospital with critical injuries where he was later declared dead. He is the fourth Palestinian to be shot and killed by Israeli soldiers during Friday border protests bringing the total killed so far since the start of the Great Return March protests on March 30 to 44. Thousands were wounded, many of them reported in critical condition. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=nTvLCCa97449989670anTvLCC Second Palestinian journalist succumbs to wounds in Gaza BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 26 Apr — A Palestinian journalist succumbed overnight from wounds sustained by an Israeli army sniper, while covering the recent “Great March of Return” demonstrations in Gaza. Ahmed Abu Hussein was shot in the side of the abdomen on Friday the 13th of April, and later died on the 25th of April in Tel Hashomer hospital in central Israel, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Abu Hussein came under Israeli sniper fire despite the fact he was at a distance of 350-meters from the border fence. Israel has previously declared its “right to defend the border” from demonstrators that come within 300-meters. The 24-year-old journalist from Jabaliya refugee camp worked as a journalist for the Gaza-based Al Shaab radio station, as well as a photographer for Bisan. According to eye-witnesses, he was wearing a helmet, as well as a protective vest marked “PRESS” at the time of his shooting. Unverified video evidence may act to support the claim that Abu Hussein was indeed wearing a blue protective vest as he was struck by an Israeli army sniper. The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate has issued a statement holding the Israeli army “fully responsible for this crime”, calling for an investigation, and ultimately prosecutions.In an interview with Al Jazeera, Sherif Mansour, Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists said: “Protective gear that clearly indicates individuals are members of the press should afford them extra protection- not make them targets.” “The death of Ahmed Abu Hussein underscores the need for Israeli authorities to urgently scrutinize its policies toward journalists covering protests and take immediate, effective action.” Mansour explained. Abu Hussein’s death marks the second death of a journalist whilst covering the march of our lives demonstrations on the Gaza-Israel border, following the death of Yaser Murtaja, 30, who was shot on the 7th of April. Israel has since stated Murtaja was an active member of Hamas- a claim his family and work colleagues have vehemently denied. According to a report from the Committee to Protect Journalists, thirteen journalists in total have come under fire from the Israeli Army whilst covering the events on the border in recent weeks…. http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=780064 Ministry of health: Israel used unknown gas against protesters along Gaza borders GAZA (WAFA) 27 Apr – The Ministry of Health Friday said that Israeli forces used an ‘”unknown” gas against unarmed, peaceful Palestinians on the fifth consecutive Friday of the Great March of Return protests to the east of al-Buriej refugee camp, in central Gaza. The ministry said that Israeli forces randomly fired an unknown gas toward protesters in al-Awdeh refugee camp to the east of al-Buriej, causing suffocation, convulsion, and extreme vomiting to dozens of protesters. Many were transferred to hospital for medical treatment due to the severity of their condition. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=nTvLCCa97448086164anTvLCC Body of assassinated Palestinian given emotional sendoff in Malaysia [with video] KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) 25 Apr – The body of an assassinated Palestinian scientist was on Wednesday (April 25) driven through the Malaysian capital accompanied by a crowd shouting “God is greatest”, as mourners accused Israel of killing him. Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh‘s corpse was set to be flown to Egypt later in the day before being transported on to Gaza for burial … The remains were taken to a mosque, where prayers for the dead were performed before about 500 mourners. “Every Palestinian who has heard of this assassination is saddened and shocked,” Muslim Imran, chairman of the Palestinian Cultural Organisation of Malaysia, told the crowd. “This crime, I believe, is another reflection of the nature of the Israeli occupation. They carry out crimes, massacres, not only in Palestine but also in the rest of the world.” Malik Taibi, an Algerian student who was Batsh’s neighbour, added the victim was a “very kind man”. “We hope that the ones that killed him are caught by the Malaysian government.” Earlier on Wednesday police said they believed the two suspects accused of carrying out the hit were still in the country, and released a photograph of one of them. The men were believed to have entered Malaysia in January but their nationalities were still not known, police said. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/body-of-assassinated-palestinian-given-emotional-send-off-in-malaysia Family of murdered KL lecturer to move to Gaza, says widow KUALA LUMPUR (Straits Times) 25 Apr by Nadirah H. Rodzi — The family of slain Palestinian lecturer Dr Fadi al-Batsh will move back home to the Palestinian territory of Gaza after the academic is laid to rest there. “God willing, we will start a new life in Gaza,” said Dr Fadi’s widow, Ms Enas Batsh. Speaking at the family’s house in Jalan Meranti, Setapak, on Tuesday night (April 24), Ms Enas, who had expected to continue postgraduate studies at the Universiti Malaya, said she would request to continue the programme online. “It was my husband’s wish to see me further my studies. He said I had been patient when he was pursuing his education so now, he wants me to pursue my passion,” she said. The couple have three children, aged one to six. Recalling the days leading up to Saturday’s brutal killing, the 31-year-old widow said there were no signs anything was amiss. “We didn’t get any feeling that he was threatened. We were planning a holiday. It’s unbelievable,” she said … Meanwhile, Dr Fadi’s brother, Ramy, 28, hopes those responsible for the death will be brought to justice. “It was a brutal attack… we want them to be taken to court and given the heaviest punishment,” he said. The family also denied claims that Dr Fadi was a rocket scientist as alleged by the Israeli government. “It’s inaccurate… My brother was only a positive person who loved his religion and knowledge … Israel’s Mossad spy agency has been accused of being behind the killing but the Israeli government dismissed the allegation on Sunday. The Palestine News Network, an Arabic language media network based in the Palestinian Territories, also said Israel had asked Egypt not to allow Dr Fadi’s body to be brought back to Gaza, but the network said this was not under Israel’s control as the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip falls within Egyptian sovereignty. Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman reportedly said the request was in line with Israel’s policy on preventing the transfer of the bodies of martyrs from the Hamas movement for burial in the Gaza Strip. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/family-of-murdered-kl-lecturer-to-move-to-gaza-says-widow Palestinian lecturer killed in Malaysia is buried in Gaza GAZA (Reuters) 26 Apr by Nidal al-Mughrabi — The body of Fadi al-Batsh, a Palestinian lecturer claimed as a member by Hamas who was gunned down in Malaysia at the weekend, was repatriated to Gaza and buried on Thursday … Batsh’s body was flown to Egypt, accompanied by his wife and son, and then taken by road to Gaza for a reception attended by members of all political factions and relatives, followed by burial in the northern Gaza Strip. “We hold the occupation (Israel) responsible for the killing and martyrdom of Fadi, the killers of scientists will not escape punishment,” senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya said as the body was received in Gaza. Policemen carried Batsh’s coffin, draped in the Palestinian flag, past an honor guard as family members wept. “The sinful hands that assassinated Batsh will be severed,” Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s political chief, said at the funeral rally. Hamas has confirmed Batsh was a member, but has not specified what role he had in the movement. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-palestinians-hamas-malaysia/palestinian-lecturer-killed-in-malaysia-is-buried-in-gaza-idUSKBN1HX365 At Gaza’s largest hospital, the wounded keep coming GAZA (Reuters) 25 Apr by Nidal al-Mughrabi — Doctors are on a particularly tight schedule at Gaza’s largest hospital when it comes to treating Palestinians wounded by Israeli army bullets at Friday protests along the border. Many of the injured rushed to Shifa hospital have to be discharged by Thursday, a day before the next mass demonstration, to make room for a new round of wounded. At the facility on Wednesday, two foreign surgeons, contracted by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), joined their Palestinian colleagues in tending the injured in multiple operating rooms. “We have different teams operating on arterial problems in seven theaters at the same time. That meant it was much quicker, much more efficient, and it was very effective,” said British vascular surgeon John Wolfe. But the frequent power outages that have long plagued Gaza mean that, at times, doctors briefly have to operate by the light from cellphones before emergency generators kick in … Slobodan Mirosavljev, a visiting surgeon from Serbia, said Palestinian medical personnel had coped well with a situation that would have been “overwhelming for any health facility in any country”…. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-protests-surgeons/at-gazas-largest-hospital-the-wounded-keep-coming-idUSKBN1HW1YO Due to large number of injuries, PA Health Ministry delays 4,000 scheduled surgeries IMEMC 25 Apr — The Palestinian Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip has announced delaying 4000 scheduled surgeries for patients in the coastal region due to the excessively high number of Palestinians who were shot by the Israeli army during the “Great March of Return Protests.” … The head of the General Administration of Gaza hospitals, Abdul-Latif al-Haj, said the wounded Palestinians, and due to the varying nature of their injuries, consume more medical supplies than ordinary patients, especially sterilized bandages, stitches, and surgery tools, in addition to various sorts of antibiotics, IV solutions, and anti-coagulants. He said that the number of external bone fixation devices used on patients who have suffered gunshot wounds since March 30th is more than the average amount for an entire year. http://imemc.org/article/due-to-large-number-of-injuries-p-a-health-ministry-delays-4000-scheduled-surgeries/ Israeli government justifies killing child protester in Gaza: They’re not in school Mondoweiss 24 Apr by Philip Weiss — The picture of Alaa Zamli, 15, is on top of this post because of his beautiful smile, which should have taken him very far in life. But he lived in Gaza, where he was killed by an Israeli sniper during the fence protests April 10. Today Ben White tweeted Zamli’s picture along with those of three other children protesters Israeli snipers have killed in Gaza … Israeli education minister Naftali Bennett was asked on Sunday if Israel had not gone too far when it killed Ayoub, as Orly Noy reports at +972: Army Radio morning show host Razi Barkai asked Education Minister Naftali Bennett if “we had gone too far” in killing 15-year-old Mohammed Ayoub during the Gaza return march protests last Friday. “If he had gone to school like every other kid,” Bennett responded, “there wouldn’t have been a problem.” That is what Israel’s education minister had to say about the murder of a child – killed by a sniper’s bullet – during a protest. This is now a theme of Israeli propaganda surrounding the killings in Gaza: the children are to blame for not being in school, or not reading books…. http://mondoweiss.net/2018/04/government-justifies-protesters/ Israeli troops first shot a Gaza journalist’s left leg, then his right. And they didn’t stop there Haaretz 27 Apr by Gideon Levy & Alex Levac — The amputation of 19-year-old Gaza photographer Yousef Kronz’s left leg could have been prevented had Israel let him receive timely medical treatment in the West Bank –– His left leg was amputated in Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip, and now efforts are underway, in Istishari Arab Hospital in the West Bank, to ensure that his right leg doesn’t suffer the same fate. More than two weeks passed between the amputation of the first leg – which itself could have been prevented – and the action undertaken to save the other one. Precious time in which Israel refused to allow Yousef Kronz, the first Palestinian seriously wounded during the recent weekly protests in the Gaza Strip, to be moved to the hospital outside Ramallah. The High Court of Justice finally forced the Defense Ministry to bring this disgraceful conduct to an end and allow the transfer of the 19-year-old student and journalist from Bureij refugee camp, to that more sophisticated facility. On Friday, March 30, Kronz was shot, first in the left leg, by an Israel Defense Forces sniper, and then, seconds later, when he tried to get up, in the right leg, by a second sniper. According to Kronz, the rounds that slammed into his legs and shattered his life came from two different directions. In other words, he was shot by two different marksmen, as he stood 750 meters away from the Gaza border fence, armed with no more than his camera, wearing a vest with “Press” emblazoned on it, trying to document the incessant firing by IDF snipers at unarmed Palestinian demonstrators. After he was hit, he tells us now, he saw more and more people falling to the sand, bleeding, “like birds.” The incident occurred on Land Day, the first day of the Marches of Return opposite the Gaza fence…. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-idf-troops-shot-a-gaza-journalist-s-legs-and-they-didn-t-stop-there-1.6032559 Israeli army confirms airstrikes against Hamas in Gaza, Palestinians report four wounded Haaretz 27 Apr by Jack Khoury — At least four people were wounded in Israeli airstrikes on Hamas outpost at a port in Gaza, Palestinian media reported Friday. Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson confirmed the attack, saying the IDF struck six naval targets belonging to the organization. The Gaza Health Ministry has not reported of any wounded thus far. Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson released a statement confirming the airstrike, saying it was in response to the “terrorist actions and extensive attempts to breach Israeli territory earlier today.” The statement adds that “for several weeks now, the terrorist organization Hamas has been leading violent riots that act as a guise for a string of terrorist attacks against Israeli security forces and civilians.” The statement refers to the incident reported by the IDF earlier Friday, in which hundreds of Palestinians allegedly rushed the border fence, “as they hurl charges, grenades and bottle bombs and even hit and set fire to the border fence.”…. https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/palestinians-four-wounded-in-israeli-strike-on-hamas-target-in-gaza-1.6033350 Egypt to open Rafah crossing with Gaza for 3 days starting Saturday CAIRO (WAFA) 27 Apr – Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt will be opened in both directions for three days starting Saturday to allow travel for humanitarian cases, the Palestinian embassy in Egypt announced on Friday…. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=h1H8jPa97444279152ah1H8jP UN says US has cut almost 5 times amount of Gaza aid it originally said Thomson Reuters 24 Apr — Emergency food aid for around a million Palestinians in Gaza may run out from June if the UN agency for Palestinian refugees cannot raise another $200 million US following a cut-off in U.S. funding, the agency said Tuesday. Pierre Kraehenbuehl, who heads the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) providing aid for Palestinians across the Middle East, said U.S. President Donald Trump had withheld $305 million in funding, far more than the $65 million reported in January. “You already have a very, very fragile community [in Gaza],” Kraehenbuehl told Reuters in an interview during an international donor conference in Syria in Brussels. “So if you suddenly have no certainty about the amount of food aid coming from the UN for a million people … you can just imagine the kind of effects it could have,” he said, although he stressed he was not justifying any link to potential outbreaks of unrest. Gulf states, Norway and Canada have stepped in with a total of $200 million to help meet a planned $465 million budget for 2018. The U.S. is providing just $60 million of a promised $365 million, Kraehenbuehl said. That leaves a $200 million shortfall to fill for rice, flour, sugar and also to keep funding schools in Gaza and the West Bank. The U.S. has long been the biggest donor to the agency. In 2010, for example, the Barack Obama administration announced a plan to give $400 million through the UNRW for Gaza and West Bank aid … Kraehenbuehl said the shortfall in funding for the agency could also mean there may not be enough money to reopen schools in August and September for the new academic year. “This is our largest funding crisis ever,” he said. http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/un-us-palestinian-aid-shortfall-1.4632893 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia makes contribution of $50m to UNRWA JERUSALEM (WAFA) 27 Apr — The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) expressed its deep recognition and gratitude for the extraordinary contribution of $50 million announced by King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the recent Arab League Summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia…. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=h1H8jPa97446182658ah1H8jP United Arab Emirates makes contribution of $50m to UNRWA JERUSALEM (WAFA) 27 Apr – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) ‘warmly’ welcomed a $50 million contribution announced upon the directives of the President of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan…. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=h1H8jPa97445230905ah1H8jP UN humanitarian groups say Gaza needs critical intervention following large scale injuries JERUSALEM (WAFA) 28 Apr – The large number of Palestinian deaths and injuries as a result of excessive Israeli force and use of gunfire against protesters at the Gaza border with Israel over the last month has prompted United Nations humanitarian organizations to appeal for urgent medical and health intervention in the Gaza Strip. According to the Ministry of Health, the Friday protests left four Palestinians dead, including a 14-year-old child, almost 1000 injured, including 76 children and 39 women, and 178 injured from live bullets, eight of them in critical condition. Overall, since March 30 when the Great Return March protests began, 44 Palestinians were killed and over 6000 injured, including over 600 children and more than 200 women, around 150 critically injured, and almost 2000 shot with live ammunition including more than 230 shot in the neck and head, 450 in the upper parts, more than 120 in the back and chest, 140 in the abdomen and pelvis, over 1700 in the lower extremities. In addition, the ministry reported 21 cases of limbs amputations (not including the last Friday injuries): … In its flash update report following the Friday protests, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to the occupied Palestinian territory said humanitarian actors have identified three areas of intervention that are critical to respond to the urgent needs arising from the ongoing protests in Gaza: providing immediate life-saving healthcare; monitoring, verifying and documenting possible protection violations; and scaling up the provision of mental health and psychological support for people injured or otherwise affected by the events. According to OCHA, some $5.3 million is urgently required to scale up the immediate response until 31 May, the expected six-week duration of the Great Return March demonstrations, plus an additional two weeks to ensure immediate response to any affected on 15 May, the apex of the protests that coincides on the Palestinian Nakba anniversary marking 70 years of Palestinian dispersion and uprooting from their homeland…. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=h1H8jPa97452844929ah1H8jP 11 years of visiting Gaza, seeing it deteriorate AMERA 25 Apr by Liz Demarest — Since December 2007 I have visited Gaza nine times. It is April 2018 and I just got back from a trip there. Over the course of 11 years, I have seen this beautiful strip of land deteriorate to the point where it is hard to imagine how much worse it can be. On my first visit, the blockade was new. I saw poverty, but there was still some commerce and industry functioning that had existed before the blockade began … With every succeeding year I’ve seen things get more and more dire. The bombings in 2008 – 2009, 2012 and especially 2014 destroyed thousands of homes and entire industrial sectors. They also destroyed water and sewage networks. Schools were flattened … Most upsetting is how much I’ve seen people’s feelings of hope disappear. I have always thought of the Palestinians of Gaza as having an amazing spirit and resilience. But on this trip I’m hearing people say that things just get worse and there’s absolutely no end in sight to it. People have nothing to strive for. They want a better life for their children. But they don’t see that as a real possibility anymore in Gaza. Even people who have been the most committed to Gaza, who have said to me that they believe it’s important to stay and build up their communities and society — because they love it — no longer are saying such things. Many people tell me they would leave if they could, because they need to make sure their children have a brighter future and they don’t want to doom them by keeping them in Gaza. Gaza is full of educated, capable and motivated people who could rebuild their communities very quickly if they were allowed the freedom to interact with the outside world. Isolating them and strangling their livelihoods does not protect Israel. Instead, the level of control exerted over Palestinians in Gaza has created anger, frustration and hopelessness. Isn’t it obvious this is no path to peace?…. https://www.anera.org/11-years-of-visiting-gaza-seeing-it-deteriorate/ Israeli soldiers shoot a teen near Nablus IMEMC 28 Apr — Israeli soldiers shot, on Friday evening, a Palestinian teenage boy, and caused many to suffer the effects of teargas inhalation, after the army invaded the al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya village, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Media sources said the soldiers invaded the village after dozens of Palestinians held a protest against the ongoing occupation. They added that the soldiers fired many rubber-coated steel bullets, wounding a 17-year-old boy in his back. The soldiers also fired dozens of gas bombs and concussion grenades, causing scores of Palestinians to suffer the effects of teargas inhalation, especially since some gas bombs directly struck homes. http://imemc.org/article/israeli-soldiers-shot-a-teen-near-nablus/ Israeli army invades Al-Jalazoun refugee camp [with video] IMEMC 28 Apr — Israeli soldiers invaded, on Friday evening, the Al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of the central west Bank city of Ramallah, reportedly after shots were fired at Beit El illegal colony. Many youngsters hurled stones at the soldiers while armed resistance fighters exchanged fire with the invading forces. Media sources in Ramallah said dozens of soldiers invaded the refugee camp after many live rounds were fired at Beit El nearby illegal colony and military base, which was built on Palestinian lands. Following the invasion, many local youngsters hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at the army jeeps, while the soldiers fired more live founds, rubber-coated steel bullets and gas bombs. The army also invaded a gas station to confiscate surveillance recordings, while local youngsters hurled stones at them, before additional forces invaded the area and fired dozens of live rounds to secure the retreat of the soldiers. During the invasion into the gas station, the soldiers caused excessive damage, and confiscated several computers and surveillance equipment. http://imemc.org/article/israeli-army-invades-al-jalazoun-refugee-camp/ 2 cars torched at Arab village in northern Israel Ynet 25 Apr by Hassan Shaalan & Ahiya Raved — Two cars were torched overnight Tuesday in the northern region village of Iksal [in Israel] and a stone fence was sprayed with “Jews, let’s win” in a suspected hate crime. Police were called to the scene, collected evidence, searched for suspects and opened an investigation into the incident. Police noted the investigation will receive top priority, with several similar such incidents taking place around the West Bank recently, the last of which happened Wedesnday as well—the walls of residences in the village of Jalud in the Binyamin region were sprayed with “Let us handle them” and “Take our destiny in our own hands.” Joint List MK Ahmad Tibi said the attack was serious and racist and that it “necessitated determined police action to end hate crimes towards Arab citizens.” https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5240564,00.html Yitzhar settlement viewed as epicenter of surge in ‘price tag’ attacks Times of Israel 23 Apr by Jacob Magid — But officials in the northern West Bank community say it’s due to an influx of ‘hilltop youth’ evicted from a nearby hardcore outpost last year — The Israeli security establishment views the northern West Bank settlement of Yitzhar as responsible for the recent uptick in hate crimes against Palestinian villages, a defense official told The Times of Israel Monday. The town of roughly 1,500 residents has become a “refuge for hilltop youth” who have been involved in most of the so-called price tag attacks in the past year, the official said. Seven instances of extensive Palestinian property destruction have been documented in the past week alone.“Price tag” refers to vandalism and other hate crimes carried out by Jewish ultra-nationalists ostensibly in retaliation for Palestinian violence or government policies perceived as hostile to the settler movement. Palestinian olive groves, mosques, churches have been targeted by far-right vandals in recent years, as have dovish Israeli rights groups and even IDF military bases … The defense establishment official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the violent instances that have taken place over the past month had been carried out by hilltop youth from Yitzhar. He added that in addition to the rogue settlers, students from Yitzhar’s Od Yosef Chai yeshiva have also been involved in carrying out the hate crimes. The religious institution led by US-born Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh has been long viewed by the Israeli defense establishment as a hotbed for extremism…. https://www.timesofisrael.com/yitzhar-settlement-viewed-as-epicenter-of-surge-in-price-tag-attacks/ Four Palestinians, including wounded teen, detained from West Bank BETHLEHEM (WAFA) 26 Apr – Israeli forces Thursday detained four Palestinians, including a wounded teen, from the West Bank districts of Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Jenin, said security sources and WAFA correspondent. Israeli forces detained a wounded Palestinian teen during a raid in Duheisha refugee camp, south of Bethlehem. Troops broke into and ransacked the family home of Hussein Shahin, 17, before detaining him, triggering clashes with youths who protested the raid and attempted to block troops’ passage. Local youths hurled stones at military jeeps, while troops fired live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets and gas canisters. Shahin reportedly was shot with three live rounds in his leg during a military raid into the camp in December. Meanwhile, Israeli forces conducted a raid into Jaba‘ town, south of Jenin, where they detained a Palestinian young man after storming and thoroughly searching his family home. This came several hours before Israeli police detained two Palestinians after savagely beating them in the Old City of Jerusalem. Several women were reportedly shoved out of the way as they attempted to free the detainee from police. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=tZWkzua97429051104atZWkzu Israeli soldiers abduct five Palestinians in the West Bank IMEMC 27 Apr — Updated: The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) has reported that Israeli soldiers abducted, on Friday at dawn, five young Palestinian men, after invading and searching their homes in Bethlehem, and Qalqilia. Several army jeeps invaded Far‘ata village, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, before the soldiers stormed and searched homes, and abducted two young men, in their twenties. The two abducted residents have been identified as Ehsan Saleh Tawil, a student of the Najah National University in Nablus, and his cousin Shehab Tawil. The PPS added that the soldiers invaded Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem, also searched homes and abducted Dia’ al-Afifi, Mohammad Waleed Thawabta, 17, and Mohammad Mansour Deeriyya, 22. On Thursday at night, the soldiers closed the main entrance of ‘Azzoun town, east of Qalqilia, after the army attacked protesters, and fired live rounds and rubber-coated steel bullets, while several young men hurled stones at the invading army jeeps. The army said several youngsters also “hurled stones at settlers’ cars, causing damage.” In addition, medical sources in Hebron, in southern West Bank, said the soldiers shot two Palestinians in Halhoul Bridge area, north of the city. They added that the two Palestinians suffered moderate-but-stable wounds and were rushed to a local hospital. http://imemc.org/article/israeli-soldiers-abduct-two-palestinians-near-qalqilia-injure-two-near-hebron/ Killer of Palestinian teen praised as ‘excellent’ by Israeli judge EI 25 Apr by Ali Abunimah — A soldier who killed a Palestinian teen has been praised as “excellent” and “conscientious” by an Israeli judge, who sentenced him to a mere nine months in prison. This conclusion to the trial of Ben Dery for the cold-blooded killing of 17-year-old Nadim Siam Nuwara is another all too predictable episode of how Israel’s military investigation system whitewashes crimes against Palestinians. “Despite clear and overwhelming video, spatial and sound forensic analysis showing Ben Dery intentionally killed Nuwara, he was charged with a lesser crime and a wilful killing was whitewashed into an accident,” Brad Parker, international advocacy officer for Defense for Children International Palestine, told The Electronic Intifada on Wednesday. “The lenient sentence announced today is not surprising and illustrates how pervasive and entrenched denial perpetuates impunity even where video evidence shows Israeli forces intentionally killing children.” Dery, a combatant in Israel’s paramilitary Border Police, was initially charged with manslaughter – already a lesser charge – in the slaying of Nuwara on 15 May 2014 – Nakba Day, when Palestinians commemorate their 1948 expulsion from much of their homeland. But that charge was reduced even further under a plea agreement to “negligence and causing severe bodily harm.” Israeli occupation authorities at first denied the use of live ammunition and tried to claim the video evidence was fabricated. Michael Oren, who had been Israel’s ambassador in Washington and is now a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, even went on CNN to claim that Nuwara and another boy shot dead that day might not really be dead. But Israeli authorities later indicted Dery with replacing the bullets in a magazine that was intended for rubber-coated bullets and blanks with live ammunition and then using his M-16 rifle to shoot Nuwara in the chest. In imposing a sentence at the lower end of the guidelines on Wednesday, the Israeli judge described Dery as “an excellent police officer who was conscientious about orders.” While the slaying of Palestinian children by Israeli occupation forces is a horrifyingly frequent occurrence – Israel has already killed 10 children this year – Nuwara’s case was notable for the amount of evidence available. This video shows his slaying as captured by security cameras in the occupied West Bank village of Beitunia…. https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/killer-palestinian-teen-praised-excellent-israeli-judge VIDEO: Israeli soldiers cheer after shooting a Palestinian protester in the village of Madama B’Tselem 24 Apr — At around 2:00 P.M. on Friday afternoon, 13 April 2018, some thirty residents of the Palestinian village of Madama tried to remove a roadblock the Israeli military had placed at the eastern entrance to the village. About eleven soldiers then arrived on the scene. In the clashes that ensued, residents threw stones at the soldiers from a distance of 50-80 meters, and the soldiers fired stun grenades and rubber-coated metal bullets at the villagers. Seven residents sustained injuries from the rubber-coated metal bullets the soldiers fired: two were taken to a hospital in Nablus for medical treatment, and the other five were treated on the spot. Joyfully cheering about shooting a person trying to clear the access road to his home and calmly discussing other ways to hit him and the other people with him are part of the discordant soundtrack accompanying 51 years of occupation. Filmed by B’Tselem volunteers Mu‘awiyah Nassar and Ahmad Ziyadah. https://www.btselem.org/media/1077#full Israeli soldiers use a Palestinian man, ‘Abd a-Rahim Gheith, as human shield during clashes in Jericho B’Tselem 9 Apr — On Friday, 9 March 2018, at midday, clashes developed between dozens of Palestinian youths and Israeli soldiers near the southern entrance to the city of Jericho, close to the settlement of Vered Jericho. The youths threw stones at the soldiers, who fired stun grenades, tear gas and rubber-coated metal bullets at them. At around 4:00 P.M., ‘Abd a-Rahim Gheith, a 34-year-old electrician and father of a month-and-a-half-old baby boy, finished his work for the day in Jericho and set out for his home in Dahiyat al-Bareed near the town of a-Ram. When he reached the southern entrance to Jericho, soldiers detained him, took his ID card, ordered him out of his car and handcuffed him. In video footage shot by freelance journalist ‘Adel Abu Ni’meh, soldiers are seen positioning Gheith’s car so it faces the demonstrating youths, then opening its doors and using the car as cover while they fire at the youths. They sat Gheith down on a traffic island about three meters away from them, handcuffed and defenseless. Some of the stones thrown at the soldiers hit Gheith, and he was injured in the legs, back and head. Stones also struck his car, damaging it. The soldiers kept Gheith in this position for about two hours, and only then did they transfer him to a military ambulance for first aid. At around that time, the clashes ended and the soldiers informed him that he was free to go and told him to make his own way to a hospital. While Gheith, injured and in shock, searched for his belongings and his car keys to drive to hospital, his cousin arrived and said the Red Crescent had contacted him. The cousin was carrying Gheith’s belongings, which the military had handed over to the Red Crescent while he was receiving first aid in the military ambulance. Gheith was taken to the Jericho state hospital. His discharge papers noted that he had sustained lacerations to the forehead, neck, back and both hands…. https://www.btselem.org/video/20180329_human_shield_in_jericho#full Parents of Palestinian teen who was burned alive by Israeli settlers sue killers for damages IMEMC/Agencies 27 Apr — The parents of Palestinian teen Mohammed Abu Khdeir, who was brutally tortured and burned to death by Israeli settlers in July of 2014, have filed a civil lawsuit for 5.6 million Israeli shekels ($1.6 million) in damages. “The goal is not to make money but to add to their punishment, so that, even when they are released, they will know they need to pay the family they hurt so much,” Israeli Haaretz newspaper quoted family lawyer Muhannad Jabara as saying. In an interview with Quds Press, Hussein Abu Khdeir, Mohammed’s father said, “This is not compensation because we do not want to trade in our son’s case. We know that we will not get money and our cause is not finished with Mohammed’s death, but we will continue our legal fighting even if we reach international court.” Abu Khdeir added that the decision to sue his son’s killers for damages is because they are afraid that the killers’ sentence will be reduced by a government special pardon on “racist basis”. The Palestinian family expects the Israeli authorities to reject the lawsuit, according to the PNN. On July, 2 2014, a group of Jewish settlers kidnapped Mohammed Abu Khdeir, 16, from the town of Shu‘fat, north of Jerusalem and took him to west of Jerusalem. There they brutally tortured him before setting him on fire while he was still alive. On May, 3 2016, the Central District Court of Jerusalem sentenced the main perpetrator, Yosef Haim Ben David to life imprisonment, with an additional 20 years. The same court sentenced another defendant to life imprisonment and sentenced the third defendant to 21 years’ imprisonment. http://imemc.org/article/parents-of-palestinian-teen-who-was-burned-alive-by-israeli-settlers-sue-killers-for-damages/ Israeli forces uproot, steal 60 olive trees in Jerusalem AICnews 26 Apr by Amalya Dubrovsky — Israeli authorities plan to build a new settlement in Sur Baher for Israeli police and military — Using bulldozers, cranes and armed police, Israeli authorities uprooted at least 60 olive trees in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Baher on April 23, 2018. Signs reading, “no trespassing” were left in their place. According to settlement watch group Peace Now, Israeli authorities announced plans in 2012 to build a settlement consisting of 180 units in Sur Baher for members of the Israeli military and police. Israeli authorities had originally expropriated the land in 1970, but for “public use” – a designation that typically sets the stage for building Israeli national parks on stolen Palestinian land, rather than residential settlements. Ahmad Nimr, one of the affected landowners, told the Palestinian Information Center that the land and trees belong to the Nimr, Dweiyat, Awad and Amira families. He adds that many of the 500 olive trees on the land are over 100 years old. Until Monday, Israeli authorities had largely ignored the olive grove and the four families continued to cultivate it. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled against their objections to the settlement plan in 2014. Haaretz reports that the stolen trees will be replanted in an Israeli national park in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem municipality is well known for classifying Palestinian areas as so-called national parks to wrest control over more territory. The parks, like Israeli settlements, stand in violation of UN Security Council resolutions 194, 181, 252, 476 and 478. http://aicnews.org/index.php/2018/04/26/israeli-forces-uproot-steal-60-olive-trees-in-jerusalem/ Jerusalem family demolishes own garage to avoid high fines IMEMC 28 Apr — A Palestinian family from occupied Jerusalem had to demolish its own garage, in Wadi Hilweh neighborhood, in Silwan town, to avoid excessively high fees and fines by the City Council. The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan (Silwanic) said the family of Eyad Ramadan, demolished its Karaj, which is attached to its home in Wadi Hilweh. Silwanic added that the family received a demolition order three months ago, and tried to obtain all needed permits, but its applications and appeals were all denied. The police and soldiers invaded the property several days ago and informed the family that if it does not demolish the garage by Sunday, April 29th, the City Council will demolish it, and will impose fines that could exceed 60.000 Shekels. Ramadan said he had to add the garage to his property because there are no parking lots, or any parking space, near his home. http://imemc.org/article/jerusalem-family-demolishes-own-garage-to-avoid-high-fines/ Israel: Army demolishing West Bank schools NEW YORK (HRW) 25 Apr — Could Amount to War Crimes — – Israel has repeatedly denied Palestinians permits to build schools in the West Bank and demolished schools built without permits, making it more difficult or impossible for thousands of children to get an education, Human Rights Watch said today. On April 25, 2018, Israel’s high court will hold what may be the final hearing on the military’s plans to demolish a school in Khan al-Ahmar Ab al-Hilu, a Palestinian community. It is one of the 44 Palestinian schools at risk of full or partial demolition because Israeli authorities say they were built illegally. The Israeli military refuses to permit most new Palestinian construction in the 60 percent of the West Bank where it has exclusive control over planning and building, even as the military facilitates settler construction. The military has enforced this discriminatory system by razing thousands of Palestinian properties, including schools, creating pressure on Palestinians to leave their communities. When Israeli authorities have demolished schools, they have not taken steps to ensure that children in the area have access to schools of at least the same quality. “Israeli authorities have been getting away for years with demolishing primary schools and preschools in Palestinian communities,” said Bill Van Esveld, senior children’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The Israeli military’s refusal to issue building permits and then knocking down schools without permits is discriminatory and violates children’s right to education.” … Over a third of Palestinian communities in Area C, the 60 percent of the West Bank where the Israeli military has exclusive control over building under the 1993 Oslo accords, currently do not have primary schools, and 10,000 children attend school in tents, shacks, or other structures without heating or air-conditioning, according to the UN. About 1,700 children had to walk five or more kilometers to school due to road closures, lack of passable roads or transportation, or other problems, according to 2015 UN estimates. The long distances and fear of harassment by settlers or the military lead some parents to take their children out of school, with a disproportionate impact on girls…. https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/04/25/israel-army-demolishing-west-bank-schools Israeli forces destroy tent structure in Susiya HEBRON (Ma‘an) 24 Apr– Israeli forces demolished a tent in the Palestinian village of Susiya, located in the South Hebron Hills area of the southern occupied West Bank. Khader al-Nawajaa, a resident of Susiya, told Ma‘an that Israeli forces raided the village and demolished a tent structure belonging to him. He added that the Israeli authorities confiscated the tent after the demolition. Earlier this year, in February, the Israeli High Court gave the government a green light to move forward with the demolition of seven structures housing 42 people, half of them children. The move came despite widespread condemnation from British MPs and international activists. The latter maintain an almost constant presence in the village to assist villagers in the event of attacks from Israeli settlers or forces. Susiya is considered “illegal” by the Israeli state and has been embroiled in legal battles with the Israeli state for years. The village is located in Area C — the more than 60 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli military control, where Israel refuses to permit Palestinian construction. Rights groups have pointed out that this policy lines up with Israel’s goals of expanding Israeli settlements throughout Area C while depopulating Palestinian villages there. In the case of Susiya, many of the village’s 200 residents have ties to the land that predate the creation of the state of Israel, and Ottoman-era land documents to prove it. However, the village lies between an Israeli settlement and Israel-controlled archaeological site, making them a target for Israeli demolitions. http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=780063 House prices boom in disputed West Bank settlements FT 25 Apr by Mehul Srivastava in Efrat — When Dan Leubitz moved his family from the US to Israel, he settled on an unlikely location to call home — a villa in the occupied West Bank on the frontline of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Initially he was wary about the risks of putting all his savings into a property in Efrat, an Israeli settlement that much of the world considers illegal … He need not have worried – the property has made him a millionaire, at least on paper … It is a trend that reflects a growing belief among Israelis that most of the settlements that dot the West Bank, especially those closest to Jerusalem, such as Efrat, are de facto permanent…. https://www.ft.com/content/8572b232-46ca-11e8-8ee8-cae73aab7ccb Occupation captured: Photos of Palestinian life and Israeli occupation in the West Bank city of Hebron IMEMC/Agencies 25 April http://imemc.org/article/occupation-captured-photos-of-palestinian-life-and-israeli-occupation-in-the-west-bank-city-of-hebron-2/ ‘I just want him to live like other Jordanians’ Human Right Watch report 24 Apr — Treatment of Non-Citizen Children of Jordanian Mothers — In Jordan, a child born to a Jordanian mother and a non-Jordanian father is considered a non-citizen in the eyes of the state. In violation of international human rights law, which obliges Jordan not to discriminate against women, Jordanian law allows only fathers to pass citizenship to their children. It does not allow Jordanian women to even confer automatic long-term residency on their children. Despite government promises to grant these individuals key economic and social rights, non-citizen children of Jordanian women continue to face legal restrictions that trap many of them at the margins of Jordanian society … In 2014, the Jordanian Ministry of Interior stated that there were over 355,000 non-citizen children of Jordanian women. Popularly referred to in Jordan as “abna’ al-urduniyat,” or the “children of Jordanian women,” these non-citizens’ access to basic rights and services are severely limited. Authorities restrict their rights to work, own property, travel from and return to Jordan (where many were born and live), access public education and health care, and even their ability to acquire a driver’s license … Given that Jordan is home to one of the largest populations of Palestinian refugees and that the majority of Jordanian women married to foreign nationals are married to non-citizen Palestinian men who hold various legal statuses in Jordan, local politicians and officials’ chief argument against repealing this discriminatory policy is the claim that it would both undermine the effort to secure Palestinian statehood and alter Jordan’s demographic balance. These stated justifications are clearly discriminatory, as they are not applied to Jordanian men who choose to marry foreign nationals, the majority of whom are also married to Palestinians…. https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/04/24/i-just-want-him-live-other-jordanians/treatment-non-citizen-children-jordanian Palestinian vies for imaginary seat in Lebanon parliament BEIRUT (AFP) 28 Apr by Layal Abou Rahal — She has been criss-crossing her native Lebanon ahead of May 6 elections but the parliament seat she wants does not exist and she is not even eligible. Manal Kortam is a Palestinian refugee. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have lived in refugee camps across the small Middle Eastern country for decades, facing tough living conditions and barred from certain jobs. But in a country of just four million where each religious community is allocated seats in the legislative chamber, there are none for Palestinians. In the run-up to Lebanon’s first parliamentary polls in almost a decade, Kortam saw an opportunity to stand up for her Palestinian community by launching a symbolic campaign. “Somebody needed to say: ‘There are people who have been in this country for 70 years but who have no place at all in public politics’,” she told AFP during a visit this week to the Mar Elias camp in Beirut…. http://www.france24.com/en/20180428-palestinian-vies-imaginary-seat-lebanon-parliament Estimated 60 percent of Yarmouk destroyed amid violence: Group Al Jazeera 27 Apr — An estimated 60 percent of Syria’s Yarmouk refugee camp for Palestinians has been destroyed as government forces and their allies escalate a military offensive against armed groups in the Damascus-area camp, according to a watchdog group. Citing an eyewitness, the UK-based Action Group for Palestinians of Syria said on Friday that the destruction has largely been caused by barrel bombs, missiles and shelling. The group said that “families were buried under the rubble of their homes” in Yarmouk, where an estimated 3,000 people still reside. On Wednesday, Palestinian refugee Salah al-Abayat was killed by Syrian government air strikes on the camp, bringing the total number of people killed to 31 since April 19, when the latest bout of fighting started. On April 19, the Syrian government and allied Palestinian armed groups launched a renewed military offensive against armed groups – including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) – in the besieged refugee camp. On Thursday, Palestinian political party Hamas issued an appeal to all sides involved in the fighting to reach a truce. That same day, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), warned of “catastrophic consequences” of the intensified violence in Yarmouk and the surrounding areas, including al-Hajar al-Aswad and Yalda. “Yarmouk and its inhabitants have endured indescribable pain and suffering over years of conflict,” Pierre Krahenbuhl, UNRWA’s commissioner-general, said in a statement. “We are deeply concerned about the fate of thousands of civilians, including Palestine refugees, after more than a week of dramatically increased violence.” The UN group said that there are no hospitals currently operational in the camp, which has been blockaded by government forces on the one hand, and armed opposition groups on the other for several years. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/estimated-60-percent-yarmouk-destroyed-violence-group-180427102610652.html Yarmuk, an epicentre of Syria’s bloody conflict AFP 24 Apr — Poverty and exile, siege and starvation, jihadist rule and government shelling — few places have seen more suffering in Syria’s seven year, atrocity-filled war than the Palestinian camp of Yarmuk. A striking 2014 picture [see above] of tired, gaunt-looking residents massing among the ruins for a food distribution drew comparisons with a World War II ghetto and became a symbol of the Syrian conflict. The gutted neighbourhood in southern Damascus, which is now the Islamic State group’s last urban redoubt in Syria or Iraq, was once Syria’s biggest Palestinian refugee camp, home to around 160,000 people. Years of crippling siege and bombardment by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, whose presidential compound is visible from the camp, had already sent tens of thousands of them into a second exile … After months of sporadic shelling as it concentrated its efforts on retaking the rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta, the resurgent regime launched a final offensive last week to retake Yarmuk. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, around 1,000 IS fighters remain in Yarmuk and the adjacent neighbourhoods of Hajar al-Aswad, Tadamun and Qadam. Most of them are former members of Al-Qaeda’s Syrian ex-affiliate Al-Nusra Front, but IS fighters also include Palestinian refugees who joined when the Islamists took over much of the camp in 2015. Facing them are regime and allied forces who have turned their attention to jihadist-held pockets in southern Damascus after completing their recapture of Ghouta, an area east of the capital…. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5651435/Yarmuk-epicentre-Syrias-bloody-conflict.html Video: Palestinians: Stories of resistance Al Jazeera 24 Apr — A mother protests, a teenager comes of age, and a cameraman records his final moments – life in occupied Palestine. https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeera-selects/2018/04/palestinians-stories-resistance-180423062537385.html PA takes pre-emptive measures to prevent Return March in West Bank MEMO 24 Apr — A Palestinian MP has accused the Palestinian Authority security services of carrying out political detentions as a pre-emptive measure to undermine possible Great March of Return protests in the occupied West Bank, Arab48.com reported on Monday. Nayef Al-Rajoub MP is from the Hamas-linked parliamentary bloc. He said that the ongoing escalation of the detention of Palestinian politicians and activists by the PA reflects its fear that the demonstrations will spread to the West Bank. In a related statement issued on Monday, Hamas said that the PA security services had arrested nine Palestinians, including some who were previously freed from prison. It pointed out that many of its members and activists are already being held by the PA security services. Hamas made reference to the ongoing security cooperation between the PA and the Israeli occupation authorities, which have also arrested around 150 Palestinians over the past week. According to Al-Rajoub, the detentions are intended to create a quiet atmosphere during the Palestinian National Council meeting slated for 30 April in Ramallah. It is expected that the decisions taken at the meeting will conform to Israeli policies. The MP, who served as a minister in the ousted Hamas government and has spent several terms in an Israeli prison himself, described the political detentions by the PA as a “sickness”, the symptoms of which are represented in its security cooperation with the Israelis…. https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180424-pa-takes-pre-emptive-measures-to-prevent-return-march-in-west-bank/ Haniyeh vows anti-occupation rallies in West Bank, abroad AA 25 Apr — Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh has vowed to stage protests against the decades-long Israeli occupation in the West Bank and abroad. Since March 30, Palestinians have been staging rallies along border of the Gaza Strip demanding the return of refugees to their towns and villages in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel. The rallies are part of a six-week protest that will culminate on May 15. That day will mark the 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment — an event Palestinians refer to as the “Nakba” or “Catastrophe”. “Rallies will move to the West Bank and will be joined by our people abroad,” Haniyeh told a meeting organized by the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. He said the Palestinians “will rise up against the Israeli occupation in a popular resistance that started from Gaza”…. https://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/haniyeh-vows-anti-occupation-rallies-in-west-bank-abroad-3349815 Palestinian launches hunger strike in Palestinian Authority jail ANABTA, West Bank (Al Jazeera) 26 Apr by Yumna Patel — A Palestinian Authority (PA) court in the West Bank city of Jericho has extended the detention of 25-year-old Ahmad al-Awartani, who was arrested over the weekend for a Facebook post criticising a government campaign. During the court hearing on Tuesday, al-Awartani refused to answer the judge’s questions. He declared that he had launched a hunger strike two days prior, and would continue protesting against his detention by refusing all food and drink. Al-Awartani has been detained under the government’s controversial Cyber Crimes Law. With his detention extended for 15 more days, and faced with the possibility of indefinite renewal, al-Awartani’s parents said they were worried that their son’s health would deteriorate in the Jericho prison, which rights groups say is notorious for torture and abuse … In recent weeks, posters and banners “pledging trust and allegiance” to President Mahmoud Abbas have appeared across the occupied territory. Upon seeing a banner in his hometown of Anabta, in the northern West Bank district of Tulkarem, al-Awartani, who is one of the youth council leaders in the town, took to Facebook to express his disapproval…. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/palestinian-launches-hunger-strike-palestinian-authority-jail-180426112237969.html Palestinian novelist Ibrahim Nasrallah wins top Arab prize AFP 25 Apr by Karim Sahib — Palestinian author Ibrahim Nasrallah has landed the Arab world’s top fiction prize for his novel “The Second War of the Dog”, a dystopian tale of inhumanity. Nasrallah’s work won the International Prize for Arab Fiction, affiliated with the Man Booker Prize, at a ceremony Tuesday hosted by the United Arab Emirates. Set in a violence-wracked nameless country, “The Second War of the Dog” explores the moral and material avarice of humankind through the life of its main character, Rashid, who morphs from a diehard regime opponent into a corrupt extremist. “This novel aims to shake the reader, to shatter his understanding of the world, to shatter his complacency. Because no one can survive if the world around him is collapsing,” Nasrallah told AFP after the ceremony. “We are subject to a sort of oppression by arrogance by the great powers of this world,” he said. “Killing our children, driving us into poverty, plundering the wealth of the Arab world, this is also oppression. Oppression is not just the doing of this or that little [extremist] group.” Born to Palestinian parents in Jordan in 1954, Nasrallah is a former journalist who turned to full-time writing in 2006…. https://www.afp.com/en/news/828/palestinian-novelist-ibrahim-nasrallah-wins-top-arab-prize-doc-14b0ug1 Palestinians in Europe set to hold conference on right of return Al Jazeera 28 Apr — Palestinians across Europe are slated to hold a conference to mark 70 years of exile, in Milan, Italy on Sunday. The conference, which is themed “70 years on … and we shall return”, is the 16th consecutive Palestinians in Europe Conference. The 16 speakers scheduled to address the conference include academics, journalists, filmmakers, actors, prominent Christian and Muslim leaders and legislators from countries including Italy, Tunisia, Jordan and elsewhere. Among the speakers are Nahela al-Waari, vice president of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, Italian legislator Stefano Vasiane, Jordanian parliamentarian Dima Dahboub, Ramallah-based priest Julio Brunila and others. Billed as the largest gathering of Palestinians in Europe, the conference will include lectures, workshops, discussion panels, exhibits and cultural activities. The Palestinians in Europe Conference is being organised by the Europe Palestinians Conference Organisation, the Palestinian Return Centre and the Palestine Coalition in Italy. The conference will be held just two weeks before Nakba Day, which is commemorated each year on May 15 to mourn the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homeland during Israel’s 1948 establishment. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/palestinians-europe-set-hold-conference-return-180427091547221.html Japanese Prime Minister Abe to visit Palestine on Tuesday RAMALLAH (WAFA) 28 Apr – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to visit Palestine on Tuesday, according to a press release by the Japanese Representative Office in Ramallah. In the two-day visit that will also include Israel, “Abe will reconfirm Japan’s commitment to actively contribute to the Middle East Peace Process currently facing challenges, based on its excellent relations with both parties,” said the press release. A high level business delegation is going to accompany Abe on his visit, the second in a little over three years, with a view to enhancing economic ties with Palestine and a focus on the “Corridor for Peace and Prosperity” project and the Jericho Agro-Industrial Park. Abe’s first visit to Palestine was in January 2015. http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=h1H8jPa97451893176ah1H8jP 2 die after freak storm whips Israel Ynet 25 Apr — Heavy rain, golf ball-sized hail and flash floods assailed Israel Wednesday, catching many already used to summer weather by surprise and even claiming the lives of two. Kais Alwashla, a 16-year-old Bedouin resident of the south, was swept away by the Mamshit River and was later found in critical condition. He was evacuated to a hospital via helicopter but was later pronounced dead. A young woman around the age of 18 from the village of Arab al-Rashayida in the Bethlehem Governorate, central West Bank was also swept away by a flash flood when she apparently went to tend to her sheep near the village. She was carried off about 8.5 kilometers with her sheep in a stream near Amos, east of Gush Etzion. Palestinian search and rescue teams pulled her body out of the water, pronouncing her dead at the scene…. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5241033,00.html Two Palestinian children drown as rains flood West Bank and Israel Haaretz 27 Apr by Jack Khoury et al. — The lifeless bodies of two Palestinian children were found Friday as rain and flooding continued to take a devastating toll in the West Bank and Israel, where a group of ten young people died after being caught in a flash flood in the south. The two Palestinian children were found in a reservoir that flooded in the El Fuwar refugee camp south of Hebron. The two were identified as Yazen Mohammad Asrahana, 10, and Ahmed Samich Asrahana, 9. The two went missing on Thursday, but were found only today. The two were likely playing near the makeshift reservoir – which serves as a watering tank for local farms – when rain and flooding pushed them inside…. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/two-palestinian-children-drown-as-rains-flood-west-bank-and-israel-1.6032989 Arab MK’s daughter: ‘I was humiliated at Ben-Gurion airport’ Ynet 26 Apr by Amihai Attali — Amna Freige, the daughter of Meretz MK Esawi Freige, says she had to go through a humiliating security check at Ben-Gurion Airport earlier this month because she is of Arab descent. Freige and her friend Lina Jaries had booked flight tickets to Berlin for a vacation. They say they were harassment began as soon as they arrived at the airport. Their personal belongings were checked and they were asked to go through a full body scanner, just like other passengers. But then security personnel asked them to remove their bras. According to Freige and her friend, the security team’s shift manager threatened that if they don’t comply with the security check, they would not be allowed to board their flight. At this point Amna called her father who recommended: “Just suck it up if you want to be on that flight.” And so the young women had to go through the security check naked. They are currently preparing a lawsuit against the Israel Airports Authority, claiming there was no justification for that particular security check and that the entire incident was an unnecessary humiliation. The Israel Airport Authority said, “When we get a specific warning, a security check is required.” https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5240790,00.html Romania’s president wants PM out over Israel embassy move Al Jazeera 27 Apr — Klaus Iohannis says PM didn’t consult him before endorsing secret plan to move Romania’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem … If Romania decides to move its embassy to Jerusalem, it will be the first European Union state to do so. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/romania-president-pm-israel-embassy-move-180427095228699.html Czech Republic to move embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem Ynet’s Itamar Eichner/AP 25 Apr — President Miloš Zeman says his country plans to transfer its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, following a move being led by US President Donald Trump and emulated by Guatemala; Zeman says move to take place in 3 steps; no timetable provided, but Netanyahu expresses hope for completion by end of year…. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5241286,00.html Top US court rules for Arab Bank in Israeli attack case AFP 24 Apr — Victims of attacks in Israel cannot use an 18th century law to sue the Arab Bank, a multinational financial institution, the US Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday in a precedent-setting case for other foreign businesses. The decision rests on a legal provision almost 230 years old. Plaintiffs accused the Jordan-based bank of facilitating transfers to Hamas, the Islamist movement which controls the Gaza Strip and which Israel and the United States label a terrorist group. A majority of five conservative judges on the top US court outnumbered four others who dissented. The Arab Bank was founded in Jerusalem in 1930 when Palestine was under the British Mandate, and now has more than 600 branches worldwide. It plays a central role in the Palestinian territories where it works with major international development agencies. The roughly 6,000 foreign claimants in the case included victims of militant attacks in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, primarily during the second Intifada from 2000 to 2005. They said the Bank contravened international laws by allowing financial transfers aimed at funding the violence to be made to accounts held by Hamas leaders. The plaintiffs based their action on the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) of 1789, which was adopted following an altercation some five years earlier in which a French diplomat was assaulted by a French national in the US. The statute was largely dormant for nearly 200 years before reemerging onto the legal scene. Various legal actions were begun against foreign dictators and multinational corporations implicated in cases outside US territory. But the judges on Tuesday, worried over the risk of diplomatic tensions, refused to extend application of the ATS to multinationals with no link to the United States…. https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/173131-180424-top-us-court-rules-for-arab-bank-in-israel-attack-case Friedman said seeking to call West Bank ‘Judea and Samaria’ in statements Times of Israel/AP 25 Apr — United States Ambassador to Israel David Friedman has been seeking to adopt the Israeli name for the West Bank, Judea and Samaria, in his official remarks and statements, but has so far been prevented from doing so by the Trump administration, officials told the Associated Press … The sources added that Friedman, who lobbied heavily for Trump’s December 6 recognition of Jerusalem and the embassy’s relocation to Jerusalem, has also championed the recent removal of the term “occupied territories,” which had been the standard for more than 20 years, from the title of sections covering Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in the State Department’s annual human rights reports released Friday. The 2017 report did not entirely eliminate the term from the report, but it significantly reduced its use. Compared with more than 40 references in the 2016 report, the words “occupation” or “occupied” appeared only six times…. https://www.timesofisrael.com/friedman-seeking-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria-in-official-statements/ Military aid to Israel US Campaign for Palestinian Rights — US taxpayers will give Israel a total of $38 billion of weapons over ten years ($3.8 billion each year from 2019 to 2028), according to a 2016 agreement between the two countries. Israel uses these weapons, in violation of US laws, to commit human rights abuses against Palestinians living under its brutal, more than half-century-long military occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. These include injuring and killing civilians, detaining and abusing children, demolishing homes, uprooting agriculture, and denying freedom of movement and expression. How much of this annual $3.8 billion allocation do people in your state, Congressional district, county, and city provide and what could be funded instead with this money to benefit your community? Find out below on our interactive map. Click on a state to get started. https://uscpr.org/campaign/government-affairs/resources/military-aid-to-israel/
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The Palestinian National Council, the legislative arm of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, convenes for the first time in nine years in Ramallah. The agenda includes voting in a new eighteen-member PLO Executive Committee, transforming the Palestinian Authority into a state with its own institutions and monetary system, and cessation of ties with Israel. Gazan rivals Hamas are not invited.
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At least 23 civilians, including some ten children, have been killed in suspected US-led airstrikes in the eastern Syrian province of Hasakah yesterday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The victims of the strike on the village of Al-Qasr are believed to have belonged to two families, with several people still in critical condition. “We don’t know for the moment if the US-led international coalition or Iraqi forces carried out the strike,” the UK-based rights watch group said. Yesterday, the State Department announced that US backed forces had relaunched their offensive to seize the last territory controlled by Daesh near the Iraqi border. “We have rearranged our ranks,” Lilwa Al-Abdallah, spokeswoman for the offensive, told reporters at a press conference at an oilfield on the eastern bank of the Euphrates river. “Our heroic forces will liberate these areas and secure the border. … We welcome the support of the Iraqi forces.” Read: Syrian army says captured villages from US-backed forces The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were forced to pause their battle in the east after Turkey launched an assault in January against militia groups in the northern Afrin region, the Pentagon said this week. Turkey is currently undertaking an air and ground offensive in Syria as part of “Operation Olive Branch” against the YPG, Kurdish militias that have been affiliated to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a designated terror organisation that has launched continual attacks against Turkey. The YPG make up a large proportion of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which the US has backed in the fight against Daesh. SDF militias redeployed some 1,700 fighters from eastern fronts against Daesh to help fight Turkish forces, only for Turkey to successfully captured Afrin in March. Ahmed Abu Khawla, commander of the Deir Ez-Zor military council fighting under the SDF, said that those forces have now returned to the east to oust Daesh militants. On Monday, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said that the US will not withdraw its forces from Syria unless peace is fully achieved throughout the country. “We do not want to simply pull out before the diplomats have won the peace, so you win the fight and then you win the peace,” Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon. The announcement comes after conflicting statements from US President Donald Trump and the State Department last month on the US’ future presence in the region. Read: White House says Trump still wants US troops out of Syria as soon as possible ||||| The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was not clear if the airstrikes in the Hassakeh province were carried out by the U.S.-led coalition or the Iraqi air force. It said the strikes killed 10 children, six women and seven elderly people. The state-run Syrian News Agency said 25 civilians were killed in the airstrikes south of the town of Shadadi, blaming the U.S-led coalition. ||||| Syrian state media and a war monitoring group say airstrikes in Islamic State-held territory in north-eastern Syria have killed at least 23 people. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was not clear if US-led coalition or Iraqi warplanes carried out the attack in the Hassakeh province. The Observatory said those killed included 10 children, six women and seven elderly people. The strikes took place in an area where US-backed and Kurdish-led forces are fighting to drive IS from some of the last pockets of territory it controls. The state-run Syrian News Agency said 25 civilians were killed in the airstrikes south of Shadadi, blaming the US-led coalition. ||||| BEIRUT -- Airstrikes killed at least 23 civilians Tuesday in one of the last pockets of Islamic State-controlled territory in Syria, Syrian state media outlets and an opposition-linked monitoring group said, as U.S.-backed forces in the area announced they have resumed their campaign against the extremists. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was not clear if the airstrikes in the Hassakeh province were carried out by the U.S.-led coalition or the Iraqi air force. It said the strikes killed 10 children, six women and seven elderly people. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said 25 civilians were killed in the airstrikes south of the town of Shadadi, blaming the U.S.-led coalition. The strikes took place in an area where the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are battling the Islamic State. In an email, the U.S.-led coalition said initial reports suggest there were no coalition airstrikes in the area where the deadly raids are said to have taken place. Lelwa Abdullah, a Syrian Democratic Forces spokesman in the adjacent Deir el-Zour province, said Tuesday that the final phase of a large operation against the Islamic State in eastern Syria has begun. The Democratic Forces had redeployed hundreds of its forces to western Syria after Turkish troops attacked the Kurdish-held Afrin enclave earlier this year, effectively putting operations against the Islamic State on hold. [THE ISLAMIC STATE: Timeline of group’s rise, fall; details on campaign to fight it] The U.S. State Department, using an acronym to refer to the Islamic State, said the days of the militants controlling territory in Syria "are coming to an end" and that the renewed operations are intended to "liberate the final ISIS strongholds in Syria." President Donald Trump has said he wants to pull U.S. troops out as soon as the extremists are defeated. But State Department spokesman Heather Nauert said the U.S. will "ensure that there is a strong and lasting footprint in Syria such that ISIS cannot return." Elsewhere Tuesday in Syria, more than three dozen Syrians held for years by al-Qaida-linked insurgents in the country's northwest were released as part of a deal to hand over areas around Damascus to the government, state media outlets reported. State-run Al-Ikhbariya TV broadcast images of the released men, women and children who arrived by bus at a government-controlled checkpoint in Aleppo province. Many were in tears, and they could be seen kissing and hugging Syrian soldiers. The captives had been held by the insurgents in northern Syria since 2015. Insurgents have agreed to a series of evacuation deals for areas around the capital that have been besieged for years and subjected to heavy bombardment by government forces. The U.N. and rights groups have criticized the deals, saying they amount to forced displacement. ||||| US-led coalition’s air strikes kill at least 25 civilians in Syria The US-led coalition’s air strikes have killed at least 25 civilians in the Syrian province of Al-Hasakah, leaving dozens wounded, TASS with reference to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported on Tuesday. According to SANA, on Tuesday morning, air strikes were carried out on the Al-Fadl settlement located near the city of Al-Shaddadi. There are two elderly people among the victims, as well as women and children. Several residential dwellings have been destroyed, SANA reported. Follow Trend on Telegram. Only most interesting and important news ||||| Air strikes killed at least 23 civilians including 10 children in a village held by the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. “We don’t know for the moment if the US-led international coalition or Iraqi forces carried out the strike” on the village of Al-Qasr in Hasakeh province, the Observatory said. The Britain-based monitor relies on a network of sources on the ground for its information. The US-led coalition, which is backing a Kurdish-Arab alliance fighting IS near Syria’s eastern border with Iraq, denied it carried out the strikes. “There are no strikes in that area reflected in the… strike logs as of today,” the coalition said in a written response to AFP. Iraq has also previously carried out strikes against IS jihadists in Syria, including a raid last month in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor. The jihadists have lost much of the territory they once controlled in Syria and Iraq since declaring a cross-border caliphate there in 2014. In Syria, they have faced two separate offensives — one by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces alliance and a second by Russia-backed regime fighters. In February, US-led coalition air raids killed 25 civilians including seven children in the village of Shaafah in Deir Ezzor province and surrounding areas, according to the Observatory. The coalition says it takes every precaution to avoid civilian casualties. Last week, it acknowledged the deaths of 28 civilians in Iraq and Syria in 2017. That increased its overall death toll of non-fighters killed in coalition strikes since 2014 in both countries to at least 883. Monitoring group Airwars says the true toll of the bombing campaign is much higher, estimating that at least 6,259 civilians have been killed. ||||| On Tuesday, Syrian media reported that the US-led coalition had carried out airstrikes on residential areas in the al-Fadel village in the Hasakah countryside, leaving more than 25 civilians killed and over 100 injured and inflicting serious damage to infrastructure. According to the letter, quoted by the SANA news agency, Damascus stressed that the continuation of the US-led international coalition’s "massacres" against the Syrian people aimed to undermine sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Syria and prolong the crisis in the Arab Republic. In the letter, the ministry also urged the UN Security Council to shoulder its responsibility for international peace and security and prevent the recurrence of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the coalition, as well as put an end to the latter’s "illegitimate presence" on Syrian soil. READ MORE: Militants Agree to Leave Their Last Stronghold North of Syria's Homs — Reports The US-led coalition of more than 70 members is conducting military operations against Daesh in Syria and Iraq since September 2014. The coalition's strikes in Iraq are conducted in cooperation with Iraqi officials, but those in Syria are not authorized by the government of President Bashar Assad or the United Nations Security Council. *Daesh (aka Islamic State, IS, ISIS, ISIL) is a terrorist group outlawed in Russia ||||| The Latest on the Syria conflict (all times local): Syrian state media and a war monitoring group say airstrikes in Islamic State-held territory in northeastern Syria have killed at least 23 people. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was not clear if U.S.-led coalition or Iraqi warplanes carried out the attack Tuesday in the Hassakeh province. The Observatory said those killed included 10 children, six women and seven elderly people. The strikes took place in an area where U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led forces are fighting to drive IS from some of the last pockets of territory it controls. The state-run Syrian News Agency said 25 civilians were killed in the airstrikes south of Shadadi, blaming the U.S-led coalition. U.S-backed Kurdish forces in Syria say they are resuming their campaign against Islamic State militants who still control areas near the border with Iraq. Lelwa Abdullah, a spokeswoman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the eastern Deir el-Zour province, said Tuesday the final phase of the operation against IS in the area has begun. She said the SDF will "liberate those areas and secure the Syrian-Iraqi border and end the IS presence in eastern Syria once and for all." The SDF had redeployed hundreds of its forces to western Syria after Turkish troops attacked the Kurdish-held Afrin enclave earlier this year, effectively putting operations against IS on hold. An array of Syrian and Iraqi forces has driven IS from nearly all the territory it once held in the two countries. Syrian state-run media say 42 people who were held for years by al-Qaida-linked insurgents in the country's northwest have been released as part of a deal to hand over areas around Damascus back to the government. Al-Ikhbariya TV broadcast images Tuesday of the released, including women and children, arriving by bus at a government-controlled checkpoint, kissing and hugging Syrian soldiers. The 42 are the first batch of more than 80 who are to be released. According to the deal, al-Qaida-linked fighters are to evacuate from a Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus while some 5,000 people in two northwestern villages besieged by insurgents will be allowed to move to government-held areas. This is the latest in evacuation deals —which are effectively capitulation — amid intense military offensives. ||||| BEIRUT: Air strikes killed at least 23 civilians including 10 children in a village held by the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. “We don’t know for the moment if the US-led international coalition or Iraqi forces carried out the strike” on the village of Al-Qasr in the northeastern province of Hasakeh, the Britain-based monitor said.—AFP ||||| Airstrikes have killed at least 23 civilians in one of the last pockets of Islamic State-controlled territory in Syria, according to Syrian state media. Meanwhile, US-backed forces in the area announced they have resumed their campaign against the extremists. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was not clear if the airstrikes in the Hassakeh province were carried out by the US-led coalition or the Iraqi air force. It said the strikes killed 10 children, six women and seven elderly people. The state-run Syrian News Agency said 25 civilians were killed in the airstrikes south of the town of Shadadi, blaming the US-led coalition. The strikes took place in an area where the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are battling IS. Lelwa Abdullah, an SDF spokeswoman in the adjacent Deir el-Zour province, said the final phase of a large operation against IS in eastern Syria has begun. She said the SDF will “liberate those areas and secure the Syrian-Iraqi border and end the IS presence in eastern Syria once and for all”. The SDF had redeployed hundreds of its forces to western Syria after Turkish troops attacked the Kurdish-held Afrin enclave earlier this year, effectively putting operations against IS on hold. Ms Abdullah said IS attacks have increased in recent weeks in parts of eastern Syria near the border with Iraq as the extremist group seeks to regroup. She said the clearing operations will take place with the help of the US-led coalition and Iraqi forces across the border. Elsewhere in Syria on Tuesday, more than three dozen Syrians held for years by al-Qaida-linked insurgents in the country’s north west were released as part of a deal to hand over areas around Damascus to the government, state media reported. State-run Al-Ikhbariya TV broadcast images of the released men, women, children, who arrived by bus at a government-controlled checkpoint in Aleppo province. Many were in tears, and they could be seen kissing and hugging Syrian soldiers. The captives had been held by the insurgents in northern Syria since 2015. It is the latest in a series of evacuation deals for areas around the capital that have been besieged for years and subjected to heavy bombardment by government forces. The UN and rights groups have criticised the deals, saying they amount to forced displacement. The latest deal concerns Yarmouk, a Palestinian refugee camp that was a built-up residential area before the civil war. IS militants still control parts of the camp and a neighbouring area, where they are battling government forces. The 42 people freed on Tuesday are the first batch of more than 80 to be released. Under the deal, fighters from the al Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group will withdraw from Yarmouk, while about 5,000 people in Foua and Kfraya, two north-western villages besieged by insurgents, will be allowed to relocate to government-held areas.
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At least 23 civilians die in a airstrike near Shadadi, Al-Hasakah Governorate. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has stated it is not clear who carried out the attack, listing Iraq and US-led coalition as two possibilities. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency claims the US-led coalition is responsible.
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PARIS (Reuters) - Hundreds of masked and hooded anarchists smashed shop windows, torched cars and hurled cobblestones at riot police on Tuesday, hijacking a May Day rally by labour unions against President Emmanuel Macron’s economic reforms. Riot police used teargas and water cannon to disperse the protesters. Paris police chief Michel Delpuech said more than 200 demonstrators had been arrested and four people were lightly injured in the clashes, including a police officer. “I condemn with absolute firmness the violence that took place today and derailed the May Day processions,” tweeted Macron, who was on a visit to Australia. “Everything will be done so that the perpetrators are identified and held responsible for their actions.” Authorities said around 1,200 protesters, many garbed in black, had turned up on the sidelines of the annual May Day demonstration. The protesters were from far-left anarchist groups known as Black Blocs, police said. Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux criticised the protesters for covering their faces. “When you have sincere convictions, you demonstrate with your face unmasked,” he said. “Those who wear hoods are the enemies of democracy.” Chanting anti-fascist slogans and waving Soviet flags and anti-government banners, the protesters smashed windows of businesses, including a Renault garage and McDonalds restaurant near the Austerlitz train station in eastern Paris. Tear gas floats around masked protesters during clashes with French CRS riot police at the May Day labour union rally in Paris, France, May 1, 2018. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer They also ransacked shops and scrawled anti-capitalist graffiti on walls before eventually being dispersed by police. AVOIDING CASUALTIES David Le Bars, a police union official, told BFM TV that security services had decided to let the protesters smash things rather than engage them to avoid casualties on either side that could exacerbate tensions. “They came to hit capitalist symbols and burn cops. When you come with Molotov cocktails, it’s to burn cops,” he said, citing clashes on May 1 last year in which one police officer was seriously burnt. Unions put the number of peaceful protesters at Tuesday’s main May Day rally in Paris at about 55,000, though police put it at around 20,000. The numbers were relatively small compared to other recent demonstrations. Police said the Black Blocs had mixed into a smaller demonstration of around 14,500 people which took place alongside the official union rally. Tuesday’s clashes come amid mounting union discontent with Macron’s plans to reboot France’s economy and spur jobs growth by loosening labour regulations. Slideshow (16 Images) Under a union campaign to foil Macron’s reforms, railway staff have begun three months of nationwide rolling strikes aimed at halting a planned overhaul of state-run railway SNCF. Speaking in Australia earlier on Tuesday Macron, a former investment banker who swept to power a year ago, reiterated that he would not back down on his reform agenda. Opposition conservative and far-right politicians accused Macron’s government of being insufficiently prepared for the violent protests and criticised it for not cracking down more heavily on anarchists. ||||| Paris May Day rally: Riot police use teargas, water cannon against anarchists French riot police have used water cannon and teargas on hundreds of hooded protesters who smashed shop windows and hurled petrol bombs at the start of an annual May Day rally in Paris. Police had warned of possible clashes with far-left anarchist groups, known as Black Blocs, after a call on social media to make Tuesday a "revolutionary day". Authorities said some 1,200 hooded and masked protesters dressed in black had turned up on the sidelines of the annual planned demonstration by labour unions. More than 200 people were arrested, the head of Paris' police department, Michel Delpuech, told a news conference. The protesters smashed the windows of businesses, including a Renault garage and McDonalds restaurant near the Austerlitz station in eastern Paris. They also ransacked shops, torched cars and scrawled anti-capitalist graffiti on walls. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb condemned the violence and said everything was being done to arrest the culprits. Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux criticised the protesters for covering up their faces. "When you have sincere convictions, you demonstrate with your face unmasked," he said. The protesters chanted anti-fascist slogans, waved Soviet flags and anti-government banners and threw firecrackers. Some started to erect barricades. President Emmanuel Macron, elected last May on a promise to shake up France's economy and spur jobs growth, is locked in a battle with the trade unions over his plans to liberalise labour regulations. Railway staff have begun three months of nationwide rolling strikes in a dispute over the Government's planned overhaul of state-run railway SNCF. Discontent with Mr Macron's economic policies has spread beyond the railways and the May Day protests were intended to send a message of defiance to the former investment banker, who is currently on a trip to Australia. Earlier on Tuesday Mr Macron reiterated that he would not back down on his reform agenda. Labour unions put the number of peaceful protesters at Tuesday's main May Day rally at about 55,000, though police put it a just 20,000. The numbers were relatively small compared to other recent demonstrations. ||||| French police have arrested more than 200 people and used water cannon and teargas against masked protesters who smashed shop windows and hurled petrol bombs after a planned peaceful May Day rally by labour unions. The clashes came against a backdrop of union discontent with President Emmanuel Macron over his plans to stimulate France’s economy and spur jobs growth by loosening labour regulations. Riot police in Paris had warned on Monday of possible clashes with far-left anarchist groups, known as Black Blocs, after a call on social media to make Tuesday a “Revolutionary Day”. Authorities said around 1,200 masked and hooded protesters dressed in black turned up on the sidelines of the annual May Day demonstration by labour unions. More than 200 anarchists were arrested and four people, including a police officer, were lightly wounded in the ensuing disturbances, Paris police chief Michel Delpuech told a news conference. Protesters smashed windows of businesses, including a Renault garage and McDonald’s restaurant near the Austerlitz train station in eastern Paris. They also ransacked shops, torched cars and scrawled anti-capitalist graffiti on walls before eventually being dispersed by police. Gérard Collomb, the interior minister, condemned the violence and said everything was being done to apprehend the culprits. Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux criticised the protesters for covering their faces. “When you have sincere convictions, you demonstrate with your face unmasked,” he said. “Those who wear hoods are the enemies of democracy.” The protesters chanted anti-fascist slogans, waved old Soviet flags and anti-government banners and threw firecrackers. Some started to erect barricades. David Le Bars, a police union official, told BFM TV that security services had opted to let the protesters smash things rather than engage them to avoid casualties on either side that could exacerbate tensions. “They came to hit capitalist symbols and burn cops. When you come with Molotov cocktails, it’s to burn cops,” he said, pointing to clashes on 1 May last year that saw one police officer seriously burnt. Under a union campaign to foil Macron’s economic reforms, railway staff have begun three months of nationwide rolling strikes against a planned overhaul of state-run railway SNCF. Discontent over Macron’s policies has spread beyond the railways and the May Day protests were intended to send a message of defiance to the former investment banker, who is currently on a trip to Australia. Earlier on Tuesday, Macron reiterated that he would not back down on his reform agenda. Unions put the number of peaceful protesters at the main rally in Paris at about 55,000, though police put it at around 20,000. The numbers were relatively small compared with other recent demonstrations. Police said the Black Blocs had mixed into a second rally of 14,500 people set up alongside the official union movement. Opposition conservative and far-right politicians accused Macron’s government of being insufficiently prepared for the violent protests and criticised it for not cracking down more heavily on anarchists. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, said he believed far-right groups were responsible for the violence. ||||| PARIS, May 1 (Reuters) - Hundreds of hooded protesters held up an annual May Day demonstration in eastern Paris on Tuesday, with some smashing the windows of a McDonald’s restaurant and hurling petrol bombs inside, Reuters television images showed. French police warned on Monday of possible clashes with far-left anarchist groups, known as Black Blocs, after a call on social media for a “Revolutionary Day”. Authorities said some 1,200 hooded and masked protesters had turned up on the sidelines of Tuesday’s planned demonstration by labour unions. Images also showed the smashed windows of a Renault garage on a road near the Austerlitz station and a construction vehicle in flames. The protesters moved towards riot police chanting anti-fascist slogans, waving Soviet flags and anti-government banners and throwing firecrackers. Some started to build barricades. The police used water cannon against some of the protesters. President Emmanuel Macron, elected last May on a promise to shake up France’s creaking economy and spur jobs growth, is locked in a battle with the trade unions over his plans to liberalise labour regulations. Railway staff have begun three months of nationwide rolling strikes in a dispute over the government’s planned overhaul of state-run railway SNCF. (Reporting by John Irish Editing by Gareth Jones) ||||| PARIS (Reuters) - French riot police used water cannon and teargas on Tuesday against hundreds of hooded protesters after they smashed shop windows and hurled petrol bombs at the start of an annual May Day rally in Paris. Police had warned on Monday of possible clashes with far-left anarchist groups, known as Black Blocs, after a call on social media to make Tuesday a “Revolutionary Day”. Authorities said some 1,200 hooded and masked protesters dressed in black had turned up on the sidelines of the annual planned demonstration by labor unions. The protesters smashed the windows of several businesses, including a Renault garage and a McDonalds restaurant on a road near the Austerlitz station in eastern Paris and they set fire to a construction vehicle. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb condemned the violence and said everything was being done to arrest the culprits. The protesters chanted anti-fascist slogans, waved Soviet flags and anti-government banners and threw firecrackers. Some started to erect barricades. President Emmanuel Macron, elected last May on a promise to shake up France’s economy and spur jobs growth, is locked in a battle with the trade unions over his plans to liberalize labor regulations. Railway staff have begun three months of nationwide rolling strikes in a dispute over the government’s planned overhaul of state-run railway SNCF. ||||| PARIS (Reuters) - French riot police used water cannon and teargas on Tuesday against hundreds of hooded protesters after they smashed shop windows and hurled petrol bombs at the start of an annual May Day rally in Paris. Police had warned on Monday of possible clashes with far-left anarchist groups, known as Black Blocs, after a call on social media to make Tuesday a “Revolutionary Day”. Authorities said some 1,200 hooded and masked protesters dressed in black had turned up on the sidelines of the annual planned demonstration by labour unions. More than 200 anarchists were arrested, the head of Paris’ police department, Michel Delpuech, told a news conference. The protesters smashed the windows of businesses, including a Renault garage and McDonalds restaurant near the Austerlitz station in eastern Paris. They also ransacked shops, torched cars and scrawled anti-capitalist graffiti on walls. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb condemned the violence and said everything was being done to arrest the culprits. Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux criticised the protesters for covering up their faces. “When you have sincere convictions, you demonstrate with your face unmasked,” he said. “Those who wear hoods are the enemies of democracy.” The protesters chanted anti-fascist slogans, waved Soviet flags and anti-government banners and threw firecrackers. Some started to erect barricades. President Emmanuel Macron, elected last May on a promise to shake up France’s economy and spur jobs growth, is locked in a battle with the trade unions over his plans to liberalise labour regulations. Railway staff have begun three months of nationwide rolling strikes in a dispute over the government’s planned overhaul of state-run railway SNCF. Discontent with Macron’s economic policies has spread beyond the railways and the May Day protests were intended to send a message of defiance to the former investment banker, who is currently on a trip to Australia. Earlier on Tuesday Macron reiterated that he would not back down on his reform agenda. Labour unions put the number of peaceful protesters at Tuesday’s main May Day rally at about 55,000, though police put it a just 20,000. The numbers were relatively small compared to other recent demonstrations. Opposition conservative and far-right politicians accused Macron’s government of being insufficiently prepared for the violent protests and criticised it for not cracking down more heavily on far-left anarchist groups. The leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, Jean-Luc Melenchon, said he believed far-right groups were responsible for the violence. ||||| Nearly 300 protesters were arrested Tuesday after May Day riots in central Paris, where hooded youths torched a McDonald's restaurant and several vehicles during a march against President Emmanuel Macron's public sector reforms. Shouting "Rise up, Paris" and "Everyone hates the police", around 1,200 people in black jackets and face masks joined the traditional May 1 union-led demonstration for workers' rights, according to a count by Paris police. After trying to hold up the march a group of protesters ran amok along the route, destroying a McDonald's restaurant near Austerlitz station, east of the city centre, and setting it ablaze. They also torched vehicles at a car dealership, along with a mechanical digger and a scooter, leaving a trail of destruction and plumes of dark smoke billowing into the air. The worst unrest in months in Paris comes at a time of heightened tensions over Macron's reform of the public sector and follows a showdown between police and anti-capitalist squatters at a sprawling commune in western France. The police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the demonstrators. On Tuesday night 102 people remained in custody out of 276 who were arrested, police said, adding: "31 businesses were damaged, of which two were burned, 6 vehicles were burned and 10 others damaged." Macron condemned the violence, posting on Twitter during his trip to Australia: "Everything will be done so that the perpetrators are identified and held responsible for their actions." He added the demonstrations would be treated with "absolute firmness". ||||| A group of masked anarchists dressed mostly in black clothing hijacked a May Day rally in Paris on Tuesday, torching a vehicle, a McDonald’s, looting stores, and throwing cobble stones at riot police, according to Reuters. About 1,200 protesters from the far-left anarchist groups known as Black Blocs took over the rally, which was organized by labor unions protesting President Emmanuel Macron’s economic reforms, Reuters reported. Macron has been trying to cut jobs and retirement benefits in the public sector, such as SNCF railway and Air France, among other measures. One protest in March saw hundreds of thousands of protesters take to the streets across France over his proposed reforms. Here are some of the crazy pictures from Tuesday: The rally appeared to have started peacefully. The large sign above reads: “Students, Employees. Everyone in the Street. General Strike.” The rally was organized in opposition to Macron’s economic reforms. Symbolized here — but it later erupted. Protesters smashed the windows at a McDonald’s near the Austerlitz Metro station. And reportedly threw one or more Molotov cocktails inside. They also overturned and lit a car on fire near a Renault garage … … which appeared to have burned for awhile … … long enough for this man to pose in front of it with a beer. Riot police formed a barrier and fired tear gas at the protesters. But they didn’t seem to care, at least at first. They formed their own barricade. And threw colored-smoke bombs at the police. Police eventually broke it up, arresting 200 people. Four people, including one officer, received minor injuries. ||||| Nearly 300 protesters were arrested Tuesday after May Day riots in central Paris, where hooded youths torched a McDonald's restaurant and several vehicles during a march against President Emmanuel Macron's public sector reforms. [PARIS] Nearly 300 protesters were arrested Tuesday after May Day riots in central Paris, where hooded youths torched a McDonald's restaurant and several vehicles during a march against President Emmanuel Macron's public sector reforms. Shouting "Rise up, Paris" and "Everyone hates the police", around 1,200 people in black jackets and face masks joined the traditional May 1 union-led demonstration for workers' rights, according to a count by Paris police. After trying to hold up the march a group of protesters ran amok along the route, destroying a McDonald's restaurant near Austerlitz station, east of the city centre, and setting it ablaze. They also torched vehicles at a car dealership, along with a mechanical digger and a scooter, leaving a trail of destruction and plumes of dark smoke billowing into the air. The worst unrest in months in Paris comes at a time of heightened tensions over Mr Macron's reform of the public sector and follows a showdown between police and anti-capitalist squatters at a sprawling commune in western France. The police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the demonstrators. On Tuesday night 102 people remained in custody out of 276 who were arrested, police said, adding: "31 businesses were damaged, of which two were burned, 6 vehicles were burned and 10 others damaged." Mr Macron condemned the violence, posting on Twitter during his trip to Australia: "Everything will be done so that the perpetrators are identified and held responsible for their actions." He added the demonstrations would be treated with "absolute firmness". The police had warned of the risk of extremist groups using May Day to set up a rematch of the clashes seen during demonstrations last year over Macron's labour reforms and at an anti-capitalist camp in western France that was demolished by police earlier this month. "Macron makes us mad," read a banner held by one masked demonstrator. "We're tired of this capitalist system that destroys everything and of brutal police repression of all those who oppose it," a 19-year-old student who was part of the group told AFP. The scenes of looting and destruction overshadowed the May Day march, which drew between 20,000 and 55,000 peaceful protesters according to police and union estimates. Countrywide, around 143,000 people took part in labour marches, according to government estimates, up slightly on 2017. Trade unions and students' unions have been trying to rally the French against Mr Macron's shake-up of indebted state rail operator SNCF and access to public universities, which they see as part of a rollback of France's cherished public service. Polls show the French supporting those reforms but being more critical of Macron's fiscal policy, seen as favouring the wealthy over the working and middle classes. "Macron is the president of the rich," Genevieve Durand, a retired public servant who took part in a march in the central city of Clermont-Ferrand, told AFP, echoing a label that has clung to the centrist leader. The energetic 40-year-old, who vowed during campaigning to make France more competitive, has insisted he will not budge from his course. "I'm doing what I said I would," he said during a recent television interview to mark the first anniversary of his election on May 7. ||||| Nearly 300 protesters were arrested after May Day riots in central Paris, where hooded youths torched a McDonald’s restaurant and several vehicles during a march against President Emmanuel Macron’s public sector reforms. Shouting “Rise up, Paris” and “Everyone hates the police”, around 1,200 people in black jackets and face masks yesterday joined the traditional May 1 union-led demonstration for workers’ rights, according to a count by Paris police. After trying to hold up the march a group of protesters ran amok along the route, destroying a McDonald’s restaurant near Austerlitz station, east of the city centre, and setting it ablaze. They also torched vehicles at a car dealership, along with a mechanical digger and a scooter, leaving a trail of destruction and plumes of dark smoke billowing into the air. The worst unrest in months in Paris comes at a time of heightened tensions over Macron’s reform of the public sector and follows a showdown between police and anti-capitalist squatters at a sprawling commune in western France. The police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the demonstrators. Last night 102 people remained in custody out of 276 who were arrested, police said, adding: “31 businesses were damaged, of which two were burned, 6 vehicles were burned and 10 others damaged.” Macron condemned the violence, posting on Twitter during his trip to Australia: “Everything will be done so that the perpetrators are identified and held responsible for their actions.” He added the demonstrations would be treated with “absolute firmness”. The police had warned of the risk of extremist groups using May Day to set up a rematch of the clashes seen during demonstrations last year over Macron’s labour reforms and at an anti-capitalist camp in western France that was demolished by police earlier this month. “Macron makes us mad,” read a banner held by one masked demonstrator. “We’re tired of this capitalist system that destroys everything and of brutal police repression of all those who oppose it,” a 19-year-old student who was part of the group told AFP. The scenes of looting and destruction overshadowed the May Day march, which drew between 20,000 and 55,000 peaceful protesters according to police and union estimates. Countrywide, around 143,000 people took part in labour marches, according to government estimates, up slightly on 2017. Trade unions and students’ unions have been trying to rally the French against Macron’s shake-up of indebted state rail operator SNCF and access to public universities, which they see as part of a rollback of France’s cherished public service.
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Far-left anarchists clash with riot police in central Paris, France. Several businesses are looted and set on fire, including a McDonald's restaurant and Renault garage. Hundreds are arrested.
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Share: NAROWAL/Lahore - Interior Minister and top PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal was wounded in an apparent assassination attack yesterday, ahead of nationwide elections due in July, bringing more volatility to an already charged atmosphere. He was preparing to leave a public meeting in his home district Narowal in the evening when a young man named Abid Hussain fired a bullet which landed in Ahsan’s abdomen, injuring his right arm on the way. Police arrested the suspect, said to be in his early 20s, who shot the minister at close range with a 30-bore pistol but was overpowered before he could fire more bullets. After initial medical assistance at Narowal District Headquarters Hospital, the minister was airlifted to Lahore where doctors at Services Hospital removed the bullet and stated his condition to be stable. “The attacker was about to fire a second shot when police and people in the meeting overpowered him,” said Malik Ahmed Khan, a spokesman for the Punjab government. He confirmed that Ahsan’s life was not in danger. Video footage of his arrival in Lahore showed him being lifted from a helicopter on a stretcher, his eyes open as he responded to questions. “He’s stable... he’s ok,” said a hospital official, who asked not to be named. In initial probe, the arrested suspect claimed to be belonging to a religious organisation Tehreek Labaik Ya Rasul Allah (TLYR) and stated ruling party’s last year bid to change a law about the finality of the prophet-hood as the motive. But TLYR condemned the attack. Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif – who also heads the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz – suspected a greater sinister behind the gory incident that follows a series of blows to the ruling party. Ahsan Iqbal, who was touted as a potential prime minister when Nawaz Sharif was ousted last July, is a US-educated lawmaker from a political family long associated with the PML-N. Considered the brains behind the party’s development agenda, he previously headed up the planning ministry. The brazen attack, which came in Kanjrur tehsil, prompted protests in his native city Narowal where supporters of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz burnt tyres and blocked roads in protest. The shooting also caused widespread shock on social media, prompted a race for breaking news between the national TV channels and drew quick national and international condemnations. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, opposition leaders Imran Khan and Bilawal Bhutto and almost all other political figures condemned the incident and wished Ahsan early recovery. Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa also condemned the attack. The French embassy, US ambassador David Hale, British High Commissioner Thomas Drew and UN coordinator Neil Buhne were also among those tweeting their support for Ahsan’s recovery. Suspicions about suspect’s claim Though Ahsan Iqbal earlier in the day also held a meeting with a Christian group, a police source said, “We are not sure whether it [attack] has got anything to do with the [stated] motive... We will know only after investigation of the attacker.” Describing the assault an “assassination attempt”, CM Shehbaz Sharif said, “[He] just spoke to him [Ahsan] and he is in high spirits.” He tweeted that he was personally overseeing the investigation and vowed to bring “those who indulged in this heinous act” to justice. “PML-N will not be browbeaten into submission,” said Shehbaz, dropping a hint that the shooting may be a work of the anti-PML-N forces whom his brother and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has lately been dubbing as ‘aliens’. The party, now being headed by Shehbaz, has been struggling to find its footing since Nawaz was ousted by the Supreme Court over graft allegations last summer. He, along with his children, is now facing corruption cases in accountability court, and believes that military establishment is behind all their troubles. Besides him, one of his close aides and former foreign minister Khawaja Asif too has been banned from politics for life – ahead of the polls that will pit the PML-N against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, being led by former cricket star Imran Khan. Though the besieged leader would never name the army explicitly, he and his supporters believe they are victims of a conspiracy to reduce their power. PML-N lawmaker Maiza Hameed told Geo News that the shooting was an attempt to “weaken democracy” ahead of the upcoming elections. Nawaz Sharif’s own political speeches show that he believes his party is being squeezed from all sides to prevent it from winning the next elections or, at least, from securing a heavy mandate. Despite the setbacks, the PML-N has won a string of recent by-elections, proving it will likely remain a force to reckon with in the vote. TLYR The TLYR, which claims to be a defender of the honour of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW), announced its disassociation from the attacker and strongly condemned the shooting at the minister. Rising from ashes of Mumtaz Qadri – who was hanged for assassinating ex-Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer – Tehreek-e-Labaik has emerged as a strong pressure group and it has caused quite a stir in the national politics during last few years under the leadership of its firebrand leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi. Last year Rizvi spearheaded a rally on the issue of changes in an electoral declaration about the finality of the prophethood. The TLYR, along with some other religious groups, then staged a weeks-long sit-in on a key bridge connecting the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, bringing miseries to the commuters. The sit-in ended after an agreement brokered by the military which made the government surrender to the demands of the agitators. The apparent grossness and illegality of the agreement made the Supreme Court to take a suo moto notice on the issue. ||||| KARACHI, Pakistan — Pakistan’s interior minister narrowly escaped an apparent assassination attempt Sunday evening when a gunman slipped into a small crowd of supporters and colleagues surrounding the minister, firing a shot that pierced his right shoulder. The attacker was quickly apprehended and the minister, Ahsan Iqbal, taken to a hospital; government officials said he was in stable condition. The shooting, which took place in Punjab Province, left Pakistanis on edge as the country prepares to hold general elections as early as July. Although a motive for the shooting has yet to be declared, Mr. Iqbal is a staunch supporter of Pakistan’s religious minorities, often considered heretics by the country’s radicalized offshoots of Sunni Islam. Mr. Iqbal met with religious minorities across Pakistan in recent weeks, encouraging them to go to the polls and promising to provide security to nervous constituents. In the end, Mr. Iqbal’s own security detail couldn’t give him the protection he promised religious minorities, who are frequent victims of terrorist attacks as well as harassment and discrimination by the authorities. This past week, the minister met with Hazaras, who practice Shiite Islam, listening to their complaints of widespread discrimination at the hands of the police forces that Mr. Iqbal leads. ||||| Pakistani officials say a gunman has opened fire on the country’s interior minister after a public meeting, wounding him in shoulder. Talal Chaudhry, the Minister of State for Interior Affairs, says Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was returning to his car after a meeting in Narowal district Sunday when he came under attack. Senior police officer Imran Kishwar said the attacker was immediately arrested, and that the interior minister was out of danger. He said the 22-year-old gunman fired at the minister at close range. His motivation was not immediately known. ||||| Ahsan Iqbal, 59, sustained a bullet wound on his right shoulder. Pakistan's interior minister Ahsan Iqbal was on Sunday shot at and injured in a suspected assassination bid after he addressed a rally in Punjab province, police said. (Photo: File) Lahore: Pakistan's interior minister Ahsan Iqbal was on Sunday shot at and injured in a suspected assassination bid after he addressed a rally in Punjab province, police said. Iqbal, 59, sustained a bullet wound on his right shoulder. He was attending a corner meeting in Narowal's Kanjrur Tehsil when the incident occurred, the police was quoted as saying by Dawn News. He was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital, the report said. Family sources confirmed that the interior minister is being shifted to Lahore. The suspect has reportedly been taken into custody, according to police. District Police Officer Imran Kishwar said that the attacker used a 30-bore pistol to fire at Iqbal from a distance of around 18 metres. "One of the shooters has been arrested and (is) being interrogated by the police," Punjab government said in a Twitter message. Confirming the incident, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Tallal Chaudhry said Iqbal was out of danger. The arrested suspect is 20-22 years old, he added. Corner meetings become common as elections come close with politicians interacting with supporters and common people. ||||| LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) - A top Pakistani health official says the country's interior minister is stable after undergoing two surgeries following an attack by a gunman the previous day. Dr. Mohammad Ameer, head of a Lahore hospital where the minister is being treated, says the bullet had first fractured Ahsan Iqbal's right arm, then ricocheted and lodged in his abdomen. The shooting happened after Iqbal was returning to his car following a meeting on Sunday in his constituency, the Narowal district. The gunman, identified as Abid Hussain, was arrested on the spot. His motive wasn't immediately known. He has been linked to a religious group that rallied in Islamabad in January. An ambulance is parked outside accident and emergency department of a hospital, where Pakistan's injured Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal being shifted for treatment, in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, May 6, 2018. A gunman opened fire on the country's interior minister after a public meeting in his constituency Sunday, wounding him in the shoulder, officials said. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Ameer said on Monday they opted not to remove the bullet from Iqbal's abdomen as that would have entailed a more dangerous procedure. Pakistani police officers stand guard at a hospital, where Pakistan's injured Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal being shifted for treatment, in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, May 6, 2018. A gunman opened fire on the country's interior minister after a public meeting in his constituency Sunday, wounding him in the shoulder, officials said. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) ||||| NAROWAL : Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Interior Minsiter Ahsan Iqbal Sunday sustained injuries on right arm during assassination attempt after attending a corner meeting in Narowal. The minister got injured due to gunshots fired by an assailant. He received bullet injury to his right arm. He was immediately transported to district hospital Narowal for medical treatment. The incident took place while he was leaving after attending a meeting at MPA Rana Manan’s residence in Kanjrur town of Narowal. Police sources said the assailant, who was arrested soon after the incident, has been identified as Abid Hussain, 21. Ahsan Iqbal was in stable condition, said hospital sources. District Police Officer (DPO) Narowal Imran Kishwar confirmed that Ahsan Iqbal was out of danger. He said bullet was fired from a distance of 15 yards. He said the assaulter was a local resident and he was shifted to an undisclosed location for further interrogation. Reportedly, intelligence agencies had alerted Ahsan Iqbal five days ago for beefing up his personal security and avoid public gatherings. He was also reportedly told that an attack could take place in Narowal rally. Later, Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif sent a helicopter to transport Ahsan Iqbal from Narowal to Lahore. Ahmed Iqbal, son of Ahsan Iqbal, said that first aid was given to his father at the DHQ. “My father is out of danger now, but we are shifting him to Lahore for medical care,” he said, urging the nation to pray for his father’s recovery. Talking to a private channel, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said that Ahsan Iqbal has received a bullet in his shoulder and he has been shifted to hospital. He said the person, who carried out firing has been arrested. “A 22-year-old person has been arrested,” he said, adding that the interior minister may be shifted to Lahore if required. “By the Grace of Gold, Ahsan Iqbal is out of danger.” Taking notice of the incident, Inspector General Punjab Police Arif Nawaz has sought report from the DPO and said strict action should be taken against the culprit. Spokesperson Punjab Government Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan said medical treatment was provided to him and he will be further treated in Lahore. In an interview, DPO Narowal Imran Kishwar said the Interior Minister received a bullet in an arm, and his condition is out of danger. He said the accused, identified as Abid Hussain, has been arrested. The spokesman for Punjab government said the accused belongs to a local village. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has strongly condemned the attack on the Interior Minister and sought a report of the incident from IG Police Punjab. Punjab Governor Rafique Rajwana and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also condemned the incident. Talking to Radio Pakistan, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb prayed for the early recovery of Ahsan Iqbal. She said criticism of providing security to dignitaries is unjustified at a time when the country is fighting terror. Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the incident and prayed for early recovery of Ahsan. PTI Spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry said PTI condemned the attack on the interior minister and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits behind this incident. ||||| Pakistan's interior minister was injured in an apparent assassination attempt, according to several media reports. According to a report in Pakistan Today, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was injured after unknown assailants opened fire on him after a political gathering in Punjab's Narowal. Iqbal took a bullet in the arm after stepping out of his motorcade, and the Elite Force has arrested an assailant named Abid, according to the Pakistan Today report. Dawn reported that Iqbal was shifted to District Headquarters Hospital. Confirming the incident, PML-N leader Tallal Chaudhry said Iqbal was out of danger and that the suspect — between 20 to 22 years old — is being interrogated, he added, according to the report. Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif has sent his official helicopter to Narowal to airlift the minister to Lahore, according to a report in TheNews. ||||| LAHORE, Pakistan — A top Pakistani health official says the country’s interior minister is stable after undergoing two surgeries following an attack by a gunman the previous day. Dr. Mohammad Ameer, head of a Lahore hospital where the minister is being treated, says the bullet had first fractured Ahsan Iqbal’s right arm, then ricocheted and lodged in his abdomen. The shooting happened after Iqbal was returning to his car following a meeting on Sunday in his constituency, the Narowal district. The gunman, identified as Abid Hussain, was arrested on the spot. His motive wasn’t immediately known. He has been linked to a religious group that rallied in Islamabad in January. Ameer said on Monday they opted not to remove the bullet from Iqbal’s abdomen as that would have entailed a more dangerous procedure. ||||| (CNN) — Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Ahsan Iqbal, was shot and wounded in his shoulder while attending a provincial assembly meeting in Narowal, Punjab province, according to Imran Kishwar, Narowal district police. “As he got out of a car, a young man shot him. The assailant has been apprehended,” Kishwar said. Police identified the shooter as Abid Hussain, a 21-year-old from Neelum village in Narowal, Punjab. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has “strongly condemned” the attack on Mr. Ahsan Iqbal and has called for an immediate report on the incident from the Inspector General of Punjab Police, according to a statement from his office. Chief Minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif issued a statement on Twitter strongly condemning the attack. “Those who indulged in this heinous act will be brought to justice,” he said, adding that he had spoken to Iqbal and he was in “high spirits.” He also warned that his party, the Pakistan Muslim League, “will not be browbeaten into submission.” In a short statement on Twitter, US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale said, “The United States condemns the attack on Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal today. We wish him a speedy recovery.” ||||| Lahore: Pakistan's Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was injured on Monday in an assassination attempt when a man opened fire at him after he had addressed a political rally in Punjab province, police said. Iqbal, 59, a senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, was hit by a bullet on his right shoulder in the attack, the police said. His condition is stated to be out of danger. The attacker was identified as Abid Hussain, 21, who belongs to the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Yarasoolallah Pakistan (TLYP), according to a preliminary investigation. "Doctors are operating upon Mr Iqbal to take out a bullet from his stomach. He sustained a bullet injury. The bullet after brushing his arm hit the stomach. Now doctors are conducting the operation to take out the bullet from his stomach," Punjab minister Zaeem Qadri told reporters outside the Services Hospital in Lahore. "The man who opened fire on the interior minister belongs to the religious outfit - TLYP. We know the motive of this attack but I want to tell that this is a very dangerous game being played against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)," Information Minister Marrium Aurengzeb said adding that "this politics of hatred" should be stopped now. Iqbal was leaving a venue after addressing a rally in his hometown Narowal, 150 kms from Lahore, at 6.15 pm when Hussain fired at him, injuring his arm and stomach. A senior police officer said the suspect told investigators that he opened fire on the minister to take revenge from the ruling PML-N for trying to delete the clause related to the Khatm-e-Nabuwat (the finality of Prophet Muhammad) from the Constitution. "The suspect belongs to a religious family and is a worker of the TLYP. We are interrogating him to find out whether he acted alone or at the behest of someone," he said. "The moment Hussain opened the fire on the interior minister the PML-N workers present there grabbed him and gave him a sound thrashing before handing him over to the police," police officer Imran Kishwar said, adding that the security personnel did not get a chance to throw a cover around the minister to protect him. Iqbal's son confirmed that his father is out of danger. The attacker fired with a 30-bore pistol from a distance of around 18 metres. He was about to fire a second shot when he was apprehended, police said, adding that the weapon has been recovered. Punjab Assembly lawmaker Rana Manan said Iqbal was about to sit in his vehicle when the attacker fired at him. TLYP is a radical Islamic party which is known for its widespread street power and massive protests against any change to Pakistan's controversial blasphemy law. The attack on the interior minister highlights the issue of security of high-profile politicians ahead of the election scheduled to be held after June. Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto and other Pakistan Peoples Party leaders also condemned the attack, as did Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan. Iqbal was once seen as a potential prime minister when Nawaz Sharif was ousted by the Supreme Court last year. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif described the incident as an "assassination attempt". A couple of months ago Iqbal had also faced a shoe-attack in his hometown. However the man who hurled the shoe was arrested and later freed after Iqbal pardoned him. The suspect then claimed that he committed the act because he was upset with the PML-N government over the change to the offending clause in the Constitution. Similarly, ousted prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and former foreign minister Khwaja Asif also faced shoe and ink attacks in Lahore and Sialkot, a couple of months ago. Their attackers were also members of the TLYP who alleged that the PML-N leadership had committed blasphemy by changing the constitutional clause which had provoked the attacks. Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer was gunned down in 2011 by his own police guard who confessed that he killed him because of his opposition to the blasphemy law.
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Pakistani Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal is shot at following a rally in Narowal, Punjab. A bullet pierces his right shoulder. He is in stable condition now and the gunman has since been arrested, according to Government Officials.
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Authorities arrested 16 people involved in an ‘international network’ of traffickers, which had been operating since the middle of last year ||||| Malaysian police have intercepted a tanker with 131 Sri Lankans believed bound for Australia and New Zealand, destroying an alleged human smuggling ring that has been operating for over a year. Authorities halted the modified tanker on Tuesday off the coast of southern Johor state, national police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said. He said the immigrants included 98 men, 24 women, four boys and five girls. Police also raided a fishing boat used to transport the migrants to the vessel and detained three Indonesians and four Malaysians on board, he said. Another five Malaysians were nabbed for suspected involvement in the smuggling syndicate. “This syndicate has been operating since mid-2017 and has international connections across Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia,” Fuzi said. A total of 127 Sri Lankans will be charged for entering Malaysia illegally while nine Malaysians, four Indonesians and four Sri Lankans will be investigated for human smuggling, he added. ||||| KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia has arrested more than a dozen members of an alleged people trafficking syndicate after intercepting a ship carrying 127 Sri Lankan migrants believed to be bound for Australia and New Zealand, authorities said Saturday (May 5). Maritime authorities on Tuesday halted a modified tanker named "Etra" in Malaysian territorial waters off southern Johor state, national police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said in a statement on Saturday. Nearly 100 Sri Lankan men, 24 women and nine children were aboard the ship, which was making its way to international waters when it was stopped. Mohamad said authorities arrested 16 people involved in an "international network" of people smugglers, including three Indonesians and four Malaysians aboard a fishing vessel used to transport the migrants from the Johor coast to the tanker. Another four Malaysians were arrested in the nearby state capital of Johor Bahru, while a fifth was taken into custody in Penang. Four Sri Lankan men were arrested aboard the tanker for suspected involvement in the trafficking network, which Mohamad said had been operating since 2017. Mohamad said the remaining 127 passengers aboard the vessel had been detained for violating immigration laws, according to news reports which did not say where they were being held or if they had been allowed to disembark. ||||| KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia police intercepted a modified tanker carrying 131 Sri Lankans on Tuesday (May 1) morning, busting a human-smuggling ring that has been transporting illegal immigrants to Australia and New Zealand. The syndicate was using the maritime passage in the waters of Tanjung Gemuk in Kota Tinggi, Johor to transfer the immigrants. In a media release on Saturday, authorities said the tanker bearing the name Etra had been carrying 98 men, 24 women, four boys and five girls - all Sri Lanka citizens. A fishing boat used to transport the migrants to the vessel was also raided and the seven on board - three Indonesians and four Malaysians - were arrested. Authorities also nabbed five Malaysians involved in smuggling the migrants. "With these arrests, the Royal Malaysia Police has successfully foiled a large and cunning human smuggling syndicate," said police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun. "This syndicate has been operating since mid-2017 and has international connections across Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia," he added. ||||| Malaysian police have intercepted a tanker with 131 Sri Lankans believed bound for Australia and New Zealand, smashing a large people smuggling ring that has been operating for a year, authorities say. Authorities halted the modified tanker on Tuesday (local time) off the coast of southern Johor state, national police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said in a statement. He said the group included 98 men, 24 women, four boys and five girls. Police also raided a fishing boat used to transport the Sri Lankans to the vessel and detained three Indonesians and four Malaysians on board, he said. Another five Malaysians were nabbed for suspected involvement in the smuggling syndicate. A total of 127 Sri Lankans will be charged for entering Malaysia illegally while nine Malaysians, four Indonesians and four Sri Lankans will be investigated for people smuggling, he added. ||||| Malaysia has arrested more than a dozen members of an alleged people smuggling syndicate after intercepting a ship carrying 127 Sri Lankan migrants believed to be bound for Australia and New Zealand, authorities said. Maritime authorities on Tuesday halted a modified tanker named “Etra” in Malaysian territorial waters off southern Johor state, national police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said. Nearly 100 Sri Lankan men, 24 women and nine children were aboard the ship, which was making its way to international waters when it was stopped. The police chief said in a statement on Saturday that authorities arrested 16 people involved in an “international network” of people smugglers, including three Indonesians and four Malaysians aboard a fishing vessel used to transport the migrants from the Johor coast to the tanker. Another four Malaysians were arrested in the nearby state capital of Johor Baharu, while a fifth was taken into custody in northern Penang state. Four Sri Lankan men were arrested aboard the tanker for suspected involvement in the trafficking network. Mohamad Fuzi said the remaining 127 passengers aboard the vessel had been detained for violating immigration laws, according to news reports which did not say where they were being held or if they had been allowed to disembark. He said the international syndicate, which covered Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia, had been operating since the middle of last year. It is relatively rare for people-smuggling boats seeking to take people to Australia to be stopped off Malaysia. Boats typically bypass Malaysia and head to neighbouring Indonesia, the traditional staging post on the route to Australia. Over the years, many such vessels have been stopped or have sunk off Indonesia. This flow has largely stopped in recent years however after Australia introduced tough policies in 2013 of turning back boats when it is safe to do so, an approach that angered Jakarta. In 2015 some boats carrying Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, arrived in Malaysia after Thai authorities clamped down on regional trafficking networks and preventing them from coming ashore in Thailand. A Rohingya boat arrival in northwest Malaysia last month was the first for some time, and came as fears mounted more might be set to take to the high seas after a military crackdown in Myanmar sent many members of the minority fleeing their homeland. However experts have played down the potential for a mass exodus via the high seas, as stormy weather over upcoming months makes boat trips far more risky. ||||| Kualar Lumpur : More than 130 Sri Lankans believed to be heading for Australia and New Zealand have been intercepted by Malaysian authorities, smashing a large human smuggling ring that has been operating for over a year. National police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun says authorities halted the tanker on Tuesday off the coast of southern Johor state. He says the modified tanker carrying the Sri Lankan immigrants included 98 men, 24 women, four boys and five girls. He says police also raided a fishing boat used to transport the migrants to the vessel and detained three Indonesians and four Malaysians on board. Another five Malaysians were later nabbed for suspected involvement in the smuggling syndicate. ||||| Malaysian police have intercepted a tanker with 131 Sri Lankans believed bound for Australia and New Zealand, smashing a large human smuggling ring that has been operating for a year. Authorities halted the modified tanker on Tuesday off the coast of southern Johor state, national police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said in a statement Saturday. He said the immigrants included 98 men, 24 women, four boys and five girls. Police also raided a fishing boat used to transport the migrants to the vessel and detained three Indonesians and four Malaysians on board, he said. Another five Malaysians were nabbed for suspected involvement in the smuggling syndicate. “This syndicate has been operating since mid-2017 and has international connections across Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia,” Fuzi said. A total of 127 Sri Lankans will be charged for entering Malaysia illegally while nine Malaysians, four Indonesians and four Sri Lankans will be investigated for human smuggling, he added. The syndicate was transporting the immigrants using a maritime passage in the waters of Tanjung Gemuk in Kota Tinggi, Johor, Channel News Asia reported. ||||| KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia has arrested more than a dozen members of an alleged people trafficking syndicate after intercepting a ship carrying 127 Sri Lankan migrants believed to be bound for Australia and New Zealand, authorities have said. Maritime authorities on Tuesday halted a modified tanker named "Etra" in Malaysian territorial waters off southern Johor state, national police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said. Nearly 100 Sri Lankan men, 24 women and nine children were aboard the ship, which was making its way to international waters when it was stopped. The police chief said in a statement Saturday that authorities arrested 16 people involved in an "international network" of people smugglers, including three Indonesians and four Malaysians aboard a fishing vessel used to transport the migrants from the Johor coast to the tanker. Another four Malaysians were arrested in the nearby state capital of Johor Bahru, while a fifth was taken into custody in northern Penang state. Four Sri Lankan men were arrested aboard the tanker for suspected involvement in the trafficking network. Mohamad Fuzi said the remaining 127 passengers aboard the vessel had been detained for violating immigration laws, according to news reports which did not say where they were being held or if they had been allowed to disembark. He said the international syndicate, which covered Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia, had been operating since the middle of last year. It is relatively rare for people-smuggling boats seeking to take people to Australia to be stopped off Malaysia. Boats typically bypass Malaysia and head to neighbouring Indonesia, the traditional staging post on the route to Australia. Over the years, many such vessels have been stopped or have sunk off Indonesia. ||||| An Australian government minister says people smugglers were now marketing New Zealand as a back door into Australia, after Malaysian authorities intercepted a boat carrying Sri Lankan asylum seekers. Malaysian police said in a statement more than 130 Sri Lankans believed to be heading for Australia and New Zealand were intercepted when Malaysian authorities halted the modified tanker on Tuesday off the coast of southern Johor state. Australia's Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton told reporters on Monday that Australian authorities had been working with the Malaysians to prevent the ship reaching Australian or New Zealand. Australia pays the poor Pacific island nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea to keep asylum seekers from Asia, the Middle East and Africa in immigration camps indefinitely.
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Malaysian authorities announce sixteen arrests connected to an international human trafficking ring. The arrests follow the seizure of modified tanker ship MV Etra in Malaysian waters on Tuesday with 127 Sri Lankan migrants on board being smuggled to New Zealand and Australia. The arrests include seven people captured aboard a fishing vessel used to transfer migrants onto MV Etra.
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JERUSALEM (AP) - The Latest on the war in Syria, where Israel responded to a rocket attack by launching a wave of missile strikes on Iranian positions (all times local): A top official from the Arab Gulf country of Bahrain is defending what he says is Israel’s “right” to defend itself after Israel launched overnight strikes on Iranian targets in Syria. Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa wrote on Twitter Thursday that so long as Iran uses its forces and missiles to try and destabilize the region, “it is the right of any country in the region, including Israel to defend itself by destroying sources of danger.” Israel says Iranian rocket attacks on Israeli positions in the Golan Heights prompted the overnight strikes. Iran has not commented on the accusations. Bahrain, a close U.S. ally, considers Iran a regional threat. The tiny island-nation accuses its Persian Gulf neighbor of arming and training Shiite Bahraini protesters with the aim of destabilizing the Sunni-ruled country. Bahrain has also welcomed President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear accord with Iran. Russia says the Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities in Syria have marked a dangerous escalation, urging both Israel and Iran to avoid provoking each other. He noted that in contacts with the leadership of both countries, including a meeting Wednesday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “we underlined the necessity of avoiding any actions that might be mutually provocative.” Netanyahu visited Moscow Wednesday to attend celebrations marking the WWII victory anniversary. Israel said it struck dozens of Iranian targets overnight in response to a rocket barrage on Israeli positions in the Golan Heights, the biggest Israeli strike in Syria since the 1973 war. Britain has condemned “in the strongest terms” a suspected Iranian rocket attack against Israeli positions in the Golan Heights. In a statement Thursday, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson urged Iran to refrain from actions that could destabilize the region. Johnson also called on Russia to press the Syrian government, its ally, to work toward a broader political settlement. The attack in the Golan prompted Israel to launch a wave of missile strikes at Iranian targets inside Syria. Iran has not commented on the exchange of fire. Syria’s military said the Israeli strikes killed three people and damaged a number of its air defense units. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron are calling for de-escalation in the Middle East after an alleged Iranian rocket barrage on Israeli positions in the Golan Heights prompted Israeli strikes on Iranian targets in Syria. Merkel and Macron met in Aachen, Germany Thursday on the sidelines of a ceremony where Macron was awarded a prize for contributions to European unity. The German government said they discussed events in the Middle East and called for “level-headedness and de-escalation in the region.” Merkel alluded to the two countries’ support for the Iran nuclear deal. She said: “We know that we face an extremely complicated situation here. The escalation of the last few hours shows it is truly a matter of war and peace, and I can only call on all involved to exercise restraint.” Syria’s military says overnight Israeli airstrikes killed three people, wounded two and destroyed a radar station, an ammunition warehouse, and damaged a number of air defense units. Syrian Brig. Gen. Ali Mayhoub, who read the statement on Syrian television Thursday, says Syrian air defense systems had intercepted “the large part” of the incoming Israeli strikes. Mayhoub did not say whether Iranian forces or Iran-backed militiamen were among those killed or wounded. Israel’s defense minister says the military struck “nearly all” of Iran’s military facilities in Syria. A Syrian war monitoring group says the strikes killed at least 23 people, including five Syrian soldiers. The Russian military says Israel fired more than 70 missiles at Iranian facilities in Syria and that Syrian air defenses shot down more than half of them. Israel says it struck dozens of Iranian targets overnight in response to a rocket barrage on Israeli positions in the Golan Heights. It was the biggest Israeli strike in Syria since the 1973 war. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that 28 Israeli F-15 and F-16 fighter jets launched about 60 air-to-surface missiles during the two-hour raid early Thursday. It says Israel also fired over 10 tactical surface-to-surface missiles. Russia is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and has been waging its own air campaign on his behalf since 2015. A Syrian war monitoring group says Israeli attacks on several sites in Syria have killed 23 fighters, including five Syrian soldiers. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Thursday the overnight attacks struck several military posts for Syrian troops and Iranian-backed militias near the capital, Damascus, in central Syria and in southern Syria. The head of the Observatory, Rami Abdurrahman, said five Syrian soldiers, including two officers, and 18 militia fighters were killed. Abdurrahman says it is not immediately clear if Iranians were among those killed. He says the toll is likely to rise because some of the wounded are in critical condition. The Observatory says the strikes targeted suspected locations of the Lebanese Hezbollah group, as well as areas where Iranian advisers are believed to be based. Syrian President Bashar Assad has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of saying one thing one day and the opposite the next, saying “I don’t think in the meantime we can achieve anything with such an administration.” Assad spoke in an interview with the Greek Kathimerini newspaper published Thursday, before Israel carried out airstrikes in Syria in response to what it said was a cross-border rocket attack by Iranian forces. He appeared to be referring to conflicting messages from the White House on how long it plans to keep American troops in Syria and its plans going forward. Assad says wise Russian leadership has managed to avoid a full-blown conflict with Washington. He says: “I hope we don’t see any direct conflict between these superpowers, because this is where things are going to be out of control for the rest of the world.” Both Russia and Iran have provided crucial military support to Assad’s forces. Israel’s defense minister says the military has struck “nearly all” of the Iranian infrastructure sites in Syria. Avigdor Lieberman says Thursday Israel responded fiercely to an unprecedented rocket attack by Iranian forces in Syria against Israel. He says no one was harmed in Israel and all the rockets were either intercepted or fell short. Lieberman told the Herzliya Conference, an annual security gathering north of Tel Aviv, that “if it rains on us it will be a flood on them.” Israel attacked dozens of Iranian targets overnight in response to the rocket barrage on Israeli positions in the Golan Heights. It was the most serious military confrontation between Israel and Iran to date and Israel’s biggest strike in Syria since the 1973 war. The Israeli military says it attacked dozens of Iranian targets in neighboring Syria in response to an Iranian rocket barrage on Israeli positions in the Golan Heights, in the most serious military confrontation between the two bitter enemies to date. Israel says the targets included weapons storage facilities, logistics centers, intelligence sites and logistic sites used by elite Iranian forces in Syria. It also says it destroyed several Syrian air-defense systems after coming under heavy fire. It says none of its warplanes was hit. The blistering Israeli assault was by far the most intensive Israeli action in neighboring Syria since the civil war broke out there in 2011. Israel has tried to stay on the sidelines but has acknowledged over 100 airstrikes over the past seven years. ||||| JERUSALEM/BEIRUT: Israel said it attacked nearly all of Iran's military infrastructure in Syria on Thursday after Iranian forces fired rockets at Israeli-held territory for the first time. It was the heaviest Israeli barrage in Syria since the start in 2011 of its civil war, in which Iranians, allied Shi'ite militias and Russian soldiers have deployed in support of President Bashar al-Assad. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Syria. Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the Iranian rockets either fell short of their targets, military bases in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, or were intercepted. Expectations of a regional flare-up, amid warnings from Israel it was determined to prevent Iranian military entrenchment in Syria, were stoked by U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement on Tuesday that he was withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal. The Trump administration portrayed its position against that agreement as a response, in part, to Tehran's military interventions in the region - underpinning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tough line towards Iran. The Golan attack was "just further demonstration that the Iranian regime cannot be trusted and another good reminder that the president made the right decision to get out of the Iran deal," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told Fox News. Israel said 20 Iranian Grad and Fajr rockets were shot down by its Iron Dome air defence system or did not reach targets in the Golan, territory it captured from Syria in a 1967 war. The Quds Force, an external arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, carried out the launch, Israel said. Syrian state media said dozens of Israeli missiles struck a radar station, Syrian air defence positions and an ammunition dump, underscoring the risks of a wider escalation involving Iran and its regional allies. Russia's defence ministry said Syria had shot down more than half of the missiles fired by Israel, RIA news agency reported. "We hit ... almost all of the Iranian infrastructure in Syria," Lieberman said, in a question and answer session at the annual Herzliya security conference in Tel Aviv. "I hope we finished this chapter and everyone got the message." Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus told reporters the Iranian attack was "commanded and ordered by (Quds Force chief General) Qassem Soleimani and it has not achieved its purpose". Conricus said Israel responded by destroying dozens of Iranian military sites in Syria, as well as Syrian anti-aircraft units that tried unsuccessfully to shoot down Israeli planes. "We do not know yet the (Iranian) casualty count," he said. "But I can say that in terms of our purpose, we focused less on personnel and more on capabilities and hardware ... to inflict long-term damage on the Iranian military establishment in Syria. We assess it will take substantial time to replenish." There was no immediate comment from Iran. In the Golan Heights, Israeli schools opened as usual on Thursday morning, after sirens sent residents to shelters during the night. Lieberman said Israel was not seeking escalation on the Syrian front. But Tzachi Hanegbi, a cabinet minister close to Netanyahu, cautioned that more confrontation could come. "I don't think I can tell you that one blow, as effective and crushing as the one they (the Iranians) received last night, is enough to convince a regime that is usually very fanatical and determined," he said on Israel Radio. The Israelis fear that Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah are turning Syria into a new front against them. Israel says its occasional strikes in Syria aim to foil that. Iran vowed retaliation after a suspected Israeli air strike last month killed seven of its military personnel in a Syrian air base. Israel regards Iran as its biggest threat, and has repeatedly targeted Iranian forces and allied militia in Syria. On Tuesday, hours after Trump's announcement on the nuclear deal, Israeli rockets targeted a military base in Kisweh, a commander in the pro-Syrian government regional alliance said. That attack killed 15 people, including eight Iranians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, though the commander said there were no casualties. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility. Thursday's conflagration came hours after Netanyahu returned from a visit to Moscow, where he discussed concerns about Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Netanyahu said after the discussions that Russia was unlikely to limit Israel's armed actions in Syria. The Israeli military said Israel had forewarned Russia of its strikes on Thursday. "There should be work to de-escalate the tensions," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov was quoted as saying on Thursday by the Tass news agency. He called the situation "very alarming". ||||| Israel's army said Thursday it had carried out widespread raids against Iranian targets in Syria overnight after rocket fire towards its forces which it blamed on Iran, marking a sharp escalation between the two enemies. The incident came after weeks of rising tensions and followed US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from a key 2015 Iran nuclear deal on Tuesday, a move Israel had long advocated. The raids were one of the largest Israeli military operations in recent years and the biggest such assault on Iranian targets, the military said. "We hit nearly all the Iranian infrastructure in Syria," Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman told a security conference on Thursday morning. "They need to remember the saying that if it rains on us, it'll storm on them. I hope we've finished this episode and everyone understood." Israel carried out the raids after it said around 20 rockets, either Fajr or Grad type, were fired from Syria at its forces in the occupied Golan Heights at around midnight. It blamed the rocket fire on Iran's Al-Quds force, adding that Israel's anti-missile system intercepted four of the projectiles while the rest did not land in its territory. If confirmed, the incident would be the first such rocket fire by Iranian forces in Syria towards Israel. "We know that comes from the al-Quds force," army spokesman lieutenant-colonel Jonathan Conricus said, referring to the special forces unit affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said dozens of rockets were fired from Syria toward the Israeli-occupied Golan, but did not confirm they were fired by Iranian forces. It alleged the rockets followed a "first Israeli bombardment on the town of Baath" in Quneitra province. A senior pro-regime military source in Syria confirmed the salvo of rockets, but insisted Israel had fired first. - 'Not looking to escalate' - Later, in the early hours of the morning, explosions were heard in Damascus, while live images were broadcast on television showing projectiles above the Syrian capital and several missiles destroyed by Syrian anti-aircraft systems. Syrian state media reported that Israeli missile strikes had hit military bases as well as an arms depot and a military radar installation, without specifying the locations. The official SANA news agency added that "dozens of missiles were shot down by anti-aircraft systems in Syrian airspace", saying a number of missiles had reached their targets. Israel's military later confirmed it had carried out the raids, saying dozens of Iranian military targets had been struck and all of its aircraft had returned safely. Conricus said intelligence, logistics, storage and vehicles as well as the origin of the rockets were targeted. Syrian air defences, which fired dozens of times on Israeli forces, were also targeted, he said. There had been no comment from Iranian officials. "We don't want an escalation, but won't let anyone attack us or build an infrastructure to attack us in the future," he said. "We're facing a new reality. The Iranian attempt to bring anti-aircraft systems to our borders and close our skies is intolerable and unacceptable." An Israeli military statement said "this Iranian aggression is another proof of the intentions behind the establishment of the Iranian regime in Syria and the threat it poses to Israel and regional stability." It added that it "will not allow the Iranian threat to establish itself in Syria. The Syrian regime will be held accountable for everything happening in its territory." French President Emmanuel Macron called Thursday for "de-escalation" between Israel and Iran, adding that he would discuss the issue later in the day with German chancellor Angela Merkel. - 'Right to protect self' - Israel has long warned that it will not accept Iran entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria, where Tehran is supporting President Bashar al-Assad's regime in the country's seven-year civil war. Israel has been blamed for a series of recent strikes inside Syria that have killed Iranians, though it did not acknowledge those raids. It does acknowledge carrying out dozens of raids in Syria to stop what it says are advanced arms deliveries to Iran-backed Hezbollah, another key foe of Israel. Israel had been preparing itself for weeks for possible Iranian retaliation. Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear deal has added to tensions and led to a new level of uncertainty over how Iran will respond. On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country has provided massive military and diplomatic backing to Assad's regime. "I told President Putin that it is the right of every state, certainly the right of Israel, to take the necessary steps in order to protect itself from this aggression," Netanyahu said in a statement, referring to Iran's presence in Syria. Netanyahu and Putin have held a series of meetings and telephone conversations in recent months, particularly regarding Syria. The two countries have established a hotline to avoid accidental clashes in the war-torn country. In February, Israel accused Iranian forces at the T-4 base in central Syria of sending a drone into Israeli territory. After targeting Iranian units in Syria in retaliation, an Israel F-16 was shot down by Syrian anti-aircraft fire in one of the conflict's most notable escalations. Israel then carried out what it called "large-scale" raids on Syrian air defence systems and Iranian targets, which reportedly included T-4. Israel later said the drone had been armed. ||||| JERUSALEM:Israel went on high alert for a possible flare-up with neighbouring Syria on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. The Israeli military said that, after identifying “irregular activity” by Iranian forces in Syria, it instructed civic authorities on the Golan Heights to ready bomb shelters, deployed new defences and mobilised some reservist forces. Israel’s top general, Gadi Eizenkott, cancelled a scheduled appearance at an annual security conference and was conferring with Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman and other national security chiefs, officials said. Trump’s hard tack against the nuclear deal, while welcomed by Israel, has stirred fears of a possible regional flare-up. Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah have been helping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad beat back a seven-year-old rebellion. Israel has carried out repeated air strikes against them, hoping to stop the formation of a Lebanese-Syrian front to its north. An April 9 strike killed seven Iranian military personnel at a Syrian airbase. Iran blamed Israel and said it would retaliate. Israeli media said Tuesday’s order to prepare bomb shelters on the Golan was unprecedented during Syria’s civil war. Israel captured the Golan from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in a moved no recognised internationally. Israel has posted Iron Dome short-range air defences on the Golan, local media said, suggesting that the anticipated attack could be by ground-to-ground rockets or mortars. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a televised address lauding Trump’s Iran policy and alluding to the tensions over Syria. “For months now, Iran has been transferring lethal weaponry to its forces in Syria, with the purpose of striking at Israel,” Netanyahu said. “We will respond mightily to any attack on our territory.”—REUTERS ||||| JERUSALEM (AP) - Iranian forces based in Syria fired 20 rockets at Israeli front-line military positions in the Golan Heights early Thursday, the Israeli military said, triggering a heavy Israeli reprisal and escalating already heightened tensions in what appeared to be the most serious violence in years. The Israeli military said its Iron Dome rocket defense system intercepted some of the incoming projectiles, while others caused only minimal damage. There were no Israeli casualties. Syria’s capital of Damascus shook with sounds of explosions just before dawn, and firing by Syrian air defenses over the city was heard throughout the night. An Israeli official said Israel was targeting Iranian positions inside Syria. Syria’s state news agency SANA quoted a Syrian military official as saying Israeli missiles hit air defense positions, radar stations and a weapons warehouse, but claiming most incoming rockets were intercepted. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted an unidentified security official as saying Israel’s attacks inside Syria were the most extensive since the two nations signed a disengagement agreement after the October war of 1973. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said earlier that Iran’s Al Quds force fired the rockets at several Israeli bases, though he would not say how Israel determined the Iranian involvement. The incoming attack set off air raid sirens in the Israeli-controlled Golan, which was captured from Syria in the 1967 war. Israel “views this Iranian attack very severely,” Conricus told reporters. He said Israel had responded, but did not provide details. “This event is not over,” he said. Syria’s state media said Syrian air defenses intercepted “hostile Israeli missiles” early Thursday that were fired over southwestern Damascus. Hours later, state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV broadcast a live feed of Syrian air defenses firing into the sky above the capital, and loud explosions and air defense firing were heard through the night. Syrian activists reported Israeli airstrikes hitting targets near Damascus. One video posted online showed a large explosion and shrapnel flying in the air. Residents reported loud sounds that rocked their buildings. It was not immediately clear what was hit. An Israeli army spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said on Twitter that Israel was “acting against Iranian targets inside Syria,” a rare admission by an Israeli official. Al-Ikhbariya TV said Israel also targeted military posts in southern Suweida province, including an air base, and struck near Homs in central Syria. The state TV station said the attacks were foiled. Iranian officials offered no immediate comment on Israel’s claim about the missile fire. Iranian state media reported on the attack and the subsequent Israeli strikes in Syria, relying on foreign news reports. Syrian media earlier said the hostilities began with Israeli fire at Syrian positions in southern Syria from across the border. Pro-Syrian media said Syrian missiles then fired at Israeli forces. One TV station, Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen, said at least 50 missiles were fired from Syria at Israeli forces in the Golan Heights. Al-Ikhbariya TV said missiles targeted 10 Israeli positions. Syrian media said it was the first time in years that Syrians had fired at Israeli forces in the Golan Heights. Israel has been on heightened alert in recent days, anticipating an Iranian attack following Iranian vows to retaliate to what it says are recent Israeli strikes in Syria targeting Iranian outposts. Late Tuesday, Syrian state media said Israel struck a military outpost near the capital of Damascus. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the missiles targeted depots and rocket launchers that likely belonged to Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard, killing at least 15 people, eight of them Iranians. Last month, an attack on Syria’s T4 air base in Homs province killed seven Iranian military personnel. On April 30, Israel was said to have struck government outposts in northern Syria, killing more than a dozen pro-government fighters, many of them Iranians. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied most of the airstrikes. But for months, it has repeatedly said it will not accept a permanent Iranian military presence in Syria. In February, Israel shot down what it said was an armed Iranian drone that entered Israeli airspace. Israel responded by attacking anti-aircraft positions in Syria, but an Israeli warplane was shot down during the battle. Iranian forces moved into Syria after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011 to back the forces of President Bashar Assad. As that war winds down, and Assad appears to be headed toward victory, Israel fears that Iran, along with tens of thousands of Iranian-backed Shiite militiamen, will carry out attacks against Israel. President Donald Trump’s announcement Tuesday that the U.S. was withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran has triggered uncertainty and threatened to spark more unrest in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Moscow on Wednesday to meet with President Vladimir Putin and discuss military coordination in Syria. Russia has also sent forces to Syria to back Assad. But Israel and Russia have maintained close communications to prevent their air forces from coming into conflict. Together with Putin, Netanyahu toured a parade celebrating the anniversary of the World War II victory over the Nazis and then met the Russian president at the Kremlin for consultations. After 10 hours together, Netanyahu said he conveyed Israel’s obligation to defend itself against Iranian aggression. “I think that matters were presented in a direct and forthright manner, and this is important. These matters are very important to Israel’s security at all times and especially at this time,” he said. Israel views Iran as its archenemy, citing Iran’s calls for Israel’s destruction, support for militant groups across the region and growing military activity in neighboring Syria. Israel has warned that it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in Syria. Israel’s military went on high alert Tuesday and bomb shelters were ordered open in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights following reports of “irregular activity of Iranian forces in Syria.” After an uneventful night, the military on Wednesday called on residents to return to “full civilian routine,” meaning studies and excursions would continue as usual, although the shelters would remain open. Amos Gilead, a retired senior Israeli defense official, told a security conference in the coastal town of Herzliya that Iran’s intentions in Syria meant a wider conflagration may only be a matter of time. “They want to build a second Hezbollah-stan,” he said, referring to the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group that last fought a war with Israel in 2006. “They are determined to do it and we are determined to prevent it. It means we are on a collision course.” Associated Press writers Sarah El Deeb and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed to this report. ||||| Iranian forces in Syria fired a volley of missiles at Israel early Thursday, heightening tensions in the wake of President Trump's decision to pull the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal, the Israeli military said. ||||| In the most direct confrontation between Israel and Iran to date, the two regional enemies exchanged fire for hours during a volatile night in the Golan Heights. The extended barrage of fire comes amid soaring tensions between Israel and Iran, two rivals battling for regional influence, and less than two days after the United States withdrew from the deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program. Israel said more than 20 rockets were launched by Iranian forces in Syria towards Israeli-claimed territory late Wednesday, often criss-crossing across the clear night skies. A number of those rockets were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome aerial defense system, resulting in bright and sudden explosions. Iran’s leaders have not yet issued a response to the Israeli accusations or the military strikes, but if confirmed it would be the first time Iranian forces have fired rockets directly at Israeli forces. Israel retaliated with what appeared to be surface-to-surface missiles, and Syrian anti-aircraft batteries hosed the sky with fire in an effort to intercept them. Thunderclaps of Israeli artillery fire reverberated across the frontier between Syria and Israel, with the faint sound of impact echoing back moments later. All night, drones buzzed overhead, heard but not seen in the darkness. In a statement delivered shortly after midnight Thursday, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces pinned the blame for the rocket fire on the Quds Force, an elite division of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which has forces in Syria and is often seen as the face of Iran’s regional ambitions. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the rockets, which were targeted at front-line Israeli military positions in the Golan Heights, were all either downed by aerial defense systems or fell short and landed in Syria. Conricus said Israel responded by successfully hitting dozens of Iranian targets in Syria in what he described as “the largest operation against Iranian targets” in years. “Israel has hit almost all of Iran’s infrastructure in Syria,” Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said Thursday morning. “If it will rain in Israel, there will be a biblical flood on the other side.” He reiterated Israel’s stance that this latest offensive was not an ongoing operation. “This is not a vast victory or the battle of Stalingrad. It’s limited to us and the Quds force in Syria,” Liberman said. On Wednesday night, state-run Sana TV, in southern Syria, carried reports that Israel had fired several missiles at the city of Baath in Quneitra, none of which resulted in casualties. A short time later, Syrian state-run media reported that while dozens of “hostile” Israeli missiles had been intercepted in Syrian airspace, at least two others had hit an ammunition depot and destroyed a radar site. The targets included rocket launchers, intelligence posts, military command posts, and weapons depots. No Israeli fighter jets were hit in the strikes, but Conricus said they came under heavy anti-aircraft fire. He added that “ground assets were also used to strike into Syria.” Israel had been expecting an Iranian response for some time, following a series of military strikes in Syria that targeted Iranian positions. Syria and Iran blamed those strikes on Israel, and Iran’s leaders vowed revenge. The most recent strike occurred Tuesday night, only hours after President Donald Trump had withdrawn the United States from the Iran nuclear deal, sparking fears of further destabilization in the Middle East. A US defense official told CNN that it was an Israeli military strike that hit suspected Iranian weapons near Damascus. Israel has not commented on the strike. On Tuesday, the IDF went on high alert in anticipation of an Iranian response, in addition to calling up a limited number of reserve troops “on an as needed basis.” Israel opened bomb shelters in the Golan Heights, but did not instruct people to enter the shelters. On Wednesday morning, the IDF chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, visited the Golan Heights to meet with military and civilian leaders on the IDF’s assessment of the situation. Earlier Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Victory Day, which marks the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany. In a bilateral meeting after the celebrations, Netanyahu said that Israel has the “obligation and right to defend itself against Iranian aggression, from Syrian territory. They are trying to transfer forces and deadly weapons there with the explicit goal of attacking the State of Israel. Certainly, it is Israel’s right to take such steps as necessary to defend itself against this aggression.” Putin, as one of the few leaders who has good relations and significant influence with both Israel and Iran, urged restraint. “The situation, unfortunately, is very acute. I want to hope that we will be able not only to discuss with you, but also to look for solutions that would soften the situation,” said Putin. Russia and Israel coordinate their actions within Syria for the purpose of deconfliction. According to Conricus, Israel notified Russia before carrying out the overnight strikes. Russian and Iranian intervention in Syria’s long-running civil war helped tilt the balance of power back towards Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Israel has often reiterated one of its red lines that it will not allow Iran to establish a military presence in Syria. In an interview with the Greek newspaper Kathimerini published Thursday, Assad said fears of a third world war erupting in Syria were misplaced, despite escalating tensions. Assad told the paper that “wise Russian leadership” would prevent such an event, describing the current conflict as “something more than a cold war, less than a full-blown war.” He also took aim at the US, saying the Russians “know that the agenda of the deep state in the United States is to create a conflict.” As dawn broke Thursday morning, the sounds of conflict had dissipated, though it remained unclear whether Israel and Iran would continue fighting, or if the tit-for-tat had ended. Israel insisted it did not want to escalate the situation and encouraged its citizens to continue their daily routine. ||||| Syrian state-run media said Israeli forces struck a military outpost near the capital of Damascus on Tuesday, while its air defenses intercepted and destroyed two of the incoming missiles, according to the Associated Press. Syria’s official news agency SANA said the attack occurred about 10 miles south of Damascus, an area known to have numerous Syrian army military bases. Several Arab media reports said the strike targeted a Syrian base used by Iranian forces. The attack was said to have taken place roughly an hour after President Donald Trump announced he was quitting the Iranian nuclear deal. A commander in the regional alliance supporting Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian dictator, told Reuters that Israel’s air force had struck an army base, but the attack did not result in casualties. There was no immediate comment from Israel on Syria’s claim, but the government almost never confirms or denies airstrikes in Syria. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the Israeli army said it believes Iran is planning to carry out an imminent strike from Syria. Tuesday, the Israeli government ordered communities in the northern Golan Heights, near the Israel-Syria border, to open bomb shelters to the public after identifying “unusual movements” of Iranian forces in Syria. “Defence systems have been deployed and Israel Defense Forces troops are on high alert for an attack,” a military spokesman said. “The IDF is prepared for various scenarios and warns that any aggression against Israel will be met with a severe response.” The Israeli military said in a statement it had called up some reservists but did not give specifics on the number of troops it has added. The military said it is prepared for “various scenarios” and warned “any aggression against Israel will be met with a severe response.” Israel has warned it will not tolerate Tehran establishing a military presence near its border with Syria. RELATED: Jerusalem Names Square Near Embassy in Honor of President Trump Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a critic of the Iran deal, said Trump made a “brave and correct decision” to withdraw from the agreement. “Israel fully supports President Trump’s bold decision today to reject the disastrous nuclear deal,” Netanyahu said. What do you think? Scroll down to comment below. ||||| The Israeli military on Thursday said it attacked nearly all of Iran's military installations in neighboring Syria in response to an Iranian rocket barrage on Israeli positions in the occupied Golan Heights, in the most serious military confrontation between the two bitter enemies to date. Israel said the targets of the strikes, its largest in Syria since the 1973 war, included weapons storage, logistics sites and intelligence centers used by elite Iranian forces in Syria. It also said it destroyed several Syrian air-defense systems after coming under heavy fire and that none of its warplanes were hit. Iranian media described the attacks as "unprecedented," but there was no official Iranian comment on Israel's claims. Israel has acknowledged carrying out over 100 airstrikes in neighboring Syria since the civil war erupted in 2011, most believed to be aimed at suspected Iranian weapons shipments bound for the Hezbollah militant group. But in the past few weeks, Israel has shifted to a more direct and public confrontation with Iran, striking at Iranian bases, weapons depots and rocket launchers across Syria, and killing Iranian troops. Israel accuses Tehran of seeking to establish a foothold on its doorstep. Iran has vowed to retaliate. Reflecting the scope of the overnight attacks, Russia's military said 28 Israeli jets were involved, striking at several Iranian and government sites in Syria with 70 missiles. It said half of the missiles were shot down. Speaking at the Herzliya Conference, an annual security gathering north of Tel Aviv, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Israel would response fiercely to any further Iranian actions. "We will not let Iran turn Syria into a forward base against Israel," he said. "We, of course, struck almost all the Iranian infrastructure in Syria, and they need to remember this arrogance of theirs. If we get rain, they'll get a flood. I hope that we ended this chapter and that everyone understood." The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which closely monitors the civil war through sources inside Syria, said the overnight Israeli attacks struck several military posts for Syrian troops and Iranian-backed militias near the capital, Damascus, in central Syria and in southern Syria. The Observatory said the attacks killed 23 fighters, including five Syrian soldiers. It said it was not immediately clear if Iranians were among those killed. The Syrian military said the Israeli strikes killed three people and wounded two, without saying if any Iranians or Iran-backed militiamen were among them. It said the strikes destroyed a radar station and an ammunition warehouse, and damaged a number of air defense units. The military said air defense systems intercepted "the large part" of the incoming Israeli strikes. An Iranian state television presenter announced the Israeli strikes, sourcing the information to Syria's state-run SANA news agency. The broadcaster described the Israeli attack as "unprecedented" since the 1967 Mideast war. Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 war, annexing it in 1981 in a move not recognized internationally. In 1974, Israel and Syria reached a cease-fire and a disengagement deal that froze the conflict lines with the plateau in Israeli hands. Damascus shook with sounds of explosions just before dawn, and firing by Syrian air defenses over the city was heard for more than five hours. Syria's state news agency SANA said Israeli missiles hit air defense positions, radar stations and a weapons warehouse, but claimed most incoming rockets were intercepted. Russia sent forces to Syria to back President Bashar Assad in 2015. But Israel and Russia have maintained close communications to prevent their air forces from coming into conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Moscow on Wednesday to meet with President Vladimir Putin and discuss military coordination in Syria. Israel said early Thursday that Iran's Quds Force fired 20 rockets at Israeli front-line military positions in the Golan Heights. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, said four of the rockets were intercepted, while the others fell short of their targets. The incoming attack set off air raid sirens in the Golan. Conricus said Israel was not looking to escalate the situation but that troops will continue to be on "very high alert." "Should there be another Iranian attack, we will be prepared for it," he said. It is believed to be the first time in decades that such firepower from Syria has been directed at Israeli forces in the Golan Heights. Iran's ability to hit back further could be limited. Its resources in Syria pale in comparison to the high-tech Israeli military and it could also be wary of military entanglement at a time when it is trying to salvage the international nuclear deal. Iran has sent thousands of troops to back Assad, and Israel fears that as the fighting nears an end, Iran and tens of thousands of Shiite militiamen will turn their focus to Israel. Earlier this week, Syrian state media said Israel struck a military outpost near Damascus. The Observatory said the missiles targeted depots and rocket launchers that likely belonged to Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard, killing at least 15 people, eight of them Iranians. Last month, an attack on Syria's T4 air base in the central Homs province killed seven Iranian military personnel. On April 30, Israel was said to have struck government outposts in northern Syria, killing more than a dozen pro-government fighters, many of them Iranians. Israel considers Iran to be its most bitter enemy, citing Iran's hostile rhetoric, support for anti-Israel militant groups and development of long-range missiles. President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the international nuclear agreement with Iran, with strong support from Israel, has further raised tensions. Israel and Iran have appeared to be on a collision course for months. In February, Israel shot down what it said was an armed Iranian drone that entered Israeli airspace. Israel responded by attacking anti-aircraft positions in Syria, and an Israeli warplane was shot down during the battle. But Thursday was the first time Israel openly acknowledged targeting Iran. Heller reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Zeina Karam in Beirut and Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, contributed to this report. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| JERUSALEM – The Israeli military says it struck dozens of Iranian military targets in Syria overnight in response to what it says was Iranian rocket fire at Israeli military positions in the Golan Heights. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus says Syrian air defenses fired dozens of anti-aircraft missiles, but no Israeli planes were harmed. Conricus said early Thursday that the rocket barrage was “the most severe attempt” by Iran’s Al Quds force to attack Israel. Israel says four of the rockets were intercepted, and none of the others reached Israeli targets. Israel has repeatedly warned in recent months that it will not accept a permanent Iranian military presence in neighboring Syria. Iran has sent thousands of forces to back President Bashar Assad in the Syrian civil war. Israel fears that as the war winds down, Iran will use Syria as a launching ground for attacks against Israel. 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Syrian and Iranian forces fire 20 missiles at the Israel Defense Forces positioned in the disputed territory of the Golan Heights, prompting air raid sirens in northern Israel. The IDF reports the Iron Dome missile defence system has intercepted a number of missiles and reports no injuries. Israeli forces respond with artillery into Syria.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Abdul Hakim Belhaj: "I hope that it is a new page in history" The UK government has apologised to a Libyan dissident and his wife after its actions contributed to their detention, transfer to Libya and his torture by Colonel Gaddafi's forces in 2004. Prime Minister Theresa May said Abdul Hakim Belhaj and Fatima Boudchar had suffered "appalling treatment". Ms Boudchar, who was pregnant at the time, has accepted Mrs May's apology and will receive a £500,000 payout. The couple say an MI6 tip-off helped the US kidnap them in Thailand. Mr Belhaj was taken to Tripoli and says he was tortured by his Libyan jailers during a six-year spell in prison. Ms Boudchar was also detained but was released shortly before giving birth. Speaking to BBC News, he said the apology should serve as a "lesson" to governments not to repeat the couple's rendition. "I hope that it is a new page in history, that we guarantee and strengthen human rights and this practice is not repeated which violated mine and my wife's rights." Mr Belhaj added the six years the family waited for this was "an extension of the suffering for my family" on top of the years he was held captive. In a letter read out in the Commons, Mrs May said UK actions had contributed to the couple's capture and that the government had "shared information" about them with "international partners". Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Fatima Boudchar: "This is a historic day for us" The letter said: "It is clear that you were both subjected to appalling treatment and that you suffered greatly, not least to the dignity of Mrs Boudchar, who was pregnant at the time. "The UK government believes your accounts. Neither of you should have been treated this way. The UK government's actions contributed to your detention, rendition and suffering. The UK government shared information about you with its international partners." Mrs May said the UK "should have done more to reduce the risk" of the pair being mistreated, adding: "We accept this was a failing on our part. On behalf of Her Majesty's government, I apologise unreservedly." Ms Boudchar, who travelled to the UK with her son Abderrahim to hear the statement in Parliament, described the day's events as "historic" and called on world leaders to show solidarity for those who have suffered injustice "even if they're of different religion or culture". The documents that forced the UK to apologise By Dominic Casciani The settlement is the first time ministers have apologised for a specific act involving British security agencies. Papers discovered in Tripoli, Libya - during the fall of the dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 - included evidence of how MI6 and the CIA had groomed Gaddafi and his regime to come in from the cold. The UK's plan was to convince Gaddafi to not only stop threatening the West, but to also provide intelligence on Libyan dissidents and their potential links to al-Qaeda. Details of secret conferences and documents referring to Mr Belhaj have emerged and help illustrate how the rendition case developed. Read more from Dominic 'Humane' treatment assurances Attorney General Jeremy Wright, who read out Mrs May's letter, said Mr Belhaj had not sought and would not receive financial compensation. However, friends of the couple said the UK had agreed to pay Mr Belhaj and Ms Boudchar's "substantial" legal fees. Jack Straw, foreign secretary at the time of the rendition case, issued a statement in which he said he had "sought to act at all times in a manner which was fully consistent with my legal duties, and with national and international law". He said it had been part of his role to approve "a wide range of matters to protect our national security" including the sharing of information with international partners. This included getting assurances that those concerned were being treated humanely, he said. Who is Abdul Hakim Belhaj? Image copyright AFP Image caption Abdul Hakim Belhaj led an Islamic group fighting against the Libyan government Mr Belhaj was born in 1966 in the Souq al-Jumaa area of Tripoli and studied at al-Fateh University, where press reports say he earned a civil engineering degree. He became an opponent of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi and commanded the now defunct Libyan Islamic Fighting Group which staged a low-level insurgency war and attempted to assassinate Col Gaddafi three times. He fled the country in 2001 but was three years later abducted in Bangkok - along with his wife, then five-months pregnant - while attempting to fly to London to claim asylum in the UK. Mr Belhaj is now a politician in Libya. ||||| LONDON - Britain has apologised to Libyan former rebel Abdul Hakim Belhadj and his wife Fatima Boudchar over the role of British spies in their 2004 rendition from Thailand to Libya, where Belhadj was then tortured by Muammar Gaddafi’s henchmen. Belhadj, who was a known opponent of Gaddafi’s regime, and his pregnant wife were abducted by US CIA agents in Thailand and then illegally transferred to Tripoli with the help of British spies. “The UK government believes your accounts. Neither of you should have been treated in this way,” Prime Minister Theresa May wrote to the couple in a letter made public on Thursday. “The UK government’s actions contributed to your detention, rendition and suffering ... On behalf of Her Majesty’s Government, I apologise unreservedly,” May wrote. Boudchar, who after her rendition was detained in Libya until shortly before giving birth, was in the public gallery in parliament in London with her son to hear Britain’s attorney general make a statement about the case. In a written statement sent by his lawyers shortly after the announcement, Belhadj thanked May for her apology. “Today is a historic day, not just for myself and my wife,” he said. “A great society does not torture, does not help others to torture, and when it makes mistakes it accepts them and apologises.” Belhadj and Boudchar had brought legal claims against Britain’s former foreign affairs minister, a senior intelligence chief and various government departments and agencies, seeking an apology and symbolic damages. The British government tried to fight the claims in court, but the Supreme Court last year gave the couple the right to sue the defendants. Attorney General Jeremy Wright told parliament all the claims had now been withdrawn as part of a full and final out-of-court settlement. As part of that settlement, the government agreed to give Boudchar £500,000 in compensation for her suffering. Wright said no admissions of liability had been made by any of the defendants in the legal claims. Belhadj, who had said all along he was seeking justice and an apology rather than a financial settlement was detained for six years after being rendered to Libya. He later went on to command an Islamist rebel group that helped topple Gaddafi in 2011 and is now a politician. Under the administration of former President George W Bush, the CIA practised so-called “extraordinary renditions”, or extra-judicial transfers of suspects from one country to another, in the wake of the 11 September 2001 attacks. Other nations are alleged to have lent assistance in some cases. The practice has been widely denounced around the world. Belhadj says he was originally detained in China, before being transferred to Malaysia and then moved to a CIA “black site” in Thailand. He was handed over to CIA agents, acting on a tip-off from MI6, and flown via the British island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to Tripoli, because at the time Britain and the United States were keen to build relations with Gaddafi. ||||| The UK has apologised for contributing to the ill-treatment of Libyan dissident Abdel Hakim Belhaj, who was kidnapped in Thailand in 2004, transferred to Libya and tortured. Belhaj - who was seized with his then-pregnant wife Fatima Boudchar and four children while on their way to the UK - has said that a tip-off from MI6, the British foreign intelligence agency, led to their capture. "The UK government's actions contributed to your detention, rendition and suffering ... On behalf of Her Majesty's government, I apologise to you unreservedly," Theresa May, Britain's prime minister, said in a letter to Belhaj and his wife Fatima Boudchar, which was read out in parliament on Thursday by Jeremy Wright, the attorney general. Wright said the settlement with the couple included a £500,000 payment to Boudchar. Speaking in Istanbul, Turkey, after the settlement was announced, Belhaj said: "I welcome and accept the prime minister's apology, and I extend to her and the attorney general my thanks and goodwill. "For more than six years I have made clear that I had a single goal in bringing this case: justice. Now, at last, justice has been done. "Britain has made a wrong right today, and set an example for other nations to follow." Belhaj's case, and that of another Libyan dissident Sami al-Saadi, whose family was also abducted and rendered to Libya, had been investigated by British police who accumulated nearly 30,000 pages of evidence over a five-year period. While the Saadi family received a £2m ($2.5m) settlement two years ago, Belhaj insisted he only wanted an apology and a symbolic £1 ($1.24) payment from each of the defendants. Following the announcement, which Boudchar attended with her son in London, she thanked the British government for their apology. "I thank the British government for its apology ... I accept the government's apology," Boudchar said. "By today's settlement, I look forward to rebuilding my life with dignity and honour, and living free from the weight of these events with my husband and our five beautiful children." For Cori Crider, a lawyer and the strategic director of Reprieve's Abuses in Counter-Terrorism Team, who has been working as a lawyer and counsel to the family for many years, the settlement is a victory. "This is not just Abdul-Hakim and Fatima's victory. It is a victory for everyone who opposes injustice, secret detention, and torture," said Crider in a written statement following the announcement. "Britain lost its way when it got mixed up in rendition, but today, by apologising for its part in that dark story, the UK has stood on the right side of history." A former fighter with the anti-Gaddafi Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), Belhaj was imprisoned in Libya for six years after his capture. During that time he says he was routinely tortured and mistreated. The case came to light after the fall of Tripoli in 2011, when faxes from Mark Allen, MI6's then-counterterrorism director, describing the rendition flights were found in the ransacked office of Moussa Koussa, Libya's head of intelligence. The US deemed the anti-Gaddafi LIFG to be a "terrorist" group allied with al-Qaeda. Belhaj denied that any links between the group and al-Qaeda existed and said he believed his rendition to Libya was part of a covert deal between former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, who was overthrown and killed in a popular uprising in 2011. Belhaj and Saadi were released from jail in Tripoli in 2010 under a reconciliation deal arranged by Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam. British officials, including Jack Straw, then the foreign secretary and responsible for MI6, repeatedly denied that they had anything to do with the rendering of "terror" suspects, a practice more widely undertaken by the CIA. However, in 2011, documents revealed when NATO aircraft destroyed the Tripoli offices of Gaddafi's intelligence chief, Moussa Koussa, implicated the UK government. In a letter to Koussa, dated 18 March 2004, Mark Allen, MI6's counterterrorism chief, congratulated him on Belhaj's "safe arrival" in Tripoli, adding that British involvement in the operation was "the least we could do for you and for Libya to demonstrate the remarkable relationship we have built over the years". ||||| Fatima Boudchar, wife of Libyan politician Hakim Belhadj, stands with their son Abderrahim, as she holds a letter of apology from Prime Minister Theresa May outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, Britain, May 10, 2018. © 2018 REUTERS/Hannah McKay Today, the British government apologized unreservedly to Abdul-Hakim Belhaj and Fatima Boudchar for the UK’s role in the “harrowing experiences” and “mistreatment” they suffered during their March 2004 rendition by the CIA to Libya. Boudchar, who was pregnant, was released from detention four months later, weeks before she gave birth, while Belhaj, the former leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, was not released until 2010. The role that the UK’s overseas intelligence agency, MI6, played in facilitating their arrest in southeast Asia and subsequent rendition by the CIA to torture and detention in Libya first came to light in a trove of documents discovered by Human Rights Watch in Tripoli in September 2011, and later documented in exhaustive detail. In one of the documents, a British official appears to take credit for the transfer of Belhaj, noting: “This was the least we could do for you […]to demonstrate the remarkable relationship we have built over recent years…The intelligence…was British.” It is notable that the prime minister’s formal apology never once used the word “torture.” That is regrettable, because Belhaj, Bouchar and others were tortured, after the UK had assisted in their kidnap and subsequent transfer to Libya. But the British government apology should not mask the failure of accountability in other areas. UK prosecutors claimed that an extensive police investigation had failed to gather sufficient evidence to enable them to prosecute any UK government officials for their role in Belhaj’s torture or that of others. The UK’s failure to deliver justice extends beyond the criminal courts. A 2013 inquiry into UK complicity in overseas torture was shelved. The issue was then taken up by the UK Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee which has yet to publish its findings. To be credible, its report will need to look at far more than the Libyan cases to establish what role the UK government and intelligence agencies played in torture by the CIA and other UK allies, rendition and secret detention more widely. The UK’s apology, even if long overdue, stands in stark contrast to the US which has not apologized to Belhaj, Bouchar or the scores of others the CIA rendered to other governments and tortured. Just yesterday, during her nomination hearing to be Director of the CIA, Gina Haspel who ran a CIA black site in Thailand before Belhaj was held there refused even to acknowledge that the CIA Rendition, Detention and Interrogation (RDI) program was wrong. The UK government made a clear apology today. But without concrete guarantees that those involved in torture will be prosecuted without political interference, the government has given scant comfort that such a situation will not happen again. ||||| London — Britain has apologised to Libyan former rebel Abdul Hakim Belhadj and his wife Fatima Boudchar for the role of British spies in their 2004 rendition from Thailand to Libya, where Belhadj was tortured by Muammar Gaddafi’s henchmen. Belhadj, who was a known opponent of Gaddafi’s regime, and his pregnant wife were abducted by US CIA agents in Thailand and then illegally transferred to Tripoli with the help of British spies. "The UK government believes your accounts. Neither of you should have been treated in this way," Prime Minister Theresa May wrote to the couple in a letter. "The UK government’s actions contributed to your detention, rendition and suffering … On behalf of Her Majesty’s Government, I apologise unreservedly," May wrote. Boudchar, who after her rendition was detained in Libya until shortly before giving birth, was in the public gallery in parliament in London with her son to hear Britain’s attorney general make a statement about the case. In a written statement sent by his lawyers shortly after the announcement, Belhadj thanked May for her apology. "Today is a historic day, not just for myself and my wife," he said. "A great society does not torture, does not help others to torture, and when it makes mistakes it accepts them and apologises." Belhadj and Boudchar had brought legal claims against Britain’s former foreign affairs minister, a senior intelligence chief and various government departments and agencies, seeking an apology and symbolic damages. The British government tried to fight the claims in court but the Supreme Court in 2017 gave the couple the right to sue the defendants. Attorney-general Jeremy Wright told parliament all the claims had now been withdrawn as part of a full and final out-of-court settlement. As part of that settlement, the government agreed to give Boudchar $676,000 in compensation for her suffering. Wright said no admissions of liability had been made by any of the defendants. Belhadj, who had said all along he was seeking justice and an apology rather than a financial settlement, was detained for six years after being rendered to Libya. He later went on to command an Islamist rebel group that helped topple Gaddafi in 2011, and is now a politician. ||||| Theresa May has apologised on behalf of the Government for the UK's role in a Libyan couple's prison ordeal. A "full and final settlement" has also been reached with Abdul Hakim Belhaj and his wife Fatima Boudchar over their kidnap and rendition to the Middle Eastern nation in 2004. In a statement on Thursday, Attorney General Jeremy Wright told the House of Commons that the Prime Minister had written to the couple over their "appalling" treatment. A dissident of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Belhaj, 52, spent six years in a Libyan prison, where he was tortured having been kidnapped during a flight to the UK from Malaysia via Bangkok. Following the fall of Gaddafi, it was exposed that the UK had tipped off Libyan authorities that the couple were in south Asia. The rendition was also linked to an M16-CIA operation and Tony Blair's infamous "deal in the desert" with Gaddafi. ||||| The UK government has apologised to former Libyan dissident Abdul Hakim Belhaj and his wife Fatima Boudchar who were abducted with assistance from Britain's security services. The couple say an MI6 tip-off helped the US kidnap them in Thailand from where they were transferred to Libya and Mr Belhaj was tortured. Britain's unprecedented apology in the Belhaj case comes after allegations of rendition and torture relating to UK security services. Here is the background to the claims. What is the key allegation that has been levelled at the British security services? Collusion in ill-treatment and torture. In the aftermath of 9/11, the US and others invaded Afghanistan in an attempt to crush al-Qaeda. The British government was among those aiding the US mission. Some of the individuals seized by the Americans - or sometimes by the security forces of other countries - had connections to the UK. The UK's two security agencies, MI5 and MI6, were battling to grasp the extent of the threat posed by al-Qaeda and knew some detainees held abroad had the key to plots at home. That meant British officers needed to interview anyone who had a connection to the UK or alternatively to gather information from foreign security agencies interrogating detainees. So what's that to do with allegations of collusion? In the years that followed, it emerged that some of the detainees held in foreign prisons had been abused or tortured. The question was whether British officials aided and abetted that abuse or, at the least, had been told what was going on and did nothing to intervene. If the UK did not intervene, was that a crime? The most well-known case was Binyam Mohamed. Mr Mohamed, a resident of the UK, was detained in Pakistan in 2002 and handed over to US authorities. The then terrorism suspect was moved to Morocco and Afghanistan before being detained at Guantanamo Bay. Mr Mohamed says that he was abused in Pakistan and tortured in Morocco. When he was finally released from Guantanamo Bay to returned to the UK. He was never charged with a crime. The Court of Appeal in London eventually ordered the release of information showing the US had indeed told the UK that the detainee had been subjected to "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment". Did the UK get directly involved in arrangements to hand suspects over to governments known to torture? In the legal jargon, this is called "rendition" but, if it's illegal, it amounts to abduction. Arguably the most serious case is that of Libyan Abdul Hakim Belhaj and his wife, Fatima Boudchar. Mr Belhaj was a leader of an armed Islamist group dedicated to the overthrow of Colonel Gaddafi. When the dictator crushed the group in the late 1990s, its leadership scattered - some of them throwing their lot in with al-Qaeda, the Taliban or other jihadist organisations. The UK government has apologised to Mr Belhaj and his wife and accepted the couple's account, which says MI6 provided key intelligence in 2004 on his movements which ultimately led to his capture and rendition by the US to Libya. Mr Belhaj spent six years in prison and was tortured. His then pregnant wife was only released days before she gave birth. The links to the UK government emerged following Gaddafi's 2011 fall after investigators from Human Rights Watch raided his intelligence HQ and discovered documents that pointed the finger at British officials. What does the law say about torture? Torture has been banned for centuries under English law, a position backed by international convention. The UK also has a long-standing prohibition on lesser forms of abuse, relating to interrogation practices that were outlawed during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Did British officials torture or abuse anyone? There are no allegations that British officials broke the law in this way. The allegation has always been that some either turned a blind eye or did not do enough to stop foreign security agencies abusing detainees. So were they complicit? In a letter read out in the Commons relating to the Belhaj case, Theresa May said UK actions had contributed to the couple's capture and that the government had "shared information" about them with "international partners". While the government's apology maintains a denial of legal liability, the settlement leaves questions unanswered about how much others in government were involved in what happened. The prime minister said: "Later, during your [Mr Belhaj's] detention in Libya, we sought information about and from you. We wrongly missed opportunities to alleviate your plight: this should not have happened." In another case, the UK in 2012 agreed to pay £2.2m to Libyan dissident, Sami al-Saadi and his family who said MI6 was involved in their illegal rendition. And in another string of cases brought by British men held at Guantanamo Bay, the government settled for millions of pounds. That meant their cases were never fully examined. Ministers promised to hold a major public inquiry into the allegations - but they scrapped that after detectives began investigating the allegations made by Abdul Hakim Belhaj and another Libyan dissident. Separately, Parliament passed a law allowing courts to hold secret sessions to examine evidence of wrongdoing involving MI5 and MI6. That means the government can now, if it so wishes, defend its position in private, without having to reveal in public what, if anything, happened. Did the inquiry reach any findings before it was closed down? Sir Peter Gibson, the retired judge chairing the inquiry, said in his closing report that there was indeed evidence that the UK "may have been inappropriately involved in some renditions" and this "very serious matter" needed to be properly investigated. Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee is continuing that work in secret. What happened to the police investigation ? After four years - and reportedly examining 28,000 pages of documents - the CPS decided last June there was insufficient evidence to prosecute anyone from MI6 in relation to the Libya claims. Prosecutors had previously ruled out prosecuting anyone in relation to the ill-treatment of Binyam Mohamed. ||||| The British government has made an unprecedented apology to a former Libyan dissident and his wife who were abducted with crucial assistance from MI6. Abdul Hakim Belhaj said MI6 helped the US seize him in Thailand in 2004 to return him and his Moroccan wife, Fatima Boudchar, to Libya, where he says he was tortured. The government has accepted the couple's account of what happened - and the settlement is the first time ministers have apologised for a specific act involving British security agencies. The legal battle came about because documents discovered in Tripoli, Libya - during the fall of the dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 - revealed how MI6 became involved in the couple's rendition. While the government's apology maintains a denial of legal liability, the settlement leaves questions unanswered about how much others in government were involved in what happened. This is how the affair developed. In the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, the US and its allies were in a race to understand jihadist groups they had previously not done enough to track. British intelligence agencies wanted to know more about Libyan dissidents who had been living under UK protection - mostly families linked to the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG). The group had attempted armed overthrows of Gaddafi's regime in the 1990s and its defeated leaders had scattered around the world. The UK's plan was to convince Colonel Gaddafi to not only stop threatening the West, but to also provide intelligence on these LIFG members and their potential links to al-Qaeda. In September 2011, a team from Human Rights Watch raided the abandoned headquarters of Libyan's External Security Organisation (ESO) after the dictator's eventual downfall - and the documents they found made jaws drop. The papers included evidence of how MI6 and the CIA had groomed Gaddafi and his henchmen to come in from the cold - and one senior MI6 officer, Sir Mark Allen, was at the centre of the operation. From 2001 he sought to convince Moussa Koussa - his Libyan counterpart and a man who had been widely accused of torture and other human rights abuses - to work with the West. Mr Koussa wanted two things: international recognition and respect for Gaddafi - and intelligence leading to the capture of LIFG leaders on the run. The Tripoli documents show the pair met on 20 September 2001 and agreed that each country's counter-terrorism teams should work together against common enemies. MI6 asked if the Libyans would help operations to penetrate jihadist groups. The next document - from the British side - is the first that referred to Mr Belhaj, albeit through one of his aliases and, confusingly, apparently mixing up some of his details with another dissident who was also later abducted. A later secret conference, also including the German and Austrian intelligence services, was detailed in a memo circulated among ESO chiefs. It said that the British and others were "willing to co-operate" - but the UK had stressed that any co-operation on tracking down what the Libyans called "heretics" would need to be lawful. The MI6 team promised to help the Libyans and began suggesting they had information that could be useful. The breakthrough in relations appears to have come in 2002 when Sir Mark finally convinced Libya to work properly with the UK - leading to the then Foreign Office minister Mike O'Brien visiting the country in August. Later that year, the Libyans came to London and, according to their records, attended a "banquet dinner" hosted by MI6 at the £500-a-night Goring Hotel. The agency was pressing for more - telling the Libyans they had to move faster and further in co-operating with the West if they were going to get the recognition they sought. All of this diplomacy ultimately led to what became known as the 2004 "deal in the desert" - in which Prime Minister Tony Blair sealed what looked like a remarkable turnaround in Colonel Gaddafi's attitude. But it came at a price. And that price was, according to the documents at least, the UK's willingness to provide information on the whereabouts of the regime's enemies. In June 2003, the ESO received a memo from the British setting out the extent of operations to date. Another document contained the first proof that the UK was apparently willing to provide information on what it knew about Mr Belhaj. The agencies thought he was in China - and initially MI6 didn't confirm that to the Libyans. But in November, a new communication to Tripoli confirmed the British had "embarked on a project" relating to the dissident: By the end of 2003, the UK was pretty confident the Libyan's were co-operating and on the road to a comprehensive weapons deal. On Christmas Eve of that year, Sir Mark sent a memo to Mr Koussa, thanking him for his efforts: The UK and US were confident they were getting a deal - and it was now time for the UK to settle the intelligence bill. On 1 March, London told Tripoli that Mr Belhaj, travelling under a pseudonym, had been apprehended by the Chinese authorities as he tried to board a flight to London with his wife, Fatima Boudchar, who was four months pregnant. The couple were deported to Malaysia and were being held in detention: Libya fired off a series of urgent requests to Malaysia's government, requesting that it handed over the "dangerous" dissident who it considered "the prince of the LIFG". The US intervened and told Tripoli it was going to help secure Mr Belhaj and bring him to Libya - providing that it would get a chance to interrogate him once he was behind bars. On 6 March, the plan was in place. Malaysian authorities put Mr Belhaj and Mrs Boudchar on a flight to Bangkok where, instead of being transferred onto a connection for London, the Thai authorities detained them and, according to their lawyers, they were tortured. The following day, a US rendition flight team picked up the pair and flew them to Tripoli. On 18 March, Sir Mark sent this congratulatory message to Mr Koussa - making clear that he believed the capture was down to the British alone: Mr Belhaj, one of Gaddafi's greatest enemies, was tortured over six years and given a death sentence, which was never carried out. His wife was released before she gave birth - and the son she was carrying at the time was in the House of Commons to hear the historic apology from the UK. Attorney General Jeremy Wright said the settlement with the couple included a £500,000 payment to Ms Boudchar. "It is clear that you were both subjected to appalling treatment and that you suffered greatly," Theresa May said in a letter to the pair. "We should have done more to reduce the risk that you would be mistreated," she added. "We accept this was a failing on our part." Sir Mark Allen has never spoken publicly about the affair. He, along with former foreign secretary Jack Straw, and all the agencies involved, denied individual wrongdoing. ||||| LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has apologised to a Libyan former rebel and his wife over the role of British spies in their 2004 rendition to Libya, where they were detained and the husband was tortured by Muammar Gaddafi’s henchmen. Abdul Hakim Belhadj, a known opponent of Gaddafi’s regime, and his pregnant wife Fatima Boudchar were abducted by CIA agents in Thailand after a tip-off from British spies, then illegally transferred to Tripoli. “It is clear that you were both subjected to appalling treatment and that you suffered greatly, not least the affront to the dignity of Ms Boudchar who was pregnant at the time,” Prime Minister Theresa May wrote in a letter to the couple made public on Thursday. At the time, Britain and the United States were trying to mend relations with Gaddafi’s Libya for geopolitical reasons, after years during which the Tripoli regime had been an international pariah. Belhadj was hooded and shackled to the floor of the airplane in a stress position during his 17-hour flight back to Libya, where he was then detained for six years in brutal jails. Boudchar was detained for four months and released three weeks before giving birth. She was in the public gallery in parliament in London with her son on Thursday to hear a public statement about the case, during which May’s letter of apology was read out in full by Britain’s attorney general. “The UK government believes your accounts. Neither of you should have been treated in this way,” the letter said. “The UK government’s actions contributed to your detention, rendition and suffering ... On behalf of Her Majesty’s Government, I apologise unreservedly. “We should have understood much sooner the unacceptable practices of some of our international partners.” Under the administration of former President George W. Bush, the CIA practised so-called “extraordinary renditions”, or extra-judicial transfers of people from one country to another, in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Other nations are alleged to have lent assistance in some cases. The practice has been widely denounced around the world. The British role in the rendition of Belhadj and Boudchar came to light after documents were discovered in the headquarters of the Gaddafi regime’s intelligence agency after the dictator was toppled in a 2011 revolution. The documents included a fax apparently sent by MI6, Britain’s foreign intelligence agency, to the Libyan intelligence services in March 2004, giving information about the couple’s then whereabouts in Malaysia. In written statements sent by their lawyers shortly after the apology was made public, Belhadj and Boudchar thanked the British government. “A great society does not torture, does not help others to torture, and when it makes mistakes it accepts them and apologises,” Belhadj said. The couple had brought legal claims against Britain’s former foreign affairs minister, a senior intelligence chief and various government departments and agencies, seeking an apology and symbolic damages. The British government tried to fight the claims in court but the Supreme Court last year gave the couple the right to sue the defendants. Attorney General Jeremy Wright told parliament all the claims had now been withdrawn as part of a full and final out-of-court settlement. As part of that settlement, the government agreed to give Boudchar 500,000 pounds ($676,000) in compensation for her suffering. Belhadj, who had said all along he was seeking an apology rather than money, did not receive a financial settlement. Wright said no admissions of liability had been made by any of the defendants in the legal claims. After his release, Belhadj went on to command an Islamist rebel group that helped topple Gaddafi in 2011. He is now a politician in Libya. ||||| Britain on Thursday apologised for contributing to the ill treatment of former Islamist fighter turned politician Abdel Hakim Belhaj, who was kidnapped in Thailand in 2004, handed over to Libya and tortured. “The UK government’s actions contributed to your detention, rendition and suffering,” Prime Minister Theresa May said in a letter to Belhaj and his wife Fatima Boudchar, which was read out in parliament by Attorney General Jeremy Wright. “On behalf of Her Majesty’s government, I apologise to you unreservedly,” the letter read. Belhaj, who became Tripoli’s military commander after Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi was ousted in the 2011 revolution, claimed British complicity in their capture by the CIA and subsequent torture by his regime. The British government accepted the couple “were subjected to a harrowing ordeal which caused them significant distress”, and said that it had reached “a full and final settlement” with them both. Boudchar will receive £500,000 (570,000 euros, $670,000) compensation, but Belhaj did not seek any financial settlement, only an apology. Boudchar was four-and-a-half months pregnant when she was kidnapped, telling the Guardian that she had been taped to a stretcher for the 17-hour flight to Tripoli. Belhaj was held for more than six years and said he was subjected to torture. “Your accounts were moving and what happened to you is deeply troubling,” wrote May. “The UK government believes your account, neither of you should have been treated in this way”. The prime minister added that “we should have understood sooner the unacceptable practices of some of our international partners. We sincerely regret our failures.” Papers found after Kadhafi’s ouster showed the British official had told the Libyan government that it was “the least the UK could do” to help capture Belhaj. He also sued ex-foreign secretary Jack Straw, but dropped both of the cases as he mediated a “full and final settlement” with the government. Belhaj fought against Soviet forces in Afghanistan and became the leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), which sought to overthrow Kadhafi and replace his regime with an Islamic one. He also founded a pro-Islamist television channel, which was also opposed to Khalifa Haftar, the head of the Libyan National Army. He had an office in Tripoli where he regularly received US, British, French and other Western envoys. Belhaj and his men were part of the Fajr Libya faction which seized Tripoli in 2014. As a party leader, he participated in the talks held in Morocco which brought about Libya’s interim Government of National Accord (GNA) in December 2015. However, he has vanished from Libyan public life since then and is now based in Istanbul. In May 2017, pro-GNA armed groups took control of the prison where former leaders of the Kadhafi regime, including Abdallah Senoussi and Saadi Kadhafi, were being held under the control of Belhaj’s men. The same day, the headquarters of his television channel was torched. It was later transferred to Istanbul from where it continues to lead an anti-Haftar campaign.
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UK Prime Minister Theresa May apologises to the family of Abdul Hakim Belhaj, accepting the fact that the UK's actions led to his rendition to Libya where he was tortured. Belhaj was detained in Thailand by US authorities in 2004. His wife accepts the apology and £500,000.
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KUALA LUMPUR , Malaysia — Malaysia's new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Friday he will form a lean cabinet with 10 core ministries and start the process of obtaining an immediate pardon for jailed opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim. Mahathir was sworn in as Malaysia's seventh premier late Thursday, a day after leading his four-party opposition alliance to a stunning election victory that ousted scandal-plagued Prime Minister Najib Razak and ended his coalition's 60-year unbroken grip on power. It was a remarkable comeback for Mahathir, who was premier for 22 years until his retirement in 2003 and is now the world's oldest leader at 92. Mahathir said the king has indicated he was willing to give an immediate pardon that would free Anwar, who was jailed in 2015 on sodomy charges he said were fabricated by the then-government to crush the opposition. "We will go through the proper process of obtaining a pardon for Anwar... it is going to be a full pardon, which of course, means he is not only pardoned but to be released immediately," he told a news conference. He didn't say how long the process will take and whether Anwar could be freed before his sentence ends June 8. It was a second spell in prison for Anwar, a former deputy prime minister in the defeated ruling party who was also imprisoned under Mahathir in 1998 following a power struggle. Anwar and Mahathir joined forces in an unlikely alliance that helped the opposition nailed the electoral victory. Mahathir's deputy in the new government is Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Anwar's wife and the leader of his People's Justice Party. She is the first female deputy premier in Malaysia but the current set-up is seen as transitional as Mahathir has agreed to hand over the baton to Anwar once he is freed. Mahathir has been coy about how long he will stay in his new job. Anwar will need to contest and win a by-election after he is freed to become a member of parliament before he takes on the top job. Mahathir said his four-party alliance will hold a meeting Saturday and name 10 ministers for a start. He said he doesn't want a "huge" cabinet, in a veiled reference to past cabinets with more than 30 ministers. He also issued a strong warning against graft, with corrupt officials to be replaced in an overhaul of government departments. He indicated this could include Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali, who was appointed after Najib sacked the then-attorney general in 2015 to escape possible prosecution over a corruption scandal involving the 1MDB state fund. "The attorney-general has undermined his own credibility. He has, in fact, hidden evidence of wrongdoing and that is wrong in law," Mahathir said. Anger over the 1MDB scandal prompted Mahathir to emerge from retirement and sparked the anger that helped to oust Najib's coalition. The fund was set up by Najib in 2009 to promote economic development but it accumulated billions in debts and is under investigations in the U.S. and other countries. U.S. investigators say Najib's associates stole and looted at least $4.5 billion from the fund, of which some $700 million landed in Najib's bank account. Najib denied any wrongdoing and Mohamed Apandi cleared Najib in 2016, saying the money was a donation from Saudi Arabia's royal family and most of it returned. Mahathir has said he would not go on a witch hunt but that Najib will be brought to court if there was evidence of wrongdoing. ||||| KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia’s new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Friday he will form a lean cabinet with 10 core ministries and start the process of obtaining an immediate pardon for jailed opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim. Mahathir was sworn in as Malaysia’s seventh premier late Thursday, a day after leading his four-party opposition alliance to a stunning election victory that ousted scandal-plagued Prime Minister Najib Razak and ended his coalition’s 60-year unbroken grip on power. It was a remarkable comeback for Mahathir, who was premier for 22 years until his retirement in 2003 and is now the world’s oldest leader at 92. Mahathir said the king has indicated he was willing to give an immediate pardon that would free Anwar, who was jailed in 2015 on sodomy charges he said were fabricated by the then-government to crush the opposition. “We will go through the proper process of obtaining a pardon for Anwar… it is going to be a full pardon, which of course, means he is not only pardoned but to be released immediately,” he told a news conference. He didn’t say how long the process will take and whether Anwar could be freed before his sentence ends June 8. It was a second spell in prison for Anwar, a former deputy prime minister in the defeated ruling party who was also imprisoned under Mahathir in 1998 following a power struggle. Anwar and Mahathir joined forces in an unlikely alliance that helped the opposition nailed the electoral victory. Mahathir’s deputy in the new government is Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Anwar’s wife and the leader of his People’s Justice Party. She is the first female deputy premier in Malaysia but the current set-up is seen as transitional as Mahathir has agreed to hand over the baton to Anwar once he is freed. Mahathir has been coy about how long he will stay in his new job. Anwar will need to contest and win a byelection after he is freed to become a member of parliament before he takes on the top job. Mahathir said his four-party alliance will hold a meeting Saturday and name 10 ministers for a start. He said he doesn’t want a “huge” cabinet, in a veiled reference to past cabinets with more than 30 ministers. He also issued a strong warning against graft, with corrupt officials to be replaced in an overhaul of government departments. He indicated this could include Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali, who was appointed after Najib sacked the then-attorney general in 2015 to escape possible prosecution over a corruption scandal involving the 1MDB state fund. “The attorney-general has undermined his own credibility. He has, in fact, hidden evidence of wrongdoing and that is wrong in law,” Mahathir said. Anger over the 1MDB scandal prompted Mahathir to emerge from retirement and sparked the anger that helped to oust Najib’s coalition. The fund was set up by Najib in 2009 to promote economic development but it accumulated billions in debts and is under investigations in the U.S. and other countries. U.S. investigators say Najib’s associates stole and looted at least $4.5 billion from the fund, of which some $700 million landed in Najib’s bank account. Najib denied any wrongdoing and Mohamed Apandi cleared Najib in 2016, saying the money was a donation from Saudi Arabia’s royal family and most of it returned. Mahathir has said he would not go on a witch hunt but that Najib will be brought to court if there was evidence of wrongdoing. ||||| Jailed Malaysian Opposition Leader To Be Pardoned After His Party's Victory Another twist has emerged in the stunning ouster of Malaysia's long-ruling party, as Anwar Ibrahim, the popular opposition leader who was jailed for sodomy in 2015, will get a royal pardon — clearing the way for him to possibly become prime minister. The move had been discussed as a possibility before the election, but that was before the opposition pulled off its upset victory. The new coalition is led by Mahathir Mohamad – Anwar's one-time ally, then his bitter enemy and, most recently, his political savior. With Thursday's win, Mahathir, 92, became the world's oldest elected leader. But one day after being sworn in, he announced that Malaysia's king is willing to extend a full pardon for Anwar. The longtime opposition figure was already set to be released in June, but a pardon would mean he can return to politics immediately. Before Anwar, 70, can serve in a high office, Mahatir said, he'll need to become a member of Parliament – and, he warned, "That might take a long time." Mahathir broke that news alongside Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah, who is slated to be the deputy prime minister in the new government that's being formed by Mahatir and the Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) party. "I am very happy to note that when I met my husband he was in a jubilant mood," Wan Azizah said on Friday, according to Malaysia's Star newspaper. "He followed the events of the new prime minister and how Pakatan Harapan winning has created history and that he is part of it." Wan Azizah is the leader of the Justice Party, which Anwar founded. It's one of the main parties in the winning coalition. Accused in separate incidents over the years of having sex with his wife's driver and with an aide, Anwar has denied the charges against him. His prosecution was widely seen as politically motivated, because he posed a threat to now-former Prime Minister Najib Razak. Mahathir was Malaysia's prime minister for more than 20 years. He resigned the post in 2003; five years earlier, he had fired Anwar and leveled pointed criticisms at his former deputy, who was once seen as his heir apparent. Since their rift, Anwar has been arrested, beaten, and twice imprisoned. He was accused of homosexual sodomy and abuse of power. At his trial in the late 1990s, prosecutors repeatedly brought what they said was a semen-stained mattress into court. He has won acquittals, only to have prosecutors win reversals against him, such as as when he was sent to prison in 2015. Despite all of that history, Anwar and Mahathir have managed to reconcile, and now, to make history in Malaysia. Leading up to Mahathir's return to power, the once and future prime minister acknowledged both his age, and his political past. "I am already old," he said in a campaign video cited by the AP. "I haven't much time left. I have to do some work to rebuild our country; perhaps because of mistakes I, myself, made in the past." On Thursday, Mahathir tweeted, "First day on the job... once again." The message included a photo showing Wan Azizah sitting to his right. The turnabout comes as Malaysia wrestles with a massive corruption case, with hundreds of millions of dollars winding up in Najib's personal bank account and billions more suspected of being illegally diverted from a government investment company. ||||| Malaysia's new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Friday he will form a lean cabinet with 10 core ministries and start the process of obtaining an immediate pardon for jailed opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim. Mahathir was sworn in as Malaysia's seventh premier late Thursday, a day after leading his four-party opposition alliance to a stunning election victory that ousted scandal-plagued Prime Minister Najib Razak and ended his coalition's 60-year unbroken grip on power. It was a remarkable comeback for Mahathir, who was premier for 22 years until his retirement in 2003 and is now the world's oldest leader at 92. Mahathir said the king has indicated he was willing to give an immediate pardon that would free Anwar, who was jailed in 2015 on sodomy charges he said were fabricated by the then-government to crush the opposition. "We will go through the proper process of obtaining a pardon for Anwar... it is going to be a full pardon, which of course, means he is not only pardoned but to be released immediately," he told a news conference. He didn't say how long the process will take and whether Anwar could be freed before his sentence ends June 8. It was a second spell in prison for Anwar, a former deputy prime minister in the defeated ruling party who was also imprisoned under Mahathir in 1998 following a power struggle. Anwar and Mahathir joined forces in an unlikely alliance that helped the opposition nailed the electoral victory. Mahathir's deputy in the new government is Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Anwar's wife and the leader of his People's Justice Party. She is the first female deputy premier in Malaysia but the current set-up is seen as transitional as Mahathir has agreed to hand over the baton to Anwar once he is freed. Mahathir has been coy about how long he will stay in his new job. Anwar will need to contest and win a by-election after he is freed to become a member of parliament before he takes on the top job. Mahathir said his four-party alliance will hold a meeting Saturday and name 10 ministers for a start. He said he doesn't want a "huge" cabinet, in a veiled reference to past cabinets with more than 30 ministers. He also issued a strong warning against graft, with corrupt officials to be replaced in an overhaul of government departments. He indicated this could include Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali, who was appointed after Najib sacked the then-attorney general in 2015 to escape possible prosecution over a corruption scandal involving the 1MDB state fund. "The attorney-general has undermined his own credibility. He has, in fact, hidden evidence of wrongdoing and that is wrong in law," Mahathir said. Anger over the 1MDB scandal prompted Mahathir to emerge from retirement and sparked the anger that helped to oust Najib's coalition. The fund was set up by Najib in 2009 to promote economic development but it accumulated billions in debts and is under investigations in the U.S. and other countries. U.S. investigators say Najib's associates stole and looted at least $4.5 billion from the fund, of which some $700 million landed in Najib's bank account. Najib denied any wrongdoing and Mohamed Apandi cleared Najib in 2016, saying the money was a donation from Saudi Arabia's royal family and most of it returned. Mahathir has said he would not go on a witch hunt but that Najib will be brought to court if there was evidence of wrongdoing. ||||| Kuala Lumpur — Malaysia’s king has agreed to pardon jailed opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim, the newly installed prime minister said on Friday, in the latest dramatic development after the opposition toppled the long-ruling regime. Anwar’s expected release paves the way for him to be handed power by Mahathir Mohamad, 92, who was sworn in as the world’s oldest leader on Thursday following his alliance’s stunning election victory. Mahathir, who has said he plans to give the premiership to Anwar — his former nemesis — came out of retirement in reaction to a huge corruption scandal that ensnared ex-prime minister Najib Razak. The former strongman teamed up with parties that had fought him vehemently during his two decades in power in a bid to oust the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which had led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957. Anwar, from the People’s Justice Party, was a key leader of the opposition alliance. One of Malaysia’s most charismatic politicians, he was heir-apparent to the premiership until Mahathir sacked him in 1998 and he was subsequently jailed for sodomy and abuse of power. But in a remarkable turnaround, the pair reconciled and joined forces as they sought to eject Najib, who was accused of stealing billions of dollars from a state investment fund that he set up and oversaw. Anwar was jailed again in 2015 during Najib’s rule, in a case widely condemned as politically motivated. He was due out in June but Mahathir told a press conference that King Sultan Muhammad V, during a meeting on Thursday with opposition leaders, had indicated he was willing to grant him a royal pardon immediately. The royal pardon would mean he can participate in politics again straight away. Without it, he would be banned from political life for five years. "We will begin the … proper process of obtaining a pardon," Mahathir said. "He should be released immediately when he is pardoned." Mahathir’s reconciliation with Anwar has been one of the most remarkable aspects of an electrifying election race. Mahathir also announced that 10 cabinet positions would be filled on Saturday. The opposition faced an uphill battle at the election due to what critics said were no-holds-barred attempts by Najib to hang on to power. His government was accused of gerrymandering while activists said he hurled cash and gifts at voters and there was a litany of problems with the electoral roll, including dead people appearing on the list. But voters turned out in droves, determined to push out the scandal-plagued government, with the opposition boosted by the presence of standard-bearer Mahathir, who has a huge following among the country’s Muslim Malay majority. ||||| Malaysia's newly elected prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, said that the country's kind would pardon the jailed opposition figure, Anwar Ibrahim. "We will go through the proper process of obtaining a pardon for Anwar," Mahathir said in a media conference. Mahathir was sworn in Thursday, becoming the world's oldest elected leader at 92. Mahathir, who had ruled with an iron fist for over two decades before retiring in 2003, cut ties with BN due to allegations that the party's leader and his ex-protege Najib Razak oversaw the pillaging of sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. The elderly politician joined forces with opposition parties that opposed him while in power and agreed that if elected, he would hand over the premiership to Anwar, his former nemesis. Mahathir has previously said he would likely remain prime minister for two to three years, before transferring power to Anwar. Anwar, from the People's Justice Party, is a key long-time leader of the opposition alliance. One of Malaysia's most charismatic politicians, he was heir-apparent to the premiership until Mahathir sacked him in 1998 and he was subsequently jailed for sodomy and abuse of power. But in a remarkable turnaround, the pair reconciled and joined forces as allegations mounted over 1MDB and Najib became increasingly authoritarian, jailing opponents and introducing laws to stifle dissent. Anwar, now 70, was jailed again in 2015 during Najib's rule, and had been due out next month. But Mahathir told a press conference that King Sultan Muhammad V, in a meeting with opposition leaders, had indicated he was willing to grant Anwar a royal pardon immediately. The royal pardon would mean he could return to politics straight away. Without it, he would be banned from political life for five years. "We will begin the... proper process of obtaining a pardon," Mahathir told reporters. "He should be released immediately when he is pardoned." Anwar first made his name as a student leader of a youth Islamic organization, founding Malaysia's Islamic youth movement, ABIM. His joining Malaysia's dominant party, United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), in 1982 came as a surprise to many but proved to be a good political move - he enjoyed a quick ascent up the political ladder and held multiple ministerial posts. In 1993 he became Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's deputy and was widely expected to succeed him, but tensions grew between the two men, particularly over issues like graft and the economy. In September 1998, Anwar found himself sacked and eventually charged with sodomy and corruption. The trial which followed led to a six-year jail term for corruption and also sparked huge street protests. In 2000 he was then found guilty of sodomy with his wife's driver and jailed for a further nine years, to be served concurrently with his other sentence. In late 2004 Malaysia's Supreme Court overturned the sodomy conviction, freeing him from jail. ||||| Malaysia's newly installed prime minister says he is ready to make good on a campaign promise to pardon opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. Mahathir Mohamad said Friday, "We will begin the . . . proper process of obtaining a pardon for Datuk Sri Anwar," using a Malay honorific. Mahathir said the king "has indicated he is willing to pardon" Anwar. The prime minister said Anwar "should be released immediately when he is pardoned." The opposition leader is in prison on corruption and sodomy charges that were widely denounced as politically motivated. Anwar had served as deputy prime minister and finance minister in Mahathir's government and was seen as Mahathir's heir-apparent until he was fired in 1999. Mahathir, Malaysia's former leader, was sworn in Thursday as the country's seventh prime minister after his stunning election victory the day before, a feat that makes him the world's oldest elected leader. The 92-year-old former prime minister known for his authoritarian rule, and his coalition of opposition parties, the Alliance of Hope, toppled Prime Minister Najib Razak's Barisan Nasional coalition, which includes UMNO, the ethnic Malay party that had ruled Malaysia since its birth as an independent country in 1957. Najib's downfall was fueled by the imposition of a sales tax that mainly affects the rural poor and a corruption scandal in which billions of dollars were allegedly stolen from a state-owned investment fund he oversaw. Najib denies any wrongdoing. Mahathir has said he is not seeking "revenge" against his political opponents, but promised to restore law and order. Mahathir led Malaysia from 1981 to 2003. He is credited with building a thriving economy, but many Malaysians are still upset over what they said was Mahathir's harsh treatment of political opponents and suppression of free speech. Najib's regime has also faced accusations of acts of repression against citizens. The human rights group Amnesty International said Thursday the election is a "historic opportunity to break with the human rights violations of the past." The rights group accused the Barisan Nasional coalition of "repeated attacks on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and arbitrary detentions under draconian laws." Amnesty International said Mahathir can begin reforms by fulfilling a campaign pledge to release Anwar. It also called on Mahathir to abolish repressive laws such as the recently imposed Anti-Fake News Law, which it says is "designed to stifle debate online." ||||| Malaysia’s new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says he will form a lean cabinet with 10 core ministries and start the process of obtaining an immediate pardon for jailed opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim. Mahathir was sworn in as Malaysia’s seventh premier late Thursday, a day after leading his four-party opposition alliance to a stunning election victory that ousted scandal-plagued Prime Minister Najib Razak and ended his coalition’s 60-year unbroken grip on power. It was a remarkable comeback for Mahathir, who was premier for 22 years until his retirement in 2003 and is now the world’s oldest leader at 92. Mahathir said Thursday the king has indicated he was willing to give an immediate pardon that would free Anwar, who was jailed on sodomy charges he said were politically motivated. ||||| Malaysia's new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says the country's king has agreed to pardon jailed opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim, paving the way for his imminent release. This means Mr Anwar could be out of jail sooner than June 9, his scheduled release date. Mr Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, is serving a prison term for the politically-motivated charge of sodomy. A pardon will mean that Mr Anwar is free to return to politics and could take a seat in parliament. Mr Anwar and Dr Mahathir, former allies and then implacable foes, joined hands to contest this week's election and oust the administration of Najib Razak. Dr Mahathir was sworn into office by Malaysia's constitutional monarch late on Thursday, becoming the world's oldest elected leader at the age of 92. Mr Ibrahim watched the swearing-in ceremony of Dr Mohamad from a prison hospital, filmed by a member of his party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat. Dr Mahathir has said he will eventually stand aside to allow Mr Anwar to take over the running of the country. On Friday, he held a meeting of top alliance partners as he got down to the business of forming a government that, for the first time in the country's history, would not be from the Barisan Nasional coalition. Speaking at a news conference, Dr Mahathir said he would announce a 10-member cabinet on Saturday, including ministers for finance, defence and home affairs. ||||| KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's king has agreed to pardon jailed opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim, the newly installed prime minister said Friday, in the latest dramatic development after the opposition toppled the long-ruling regime. Anwar's expected release paves the way for him to be handed power by Mahathir Mohamad, 92, who was sworn in as the world's oldest leader Thursday following his alliance's stunning election victory. Mahathir, who has said he plans to give the premiership to Anwar -- his former nemesis -- came out of retirement after he was angered at a massive corruption scandal that ensnared ex-prime minister Najib Razak. The former strongman teamed up with parties that had fought him vehemently during his two decades in power in a bid to oust the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which had led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957. Anwar, from the People's Justice Party, was a key leader of the opposition alliance. One of Malaysia's most charismatic politicians, he was heir-apparent to the premiership until Mahathir sacked him in 1998 and he was subsequently jailed for sodomy and abuse of power. But in a remarkable turnaround, the pair reconciled and joined forces as they sought to eject Najib, who was accused of stealing billions of dollars from a state investment fund that he set up and oversaw. Anwar was jailed again in 2015 during Najib's rule, in a case widely condemned as politically motivated. He was due out in June but Mahathir told a press conference that King Sultan Muhammad V, during a meeting Thursday with opposition leaders, had indicated he was willing to grant him a royal pardon immediately. The royal pardon would mean he can participate in politics again straight away. Without it, he would be banned from political life for five years. "We will begin the... proper process of obtaining a pardon," Mahathir told reporters. "He should be released immediately when he is pardoned." Mahathir's reconciliation with Anwar has been one of the most remarkable aspects of an electrifying election race. Mahathir also announced that 10 cabinet positions would be filled on Saturday. The opposition faced an uphill battle at the election due to what critics said were no-holds-barred attempts by Najib to hang on to power. His government was accused of gerrymandering while activists said he hurled cash and gifts at voters and there was a litany of problems with the electoral roll, including dead people appearing on the list. But voters turned out in droves, determined to push out the scandal-plagued government, with the opposition boosted by the presence of standard-bearer Mahathir, who has a huge following among the country's Muslim Malay majority.
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Former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, jailed during Najib's term, is due to be released next Tuesday after receiving a royal pardon. Anwar is the leader of the Pakatan Harapan coalition that won the May 9 general election. The pardon will enable Anwar to immediately run for public office again.
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GAZA-ISRAEL BORDER (Reuters) - Palestinians buried the dead on Tuesday from the bloodiest day in Gaza in years, after Israeli forces killed 60 Palestinians near the Gaza-Israel border during demonstrations against the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. Israeli forces shot dead two more Palestinians on Tuesday, although protests were quieter than the previous day. It appeared that many protesters had gone to mourning tents rather than back to the scene of Monday's bloodshed. Mourners marched through the strip, waving Palestinian flags and calling for revenge. "With souls and blood we redeem you martyrs," they shouted. Hundreds marched in the funeral of eight-month-old Leila al-Ghandour, whose body was wrapped in a Palestinian flag. "Let her stay with me, it is too early for her to go," her mother cried, pressing the baby's body to her chest. The family said she died of inhaling tear gas. At Gaza's hospitals, families crowded the halls and spilled out of rooms as patients awaited treatment. Bassem Ibrahim, who said he was shot in the leg by Israeli troops, said at one stage he had feared losing the limb because of the delays. "There are not many doctors. They are unable to see everyone, with all the injuries," said Ibrahim, 23. "The number was unbelievable and they did not have time." On the Israeli side of the border, Israeli sharpshooters took up positions to stop any attempted breach of the fence should demonstrations break out again. Tanks were also deployed. But if the violence tapered off, it still had a forceful impact internationally, with countries criticising both the Israeli use of deadly force and the U.S. decision to open its new embassy at a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Turkey expelled Israel's ambassador, and Israel expelled the Turkish consul-general in Jerusalem. President Tayyip Erdogan exchanged heated words on Twitter with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Palestinians summoned home their representative in Washington, citing the embassy decision. Netanyahu blamed Hamas for provoking the violence. "They’re pushing civilians – women, children – into the line of fire with a view of getting casualties. We try to minimize casualties. They're trying to incur casualties in order to put pressure on Israel, which is horrible," Netanyahu told CBS News For the past six weeks, Palestinians have been holding Gaza border demonstrations demanding access to family land or homes lost to Israel when it was founded in the 1948 Middle East war. Israel rejects that demand, fearing it would deprive the state of its Jewish majority. Palestinian medical officials say 107 Gazans have now been killed since the start of the protests and nearly 11,000 people wounded, about 3,500 of them by live fire. Israeli officials dispute those numbers. No Israeli casualties have been reported. Palestinian leaders have called Monday's events a massacre, and the Israeli tactic of using live fire against the protesters has drawn worldwide concern and condemnation. The United Nations Security Council met to discuss the situation. Israel has said it is acting in self-defence to protect its borders and communities. Its main ally, the United States, has backed that stance and both say that Hamas, which rules Gaza, instigated the violence, an allegation denied by the militant group opposed to Israel's existence. The Israeli military said at least 24 of those killed on Monday were "terrorists with documented terror background" and most of them were active operatives of Hamas. The Islamic Jihad militant group posted portraits of three uniformed members whom it said were killed when they took part as non-combatants in the protests, and the Hamas-led interior ministry posted pictures of 10 of its security men killed in the protests whom it said were unarmed and monitoring the crowds. On Tuesday morning, mourners marched through Gaza, waving Palestinian flags and calling for revenge. "With souls and blood we redeem you martyrs," they shouted. May 15 is traditionally the day Palestinians mark the "Nakba", or Catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands fled or were driven from their homes in violence culminating in war between the newly created Jewish state and its Arab neighbours in 1948. More than 2 million people are crammed into the Gaza Strip, more than two-thirds of them refugees. Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt maintain tight curbs on the enclave, deepening economic hardship and raising humanitarian concerns. On the Israeli side of the border, Israeli sharpshooters took up positions to stop any attempted breach of the fence should demonstrations break out again. Tanks were also deployed. A senior Israeli commander said that of the 60 Gazans killed on Monday, 14 were carrying out attacks and 14 others were militants. He also said Palestinians protesters were using hundreds of pipe bombs, grenades and fire-bombs. Militants had opened fire on Israeli troops and tried to set off explosives by the fence. Many casualties were caused by Palestinians carrying devices that went off prematurely," he said. "We approve every round fired before it is fired. Every target is spotted in advance. We know where the bullet lands and where it is aimed," said the commander, who spoke on condition that he not be named, in accordance with Israeli regulations. "However, reality on the ground is such that unintended damage is caused," he said. In Geneva, the U.N. human rights office condemned what it called the "appalling deadly violence" by Israeli forces. U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said Israel had a right to defend its borders according to international law, but lethal force must only be used a last resort, and was not justified by Palestinians approaching the Gaza fence. The U.N. rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Michael Lynk, said Israel's use of force may amount to a war crime. Many shops in East Jerusalem were shut throughout the day following a call by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for a general strike across the Palestinian Territories. A 70-second siren was sounded in the occupied West Bank in commemoration of the Nakba. Most Gaza protesters stay around tent camps but groups have ventured closer to the border fence, rolling burning tyres and throwing stones. Some have flown kites carrying containers of petrol that spread fires on the Israeli side. On Tuesday the number of protesters gathered at the frontier was estimated by the Israeli army at 4,000, well down on Monday. Monday's protests were fuelled by the opening ceremony for the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem following its relocation from Tel Aviv. The move fulfilled a pledge by U.S. President Donald Trump, who in December recognised the city as Israel's capital. Palestinians envision East Jerusalem as the capital of a state they hope to establish in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israel regards all of Jerusalem, including the eastern sector it captured in the 1967 Middle East war and which it later annexed, as its "eternal and indivisible capital". Most countries say the status of Jerusalem - a sacred city to Jews, Muslims and Christians - should be determined in a final peace settlement and that moving their embassies now would prejudge any such deal. Netanyahu on Monday praised Trump but Palestinians have said the United States can no longer serve as an honest broker in any peace process. Talks aimed at finding a two-state solution to the conflict have been frozen since 2014. Trump said on Monday he remained committed to peace between Israel and the Palestinians. His administration says it has nearly completed a new Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. Netanyahu blamed Hamas for the Gaza violence. Hamas denied instigating it but the White House backed Netanyahu, saying Hamas "intentionally and cynically provoking this response". The United States on Monday blocked a Kuwait-drafted U.N. Security Council statement that would have expressed "outrage and sorrow at the killing of Palestinian civilians" and called for an independent investigation, U.N. diplomats said. In the British parliament, junior foreign office minister Alistair Burt said the United States needed to show more understanding about the causes of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamas' role in the violence must be investigated, he added. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. ||||| One day after Israeli forces fired on protesters and killed 60 Palestinians along the Gaza border, the U.N.'s Human Rights Commissioner says that those who were shot include women, children, journalists, first responders and bystanders. "We condemn the appalling, deadly violence in Gaza yesterday," said Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. While acknowledging that some Palestinian demonstrators tried to damage the barbed wire fence that separates Gaza from Israel, Colville said that in the commissioner's view, attempts to cross or damage a fence "do not amount to a threat to life or serious injury and are not sufficient grounds for the use of live ammunition." Lethal force, he said, should only be a measure of last resort. The violence exploded on Monday, as Israel celebrated the U.S. move of its embassy to Jerusalem – a city that's claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians, and whose status has long been regarded by America's biggest allies as an issue best resolved in multilateral peace talks. The U.S. has formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital – another step it had long avoided taking. At least 40,000 Palestinians gathered to protest, according to an estimate from the Israel Defense Forces – which says "Hamas is coercing Gazans to risk their lives." More protests are expected on Tuesday. The military dropped leaflets in the area, telling people to stay away from the security fence on the eastern half of the Gaza Strip. The Defense Forces have accused Iran of giving $100 to people who will approach and attempt to harm the Gaza barrier. Israeli forces responded to the large gatherings at or near the fence with tear gas, plastic bullets and live ammunition. Protesters were seen throwing Molotov cocktails, flying kites that had flaming devices attached, and hurling stones. The military also said it killed three Palestinians who had been trying to plant an explosive along the fence. In addition to their anger over the controversial embassy move, Palestinians also demonstrated in anticipation of today's commemoration of the day they call Nakba – Catastrophe – because the creation of Israel 70 years ago turned more than 700,000 Palestinians into refugees. The confluence of events led to split-screen coverage of Monday's embassy unveiling, with U.S. guests led by President Trump's daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, smiling and celebrating inside the embassy as, along the Gaza border, black smoke billowed from burning tires and gunshots rang out in what an IDF spokesperson called a day of "unprecedented violence." One day later, the first Palestinian funerals have been held, and Gaza's medical facilities are stretched to their limit, having coped with 2,771 injuries. Of that number, 1,359 wounds were from live bullets, the Gaza Health Ministry said. The violence capped weeks of protests by Palestinians, who began demonstrating against Israel's blockade of Gaza back in March. In that time, as Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports, "Hamas and the other resistance movements in Gaza refrained from launching rockets into Israel. No Israeli soldier or resident was injured. Israel, on the other hand, acted against the unarmed demonstrators with sniper fire, live fire that killed and maimed." The newspaper made those remarks in its lead editorial today, titled "Stop the Bloodbath." Michael Lynk, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory, says Israel is guilty of "blatant excessive use of force," in breach of international human rights laws. Saying Israel was denying rights of expression and assembly, Lynk issued a statement on Tuesday calling for "true accountability for those in military and political command who have ordered or allowed this force to be once again employed at the Gaza fence." Israeli officials say that Hamas has used the protests to cover terrorist activities, and to distract Palestinians from "their failures as a governing body." Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has joined at least one of the weekly protests against the blockade; he was seen again on Monday. His public appearances prompted new comments from Israel's Public Defense Minister Gilad Erdan, who told the Ynet News site, "We need to go back to targeted killings, and they need to go back to hiding underground and fearing for their lives, not organizing the masses to carry out terror attacks." Erdan said, "It's time for the heads of Hamas to pay a personal price for organizing these terror attacks." On Monday afternoon, the White House blamed the death toll on the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. Principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah said, "Hamas bears the responsibility," adding, "Look, this is a propaganda attempt. I mean, this is a gruesome and unfortunate propaganda attempt. I think the Israeli government has spent weeks trying to handle this without violence, and we find it very unfortunate." Shah reiterated the White House's position that Israel has the right to defend itself. When asked about possible peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians – and the timing of the most recent White House contact with Palestinian leaders – Shah said, "Well, I don't honestly have an answer for you on that. I'll get back to you." ||||| Two Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire during protests near the border in Gaza, health officials said. Two Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire during protests near the border in Gaza, health officials said. Two more Palestinians shot dead by Israeli troops in Gaza More than 100 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds wounded by live fire in a series of weekly protests led by the ruling Hamas militant group. Medics treat Palestinian children suffering from teargas inhalation during a protest near Beit Lahiya, Gaza Strip (Dusan Vranic/AP) On Monday alone, nearly 60 people were killed in the deadliest day of violence since a 2014 war. Palestinians resumed their protests on Tuesday, but only dozens turned out. The health ministry said the two fresh deaths occurred in separate incidents in central Gaza. Israel claimed it is defending its border and accuses Hamas of using demonstrations as cover to carry out attacks against Israeli targets. Netanyahu is the PM of an apartheid state that has occupied a defenseless people's lands for 60+ yrs in violation of UN resolutions. He has the blood of Palestinians on his hands and can't cover up crimes by attacking Turkey. Want a lesson in humanity? Read the 10 commandments. — Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RT_Erdogan) May 15, 2018 Meanwhile, the Israeli government has asked the Turkish consul general in Jerusalem to temporarily leave the country. The move came after the Turkish foreign ministry temporarily expelled the Israeli ambassador in protest over Monday’s killings and the US decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu “has the blood of Palestinians on his hands”. Mr Netanyahu retorted in a statement: “Erdogan is among Hamas’s biggest supporters and there is no doubt that he well understands terrorism and slaughter. I suggest that he not preach morality to us.” Erdogan is among Hamas's biggest supporters and there is no doubt that he well understands terrorism and slaughter. I suggest that he not preach morality to us — Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) May 15, 2018 Israeli and Palestinian ambassadors at the United Nations have accused each other’s countries of violating international law. Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour addressed the council: “How many Palestinians have to die before you take action? When are you going to act?” Israeli ambassador Danny Danon told the council: “You must tell Hamas that violence is not the answer.” ||||| Gaza's Health Ministry says the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire near the Gaza border has risen to 16 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza's Health Ministry says the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire near the Gaza border has risen to 16. ||||| Gaza Health Ministry says number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire near Gaza border has risen to 25 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza Health Ministry says number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire near Gaza border has risen to 25. ||||| GAZA-ISRAEL BORDER: Palestinians buried the dead on Tuesday from the bloodiest day in Gaza in years, after Israeli forces killed 60 Palestinians near the Gaza-Israel border during demonstrations against the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. Israeli forces shot dead two more Palestinians on Tuesday, although protests were quieter than the previous day. It appeared that many protesters had gone to mourning tents rather than back to the scene of Monday's bloodshed. Mourners marched through the strip, waving Palestinian flags and calling for revenge. "With souls and blood we redeem you martyrs," they shouted. Hundreds marched in the funeral of eight-month-old Leila al-Ghandour, whose body was wrapped in a Palestinian flag. "Let her stay with me, it is too early for her to go," her mother cried, pressing the baby's body to her chest. The family said she died of inhaling tear gas. At Gaza's hospitals, families crowded the halls and spilled out of rooms as patients awaited treatment. Bassem Ibrahim, who said he was shot in the leg by Israeli troops, said at one stage he had feared losing the limb because of the delays. "There are not many doctors. They are unable to see everyone, with all the injuries," said Ibrahim, 23. "The number was unbelievable and they did not have time." On the Israeli side of the border, Israeli sharpshooters took up positions to stop any attempted breach of the fence should demonstrations break out again. Tanks were also deployed. But if the violence tapered off, it still had a forceful impact internationally, with countries criticising both the Israeli use of deadly force and the U.S. decision to open its new embassy at a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Turkey expelled Israel's ambassador, and Israel expelled the Turkish consul-general in Jerusalem. President Tayyip Erdogan exchanged heated words on Twitter with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Palestinians summoned home their representative in Washington, citing the embassy decision. Netanyahu blamed Hamas for provoking the violence. "They’re pushing civilians – women, children – into the line of fire with a view of getting casualties. We try to minimize casualties. They're trying to incur casualties in order to put pressure on Israel, which is horrible," Netanyahu told CBS News For the past six weeks, Palestinians have been holding Gaza border demonstrations demanding access to family land or homes lost to Israel when it was founded in the 1948 Middle East war. Israel rejects that demand, fearing it would deprive the state of its Jewish majority. Palestinian medical officials say 107 Gazans have now been killed since the start of the protests and nearly 11,000 people wounded, about 3,500 of them by live fire. Israeli officials dispute those numbers. No Israeli casualties have been reported. Palestinian leaders have called Monday's events a massacre, and the Israeli tactic of using live fire against the protesters has drawn worldwide concern and condemnation. The United Nations Security Council met to discuss the situation. Israel has said it is acting in self-defence to protect its borders and communities. Its main ally, the United States, has backed that stance and both say that Hamas, which rules Gaza, instigated the violence, an allegation denied by the militant group opposed to Israel's existence. The Israeli military said at least 24 of those killed on Monday were "terrorists with documented terror background" and most of them were active operatives of Hamas. The Islamic Jihad militant group posted portraits of three uniformed members whom it said were killed when they took part as non-combatants in the protests, and the Hamas-led interior ministry posted pictures of 10 of its security men killed in the protests whom it said were unarmed and monitoring the crowds. On Tuesday morning, mourners marched through Gaza, waving Palestinian flags and calling for revenge. "With souls and blood we redeem you martyrs," they shouted. May 15 is traditionally the day Palestinians mark the "Nakba", or Catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands fled or were driven from their homes in violence culminating in war between the newly created Jewish state and its Arab neighbours in 1948. More than 2 million people are crammed into the Gaza Strip, more than two-thirds of them refugees. Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt maintain tight curbs on the enclave, deepening economic hardship and raising humanitarian concerns. On the Israeli side of the border, Israeli sharpshooters took up positions to stop any attempted breach of the fence should demonstrations break out again. Tanks were also deployed. A senior Israeli commander said that of the 60 Gazans killed on Monday, 14 were carrying out attacks and 14 others were militants. He also said Palestinians protesters were using hundreds of pipe bombs, grenades and fire-bombs. Militants had opened fire on Israeli troops and tried to set off explosives by the fence. Many casualties were caused by Palestinians carrying devices that went off prematurely," he said. "We approve every round fired before it is fired. Every target is spotted in advance. We know where the bullet lands and where it is aimed," said the commander, who spoke on condition that he not be named, in accordance with Israeli regulations. "However, reality on the ground is such that unintended damage is caused," he said. In Geneva, the U.N. human rights office condemned what it called the "appalling deadly violence" by Israeli forces. U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said Israel had a right to defend its borders according to international law, but lethal force must only be used a last resort, and was not justified by Palestinians approaching the Gaza fence. The U.N. rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Michael Lynk, said Israel's use of force may amount to a war crime. Many shops in East Jerusalem were shut throughout the day following a call by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for a general strike across the Palestinian Territories. A 70-second siren was sounded in the occupied West Bank in commemoration of the Nakba. Most Gaza protesters stay around tent camps but groups have ventured closer to the border fence, rolling burning tyres and throwing stones. Some have flown kites carrying containers of petrol that spread fires on the Israeli side. On Tuesday the number of protesters gathered at the frontier was estimated by the Israeli army at 4,000, well down on Monday. Monday's protests were fuelled by the opening ceremony for the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem following its relocation from Tel Aviv. The move fulfilled a pledge by U.S. President Donald Trump, who in December recognised the city as Israel's capital. Palestinians envision East Jerusalem as the capital of a state they hope to establish in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israel regards all of Jerusalem, including the eastern sector it captured in the 1967 Middle East war and which it later annexed, as its "eternal and indivisible capital". Most countries say the status of Jerusalem - a sacred city to Jews, Muslims and Christians - should be determined in a final peace settlement and that moving their embassies now would prejudge any such deal. Netanyahu on Monday praised Trump but Palestinians have said the United States can no longer serve as an honest broker in any peace process. Talks aimed at finding a two-state solution to the conflict have been frozen since 2014. Trump said on Monday he remained committed to peace between Israel and the Palestinians. His administration says it has nearly completed a new Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. Netanyahu blamed Hamas for the Gaza violence. Hamas denied instigating it but the White House backed Netanyahu, saying Hamas "intentionally and cynically provoking this response". The United States on Monday blocked a Kuwait-drafted U.N. Security Council statement that would have expressed "outrage and sorrow at the killing of Palestinian civilians" and called for an independent investigation, U.N. diplomats said. In the British parliament, junior foreign office minister Alistair Burt said the United States needed to show more understanding about the causes of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamas' role in the violence must be investigated, he added. ||||| Israel has stirred widespread international anger over the use of lethal force against mostly unarmed Palestinian protesters, which on Monday produced the biggest one-day toll of Palestinians killed by Israelis since Israel’s 2014 invasion of Gaza. Israel said its soldiers had exercised restraint and that many more protesters would die if they tried to cross into Israeli territory. But Doctors Without Borders, the international medical charity, said on Friday that it had treated more Palestinians at its Gaza clinics in the past month than during the 2014 conflict and that some of the exit wounds from Israeli ammunition were “fist-size.” The Israeli military fires tear gas canisters to repel crowds. Shifting winds and gas masks worn by some protesters can render the gas ineffective, however, and Palestinians have become adept at flinging the canisters back or quickly burying them. Israel has used rubber bullets as a deterrent, but military officials say they are effective only at short range. Israel says its soldiers are allowed to use live ammunition as a last resort and are instructed to aim at people’s ankles or legs. On Friday, B’Tselem, a leading Israeli human rights organization, criticized the military’s use of lethal force, saying that the demonstrations were no surprise and that Israel had “plenty of time to come up with alternate approaches.” “The fact that live gunfire is once again the sole measure that the Israeli military is using in the field evinces appalling indifference towards human life on the part of senior Israeli government and military officials,” the group said. But the leader of the center-left opposition in the Israeli Parliament faulted Hamas for what he called its self-destructive actions. “Events in Gaza are very serious, painful and difficult but I must say one thing, in all fairness,” the leader, Isaac Herzog, said in a radio interview. “To whoever is sending them to these protests — violence and force will not help you. Look at 70 years of history: You have not achieved anything from violence.” Israel says it thwarted Hamas infiltrators, struck back with warplanes. ||||| Gaza experienced its bloodiest massacre since 2014 on Monday, as the Israeli military killed at least 52 Palestinians and wounded more than 1,700 others as protesters streamed to the frontier for the climax of a six-week demonstration as the United States prepared to open its embassy in Jerusalem. The death toll made it the deadliest day in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the 2014 Gaza war. The victims, including a 14-year-old, were shot dead as Israeli snipers opened fire amid clashes at five points along the Gaza border hours before the opening of the embassy. More than 1,700 Palestinians were wounded in the clashes, the health ministry in Gaza said, with the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate saying eight journalists were among them. The Israeli army said that more than 35,000 people were involved in the protests and clashes. Israeli warplanes also struck a Hamas base close to the border, the army said, saying forces had come under fire. The army killed three more Palestinians, who it said were trying to plant an explosive device. The Palestinian Authority government based in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, accused Israel of carrying out a "terrible massacre." Bilal Fasayfes, 31, was getting on a free bus to the border with his wife and two children in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis. "If half the people die we won't care," he said. "We will keep going so the other half can live with dignity." East of Gaza City, Umm Saab Habib, 60, said she was taking part "to tell Trump to remove the embassy from Jerusalem and we are returning to Jerusalem." Demonstrators are also calling for Palestinian refugees who fled or were expelled during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation to be allowed to return to their homes now inside Israel. More than 91 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since protests and clashes began along the Gaza border on March 30. No Israelis have been wounded and the military has faced criticism over the use of live fire. "Anas Hemdan Qadih, 21, was martyred east of Khan Younis city," Palestinian ministry Spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said in a statement, referring to the town located south of Gaza city center. Musab Abu Laila, 29, was also killed later in the day near Jabalia suburb. Other Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire were identified as Musab Yusuf (28), Ubaidah Salim (30), Muhammad Ashraf (26), Eiz alDin Musa (14), Eiz alDin Nahid (23) and Belal Ahmed (26). At Shifa Hospital, where doctors say they are running low on crucial supplies and being forced to discharge patients early to make space for the next wave, a large tent was erected in front of the emergency room. Faris Abu Hajaras, 50, said his family was from Jaffa, now within Israel, but he had never been there. He is a builder but said Israel's blockade of Gaza meant there was no work. "We will stay peaceful with our hands like this," he said, lifting them to the sky. "But death comes from God." ||||| Gaza (CNN) Another day of protests is expected at the Gaza border Tuesday as international condemnation poured in over Israel's use of force against unarmed Palestinian protesters this week. At least 58 Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops during protests over the Trump administration's controversial opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem , according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the deadliest day in Gaza since the 2014 Israeli invasion. Doctors Without Borders called on the Israeli army to stop using deadly force against demonstrators, saying their actions were "unacceptable and inhuman." "This bloodbath is the continuation of the Israeli army's policy during the last seven weeks: shooting with live ammunition at demonstrators, on the assumption that anyone approaching the separation fence is a legitimate target," Marie-Elisabeth Ingres, the group's representative in Gaza, said in a statement. Medical units carry away a wounded Palestinian shot by Israeli forces during a protest on the border fence separating Israel and Gaza on May 14, 2018. French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned "the violence of the Israeli forces against protesters," in a statement, while Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop called on Israel to be "proportionate in its response and refrain from excessive use of force." In a phone call with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "condemned the attacks and wished Allah's mercy to all martyrs," according to the official Anadolu news agency. Turkey is recalling its ambassadors to Washington and Tel Aviv for consultations, according to state-run Anadolu Agency. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was "profoundly alarmed" by the violence in Gaza and urged Israeli forces to "exercise maximum restraint in the use of live fire," his deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said. A proposed UN Security Council press statement, put forward by Kuwait, was blocked by the US, according to a UN diplomat. The draft statement, which was provided to CNN by a UN diplomat, included language expressing "outrage and sorrow at the killing of Palestinian civilians exercising their right to peaceful protest." It also reaffirmed UN resolutions on the status of Jerusalem, saying that recent events had "no legal effect" under international law. The statement was not passed by the Security Council, after being withdrawn once the US blocked it, according to a UN diplomat. Around 35,000 protesters gathered at the border of Gaza and Israeli territory Monday to object to the embassy move, continuing the "Great March of Return" demonstrations which have been ongoing since March in the run up to the 70th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel and expulsion of thousands of Palestinians. Israeli troops used tear gas and live ammunition to try and disperse the crowd, killing at least 58 and injuring as many as 2,700, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Most of the dead were killed by Israeli fire near the border. CNN journalists heard gunshots in spurts and saw a tank moving toward the fence in the border area of Malaka. Israeli drones also dropped tear gas in an effort to disperse protesters. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) accused the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, of "leading a terrorist operation" and inciting the protesters, who had assembled in numerous locations along the border fence, to conduct what Israel described as terror attacks. The military alleged some protesters threw rocks and Molotov cocktails, and burned tires. The IDF also claimed to have foiled an attack by three armed Palestinians near Rafah, close to the border with Egypt, during "a particularly violent demonstration." Many of the injured Palestinians were young men who were hit by live ammunition, according to British-Palestinian Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitteh, who spoke to CNN from a hospital run by a British charity in Jabaliya camp in northern Gaza. Monday's death toll was the biggest number of fatalities suffered in one day since the latest round of demonstrations began more than six weeks ago. The previous high was 17, which happened on the day the protests started on March 30. More protests to come Palestinian Authority President Abbas convened an emergency government meeting on Monday afternoon and announced a general strike and three days of mourning, both to start Tuesday. "Today is one of the most ferocious days our people have seen," Abbas said, before turning his thoughts to the newly-anointed US Embassy. "Before we were suffering from illegal Israeli settlements. Now it's another illegal settlement by the Israel and the United States." The embassy move is contentious for Palestinians, who hope to claim part of Jerusalem as their future capital, and for many in the Arab world, as it is home to some of the holiest sites in Islam. The city is also home to deeply holy sites for Jews and Christians. Several top Trump administration officials were on hand to witness the official unveiling of the US Embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, marking the formal upending of decades of American foreign policy. President Donald Trump did not attend the ceremony, but in a video message broadcast at the event he congratulated Israel, saying the opening had been "a long time coming." "Israel is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital, yet for many years, we failed to acknowledge the obvious, the plain reality that Israel's capital is Jerusalem," Trump said in the pre-recorded remarks. While Monday's protests in Gaza were organized to coincide with the embassy opening, the demonstrations are about far more than the change in status of the US consulate building in Jerusalem. On every Friday since the end of March, tens of thousands have marched to the border to take part in "Great March of Return" protests, which seek to highlight Palestinians' right to return to homes lost by their ancestors during the war that accompanied the founding of the state of Israel in 1948. The protests culminate on Tuesday with the anniversary of what Palestinians call Nakba Day, or "Day of Catastrophe," which marks when the more than 700,000 Palestinians who were either expelled from or fled their homes during the wars that surrounded Israel's foundation. Thousands are expected to attend Tuesday's demonstration. ||||| Gaza's Health Ministry says the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire near the Gaza border has risen to 16 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza's Health Ministry says the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire near the Gaza border has risen to 16.
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Tens of thousands of Palestinians protest on the border of Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces reports some in the crowds were planting or hurling explosives, and that many were flying flaming kites into Israel. The Gaza Health Ministry reports at least 58 killed and over 2,400 wounded by Israeli forces using live fire and tear gas.
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli soldiers shot and killed at least 52 Palestinians during mass protests along the Gaza border on Monday. It was the deadliest day there since a devastating 2014 cross-border war and cast a shadow over Israel’s festive inauguration of the new U.S. Embassy in contested Jerusalem. In a show of anger fueled by the embassy move, protesters set tires on fire, sending plumes of black smoke into the air, and hurled firebombs and stones toward Israeli troops across the border. Later on Monday, Israeli forces fired from tanks, sending protesters fleeing to take cover. The military said its troops came under fire in some areas, and said protesters tried to break through the border fence. It said troops shot and killed three Palestinians trying to plant a bomb. President Donald Trump said in a video message played at the embassy inauguration — which took place just 70 kilometers (45 kilometers) from the bloodshed on the Gaza border — that he remains committed to “facilitating a lasting peace agreement” between Israelis and Palestinians. However, Monday’s steadily climbing death toll and wall-to-wall condemnation of the embassy move by the Arab world raised new doubts about Trump’s ambitions to broker what he once said would be the Mideast “deal of the century.” By late afternoon, at least 52 Palestinians, including five minors, were killed, the Gaza Health Ministry said. One of the minors was identified as a girl. The ministry said 1,204 Palestinians were shot and wounded, including 116 who were in serious or critical condition. The statement says about 1,200 others suffered other types of injuries, including from tear gas. At the embassy ceremony in Jerusalem, Trump son-in-law and chief Mideast adviser Jared Kushner placed the blame on the Gaza protesters. “As we have seen from the protests of the last month and even today those provoking violence are part of the problem and not part of the solution,” he said. Kushner and Trump daughter Ivanka led a high-powered American delegation that also included the treasury secretary and four Republican senators. The new embassy will temporarily operate from an existing U.S. consulate, until a decision has been made on a permanent location. In Gaza, the Hamas-led protest was meant to be the biggest yet in a weeks-long campaign against a decade-old blockade of the territory. The Israeli military estimated a turnout of about 40,000, saying this fell short of what Hamas had hoped for. The march was also directed at the inauguration of the embassy. Moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem — a key Trump campaign promise — infuriated the Palestinians, who seek east Jerusalem as a future capital. Monday marked the biggest showdown in years between Israel’s military and Gaza’s Hamas rulers along the volatile border. The sides have largely observed a cease-fire since the 2014 war — their third in a decade. The protest was the culmination of a campaign, led by Hamas and fueled by despair among Gaza’s 2 million people, to break the blockade of the territory imposed by Israel and Egypt after Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007. Since weekly border marches began in late March, 85 Palestinian protesters have been killed and more than 2,500 wounded by Israeli army fire. Hamas said four members, including three security men, were among the dead Monday. Ismail Radwan, a senior Hamas figure, said the mass border protests against Israel will continue “until the rights of the Palestinian people are achieved.” “Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem will be a disaster for the American administration and a black day in the history of the American people because they are partners with the occupation and its aggression against the Palestinian people,” he added. Throughout the day, sirens wailed as the wounded were carried to nearby ambulances. Groups of young activists repeatedly approached the fence, but were quickly scattered by gunfire and tear gas. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said the army had set up additional “layers” of security in and around communities near the border to defend Israeli civilians. He said there already had been several “significant attempts” to break through the fence. The army said aircraft targeted a Hamas post in northern Gaza after Israeli troops came under fire. The timing of Monday’s events was deeply symbolic to Israel and the Palestinians. The U.S. said it chose the date to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment. But it also marks the anniversary of what Palestinians call their “nakba,” or catastrophe, a reference to the uprooting of hundreds of thousands who fled or were expelled during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation. A majority of Gaza’s 2 million people are descendants of refugees, and the protests have been billed as the “Great March of Return” to long-lost homes in what is now Israel. Protester Mohammed Hamami, a 40-year-old civil servant, attended the march with his mother and five children. “Today we are here to send a message to Israel and its allies that we will never give up on our land,” he said. Clouds of black smoke from burning tires rose into the air. Protesters have used the thick smoke as cover against Israeli snipers perched on high sand berms on the other side of the border. The army accuses Hamas of using the protests as cover to plan or carry out attacks. Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community. The Palestinians seek the city’s eastern half as the capital of a future state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cut ties with the Trump administration and declared it unfit to mediate peace talks. Saeb Erekat, a senior Abbas aide, said Monday that Trump had violated a promise to hold off on moving the embassy to give peace talks a chance and that his administration is “based on lies.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly praised Trump’s decision to upend decades of U.S. policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Although Trump has said his declaration does not set the final borders of the city, it is seen by both Israel and the Palestinians as taking Israel’s side in the most sensitive issue in their conflict. Only two countries, Guatemala and Paraguay, have said they will follow suit. Most of the world maintains embassies in Tel Aviv, saying the Jerusalem issue must first be resolved. Ben Zion reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, and Karin Laub in Amman, Jordan contributed to this report. ||||| Please wait a moment for the video to load below. The Trump administration is set to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem Monday, formally breaking from decades of established American policy and international practice in a move that US officials say will create greater regional stability. Critics say the decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital could make a region already struggling with four ongoing conflicts all the more combustible. And they argue it marks the end of the US role as an “honest broker” in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. “In the long run, we’re convinced that this decision creates an opportunity and a platform to proceed with a peace process on the basis of realities rather than fantasies,” David Friedman, the US ambassador to Israel, told reporters Friday. “We’re fairly optimistic that this decision will ultimately create greater stability rather than less.” The event celebrating the opening of the embassy is expected to begin at 9 a.m ET (4 p.m. local time). A pair of controversial Christian evangelical leaders, Pastors John Hagee and Robert Jeffress, will be on hand. Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer who now directs the Intelligence Project at the Brookings Institution, said that with tensions between Iran and Israel escalating in Syria, President Donald Trump is now “only a few days away from throwing another can of gasoline on the fire by moving the embassy to Jerusalem. It’s very dangerous.” Trump announced the decision to move the embassy in December, when he formally recognized the city as the capital of Israel. It marked the fulfillment of a campaign promise he made to the pro-Israel group American Israel Public Affairs Committee. “As the President stated on December 6, 2017, the historic opening of our embassy recognizes the reality that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and the seat of its government,” the State Department said in a statement. The Embassy move is contentious for Palestinians, who hope to claim part of the city as their future capital, and for many in the Arab world, as it is home to some of the holiest sites in Islam. The city is also home to deeply holy sites for Jews and Christians. The issue has been so thorny that international negotiators had left the question of Jerusalem to the final stages of any peace deal. In 1995, Congress passed a law requiring America to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but every president since then has declined to make the move, citing national security interests. The State Department noted that the opening will take place on the 70th anniversary of American recognition of the State of Israel, the day of its founding and a day that Palestinians refer to as “the Catastrophe,” as hundreds of thousands fled their homes. Friedman is set to preside over the dedication ceremony. He’ll be backed by a delegation that includes Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Senior adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, senior adviser and first daughter Ivanka Trump, and Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt. Trump will also appear in a video message to be played at the opening. US officials say the move represents the longstanding reality that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. It also reflects a new Middle East reality, where ongoing wars in Syria and Iraq, and conflict in Yemen are uniting Israeli, American and Gulf Arabs around a central geopolitical focus: containing and constraining Iran. In this scenario, the age-old tensions over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are fading, Trump administration officials say, and the embassy move is no longer the flashpoint it might have been. Instead, they argue it can become grounds for more realistic talks and ultimately a settlement. A “sea change has been coming over a period of years,” said Victoria Coates, senior director for Strategic Assessment at the National Security Council, speaking of the closeness between Gulf countries and Israel. She pointed to a tweet from the foreign minister of Bahrain saying that Israel has a right to defend itself in the face of Iranian missiles. “I think it shows you that the President is absolutely doing the right thing here,” Coates said of the embassy move. “It is not upsetting any regional balance; in fact, his leadership is what’s bringing the region together.” But Diana Buttu, a Ramallah-based analyst and former advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the US might be making a mistake and conflating the region’s leadership with its streets. “I think the leadership is different from the people,” Buttu said, speaking to CNN from Ramallah. “On a people level, the support is there because it’s a just cause.” “The question is not what the regional reaction is, it is what is legal and what is right,” Buttu said. The embassy move, Buttu said, was “making it worse because it’s going to embolden the extreme right in Israel.” She said the move also rewarded Israel for gains it made with the military. Trump is “sending a message that its OK to acquire territory by force,” Buttu said, calling that a “very dangerous message in this region.” In making what officials describe as a deliberate 180-degree policy shift from the previous administration, the Trump White House believes that by making the embassy move, they’re empowering Israel to deal from a position of strength, make concessions and create peace. Asked if Israel had offered any concessions in return for gaining the long-held goal of US recognition of Jerusalem, Friedman said there was “no give and take with Israel with regard to this decision.” “The Israelis are obviously desirous of this, and they’ve requested this, and they’re very happy by it,” Friedman said. “But the decision was made because it was viewed to be in the best interests of the United States and something the President had promised during the campaign.” US officials say that they remain committed to helping forge a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace. In its statement on the embassy move, the State Department said, “we are not taking a position on final status issues, including the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, nor on the resolution of contested borders.” But Aaron David Miller, a vice president at the Wilson Center, former Mideast negotiator for Democratic and Republican administrations, and CNN contributor, says that, “it’s hard to accept this argument.” “Far from taking it off the table, Jerusalem — the most volatile issue in the negotiations — is now front and center at a time when neither of the parties are willing or able to deal with it,” Miller wrote for CNN. “If and when the Trump peace plan is put on the table, the focal point will be what it says about Jerusalem.” And unless that peace plan reflects established language that reflects Palestinian aspirations, “including statehood with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital,” Miller wrote, “it’s hard to see the Jerusalem issue as anything but a continuing source of political impasse in negotiations.” “And that ensures virtually no deal and the likelihood of violence over Jerusalem in the future,” he said. ||||| The government also called the move "a significant prejudice" against the rights of the Palestinians, guaranteed by international resolutions, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The opening ceremony of the US embassy in Jerusalem took place on May 14, amid mass violent clashes between the Palestinians and Israeli servicemen on the border with the Gaza Strip. At least 61 protesters have been killed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), according to Gaza's Health Ministry. READ MORE: Opening of US Embassy in Jerusalem Marks Dark Day for Peace — Palestinian Envoy Israel seized then Jordan-controlled East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1980, the Israeli parliament adopted the Jerusalem Law proclaiming the entire city Israel’s undivided capital. The international community does not recognize the annexation and believes the status of Jerusalem should be agreed with the Palestinians, who claim its eastern part as the capital of their future state. ||||| MIAMI (CBSMiami) – President Donald Trump defied much of the world in his decision to move the U.S. embassy to disputed territory in Jerusalem in a decades-long conflict. The move itself Monday was met with cheers and deadly chaos. Israel’s consul general in Miami watched on television as the United States formally opened its embassy in Jerusalem, and saw that it was good. “It’s a festive day. We were looking forward to the moving of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for years, and we’re very happy that it’s happening today,” Consul General Lior Haiat told CBS4 News. Palestinians were not happy. Thousands descended on the Israeli border and clashed with security forces. They want their capital in East Jerusalem, a territory disputed since the Israeli state was created 70 years ago. Scores were killed in the protests. “Their way of expressing their disagreement is through violence and terrorism. It’s very unfortunate,” Haiat said. Florida Governor Rick Scott attended the ceremony in Jerusalem. Earlier he visited the Western Wall, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called it a “great day for Florida, Israel, and the United States. “Countries like Guatemala and, most recently, Paraguay, announced their intention to move their embassies as well, and I hope more countries will choose to do the right thing and recognize Jerusalem,” Rubio said in a video statement. But many nations have condemned the U.S. move to Jerusalem as provocative and destabilizing. The U.S. vetoed a United Nation’s Security Council resolution that said no members should recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli Capital. Britain and France opposed the U.S. on that vote. And amid the pomp and ceremony Monday, instability and provocation apparently carried the day, as protests and many deaths drew the world’s attention. The United States, by law, has recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s rightful capital for nearly a quarter century, since a November, 1995 Congressional vote. It is a law that presidents – Democrats and Republicans – have chosen not to enforce until President Trump declared it time to follow the law. ||||| Jerusalem will always be the "eternal, undivided" capital of Israel, the country's Prime Minister has said as the new American Embassy was opened in the contested city. The controversial decision by Donald Trump has enraged Palestinians, who see it as clear US backing for Israeli rule over the whole city, whose eastern part Palestinians lay claim to and say has been annexed by Israel. Jerusalem is important in both Judaism and Islam. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third most holy site in Islam and is situated in the Old City of Jerusalem, while according to the Hebrew Bible, the Temple Mount or the first temple, was built in the city. Protests over the opening of the embassy have seen 52 Palestinians killed and 2,400 wounded, as Israeli troops opened fire on demonstrators at the border. Addressing the opening ceremony of the embassy, Benjamin Netanyahu called it a "glorious" day and thanked President Trump for showing the "courage" to keep a key campaign promise. He continued that relations with the US have never been stronger and added that peace in the Middle East must be founded on what he said was the "truth" recognised by the US. President Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner - who runs the administration's Middle East team - along with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, attended the embassy's opening. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Kushner said that only President Trump had the courage to act on what America has wanted for a long time. "While presidents before him have backed down from their pledge to move the American Embassy once they were in office, this president delivered," Mr Kushner said. He continued: "When President Trump makes a promise, he keeps it." According to the Israeli military, 40,000 protesters are taking part in demonstrations at 12 points along the Gaza border. The US said it chose the inauguration date to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment. But it also marks the anniversary of what Palestinians call their “nakba”, or catastrophe, a reference to the uprooting of hundreds of thousands who fled or were expelled from what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s independence. The world's largest body of Muslim-majority nations says it "strongly rejects and condemns" the White House's "deplorable action" in moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said it considers the US' move an "illegal decision" and "an attack on the historical, legal, natural and national rights of the Palestinian people". It continued that the move also represents "an affront to international peace and security". The OIC said the US administration has "expressed utter disdain and disrespect to Palestinian legitimate rights and international law" and shown disregard toward the sentiments of Muslims, who value Jerusalem as home to one of Islam's holiest sites, the al-Aqsa mosque complex. The UK has also condemned the embassy move, with the Government saying they "disagreed with the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement". Commenting on the deaths of Palestinian protesters, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister said she was "concerned by the reports of violence and loss of life in Gaza" and "urged calm and restraint to avoid actions destructive to peace efforts. "The UK remains firmly committed to a two-state solution with Jerusalem as a shared capital." ||||| Donald Trump rededicated the United States' to its alliance with Israel on Monday as the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem officially opened. Trump in a video address said that the U.S. will 'always be a great friend of Israel and a partner in the cause of freedom and peace' while honoring the nation and the city it claims as its capital as a 'testament to the unbreakable spirit of the Jewish people.' 'We extend a hand in friendship to Israel, the Palestinians and to all of their neighbors,' Trump said in a video address. 'May there be peace.' In a tweet shortly after he said, 'Big day for Israel. Congratulations!' Neither Trump nor Vice President Mike Pence were there see the realization of their campaign promise that they would relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv and recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Pence is headlining a celebratory event at the Israeli embassy in Washington, instead. Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, both White House advisers, were part of a delegation of senior officials that included Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin that made the trip. The U.S. delegation had arrived Sunday evening in Jerusalem to mass protests over the foreign policy shift. Israeli snipers have killed scores of Palestinians and wounded thousands more as 35,000 protesters rallied against the US Embassy opening in Jerusalem overseen by Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka. A 14-year-old was among 52 shot dead along the Gaza border on what is already the deadliest single day in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since a 2014 war between the Jewish state and Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas. At least 2,400 more have been injured with hundreds of them by live bullets, according to Gaza officials as the Palestinian government accused Israel of committing a 'terrible massacre' and Amnesty International called the bloodshed an 'abhorrent violation' of human rights. Trump President tossed aside decades of precedent when he recognized the city as Israel's capital in December - a decision that sparked global outcry, Palestinian anger and exuberant praise from Israelis. Russia said today it feared the embassy opening would increase tension in the Middle East while Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan warned the US it had forfeited its role as a mediator in the region and was now 'part of the problem rather than the solution'. As deadly clashes continued, Trump said in a video address aired at the opening that the embassy has been a 'long time coming' and that the U.S. had 'failed to acknowledge the obvious' for many years. He added that 'today, we follow through on this recognition' and that the new embassy was opening 'many, many years ahead of schedule.' Trump also said his 'greatest hope' is for peace and that he 'remains fully committed to facilitating a lasting peace agreement'. His on-in-law Jared Kushner said the opening showed the US could be trusted and that 'when President Trump makes a promise, he keeps it'. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the international community must bring those responsible to justice, in a post on Twitter. 'Shocking killing of dozens, injury of hundreds by Israeli live fire in #Gaza must stop now,' Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein wrote in a message carried on the UN human rights Twitter account. 'The right to life must be respected. Those responsible for outrageous human rights violations must be held to account. The int'l community needs to ensure justice for victims.' Inside the event, the president's daughter delivered an official welcome telling attendees after her father's video address: 'On behalf of the 45th President on [sic] the United States of America, we welcome you officially and for the first time to the Embassy of the United States here in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. Thank you.' She joined Mnuchin in unveiling the embassy seal and plaque commemorating her father's involvement in the occasion. Her husband, Jared, delivered a rare speech at the embassy opening, as well, in some of his most lengthy public remarks since joining his father-in-law's administration. Acknowledging his wife in his remarks, he said, 'Ivanka, thank you for all the great work you do to help so many people in our country and throughout the world -- including me, so I love you.' 'I am so proud to be here today in Jerusalem, the eternal heart of the Jewish people, and I am especially honored to be here today as a representative of the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump,' he said. Highlighting Trump's decision last week to leave the Iran nuclear agreement and the pledge he fulfilled in moving the embassy, Kushner said, 'While presidents before him have backed down from their pledge to move the American embassy, once in office this president delivered. Because when President Trump makes a promise, he keeps it.' 'The United States is prepared to support a peace agreement in every way that we can,' he told the audience. 'We believe that it is possible for both sides to gain more than they give.' Kushner said the U.S. 'recognizes the sensitivity' around Jerusalem, home to three religions, including Islam. 'While the challenges to peace are numerous, I have personally seen that the determination of the leaders throughout the region and throughout the world remains steadfast,' Trump's chief peace negotiator said. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5726841/President-Trump-celebrates-opening-U-S-embassy-Jerusalem-afar-amid-violent-protests.html#ixzz5FV3IKY2b Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook 'Today also demonstrates American leadership. By moving our embassy to Jerusalem, we have shown the world once again that the United States can be trusted,' he said. 'We stand with our friends and our allies, and above all else, we've shown that the United States of America will do what's right,' he said. Netanyahu made a reference to the conflict on the Gaza border as he said in his speech that 'our brave soldiers are protecting the borders of Israel as we speak, we salute them all'. Israel's prime minister said Jerusalem will always be the 'eternal, undivided' capital of Israel. Addressing the opening ceremony of the new American Embassy in Jerusalem, Benjamin Netanyahu called it a 'glorious' day. Netanyahu thanked Trump for showing the 'courage' to keep a key campaign promise and said relations with the U.S. have never been stronger. He said Mideast peace must be founded on what he says is the 'truth' recognized by the U.S. 'The truth is that Jerusalem has been and always will be the capital of the Jewish people, the capital of the Jewish state,' he said. The Palestinians claim Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as their capital and have strongly objected to Trump's move. As the ceremony took place this afternoon, the Israeli army revealed that warplanes had struck a Hamas facility in Gaza during bloody protests. The military said it carried out five airstrikes after militants exchanged fire on three separate occasions with soldiers. Brigadier General Ronen Manelis turn out by Monday afternoon was about 40,000. He said the army viewed that number as a 'failure for Hamas.' He said the army noticed there were more women at the front of the protest than in past rallies and accused Hamas of paying people to protest. This morning, the Israeli military said troops shot and killed three Palestinians who were trying to place an explosive device by the border fence in Gaza during mass protests. The shooting in the southern Gaza town of Rafah came as the army said an Israeli aircraft had bombed a Hamas military post in the northern Gaza Strip after Israeli troops came under fire. No Israeli casualties were reported. Amnesty International called the violence today an 'abhorrent violation' of human rights. 'We are witnessing an abhorrent violation of international law and human rights in Gaza.... This must end immediately,' the London-based human rights group said on Twitter. 'This is a violation of international standards, in some instances committing what appear to be wilful killings constituting war crimes,' Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa director Philip Luther said in a separate statement. 'As violence continues to spiral out of control, the Israeli authorities must immediately rein in the military to prevent the further loss of life and serious injuries.' Amnesty made the statement 'responding to reports that dozens of Palestinians have been killed' in the protests over the US embassy move. 'The rising toll of deaths and injuries today only serves to highlight the urgent need for an arms embargo,' Luther added. 'While some protestors may have engaged in some form of violence, this still does not justify the use of live ammunition.' The European Union's foreign policy chief is calling on Israel to respect the 'principle of proportionality in the use of force'. Federica Mogherini said that all should act 'with utmost restraint to avoid further loss of life' and added that 'Israel must respect the right to peaceful protest.' At the same time, she insisted that Hamas must make sure demonstrators in Gaza are peaceful and 'must not exploit them for other means.' The ceremony to inaugurate the United States' controversial embassy got underway this afternoon with the US national anthem. US ambassador to Israel David Friedman then spoke and President Donald Trump was given a standing ovation when he mentioned him. Friedman referred to the embassy's location as 'Jerusalem, Israel' drawing wild applause. The dramatic scenes today came after al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri last night called for followers to carry out jihad against America. In a new message, he said America's decision was evidence that negotiations and 'appeasement' have failed Palestinians as he urged Muslims carry out jihad against the United States. Trump 'was clear and explicit, and he revealed the true face of the modern Crusade, where standing down and appeasement does not work with them, but only resistance through the call and jihad,' Zawahiri said, according to a transcript provided by the SITE monitoring agency. It follows Trump's announcement last week that the United States is withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and Israeli strikes two days later on dozens of Iranian targets in Syria. Those strikes came after rocket fire toward Israeli forces in the occupied Golan Heights that Israel blamed on Iran. The Trump administration has vowed to restart the moribund Middle East peace process but the embassy move has inflamed feelings across the globe. Today US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo offered assurances of Washington's commitment to Middle East peace. 'We remain committed to advancing a lasting and comprehensive peace between Israel and the Palestinians,' he said. In his statement, however, Pompeo ignored the spiraling violence today and instead expressed pride in the embassy opening. Monday's inauguration ceremony at 4pm included some 800 guests - though Trump himself did not attend - at what until now had been a US consulate building in Jerusalem. US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan led the Washington delegation that included Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both White House aides, as well as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Ivanka Trump earlier thanked Benjamin Netanyahu for the Israeli Prime Minister's hospitality at a welcome reception. She posted on Twitter: 'Thank you Prime Minister @netanyahu & Mrs. Netanyahu for the warm welcome to Israel. I am honored to join you & the US Delegation in commemorating the dedication of our new @usembassyjlm & celebrating the friendship between our two countries.' Mnuchin this morning posted a photo of himself on Twitter with a plaque dedicating a square outside the new US embassy in Jerusalem. He wrote: 'Honored to receive plaque dedicating US Square in honor of @realDonaldTrump #USEmbassyJerusalem.' Later, he said it was a U.S. 'national security priority' to relocate the Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Netanyahu - who has repeatedly called Trump's decision 'historic' - said: 'Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for the past 3,000 years,' he said. 'It's been the capital of our state for the past 70 years. It will remain our capital for all time.' As tensions mounted today, the Arab League said it will hold emergency talks on Wednesday to discuss Washington's 'illegal' decision. The meeting will focus on 'ways of countering the illegal decision by the United States to move the embassy to Jerusalem', the organisation's deputy secretary general for Palestinian affairs, Saeed Abu Ali, said. He told reporters the permanent representatives of members of the Cairo-based Arab League would meet 'at the request of the state of Palestine'. Police and the Israeli military had planned major security deployments today. Around 1,000 police officers were positioned around the embassy and surrounding neighbourhoods for the inauguration, said spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. Israel's army said it would almost double the number of troops surrounding Gaza and in the occupied West Bank. Early this morning, witnesses said Israeli drones dropped incendiary materials, setting ablaze tires that had been collected for use in a planned Gaza border protest. Israelis began celebrating on Sunday, as tens of thousands of marched in Jerusalem, some holding American flags, to mark Jerusalem Day. The annual event is an Israeli celebration of the 'reunification' of the city following the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community. Beyond the disputed nature of Jerusalem, the date of the embassy move is also key. May 14 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel. The following day, Palestinians mark the 'Nakba', or catastrophe, commemorating the more than 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes in the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation. Palestinian protests are planned on both days. There have already been weeks of protests and clashes along the Gaza border, with 54 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire there since March 30. No Israelis have been wounded and the military has faced criticism over the use of live fire. Israel says it only opens fire when necessary to stop infiltrations, attacks and damage to the border fence, while accusing Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the blockaded Gaza Strip, of seeking to use the protests as cover to carry out violence Jerusalem's status is perhaps the thorniest issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel considers the entire city its capital, while the Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. In the decades since 1967, international consensus has been that the city's status must be negotiated between the two sides, but Trump broke with that to global outrage. He has argued that it helps make peace possible by taking Jerusalem 'off the table', but many have pointed out he has not announced any concessions in return from Israel. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said the US was 'hard at work' on the peace process, which he declared was 'most decidedly not dead'. Trump's initial decision led to a series of protests in various Middle Eastern and Muslim countries. Meanwhile, Britain has no plans to move its Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and still disagrees with the U.S. decision to do so, Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said on Monday. 'The PM said in December when the announcement was first made that we disagree with the U.S. decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement. The British embassy to Israel is based in Tel Aviv and we have no plans to move it,' the spokesman told reporters. He was speaking on a day when the United States was due to open its embassy in Jerusalem, an event that has led to Palestinian protests. Israeli gunfire killed two Palestinians and wounded at least 35 other protesters along the Gaza border on Monday, health officials said. The US is not the first embassy to open in Jerusalem - and won't be the last When the United States opens its embassy in Jerusalem on Monday it will be the most high-profile diplomatic inauguration in the holy city, but not the first nor the last. Several countries, mainly African and Latin American, have previously had their ambassadors based in Jerusalem and some are expected to return. After the 1973 Yom Kippur war, Ivory Coast, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) and Kenya severed relations with Israel in protest and closed the doors of their embassies in Jerusalem. They later renewed relations but moved their missions to Tel Aviv. In 1980 Israel enacted a law declaring Jerusalem, including the mainly Palestinian eastern zone, its 'complete and united' capital. The United Nations Security Council branded the move illegal and adopted a resolution calling on 'those states that have established diplomatic missions at Jerusalem to withdraw such missions'. A Stars and Stripes flower bed outside the new US embassy compound in Jerusalem The Netherlands, Haiti and several Latin American countries complied. Costa Rica and El Salvador returned to Jerusalem in 1984, but left again in 2006. In the wake of Trump's announcement on December 6, some at least are heading back - and Israel is hoping for more. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales has said his country's embassy will move to Jerusalem on May 16, and Paraguay's foreign ministry said on Wednesday it would follow suit. The Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement that Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes would attend the opening ceremony, which would take place 'by the end of the month'. Romania's government, supported by the speaker of its parliament, has adopted a draft proposal to move its embassy, which would make it the first European Union member to do so. But Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who has frequently clashed with the government, opposes the move in the absence of an Israeli-Palestinian agreement, and has called for Prime Minister Viorica Dancila's resignation. On a visit to Jerusalem last month, Dancila acknowledged that at this stage she did not have 'support of all parties as we would wish' to carry out the embassy move. Czech President Milos Zeman has said he too would like to see his country's embassy transferred to Jerusalem. He did not reveal any firm plan, however, and the government has only announced the reopening of its honorary consulate in Jerusalem and the establishment of a Czech cultural centre in the city. On the other side of coin, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas his country would not move its Tel Aviv embassy to Jerusalem, official Palestinian media reported. The EU is sticking firmly to the international community's decades-long position that sovereignty in Jerusalem can only be decided by negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Shortly after the Trump announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Brussels for talks with EU foreign ministers. 'I believe that all or most of the European countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem,' he told them, earning a chilly response from the bloc's foreign policy head Federica Mogherini. 'He can keep his expectations for others, because from the European Union member states' side this move will not come,' she said. ||||| JERUSALEM: The US today opened its embassy in Jerusalem under a controversial move by President Donald Trump, amid a bloodbath right on the border with Gaza where Israeli soldiers shot dead at least 52 Palestinians in clashes, in the deadliest escalation of violence since 2014. Trump announced the decision to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in December, when he formally recognised the holy city as the capital of Israel, breaking away from decades of US neutrality on the sensitive issue. "Today, we officially opened the United States embassy in Jerusalem. Congratulations. It's been a long time coming," President Trump said in a pre-recorded video at the US embassy opening here. "Israel is a sovereign nation, with the right like any other sovereign nation, to designate its capital," he said. The American leader said the US remains fully committed to facilitating a lasting peace agreement between Israel and Palestinians. He said that his country supports status quo at the Temple Mount, a flashpoint of Israel-Palestinian conflict that houses the Western Wall (holiest site for the Jews) and the al-Aqsa mosque - known as Haram al-Sharif. "This city and entire nation is a testament to the unbreakable spirit of the Jewish people," Trump emphasised. Later, the US President tweeted, "Big day for Israel. Congratulations!" The inauguration ceremony started with the singing of the American anthem and the presentation of colours by US Marines. US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman noted that Washington, which became the first country to recognise the State of Israel, has now taken "a step awaited, voted upon, and litigated and prayed for for all these years". "Again the United States leads the way," in relocating the embassy, he said. The move is the result of the "vision, the courage, and the moral clarity" of President Trump, to whom we own an "enormous and eternal debt of gratitude," the US envoy stressed. "We have shown the world once again that the US can be trusted," said Jared Kushner, senior adviser to the President and Trump's son-in-law. He also hailed Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the Iran nuclear deal, saying the President announced his intention to exit the "dangerous, flawed and one-sided Iran deal." Speaking at the opening ceremony, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked President Trump for keeping his promise. "Thank you, President Trump, for having the courage to keep your promise," he said. "Thank you, President Trump for making the alliance between Israel and the United States stronger than ever," he said. "You can only build peace on truth. And the truth is that Jerusalem has been, and always will be, the capital of the Jewish people, the capital of the Jewish state," he asserted. A high-level American delegation that includes Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Kushner, senior adviser and first daughter Ivanka Trump, and Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt attended the embassy opening ceremony. Meanwhile, Palestinians, who protested massively along the Gaza border clashed with Israeli forces, leading to the death of at least 52 of them. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least 52 people have been killed and more than 2,400 people suffered injuries. Of the 52 killed today, at least six were below the age of 18, including one female. And, of more than 2,400 wounded, at least 200 were below the age of 18 and 11 were journalists. The Palestinian protestors burned tyres and threw stones at the soldiers, trying to approach the fence. The Palestinian Authority headed by President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party and headquartered in the West Bank town of Ramallah accused Israel of committing a "terrible massacre" as the death toll soared. Seeking international intervention, Palestinian government spokesman Yusuf al-Mahmoud said that it was an urgent requirement given "the terrible massacre in Gaza committed by the forces of the Israeli occupation against our heroic people". The death toll made it the deadliest day in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the 2014 Gaza war. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a statement accusing Hamas, which controls Gaza, of "leading a terrorist operation" and inciting protesters who had amassed by the border fence with Israel to conduct what Israel described as terror attacks. The IDF estimated that around 35,000 people -- who it describes as "violent rioters" -- had assembled in 12 different locations along the border fence between Gaza and Israel and thousands more were gathered in a tent city about a kilometer from the border. The military said the protesters threw Molotov cocktails, burned tyres, and stones at Israeli soldiers positioned along the fence. The State Department noted that the opening of the new embassy will take place on the 70th anniversary of American recognition of the State of Israel, the day of its founding and a day that Palestinians refer to as "the Catastrophe," as hundreds of thousands fled their homes. The Embassy move is contentious for Palestinians, who hope to claim part of the city as their future capital, and for many in the Arab world, as it is home to some of the holiest sites in Islam. The city is also home to deeply holy sites for Jews and Christians. The issue has been so thorny that international negotiators had left the question of Jerusalem to the final stages of any peace deal. ||||| Thousands of Gaza residents headed toward the border with Israel on Monday, drawing Israeli fire in a potentially bloody showdown as Israel prepared for the festive inauguration of a new U.S. Embassy in contested Jerusalem.At least seven killed in the area of Monday's march, which was to be the biggest yet in a weeks-long campaign against a decade-old blockade of the territory.As crowds began to swell at midday, Israeli troops began firing from across the border fence. Palestinian health officials reported two people killed and at least 69 others wounded by live fire, nine seriously.The march was also directed at the inauguration of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem later Monday. The relocation of the embassy from Tel Aviv has infuriated the Palestinians, who seek east Jerusalem as a future capital.Monday marked the biggest showdown in recent weeks between Israel's military and Gaza's Hamas rulers along the volatile border.It is the culmination of a campaign, led by the Islamic militant Hamas and fueled by despair among Gaza's 2 million people, to break the decade-old border blockade of the territory by Israel and Egypt. Since weekly border marches began in late March, 44 Palestinian protesters have been killed and more than 1,800 wounded by Israeli army fire.Hamas leaders have suggested a border breach is possible Monday, while Israel has warned it would prevent protesters from breaking through the barrier at any cost.Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said the army had bolstered its front-line forces along the border, but also set up additional "layers" of security in and around neighboring communities to defend Israeli civilians in case of a mass breach. He said there already had been several "significant attempts" to break through the fence."Even if the fence is breached, we will be able to protect Israeli civilians from attempts to massacre or kidnap or kill them," he said.With Israel and Hamas digging in, there is growing concern about large numbers of casualties.The timing of the embassy move, and the marches, was deeply symbolic.The U.S. said it chose the date to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment.But it also marks the anniversary of what Palestinians call their "nakba," or catastrophe, a reference to the uprooting of hundreds of thousands who fled or were expelled from what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's independence.A majority of Gaza's 2 million people are descendants of refugees, and the protests have been billed as the "Great March of Return."In one of the border areas east of Gaza City, Mohammed Hamami, a 40-year-old civil servant, joined a crowd of hundreds of protesters, along with his mother and five children."Today we are here to send a message to Israel and its allies that we will never give up on our land," he said."We will cross the border and impose new realities like the reality Trump imposed in Jerusalem," he added, referring to President Donald Trump's decision in December to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and then move the U.S. Embassy there.Some protesters moved to within about 150 meters of the border fence. A reporter saw two men who tried to advance further being shot in the legs by Israeli troops.Clouds of black smoke from burning tires rose into the air. Earlier Monday, Israeli drones dropping incendiary material had pre-emptively set ablaze some of the tires collected in advance by activists.Protesters have used the thick smoke as cover against Israeli snipers perched on high sand berms on the other side of the border.Leaflets dropped over Gaza by army jets warned that those approaching the border "jeopardize" their lives. The warning said the army is "prepared to face all scenarios and will act against every attempt to damage the security fence or harm IDF soldiers or Israeli civilians."In Jerusalem, top Trump administration officials attended events linked to the inauguration of the embassy later Monday.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that it was a U.S. "national security priority" to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.Trump's decision to go forward with a campaign promise to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was welcomed by Israel and condemned by the Palestinians. Previous presidents had signed a waiver postponing the move, citing national security.Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community. The Palestinians seek the city's eastern half as the capital of a future state.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cut ties with the Trump administration and declared it unfit to remain in its role as the sole mediator in peace talks.Saeb Erekat, a senior Abbas aide, blasted the Trump administration Monday, saying Trump had violated a promise to hold off on moving the embassy to give peace talks a chance and that his administration is "based on lies."Erekat said the Trump administration has "become part of the problem, not part of the solution." He suggested Trump's Mideast team is unqualified, saying "the world needs real leaders, and those (White House officials) are real estate dealers, not leaders."Administration officials have dismissed Palestinian criticism, portraying the embassy opening as an essential step toward an eventual Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. However, they have not said how they will move forward without the Palestinians.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump's "bold decision" in upending decades of U.S. policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "It's the right thing to do," a smiling Netanyahu told the jubilant crowd at a reception in Jerusalem late Sunday.Although Trump has said his declaration does not set the final borders of the city, his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital has been perceived by both Israel and the Palestinians as taking Israel's side in the most sensitive issue in their conflict. Only two countries, Guatemala and Paraguay, have said they will follow suit. Most of the world maintains embassies in Tel Aviv, saying the Jerusalem issue must first be resolved.In a reflection of the deep sensitivities, dozens of countries - including Britain, France and Germany - skipped a celebration Sunday night at the Israeli Foreign Ministry.Monday's opening will be attended by Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who both serve as White House advisers. Kushner leads the Trump Mideast team. ||||| For Palestinians, US Embassy move a show of pro-Israel bias JERUSALEM (AP) — Monday's opening of the U.S. Embassy in contested Jerusalem, cheered by Israelis as a historic validation, is seen by Palestinians as an in-your-face affirmation of pro-Israel bias by President Donald Trump and a new blow to dreams of statehood. The festive inauguration helps harden Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' rejection of Washington as a future mediator in the conflict with Israel, likely ushering in a prolonged period of diplomatic vacuum in which other powers are unwilling or unable to step up as brokers. Such paralysis and loss of hope have been major drivers of Palestinian unrest. Underscoring the conflict's volatility, thousands of Gaza residents plan to march Monday toward Israel's border and possibly breach it in an attempt to break a decade-old blockade of their territory. Israel has vowed to stop any breach by force, raising the possibility of major bloodshed at a time when Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner preside over the embassy ceremony just 70 kilometers (45 miles) away. Tel Aviv is the customary base for foreign embassies in Israel, with the U.S. and other countries having avoided Jerusalem because of its contested status. Over the years, a few countries set up embassies in Jerusalem and then left it again. From 2006 until this week, the city didn't host a single foreign embassy. Israel captured east Jerusalem, along with the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in the 1967 Mideast war. It annexed the eastern sector to its previously declared capital in the western part of the city, a move not recognized at the time by the U.S. and most other nations. The fate of the city has been a central issue in years of intermittent U.S.-brokered negotiations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, taking a harder line than two predecessors, has said he won't give up any part of Jerusalem, home to 883,000 people, 38 percent of them Palestinians. Abbas wants east Jerusalem to be the capital of a Palestinian state that would include the other war-won territories. In December, Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying he was simply acknowledging reality, while omitting any mention of Palestinian claims to the city. Trump said at the time he is not taking a position on the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty that are to be determined in negotiations. But just a month later Trump told Netanyahu he had taken Jerusalem "off the table" and that "we don't have to talk about it anymore." Abbas, who for years had banked on the U.S. to persuade Israel to cede land for a Palestinian state, felt betrayed and halted contacts with the Trump administration. Abbas recently laid out conditions for coming back to the table that — based on Trump's past statements — seem unlikely to be met. Abbas says the U.S. must explicitly support a two-state solution, recognize east Jerusalem in principle as a Palestinian capital and allow other powers to join as mediators. In the meantime, Abbas vows to reject any U.S. proposal for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement, arguing that there's nothing to talk about because of the U.S. policy shift on Jerusalem and its failure to rein in Israeli settlement expansion on lands sought for a Palestinian state. "We will not accept the deal," Abbas told a PLO convention two weeks ago, referring to the plan reportedly being prepared by Trump's Kushner-led Mideast team. It's unclear when or if the U.S. plan will be released. No details of the proposal have been confirmed, though Palestinian officials, citing information from Saudi intermediaries, suspect it's an offer for a Gaza-based mini-state with parts of the West Bank and a small foothold in Jerusalem. Abbas, a staunch opponent of violence, hasn't offered an alternative to statehood through negotiations with Israel or found a world power willing to challenge Washington. European foreign ministers, while opposed to the U.S. policy shift, have urged Abbas to give Washington's peace plan a chance. Even European criticism of the U.S. Embassy move will likely be diluted, with Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania reportedly having blocked a joint EU statement on the issue. Monday is bound to be one of the worst days in office for Abbas since the Islamic militant Hamas seized Gaza in a 2007 takeover. The 83-year-old appears politically weak and out of ideas, at a time when Hamas is seen as taking charge by leading mass protests against Israel. Abbas is also increasingly at odds with his own public, especially the younger generation, where support for establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel — the solution backed by the international community — is steadily declining because of growing disillusionment. Only 35 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 22 still favor a two-state solution, compared to almost 60 percent in the 40-49 bracket, said pollster Khalil Shikaki, whose surveys have an error margin of 3 percentage points. Among the young, almost one-third support the idea of equal rights for Arabs and Jews in a single state, while 58 percent — the highest result in any age group — demand a return to an armed uprising. Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem has enjoyed bi-partisan support in Congress, as expressed in the 1995 bill requiring its relocation, though until now presidents used a waiver every six months allowing them to put off the move on security grounds. It would be politically difficult for any Trump successor to move the embassy back to Tel Aviv, though the next administration could theoretically still try to broker talks on the future of Jerusalem, said Nathan Thrall of the International Crisis Group think tank. Yet the partition option may no longer exist a few years from now as settlements expand. Some 600,000 Israelis already live on war-won lands, including several tens of thousands in the West Bank's heartland, east of the Israeli separation barrier. Veteran Palestinian negotiator Nabil Shaath thinks there's still hope, citing long-term trends he believes favor the Palestinians, including growing disagreements between the Trump administration and traditional U.S. allies, and demographic pressure on Israel as the numbers of Arabs and Jews in the Holy Land approach parity. He hopes for a change of direction by Washington, particularly if Republicans suffer a setback in November's midterm elections. "Rejecting Trump's policy and afterward rejecting Trump himself would open the door for change," Shaath told reporters as he led a field trip to the embassy site last week. As their bus drove past the compound, the journalists took photos of workers planting flowers in the area and paired Israeli and American flags fluttering from electricity poles. ||||| Alan Dershowitz isn't an official member of President Trump's legal team, but the Harvard Law professor did score an invite to the historic opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem Monday. Dershowitz, who has been among Trump's staunchest defenders of the Russia probe on Cable news, could be seen in the audience for the event, which was attended by Ivanka Trump, Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, and other notables. He was seated next to former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman. Dershowitz tweeted last month about his thoughts on 'why our desire to 'get Trump' risks the death of civil liberties,' and complained in an op-ed following the FBI raid on Trump lawyer Michael Cohen that 'witnesses are owned lock, stock and barrel by the prosecution' and can be pressured to 'flip.' Another leading lawyer, Abbe Lowell, was also spotted at the event. He could be seen standing and clapping at the start of the ceremony marking the controversial move of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv. Lowell represented Kushner as he navigated congressional Russia probes and faced issues with his failure to disclose dozens of foreign contacts on government forms. He is considered one of the top criminal defense lawyers in Washington. He didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Israel. Jay Sekulow, who is one of President Trump's outside lawyers contending with the Russia probe, also made the trek to the Holy Land. He posted about the trip on the web site for his American Center for Law and Justice. Businessman Sheldon Adelson arrives ahead of the inauguration of the US embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018. At least thirty-seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire Monday as tens of thousands protested and clashes erupted along the Gaza border against the US transfer of its embassy to Jerusalem, after months of global outcry, Palestinian anger and exuberant praise from Israelis over President Donald Trump's decision tossing aside decades of precedent His presence brought to three the number of top Trump-connected lawyers on hand for the event. The president himself sent a video message and dispatched Vice President Mike Pence. 'Today the U.S. embassy officially moves to Jerusalem – a victory decades in the making,' Sekulow wrote. 'I am in Jerusalem for the historic occasion. I can tell you that the United States recognition of the reality that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the State of Israel will go down as historically very significant.' Sekulow argued a landmark case for Jews for Jesus and affiliates with the group and is a self-described Messianic Jew. He can be seen on YouTube where playing drums as the Jay Sekulow Band plays a song called Hope of Jerusalem.
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Six-time Israeli Premier League champion Beitar Jerusalem F.C. officially renames itself Beitar Trump Jerusalem F.C. for U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to move the embassy.
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Mt. Juliet Middle School principal Leigh Anne Rainey was tapped to replace longtime Mt. Juliet High School principal Mel Brown when he retires at the end of the school year. Rainey came to Wilson County Schools in January 2017, when Tim Bell retired as principal at Mt. Juliet Middle School at the beginning of winter break in December 2016. “While Leigh Anne has done a tremendous job over the past year and a half, leading one of the state’s largest middle school, she has always expressed a strong desire to work with high school students, and she has a proven track record working with students at this level,” said Wilson County Schools spokesperson Jennifer Johnson. Prior to joining Wilson County Schools, Rainey spent the previous four years as executive principal for Jonesboro High School in Arkansas. Wilson County Director of Schools Donna Wright said while it’s never easy to say goodbye to a beloved principal like Mel Brown, she’s pleased to have someone who with the experience and knowledge of our community to continue building on the strong foundation that’s already been laid at Mt. Juliet High School. “Leigh Ann has developed such a strong rapport with our students and parents, even in the short time she’s been in our district,” Wright said. “I have no doubt that it will serve her well as she transitions to the high school. We’re truly blessed to have someone who already lives in our community and with the skills and experience to help make this a seamless transition.” From 1997-2009, Rainey taught several subjects, including AP biology and environmental science. In 2009, Rainey was chosen to be the school intervention and response to intervention specialist for Jonesboro High School in Arkansas, where she was later promoted to assistant principal and executive principal. Rainey is no stranger to Middle Tennessee. She graduated from Franklin High School in Williamson County, where many of her relatives still live. Brown is set to retire June 30. His 45-year career features numerous roles, resulting in several personal and school awards and recognition. Brown started his education career at Two Rivers High School in 1966. In 1972, he moved to McGavock High School, where he also served as assistant football coach and head baseball coach, after several Metro Nashville schools closed. As head baseball coach, he amassed 582 wins, three Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association state championships, three TSSAA state runner-ups, seven “coach of the year” honors and averaged 29 wins per season. The McGavock High School baseball field is named “Mel Brown Field” in his honor. He was inducted into the TSSAA Hall of Fame in 1999. He is also a member of the Clay County High School, Lipscomb and Tennessee baseball halls of fame. Brown served as assistant principal at Hillsboro High School from 1992-96 and Lebanon High School during the 2003-2004 school year before he was appointed principal at Mt. Juliet High School. Brown is regarded as one of the state’s best high school principals. During his tenure, Mt. Juliet High School received state recognition and championships in athletics and the fine arts. The State Collaborative on Reforming Education named Mt. Juliet the No. 1 academic school in the state. Brown followed up the recognition with several Reward School recognitions by the Tennessee Department of Education, as well as a “principal of the year” award by the Tennessee Association of Secondary School Principals. Bell joined Wilson County Schools in 1987, when he taught health and physical education at Mt. Juliet Middle School. He served as assistant principal, varsity baseball and varsity basketball coach at Mt. Juliet High School. He holds bachelor and master’s degrees from Trevecca Nazarene University. ||||| DIXON, Illinois — The 180 Dixon High School seniors whose graduation rehearsal was interrupted by fellow senior Matthew Milby’s gunfire near the gym will return Thursday afternoon to continue practice for their ceremony scheduled for Sunday. All high school classes are canceled for Thursday, but staff will still report to the school. Pre-K through 8th-grade classes will be held as usual, with a heightened police presence, Dixon School District 170 posted on its website. ||||| Police say a woman was killed and another wounded in a shooting outside a high school graduation ceremony in Georgia on Friday night. Authorities said shots were fired at a Mount Zion High School parking lot after an argument between people who had attended a graduation ceremony for the Perry Learning Center, which prepares students for careers as an alternative to traditional high schools. The graduation was held at the Clayton County Schools Performing Arts Center in Jonesboro, about 20 miles south of Atlanta. Multiple media outlets report the dead woman was shot several times in the chest. The other woman was shot in the leg. Advertisement It was unclear whether a suspect was in custody in connection with the shooting. Clayton County schools Supt. Morcease Beasley on Saturday tweeted his congratulations to the more than 200 Perry graduates, but he also expressed sadness over the “senseless violence & death.” ||||| One woman was killed and another wounded Friday night shooting near a Georgia high school, ABC affiliate WSB-TV reported.The station reported the shooting victims were not students at the school.The shooting occurred in a parking lot outside Mt. Zion H.S. in Jonesboro, about 20 miles south of Atlanta, Clayton County fire officials told WSB-TV.One woman was shot several times in the chest and later died. Another woman was shot in the leg, according to the station. ||||| Police in Clayton County south of Atlanta say one person was killed and another wounded in a shooting between people who had just attended a high school graduation ceremony. A police statement says “one person is now confirmed deceased.” “All of the sudden, we all heard a series of gunshots,” witness Shannon Delgado told CBS Atlanta affiliate WGCL. “We didn’t know where they were coming from. Everybody just kind of froze, then we didn’t hear police, we heard more gunshots, but like a lot, like, ‘Pow, pow, pow, pow.’ That’s when we saw the cops, who were on the premises where the graduation was rush across the street because they were in the high school parking lot.” The safety chief for the county’s schools, Thomas Trawick, says the shots were fired in a Mt. Zion High School parking lot after an argument between people who had attended a ceremony for graduates of the Perry Learning Center, which prepares students for careers as an alternative to traditional high schools. The shooting occured just hours after 10 people were killed at Santa Fe High School in Texas. ||||| Representatives for the Niles City School District said that on Monday, Niles Mckinley High School celebrated the opening of the district's newest food pantry. According to a press release, this was the opening of Nile's City School District's second food pantry. The district opened "Dragon Pantry" at Niles Middle School last fall. Representatives said, the pantry at the middle school currently serves between six and ten students each day. A spokesperson for the school district said that because of the positive impact the Dragon Pantry had on students at the middle school, Niles Mckinley High School students worked alongside Second Harvest Food Bank, to open their very own food pantry. A press release stated that this new food pantry will focus on serving the Niles City School District's high school students. ||||| A picture of the scene at Zion High School in the US state of Georgia. ||||| CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Police say an argument after a graduation ceremony led to a fatal shooting near a Clayton County high school, Friday night. According to officials, the shots were fired in the parking lot of Mt. Zion High School off Mt. Zion Road, just south of Atlanta. According to Clayton County Police, the shooting happened after a graduation for the Perry Learning Center, an alternative learning high school. The ceremony, which began at 6 p.m. Friday evening, was being held across the street from Mt. Zion High School at the school's performing arts center. Police said as families were leaving, an argument broke out in the overflow parking lot, which leading to the shooting. Right now, the Clayton County Fire Department confirms there were three victims – two with gunshot wounds – who were transported to area hospitals. Officials said a 21-year-old victim was taken to Atlanta Medical Center with gunshot wounds to the leg, while another woman was taken to Piedmont Henry Hospital. Officials said that woman, who was pregnant, was not shot rather she was hurt when she was pushed. A third victim, a woman in her 40s, was taken to Southern Regional, but was later pronounced dead. Officials said she was shot three times in the chest. Video from the scene showed several police cars outside the location. 11Alive's Ashley Johnson spoke to one grandmother after the shooting at the scene: The shooting comes on the same day as a mass shooting at a Texas High School that left at least 10 people dead. Chief Thomas Treywick with the Clayton County Police Department told 11Alive's Ryan Kruger he was heartbroken to get the call of a possible shooting at the school. "It was not pleasant," he said. "I was emotional because the last thing you want to do is have a situation at a graduation that results in anyone being injured." ||||| (Alex T. Paschal/Sauk Valley Media via AP). Police investigate the scene following a shooting at Dixon High School Wednesday, May 16, 2018, in Dixon, Ill. A 19-year-old who showed up at his former high school in northern Illinois and opened fire on a p... (Alex T. Paschal/Sauk Valley Media via AP). Students file into the adjacent National Guard armory following a shooting at Dixon High School Wednesday, May 16, 2018, in Dixon, Ill. A 19-year-old who showed up at his former high school in northern Illino... (City of Dixon via AP). In this undated photo provided by City of Dixon, police officer Mark Dallas poses for a photo in front of Dixon High School in Dixon, Ill. Dallas, a school resource officer at the northern Illinois high school, was hailed as a h... (Alex T. Paschal/Sauk Valley Media via AP). Parents wait down the road to meet their children following a shooting at Dixon High School Wednesday, May 16, 2018, in Dixon, Ill. A 19-year-old who showed up at his former high school in northern Illinois a... ( Dixon Police Department via AP). This May 17, 2018 photo provided by the Dixon Police Department in Dixon, Ill., shows, Matthew Milby. Milby is charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated discharge at a school employee and aggravated d... DIXON, Ill. (AP) - A teenager used a 9mm semi-automatic rifle in firing shots at a northern Illinois high school before he was shot by a school resource officer, police said Thursday. Illinois State Police also said 19-year-old Matthew Milby's mother bought the weapon in 2012 and that investigators were working to determine how he obtained it. Classes were canceled Thursday at Dixon High School, a day after authorities say Milby showed up in the morning as seniors met for a graduation rehearsal and fired several shots inside the building. Milby, who was wounded in an exchange of gunfire with the officer, was transferred Thursday from a hospital to the Lee County Jail, the Dixon Police Department said. He was in custody under a $2 million bond, with an arraignment hearing possible on Friday, according to state police. No one else was injured in the shooting. Julie Milby told reporters on Wednesday her son was recently beaten up, other students stole from him and he was kicked off the football team for smoking marijuana. "What this all led to was more ostracization," she said. "I just know that the kid's been real sad for a long time." Julie Milby said Wednesday she didn't know how her son got the gun that he took to school. The Associated Press couldn't immediately contact her for comment on the state police announcement regarding the gun because a phone number in her name wasn't found. State and city leaders praised Officer Mark Dallas, a 15-year veteran of the Dixon Police Department, as a hero for confronting Milby. Some students returned to the 800-student school about 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of Chicago on Thursday to retrieve belongings left behind when police evacuated the building. A new graduation rehearsal was planned for Thursday afternoon and the ceremony was still set for Sunday. Sophomore Tanner Portner said he was surprised to learn Milby had been identified as the shooter. "He seemed all right. I never would've expected him to do this," Portner said. Dixon senior Brianna Johnson said she saw Milby enter the gym area with a gun, then heard several shots before a teacher slammed the door and students sprinted away. "He seemed like a really nice kid, but then everything changed and he was angry and high all the time," Johnson said. Matthew Milby is charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated discharge at a school employee and aggravated discharge at a school building. Sauk Valley Media reports Milby was convicted in April for a 2017 arrest for marijuana possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana and fined $120. Milby said her son was supposed to take part in Sunday's graduation ceremony and that she's grateful more people weren't hurt. "Thank God they didn't kill him, so that's a blessing," she said. "Thank God he didn't kill anybody else ... There is no justification for what he's done, and he will take full responsibility for that." Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| Multiple students are dead after a shooting at a high school near Houston. According to law enforcement officials, a gunman entered a classroom in Santa Fe High School early Friday morning and began shooting. The shooter, allegedly a student at the school, is in custody, and there are conflicting reports about how many fatalities have occurred, but Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has said 8 to 10 people have been killed and that a school officer has been injured. Shortly after news outlets began reporting on the shooting, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to express his condolences, saying early reports were “not looking very good.” This is the fifth mass shooting incident of 2018.
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A shooting takes place outside of a high school graduation at Mt. Zion High School in Jonesboro, Georgia. One person is killed and another wounded.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The plane came down in a field near Havana's main airport More than 100 people have died after a Boeing 737 airliner crashed near Cuba's main airport in Havana, the country's worst air disaster in decades. Three women were pulled alive from the wreckage, but are said to be in a critical condition. The plane, which was nearly 40 years old, was carrying 105 passengers and six crew members. Cuban authorities have launched an investigation, and two days of national mourning have been declared. The Boeing 737-201 crashed at 12:08 (16:08 GMT) on Friday, shortly after taking off from Havana on an internal flight to Holguin on the east of the island. All six crew members on board were Mexican and the majority of the passengers were Cuban, with five foreigners reported to be among them. "There has been an unfortunate aviation accident. The news is not very promising, it seems that there is a high number of victims," Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said after visiting the crash site. How did the plane come down? It's too early to say what caused the crash, but eyewitnesses on the ground describe seeing the jet burst into flames before crashing into a field close to a wooded area near Havana's main airport. "I saw it taking off," supermarket worker Jose Luis told the AFP news agency. "All of a sudden, it made a turn, and went down. We were all amazed." "We heard an explosion and then saw a big cloud of smoke go up," Gilberto Menendez, who runs a restaurant near the crash site, told Reuters. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Wreckage was spread over a large area Mexico's transport department said on its website that "during take-off (the plane) apparently suffered a problem and dived to the ground". Boeing said that it was ready to send a technical team to Cuba, "as permitted under US law and at the direction of the US National Transportation Safety Board and Cuban authorities". A US trade embargo has been in force against Cuba for many decades. What do we know about the survivors? Four people survived the crash but one died after being transported to hospital, the director of Havana's Calixto Garcia hospital, Carlos Alberto Martinez, told Reuters. The three survivors are all women, according to Cuban Communist Party newspaper Granma: one aged between 18 and 25, one in her thirties and the third aged 39. "She is alive but very burnt," one of the women's relatives at the hospital told Reuters. Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption Three women were pulled from the wreckage Both the Argentine and Mexican governments have confirmed nationals from their countries were among the dead. What do we know about the plane? The plane had been leased to state airline Cubana de Aviación by the Mexican company Aerolineas Damojh. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Crowds of shocked onlookers gathered at the crash site The Mexican authorities said the plane was built in 1979 and had been successfully inspected last November. Mexico has said it was sending two civil aviation specialists to join the investigation. Aerolineas Damojh, also known as Global Air, has three planes in operation. How does it compare to recent plane crashes? According to industry research, last year was the safest in history for commercial airline travel with no passenger jet crashes. But there have been several serious air disasters this year. Last month, a military plane crashed shortly after take-off in Algeria, killing more than 250 people In February, a Saratov Airlines plane crashed near Moscow, killing 71 people In March, a US-Bangla Airlines flight crashed in Kathmandu, Nepal; 51 people died Cuba's deadliest air crash was in 1989, when a Soviet-made Ilyushin-62M passenger plane crashed near Havana killing 126 people on board and another 24 people on the ground. ||||| Havana, Cuba (CNN) More than 100 people are believed dead Friday after a Cubana de Aviacion Boeing 737-200 crashed on takeoff from Havana's Jose Marti International Airport, according to Cuba's state-run media. Three female passengers are in critical condition after surviving the crash into thick vegetation just miles from the runway, the state-run newspaper Granma reported. Earlier Friday evening, Granma reported that one of the three survivors had died. Shortly afterward, Granma issued a correction, saying that all three women are alive. The scene at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport after a Cubana de Aviacion plane crashed Friday. Flight DMJ 0972 was headed to the eastern Cuban city of Holguin when it plummeted into in an agricultural area in the Santiago de las Vegas neighborhood at 12:08 p.m., according to Granma. Vice Minister of Transportation Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila said there were 105 passengers on board, including one infant. Five passengers were foreigners and 100 were Cuban, he said. Argentina's Foreign Ministry said two passengers were Argentine. Orestes Bentancour, who lives near the crash site, told CNN that he was drawn out of his home by the "enormous noise" the plane made on takeoff. He said the plane appeared to swerve to one side and revved its engines before crashing. Read More ||||| Havana, May 18 (IANS) A Boeing 737 plane, believed to be carrying 104 passengers, crashed on Friday shortly after taking off from Havana’s main airport, media reports said. President Miguel Diaz-Canel said many are feared dead, according to Sky News. The plane came down shortly after take-off and exploded on the “highway” between Boyeros and Havana, near the Jose Marti International Airport here, Radio Habana Cuba tweeted. Fire crews and ambulances were at the scene, BBC reported. The plane reportedly belongs to Cubana de Aviacion. The flight was headed to Guyana, an airport source told CNN. ||||| President Miguel Diaz-Canel and other government officials rushed to the site, along with a large number of emergency medical workers and ambulances, AP said. It said residents of the rural area reported seeing some survivors being taken away in ambulances. Cubana de Aviacion has taken many of its aging planes out of service in recent months because of mechanical problems. There were conflicting reports on which company owned and operated the plane. Mercedes Vazquez, Cuba's director of air transportation, told Cubadebate, a semiofficial news outlet, that the flight was operated by a Mexican company called Global Air. Cuban television initially reported that it belonged to Blue Panorama Airlines. Two U.S. government — the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board — and investigators from Boeing could assist in the investigation if invited by Cuban authorities. It is routine for U.S. investigators and the airplane manufacturer to help with investigations anywhere in the world when a U.S.-made plane crashes. The Latest: Worker: Jet crashed in Cuba is Mexican company's HAVANA (AP) — The Latest on the plane crash in Havana (all times local): Residents living near the site of a plane crash in Cuba tell The Associated Press they saw at least some survivors being taken away in ambulances after an airliner with 113 people on board plummeted after takeoff from Havana's international airport. A military officer who declined to provide his name to reporters says there appear to have been three survivors in critical condition from the Cubana flight. Other officials have declined to confirm that. The heavily damaged and burnt plane is lying in a field of yuca-root plants. The plane was rented by Cubana, and an employee of a small Mexican charter firm says the aircraft belongs to the company. Cuba's state-run airline is notorious for its frequent delays and cancellations. An employee of a small Mexican charter firm says the passenger jet that crashed near the Havana airport belongs to the company and that six Mexican crew members were operating it. An employee who answered the phone at the Mexico City office of Global Air said he had no information on the crew or the more than 100 passengers of various nationalities. The employee asked not to be named as the company is still not issuing formal statements. Websites offering the firm's services say it flies to Cuba and operates several 737 planes. Founded in 1990, the company operates under the legal name Aerolineas Damojh, S.A. de C.V. A military officer tells reporters that there appears to have been only three survivors in critical condition after a Boeing 737 crashed on takeoff from Jose Marti International Airport in Havana on Friday with 104 passengers and nine crew aboard. The officer declined to provide his name and other officials declined to confirm the figure. The plane came to rest in a yuca field where firefighters sprayed the charred fuselage with hoses. Officials said the plane was headed to the eastern city of Holguin when it crashed between the airport in southern Havana and the nearby town of Santiago de Las Vegas. The plane was operated by Cubana. The state airline has taken many of its aging planes out of service in recent months due to mechanical problems. A Boeing 737 operated by state airline Cubana crashed on takeoff from Jose Marti International Airport in Havana on Friday with 104 people on board. There was no immediate word on casualties. State television and websites said the plane was headed to the eastern city of Holguin and crashed between the airport in southern Havana and the nearby town of Santiago de Las Vegas. The plane lay in a farm field and appeared heavily damaged and burnt, with firefighters spraying water on its smouldering remains. Government officials including President Miguel Diaz-Canel rushed to the site, along with a large number of emergency medical workers and ambulances. Residents of the rural area said they had seen some survivors being taken away in ambulances. The plane was rented by Cubana, which has taken many of its aging planes out of service in recent months due to mechanical problems. A look at major plane crashes in Cuba in recent years HAVANA —A look at some of the major plane crashes in Cuba in recent years:
• May 18, 2018: A Boeing 737 operated by state airline Cubana crashes on takeoff from Jose Marti International Airport in Havana with 104 passengers on board. There was no immediate word on casualties. The plane was headed to the eastern city of Holguin and crashed between the airport in southern Havana and the nearby town of Santiago de Las Vegas.
• April 29, 2017: A Cuban military plane crashes into a hillside in the western province of Artemisa, killing eight troops on board, the government said. The Soviet-made AN-26 took off from the Playa Baracoa airport outside Havana and crashed outside the town of Candelaria about 40 miles (65 kilometres) away.
• Nov. 4, 2010: An AeroCaribbean flight from Santiago to Havana went down in bad weather as it flew over central Cuba, killing all 68 people aboard, including 28 foreigners. It was the country's deadliest air disaster in more than two decades. Cuban aviation authorities later blamed bad weather and pilot error for the crash.
• Sept. 4, 1989: A chartered Cubana plane flying from Havana to Milan, Italy, went down shortly after takeoff, killing all 126 people on board, as well as at least two dozen on the ground.
• Oct. 6, 1976: Cubana flight from Barbados to Jamaica is blown up by bomb, killing 73. The attack is blamed on exiles with ties to U.S.-backed anti-Castro groups. Both of the men accused of masterminding the crime took shelter in Florida, where one, Luis Posada Carriles, lives to this day. The Washington Post's Ashley Halsey III, Nick Miroff, Anthony Faiola and Brian Murphy contributed to this report. The Washington Post’s Ashley Halsey III, Nick Miroff, Anthony Faiola and Brian Murphy contributed to this report. ||||| A plane with more than 110 people on board has crashed shortly after taking off from Jose Marti airport in Cuba's capital, Havana, according to state media. The Boeing 737, which was heading to the eastern city of Holguin, crashed "near the international airport" on Friday, state agency Prensa Latina reported. The aircraft carried 104 passengers and nine crew. Local media reports said there were at least three survivors who were taken to hospital in critical condition. Fire crews and ambulances rushed to the scene, while images posted on social media purported to show a thick column of smoke rising above the crash site. "There has been an unfortunate aviation accident. The news is not very promising, it seems that there is a high number of victims," Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who visited the site, was quoted as saying by AFP news agency. Ed Augustin, a journalist based in Havana, said it was likely that the plane had crashed minutes after take off. "That's because you can see plumes of smoke rising from the crash site from inside the Havana airport," he told Al Jazeera. Holguin was a popular destination for tourists, he added. ||||| HAVANA — Cuban media say a Boeing 737 operated by state airline Cubana has crashed on takeoff from Jose Marti International Airport in Havana with 104 passengers on board. There was no immediate word on casualties. State television and websites said the plane was headed to the eastern city of Holguin and crashed between the airport in southern Havana and the nearby town of Santiago de las Vegas. The plane was rented by Cubana, which has taken many of its aging planes out of service in recent months due to mechanical problems. ||||| HAVANA >> A Boeing 737 operated by state airline Cubana crashed on takeoff from Jose Marti International Airport in Havana on Friday with 104 people on board. There was no immediate word on casualties. State television and websites said the plane was headed to the eastern city of Holguin and crashed between the airport in southern Havana and the nearby town of Santiago de las Vegas. The plane lay in a farm field and appeared heavily damaged and burnt, with firefighters spraying water on its smoldering remains. Government officials including President Miguel Diaz-Canel rushed to the site, along with a large number of emergency medical workers and ambulances. Residents of the rural area said they had seen some survivors being taken away in ambulances. The plane was rented by Cubana, which has taken many of its aging planes out of service in recent months due to mechanical problems. ||||| At least 100 people were on a plane that crashed after taking off from Havana, Cuba. (Source: Raycom Media) HAVANA, CUBA (RNN) – A Boeing 737 Blue Panorama flight carrying more than 100 people crashed after taking off from Jose Marti Airport, Cuba's state media tells CNN. Earlier reports said the plane was a Cubana de Aviacion flight, which is Cuba's national carrier. A huge fireball was seen according to CNN, and a Twitter user tweeted a photo of a large black plume of smoke in the air. The plane was headed to Holguin, which is on the south east side of the island. ||||| At least 100 people were on a plane that crashed after taking off from Havana, Cuba. (Source: Raycom Media) HAVANA, CUBA (RNN) – A Boeing 737 plane carrying more than 100 people crashed after taking off from Jose Marti Airport, Cuba's state media tells CNN. It's not yet known the extent of injuries or if there are any fatalities. CNN reports that three passengers are in critical condition and Cuba's president is at the scene. Tweets from Spanish media say that the plane landed 20 kilometers from the airport in a neighborhood. A huge fireball, then thick black smoke billowing in the air was seen from witnesses near the airport. Because information is coming from Cuba's state media, it's changing and slow coming. Initially, they said the plane was from Blue Panorama, a low-cost, private Italian airline company. However, it seems that Cubana de Aviacion, which is Cuba's national carrier, leased the plane because of its aging fleet. Cubana de Aviacion grounded many flights earlier this month because of safety issues. The plane was headed to Holguin, which is on the south east side of the island 400 miles from Havana. ||||| HAVANA (CBS) — A Cuban airliner with 110 passengers on board plummeted into a yuca field just after takeoff from Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport on Friday. Reports said there were nine crew members and 104 passengers on board. There was no immediate word on casualties. Officials said the plane was headed to the eastern city of Holguin when it crashed a short distance from the end of the runway on the southern outskirts of Havana. Witnesses said they saw a thick column of smoke near the airport. “A column of black smoke rose up in the sky,” resident Ana Gonzalez told Reuters news agency. The plane lay in a field of yuca-root plants and appeared heavily damaged and burnt. Firefighters were trying to extinguish its smoldering remains. Government officials including President Miguel Diaz-Canel rushed to the site, along with a large number of emergency medical workers. Residents of the rural area said they had seen some survivors being taken away in ambulances. Cubana, the country’s national airline company, rented the plane from Blue Panorama, Cuban media reports. Relatives of passengers rushed to the scene, among them a man who said that his wife and niece had been on board. He declined to provide his full name before he was taken to an airline terminal where relatives were being asked to gather. A military officer who declined to provide his name to reporters said that there appeared to have been only three survivors in critical condition, but other officials declined to confirm that figure. Authorities are still gathering information about the crash and cannot confirm if Americans were on the flight or not, a U.S. State Department official said Friday. “We offer our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. We cannot yet confirm whether U.S. Citizens were on board,” the official said in a statement. Cuba’s First Vice-President, Salvador Valdes Mesa, met Thursday with Cubana officials to discuss improvements in its heavily criticized service. The airline is notorious among Cubans for its frequent delays and cancellations, which Cubana blames on a lack of parts and airplanes due to the U.S. trade embargo on the island. The crash Friday was Cuba’s third major fatal accident since 2010. Last year, a Cuban military plane crashes into a hillside in the western province of Artemisa, killing eight troops on board. In November 2010, an AeroCaribbean flight from Santiago to Havana went down in bad weather as it flew over central Cuba, killing all 68 people, including 28 foreigners, in what was Cuba’s worst air disaster in more than two decades. The last Cubana accident appears to have been on Sept. 4, 1989, when a chartered Cubana plane flying from Havana to Milan, Italy, went down shortly after takeoff, killing all 126 people on board, as well as at least two dozen on the ground. Cubana’s director general, Capt. Hermes Hernandez Dumas, told state media last month that Cubana’s domestic flights had carried 11,700 more passengers than planned between January and April 2018. It said that 64 percent of flights had taken off on time, up from 59 percent the previous year. “Among the difficulties created by the U.S. trade embargo is our inability to acquire latest-generation aircraft with technology capable of guaranteeing the stability of aerial operations,” Hernandez said. “Another factor is obtaining part for Cubana’s aircraft.” © 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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A Boeing 737 crashes shortly after taking off from Havana, Cuba, with 104 passengers and nine crew on board. Only three people are reported to have survived the crash. One survivor later dies from her injuries.
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Zimbabwe has applied to rejoin the Commonwealth and has invited the bloc of former British colonies to send observers to its general elections set for this year. Robert Mugabe, who was pushed out of office last year, pulled Zimbabwe out of the organisation in 2003 after Harare's membership was suspended following disputed elections held the previous year. Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said in a statement on Monday that President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who replaced Mugabe after a de facto army coup in November, made the application on May 15. "Zimbabwe's eventual return to the Commonwealth, following a successful membership application, would be a momentous occasion, given our shared rich history," Scotland said. Mnangagwa has vowed to hold fair and free elections, and has pledged to revive the moribund economy by repairing international ties and attracting foreign investment. Britain said last month that it would strongly support Zimbabwe returning to the Commonwealth. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted on Monday: "Fantastic news that Zimbabwe ... wishes to rejoin the Commonwealth." "Zimbabwe must now show commitment to Commonwealth values of democracy and human rights," Johnson added. If readmitted, Zimbabwe will become the fifth country to re-join the association - which has 53 member countries - after Gambia, South Africa, Pakistan and Fiji. The other countries to have quit the organisation are Ireland, which left in 1949, and the Maldives, which exited in 2016. The last country to join was Rwanda, in 2009. ||||| Zimbabwe has applied to rejoin the Commonwealth - 15 years after they left the group. Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said she was delighted to receive a letter from Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa, dated 15 May. However, she added they would only return "when the conditions are right". President Mnangagwa, who came to power in November after long-time leader Robert Mugabe was ousted, has said repeatedly he wants to rebuild international ties. In a statement released on the Commonwealth's website, Baroness Scotland said: I whole-heartedly echo the sentiments of heads of government who have said twice, in 2009 and subsequently in 2011, that they very much look forward to Zimbabwe’s return when the conditions are right. Zimbabwe’s eventual return to the Commonwealth, following a successful membership application, would be a momentous occasion, given our shared rich history." Zimbabwe withdrew from the 53 country-strong Commonwealth in 2003, having initially joined in 1980, after its membership was suspended amid reports of election rigging. President Mugabe rejected previous attempts to bring the country back into the group. The Commonwealth statement said the country would have to comply with "the fundamental values set out in the Commonwealth Charter, including democracy and rule of law plus protection of human rights such as freedom of expression" before being allowed to rejoin. Commonwealth observers have been invited to attend this year's elections in Zimbabwe - a process which will now form part of the informal assessment which will be carried out as part of the application. The other member countries will also be consulted, the statement added. ||||| Zimbabwe has applied to rejoin the Commonwealth – 15 years after they left the group. Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said she was delighted to receive a letter from Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, dated 15 May. However, she added they would only return “when the conditions are right”. President Mnangagwa, who came to power in November after long-time leader Robert Mugabe was ousted, has said repeatedly he wants to rebuild international ties. In a statement released on the Commonwealth’s website, Baroness Scotland said: Zimbabwe withdrew from the 53 country-strong Commonwealth in 2003, having initially joined in 1980, after its membership was suspended amid reports of election rigging. President Mugabe rejected previous attempts to bring the country back into the group. The Commonwealth statement said the country would have to comply with “the fundamental values set out in the Commonwealth Charter, including democracy and rule of law plus protection of human rights such as freedom of expression” before being allowed to rejoin. Commonwealth observers have been invited to attend this year’s elections in Zimbabwe – a process which will now form part of the informal assessment which will be carried out as part of the application. The other member countries will also be consulted, the statement added. ||||| Zimbabwe has applied to rejoin the Commonwealth, marking a major step in the country’s international re-engagement after Robert Mugabe was ousted last year. Mugabe angrily pulled Zimbabwe out of the bloc of former British colonies in 2003 after its membership was suspended over violent and graft-ridden elections the previous year. The Commonwealth said it had received a letter dated May 15 from Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa applying to re-join. Member countries “very much look forward to Zimbabwe’s return when the conditions are right,” said Secretary-General Patricia Scotland in a statement from London. “Zimbabwe’s eventual return to the Commonwealth, following a successful membership application, would be a momentous occasion.” Scotland confirmed that the Commonwealth would send observers to elections due in July or August, the first polls since Mugabe was ousted in November after a brief military takeover. Mugabe was replaced by his former deputy Mnangagwa, a veteran ruling ZANU-PF party loyalist who was backed by senior military officers. Mnangagwa has vowed to hold fair and free elections, and has pledged to revive the moribund economy by repairing international ties and attracting foreign investment. Scotland called for “a credible, peaceful and inclusive (election) that restores citizens’ confidence, trust and hope in the development and democratic trajectory of their country.” Britain said last month that it would strongly support Zimbabwe returning to the Commonwealth. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted Monday: “Fantastic news that Zimbabwe … wishes to rejoin the Commonwealth”. “Zimbabwe must now show commitment to Commonwealth values of democracy and human rights,” Johnson added. Zimbabwe had fractured relations with the West under Mugabe, who had held power since independence from Britain in 1980. The government in Harare was not immediately available to comment. If re-admitted, Zimbabwe will become the fifth country to re-join the voluntary association of mostly former territories of the British empire, after Gambia, South Africa, Pakistan and Fiji. The Gambia re-joined the Commonwealth in February this year after the impoverished West African nation was in 2013 suddenly pulled out of the bloc by ex-president Yahya Jammeh. The other countries to have quit the organisation are Ireland, which left in 1949 and the Maldives which exited in 2016. The Commonwealth brings together 53 countries representing 2.4 billion people, under a charter pledging commitment to democracy, human rights and rule of law. The last country to join was Rwanda, in 2009. The organisation also holds an Olympics-style multi-sport event every four years, most recently in Australia’s Gold Coast in April. Zimbabwe left the Commonwealth at the height of violent land seizures, when white farmers were evicted in favour of landless black people in a policy that wrecked the agriculture sector and triggered national economic collapse. ||||| Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, said Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa submitted a application on May 15 for the country to return to the 53-member group of mostly British former colonies. "Zimbabwe's eventual return to the Commonwealth, following a successful membership application, would be a momentous occasion, given our shared rich history," Scotland said in a statement. To rejoin, Zimbabwe must go through an assessment followed by consultations with other members states, the statement said. Zimbabwe was first suspended from the Commonwealth in 2002 on the grounds that Mugabe, who had ruled the country since independence in 1980, rigged his re-election in 2002 and persecuted his opponents. The former dictator withdrew Zimbabwe's membership out of the group after the country's suspension was renewed in 2003. Mugabe was ousted last November following a military takeover and impending impeachment ending his 37-year rule over the country. The Commonwealth secretariat will send observers to monitor the country's elections in July, following an invitation from the Zimbabwean government, the statement said. ||||| , Harare, Zimbabwe, May 21 – Zimbabwe has applied to rejoin the Commonwealth, the group said Monday, marking a major step in the country’s international re-engagement after Robert Mugabe was ousted last year. Mugabe angrily pulled Zimbabwe out of the bloc of former British colonies in 2003 after its membership was suspended over violent and graft-ridden elections the previous year. The Commonwealth said it had received a letter dated May 15 from Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa applying to re-join. Member countries “very much look forward to Zimbabwe’s return when the conditions are right,” said Secretary-General Patricia Scotland in a statement from London. “Zimbabwe’s eventual return to the Commonwealth, following a successful membership application, would be a momentous occasion.” Scotland confirmed that the Commonwealth would send observers to elections due in July or August, the first polls since Mugabe was ousted in November after a brief military takeover. Mugabe was replaced by his former deputy Mnangagwa, a veteran ruling ZANU-PF party loyalist who was backed by senior military officers. Mnangagwa has vowed to hold fair and free elections, and has pledged to revive the moribund economy by repairing international ties and attracting foreign investment. Scotland called for “a credible, peaceful and inclusive (election) that restores citizens’ confidence, trust and hope in the development and democratic trajectory of their country.” Britain said last month that it would strongly support Zimbabwe returning to the Commonwealth. Zimbabwe had fractured relations with the West under Mugabe, who had held power since independence from Britain in 1980. The government in Harare was not immediately available to comment. The Commonwealth brings together 53 countries representing 2.4 billion people, under a charter pledging commitment to democracy, human rights and rule of law. The last country to join was Rwanda, in 2009. The organisation also holds an Olympics-style multi-sport event every four years, most recently in Australia’s Gold Coast in April. ||||| HARARE - President Emmerson Mnangagwa has officially applied for Zimbabwe to rejoin the Commonwealth it left in 2003 and has invited the grouping of former British colonies to send observers to its general elections set for July. The southern African nation formally quit the Commonwealth after then leader Robert Mugabe, who had ruled Zimbabwe from its independence in 1980, came under criticism over disputed elections and land seizures from white farmers. Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said in a statement that Mnangagwa, who replaced Mugabe after a de facto army coup in November, made the application on 15 May. “Zimbabwe’s eventual return to the Commonwealth, following a successful membership application, would be a momentous occasion, given our shared rich history,” Scotland said. Mnangagwa is expected to fix an election date at the end of this month. The presidential, parliamentary and council elections are seen as a litmust test of Mnangagwa’s democratic credentials and if agreed by Western powers, international lenders could begin lending to the country for the first time in 20 years. Election observers will produce a report that will form part of an informal assessment used to deternmine Zimbabwe’s re-admission, Scotland said. |||||
• None Boris Johnson, the UK foreign secretary tweeted that Zimbabwe must now show commitment to Commonwealth values of democracy and human rights. Zimbabwe has applied to re-join the Commonwealth and comply with the fundamental values set out in the Commonwealth Charter, including democracy and rule of law plus protection of human rights such as freedom of expression. The country also invited the Commonwealth to observe its forthcoming elections in July. The former president, Robert Mugabe pulled Zimbabwe out of the Commonwealth in 2003 after country's membership was suspended following disputed elections held the previous year. The proposal came in a letter sent to the Secretary-General Patricia Scotland from Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa on May 9, 2018. The Secretary-General while receiving the letter said: “I wholeheartedly echo the sentiments of Heads of Government who have said twice, in 2009 and subsequently in 2011, that they very much look forward to Zimbabwe’s return when the conditions are right. “Zimbabwe’s eventual return to the Commonwealth, following a successful membership application, would be a momentous occasion, given our shared rich history,” she said. Zimbabwean president, Emmerson Mnangagwa has vowed to hold fair and free elections and has pledged to revive the moribund economy by repairing international ties and attracting foreign investment. Boris Johnson, UK foreign secretary tweeted on Monday: "Fantastic news that Zimbabwe ... wishes to rejoin the Commonwealth." "Zimbabwe must now show commitment to Commonwealth values of democracy and human rights," Johnson added. Zimbabwe will become the fifth country to re-join the Commonwealth- with 53 member countries. ||||| Zimbabwe has applied to re-join the Commonwealth. The proposal came in a letter dated 15 May to Secretary-General Patricia Scotland from Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The Secretary-General was delighted to receive the letter. “I whole-heartedly echo the sentiments of Heads of Government who have said twice, in 2009 and subsequently in 2011, that they very much look forward to Zimbabwe’s return when the conditions are right. Zimbabwe’s eventual return to the Commonwealth, following a successful membership application, would be a momentous occasion, given our shared rich history,” she said. Zimbabwe joined the Commonwealth on its independence in 1980 and withdrew from the organisation in 2003. To re-join, Zimbabwe must demonstrate that it complies with the fundamental values set out in the Commonwealth Charter, including democracy and rule of law plus protection of human rights such as freedom of expression. The membership process requires an informal assessment to be undertaken by representatives of the Secretary-General, followed by consultations with other Commonwealth countries. Zimbabwe has also invited the Commonwealth to observe its forthcoming elections in July. The Secretariat is now mobilising a team of observers to do so – and their observations will form part of the Secretary-General’s informal assessment. “I urge the government, opposition parties, the election management body, civil society, and all stakeholders, to play their part in ensuring a credible, peaceful and inclusive process that restores citizens’ confidence, trust and hope in the development and democratic trajectory ||||| PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has written to the Commonwealth secretary-general Patricia Scotland seeking Zimbabwe’s re-admission in the organisation 15 years after former President Robert Mugabe unilaterally withdrew the country in 2003. However, Scotland has urged Zimbabwe’s government, opposition parties, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, civil society, and all stakeholders, “to play their part in ensuring a credible, peaceful and inclusive process that restores citizens’ confidence, trust and hope”, as the country seeks re-admission into the organisation. Scotland made the remarks yesterday in response to Mnangagwa’s application dated May 15, 2018. “I urge the government, opposition parties, the election management body, civil society, and all stakeholders, to play their part in ensuring a credible, peaceful and inclusive process that restores citizens’ confidence, trust and hope in the development and democratic trajectory of their country,” she said. “I whole-heartedly echo the sentiments of Heads of Government, who have said twice, in 2009 and subsequently in 2011, that they very much look forward to Zimbabwe’s return when the conditions are right. Zimbabwe’s eventual return to the Commonwealth, following a successful membership application, would be a momentous occasion, given our shared rich history,” Scotland said. United Kingdom foreign secretary Boris Johnson said on Twitter: “Fantastic news that Zimbabwe wishes to rejoin the Commonwealth. Wonderful that this follows productive talks at April’s Commonwealth Summit in London. Zimbabwe must now show commitment to Commonwealth values of democracy and human rights.” Zimbabwe joined the Commonwealth on its independence in 1980. Scotland said, to re-join, the country must demonstrate that it complies with the fundamental values set out in the Commonwealth Charter, including democracy and rule of law, plus protection of human rights such as freedom of expression. Zimbabwe has also invited the Commonwealth to observe its forthcoming elections in July and Scotland said the secretariat was now mobilising a team of observers to do so, adding their observations would form part of the secretary-general’s informal assessment.
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Zimbabwe applies to rejoin the Commonwealth of Nations. Zimbabwe left the Commonwealth in 2003 following a disputed election the previous year and subsequent suspension from the organization. According to Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, the application was made on May 15.
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Heavy deployment of police personnel in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, as hundreds of residents and activists stage an anti-Sterlite protest on Tuesday (Source: ANI) At least 12 people have lost their lives and nine others were critically injured in police firing which took place as protests against Sterlite’s industrial plant intensified in Thoothukudi (Tuticorin). Residents have been demanding the closure of the plant, citing that the pollution it generates is causing serious health issues. The agitation against Sterlite Copper, which represents the copper unit of Vedanta Limited, recently escalated after the company announced the expansion of its unit in the city. Sterlite Copper, which currently operates a 400,000-tonne per annum unit in the city, maintains it has received necessary permits and has not violated any norms. Advertising The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, in an interim order, stayed the expansion of Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper’s industrial unit on Tuesday. The bench insisted that the company seeks public consultation before expanding its plant. Read this story in Tamil, Malayalam Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami on Tuesday ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident and announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of those who died. ||||| NEW DELHI (Reuters) - At least nine people were killed in India’s Tamil Nadu state on Tuesday when police fired at violent protesters calling for the closure of a copper smelter run by Vedanta Resources, authorities said. The state’s chief minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, said police had been forced to act after the protests turned violent, and that nine people had been killed. The state’s governor put the death toll at 11. The head of the national opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, condemned the use of lethal force, calling it “a brutal example of state-sponsored terrorism”. Residents of the port city of Thootukudi, located at the tip of the Indian subcontinent, and environmentalists have been demonstrating for more than three months against the copper plant, one of India’s biggest, alleging that it is a major source of pollution and a risk to fisheries. On Tuesday, a crowd waving black flags stormed the district government headquarters and an apartment block for Vedanta employees, a company official said, declining to be named for fear of being targeted. Protesters set vehicles on fire and threw stones at police, Palaniswami said in a statement. He said police had been forced to act “since protesters disregarded a curfew, acted against the advice of police”, and indulged in violence. “MURDERED FOR PROTESTING” Gandhi tweeted: “The gunning down by the police of nine people in ... Tamil Nadu, is a brutal example of state-sponsored terrorism. These citizens were murdered for protesting against injustice. My thoughts & prayers are with the families of these martyrs and the injured.” Local television showed police trying to disperse the crowd with tear gas and a policeman firing shots from the top of a van. Smoke rose from several parts of the city. State Minister D. Jayakumar said in a televised address that it had been “unavoidable” for police to fire on protesters. The plant, which can produce 400,000 tonnes of copper a year, has been shut for more than 50 days and will remain closed until at least June 6 because the local pollution regulator has said it is not complying with environmental rules. Environmental activists and some local politicians want the government to shut the plant permanently. “The inaction of the government has led to the people’s protests, and police resorting to firing to control it. Action should be taken to shut down the plant immediately to address this issue,” M.K. Stalin, leader of the main opposition group in Tamil Nadu, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, said in a Facebook post. Women shout slogans during a protest against the government and police forces after at least nine people were killed when police fired at protesters calling for the closure of a Vedanta Resources-controlled copper smelter in Thootukudi, in southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, in Chennai, India, May 22, 2018. REUTERS/P.Ravikumar Vedanta says the protests are based on “false allegations”, and that it plans to double capacity at the smelter to 800,000 tonnes per year. “We would like to restart the plant as soon as possible, in a peaceful manner,” P. Ramnath, chief executive of Vedanta Ltd’s copper business, told Reuters. The plant was shut for more than two months in 2013 by an environmental court after residents complained about emissions. ||||| British mining and energy group Vedanta Resources Plc is working with regulators to expedite restarting its copper smelter in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, it said on Wednesday, a day after protests turned violent at the plant. The company also posted a 27 percent rise in full-year core profit to $4.1 billion, driven by stronger commodity prices. At least nine people were killed on Tuesday, when police fired at violent protesters calling for the closure of the Thootukudi copper smelter, which is run by its Indian subsidiary Vedanta Ltd’s Sterlite Copper unit. Demonstrations against the copper plant, one of India’s biggest, have been going on for more than three months, with protesters alleging that it is a major source of pollution and risk to fisheries, and demands the plant be shut permanently. ||||| The Madras High Court also asked the state government to hold a public hearing on the matter while processing a fresh environmental clearance for Vedanta Ltd.'s Sterlite Copper smelting plant in the port city of Tuticorin. The clearance is due to expire later this year, Poongkhulali Balasubramanian, the petitioner's lawyer, told CNN. The decision comes after 11 people were killed in protests Tuesday and Wednesday in clashes with authorities, according to Tuticorin's deputy superintendent of police, R. Chin Ram. Local residents and activists have been demonstrating at the plant for several months. Activists have now shifted the focus of their campaign in response to the violent approach taken by authorities. They are also pushing for the existing factory to be closed. "The hope, the demand is for a total and permanent shutdown of Vedanta Sterlite's operation in Tamil Nadu, which means the existing factory should be shut down and no further expansions should be allowed," Nityanand Jayaraman, a social activist, told CNN. "There is a total shutdown of all shops. Businesses in the city have announced that they will remain shut indefinitely. There are no protests on the street because there is an uneasy calm with the kind of violence that the police unleashed yesterday, which left 10 killed, including two women," added Jayaraman. "All of them were shot. Shot in the heads or on the chest and it looks like the government had no intention of just dispersing the crowd but actually to intimidate and strike terror." Following the violence on Tuesday, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Tamil Nadu's chief minister, ordered an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the shootings but stood by the security force's actions. Palaniswami issued a statement saying that police were "compelled to take preventative measures to bring the violence under control" after protesters pelted officers with stones and set fire to police vehicles and other vehicles parked nearby. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition Indian National Congress party, said on Tuesday the protesters were "gunned down by the police," before criticizing the police action as "state sponsored terrorism" on his Twitter account. "There's been a build-up of resentment against the company by the people and a very deep-rooted sense of betrayal that the people harbor against the government of Tamil Nadu and the government of India, which they see as backing a private corporation and forsaking their interest," said Jayaraman. Protesters have accused the plant, owned by London-based mining giant Vedanta Resources, of polluting groundwater and causing damage to the environment. "Copper manufacturing is an extremely polluting industry. It was set up in Tamil Nadu after it was driven out of a different state, Maharashtra, because the people protested against the potential of pollution and it was relocated to Tuticorin. From the day it set foot in Tamil Nadu, the people have been protesting against it but the company is very resourceful and tends to develop extremely good connections with the political parties," said Jayaraman. Sterlite Copper has defended its stance, tweeting in April about its role in creating jobs and boosting the economy. On its website, Sterlite writes that it has "woven social responsibility into its business fabric right from its inception" in 1996. As a company, Sterlite says it "believes that business objectives should include overall development of communities around its surrounding areas" with the aim to "provide the necessary stimulus to not only address these issues but ensure social involvement, acceptability and sustainability." Attempts to reach Sterlite on Wednesday were unsuccessful. ||||| Congress president Rahul Gandhi today termed the deaths of nine people in police firing during protests against the Sterlite copper plant in Tamil Nadu a “brutal example of state sponsored terrorism”. He said people were murdered in Tuticorin for protesting against injustice. “The gunning down by the police of 9 people in the Sterlite protest in Tamil Nadu is a brutal example of state sponsored terrorism. These citizens were murdered for protesting against injustice. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these martyrs and the injured,” Gandhi said on Twitter.Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami said nine people were killed in police action at Tuticorin and ordered a judicial inquiry into the police action. The police action followed months-long protests for the closure of Vedanta’s Sterlite copper unit in Tuticorin, about 600 km from Tamil Nadu capital Chennai, over pollution concerns. The agitation turned violent today, with protesters fighting pitched battles with police, prompting it to open fire. Hurling stones and setting government vehicles and public property on fire, the agitators went on the rampage in the town. ||||| New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday termed the deaths of nine people in police firing during protests against the Sterlite copper plant in Tamil Nadu a "brutal example of state-sponsored terrorism". He also said people were murdered in Tuticorin for protesting against injustice. "The gunning down by the police of nine people in the Sterlite protest in Tamil Nadu is a brutal example of state-sponsored terrorism. These citizens were murdered for protesting against injustice. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these martyrs and the injured," Rahul said on Twitter. Nine people were killed in police firing after protests for the closure of Vedanta group's Sterlite Copper plant over pollution concerns turned violent in Tuticorin. Chief Minister K Palaniswami confirmed reports about the death of nine people in "police action". He announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of each of the deceased and ordered a judicial inquiry into the violence. The CM also said in a statement that the protesters took out a procession towards the collectorate in defiance of the prohibitory orders clamped in the specific area in Tuticorin. The protests were going on in Tuticorin for over three months now, but violence erupted on Tuesday with agitators allegedly fighting pitched battles with police, prompting it to open fire. Hurling stones and setting government vehicles and public property on fire, the agitators went on the rampage in the town, about 600 km from Tamil Nadu capital Chennai. Police said nearly 5000 protesters gathered near a local church and insisted on taking out a rally to the district collectorate after they were denied permission to march to the copper smelter plant. Initial pushing and shoving soon led to violent clashes, after agitated locals began hurling stones at police and overturned a vehicle. Security personnel used batons and burst teargas shells to break up the protest, PTI reported. Many were injured in stone-pelting by the agitators, who also set some vehicles on fire. Windscreens of some government cars were smashed and bank premises were attacked by the rampaging mobs. As the violence spiralled, police opened fire, killing nine people. DMK working president and Leader of Opposition, MK Stalin, slammed the "inhumane" firing on protestors. In a statement, he demanded an inquiry by a sitting high court judge, besides a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of each of those killed. The government committed a "Himalayan blunder" by handling the protest with "guns and teargas shells," he said, adding at least a minister accompanied by the district collector should have spoken to the agitators. Stalin called for the removal of state police chief TK Rajendiran. MDMK founder Vaiko likened the incident to the British era Jallianwala Bagh massacre, while the CPI(M)'s state unit demanded the chief minister's resignation. Opposition parties including PMK, DMDK, Congress, and the MNM slammed the violence and police action, while actor Rajinikanth, who is slated to launch his political party, held the government responsible for the deaths. Stalin and MNM founder Kamal Haasan demanded permanent closure of the plant. ||||| The demonstrations by local residents and activists have been underway for several months at the Sterlite Copper smelting plant in the port city of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu state. Protesters have accused the plant, owned by London-based mining giant Vedanta Resources, of polluting groundwater and causing damage to the environment. Vedanta says it adheres to environmental standards and is the subject of "false propaganda," news agency AFP reported. The demonstration escalated after protesters stormed and torched the office of a local administrator who had refused to allow them to hold a rally at the plant, said AFP. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition Indian National Congress party, said the protesters were "gunned down by the police," before criticizing the police action as "state sponsored terrorism" on his Twitter account. A police officer told AFP that attempts by security forces to disperse the 5,000-strong crowd with baton charges and tear gas were to no avail before they opened fire with live ammunition. Following the incident, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Tamil Nadu chief minister, ordered an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the shooting but stood by the security force's actions. "The police had to take action under unavoidable circumstances to protect public life and property as the protesters resorted to repeated violence... police had to control the violence," he said in a statement reported by AFP. ||||| Sterlite protest in Tuticorin: Nine people were killed in port city of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday after a crowd close to 20,000 started protesting against Vedanta group’s Sterlite Copper plant citing pollution concerns and demanded immediate closure of it. Police resorted to firing after a strong crowd started marching to the district collectorate in Tuticorin demanding scrapping of proposed expansion of the copper smelter of Sterlite Copper. While Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami has ordered a probe into the incident even as state Governor Banwarilal Purohit condoled the deaths. Palaniswami said that the protesters took out a procession towards the collectorate defying the prohibitory orders clamped in the specific area in Tuticorin, 600 km from Tamil Nadu capital Chennai. Reports say protesters hurled stones and set government vehicles and public property on fire. The tragic incidents had evoked sharp reactions from parties, including Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Here are top highlights and latest developments The trouble began on Tuesday morning when over 15,000 people started their march towards the collectorate and entered its premises. Police was forced to open fire to deter the prortesters unless the district headquarters would have been ransacked, a Tamil Nadu Police official was quoted as saying by the Indian Expreess. Reports say that police fired again in the evening disperse the crowd. CM Palaniswami confirmed that the nine people lost lives in “police action” even as DGP T K Rajendran chose not to divulge too much on the issue. The state government had announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of each of the deceased. On Wednesday morning, security has been tightened and shops were seen closed, as per ANI report. Section 144 has been imposed in the city to prevent any untoward incident. What is the protest all about? The protest against this Sterlite Copper plant is a prolonged one. Sporadic protests have been going on since 1999. Residents demanding the closure of the Sterlite copper smelter. A petition was also filed in the adurai bench of the Madras High Court seeking closure of the plant. The judgement is awaited as the court had finished the hearing on May 17. Yesterday was the 100th day of recent protest. Protesters raised concern over the pollution belching out of the copper plant, including issues relating to disposal of copper waste and effluents from the operational unit, demanding its permanent closure. The unit is said to be one of the country’s biggest copper smelters . Vedanta Ltd — a majority-owned subsidiary of London-listed Vedanta Resources. The plant was commissioned in 1997. However, it made headlines in 2013 headline when a gas leak took place leading to death of one person and inflicting injuries on several others. Following a gas leak in March 2013, the then chief minister the late J Jayalalithaa, ordered its closure following which the company moved the National Green Tribunal. With the tribunal overturning the government order, the state moved the Supreme Court against it, and the petition was still pending there, it added. The plant has been shut since March 27 this year, with the company citing the closure as a part of 15-day maintenance. Incidentally, the company had consent to operate the plant until March 31 this year. In an official statement, the government said the plant was in operation in Meelavitan in Tuticorin for the past 20 years. It said the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) had earlier this year rejected Sterlite’s application seeking renewal of consent to operate the plant over non-fulfilment of green norms, including those related to disposal of copper waste and effluents. The company later moved the Appellate Authority and the next hearing is slated for June 6, it said. A political slugfest has erupted over the issue. DMK Working President and Leader of Opposition, MK Stalin, has termed the Poilce action as the “inhumane”. He said that the state government committed a “Himalayan blunder” by handling the protest with “guns and teargas shells and demananed an inquiry by a sitting high court judge abd a compensation of Rs 1 crore. Stalin also sought the removal of state police chief TK Rajendiran. Stalin, who was to attend the swearing-in ceremony of JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy as Karnataka chief minister tomorrow, said he has cancelled his Bengaluru visit, and would head for Tuticorin to take stock of the situation. MDMK founder Vaiko likened the incident to the British era Jallianwala Bagh massacre, while the CPI(M)’s state unit demanded the chief minister’s resignation. Opposition parties including PMK, DMDK, Congress, and the MNM slammed the violence and police action. Superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan have condemned the government’s action. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has lashed out at the Tamil Nadu government over the incident. “The gunning down by the police of 9 people in the #SterliteProtest in Tamil Nadu, is a brutal example of state sponsored terrorism. These citizens were murdered for protesting against injustice. My thoughts & prayers are with the families of these martyrs and the injured,” Gandhi said in a tweet. “I just landed in Bengaluru to the shocking news about the incident near the Sterlite Tuticorin plant. My thoughts and prayers with the people of Tamil Nadu at this hour of grief. My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and hope the injured recover soon,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a tweet. ||||| At least ten people died and over 50 were injured on Tuesday as police opened fire on thousands protesting against the Sterlite copper smelting plant in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. The Sterlite protests, which entered its 100th day took an ugly turn when protestors marched to the Thoothukudi district collectorate, despite the imposition of section 144. Here is a quick recap of all you need to know about the Sterlite copper smelting plant and the protests: Sterlite was the first company set up by UK-based Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal in India before he launched Vedanta Resources on the LSE in 2003, where it is now a multinational with operations across India and Africa. In Thoothukudi, Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper unit set up a copper smelting plant, one of India's biggest, in 1996. Why are thousands protesting against the Sterlite copper smelting plant in Thoothukudi? Two major reasons why the locals are demanding for the closure of the Sterlite plant are pollution and rise in health problems among people residing in villages close to the plant. A Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board affidavit says respiratory diseases were observed to be prevailing more in communities surrounding the unit than the State’s average, according to an expert report. The document also talks about rusty-red water flowing from taps owing to the suspected increase in the iron content in groundwater. Women in the villages surrounding the unit have inexplicably high incidence of menstrual disorders, like menorrhagia and dysmenorrhea. There was also fear of arsenic laced wastewater from Sterlite plant reportedly flooding Silverpuram, Meelavittan and Kaluthaikuttan tanks. The TNPCB also very recently said for the past five years, the Sterlite plant has been disposing of thousands of tonnes of hazardous waste without authorisation. How big is the Sterlite Protest? In a massive movement similar to the 2017 'Jallikattu Protest', thousands of people in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi are unanimously protesting on the streets, demanding the closure of the Sterlite Plant since March, this year. The major protests broke out after villagers petitioned the district collector several times seeking closure of the unit, but no action had been taken, reported PTI. In February, after top district officials led by Sub-Collector MS Prasanth failed to reach an understanding, around 250 people who went on an indefinite fast protesting against the Sterlite Copper plant and its proposed expansion, were arrested. The Sterlite Protest in fact has reached as far as London, with a large number of British Tamils carrying traditional 'parai' drums holding a protest outside the home of Vedanta Group chief Anil Agarwal there on March 29. Vedanta is embroiled in controversies overseas as well. Its subsidiary Konkola Copper mines has been sued in English courts by Zambian villagers for polluting their water and destroying their livelihood through their mining operations. What is Vedanta Sterlite saying? The company has always strongly denied the charges of pollution against it. A Vedanta group release says "Zero discharge systems, utilisation of waste for sustainable applications, energy efficient systems and stringent emission monitoring are the hallmark of Sterlite." Sterlite has been in a constant tussle with the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board over allegations of causing environmental damage. Recently, the TNPCB issued an order turning down Sterlite’s application to renew its Consent to Operate, saying it continued to generate and dispose of hazardous waste without valid authorisation. However, senior counsel PS Raman appearing for Sterlite alleged that the pollution board acted based on newspaper reports and public outcry, rather than relying upon scientific material available. “There is not a single piece of paper available till date, which suggests Sterlite has caused ambient air and water pollution. We have achieved zero liquid discharge and there is no substantial evidence to prove some of the health problems faced by local communities was because of Sterlite, considering there are several red category industries in the industrial cluster,” Raman said. ||||| Indian police on Tuesday killed 12 demonstrators after opening fire on thousands of people demanding the closure of a copper factory due to pollution concerns, a police officer said. Protesters rampaged for hours in the southern state of Tamil Nadu calling for the closure of the plant owned by British-based mining giant Vedanta Resources. “We have confirmation of 12 people being killed in police firing. We fear the toll may rise,” the officer told AFP from the state capital Chennai. An unknown number of protesters were injured in the skirmishes, he said. Some 20 police were also injured in the clashes in Tuticorin, about 600 kilometres (375 miles) south of Chennai. The shootings caused immediate outrage. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition Congress party, said it was “state sponsored terrorism”. Protesters stormed the office of the top local administrator and set it ablaze after they were denied permission to hold a rally at the smelting plant. The police officer said efforts to disperse the 5,000 strong rock-throwing group through a baton charge and tear gas volleys failed. Police then fired live ammunition, he added. Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami ordered an inquiry into the shootings but defended the police. “The police had to take action under unavoidable circumstances to protect public life and property as the protesters resorted to repeated violence… police had to control the violence,” he said in a statement. The families of each victim would be offered one million rupees ($14,700) compensation, he added. Residents have been protesting for months against the plant run by a Vedanta subsidiary, Sterlite Copper. Environmentalists and locals allege the plant is contaminating water resources, a charge denied by the company. The protests have intensified after Vedanta, owned by an Indian billionaire but with its head office in London, sought to expand the plant. The plant — which is currently non-operational — has a 400,000-tonne annual capacity. It was shut briefly after an alleged gas leak in March 2013 that left hundreds with breathing difficulties, nausea and throat infections. India’s federal green court allowed it to be reopened. The company maintains that it adheres to environmental standards and accused vested interests of spreading “false propaganda” about its operations. Tamil Nadu is one of India’s most industrialised and prosperous states and similar protests over environmental concerns have turned deadly. Tuticorin witnessed violent demonstrations in 2012 over a nuclear power plant in neighbouring Kudankulam district that left one person dead. Thousands of protesters blocked roads to prevent supplies reaching the Russian-built plant, concerned about safety standards. One of the plant units is operational. In 2016, the Indian arm of global consumer goods giant Unilever settled a 15-year-old suit with hundreds of its former employees over mercury contamination at a thermometer factory in Kodaikanal. The factory was shut in 2001 after it was found to have disposed mercury waste with following proper protocol.
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Police in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India, kill nine people who protested against Vedanta Resources' copper smelter operation, alleging that it is a major source of pollution and a risk to fisheries. State Minister D. Jayakumar says that it was "unavoidable" that the people were shot. National Congress opposition leader Rahul Gandhi calls the killings "state sponsored terrorism".
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The Senate today passed The Constitution Amendment Bill, 2018 with two thirds majority paving the way for merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). It was moved by Law Minister Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk. Seventy-one members voted in favour of the amendment while five against it. The constitution amendment was passed by the National Assembly yesterday with two thirds majority. According to the amendment, the number of seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly will increase to 145 from 124. FATA will be granted sixteen general seats, four seats for women and one seat for non-Muslims in the provincial assembly. Elections to these seats shall be held within one year after the general elections 2018. The amendment reduces the number of seats in the National Assembly from three hundred forty-two to three hundred and thirty-six. The members of the National Assembly from FATA to be elected in 2018 election shall continue till dissolution of the Lower House. According to the constitution amendment, the number of seats of Senate has been reduced to ninety-six from one hundred and four. The existing members of the Senate from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas shall continue till expiry of their respective terms of office. The constitution amendment also envisages amendments in article 246 and repeals article 247 which place the tribal areas under the command and control of President. In his remarks on the occasion, the chair congratulated the tribal people over the passage of the bill, saying it will bring them to the national mainstream. He said the Upper House today fulfilled its responsibility and the promises made with the tribal people. Leader of the Opposition Sherry Rehman described the constitution amendment on FATA’s merger as a historic step in the country’s history. She said this will bring the tribal areas to the fold of constitution. She pointed out that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has a very important role in the whole transition process. She expressed the confidence that women from tribal areas will also be involved in the decision making. Speaking on the constitution amendment, Mian Raza Rabbani said that tribal people have rendered immense sacrifices in the war on terror. He said the valiant people of tribal areas have always demonstrated their patriotism and love to the country for which they deserve our appreciation. Azam Swati in his remarks said that the merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will help free the tribal areas from the clutches of decades old system. He said this initiative will usher a new era of development in the tribal agencies. Siraj ul Haq said that the merger will prove to the beneficial both for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA. He said this will increase the share of the province in the National Finance Commission. Maulana Ghafoor Haideri of JUI (F) opposed the merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. ||||| Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan's lower house of Parliament has passed a landmark constitutional amendment extending widespread political, administrative and human rights reforms to the country's northwestern tribal areas, a region that had long been a sanctuary to armed groups. The constitutional amendment, passed by the National Assembly in the capital, Islamabad, on Thursday, sees the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. It effectively abolishes draconian colonial-era regulations that the districts had been governed under for decades, making its five million citizens equal citizens of the Pakistani federation. The amendment will now be presented to the upper house of Parliament and the KP provincial assembly, where it is expected to pass without fuss, before becoming law. "We needed a national consensus on this issue, and it was achieved," said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi after the bill was passed. "This is the start of a process, not the end of one. We need to gain the trust of the people of FATA, and that trust will not come just through words ... but the biggest need right now is the lack of development in FATA needs to be addressed. [...] We have to give the people of FATA the same schools, the same colleges, the same universities, the same hospitals, the same roads and the system as is available to everyone else in Pakistan. There should be no difference there." FATA, once the headquarters of the Pakistan Taliban and a sanctuary for al-Qaeda, has seen a series of Pakistani military operations launched since 2008 to retake the area from armed groups. The last such operation was launched in 2014, displacing the Taliban from the North Waziristan tribal district. The United States and Afghanistan allege that Pakistan still provides sanctuary to armed groups such as the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network, a charge that Pakistan denies. Since Pakistan gained independence from the British in 1947, the country has continued to govern the seven tribal districts along its border with Afghanistan by direct rule from the capital, with each district ruled by a "Political Agent" (PA) appointed by the president. The PA holds nearly absolute power in their tribal districts, where they are responsible for all government services, as well as serving judicial functions. The constitutional amendment sees all seven districts merged into northwestern KP province, with political agents replaced by an accompanying extension of the provincial and federal government's power to deliver government services, including healthcare, education and policing. All Pakistani laws, including criminal and penal codes, have been extended to the tribal districts, which earlier were governed under colonial-era criminal regulations. FATA's five million citizens will also have access to fundamental rights under the Constitution, and will be able to vote for representatives in the provincial and national assemblies. The amendment effectively abolishes the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), a draconian British law that left citizens of the tribal areas with no recourse to courts and liable to be subjected to collective punishment for the crimes of tribe members. Opposition backs bill Introducing reforms to FATA has long been a priority for the country's government, led by the ruling PML-N party, which has lauded the passage of the constitutional amendment as a landmark achievement. Thursday's vote was the culmination of a legislative and consultative process that lasted more than two years. The government is due to complete its term by May 31, with the national and provincial assemblies to dissolve a day later, in advance of a general election in late July. Last year, the federal cabinet passed a plan to introduce the reforms, but the passage of the constitutional amendment was held up by opposition parties. Some parties, such as the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), demanded a more detailed plan from the government, while others, including the right-wing religious Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (F) (JUI-F) demanded a referendum on the issue. On Thursday, the PPP and PTI voted for the amendment, which was prepared in consultation with the opposition, while the JUI-F opposed the move. It was passed by 229-1 votes in the 342-member house. "It is very gratifying that this house has come together to finally end a colonial system ... it was never acceptable that people in our country were second-class citizens, who ... did not have the same rights as us," said opposition PPP leader Naveed Qamar. "The whole country will now be governed under the same rights and the same administrative systems." PTI chief Imran Khan, whose party rules KP province, made a rare appearance in parliament to vote for the amendment. The constitutional reforms will be accompanied by an $865m package to be allocated to a 10-year plan aimed at rehabilitating and reconstructing infrastructure, including communications, power lines, water supply schemes, education and health facilities in the tribal areas. Pakistan's tribal areas consistently rank among the lowest on the country's human development indicators, according to UNDP data. Most districts remain bereft of basic services such as healthcare, schools, clean water supply and, cut off from the country's mainstream, with no mobile phone service reception or internet availability. The military operations, conducted over the last decade, forced most of the tribal areas' five million residents to become internally displaced within Pakistan. Many have not resettled in their homes, given the lack of basic services, and continuing security operations and military deployments in the region. Asad Hashim is Al Jazeera's Digital Correspondent in Pakistan. He tweets @AsadHashim. ||||| Pakistan passed legislation Thursday paving the way for its restive tribal areas to enter the mainstream political fold, bringing an ending to a colonial-era arrangement that endorsed collective punishment and fuelled militancy. The constitutional amendment received broad support from across the political spectrum in the National Assembly, with 229 voting to approve the measure and one voting against it. The legislation still needs final approval from the senate and the signature of the president — a formality that is all but guaranteed after receiving overwhelming support in the lower house. The amendment will bring an end to colonial-era laws governing Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), extend the writ of Pakistani courts to its districts and increase development assistance to its residents. “Today this house has approved a historic bill, which will have very positive effects for Pakistan. I thank the opposition for their support,” Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told legislators after the vote. Following the passage of the bill, FATA will be officially merged into neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Since the days of the British Raj, the territory has long been seen as a backwater ruled by hostile tribesman that was kept as a buffer zone between Afghanistan and the settled territories that became Pakistan. Following the 9/11 attacks the tribal belt along the Afghan border became a notorious focal point in the global war on terror, with Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters operating in the area with impunity. The US has repeatedly accused Pakistan of allowing the tribal areas to host safe havens harbouring militants fighting in Afghanistan — an allegation Islamabad has consistently denied. FATA residents have long complained its development has been overlooked by authorities, while appointed administrators were able to punish whole tribes for the crimes of an individual. “Pakistan’s tribal areas have long been neglected. The government has taken this decision very late,” Rahimullah Yusufzai, a regional analyst and an expert on the tribal areas, told AFP. Yusufzai predicted that implementation of the amendment could take months as Pakistan prepares for elections due this summer, which would leave the reforms in the hands of the incoming government. The new amendment was largely celebrated across the FATA. Samiullah Jan, from South Waziristan district, said he hopes the tribal areas will see an increase in development aid. The seven tribal districts — Bajaur, Khyber, Kurram, Mohmand, North Waziristan, Orakzai and South Waziristan — are home to some eight million residents, mainly ethnic Pashtuns. ||||| Pakistan passed legislation Thursday paving the way for its restive tribal areas to enter the mainstream political fold, bringing an ending to a colonial-era arrangement that endorsed collective punishment and fuelled militancy. The constitutional amendment received broad support from across the political spectrum in the National Assembly, with 229 voting to approve the measure and one voting against it. The legislation still needs final approval from the senate and the signature of the president — a formality that is all but guaranteed after receiving overwhelming support in the lower house. The amendment will bring an end to colonial-era laws governing Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), extend the writ of Pakistani courts to its districts and increase development assistance to its residents. “Today this house has approved a historic bill, which will have very positive effects for Pakistan. I thank the opposition for their support,” Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told legislators after the vote. “We need to provide (FATA residents) with all those facilities which are available to the people in the rest of Pakistan,” he added. Following the passage of the bill, FATA will be officially merged into neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Since the days of the British Raj, the territory has long been seen as a backwater ruled by hostile tribesman that was kept as a buffer zone between Afghanistan and the settled territories that became Pakistan. Following the 9/11 attacks the tribal belt along the Afghan border became a notorious focal point in the global war on terror, with Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters operating in the area with impunity. The US has repeatedly accused Pakistan of allowing the tribal areas to host safe havens harbouring militants fighting in Afghanistan — an allegation Islamabad has consistently denied. FATA residents have long complained its development has been overlooked by authorities, while appointed administrators were able to punish whole tribes for the crimes of an individual. “Pakistan’s tribal areas have long been neglected. The government has taken this decision very late,” Rahimullah Yusufzai, a regional analyst and an expert on the tribal areas, told AFP. Yusufzai predicted that implementation of the amendment could take months as Pakistan prepares for elections due this summer, which would leave the reforms in the hands of the incoming government. The move was largely welcomed across the FATA. Samiullah Jan, from South Waziristan district, said he hopes the tribal areas will see an increase in development aid. The vote was also trending on Twitter in Pakistan, with social media users lauding the decision. “Salute the political leadership for coming together on this. Proud moment!,” wrote Nizamuddin Khan. The seven tribal districts — Bajaur, Khyber, Kurram, Mohmand, North Waziristan, Orakzai and South Waziristan — are home to some five million residents, mainly ethnic Pashtuns. The decision comes as a new rights movement emanating from FATA has accused Pakistan’s military establishment of using the territory to nurture militant groups fighting in Afghanistan, while overseeing a campaign of extrajudicial killings and abductions targeting tribesmen. ||||| Pakistan passed legislation Thursday paving the way for its restive tribal areas, long a focal point in the global war on terror, to enter the political mainstream, ending a colonial-era arrangement that endorsed collective punishment and fuelled militancy. The constitutional amendment would see the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the border with Afghanistan officially merged into neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It will extend the writ of Pakistani courts to its districts, and increase development assistance to residents of the region which Washington has long insisted provides safe havens to militants including the Taliban and Al Qaeda -- an allegation that Islamabad denies. The amendment received broad support from across the political spectrum in the National Assembly, with 229 voting to approve the measure and one voting against it. Another 10 abstained, according to state media. The legislation still needs final approval from the senate and the signature of the president -- a formality that is all but guaranteed after receiving overwhelming support in the lower house. "Today this house has approved a historic bill, which will have very positive effects for Pakistan. I thank the opposition for their support," Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told legislators after the vote. "We need to provide (FATA residents) with all those facilities which are available to the people in the rest of Pakistan," he added. "Pakistan's tribal areas have long been neglected. The government has taken this decision very late," Rahimullah Yusufzai, a regional analyst and an expert on the tribal areas, told AFP. Yusufzai predicted that implementation of the amendment could take months as Pakistan prepares for elections due this summer, which would leave the reforms in the hands of the incoming government. Since the days of the British Raj, the territory has long been seen as a backwater ruled by hostile tribesmen and kept as a buffer zone between Afghanistan and the settled territories that became Pakistan. Following the 9/11 attacks the tribal belt along the Afghan border became a notorious terrorism flashpoint, with Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters operating in the area with impunity. The US has repeatedly accused Pakistan of allowing the tribal areas to host safe havens for militants fighting in Afghanistan -- an allegation Islamabad has consistently denied. The Pakistani military has carried out multiple operations in the region and insists it has eradicated militancy. It is also building a fence along the border with Afghanistan. But FATA residents have long complained its development has been overlooked by authorities, while appointed administrators were able to punish whole tribes for the crimes of an individual under draconian colonial-era laws. The move was largely welcomed across the FATA. "It's a historic day, I am more than happy," said Malik Zarnoor Afridi of Khyber tribal district. Samiullah Jan, from South Waziristan district, said he hopes the tribal areas will see an increase in development aid. "They will get quality education, quality health care, roads, electricity, gas and economic opportunities," said Jan. However small pockets of resistance remained, with some calling for FATA to become its own separate province. "We will lose our cultural norms and traditions because of this merger," Ahmed Saeed, local leader of a religious party in North Waziristan, told AFP. The vote was also trending on Twitter in Pakistan, with social media users lauding the decision. "Salute the political leadership for coming together on this. Proud moment!," wrote Nizamuddin Khan. The seven tribal districts -- Bajaur, Khyber, Kurram, Mohmand, North Waziristan, Orakzai and South Waziristan -- are home to some five million residents, mainly ethnic Pashtuns. The decision comes as a new rights movement emanating from FATA has accused Pakistan's military establishment of using the territory to nurture militant groups fighting in Afghanistan, while overseeing a campaign of extrajudicial killings and abductions targeting tribesmen. ||||| Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) Pakistan has abolished its troubled northwest tribal areas in a historic parliamentary bill granting rights to millions of conflict-weary people and scrapping a draconian colonial-era regime. The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) were merged into the country's administrative mainstream, becoming part of the northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, by a parliamentary amendment approved by the senate on Friday. Taliban fighters have used the Pakistani tribal areas as a refuge from the US-led coaltion since the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. Since Pakistan's creation in 1947, the tribal areas -- a rugged, impoverished swath bordering Afghanistan -- have been ruled directly by Islamabad under a harsh colonial-era system of law, with omnipotent political agents exercising the right to impose collective punishments on tribes and to jail suspects without trial. During the US-led "War on Terror" it became a sanctuary for al Qaeda terrorists and Taliban militants fighting an insurgency against an international coalition in neighboring Afghanistan. Former US President Barack Obama dubbed it the "most dangerous place in the world." The Pakistani military has waged a series of major operations there in the past 10 years to tackle rising militancy. For decades, reformers have called for the area to be brought into the administrative fold as it became increasingly lawless and opaque, with the military banning outsiders. Speaking a day earlier to the National Assembly, where the bill was passed, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that "a much-needed national consensus (on FATA) has been achieved." "The same schools, hospitals, roads that everyone else in Pakistan has access to" must now be given to the people of FATA, he added. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League Noon (PMLN) party announced that reforms would be accompanied by a $865 million package to rehabilitate the infrastructure of the region. In the tribal areas, people came out onto the streets and distributed sweets to celebrate the reform. Manzoor Ahmad, 31, from Mohmand tribal area, said that he was feeling free because "the black laws will be abolished." "A day before we were living in the colonial age and now, today we are enjoying actual freedom. Now FATA will also participate in the development of Pakistan," he added. Another resident said it will be like starting a new life. "We were never considered human under the centuries-old colonial law. But now we will stand in front of the world and will show them that we also deserve to start our new life!" said Dilawar Shah, 40. Opposition leader Imran Khan, whose political party runs KP's provincial government, called the move "a huge step to address the grievances of the people of FATA." Recently, discontent has spilled out of the tribal areas, where years of war and violence have left villages destroyed and lives ruined by militant violence and heavy-handed government interference, particularly indiscriminate killing and arrests. The area's people, the majority of whom are ethnic Pashtuns, or Pakhtuns, have begun to speak out against injustices committed by the powerful military, a normally taboo subject. The establishment has been shocked by mass protests organized by the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) -- "tahafuz" means protection in the Urdu language. The movement -- which is committed to nonviolence -- is demanding authorities respond to accusations of involvement in the death and disappearance of hundreds of Pashtuns in FATA, and guarantee rights for the area's tribes. Traditionally, the tribal areas were run by both political agents, using the harsh Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), and tribal chiefs, or maliks, presiding over tribal councils, jirgas. The system was largely obliterated by militants who overran the areas during the allied invasion of Afghanistan, forcing out political agents and killing over 100 maliks. The tribal areas are strongly patriarchal. Women's rights groups hope the new reforms will lead to a more equal society. "With the FCR and the tribal jirga in place, the entire system in FATA was not at all women-friendly, there was no representation or voice of women being heard. With the passing of this bill one hopes that the invisibility of women won't be there anymore," said Samar Mina Ullah, an Islamabad-based women's rights activist who has worked extensively in FATA. The reforms were welcomed as a popular measure across Pakistan. Analysts said the move was clearly timed to boost the ruling PLMN's chances at general elections scheduled to take place in July, but that they were long overdue. "It is a huge victory for reform-oriented Pakistanis," said Mosharraf Zaidi, a prominent political analyst and columnist. "The normalization of FATA will immediately alter the legal status of FATA's residents from compromised citizenship to normal, equal citizenship." Zaidi added that credit was due to all those who cooperated to pass the landmark bill, including the military who have retaken militant-controlled territory in a series of operations since 2014. However, the shadow of militancy still hangs over the region. In February, US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats accused Pakistan of holding back on cooperation with the US while failing to take tougher action against militant groups. President Donald Trump very publicly emphasized US concerns about Pakistan's reliability and integrity in his first tweet of 2018, putting Islamabad in the crosshairs for its "lies and deceit." "They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help," he tweeted. The online blast previewed a January 8 announcement that the US would freeze security assistance to Pakistan -- close to $1 billion -- over its failure to clamp down on terror groups within its borders. ||||| Islamabad: In a historic move, Pakistan's National Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a key constitutional amendment to merge the restive tribal region along the Afghan border with the northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, bringing an end to a 150-year-old British-era arrangement. After months of delays following disagreements between coalition partners and the opposition over its clauses, Law Minister Mahmood Bashir Virk on Thursday tabled the 31st Amendment Bill 2017 to merge Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The amendment was passed with a 229-1 vote in the house of 342, as the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was supported by Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Jamat-e-Islami. Dawar Kundi from the PTI was the lone dissenting vote who opposed the bill. Two allies of the government including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) staged a walkout. The bill amends several Articles of the Constitution including Article 1 that defines the territory of the Pakistani federation. The number of seats of parliament will decrease once the bill is passed. Senate seats will reduce from 104 to 96 members and the number of seats in the National Assembly will be cut to 336 from 342, as FATA will no longer have separate representation. The bill will be sent to Senate, the upper house, which is expected to pass it before the end of the week. After this, the bill will be presented to the president who will sign it to become part of the Constitution. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who played a key role in bringing consensus to pass the amendment said in his address to the lawmakers that it was joint effort by all parties, which will "change the 150-year-old system in the tribal areas." The semi-autonomous tribal region was created by British colonisers as a buffer zone to avoid direct conflict with Afghanistan. It consists of seven districts — Bajaur, Khyber, Kurram, Mohmand, North Waziristan, Orakzai and South Waziristan — which stretch along the border with Afghanistan, and became known in the world due to presence of militants who fled the porous border after US forces invaded Afghanistan post-9/11. These seven districts are home to some eight million residents, mainly ethnic Pashtuns. Pakistan forces launched repeated military operations to clear the area of rebels and dismantle their hideouts which were used to launch attack in the country and Afghanistan. ||||| Pakistan's parliament has approved a constitutional amendment to officially merge its restive tribal areas into the mainstream political system, ending colonial-era laws and giving equal rights to its 5 million inhabitants. The legislation passed on May 24 will attach Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, extend the jurisdiction of Pakistani courts to the region, and increase assistance to residents. The legislation needs final approval from the Senate and the president’s signature -- seen as formalities after it received overwhelming support in the National Assembly. Among the colonial-era laws that will be abolished are ones that called for the punishment of an entire tribe if one of its members were found guilty of a crime. In the 19th century, British colonial rulers sliced out a mountainous region from Afghanistan to be run under a combination of civil laws and local traditions. The special status continued after Pakistan gained its independence in 1947 to accommodate the wishes of tribesmen divided on either side of the border. The territory has long been seen as a lawless backwater ruled by hostile tribesmen, left to serve as a buffer zone between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Pakistani army largely regained control of the region in 2014-15, ending much, but not all, of the violence. The United States has accused Pakistan of allowing the areas to serve as safe havens for militants fighting across the border in Afghanistan, allegations Islamabad has consistently denied. Based on reporting by AP, AFP, dpa, The Nation and RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal ||||| ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's parliament on Thursday passed legislation to merge the country's tribal regions along the Afghan border with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a key step to ending the region's much-criticised colonial era governance system. While security in the restive region has improved, for years Islamist militants including the Taliban and al Qaeda have used Waziristan and its surrounding tribal areas to train and launch attacks in Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan, in part because the region has no government writ. As a result, the region is central to efforts by Washington, Islamabad and others to combat militants. The semi-autonomous region consists of seven big district and six towns known as Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and has been governed for over 150 years by colonial era tribal laws. Rights groups have long argued that residents of FATA to have the same laws as the rest of Pakistan, pointing out that the use of collective punishment and other colonial-era laws against local people tramples basic rights. "The law this parliament passed today will, God willing, bring positive results," Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said after the 372 member house adopted the amendment with a 229 votes majority supported by ruling and opposition parties. He said the region will be governed with rights equal to other parts of the country. The reform bill was delayed for years mainly due to political wrangling but has long been demanded by the local population. Abbasi said local elections in the region would be held this year to kick start a political process and said future governments will spend 100 billion rupees (US$865 million) a year for a decade on development. Over the past decade Pakistan's military has launched several operations in FATA, displacing many people now forced to live in camps in districts just outside the tribal regions. ||||| ISLAMABAD (Pakistan Observer) – The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa merger under the 31st Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2018 has been passed by National Assembly on Thursday. Law Minister Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk moved the bill, however, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUIF) and Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) opposed it. The bill was approved clause by clause as 229 members voted in the favor while 11 opposed the bill. FATA will be entitled to get Rs. 100 billion under NFC award as the passing of the bill; KPK laws will be immediately enforceable in FATA. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari assures his party’s support for the bill and instructed party members to ensure the passing of the historic bill. Under the bill, the laws of Pakistan will be applicable in FATA. In addition, FATA will get Rs1 billion every year for 10 years which will exclusively be for development in FATA. Also, FATA will now be a part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 12 national and 6 provincial seats will remain intact till the elections of 2023. He further said that Frontier Crimes Regulations will be abolished and it will be replaced with an interim governance system till the inclusion of the region with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said Barrister Zafarullah The seats of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the National assembly will be increased from 48 to 60 after the merger of FATA. The seats for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly will increase to 147 from the current 126 after its merger with FATA. PTI Chairman Imran Khan also attended the session along with most of his party MNAs. He said that “he could not recall when was the last time he came to the assembly” FATA-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa merger is a very great step for the prosperity of Pakistan.
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The National Assembly of Pakistan votes a constitutional amendment merging the Federally Administered Tribal Areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This will abolish colonial-era rules and provide the five million people from the tribal areas with equal rights as the other people of Pakistan. The measure is expected to pass the next stages without fuss.
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People cast ballots in Ireland’s referendum on whether or not to liberalize the country’s abortion laws. (The Associated Press) Voters asked whether to keep or repeal Eighth Amendment to Roman Catholic Ireland’s Constitution Abortion rights activists proclaimed victory for Irish women Saturday as referendum results indicated voters in largely Roman Catholic Ireland overwhelmingly backed repealing a 1983 constitutional ban on abortions. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, speaking Saturday after exit polls suggested voters chose to liberalize Ireland’s strict abortion laws by a margin of more than two to one, called the result the culmination of a “quiet revolution.” “The people have spoken,” said Varadkar, a medical doctor who campaigned for repeal in Friday’s historic referendum. “The people have said that we want a modern constitution for a modern country, that we trust women and we respect them to make the right decision and the right choices about their health care.” Varadkar said the large margin of victory will give his government a greater mandate when drafting abortion legislation that will be submitted for parliamentary approval in a matter of months. Voters were asked whether they wanted to keep or repeal the Eighth Amendment to Ireland’s Constitution, which requires authorities to treat a fetus and its mother as equals under the law. It outlawed all abortions until 2014, when the procedure started being allowed in rare cases when a woman’s life was in danger. Campaigners who have fought for more than three decades to remove the Eighth Amendment abortion ban from Ireland’s Constitution hailed the referendum vote as a major breakthrough for the largely Catholic nation. READ MORE: Trudeau abortion policy raises ire of U.S. right “This is a monumental day for women in Ireland,” said Orla O’Connor, co-director of the Together for Yes group. “This is about women taking their rightful place in Irish society, finally.” The vote is a “rejection of an Ireland that treated women as second-class citizens,” she said, adding: “This is about women’s equality and this day brings massive change, monumental change for women in Ireland, and there is no going back.” If the partial results hold up, the referendum would likely end the need for thousands of Irish women to travel abroad — mostly to neighbouring Britain — for abortions they can’t get at home. Opponents of the repeal movement have conceded they have no chance of victory. John McGuirk, spokesman for the Save the 8th group, told Irish television Saturday that many Irish citizens will not recognize the country they are waking up in. The group said on its website that Irish voters have created a “tragedy of historic proportions,” but McGuirk said the vote must be respected. “You can still passionately believe that the decision of the people is wrong, as I happen to do, and accept it,” he said. Official counting for Friday’s referendum on whether or not to liberalize Ireland’s abortion laws was still underway, and final results were not expected until later Saturday. More than half of the country’s 40 regions had been counted by 4:00 p.m. and showed 68 per cent supporting the amendment’s repeal. Exit polls from the Irish Times and broadcaster RTE suggested the Irish people have voted by nearly 70 per cent to repeal the Eighth Amendment. It indicated that about 72 per cent of women voted “yes” along with about 66 per cent of men. The strongest backing came from younger voters — the exit poll said the only age group in which a majority voted “no” were voters who are 65 or older. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.6 per cent. The magnitude of the predicted victory exceeded the expectations of abortion rights activists. Surprisingly, they also suggest that supporters of more liberal abortion laws may have triumphed throughout the country, not just in the cosmopolitan capital, Dublin, where a strong youth vote had been anticipated. Ireland’s parliament will be charged with coming up with new abortion laws in the coming months. The government proposes to allow abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, with later terminations allowed in some cases. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. ||||| DUBLIN — Irish voters overwhelmingly backed repealing a decades-old constitutional ban on abortion, according to two exit polls, paving the way for sweeping cultural change and a move away from the nation's conservative Catholic roots. The exits polls by state broadcaster RTE television and the Irish Times newspaper indicated approximately two-thirds of voters supported overturning one of the strictest abortion laws in the world. One-third opposed it. Official results are due later Saturday. If the exit polls are confirmed by the vote count, Ireland's government will seek to pass legislation that allows terminations during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The current law prohibits all abortions in Ireland, except in cases when the woman’s life is at risk, and having an illegal abortion is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. More: Abortion ban vote chance to throw off oppressing legacy of Catholic Ireland Related: Ireland to be tested by abortion vote on whether to overturn near-total ban A member of the public holds a sign in favor of abortion rights in Dublin, on May 25, 2018. Repealing Ireland's Eighth Amendment that gives equal protection to a fetus and the woman would bring the once-staunchly Catholic country in line with abortion practices in the United States and the majority of the rest of Europe. It would leave just three places in Europe where abortion is illegal unless the woman's life is at risk: tiny Andorra and San Marino, and Malta. Four countries around the world do not allow abortions under any circumstances, according to the Pew Research Center. They are the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Vatican City. While Ireland's center-right Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who campaigned to repeal the Eighth Amendment, stopped short of claiming victory late Friday based on the exit polls, he appeared confident. "It’s looking like we will make history," he tweeted. The projected result drew reaction from abortion rights activists and opponents. "Abortion on demand would deal Ireland a tragic blow but the pro-life movement will rise to any challenge it faces," said Cora Sherlock, an abortion rights opponent. John Aidan Byrne, 58, an Irishman who has lived in the United States for more than 30 years and runs a group called Irish Pro-Life USA, said ahead of the result that doing away with the ban would mean "fewer protections" for his friends and family in Ireland. "Once you introduce legalized abortion it changes the entire dynamic of society. And it divides it politically, socially and — let's be frank — spiritually," he said. But others viewed the likely result as evidence that Ireland, for years held back by traditional voices in the church, was embracing tolerance and progressiveness as well as continuing down a path of liberalization after national votes in recent years that ushered in legalizing contraception, divorce, homosexuality and same-sex marriage. "We woke up this morning to a new Ireland. Ireland’s changed," Deidre Duffy, one the organizers of the campaign to change Ireland's abortion law, said. "One by one, the manacles imposed by clerical control and society's deference to it have been removed, and Ireland has altered beyond recognition," said commentator Martina Devlin, writing in a column for the Irish Independent newspaper Saturday. More: World watches as Ireland holds historic vote to overturn strict abortion law ||||| Garda Alan Gallagher and Presiding Officer Carmel McBride carry a polling box, used, a day early, by the few people that live off the coast of Donegal on the island of Inishbofin on May 24, 2018 in Donegal, Ireland. DUBLIN — Prime Minister Leo Varadkar urged people voting Friday in Ireland's abortion referendum to remove the country's "legacy of shame" toward women by overturning the strict abortion law that fiercely divides this Catholic nation. "If we don't remove the (Eighth) Amendment from the constitution, our doctors and lawmakers can't do anything for women. They can't do anything for women who have been raped, who are children themselves or who have been given the heartbreaking news of fatal fetal abnormality," Varadkar said. The vote was expected to be an extremely close contest, with polls closing at 10 p.m. local time (5 p.m. ET). The result of the highly controversial issue is expected Saturday afternoon. But the Irish Times predicted that voters, 68% to 32%, backed repealing Ireland’s Eighth Amendment that affords a fetus the same protections as the woman. The exit poll by the Irish Times was conducted by Ipsos/MRBI among 4,000 respondents at 160 polling stations in 158 Irish constituencies. A second exit poll published Friday on Ireland’s abortion referendum, this time by the nation’s state broadcaster, showed that voters who support women’s abortion rights won a landslide victory. RTÉ, which commissioned the poll in association with several Irish universities, found that Irish voters 69.4% to 30.6% want the country to change its constitution so that abortion is legal up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Both polls, from RTÉ and the Irish Times newspaper, indicated a far wider margin of victory for the “Yes” side than forecast in the run up to the vote after a long and divisive campaign. Support to overturn Ireland’s Eighth Amendment was driven by large numbers of younger voters, according to the exit polls. Fully legalized abortion is perhaps the last significant cultural taboo that Catholic-majority Ireland has grappled with following earlier votes on contraception, divorce, homosexuality and same-sex marriage. The vote count begins on Saturday morning, with an official result expected in the early afternoon, although it could come later if turnout is especially high. About 3.3 million people are registered to vote. Ireland has held six referendums on various issues over the last decade. The last one was in 2015, on same-sex marriage. Voters endorsed it. Fine weather over much of the country, including the capital Dublin, helped feed the high turnout. Currently, abortion is only allowed in Ireland if a women's life is at risk. A "Yes" vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment, which states that a fetus has an equal right to life as the woman, would mean that Irish women would be able to get an abortion at up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. It would be a major step for a country where almost 80% of the population still strongly identify as Catholic. An average of nine women travel every day from Ireland to the United Kingdom, where abortion is legal, to terminate pregnancies, according to the Irish government. Three women each day take abortion pills bought online, risking a 14-year jail sentence. "If the referendum doesn't pass, these women will continue to have to travel abroad in their thousands," Varadkar said. John McGuirk, a prominent Irish abortion rights opponent, noted that Friday is an international missing children's day. "In the U.K., 8 million children have gone missing since the abortion law was introduced. I hope Ireland will not make the same mistake today," McGuirk said. Save The 8th, an organization that opposes abortion, sent an email Friday morning to supporters and media targeted at undecided voters. "Abortion does one thing, and one thing only — it kills a baby," it said. In Dublin, "Yes" campaigners handed out stickers at major pedestrian crossroads. And many people who voted on their way to work wore "I voted" buttons. More: Both sides in Irish landmark abortion vote make final pleas to voters More: Ireland to be tested by abortion vote on whether to overturn near-total ban The major newspapers carried "letters to the editor" from concerned citizens. "If we vote 'Yes,' every unborn, wanted and unwanted, will have zero rights," wrote Frances Kelleher, from Killarney, in the Irish Independent. "I do not believe the smart people of Ireland want this unrestricted, abortion-on-demand bill. I will be voting 'No.' " If the vote passes it would be another social-change milestone for Ireland after it legalized contraception (1979), divorce (1995) and same-sex marriage (2015). It would also leave just three places in Europe where abortion is illegal unless a woman’s life is at risk: the micro-states of Andorra and San Marino, and Malta. In the United States, President Trump plans to cut funding to family-planning clinics that offer abortion services. He has also vowed to appoint enough Supreme Court justices who oppose abortion to overturn Roe v. Wade, the abortion rights decision from 1973. Thousands of Irish nationals traveled home to cast their vote in Friday's referendum. Their stories, and journeys, have been filling up social media platforms using the #hometovote hashtag. "No flights left from London, so I have a 4 hour train, 4 hour wait and 3 hour ferry to make it home to vote- which is a walk in the park in comparison to the journey that Irish women are making every day to the UK," @MichelleMarleyy wrote. Liam Dunne, 63, a farmer who lives south of Dublin and supports a woman's right to abortion, said he was confident his side would prevail. He believes that abortion should be a personal decision and not up to the government to decide. "The way it is now, it's a bit like in America where sometimes there's nothing to prevent your neighbor from buying a gun. It leaves you feeling a little bit powerless," he said. ||||| A leading campaigner for repealing Ireland's constitutional ban on abortions says it's a "monumental day for women in Ireland" after voters appeared to have overwhelmingly backed liberalizing the country's strict abortion laws. Orla O'Connor, co-director of the Together for Yes group, said Saturday: "This is about women taking their rightful place in Irish society, finally." Votes for Friday's historic referendum are still being counted, but two exit polls predict a landslide victory for those who want to repeal the constitutional ban on abortions. A leading anti-abortion group admitted defeat Saturday. O'Connor said the vote is a "rejection of an Ireland that treated women as second-class citizens. This is about women's equality and this day brings massive change, monumental change for women in Ireland, and there is no going back." ___ 12 noon Ireland's Minister for Children and Youth Affairs says she is grateful and emotional over with the apparent decision of voters to repeal the constitutional ban on abortions in Friday's landmark referendum. Katherine Zappone said Saturday she is confident new abortion legislation can be approved by parliament and put in place before the end of the year. "I feel very emotional," she said. "I'm especially grateful to the women of Ireland who came forward to provide their personal testimony about the hard times that they endured, the stress and the trauma that they experienced because of the eighth amendment." The eighth amendment requires authorities to treat a fetus and its mother as equals under the law, effectively banning abortions. Currently, terminations are only allowed when a woman's life is at risk. Exit polls predict overwhelming support for the repeal of the constitutional ban. Officials results are expected Saturday afternoon. ___ 10:40 a.m. One of Ireland's leading anti-abortion groups says the abortion referendum result is a "tragedy of historic proportions" in a statement that all but admits defeat in the historic vote. Spokesman John McGuirk of the Save the 8th group — which refers to the Eighth Amendment in the constitution that bans abortions — told Irish television Saturday that many Irish citizens will not recognize the country they are waking up in. The official vote tally for Friday's vote has not been finished but exit polls predict a massive victory for repealing the constitutional ban. McGuirk said it will now be relatively easy for the government to pass more liberal abortion laws in the parliament. "There is no prospect of the legislation not being passed," he says. The government proposes that women be allowed to terminate pregnancies in the first 12 weeks. ___ 7 a.m. Official counting is set to begin in Ireland's historic abortion rights referendum, with two exit polls predicting an overwhelming victory for those seeking to end the country's strict ban. The Irish Times and RTE television exit polls suggest the Irish people have voted to repeal a 1983 constitutional amendment that effectively bans abortions. Currently, terminations are only allowed when a woman's life is at risk. The exit polls are predictions only, with official results expected Saturday afternoon. Paper ballots must be counted and tallied. If the "yes" forces seeking a constitutional change prevail as the polls suggest, Ireland's parliament will be charged with coming up with new abortion laws. The government proposes to allow abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy with later terminations allowed in some cases. ||||| More than two-thirds of voters backed repealing Ireland’s strict abortion ban on Friday, according to an exit poll by Ipsos/MRBI conducted for the Irish Times. While the official tally won’t be completed until Saturday, Ireland is poised to align its abortion laws with the European mainstream. It will mark the second major progressive step by Irish voters in recent years, following the referendum to allow same-sex marriage in 2015. The campaign placed a spotlight on cultural attitudes in the historically Catholic nation, and it’s been a test for digital platforms including Google and Facebook, which have worked to combat foreign attempts to sway the vote with online ads. “A nation transformed. If vindicated in the final result, the exit polls suggest that Ireland has undertaken a profound transformation from a state beholden to a particular religious domination to a modern cosmopolitan reality,” tweeted Ben Tonra, professor of international relations at the UCD School of Politics and International Relations. “It vindicates a generation’s ambition. Alongside the marriage equality referendum, it redefines modern Ireland.” The poll, which surveyed more than 4,000 voters at 160 polling locations across Ireland, recorded 68 percent support for changing abortion laws and 32 percent of voters opposed, with a reported margin of error of 1.5 percentage points. “It’s a good day, Ireland is finally moving forward with the rest of the world,” said Paul Keogh, a 41-year-old maintenance technician earlier on Friday outside a polling station in Dublin. “I would see it as a historic moment. I wasn’t always convinced, I just think down through the years the Catholic Church had too much of a say.” The question on the ballot essentially asked voters whether to repeal the Irish constitution’s eighth amendment — which gives mother and the unborn an equal right to life — and give the parliament new responsibilities to legislate on abortion. “The 8th did not create an unborn child’s right to life — it merely acknowledged it. The right exists, independent of what a majority says,” tweeted John McGuirk, spokesman for the anti-abortion campaign Save the 8th. “That said, with a result of that magnitude, clearly there was very little to be done.” The government plans to introduce legislation to allow abortion for any reason up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, following a 72-hour waiting period. Beyond that point, pregnancies could be terminated in cases such as rape, incest or fatal birth defects, according to a draft bill, in line with the recommendations of a cross-party committee in the Irish parliament. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar campaigned strongly for repeal, tweeting Friday “It’s a big YES from me.”Opposition leader Micheál Martin also risked a conservative backlash within his Fianna Fáil party after he swung behind legalizing abortion. Polls closed at 10 p.m. in Ireland, but formal counting won’t begin until 9 a.m. local time Saturday. Constituencies will send their tallies to the Central Count Centre in Dublin, to be posted live at Referendum.ie. The final count isn’t likely to be announced before late afternoon, officials said. Proponents for repeal argued Ireland’s existing laws punish women, and they noted several thousand Irish women already travel to Britain each year for abortions while others order illegal pills online. Cases such as the 2012 death of 31-year-old Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar remained a rallying cry to remove the abortion ban, which has been in place since 1983. “I’m not voting for abortion, I’m voting for the repeal of this amendment and I think they get confused,” said a 71-year-old female voter who preferred to remain anonymous. “Why should women have to go to England to get an abortion?” The last polls ahead of the vote predicted a win for repeal, although they also showed the anti-abortion side gained ground in the final weeks. Some undecided voters said that while they felt Ireland’s existing laws are too strict, the government’s 12-week proposal goes too far. “I voted No myself … I was going to vote Yes but I just think the legislation is just far too broad. If the government came up with something better I would have voted Yes,” said Patrick, a 21-year-old student who declined to give his full name, after voting in Dublin on Friday. The anti-abortion side argued that repealing the ban would lead to “abortion on demand,” and highlighted recognizable signs of life within 12-week old fetuses. Campaigners against repeal, which included right-wing and Catholic groups, cast their effort as a rebellion from the Irish heartlands against a liberal elite, in the style of recent populist campaigns. “I suppose I’m one of the old hardy annuals, but I think the Yes side are voting for murder,” said one elderly man, who didn’t want to be named, after casting his vote against the repeal. ||||| Gregory Katz And Renata Brito, The Associated Press DUBLIN -- Ireland's referendum Friday represented more than a vote on whether to end the country's strict abortion ban. It was a battle for the very soul of a traditionally conservative Roman Catholic nation that has seen a wave of liberalization in recent years. The country's leaders support a "yes," an outcome that would repeal a 1983 constitutional amendment requiring authorities to treat a fetus and its mother as equals under the law. They called it a once-in-a-generation opportunity to liberalize some of Europe's strictest abortion rules. Results of the referendum are expected on Saturday. Voters went to the polls after a campaign that aroused deep emotions on both sides. For advocates of repeal, a "yes" vote would be a landmark in Irish women's fight for equality and the right to control their own bodies. For opponents, it would be a betrayal of Ireland's commitment to protect the unborn. The vote also is a key indicator of Ireland's trajectory, three years after the country voted to allow same-sex marriages and a year after its first openly gay prime minister took office. Theresa Sweeney, a repeal supporter, was one of the first to arrive at a church polling station in Dublin. "I feel like I've waited all of my adult life to have a say on this," she said. Emma Leahy said her "yes" vote comes from her firm belief that everyone should be able to make their own choice when it comes to abortion. "For Ireland, it's hope for the future," she said of the referendum. "Whether you agree or disagree, it shouldn't be the government or anyone else making that decision." "It is a hard decision but I just feel I don't have the right to take life," she said. "I think life is sacred and for that reason I had to vote no." The referendum will decide whether the eighth amendment of the constitution is repealed or stays in place. The amendment requires authorities to equally protect the right to life of a mother and that of a fetus, from the moment of conception. That effectively bans all abortions in Ireland, except in cases when the woman's life is at risk. Having an illegal abortion is punishable by up to 14 years in prison, and several thousand Irish women travel each year to get abortions in neighbouring Britain. If citizens vote in favour of repeal, new abortion laws will then be discussed in parliament. The government proposes that terminations be allowed during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Later abortions would be allowed in special cases. "Not taking anything for granted of course, but quietly confident," he said, adding that the upside of a sunny day in Ireland is that people come out to vote. Thousands of Irish people abroad travelled home to take part in the historic referendum, and supporters of repeal gathered at Dublin Airport to give arrivals an ecstatic welcome. Some activists held a placard reading "Thank you for making the journey so other women don't have to" -- a reference to the way Irish women seeking abortions have had to leave the country to obtain them. Tara Flynn, who 11 years ago flew to the Netherlands for an abortion, said she planned to vote "yes" to make sure future generations of women don't endure what she did, with feelings of isolation and shame. She said her vote would be one for solidarity and compassion, "a vote to say, I don't send you away anymore." Campaigning was not allowed Friday, but Dublin was still filled with signs and banners urging citizens to vote "yes" or "no." Many of the anti-abortion signs showed photographs of fetuses. Voting has already taken place on Ireland's remote islands so that paper ballots can be taken to the mainland and counted in time. Letters to the editor published Friday in the Irish Independent newspaper contained several emotional arguments urging voters to reject the repeal movement. "If we vote 'yes' every unborn, wanted and unwanted, will have zero rights," wrote Frances Kelleher, from Killarney. "I do not believe the smart people of Ireland want this unrestricted, abortion-on-demand bill." ||||| Garda Alan Gallagher and Presiding Officer Carmel McBride carry a polling box, used, a day early, by the few people that live off the coast of Donegal on the island of Inishbofin on May 24, 2018 in Donegal, Ireland. DUBLIN — Prime Minister Leo Varadkar urged people voting Friday in Ireland's abortion referendum to remove the country's "legacy of shame" toward women by overturning the strict abortion law that fiercely divides this Catholic nation. "If we don't remove the (Eighth) Amendment from the constitution our doctors and lawmakers can't do anything for women. They can't do anything for women who have been raped, who are children themselves or who have been given the heartbreaking news of fatal fetal abnormality," Varadkar said. The vote is expected to be an extremely close contest, with polls closing at 10 p.m. local time (5 p.m. ET). The result of the highly controversial issue is expected Saturday afternoon. Fine weather over much of the country, including the capital Dublin, could translate to a high turnout that would favor those who want to change Ireland's abortion law. Currently, abortion is only allowed in Ireland if a women's life is at risk. A "Yes" vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment, which states that a fetus has an equal right to life as the woman, would mean that Irish women would be able to get an abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. It would be a major step for a country where almost 80% of the population still strongly identify as Catholic. An average of nine women travel every day from Ireland to the United Kingdom, where abortion is legal, to terminate pregnancies, according to the Irish government. Three women each day take abortion pills bought online, risking a 14-year jail sentence. "If the referendum doesn't pass these women will continue to have to travel abroad in their thousands," Varadkar said. John McGuirk, a prominent Irish abortion rights opponent, noted that Friday is an international missing children's day. "In the U.K., 8 million children have gone missing since the abortion law was introduced. I hope Ireland will not make the same mistake today," McGuirk said. Save The 8th, an organization that opposes abortion, sent an email Friday morning to supporters and media targeted at undecided voters. "Abortion does one thing, and one thing only — it kills a baby," it said. In Dublin, "Yes" campaigners handed out stickers at major pedestrian crossroads. And many people who voted on their way to work wore "I voted" buttons. More: Both sides in Irish landmark abortion vote make final pleas to voters More: Ireland to be tested by abortion vote on whether to overturn near-total ban The major newspapers carried "letters to the editor" from concerned citizens. "If we vote 'Yes,' every unborn, wanted and unwanted, will have zero rights," wrote Frances Kelleher, from Killarney, in the Irish Independent. "I do not believe the smart people of Ireland want this unrestricted, abortion-on-demand bill. I will be voting 'No.'" If the vote passes it would be another social-change milestone for Ireland after it legalized contraception (1979), divorce (1995) and same-sex marriage (2015). It would also leave just three places in Europe where abortion is illegal unless a woman’s life is at risk: the micro-states of Andorra and San Marino, and Malta. In the United States, President Trump plans to cut funding to family-planning clinics that offer abortion services. He has also vowed to appoint enough Supreme Court justices who oppose abortion to overturn Roe v. Wade, the abortion rights decision from 1973. Thousands of Irish nationals traveled home to cast their vote in Friday's referendum. Their stories, and journeys, have been filling up social media platforms using the "#hometovote" hashtag. "No flights left from London, so I have a 4 hour train, 4 hour wait and 3 hour ferry to make it home to vote- which is a walk in the park in comparison to the journey that Irish women are making every day to the UK," @MichelleMarleyy wrote. Liam Dunne, 63, a farmer who lives south of Dublin and supports a woman's right to abortion, said he was confident his side would prevail. He believes that abortion should be a personal decision and not up to the government to decide. "The way it is now, it's a bit like in America where sometimes there's nothing to prevent your neighbor from buying a gun. It leaves you feeling a little bit powerless," he said. ||||| Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Emotions have been running high during the campaign Counting has started in the Irish abortion referendum, hours after exit polls suggested a landslide vote in favour of liberalising the law. Polls by The Irish Times and RTÉ suggested about 69% voted to repeal a part of the constitution that effectively bans terminations. One of the main anti-abortion campaigns has already conceded defeat. "The unborn child no longer has a right to life recognised by the Irish state," said John McGuirk, from Save the 8th. Counting began at 09:00 local time and the result is expected by the evening. Those taking part in Friday's referendum were asked whether they wanted to repeal or retain a part of the constitution known as the Eighth Amendment, which says an unborn child has the same right to life as a pregnant woman. 'Broken-hearted' Mr McGuirk, communications director of the anti-abortion Save The 8th campaign, conceded defeat and said No campaigners were "deeply broken-hearted". "Shortly, legislation will be introduced that will allow babies to be killed in our country," his statement said. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Eighth Amendment was introduced after a referendum in 1983 However, he vowed that No campaigners would continue to protest, "if and when abortion clinics are opened in Ireland". "Every time an unborn child has his or her life ended in Ireland, we will oppose that, and make our voices known," he added. Earlier, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar, who supported the reforms, said it looked as if the country was about to "make history". Broadcaster RTÉ's exit poll suggested 69.4% in favour of the Yes side and 30.6% for No. In Dublin, 79% of people voted for repeal, according to the RTÉ poll. An exit poll released by The Irish Times points to 68% Yes to 32% for No. Tweeting on Friday night, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: "Thank you to everyone who voted today. Democracy in action. It's looking like we will make history tomorrow... " In other reaction: Irish health minister Simon Harris tweeted: "Will sleep tonight in the hope of waking up to a country that is more compassionate, more caring and more respectful" Prominent No campaigner Cora Sherlock expressed disappointment at the exit polls but said the pro-life movement would "rise to any challenge it faces". She added: "Let's go into tomorrow with this in mind" Penny Mordaunt, the UK's minister for women and equalities, called it a "historic and great day for Ireland and a hopeful one for Northern Ireland". Northern Ireland's abortion laws are much stricter than the rest of the UK The leader of Northern Ireland's centrist Alliance Party, Naomi Long, said it appeared to be an "incredible result" for the Yes campaign Currently, abortion is only allowed when a woman's life is at risk, but not in cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "Legislation will go as quickly as possible" The turnout looks to have been higher than that for the country's referendum on same-sex marriage and its most recent general election. More than 3.2 million people were registered to vote in the referendum, with more than 100,000 new voters registering ahead of the poll. The referendum was the result of a decades-long debate about abortion in the Republic of Ireland and was the country's sixth vote on the issue. Where does the law stand? The now-controversial Eighth Amendment was introduced after a referendum in 1983. It "acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right" - meaning the life of the woman and the unborn are seen as equal. Since 2013, terminations have only been allowed in Ireland when the life of the mother is at risk, including from suicide. Image copyright Brian Lawless Image caption Young and old have been turning out at count centres The maximum penalty for accessing an illegal abortion is 14 years in prison. In 2017, the Citizens' Assembly, a body set up to advise the Irish government on constitutional change, voted to replace or amend the part of Ireland's Constitution which strictly limits the availability of abortion. So the Irish people were asked if they wanted to remove the Eighth Amendment and allow politicians to set the country's abortion laws in the future. The wording on the ballot paper was: "Provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancies." Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The background and potential outcomes to the Republic of Ireland's abortion referendum The ballot paper did not mention the Eighth Amendment or abortion, instead asking: "Do you approve of the proposal to amend the Constitution contained in the undermentioned Bill?" Those who wanted to retain the Eighth Amendment voted No, while those who wanted to replace it voted Yes. If a majority has voted yes - as appears to be the case - then the Irish government's recommendation is that women will be able to access a termination within the first 12 weeks of their pregnancy. However, beyond 12 weeks, abortions would only be permitted where there is a risk to a woman's life or of serious harm to the physical or mental health of a woman, up until the 24th week of pregnancy. Terminations would also be permitted in cases of fatal foetal abnormality. ||||| Voters throughout Ireland have begun casting votes in a referendum that may lead to a loosening of the country’s strict ban on most abortions. The referendum Friday will decide whether the eighth amendment of the constitution is repealed, which would open the way for more liberal legislation. READ MORE: What you need to know about Ireland’s bitterly-debated abortion vote The amendment, in place since 1983, requires authorities to equally protect the right to life of a mother and that of a fetus, from the moment of conception. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar tweeted his support for the bill before a moratorium on campaigning took effect Thursday. He urged people to vote “yes” in favour of repeal. Results are not expected until Saturday afternoon or evening. Voting has already taken place on Ireland’s offshore islands so that paper ballots can be taken to the mainland and counted in time. There was good weather Friday morning in the capital, Dublin, and much of the country, a factor that could help the “yes” forces in favour of repeal get the heavy turnout they seek. “Yes” campaigners were handing out stickers at several major pedestrian crossroads Friday morning. Many people voted on their way to work and sported “I voted” buttons. They didn’t sway Vera Rooney, who voted in favour of keeping the ban in place. “It is a hard decision but I just feel I don’t have the right to take life. I think life is sacred and for that reason I had to vote no,” said Rooney, who voted early Friday at the North Grand Church polling station in Dublin. READ MORE: Irish in Canada are flying #HomeToVote in Ireland’s abortion referendum Graffiti saying “Trust Women” by “yes” backers was scrawled on the pavement outside the polling station in Dublin as voting opened. An opponent of the abortion clause repeal wrote: “Mama, save me, I love you.” Letters to the editor published Friday in the Irish Independent newspaper contained emotional arguments urging voters to reject the repeal movement. “If we vote ‘yes’, every unborn, wanted and unwanted, will have zero rights,” wrote one woman. “I do not believe the smart people of Ireland want this unrestricted, abortion-on-demand bill. I will be voting no.” If citizens vote in favour of repeal, new abortion laws will then be discussed in parliament. The government proposes that terminations be allowed during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Later abortions would be allowed in special cases. ||||| More than 66 percent of Irish voters chose to repeal the Eighth Amendment, which has effectively banned abortion in the nation since its passage in 1983. The amendment says an unborn child has the same right to life as a pregnant woman. Abortion was not permitted in cases of rape, incest or fetal abnormalities. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who is in favor of the change, said the vote to repeal the ban represents "the culmination of a quiet revolution that has been taking place in Ireland over the last couple of decades." The result comes three years after Ireland became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote, and a year after Varadkar, an openly-gay politician and son of an Indian immigrant, became Prime Minister. Once a deeply religious country — Ireland only voted to legalize divorce by a razor-thin majority in 1995 — the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and its reputation has been damaged in a series of scandals over the past 20 years. Siobhan Donohue, chairwoman for Termination for Medical Reasons (TFMR), an abortion rights campaign group, described the result as "a hugely significant and hugely historic step forward." Donohue, who had to travel to neighboring Britain to have an abortion when her baby TJ was diagnosed with a fetal anomaly, said she felt relieved. "It confirmed to us that we do live in a compassionate country, which we thought we did but we didn't know how far it reached," she said. "There was a lot of worry and a lot of concern over if it didn't pass, what would happen," she told NBC News from Dublin. "Having shared our stories and shared our experiences, if people had voted 'no' what would that have meant for us?" But Donohue warned that the fight was not over, and that people in Ireland will still have to travel to Britain in order to receive an abortion in coming weeks until the law is changed. "But it's the first, big and important step," she said. Orla Halpenny, a doctor and spokesperson for the anti-abortion group Doctors for Life, described the result as "disappointing." "All medical pro-life groups are needed now more than ever," she said, adding that Doctors for Life will be very busy ensuring that doctors were granted "genuine" conscientious objection. Halpenny said she was concerned that doctors will not be given the right to refuse to refer patients on to termination services. It now falls on Parliament to establish new laws governing abortions. The government proposes that the law be changed to allow unrestricted access to abortions up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Later abortions would also be allowed in special circumstances. Ireland has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the European Union, with Malta — where abortion is banned under all circumstances— the only member of the 28-country bloc with tighter legislation. The referendum follows an emotive and often acrimonious campaign. More than 3.2 million people registered to vote in the referendum. Ireland is one of the few E.U. countries that does not allow those abroad to vote by mail or at embassies, so many expatriates traveled to cast their ballots and shared their journeys on social media under the hashtag #hometovote. Amnesty International welcomed the referendum result as "a victory for equality, for dignity, for respect and compassion." But said Northern Ireland's abortion laws must now be relaxed. Access to abortion is also highly restricted across the border in Northern Ireland, which is part of United Kingdom.
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Ireland holds a referendum which will decide whether to repeal the constitutional prohibition of abortion. Exit polls suggest the results shall be 68% "yes" and 32% "no". The results will be released at 09:00 UTC tomorrow.
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||||| SALALAH, Oman -- Cyclone Mekunu neared the Arabian Peninsula on Friday as its outer bands dumped heavy rain and bent palm trees in Oman, a sign of the approaching storm's power after earlier thrashing the Yemeni island of Socotra. Already at least 40 people, including Yemenis, Indians and Sudanese, were reported missing on Socotra, where flash floods washed away thousands of animals and cut power lines on the isle in the Arabian Sea. Officials feared some may be dead while authorities in Oman confirmed the first death in the cyclone. The cyclone is expected to make landfall early Saturday near Salalah, Oman's third-largest city and home to some 200,000 people close to the sultanate's border with war-ravaged Yemen. Conditions quickly deteriorated in Salalah after sunrise Friday, with winds and rain beginning to pick up. Strong waves smashed into empty tourist beaches. Many holidaymakers fled the storm Thursday night before Salalah International Airport closed. The Port of Salalah - a key gateway for the country - also closed, its cranes secured against the pounding rain. Streets quickly emptied across the city. Standing water covered roads and caused at least one car to hydroplane and flip over. Later, a municipal worker on a massive loader used its bucket to tear into a road median to drain a flooded street, showing how desperate the situation could become. Omani forecasters warned Salalah and the surrounding area would get at least 200 millimeters (7.87 inches) of rain, over twice the amount of rain this city typically gets in a year. Authorities remained worried about flash flooding in the area's valleys and potential mudslides down its nearby cloud-shrouded mountains. A sizable police presence fanned out across Salalah, the hometown of Oman's longtime ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Many officers rode in Royal Oman Police SUVs with chicken wire over the windows, likely because their other vehicles weren't tall enough to manoeuvr through the flood water. “Of course, for the citizen there is going to be a sense of fear of the consequences that can happen,” said Brig. Gen. Mohsin bin Ahmed al-Abri, the commander of Dhofar governorate's police. “We have been through a few similar cases and there were losses in properties and also in human life as well. But one has to take precautions and work on that basis.” The Royal Oman Police later said on Twitter that a 12-year-old girl died after winds from the cyclone threw her against a wall. As torrential rains poured down, local authorities opened schools to shelter those whose homes are at risk. About 600 people, mostly labourers, huddled at the West Salalah School, some sleeping on mattresses on the floors of classrooms, where math and English lesson posters hung on the walls. Shahid Kazmi, a worker from Pakistan's Kashmir region, told The Associated Press that police moved him and others to the school. He acknowledged being a bit scared of the storm but said: “Inshallah, we are safe here.” India's Meteorological Department said the storm packed maximum sustained winds of170-180 kph (105 to 111 mph), gusting up to 200 kph (124 mph). They described the cyclone as “extremely severe.” “Salalah is expected to experience maximum wind and maximum rainfall and also the maximum storm surge,” said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra of the department. On Socotra, authorities relocated over 230 families to sturdier buildings and other areas, including those more inland and in the island's mountains, Yemeni security officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. Flash floods engulfed Socotra streets, cutting electricity and communication lines, they said. At least 40 people were missing, they added. Some humanitarian aid from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates arrived on the island just hours after the cyclone receded. The officials said heavy rains pummeled Yemen's easternmost province of al-Mahra, along the nation's border with Oman. Socotra Gov. Ramzy Mahrous said one ship sank and two others ran aground in the storm, initially saying authorities believed 17 people were missing. “We consider them dead,” the governor said. Yemen's self-exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi issued a statement ordering troops under his command on the island to help citizens, deliver supplies and reopen roads. The island, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, has been the focus of a dispute between the UAE and Yemen's internationally recognized government amid that country's war after Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, seized the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Socotra has a unique ecosystem and is home to rare plants, snails and reptiles that can be found nowhere else on the planet. It is known for its flower-and-fruit bearing dragon blood tree, which resembles an umbrella and gets its name from the dark red sap it secretes. A cyclone is the same as a hurricane or a typhoon; their names only change because of their location. Hurricanes are spawned east of the international date line. Typhoons develop west of the line and are known as cyclones in the Indian Ocean and Australia. Powerful cyclones are rare in Oman. Over a roughly 100-year period ending in 1996, only 17 recorded cyclones struck the sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. In 2007, Cyclone Gonu tore through Oman and later even reached Iran, causing $4 billion in damage in Oman alone and killing over 70 people across the Mideast. The last hurricane-strength storm to strike within 160 kilometres (100 miles) of Salalah came in May 1959, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's archives. However, that cyclone was categorized as a Category 1 hurricane, meaning it only had winds of up to 152 kph (95 mph). Mekunu, which means “mullet” in Dhivehi, the language spoken in the Maldives, is on track to potentially be the same strength as a Category 2 hurricane at landfall. It also comes just days after Cyclone Sagar struck Somalia. Associated Press writers Fay Abuelgasim in Salalah, Oman; Ahmed al-Haj in Sanaa, Yemen; and Menna Zaki in Cairo contributed to this report. ||||| Cyclone Mekunu was downgraded to a tropical storm Saturday, a day after lashing the southern coast of Oman and killing at least two people, authorities said. The storm had intensified to a category two cyclone as it hit Oman's Dhofar and Al-Wusta provinces on the Arabian Sea on Friday, battering the coast with torrential rains, strong winds and massive waves. The national civil defence committee said on Saturday the cyclone had subsided to a tropical storm but was still pummelling the country with heavy rain and winds at some 90 kilometres (56 miles) an hour. Oman's directorate general of meteorology said the cyclone had gone inland and was heading northwest into Saudi Arabia, but that heavy rains would likely continue into Sunday. Oman police reported that a man died after floods swept him away with his car near Salalah, a day after a 12-year old girl died when a gust of wind smashed her into a wall. Three wounded Asians were rescued and civil defence teams said they had saved hundreds of people including 260 foreign sailors trapped at sea. Five Yemenis and two Indian sailors were confirmed dead when Mekunu hit Yemen's Socotra island on Thursday, causing heavy damage, Yemen's fisheries minister Fahad Kafin said. Rescue teams on Friday found alive four Indian sailors who had been declared missing. The search is ongoing for eight Indian sailors who went missing when the cyclone hit Socotra's port. In Salalah, rains had almost stopped on Saturday, an AFP photographer said, but many streets were still under water and nearby valleys were flooded. Material damage was mostly limited to agriculture, with many farms swept by winds at up to 170 kilometres (105 miles), he added. Mekunu is now heading towards southern Saudi Arabia and is expected to hit parts of the Empty Quarter, one of the world's most arid deserts, late Saturday. ||||| SALALAH, Oman — Cyclone Mekunu has blown into the Arabian Peninsula, drenching arid Oman and Yemen with rain and cutting off power lines. Portions of Salalah, Oman’s third-largest city, lost electricity early Saturday as the cyclone made landfall. Streets already were flooded and in some places impassable. While there is no rain at dawn Saturday, strong winds are still lashing the region. Police late Friday night said at least one person, a 12-year-old girl, died in the storm. At least 40 others are missing from the Yemeni island of Socotra, which earlier took the storm’s brunt. India’s Meteorological Department says the storm packed maximum sustained winds of 170-180 kilometres (105-111 miles) per hour with gusts of up to 200 kph (124 mph). It called the cyclone “extremely severe.” ||||| SALALAH, Oman - Cyclone Mekunu was downgraded further to a deep depression Saturday, a day after lashing the southern coast of Oman and killing at least two people, authorities said. Civil defence officials said a man and a 12-year-old girl were killed, while three Asian nations were missing after the cyclone hit Oman’s Dhofar and Al-Wusta provinces. Oman police earlier reported that the man died after floods swept him away with his car near Salalah, Oman’s second-largest city, while the girl died when a gust of wind smashed her into a wall. Mekunu, which has wreaked havoc in Yemen’s Socotra island killing at least seven people, was heading northwest to Saudi Arabia, Oman’s directorate of meteorology said. It is expected to hit parts of the Empty Quarter, one of the world’s most arid deserts, later Saturday, it said. The meteorology department said the latest weather charts and satellite imageries indicate that Mekunu’s intensity has dropped to “a deep depression”. It warned however that heavy rain and strong winds of about 60 kilometres (37 miles) an hour would continue to pummel Dhofar and Al-Wusta provinces, while sea conditions were rough with high tides reaching eight meters (yards). Mekunu had intensified to a category two cyclone as it hit Dhofar and Al-Wusta on the Arabian Sea on Friday, battering the coast with torrential rains, strong winds and massive waves. Three wounded Asians were rescued and civil defence teams said they had saved hundreds of people including 260 foreign sailors trapped at sea. Five Yemenis and two Indian sailors were confirmed dead when Mekunu hit Socotra in war-torn Yemen on Thursday, causing heavy damage, Yemen’s fisheries minister Fahad Kafin said. The government declared the island in the northwest Indian Ocean, part of a UNESCO-protected archipelago for its rich biodiversity, a “disaster” zone. Rescue teams on Friday found alive four Indian sailors who were among 17 who had been reported missing when the cyclone hit Socotra’s port, and search operations are continuing for eight Indian sailors. In Salalah, the heavy rain had almost stopped on Saturday, an AFP photographer said, but many streets were still under water and nearby valleys were flooded. Material damage was mostly limited to agriculture, with many farms swept by winds blowing at up to 170 kilometres (105 miles), he added. Oman’s civil aviation meanwhile decided to reopen on Sunday Salalah Airport, which had been closed for the past three days. Authorities said however that schools would remain closed until Monday. ||||| SALALAH, Oman (AP) — The Latest on Cyclone Mekunu that is headed for the coast of Oman (all times local): The Royal Oman Police says a 12-year-old girl has died after the winds of Cyclone Mekunu caused her to collide with a wall. The death is the first confirmed in the powerful cyclone. Police made the statement late Friday night as the cyclone neared Salalah, Oman's third-largest city in its south. Officials say preliminary figures show 40 people — among them Yemeni, Indian and Sudanese nationals — are missing after Cyclone Mekunu battered the island of Socotra off the coast of Yemen. The officials said Friday that over 230 families had been relocated to shelter in sturdier buildings and other areas, including those more inland and in the island's mountains. They say floods swept Socotra streets, washed away thousands of animals and cut electricity and communication lines. Some humanitarian aid from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates arrived just hours after the cyclone receded. The officials say heavy rains are now pummeling Yemen's easternmost province of al-Mahra, on the border with Oman. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The Indian Meteorological Department, which tracks a cyclone heading toward the coast of Oman, says that country's city of Salalah is "expected to experience maximum wind and maximum rainfall and also the maximum storm surge." Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, an official at the department, says Cyclone Mekunu is now "located about 180 kilometers south south-east of Salalah," which is about 112 miles. The official says the cyclone's wind speed is at present about 160-170 kilometers per hour (100-106 miles per hour), coasting to about 190 kph, and was expected to continue at this speed till landfall over Oman. Streets are largely empty in the Omani coastal city of Salalah ahead of Cyclone Mekunu's expected landfall there this weekend. Heavy rains and strong winds are already lashing the city. Standing water covered some roads on Friday, causing at least one car to hydroplane and flip over. There was a sizable police presence on the road, many Royal Oman Police SUVs with chicken wire over the windows. The Port of Salalah has been closed, its cranes secured as rain pounded them. The cyclone is expected to make landfall early on Saturday near Salalah, Oman's third-largest city and home to some 200,000 people. Authorities in Oman have opened up local schools in the city of Salalah to shelter those whose homes are at risk as Cyclone Mekunu heads to the shores of this Arabian Peninsula country. About 600 people, mostly laborers, gathered on Friday at the city's West Salalah School as torrential rains poured down. Some slept on mattresses on the floors of classrooms, where math and English lesson posters hung on the walls. Shahid Kazmi, a worker from Pakistan's Kashmir region, told The Associated Press that police had moved him and others to the school. He acknowledged being a bit scared of the storm but said: "Inshallah, we are safe here." Meteorologists are warning that Cyclone Mekunu is expected to be "extremely severe" when it makes landfall on the Arabian Peninsula this weekend, after earlier thrashing the Yemeni island of Socotra. At least 17 people are missing from Socotra, with one Yemeni official describing them as likely dead. Indian meteorologists tracking the cyclone said early Friday that Mekunu would see gusts of up to 180 kilometers (112 miles) per hour. The cyclone is expected to make landfall early Saturday on the Arabian Peninsula near Salalah, Oman's third-largest city and home to some 200,000 people. Strong waves already are crashing into its beaches early Friday morning. On Socotra, Gov. Ramzy Mahrous says one ship sank and two others ran aground in the storm. He says of the missing: "We consider them dead." ||||| SALALAH, Oman -- A cyclone more powerful than any previously recorded in southern Oman slammed into the Gulf country and neighbouring Yemen on Saturday, deluging a major city with nearly three years' worth of rainfall in single day. The storm killed at least five people while more than 30 remain missing, officials said. Cyclone Mekunu caused flash flooding that tore away whole roadways and submerged others in Salalah, Oman's third-largest city, stranding drivers. Strong winds knocked over street lights and tore away roofing. Rushing waters from the rain and storm surges flooded typically dry creek beds. The holiday destination's now-empty tourist beaches were littered with debris and foam from the churning Arabian Sea. Three people, including a 12-year-old girl, died in Oman, and another two bodies were recovered from the Yemeni island of Socotra. More than 30 people were still missing in Socotra, including Yemeni, Indian and Sudanese nationals. Yemeni officials also reported damage in the country's far east, along the border with Oman. Rageh Bakrit, the governor of al-Mahra province, said on his official Twitter account late Friday that strong winds had blown down houses and taken out communication lines and water services. He said there were no fatalities in the province. India's Meteorological Department said the storm packed maximum sustained winds of 170-180 kilometres (105-111 miles) per hour with gusts of up to 200 kph (124 mph). It called the cyclone "extremely severe." Portions of Salalah, home to some 200,000 people, lost power as the cyclone made landfall. Branches and leaves littered the streets. Several underpasses became standing lakes. Some cars were left abandoned on the road. Electrical workers began trying to repair lines in the city while police and soldiers in SUVs patrolled the streets. On the outskirts of the city, near the Salalah International Airport, what once was a dry creek bed had become a raging river. The airport, closed since Thursday, will reopen early Sunday, Oman's Public Authority for Civil Aviation said. The Port of Salalah -- a key gateway for the country and for Qatar amid a regional diplomatic dispute -- remained closed, its cranes secured against the pounding rain and winds. Omani forecasters said Salalah and the surrounding area would get at least 200 millimeters (7.87 inches) of rain, over twice the city's annual downfall. It actually received 278.2 mm, nearly three times its annual rainfall. Authorities remained worried about flash flooding in the area's valleys and potential mudslides down its nearby cloud-shrouded mountains. In nearby Wadi Darbat, the storm's rains supercharged its famous waterfall. Police and others continued their rescue efforts even as the winds and rains calmed. Capt. Tarek al-Shanfari of the Royal Oman Police's public relations department said there had been at least three fatalities in the storm, including the death of a 12-year-old girl who was hit in the head by a door flung open by the wind. An Asian labourer died in a flooded valley and an Omani national in a 4x4 died when his vehicle was swept away, al-Shanfari said. On Socotra, authorities relocated over 230 families to sturdier buildings and other areas, including those more inland and in the island's mountains, Yemeni security officials said. Flash floods engulfed Socotra's streets, cutting electricity and communication lines. Some humanitarian aid from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates arrived on the island just hours after the cyclone receded. Yemeni security officials said rescuers recovered two bodies on Socotra, while more than 30 people remain missing. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters. The island, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, has been the focus of a dispute between the UAE and Yemen's internationally recognized government, which are ostensibly allied against Shiite rebels known as Houthis. Socotra has a unique ecosystem and is home to plants, snails and reptiles that can be found nowhere else. In Oman, Mohammed Omer Baomer warned his neighbours about a torn-away chunk of road just down the street from his home after earlier getting his SUV stuck over it. "It was a scary feeling, as if it was the end of world," he said of the cyclone. "You can't even go outside. You try to watch from the window and you can't." Yet even as Mekunu barrelled overhead, the eye of the storm provided a moment's respite early Saturday morning. At one luxury hotel in Salalah, which already had evacuated its guests, workers sat down early for "suhoor," a meal Muslims eat before sunrise during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. They laughed and shared plates by flashlight in a darkened ballroom, the cyclone's wind a dull roar behind their clatter. Associated Press writers Fay Abuelgasim in Salalah, Oman, and Ahmed al-Haj in Sanaa, Yemen, contributed to this report. ||||| SALALAH, Oman (AP) — Cyclone Mekunu will be "extremely severe" when it crashes into the Arabian Peninsula this weekend, meteorologists warned Friday, after earlier thrashing the Yemeni island of Socotra. At least 17 people are missing from Socotra, with one Yemeni official describing them as likely dead. The cyclone is expected to make landfall early Saturday near Salalah, Oman's third-largest city and home to some 200,000 people near the sultanate's border with war-ravaged Yemen. Conditions quickly deteriorated in Salalah after sunrise Friday, with winds and rain beginning to pick up. Strong waves smashed into empty tourist beaches. Many holidaymakers fled the storm Thursday night before Salalah International Airport closed. India's Meteorological Department said the storm in the Arabian Sea was packing maximum sustained winds of 160-170 kilometers (99-106 miles) per hour, with gusts of up to 180 kph (112 mph). On Socotra, Gov. Ramzy Mahrous said one ship sank and two others ran aground in the storm. The storm sent torrents of rain pouring through homes and streets, leaving residents soaking wet and trying to wade to safety. He said of the 17 missing: "We consider them dead." Yemen's self-exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in a statement ordered troops under his command on the island to help citizens, deliver supplies and reopen roads. The island, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, has been the focus of a dispute between the United Arab Emirates and Yemen's internationally recognized government amid that country's war after Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, seized the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Saudi troops recently deployed on Socotra as a confidence-building measure over complaints by Yemen's government that the UAE deployed troops there without its permission. Socotra has a unique ecosystem and is home to rare plants, snails and reptiles that can be found nowhere else on the planet. It is known for its flower-and-fruit bearing dragon blood tree, which resembles an umbrella and gets its name from the dark red sap it secretes. Salalah, the hometown of Oman's longtime ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, already began sandbagging low-lying doors and warning residents not to go into valleys for fears of flashing flooding. Oman sent rescue helicopters to remote villages in its Dhofar governorate to evacuate those who could be impacted by flooding or mudslides. It also evacuated the critically ill from Sultan Qaboos Hospital in Salalah, flying them north to Muscat, the country's capital. The port of Salalah, crucial to Qatar amid a boycott by four Arab nations over a diplomatic spat with Doha, said it also had taken precautions and secured cranes ahead of the cyclone. Seasonal rains are nothing unusual for southern Oman this time of year. While the rest of the Arabian Peninsula bakes in areas where temperatures near 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), those in the sleepy port city of Salalah enjoy rainy weather that sees fog and cool air wrap around its lush mountainsides. Temperatures drop down around 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) during its annual monsoon festival. Powerful cyclones, however, are rare. Over a roughly 100-year period ending in 1996, only 17 recorded cyclones struck Oman. In 2007, Cyclone Gonu tore through the sultanate and later even reached Iran, causing $4 billion in damage in Oman alone and killing over 70 people across the Mideast. The last hurricane-strength storm to strike within 160 kilometers (100 miles) of Salalah came in May 1959, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's archives. However, that cyclone was categorized as a Category 1 hurricane, meaning it only had winds of up to 152 kph (95 mph). A cyclone is the same as a hurricane or a typhoon; their names only change because of their location. Hurricanes are spawned east of the international date line. Typhoons develop west of the line and are known as cyclones in the Indian Ocean and Australia. Mekunu, which means "mullet" in Dhivehi, the language spoken in the Maldives, is on track to potentially be the same strength as a Category 2 hurricane at landfall. It also comes just days after Cyclone Sagar struck Somalia. His work can be found at http://apne.ws/2galNpz Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| Cyclone Mekunu has made landfall across the Arabian Peninsula, leaving at least five people dead and more than 30 missing, officials in Oman and Yemen said. Cyclone Mekunu has made landfall across the Arabian Peninsula, leaving at least five people dead and more than 30 missing, officials in Oman and Yemen said. Three people, including a 12-year-old girl, died in Oman, and another two bodies were recovered from the Yemeni island of Socotra, which bore the brunt of the storm, according to local officials in both countries. More than 30 people were still missing in Socotra, including Yemeni, Indian and Sudanese nationals. Social media updates from residents of #Salalah, #Oman show the damage by #CycloneMekunu. Uprooted trees, intense winds, heavy rainfall, floods - Salalah is witnessing the worst of the #storm at the moment.#Mekunu_Cyclone #Mekunu #Hurricane pic.twitter.com/aN8rqd5Ab4 — StormTracker India (@StormTrackerIn) May 25, 2018 Yemeni officials also reported damage in the country’s far east, along the border with Oman. Rageh Bakrit, the governor of al-Mahra province, said on his official Twitter account late on Friday that strong winds had blown down houses and taken out communication lines and water services. India’s Meteorological Department said the storm packed maximum sustained winds of 170-180 kilometres (105-111 miles) per hour with gusts of up to 200 kph (124 mph). It called the cyclone “extremely severe”. Across Salalah, branches and leaves littered the streets. Several underpasses became standing lakes. Some cars were left abandoned on the road. Electrical workers began trying to repair lines in the city while police and soldiers in 4x4s patrolled the streets. Many holidaymakers fled the storm on Thursday night before the airport closed. The Port of Salalah — a key gateway for the country — also closed, its cranes secured against the pounding rain. Omani forecasters warned Salalah and the surrounding area would get at least 200 millimetres (7.87 inches) of rain, over twice the city’s annual downfall. Strengthening tropical cyclone #Mekunu in the Arabian Sea is expected to cause dangerous flooding in #Yemen and #Oman this weekend. Here's the latest infrared satellite imagery of the storm, from Meteosat-8. More: https://t.co/Ien7znHyPx pic.twitter.com/yTzOaaghBi — NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) May 23, 2018 Authorities remained worried about flash flooding in the area’s valleys and potential mudslides down nearby mountains. As torrential rains poured down on Friday, authorities opened schools to shelter those whose homes are at risk. About 600 people, mostly labourers, huddled at the West Salalah School, some sleeping on mattresses on the floors of classrooms. On Socotra, authorities relocated over 230 families to sturdier buildings and other areas, including those more inland and in the island’s mountains, Yemeni security officials said. Flash floods engulfed Socotra streets, cutting electricity and communication lines. Some humanitarian aid from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates arrived on the island just hours after the cyclone receded. Socotra Gov Ramzy Mahrous said one ship sank and two others ran aground in the storm, initially saying authorities believed 17 people were missing and presumed dead. Yemen’s self-exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi issued a statement ordering troops under his command on the island to help citizens, deliver supplies and reopen roads. ||||| SALALAH, Oman (AP) — Cyclone Mekunu blew into the Arabian Peninsula early Saturday, drenching arid Oman and Yemen, cutting off power lines and leaving at least five people dead and more than 30 missing, officials said. Portions of Salalah, Oman's third-largest city, lost electricity as the cyclone made landfall. The Arabian Sea churned Saturday morning, sending mounds of sea foam into the air. The waves ate into one tourist beach, pulling hunks of it away and toppling thatch umbrellas cemented into the sand. As Mekunu barreled overhead, the eye of the storm provided a moment's respite. At one luxury hotel, which already had evacuated its guests, workers sat down early for "suhoor," a meal Muslims eat before sunrise during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. They laughed and shared plates by flashlight in a darkened ballroom, the cyclone's wind a dull roar behind their clatter. Three people, including a 12-year-old girl, died in Oman, and another two bodies were recovered from the Yemeni island of Socotra, which bore the brunt of the storm, according to local officials in both countries. More than 30 people were still missing in Socotra, including Yemeni, Indian and Sudanese nationals. Yemeni officials also reported damage in the country's far east, along the border with Oman. Rageh Bakrit, the governor of al-Mahra province, said on his official Twitter account late Friday that strong winds had blown down houses and taken out communication lines and water services. He did not say whether there were any casualties. India's Meteorological Department said the storm packed maximum sustained winds of 170-180 kilometers (105-111 miles) per hour with gusts of up to 200 kph (124 mph). It called the cyclone "extremely severe." Across Salalah, branches and leaves littered the streets. Several underpasses became standing lakes. Some cars were left abandoned on the road. Electrical workers began trying to repair lines in the city while police and soldiers in SUVs patrolled the streets. On the outskirts of the city, near the Salalah International Airport, what once was a dry creek bed had become a raging river. Many holidaymakers fled the storm Thursday night before the airport closed. The Port of Salalah — a key gateway for the country — also closed, its cranes secured against the pounding rain. Omani forecasters warned Salalah and the surrounding area would get at least 200 millimeters (7.87 inches) of rain, over twice the city's annual downfall. Authorities remained worried about flash flooding in the area's valleys and potential mudslides down its nearby cloud-shrouded mountains. A sizable police presence fanned out across the city, the hometown of Oman's longtime ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Many officers rode in Royal Oman Police SUVs with chicken wire over the windows, likely because their other vehicles weren't tall enough to maneuver through the floodwater. "Of course, for the citizen there is going to be a sense of fear of the consequences that can happen," said Brig. Gen. Mohsin bin Ahmed al-Abri, the commander of Dhofar governorate's police. "We have been through a few similar cases and there were losses in properties and also in human life as well. But one has to take precautions and work on that basis." As torrential rains poured down on Friday, authorities opened schools to shelter those whose homes are at risk. About 600 people, mostly laborers, huddled at the West Salalah School, some sleeping on mattresses on the floors of classrooms, where math and English lesson posters hung on the walls. Shahid Kazmi, a worker from Pakistan's Kashmir region, told The Associated Press that police moved him and others to the school. He said he was a bit scared adding: "God willing, we are safe here." On Socotra, authorities relocated over 230 families to sturdier buildings and other areas, including those more inland and in the island's mountains, Yemeni security officials said. Flash floods engulfed Socotra streets, cutting electricity and communication lines. Some humanitarian aid from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates arrived on the island just hours after the cyclone receded. Socotra Gov. Ramzy Mahrous said one ship sank and two others ran aground in the storm, initially saying authorities believed 17 people were missing and presumed dead. Yemen's self-exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi issued a statement ordering troops under his command on the island to help citizens, deliver supplies and reopen roads. The island, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, has been the focus of a dispute between the UAE and Yemen's internationally recognized government, which are ostensibly allied against Shiite rebels known as Houthis. Socotra has a unique ecosystem and is home to rare plants, snails and reptiles that can be found nowhere else on the planet. Associated Press writers Fay Abuelgasim in Salalah, Oman, Ahmed al-Haj in Sanaa, Yemen, and Menna Zaki in Cairo contributed to this report. His work can be found at http://apne.ws/2galNpz
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Cyclone Mekunu makes landfall near Salalah, Oman, killing at least five people with 30 others reported missing. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), maximum sustained winds of 170–180 kilometres per hour (106–112 mph) have been recorded, equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane. The storm is moving north toward Saudi Arabia.
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A 3D-printed YouTube icon is seen in front of a displayed YouTube logo in this illustration taken October 25, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Ilustration CAIRO - 26 May 2018: The Supreme Administrative Court rejected an appeal on Saturday against banning YouTube in Egypt for one month.The National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) and Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) have appealed against the Administrative Court’s decision to ban YouTube in Egypt for one month upon a lawsuit filed by lawyer Mohamed Hamed Salem.Salem had requested banning YouTube in Egypt, as he objected to viewing a video insulting to Prophet Muhammad.In its appeal, NTRA emphasized the difficulty of banning the video-sharing website in Egypt.The court’s ruling was suspended pending adjudication.It is not the first time the NTRA was unable to ban an internet platform, as it couldn’t ban the White Whale app due to technical difficulties. ||||| CAIRO, Egypt – Egypt's top administrative court ordered authorities on Saturday, May 26, to block video-sharing website YouTube in the country for a month, after a years-long appeals process over a film denigrating Islam's Prophet Mohammed, a judicial official said. A lower court had ordered the video sharing site be blocked in 2013 after it carried the video "Innocence of Muslims", but the case was appealed by Egypt's National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and its ruling was stayed. The 2012 amateurish film depicts the Prophet Mohammed as a buffoon and a paedophile, and sparked a wave of angry anti-American protests across the Middle East in which more than 30 people were killed. Washington sought to keep a lid on the demonstrations by saying the controversial film was made privately with no official backing. US officials said freedom of speech laws prevented them from stopping the production of inflammatory material. The ruling is considered final and cannot be appealed. As of Saturday afternoon, YouTube was still accessible in Cairo. – Rappler.com ||||| Egypt’s top administrative court on Saturday ordered authorities to block video sharing website YouTube for a month over a film that allegedly denigrates Prophet Muhammad, reported AFP. The ruling on Saturday ends a seven-year-long appeal process over the release of Innocence of Muslims, a 14-minute video produced by by Nakoula Basseley Nakoula that mocks the Prophet Muhammad. In 2013, a lower administrative court had ordered that the website be blocked, but the case was appealed and its ruling stayed during the appeal process, reported Reuters. The ruling was then appealed before the a higher administrative court which issued the latest verdict. The video sparked a wave of protests in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, in which more than 30 people were killed. Since then, demonstrations have erupted in more than two dozen countries, including a protest at the US consulate in Chennai. ||||| Egypt's top administrative court has ordered authorities to block the video-sharing website YouTube for a month for hosting a short film that denigrated the Prophet Muhammad. The ruling on Saturday ended a years-long appeals process over the 2012 film, Innocence of Muslims, which depicts the prophet in a negative light. Mohamed Hamid Salem, a lawyer who filed the case in 2013, told the Reuters news agency the court's decision also ordered all links that broadcast the film be blocked. A lower administrative court had ordered YouTube be blocked in 2013 over the video, but Egypt's National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority appealed and it remained available during the appeal process. Innocence of Muslims, a low-budget 13-minute video, was billed as a film trailer and made in California with private funding. It provoked a wave of anti-American unrest that turned deadly in Egypt and other Muslim countries when it appeared in 2012. Washington sought to keep a lid on the demonstrations by saying the controversial film was made privately with no official backing. US officials said freedom of speech laws prevented them from stopping the production of inflammatory material. The top administrative court's ruling is considered final and cannot be appealed. ||||| Since its inception over a decade ago, a number of countries have placed temporary bans on YouTube, usually due to objections over certain content. Joining this list is Egypt, which is about to block the video streaming site for a month—a punishment for showing the controversial 2012 video “The Innocence of Muslims.” The 14-minute clip, which a consultant said was a “trailer” for a full-length film that was only shown once at rented theatre in Hollywood, caused outrage in Arab and Muslim nations when it arrived on YouTube in 2012. The US-made video's portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad as a pedophile and buffoon resulted in anti-American protests around the world that resulted in injuries and even deaths. Law experts said the government could not prosecute the film’s producers because of US freedom of speech laws. In 2013, Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology was ordered to block YouTube by a lower administrative court over the video, but the case had been stuck in the appeals process ever since. Reuters reports that the ministry said at the time such action would disrupt Google's search engine and could incur potentially huge costs and job losses in Egypt. Now, the country’s top administrative court has ordered the month-long ban. Pakistan was another country to ban YouTube as a result of the video. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority ordered access blocked in 2012. The block wasn’t officially lifted until 2016 when YouTube launched a local version of the site. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sudan also blocked the service over YouTube’s failure to remove the clip. Most of the video’s anti-Islamic content was dubbed over the original cast's spoken lines. Those involved with the film have disavowed it. The Egyptian ban is considered final and cannot be appealed. The ruling states that all links to the film also be blocked. As of Saturday afternoon, YouTube was still accessible in the country’s capital city, Cairo. ||||| Egypt's top administrative court ordered on 26 May to block YouTube streaming website for one month over hosting a video that denigrates Prophet Muhammad of Islam, the Egyptian lawyer who filed the lawsuit said. "The ruling is final, unappealable and enforceable," Xinhua quoted lawyer Mohamed Hamed Salem as saying. A lower administrative court has previously ordered the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) to do so, but the latter appealed against the ruling, citing it was hard to implement. The top administrative court rejected the NTRA appeal on 26 May and upheld the temporary ban as a final, unappealable ruling. The lawsuit dates back to 2013 when the Egyptian lawyer demanded to ban YouTube in Egypt until the offensive clip on Prophet Muhammad and other anti-Islamic videos are removed. "The ruling is a punishment for YouTube website that will cost it massive economic losses," Salem said. Privately funded and produced in California, the controversial video first appeared on YouTube in 2012, raising a wave of anti-American outrage in the Muslim world where Prophet Muhammad is highly revered. The lawyer said that "the offensive video" led some fanatic Islamists to assault the US and British embassies in Cairo at the time. It is unclear how the temporary ban will be implemented, as YouTube was still working in Egypt until 26 May evening. "The NTRA is responsible for implementing the ban and there is no technical difficulty to do so," the lawyer said, warning "I will file a lawsuit against the NTRA chief if the ban is not implemented." ||||| A lower court had ordered the video sharing site be blocked in 2013 after it carried the video “Innocence of Muslims”, but the case was appealed by Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and its ruling was stayed. The 2012 amateurish film depicts the Prophet Mohammed as a buffoon and a paedophile, and sparked a wave of angry anti-American protests across the Middle East in which more than 30 people were killed. Washington sought to keep a lid on the demonstrations by saying the controversial film was made privately with no official backing. US officials said freedom of speech laws prevented them from stopping the production of inflammatory material. The ruling is considered final and cannot be appealed. As of Saturday afternoon, YouTube was still accessible in Cairo. ||||| CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt’s top administrative court ruled on Saturday that regulators must block the video file-sharing site YouTube for one month over a video that denigrates the Prophet Mohammad, a lawyer who filed the case told Reuters. A lower administrative court had ordered that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology block YouTube, owned by Google, in 2013 over the video, but the case was appealed and its ruling stayed during the appeal process. The ministry at the time said it would be impossible to enforce the ruling without also disrupting Google’s Internet search engine, incurring potentially huge costs and job losses in the Arab world’s most populous country. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology was not immediately available for comment. YouTube appeared to be working in Egypt on Saturday as of 1250 GMT. The film “Innocence of Muslims”, a low-budget 13-minute video, was billed as a film trailer and made in California with private funding. It provoked a wave of anti-American unrest in Egypt and other Muslim countries when it appeared in 2012. Mohamed Hamid Salem, a lawyer who filed the case in 2013, said the ruling also orders that all links that broadcast the film be blocked. The ruling is considered final and cannot be appealed. ||||| Egypt’s highest administrative court ordered authorities to ban YouTube for a month Saturday, following a 2012 anti-Islamic video on the self-broadcasting platform that denigrated Prophet Muhammad. The decision came as part of a verdict, pending for the last five years, after a case was filed against YouTube in 2013. The lawsuit was filed after the online video streaming site allowed a short film called “Innocence of Muslims,” which showed Prophet Muhammad as a buffoon and a pedophile, the Guardian reported. Apart from YouTube, all the online links through which Egyptian people can view the video in question, were ordered to be blocked as well. The controversial film triggered a wave of anti-American protests in the Middle East, resulting in the deaths of more than 30 people. Protesters filed a case against YouTube, calling for a ban – a case that has hung in limbo for the last five years due to repeated appeals. Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) was the first to appeal against the verdict given in the case after a lower court ordered the video-sharing site to be blocked. Prosecuting lawyer Mohamed Hamed, who had filed the lawsuit, said that the NTRA will not be able to stop the verdict this time as the “ruling is final, unappealable and enforceable.” “The ruling is a punishment for YouTube website that will cost it massive economic losses," he added, Khaleej Times reported. “The NTRA is responsible for implementing the ban and there is no technical difficulty to do so. I will file a lawsuit against the NTRA chief if the ban is not implemented.” It is not clear from when the ban is scheduled to go into effect. In order to be sensitive to the violent demonstrations that erupted in various parts of Egypt, following the anti-Islamic video, as well as to uphold the rights of citizen and media to express themselves, the White House chose to walk a middle path at the time. Governmental official clarified that the video was privately funded and produced in California, with no official backing. They also tried to request Google to pull the low-budget movie from YouTube, a request that went unheeded. "We've restricted access to it in countries where it is illegal such as India and Indonesia, as well as in Libya and Egypt, given the very sensitive situations in these two countries," Google's simply said in a statement at the time. "This approach is entirely consistent with principles we first laid out in 2007." According to Engadget, the ruling might not have the same effect as it could have had back in 2013. Although the verdict is final and cannot be appealed or overturned, it has been reduced to almost a symbolic punishment at this point, rather than a bid to make YouTube change its ways. YouTube itself has amended its ways, revising its policy multiple times to be stricter in vetting out offensive or inappropriate content. For example, between October and December 2017, YouTube removed 8.3 million videos, according to the platform's community guidelines enforcement report. The company said that it was releasing the quarterly enforcement report in order to "show the progress [it's] making in removing violative content from [its] platform,” after facing considerable criticism from users about the type of content masquerading as kid-friendly on its website. ||||| In 2012, a 14-minute trailer named "Innocence of Muslims" was uploaded on YouTube. Lawyer Mohamed Salem filed a case to an Egyptian lower court to block the website, as he claims the video insult Muslim beliefs. He also urged to ban all Anti-Islam websites. In 2013, the court ruled to ban YouTube. The 14-minute trailer to "Innocence of Muslims" attracted little attention until September 2012, when portions of the movie were broadcasted by the local television network in Egypt. The privately produced in the US movie "Innocence of Muslims" has triggered widespread protests in the Muslim world. In Libya, they led to an attack on the US consulate that left US Envoy Christopher Stevens and three other American embassy staff dead.
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Egypt's top administrative court upholds a 2013 lower court ruling on the short film Innocence of Muslims. The court orders authorities to block YouTube for a month. An official says the movie denigrates Islam's prophet Muhammad.
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Real won their third consecutive Champions League on an emotional night that will be remembered for Mo Salah’s heartbreak, Gareth Bale’s amazing goal and two hideous mistakes by Loris Karius ||||| Real Madrid go for their record third straight title of the Champions League era, but they must get by the highest-scoring team in the tournament's history in Liverpool. Real Madrid play for their third consecutive UEFA Champions League title — which would be a record in the Champions League era — but to win it, they must get past Liverpool, the team that scored more goals than any team ever to play in the Europe’s elite tournament, as the UEFA Champions League Final will live stream from 70,000-seat Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex in Kiev, Ukraine on Saturday. Liverpool scored a stunning 46 goals with 10 of them coming from Premier League scoring champion Mo Salah, the major reason the Reds who finished fourth on the domestic table will play in their first Champions League Final in 11 years. But Liverpool remains the most successful English team on the European stage, with five continent-wide championships. But only one of those came in the Champions League era, which began in 1992, when Liverpool defeated AC Milan in 2004. The English side returned to the Champions League Final three years later, but fell to Milan in that title match. Liverpool enters this contest tipped as underdogs by the oddsmakers, which seems unsurprising given that they are facing the reigning, back-to-back European champions — a club that has a record 12 European championships in their trophy case. To find out how to watch alive stream of the Real Madrid vs. Liverpool 2018 UEFA Champions League Final, see the streaming instructions at the bottom of this article. Kickoff for the biggest game of the year in European soccer is scheduled for 9:45 p.m. Eastern European Summer Time at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine, on Saturday, May 26. In the United Kingdom, that start time will be 7:45 p.m. British Summer Time, while fans in the United States can log in to the live stream at 2:25 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, or 11:45 a.m. Pacific. While Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has a chance to win his fifth UEFA Champions League title, more than any other single player since 1992, Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp is battling a personal curse. Klopp has been on the losing end of his last five championship final matches in all tournaments. But Klopp says his side enters the game with full confidence in their ability to send the defending champs home on the losing side. “Experience is very important and I’m pretty sure a second before the game Madrid will be more confident than us. But it doesn’t matter because the game doesn’t stop there, it only starts,” Klopp said. “They’ve not played us and we are Liverpool — not only a good football team, but we have in our DNA to go for big things.” Watch a “by the numbers” preview of the Real Madrid vs Liverpool 2018 UEFA Champions League Final in the video below. To watch a live stream of the Real Madrid vs. Liverpool FC UEFA Champions League Final match, use the stream provided by Fox Sports Go at this link. Bear in mind that accessing the Fox Sports Go live stream requires login credentials from a cable or satellite TV provider subscription. To watch the spectacular Real Madrid vs. Liverpool UEFA Champions League Final showdown stream live for free without a cable subscription, fans should sign up for a free trial of an “over the top” streaming TV package such as Sling TV at this link, YouTube TV at this link, or DirecTV Now, which can be accessed by clicking here. All three of the “internet TV” services require credit card information and subscription fees — but they all offer seven-day free trial periods, and if the subscription is canceled prior to the expiration of that free week, fans can watch the Real Madrid vs. Liverpool match live stream at no charge. In the U.K., a live stream of the Real Madrid vs. Liverpool match will be carried by BT Sport, and may be accessed inside the U.K. only, at this link. ||||| Two European powerhouses meet Saturday at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine, when defending champion Real Madrid face Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League title match. Real Madrid are seeking their third-straight Champions League title and their fourth in the last five years. No team has won the tournament more times (12), but Liverpool are tied for the third most titles (5) and have reached the final seven times. Liverpool and Real Madrid met in the 1981 European Cup final in Paris, with the English side coming out on top, 1-0, in the last time Real Madrid lost in the European championship. It should be a fast-paced match, as Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp are expected to field attack-minded starting lineups. Rafael Benitez, who coached both clubs, said he expects "an interesting final." He cited Real Madrid's "experience" and "quality" in wins over Juventus and Bayern Munich, while he credits Liverpool for "intensity, quality and pace." Los Blancos have some of the biggest stars in the world, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric to go along with a veteran defense that includes stalwarts Sergio Ramos and Marcelo. The Reds boast an emerging star in Mohamed Salah along with forwards Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, as well as a strong central defense that includes Virgin van Dijk and Dejan Lovren. The key matchup might be along the right flank, as Marcelo will be tasked with containing Salah. Star winger Gareth Bale and Marco Asensio are expected to come off the bench for Zidane's squad, while Klopp can go with Danny Ings and Dominic Solanke. Liverpool will be without defender Joe Gomez and winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. ||||| Real Madrid and Liverpool are set to do battle in the Champions League final at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine. Two of Europe’s giants will face each other tomorrow in what promises to be an eventful affair. SEE MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo vs Mohamed Salah stats: The head-to-head statistics ahead of the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool Real Madrid are looking to create history by winning the Champions League for an third year in a row whilst Liverpool will be competing their first final for over a decade. The Champions League is Europe’s elite competition and it is awash with money. With increasing commercial revenue and huge television deals – we look at the Champions League prize money. What could Liverpool and Real Madrid potentially earn should they win? We have the details here. What is the Champions League prize money? UEFA said that an estimated €1,318.9m is set to be distributed among the clubs participating in the Champions League and Super Cup during the 2017/18 season. The 32 clubs in the group stage of the competition were given a guaranteed minimum amount of €12.7m, along with €1.5m for each win and €500k for each draw. Prize money continues to increase throughout the competition with quarter finalists earning €6.5m and semi-final teams receiving €7.5m. The runner-up team in the Champions League will receive €11m, with the winner being awarded €15.5m meaning a potential total of €57.2m in prize money for the eventual winner. When is the Champions League final 2018? The 2017-18 Champions League final will take place on 26 May, 2018. Where is the Champions League final 2018? The match will be played at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine. The stadium hosted the Euro 2012 final and holds a maximum capacity of 63,000 – the second largest in eastern Europe. ||||| A thrilling run inspired by Mohamed Salah has taken Liverpool to Saturday's Champions League final in Kiev against Real Madrid, where now Jurgen Klopp's side must stop the Spanish giants from winning the trophy for the third year running. Real have seen this as their competition ever since winning the first five European Cups in a row, and this is another golden era for them, in which they are dreaming of making it a fourth Champions League in five years. Neither Atletico Madrid (twice) nor Juventus have been able to stop Cristiano Ronaldo from inflicting pain on them in recent finals. When will the Real Madrid vs Liverpool Champions League final be played? The Real Madrid vs Liverpool Champions League final will be played on Sunday, May 27, 2018 (IST). Where will the Real Madrid vs Liverpool Champions League final be played? The Real Madrid vs Liverpool Champions League final will be played at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine. How do I watch the Real Madrid vs Liverpool Champions League final live? The Real Madrid vs Liverpool Champions League final will be telecast live on the Sony Network. What time does the Real Madrid vs Liverpool Champions League final start? The live telecast of the Real Madrid vs Liverpool Champions League final will begin at 12:15 am IST. Where can you follow the Real Madrid vs Liverpool Champions League final match online? The Real Madrid vs Liverpool Champions League final will be streamed live on Sony LIV. ||||| Champions League final: What TV channel is the Champions League final on? Real Madrid and Liverpool meet in Kiev for the biggest club prize in European football. Real Madrid are hoping to land a 13th European Cup and win their third Champions League in a row. Liverpool meanwhile could win their sixth, extending their record as the most successful British team in the competition. Liverpool arrived in Kiev on Thursday and were greeted by fans, although some were having trouble getting over after flights were cancelled. Champions League final - what TV channel is it on? The Champions League final is being broadcast live on BT Sport 2. ||||| Real Madrid are looking to make history and win the Champions League for the third straight season. But Liverpool are standing in their way as the lethal Mohamed Salah looks for even more goals in Kiev. REAL MADRID VS LIVERPOOL LIVE: UPDATES FROM THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL All eyes will be on the Egyptian as well as Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in the Olympic Stadium. And here's how you can watch all the action for free on YouTube. ||||| Real Madrid meet Liverpool in Saturday night's Champions League final in Kiev and for nine specific onlookers, it will be a case of divided loyalties. That is the number of players there are to have donned both the white and the red of two of Europe's most fabled clubs. Here, Sportsmail reflects on who they are and what they achieved from Madrid to Merseyside. A Champions League winner both at Liverpool and Madrid but it'd surely be the miraculous 2005 final in Istanbul with the Reds that would edge it for Alonso. He scored Liverpool's third goal - the equaliser - from a rebound after missing a penalty. The Spain midfielder had five years at Liverpool before moving back to his homeland with Madrid for six seasons. 'I have feelings for both clubs,' Alonso said ahead of the final. 'I was lucky enough to win this trophy with both clubs so for me it's difficult to pick one and I will be happy whatever happens.' Anelka's time at Real Madrid was unsurprisingly awry; he didn't score in the first five months and had a bust-up with manager Vicente del Bosque but found the net in both legs of Madrid's Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich and started in the final in Paris against Valencia, which Madrid won 3-0. He only ever played for Liverpool on loan, joining in December 2001 and impressed until the end of the season. But curiously, Reds boss Gerard Houllier opted to sign El-Hadji Diouf in the summer of 2002 instead. Arbeloa began his career at Real Madrid but only made a couple of first-team appearances before leaving for Dpeortivo La Coruna in 2006. He was signed by Rafa Benitez a year later and his Liverpool first start came away to Barcelona in the Champions League. Benitez fielded him at left-back rather than his usual right to negate Messi cutting inside on his left foot. The plan worked, Liverpool won 2-1 and eventually progressed into the quarter-final. Arbeloa returned to Madrid from Anfield in 2009 and spent seven years there, winning La Liga once and the Champions League twice. At Liverpool, Dudek will forever be a hero for his display in the 2005 Champions League final. Not only did he pull off a wonder save from point-blank range to deny Andriy Shevchenko in extra time, but he replicated Bruce Grobelaar's wobbly legs in the penalty shoot-out to seal Liverpool's fifth and latest Champions League title. Pepe Reina's arrival that summer demoted Dudek to No 2 and he left Liverpool for Madrid ahead of the 2007-08 season, arriving as back-up to Iker Casillas. He played for Madrid for three seasons and worked under Jose Mourinho before leaving in 2011. McManaman left Liverpool for Spain on a free transfer in 1999 and starred in their Champions League final victory over Valencia in 2000, before lifting the trophy again two years later when Madrid defeated Bayer Leverkusen in Hampden. Despite the success of his time in Madrid, McManaman will be supporting his boyhood side at the weekend and believes the three-pronged attack of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane can prove the difference. 'They know whether they are watching quality or rubbish,' McManaman said about Liverpool fans. 'But, right now, they are seeing quality. Of course they can win it. With that front three? Dear me.' At Madrid, Morientes partnered Raul in attack during eight trophy-laden years at the Santiago Bernabeu. He had three Champions League titles and two La Liga medals when he arrived at Anfield, via a loan spell at Monaco, in January 2005. He started brilliantly in England, following up a fabulous first goal in a 2-1 comeback win against Charlton with a towering header against Fulham at Anfield. But from then on, he struggled for goals. When he left Liverpool in 2007 for Valencia, his record was 12 goals in 61 games. Synonymous with Liverpool, where he scored 158 goals in 297 games after bursting into the first-team as a 17-year-old. He won the European Footballer of the Year gong in 2001, the then equivalent of today's Ballon d'Or. Owen departed Liverpool for Madrid for £8million plus Antonio Nunez in 2004, the summer Benitez became Liverpool boss, with a year left on his contract. In a solitary season in Spain, he scored 15 goals in 40 matches before returning to the Premier League with Newcastle. 'I loved playing at Real Madrid,' Owen told Marca. ' I think I started 20 games, and I was substitute for the same amount. But it was almost impossible for anyone to play all the minutes of all the matches with Raul, Ronaldo, Morientes.' Nunez joined Liverpool's Spanish revolution from Madrid when Owen headed to Spain in 2004. First-team chances were hard to come at Real. At Liverpool, he made 27 appearances, mainly as a substitute, in his only season in England but played in some key games such as the 3-1 victory over Olympiakos in the Champions League, featuring that wonder goal by Steven Gerrard. He also scored in Liverpool's 3-2 League Cup final defeat by Chelsea. He left Liverpool at the end of the season for Celta Vigo. The Turkey midfielder exited Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund in May 2011 for La Liga, but struggled to settle at the Bernabeu. Injuries hampered his first season under Mourinho and it was announced the following summer that he was joining Liverpool, managed by Brendan Rodgers, on loan for the 2012-13 season. He lasted until December, his loan terminated after 12 games and three goals, and he rejoined Dortmund in January 2013, where he remains to this today. ||||| While the rest of Ireland is taking in the results of the 8th Referendum, there's another event sure to be on a lot of peoples' minds too - Liverpool v Real Madrid in this evening's UEFA Champions League Final in Kiev. True to form, there's lads from Dundalk in Ukraine ahead of the final. We received the above photo from Richie Watters and Declan McArdel, who are savouring the atmosphere ahead of tonight's big clash. ||||| 76- It's all Liverpool now, keeping the ball. They really need to carve out a chance soon. For now, Real are holding their ground well. 73- Up the other end, Ronaldo is denied by a perfect last-ditch tackle from Andrew Robertson. 71- Liverpool need a goal and quickly, Klopp's side are seeing plenty of the ball. Just no cutting edge in the final third. Firmino fires the ball against Casemiro. The calls are waved away by the referee. 70- Liverpool push forward. Mane has a shot from just outside the box which hits the post. So close! 66- That was an inspired sub by Zidane. Just seeing a replay of the goal, that's a once in a lifetime hit. It's like a goal you would score in FIFA. Crazy! 62- Goal! Ohhh My Goodness! What a goal! What was that?!? Marcello with the cross, Gareth Bale with a left-footed overhead kick which arches into the net. I'm not sure if he means it, but it's a sublime goal! 2-1 Real Madrid. 61- Fresh from that chance, Isco is off. He is replaced by Gareth Bale. 60- Chance for Real! Isco with a snapshot. Karius pulls off a good save to push the ball out for a corner, which is wasted. 59- The Liverpool fans have perked up! Real Madrid are seeing a little more of the ball! That won't stop the noise of the Liverpool fans. 54- GOAL! 1-1 Liverpool are back in it! Deep cross to Lovern who nods towards the goal, Mane is on hand to knock the ball into the net. Karius's blushes are saved for now! 53- It's canny play from Benzema. Liverpool needs to get back into this and fast. Milner knocks in a perfect cross, which just misses an unmarked Firmino at the back post. 50- Goal! Benzema! Well, that's a bizarre one! Ball back to Karius, who attempts a throw Benzema sticks a foot out, and the ball trickles into the net. Los Blancos have a 1-0 lead! Strange! 49- Firmino steps on Marcello's toes. Que a frown from the Madrid wingback. 47- Crossbar! Isco hits the woodwork! Karius is out quickly, but the Spaniard's shot smashes against the crossbar. That was a let-off for Liverpool! Peep! Real Madrid get the second half started! Who will win the 2018 Champions League? We should find out in the next 45 or so minutes. Peep- Half-Time 0-0 finely poised this! The loss of Salah is a major, major loss for Liverpool. Still, Real Madrid grew in confidence in the second half. Liverpool needs some team-talk to get them ready for the second half. Join me in 15! 45+2 Benzema has a crack from distance. His shot skips past the left-hand post. 45- Three minutes of Extra Time in the first half. 44- Real go close again! A perfect crossfield pass finds Natcho on the right wing. His first-time shot hits the side netting. 42- Real have the ball in the net! It's disallowed. Ronaldo leaps like a salmon and heads towards goal, Karius saves well. Benzema knocks in the rebound, but he's offside. Close for Los Blancos. 40- Real Madrid are seeing more of the ball now, Liverpool are working well as a team defensively. That team talk from is going to be big! 34- Now it's injury woe for Real Madrid. Carvajal kops a kick on the ankle from Robertson. The wingback is in tears, his match is over. Nacho is on in his stead. That could be his World Cup over. 33- Understandably Liverpool is a little flat now. You've got to feel for Salah. 31- That is a massive blow for Liverpool, Real Madrid look to take advantage. Benzema has a shot, but Robertson diligently clears the ball. 30- Salah comes on, and gets another knock on his shoulder. The Egyptian is in tears. This does not look good for the Reds. He's coming off. What shame. Adam Lallana is on in his place. 27- Meanwhile, Mane does well on the left wing wins a corner from nothing for Liverpool. 25- Hold your breath Liverpool fans, because Mo Salah is injured. It looks like a knocked shoulder after a clash with Sergio Ramos. He's off for treatment. 22- Two chances for Liverpool! First Firmino's shot is blocked by Ramos. Alexander-Arnold latches onto the rebound, but Navas is equal to it pulling off a good save to keep the shot from the youngster out. 20- Everyone seems to have settled into the game now. Meanwhile, the Liverpool fans are making a hell of a noise. 18- Up the other end, Liverpool wins a corner van Dijk leaps for it and knocks down Navas. Freekick for Real Madrid. 15- That was close for Real! Carvajal knocks the ball to Ronaldo on the right wing, his scampering run takes him into the box where he unleashes a fierce shot, thankfully for Liverpool fans its just over. A sighter for the Portuguese striker. 13- Liverpool with intent in the Madrid box and quite can't get a shot away, eventually, it's recycled to Alexander-Arnold his cross is punched away by Navas. It's an impressive start from the Redmen. 11- Benzema looks like he might have a knock. He's certainly walking gingerly. More information when I get it. 10- Marcello has a crack from distance, which goes well wide. That's the first shot in anger from Los Blancos tonight. 7- Liverpool has started well here. Salah passes to Firmino who heads the ball into the path of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Navas rushes out to gather the ball. 5- Sneaky from James Milner, a short pass to Salah who attempts to shoot from distance. Real Madrid is wise to it, and block the ball. 4- Marcello knocks down Salah in a dangerous position. No card for the fullback. Millner lurks over the ball with intent. 2- Real Hit back, Carvajal knocks in a cross to Isco, Karius comes out to punch the ball but Isco was offside. What a cracking start! 1-Breakneck start from Liverpool, as Salah gets played through early. Verane gets the tackle in. Peep! James Milner of Liverpool gets us underway! Right! Nearly game time! You can watch all the action vie beIN SPORTS CONNECT. Let's go! A bit of Dua Lipa to get the fans pumped ahead of the game. I'm a big fan. The big trophy is out. With legendary Ukranian striker Andriy Shevchenko doing the duties. Good news! Plenty of Liverpool fans in Kiev for the final! They are outnumbering the Madrid fans tonight! They are going to have to make this a home game if the Redmen are to come away with the European Cup. Penny for Gareth Bale's thoughts tonight. He's on the bench again for Real Madrid. I wonder if he'll grab a goal later on? As ever! We have everything covered for you on beIN SPORTS for tonight. English, Arabic, French commentary is all available! You can watch it wall via beIN SPORTS CONNECT! Over in the studio, and John Collins feels that Gareth Bale being on the bench is a huge boost for Liverpool. Plenty of good stuff on the beIN SPORTS website ahead of kick-off. First up, a rather nice photo gallery of some of the build-up from Kiev. Why not have a read up on Liverpool's main man Mo Salah, and how he is on the brink of firing to Liverpool to Champions glory tonight. Finally, Real Madrid is aiming to lift a record thirteenth European Cup, relive how they won the previous twelve in this write-up. Liverpool team news! No major chances for Klopp's side who keep with Firmino, Mane & Salah as a front three. Good news for Liverpool, Can & Lallana is fit enough to make the bench. TEAM NEWS! We have the team news in! First up Real Madrid, who are aiming for a third straight Champions League title tonight. Bale is on the bench, after impressing in recent weeks in the league. Carvajal and Isco return after missing out in the semi-final against Bayern. Real Madrid's dressing room is primed for the players tonight! Team news for Los Blancos is coming up as we get it. The teams are here! Just a few hours away from kick-off in Kiev now! Hello! Good evening! It's Champions League final time! A huge evening in prospect for Real Madrid & Liverpool fans! Tonight I will be giving e live minute by minute updates with all the goals as they go in! If minute by minute is not your thing, that's cool with me. You can follow all the build-up in English on HD11 via beIN SPORTS CONNECT. Real Madrid faces off against Liverpool in the Champions League Final, in a match which will pit Mohamed Salah against Cristiano Ronaldo at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev on Saturday evening. It’s been a long road to the final with both sides, with Liverpool started their Champions League campaign back in August with a play-off against Hoffenheim. Whilst for Los Blancos, they are looking to pick up a third consecutive European crown. An unprecedented feat in the Champions League era. The two sides have previously met in the 1981 European Cup Final, which saw Liverpool run out 1-0 winners. As ever, you can watch all the action Live & Exclusive on beIN SPORTS CONNECT. Real Madrid is looking to secure a record third consecutive Champions League crown. Zidane’s side has certainly shown their fragilities in the competition this season, with the 3-1 group stage defeat to Tottenham & the 3-1 quarter-final second-leg defeat to Juventus perfect examples that they can be vulnerable defensively. Cristiano Ronaldo will yet again be the man to watch for Madrid, as they attempt a historic Champions League treble. The Portuguese star has scored 15 goals in the competition and went on a scoring run of 12 consecutive games a new record in the Champions League. Having not scored in the semi-finals, Ronaldo will be eager to find the back of the net in Kiev and write his name in the history books. In team news, Zidane has no major injury concerns and has a fully fit side to choose from. Wingback Dani Carvajal & Isco should play some part in having missed out of the semi-final second leg against Bayern. Liverpool has been playing some scintillating attacking football on route to the final, with the trio of Firmino, Mane and Egyptian star Mohamed Salah leading the line with some distinction for the Reds. Defensively, Liverpool has had their moments in this campaign with the 4-2 semi-final second leg defeat to Roma a stark reminder that they will have to show some caution in Kiev. Although with the attacking talents of Firmino, Mane & Salah expect Liverpool to flood forward in the early exchanges. The attacking trio has scored 31 of Liverpool’s 40 goals this campaign this season which is 77.5% of their goals in the competition. Expect one of them to get on the scoresheet on Saturday. In team news, Liverpool’s only long-term injury is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and it’s widely expected that Klopp will go with the same side that did him well in the second-leg against Roma. It certainly promises to be a fascinating encounter when Real Madrid take on Liverpool in the Champions League final. As ever, you can watch all the action and build up from the Olimpiyskiy Stadium live & Exclusive via beIN SPORTS CONNECT. REAL MADRID V LIVERPOOL: WHO WILL WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL?
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Liverpool F.C. and defending champions Real Madrid C.F. face each other in the final in Kiev, Ukraine. Winning 3–1, Real Madrid are European champions for the 13th time and is the first team since FC Bayern Munich in the 1970s to win three titles in a row.
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White House Announces Tariffs, Trade Restrictions To Be Placed On China Enlarge this image toggle caption Ng Han Guan/AP Ng Han Guan/AP The White House says it will impose a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion of Chinese goods with "industrially significant technology." The full list of products affected will be announced by June 15, and the tariffs will be implemented "shortly thereafter," according to the administration. The White House also says it will announce and impose investment restrictions and enhanced export controls on Chinese individuals and organizations to prevent them from acquiring U.S. technology. Those restrictions will be announced by June 30, the Trump administration says, and will also be implemented "shortly thereafter." The declaration of further sanctions had been expected last week but was apparently delayed. Tuesday's announcement comes amid mixed messages from the White House about a "trade war" with China. In March, President Trump signaled his plans to put tariffs on Chinese-made goods. And last month, the U.S. began announcing specific tariffs, prompting a tit for tat of escalating proposals and retaliatory threats. More recently, the two countries have seemed to signal an appetite for de-escalation. China cut tariffs on U.S. automobiles, and Trump has pledged support for ZTE, a Chinese company affected negatively by U.S. sanctions. Just over a week ago, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the trade war with China was "on hold." He said the two countries were in talks and had made "meaningful progress." But Larry Kudlow, the director of the National Economic Council, said that there was "no agreement" for a trade deal that could avert a trade war and that he never anticipated one. Now Wilbur Ross, the U.S. commerce secretary, is planning to return to Beijing on Saturday for another round of talks in the ongoing trade and intellectual property dispute. In the same statement on Tuesday, the White House said the U.S. will "continue to pursue litigation at the World Trade Organization" over allegations that China steals U.S. intellectual property. That case was filed in March and is currently being disputed. On Monday, representatives of the two countries met at the WTO, where, Reuters reports, the U.S. said Chinese laws allow Chinese countries to demand sharing of technology from foreign firms that want to do business. China said the claims were unproven and sometimes speculative. China, meanwhile, has filed its own WTO dispute against the U.S., over Trump's earlier tariff proposals. ||||| Despite cooling tensions between the world’s two largest economies, the White House said Tuesday it will impose a 25% tariff on $50 billion of imported goods from China that “contain industrially significant technology" next month. This includes products related to the “Made in China 2025” program. The final list will be announced by June 15 with tariffs imposed shortly after. President Trump signed a memorandum in late March announcing the administration would take steps to protect domestic technology and intellectual property from China’s “discriminatory and burdensome” trade practices. The White House also said it would implement specific investment restrictions and enhanced export controls for Chinese people and entities “related to the acquisition of industrially significant technology.” These will be announced by June 30 and applied shortly thereafter, it said. This is a developing story, please check back for updates ||||| BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - The United States will announce investment restrictions and enhanced export controls on Chinese persons and entities related to the acquisition of industrially significant technology on June 30. In a statement Tuesday, the White House said the United States will continue to pursue litigation at the World Trade Organization for violations of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights based on China's discriminatory practices for licensing intellectual property. The U.S. Trade Representative last month had decided to impose 25 percent tariff on 1300 products imported from China, including those related to the 'Made in China 2025' program, to prevent U.S. intellectual property theft and forced transfers of technology. China hit back by saying it plans to impose the same tariff on 106 U.S. products worth $50 billion, including aircraft, cars, chemicals, and soybeans. But after high-level bilateral trade talks, both sides agreed to put on hold the proposed tariff hike on each other's imports, pledging not to engage in a trade war. However, in the latest communique, the White House made it clear that the final list of covered imports would be announced by June 15, and tariffs would be imposed on those goods shortly thereafter. 'In addition, the United States will continue efforts to protect domestic technology and intellectual property, stop noneconomic transfers of industrially significant technology and intellectual property to China, and enhance access to the Chinese market.' The United States will request that China remove all of its many trade barriers, including non-monetary trade barriers, which make it both difficult and unfair to do business there. The US will also request that tariffs and taxes between the two countries be reciprocal in nature and value. The White House announced that discussions with China will continue on these topics. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX ||||| The United States said that it will continue pursuing steps regarding trade with China, days after Washington and Beijing stated a tentative solution to their dispute and suggested that tensions had cooled. "To protect our national security, the United States will implement specific investment restrictions and enhanced export controls for Chinese persons and entities related to the acquisition of industrially significant technology," the release said. "The proposed investment restrictions and enhanced export controls will be announced by June 30, 2018, and they will be implemented shortly thereafter." By June 15, Washington will release a list of some $50-billion worth of Chinese goods that will be subject to a 25% tariff, the White House said in a statement. The United States will also continue to pursue litigation against China at the World Trade Organization. "Under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, the United States will impose a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion of goods imported from China containing industrially significant technology, including those related to the "Made in China 2025" program," the release said. ||||| WASHINGTON -- The U.S. is announcing that it will impose a 25 per cent tariff on US$50 billion worth of Chinese goods containing "industrially significant technology." The White House said Tuesday that the tariff will cover goods related to the "Made in China 2025" program. The full list of imports that will be covered will be announced by June 15. Trump has bemoaned the massive U.S. trade deficit with China -- $337 billion last year -- as evidence that Beijing has been complicit in abusive trading practices. The White House also says the U.S. is planning new investment restrictions and export controls. The announcement comes as the administration negotiates with China on a broad trade dispute. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is expected to travel to China later in the week for more talks. ||||| The White House said Tuesday it will release next month a list of $50 billion of Chinese goods that will be subject to a 25% tariff. The list will be released by June 15 and tariffs will be imposed “shortly thereafter,” the White House said in a statement. In addition, the White House said it would announce specific investment restrictions and export controls for Chinese entities. The moves come as part of a probe into Chinese violations of U.S. intellectual property. See: U.S. moves to finalize tariffs, investment restrictions on China. The announcement comes as Washington and Beijing are in the midst of trade discussions, with both sides hoping to avert a trade war. President Donald Trump last week suggested a deal with China would need a “different structure” even as talks continue. U.S. stocks tumbled Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -1.58% off more than 400 points in afternoon trading. The S&P 500 SPX, -1.16% and Nasdaq COMP, -0.50% also fell. In addition to the China trade news, investors were weighing political drama in Italy, where another election appears likely within a few months. Investors fear that could turn into a de facto referendum on Italy’s membership in the euro. The administration will issue proposed rules on investments related to Chinese entities by June 30. ||||| WASHINGTON - The United States said on Tuesday that it will continue pursuing action on trade with China, days after Washington and Beijing announced a tentative solution to their dispute and suggested that tensions had cooled. By June 15, Washington will release a list of some $50 billion worth of Chinese goods that will be subject to a 25 percent tariff, the White House said in a statement. The United States will also continue to pursue litigation against China at the World Trade Organization. In addition, by the end of June, the United States will announce investment restrictions and “enhanced export controls” for Chinese individuals and entities “related to the acquisition of industrially significant technology,” it said. In mid-May, China agreed to increase purchases of U.S. agriculture and energy products, and last week, the U.S. Commerce Department told lawmakers it had reached a deal to put Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE Corp ( 0763.HK ) (000063.SZ) back in business. While the announcements eased worries about the possibility of a trade war between world’s two largest economies, U.S. President Donald Trump also said last week that any deal between Washington and Beijing would need “a different structure,” fueling uncertainty over the talks. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on up to $150 billion of Chinese goods to combat what he has labeled unfair trade practices on the part of Beijing. Meanwhile, China has warned of equal retaliation, including duties on some of its most significant U.S. imports, like aircraft, soybeans and vehicles. Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Andrea Ricci ||||| (REUTERS) – The United States said on Tuesday that it still holds the threat of imposing tariffs on $50 billion of imports from China and will use it unless Beijing addresses the issue of theft of American intellectual property. Washington will also press ahead with restrictions on investment by Chinese companies in the United States as well as export controls for goods exported to China, the statement from the White House said. Details of the investment and export controls will be announced by June 30 and the final tariff list will be published by June 15. ||||| The US government will impose 25 percent tariffs on certain Chinese products containing "industrially significant technology" as part of its plan to combat the theft of intellectual property it has accused Beijing of engaging in, the White House said Tuesday. "The United States will implement specific investment restrictions and enhanced export controls for Chinese persons and entities related to the acquisition of industrially significant technology," the White House said in a statement. ||||| WASHINGTON: The US will impose a hefty 25 per cent tariff on the USD 50 billion worth of Chinese goods containing "industrially significant" technology, the White House said today, days after the two sides reached an agreement and vowed not to launch a trade war against each other. China and the US averted a trade war by reaching an agreement on May 20 under which Beijing agreed to "significantly increase" its purchases of American goods and services to reduce USD 375 billion trade deficit with Washington.After lengthy second round of talks in Washington, the two sides issued a joint statement vowing not to launch a trade war against each other."The United States will impose a 25 per cent tariff on USD 50 billion of goods imported from China containing industrially significant technology, including those related to the 'Made in China 2025' programme," the White House said in a statement.The final list of covered imports will be announced by June 15, and tariffs will be imposed on those imports shortly thereafter, it said.The new tariff is part of one of the three major steps that the US is taking based on the March 22, memorandum signed by President Donald Trump It announced that the US would take multiple steps to protect domestic technology and intellectual property from certain discriminatory and burdensome trade practices by China.These actions were announced following a report of the Office of the US Trade Representative regarding China's practices with respect to technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation.In accordance with the March 22 memorandum, Trump has been updated on the progress of the announced actions.According to the White House, to protect its national security, the US will implement specific investment restrictions and enhanced export controls for Chinese persons and entities related to the acquisition of industrially significant technology.The proposed investment restrictions and enhanced export controls will be announced by June 30 and they will be implemented shortly thereafter, it said.The US will also continue to pursue litigation at the World Trade Organisation for violations of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights based on China's discriminatory practices for licensing intellectual property, the statement said.The US filed the case regarding these violations on March 23.In addition, the US will continue efforts to protect domestic technology and intellectual property, stop noneconomic transfers of industrially significant technology and intellectual property to China, and enhance access to the Chinese market, the White House said.Likewise, the US will request that China remove all of its many trade barriers, including non-monetary trade barriers, which make it both difficult and unfair to do business there, it said.The US will request that tariffs and taxes between the two countries be reciprocal in nature and value."Discussions with China will continue on these topics and the US looks forward to resolving long-standing structural issues and expanding our exports by eliminating China's severe import restrictions," the statement said.The trade spat between the top two economies of the world began last month with Trump imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports into US.China retaliated by imposing additional tariffs worth about USD three billion on 128 US products.Trump, while demanding China to reduce the USD 375 billion by USD 100 billion retaliated with USD 50 billion tariffs on Chinese products.In retaliation, China announced plans to impose new tariffs of 25 per cent worth USD 50 billion on 106 American products including items like soybeans which could hurt American farmers.The two countries have not yet implemented their tariff increases
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The U.S. Government announces a 25% import tariff on US$50 billion of Chinese goods with "industrially significant technology". A full list of affected products will be published on June 15. Investment restrictions and enhanced export controls are to be announced on June 30.
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Image copyright St Louis Police Image caption Missouri Governor Eric Greitens has been charged with felony invasion of privacy Facing impeachment over an extramarital affair and campaign finance inquiry, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens has announced he will quit on Friday. The first-term governor was considered a rising Republican star until allegations emerged he had photographed a naked woman without her consent. The ex-Navy Seal called the allegations a "political witch hunt". The Rhodes scholar and father-of-two presented himself as a family man during his 2016 campaign. The Missouri General Assembly, which is controlled by the governor's own party, has been considering whether he should be impeached. What did Greitens say? "The last few months have been incredibly difficult, for me, for my family, for my team, for my friends and for many, many people that I love," the 44-year-old said at Tuesday's news conference. He added: "This ordeal has been designed to cause an incredible amount of strain on my family." Mr Greitens said he had not broken any laws. He concluded: "For the moment let us walk off the battlefield with our heads held high. "We have a good and proud story to tell our children." Lieutenant Governor Mike Parson, also a Republican, is taking over as the state's top politician. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Governor Greitens and his wife Sheena What's the fundraising controversy? Earlier on Tuesday, a court ruling added to Mr Greitens' problems. A judge gave the governor's political non-profit group, A New Missouri, until Friday to turn over communications between it and Mr Greitens' office. Investigators are looking into whether his campaign illegally co-ordinated with A New Missouri to conceal donors by using shell companies to funnel money. According to the Kansas City Star, Mr Greitens received $6m (£4.5m) in "dark money" for his 2016 campaign. Also on Tuesday, an ex-Greitens adviser told a state House investigative panel that the governor's election campaign had considered illegally soliciting donations from foreign nationals, reports the St Louis Post-Dispatch. But on Wednesday, prosecutors dropped a felony charge of computer data tampering over a donor list he allegedly obtained from a veterans' charity for his own political gain. What was the sex scandal? Earlier this year, it emerged that Mr Greitens had had an extramarital affair with his hairdresser. A man secretly recorded his wife admitting in March 2015 to the liaisons with Mr Greitens. The hair stylist alleged that Mr Greitens had taken a photo of her when she was partially nude without her permission and threatened to release the image if she ever told anyone about the affair. Mr Greitens said he had worked through the adultery with his wife, but denied blackmailing the other woman. The governor was indicted in February with invasion of privacy, but the charge was dropped this month, with the proviso that it could be re-filed. ||||| Lt. Gov. Mike Parson, 62, was not in the Capitol when Greitens announced his plan to leave office on Friday effective 5 p.m. ||||| Well, it’s a wrap for FORMER Missouri Governor Eric Greitens. He just announced his resignation: The announcement was made just hours after a judge says a secretive group supporting Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens must turn over documents subpoenaed by a legislative committee trying to determine whether to bring impeachment proceedings against the Republican governor. The 44-year-old Greitens made the announcement nearly 17 months after taking the oath as Missouri’s chief executive with a pledge to root out “corrupt career politicians.” The investigations of him widened to include questions about whether he had violated the law in financing the campaign. Greitens said his resignation would take effect Friday.
• Missouri Governor Says He Will Stay In Office Despite Scandal [VIDEO] A St. Louis grand jury indicted Greitens on Feb. 22 on one felony count of invasion of privacy for allegedly taking a photo of a woman with whom he had an affair at his home he shares with his wife and two young sons without her consent in 2015, before he was elected governor. The charge was dismissed during jury selection, but a special prosecutor was considering whether to refile charges. In April, the St. Louis prosecutor’s office charged Greitens with another felony, alleging that he improperly used the donor list for a charity that he’d founded, The Mission Continues to raise money for his 2016 campaign. Greitens claims to be the victim of a “political witch hunt.” Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley also launched an inquiry into a veterans charity Greitens founded. Federal law bars 501 charities such as The Mission Continues from intervening in political campaigns on behalf of candidates. The Associated Press first reported in October 2016 that Greitens’ campaign had obtained a list of individuals, corporations and other nonprofits that had given at least $1,000 to The Mission Continues. The AP reported that Greitens raised about $2 million from those who had previously given significant amounts to the charity. Hawley, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, turned evidence over to Gardner, saying April 17 that he believed Greitens had broken the law. Her office charged him with tampering with computer data for allegedly disclosing the donor list without the charity’s permission. A May 2 report from a special House investigatory committee indicated that Greitens himself received the donor list and later directed aides to work off it to raise money for his gubernatorial campaign. A former campaign aide testified that he was duped into taking the fall when the campaign tried to explain how it had gotten the list. His departure elevates fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Mike Parson to the governor’s office: Now that Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens has announced his resignation, he will be succeeded by Lt. Gov. Mike Parson. Parson, a Republican, was elected Lt. Governor in 2016. He previously held several elected offices, including state senator from the 28th district from 2011-2017. Parson was previously a state representative and the Polk County Sheriff. He is a farmer who lives in Bolivar in southwest Missouri. The last Missouri Lt. Gov. to succeed a governor without being elected to the higher office was Roger Wilson, who served the last few months of Mel Carnahan’s term in 2000 after Carnahan was killed in plane crash. Moments after Greitens’ announcement, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, though a spokesperson said they have a reached a “fair and just resolution of the pending charges.” This pertains to the Computer Tampering allegation. Miss Gardens also stated, “I have been in contact with the Governor’s defense team over the past several days. We have reached a fair and just resolution of the pending charges. We will provide more information tomorrow.” The statement went on to say more will be announced Wednesday. Greitens is not out of trouble just because he stepped down. I will update this story as it develops. Missouri Governor Eric Greitens Resigns Amid Campaign And Sex Scandals!(Video)(Pics) was originally published on 955TheLou.com ||||| JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri Governor Eric Greitens announced his resignation Tuesday afternoon amid a pair of scandals involving separate allegations of invasion of privacy and campaign finance violations. The resignation will be effective Friday, June 1. The governor held a news conference from his office at the Missouri Capitol at 4:25 p.m. Greitens said personal and political attacks on friends, family, and colleagues affected his decision to step down. "I will let the fairness of this process be judged by history," Greitens said. "We must as we have always done, work to improve the lives of those around us. This is not the end of our fight. The time has come to tend to those who are wounded. For the moment, let us walk off the battlefield with our heads held high." The governor did not take any questions from the assembled media. A special Missouri House committee had spent the last two weeks investigating Greitens’ fundraising methods and whether he used a donor list from The Mission Continues charity to raise cash for his gubernatorial campaign. The committee had been weighing the possibility of impeaching the governor. The news conference came the same day a Cole County circuit judge ordered a secret group supporting the governor, A New Missouri, turn over all correspondence between Greitens, his campaign, and the organization. The judge’s order also covers all documentation on communications and expenditures by A New Missouri. Greitens' resignation should not affect any criminal matters involving the governor. However, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, who initially filed the invasion of privacy charges against Greitens in February, said she's reached a "fair and just resolution" on the case, but declined to offer specifics. Gardner said she'd provide more information on the matter Wednesday. Earlier this month, Gardner's office dropped its invasion of privacy case against Greitens so a different prosecutor could try the case. Greitens, 44, was charged with felony invasion of privacy for allegedly taking and transmitting a photo of a woman in a compromising position without her permission in March 2015. The governor admitted to engaging in an affair with his former hairdresser prior to running for office. On the day the case was dismissed, Greitens addressed the media outside the St. Louis Civil Courthouse, denouncing the "false charges" levied against him. The governor described the dismissal as a "great victory." Greitens will be succeeded by Lt. Gov Mike Parson, who was working on his farm and summoned to the capital Tuesday. Parson stands in contrast to the outgoing chief executive in legislative experience. Whereas Greitens' run for governor was his first foray into politics, Parson has worked in the public eye for decades, serving 12 years as the sheriff of Polk County before being elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2004. Parson served two terms as a State Senator from 2011 to 2017, when he became lieutenant governor. Greitens is not the first Missouri governor to resign. Governor Daniel Dunklin stepped down in September 1836, three months before his scheduled leave, after being appointed Surveyor General of Missouri and Illinois by President Andrew Jackson. In February 1857, Governor Trusten Park resigned nearly two months after being sworn in so he could accept a position in the US Senate. The reaction to Greitens' announcement was swift. The Missouri Republican leadership—House Speaker Todd Richardson, Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr, and Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo—issued the following statement after Greitens’ announcement: “We believe the Governor has put the best interest of Missourians first today by choosing to resign. The past few months have been difficult for everyone involved, including the Governor and his family. This is a serious and solemn occasion that reminds us that our state and our duty are bigger than any one person or party. "The House stands ready to help ensure a smooth transition of power to Governor Parson. The hallmark of democracy is that our public service is temporary. Missouri has been blessed with an unbroken line of men and women in public service who have worked to make our state better, and the work of the many dedicated public servants, who work tirelessly for the people of Missouri, will continue. "The responsibility the House undertook with its investigation is not a path any of us would have chosen, but it is one we were obligated to pursue in an effort to do what is best for our state. We want to thank the members of the Special Investigative Committee on Oversight for the serious and professional manner in which they went about their task. We also want to thank the staff for the countless hours and sacrifices they made. "As public servants, our solemn duty is to put the best interests of the people of this great state first in every decision we make. The Governor’s decision today honors that duty and allows Missouri to move forward toward a better tomorrow.” Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Missouri, 3rd District) said the scandals proved too much of a distraction for Greitens. Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway said corruption grew more rampant with Greitens in office and lamented the state's soured reputation. And Missouri Treasurer Eric Schmitt asked for the citizens of Missouri to unite behind the next governor and "work toward a better future." “Now is the time for the people of Missouri to come together and work toward a better future for our state. My focus is on helping to ensure a smooth transition of power so that state government can continue to serve Missourians without interruption. To that end, my office will be actively working with partners across state agencies and departments to help facilitate the transition process.” ||||| Embattled Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is expected to resign Tuesday amid a sexual misconduct scandal and allegations of misuse of a charity donor list, sources told Fox News. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. ||||| JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, a sometimes brash outsider whose unconventional resume as a Rhodes Scholar and Navy SEAL officer made him a rising star in Republican politics, abruptly announced his resignation Tuesday after a scandal involving an affair with his former hairdresser led to a broader investigation by prosecutors and state legislators. The 44-year-old governor made the announcement nearly 17 months after taking the oath as Missouri’s chief executive with a pledge to root out “corrupt career politicians.” The investigations of him widened to include questions about whether he had violated the law in financing the campaign. Greitens said his resignation would take effect Friday. A St. Louis grand jury indicted Greitens on Feb. 22 on one felony count of invasion of privacy for allegedly taking a photo of the woman without her consent at his home in 2015, before he was elected governor. The charge was dismissed during jury selection, but a special prosecutor was considering whether to refile charges. In April, the local St. Louis prosecutor’s office charged Greitens with another felony, alleging that he improperly used the donor list for a charity that he’d founded to raise money for his 2016 campaign. Less than two weeks ago, the Missouri Legislature began meeting in special session to consider whether to pursue impeachment proceedings to try to oust Greitens from office. A special House investigatory committee had subpoenaed Greitens to testify next Monday. Greitens’ brashness alienated some GOP legislators even before his affair became public in January. The woman’s then-husband released a secretly recorded conversation in which she described the alleged incident. The woman later told a Missouri House investigative committee that Greitens restrained, slapped, shoved and threatened her during a series of sexual encounters that at times left her crying and afraid. Greitens said the allegations amounted to a “political witch hunt,” and vowed to stay in office. But the report’s release created a firestorm, with both Republicans and Democrats calling for his resignation. His departure elevates fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Mike Parson to the governor’s office. Greitens’ administration was thrown into chaos the night of Jan. 10, when a St. Louis TV station aired a report about Greitens allegedly taking the compromising photo and threatening to blackmail the woman if she ever spoke of their encounter. The report aired shortly after Greitens delivered his State of the State address to lawmakers. Greitens admitted to having an affair but denied any criminal wrongdoing. He said the criminal case was politically motivated and called St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, a Democrat, a “reckless liberal prosecutor.” Lawmakers from both parties immediately began questioning whether Greitens could continue to lead the state in the wake of the scandal. The House authorized the legislative investigation a week after the indictment. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley also launched an inquiry into a veterans charity Greitens founded. Federal law bars 501(c)(3) charities such as The Mission Continues from intervening in political campaigns on behalf of candidates. The Associated Press first reported in October 2016 that Greitens’ campaign had obtained a list of individuals, corporations and other nonprofits that had given at least $1,000 to The Mission Continues. The AP reported that Greitens raised about $2 million from those who had previously given significant amounts to the charity. Hawley, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, turned evidence over to Gardner, saying April 17 that he believed Greitens had broken the law. Her office charged him with tampering with computer data for allegedly disclosing the donor list without the charity’s permission. A May 2 report from a special House investigatory committee indicated that Greitens himself received the donor list and later directed aides to work off it to raise money for his gubernatorial campaign. A former campaign aide testified that he was duped into taking the fall when the campaign tried to explain how it had gotten the list. The invasion-of-privacy indictment stated that on March 21, 2015, Greitens photographed the woman and transmitted the photo “in a manner that allowed access to that image via a computer.” During her testimony to the House investigative committee, the woman said Greitens invited her to his home and offered to show her “how to do a proper pull-up.” The woman said she initially thought “this is going to be some sort of sexy workout.” But once in his basement, Greitens taped her hands to pull-up rings, blindfolded her, and started kissing and disrobing her without her consent, according to her testimony. Then she saw a flash and heard a click, like a cellphone picture, she said. The woman testified that Greitens told her: “Don’t even mention my name to anybody at all, because if you do, I’m going to take these pictures, and I’m going to put them everywhere I can. They are going to be everywhere, and then everyone will know what a little whore you are.” Greitens, a married father of two young boys, repeatedly denied blackmailing the woman. He declined to say whether he took a photo. Greitens, who had also served as a White House fellow and written a best-selling book, entered the 2016 gubernatorial race as a brash outsider. He won an expensive Republican primary, then defeated Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster in the general election to give Republicans control of the governor’s mansion for the first time in eight years. Some considered him a potential future presidential contender. Republicans also controlled the Missouri House and Senate, but there were frequent clashes between lawmakers and Greitens, who compared them to third-graders and labeled them “career politicians.” He confronted criticism from some educators and lawmakers for working to pack the State Board of Education with members who would fire the education commissioner. Greitens’ use of a secretive app that deletes messages after they’re read also sparked a review by Hawley. ||||| JEFFERSON CITY, MO - Lt. Gov. Mike Parson was on his farm in southwestern Missouri when he learned the news that Gov. Eric Greitens was resigning. Parson arrived in the Missouri Capitol shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday and spent nearly 2 hours in his office before leaving. His office released a statement just before 7 p.m. Tuesday reading: “With Governor Greitens’ decision to resign from office, he has put the best interests of our state and all Missourians at the forefront where they belong. This is a decision that will allow our state to heal and move forward from what has been a difficult time. This is an enormous responsibility serving as our state’s next governor, and I am ready to fulfill the duties of the office with honor and integrity, and with a steadfast commitment to making our great state even greater for the people we are entrusted to serve.” Parson said he had not yet spoken with Greitens about the governor’s resignation. ||||| Embattled Missouri Governor Eric Greitens announced on Tuesday he will resign over the scandals that have dominated his tenure. The Republican governor has been embroiled in scandal for weeks. Last month, a Missouri state House committee released a report alleging that Greitens subjected a woman to non-consensual sexual activity and violence. Greitens described the report as “tabloid trash gossip” rooted in “lies and falsehoods.” In late April, Greitens was indicted on a felony charge of computer tampering tied to his campaign’s alleged use of a charity donor list. Greitens made the announcement that he will step down during a press conference outside his office. Earlier this month, Missouri state lawmakers announced plans to convene a special legislative session to weigh potential disciplinary actions against the governor. A request for comment to Greitens’ communications director was not immediately returned. ||||| JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - In a May 29 story about the resignation of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, The Associated Press erroneously reported the amount of time Greitens spent fighting to stay in office after his affair became public. It was nearly five months, not nearly six months. A corrected version of the story is below: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, a sometimes brash political outsider whose unconventional resume as a Rhodes scholar and Navy SEAL officer made him a rising star in the Republican Party, resigned Tuesday amid a widening investigation that arose from an affair with his former hairdresser. The 44-year-old governor spent nearly five months fighting to stay in office after the affair became public in January in a television news report that aired immediately following his State of the State address. The probes into his conduct by prosecutors and lawmakers began with allegations stemming from the affair and expanded to include questions about whether he violated campaign-finance laws. Greitens said his resignation would take effect Friday. "This ordeal has been designed to cause an incredible amount of strain on my family - millions of dollars of mounting legal bills, endless personal attacks designed to cause maximum damage to family and friends," he said in a brief statement from his Jefferson City office, his voice breaking at times. He said he could not "allow those forces to continue to cause pain and difficulty to the people that I love." Lawmakers pressuring Greitens to step down included many Republicans, who feared that his troubles could jeopardize the GOP's chances of defeating incumbent Democrat Sen. Claire McCaskill in a race considered essential to the party's hopes of keeping control of the Senate. The local St. Louis prosecutor's office said it had reached a "fair and just resolution" on criminal charges against Greitens now that he's leaving office. But the prosecutor said details would not be made public until Wednesday. A St. Louis grand jury indicted Greitens on Feb. 22 on one felony count of invasion of privacy for allegedly taking and transmitting a photo of the woman without her consent at his home in 2015, before he was elected governor. The charge was dismissed during jury selection, but a special prosecutor from Kansas City is considering whether to refile charges and said Tuesday that her investigation is ongoing. In April, the St. Louis prosecutor, Kim Gardner, charged Greitens with another felony, alleging that he improperly used the donor list for a charity that he had founded to raise money for his 2016 campaign. Then less than two weeks ago, the Missouri Legislature began meeting in special session to consider whether to pursue impeachment proceedings to try to oust Greitens from office. A special House investigative committee had subpoenaed Greitens to testify next Monday. Two people with close ties to Republican officials in Washington and Missouri told The Associated Press there was no coordinated effort to push Greitens out. The governor's brashness had alienated some GOP legislators even before his affair became public. Senate Leadership Fund President Steven Law said the resignation could help unify Missouri Republicans and free up money. In January, the woman's ex-husband released a secretly recorded conversation from 2015 in which she described the affair, which happened shortly after Greitens created an exploratory committee to run for office. The woman later told the House committee that Greitens restrained, slapped, shoved and threatened her during a series of sexual encounters that at times left her crying and afraid. Greitens said the allegations amounted to a "political witch hunt" and vowed to stay in office. But a report from the House committee created a firestorm, with both Republicans and Democrats calling for his resignation. "I am not perfect. But I have not broken any laws or committed any offense worthy of this treatment," he said. "I will let the fairness of this process be judged by history." His departure will elevate fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Mike Parson - a former state lawmaker and sheriff - to the governor's office. Parson, who will serve the remainder of Greitens' term through January 2020, pledged to carry out his new duties "with honor and integrity." He said Greitens' resignation "will allow our state to heal and move forward from what has been a difficult time." The Greitens administration was thrown into chaos the night of Jan. 10, when a St. Louis TV station aired a report about Greitens allegedly taking the compromising photo and threatening to blackmail the woman if she ever spoke of their encounter. The governor admitted to having an affair but denied any criminal wrongdoing. He said the criminal case was politically motivated and called Gardner, a Democrat, a "reckless liberal prosecutor." The House authorized the legislative investigation a week after the indictment. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley also launched an inquiry into a veterans' charity Greitens founded. Federal law bars 501(c)(3) charities such as The Mission Continues from intervening in political campaigns on behalf of candidates. The Associated Press first reported in October 2016 that Greitens' campaign had obtained a list of individuals, corporations and other nonprofits that had given at least $1,000 to The Mission Continues. The AP reported that Greitens raised about $2 million from those who had previously given significant amounts to the charity. Hawley, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, turned evidence over to Gardner, saying April 17 that he believed Greitens had broken the law. Her office charged him with tampering with computer data for allegedly disclosing the donor list without the charity's permission. A May 2 report from the House investigative committee indicated that Greitens himself received the donor list and later directed aides to work off it to raise money for his gubernatorial campaign. Former campaign aide Danny Laub testified that he was duped into taking the fall when the campaign tried to explain how it had gotten the list. Earlier Tuesday, the House panel had heard a second round of testimony from Greitens campaign aide Michael Hafner, who said Greitens had instructed him to use the charity donor list for political fundraising. The invasion-of-privacy indictment alleged that on March 21, 2015, Greitens photographed the woman and transmitted the photo "in a manner that allowed access to that image via a computer." During her testimony to the House committee, the woman said Greitens invited her to his home and offered to show her "how to do a proper pull-up." The woman said she initially thought "this is going to be some sort of sexy workout." But once in his basement, Greitens taped her hands to pull-up rings, blindfolded her, and started kissing and disrobing her without her consent, according to her testimony. Then she saw a flash and heard a click, like a cellphone camera, she said. The woman testified that Greitens told her: "Don't even mention my name to anybody at all, because if you do, I'm going to take these pictures, and I'm going to put them everywhere I can. They are going to be everywhere, and then everyone will know what a little whore you are." Greitens, a married father of two young boys, repeatedly denied blackmailing the woman. He declined to say whether he took a photo, and prosecutors acknowledged in court that they had not found a photo. The governor, who also served as a White House fellow and wrote a best-selling book, won an expensive Republican primary in 2016, then defeated Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster in the general election to give Republicans control of the governor's mansion for the first time in eight years. Some considered him a potential future presidential contender. Associated Press writers Summer Ballentine and Blake Nelson in Jefferson City, Jim Salter in St. Louis, John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Steve Peoples in New York City contributed to this report. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| After several months of bitter legal battles and political tussles, first-term Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens says he is resigning as of June 1. Greitens who was facing a felony charge and possible impeachment had been under investigation over allegations that he tried to dodge the state's campaign disclosure laws and to blackmail a former lover. "This ordeal has been designed to cause an incredible amount of strain on my family; millions of dollars of mounting legal bills, endless personal attacks designed to cause maximum damage to family and friends," he said in a statement from his Jefferson City office. Republican Lt. Gov. Mike Parson, who was elected separately, will succeed Greitens. Prior to taking office, Greitens had pledged to root out "corrupt career politicians" but his brief 17-month tenure was plagued by scandal. The governor's extramarital affair with his former hairdresser in 2015 made headlines just hours after Greitens' state of the state address in January. A secretly recorded conversation between the woman he'd had an affair with and her then-husband, revealed claims that Greitens had taken a compromising photo of her and was threatening to release it if she told anyone about their illicit relationship. The recording was released by the woman's ex-husband without her knowledge and it launched a criminal investigation by authorities. Eventually, the scandal also unspooled into a separate case looking into the illegal use of a charity donor list by Greiten's campaign to raise campaign funds. A legislative inquiry lead by the House investigative committee subpoenaed the embattled Republican and political novice on Friday, demanding he appear and testify under oath on June 4. The governor's legal team attempted to stave off the subpoena, but on Tuesday a Cole County judge ruled it could go forward. Greitens, who has consistently denied all criminal allegations and refused to heed calls for his resignation, announced hours later that he would give up the governor's seat. This story will be updated.
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Governor of Missouri Eric Greitens announces that he is resigning amid sexual misconduct and misuse of a charity donor list allegations against him. Greitens claims that he is the victim of a "political witch hunt". Lt. Governor Mike Parson will assume the governorship once Greitens' resignation takes effect on June 1.
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US President Donald Trump promised to impose tariffs, claiming trade across the Atlantic was a one-way street. The EU had demanded a permanent exemption from the tariffs following a temporary one being granted in April, but the plea has been rejected by US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire had earlier met with Mr Ross in a last ditch attempt to prevent the tariffs being imposed, but they failed to come to an agreement. Among the concessions the Trump administration is seeking is an agreement on a quota that would limit European steel and aluminium exports to the US while also wanting the 10 percent auto tariff to be lowered, for which it would be ready to grant an exemption to the EU from the steel tariff. But EU leaders have immediately vowed to retaliate against the US, with the bloc ready to launch a case at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) where it will trigger a "dispute settlement" as it believes the US are breaking agreed international trade rules. Trade Commissioner Cecilia Maelstrom said: "The US has sought to use the threat of trade restrictions as leverage to obtain concessions from the EU. “This is not the way we do business, and certainly not between longstanding partners, friends and allies. "Now that we have clarity, the EU's response will be proportionate and in accordance with WTO rules. "We will now trigger a dispute settlement case at the WTO, since these US. measures clearly go against agreed international rules. "We will also impose rebalancing measures and take any necessary steps to protect the EU market from trade diversion caused by these US restrictions." European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker echoed his counterpart's vow and promised the EU will impose immediate counter balancing measures against the US. Speaking in Brussels, he said: "This is a bad day for world trade, so we will immediately introduce a settlement dispute with the WTO and will announce counter balancing measures in the coming hours. "It is totally unacceptable that a country is imposing unilateral measures when it comes to world trade." Manfred Weber, the European Parliament centre-right leader and ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, wrote on Twitter that the EU would also be reacting strongly. He said: "We will have no choice but to defend European industry, jobs and interests. "We will not accept this highly regrettable decision without reacting.” Britain said it was “deeply disappointed” by the decision from the US and claimed it should be permanently exempted from the tariff measures. A Government spokesman said: "We are deeply disappointed that the US has decided to apply tariffs to steel and aluminium imports from the EU on national security grounds. "The UK and other European Union countries are close allies of the US and should be permanently and fully exempted from the American measures on steel and aluminium." The CBI's international director Ben Digby called President Trump's measures "deeply concerning for firms in the UK, for close trading partners and across supply chains". He said: "There are no winners in a trade war, which will damage prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic. "These tariffs could lead to a protectionist domino effect, damaging firms, employees and consumers in the US, UK and many other trading partners." Labour spokeswoman on steel Gill furniss described the tariff announcement as "a catastrophic blow to the sector and steelworkers across the country", also hitting out at the way the situation has been handled by Prime Minister Theresa May and her Government. The Sheffield Brightside MP said: "Theresa May and her Government have approached the ongoing crisis with utter complacency and have proved too feeble to stand up to Trump when it was most needed. They have let our steelworkers down." UK Steel Director Gareth Stace claimed the new tariffs will cause "damage not only to the UK steel sector, but also the US economy". He added: "President Trump had already loaded the gun today and we know that the US administration has unfortunately fired it and potentially started a damaging trade war. "With some half billion dollars of steel exported from the UK to US last year, UK steel producers are going to be hit hard." But in an interview with television network CNBC, the US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was unfazed by any threats of retaliation from the EU. Speaking from Paris after announcing the US was proceeding with metals tariffs on the EU, he said any retaliation from European nations or any other countries are unlikely to have much impact on the US economy. He added there won’t be a long-term impact on relations with affected countries and that they “will get over this in due course”. ||||| BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, has full confidence in the new Spanish government, a spokeswoman for the Commision told a daily press briefing on Friday. “He has sent (Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez) a congratulatory letter stating his confidence in the Spanish government to continue to contribute in a constructive manner to a stronger, more united and fairer European Union,” the spokeswoman said. ||||| PARIS (Reuters) - The United States and European Union could still negotiate a trade deal even if Washington imposes import tariffs on EU steel and aluminum, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Wednesday. EU leaders agreed earlier in May to open discussions about market access for U.S. products, but only if Washington grants the EU a permanent exemption from tariffs. The EU now has a temporary exemption, which expires on Friday. “There can be negotiations with or without tariffs in place. There are plenty of tariffs the EU has on us. It’s not that we can’t talk just because there’s tariffs,” Ross told a panel at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The U.S. envoy said that China was a good case in point, having agreed to negotiate with the United States despite U.S. tariffs on certain Chinese exports going into effect in March. “China has not used that as an excuse not to negotiate,” he said. “It’s only the EU that is insisting we can’t negotiate if there are tariffs.” He did not say whether the United States goes ahead and slaps tariffs on EU metals. European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said on Tuesday she expected some sort of U.S. measure to limit EU exports. A French presidential adviser said “nothing very positive” had come out of recent efforts to stop the U.S. tariffs, adding: “If that’s the American decision, the European response will be firm,” mentioning counter-measures on selected U.S. products. Ross, who was due to talk to Malmstrom later on Wednesday, said the EU had shown limited interest in serious trade negotiations with the United States until a threat of tariffs. The 28-member bloc shelved talks towards an ambitious EU-U.S. trade deal known as TTIP after Donald Trump’s presidential election victory in 2016. Dutch Trade Minister Sigrid Kaag, on the same panel, said EU countries agreed that U.S. trade measures designed to protect national security simply should not apply to them and they did not feel they should negotiate, even if China did. Kaag added that a 1962 trade law allowing protection for U.S. producers on national security grounds that Donald Trump has invoked belongs to a different era. Ross also denied claims that U.S. tariffs would harm its own steel-consuming industries. The price of a can of soup would rise just a fraction of a cent and car prices would go up by less than 1 percent, he said. “The sky has not fallen on the United States since we put the tariffs on. It hasn’t fallen and it won’t,” he said, adding that about 20 steel or aluminum facilities had opened or reopened since the tariffs were first announced. Ross also took aim at the World Trade Organization, where Washington has blocked appointments to its appeals chamber, effectively engineering a crisis in the system of settling global disputes. Any dispute mechanism that takes multiple years to settle cases is “no good”, he said, labeling a 14-year case over subsidies for aircraft Airbus “a joke”. Talk of just tweaking the WTO, as EU countries have suggested, is wrong, he said. “The problem is that people have begun in many multilateral organizations to substitute conversation for action. We don’t think just raising issues is adequate,” Ross said. ||||| PARIS, May 30 (Reuters) - The United States and the European Union could still discuss opening up their markets more even if Washington applied import tariffs on EU steel and aluminium, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Wednesday. EU leaders agreed earlier this month to offer the prospect of trade discussions with the United States, but only if Washington removes its threat to impose tariffs. The bloc has a temporary exemption from those tariffs, which expires on Friday. "There can be negotiations with or without tariffs in place. There are plenty of tariffs the EU has on us. It's not that we can't talk just because there's tariffs," Ross told a panel at the OECD. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop and Michel Rose) ||||| PARIS (Reuters) - The United States and European Union could still negotiate a trade deal even if Washington imposes import tariffs on EU steel and aluminium, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Wednesday. EU leaders agreed earlier in May to open discussions about market access for U.S. products, but only if Washington grants the EU a permanent exemption from tariffs. The EU now has a temporary exemption, which expires on Friday. "There can be negotiations with or without tariffs in place. There are plenty of tariffs the EU has on us. It's not that we can't talk just because there's tariffs," Ross told a panel at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The U.S. envoy said that China was a good case in point, having agreed to negotiate with the United States despite U.S. tariffs on certain Chinese exports going into effect in March. "China has not used that as an excuse not to negotiate," he said. "It's only the EU that is insisting we can't negotiate if there are tariffs." He did not say whether the United States goes ahead and slaps tariffs on EU metals. European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said on Tuesday she expected some sort of U.S. measure to limit EU exports. A French presidential adviser said "nothing very positive" had come out of recent efforts to stop the U.S. tariffs, adding: "If that's the American decision, the European response will be firm," mentioning counter-measures on selected U.S. products. Ross, who was due to talk to Malmstrom later on Wednesday, said the EU had shown limited interest in serious trade negotiations with the United States until a threat of tariffs. The 28-member bloc shelved talks towards an ambitious EU-U.S. trade deal known as TTIP after Donald Trump's presidential election victory in 2016. Dutch Trade Minister Sigrid Kaag, on the same panel, said EU countries agreed that U.S. trade measures designed to protect national security simply should not apply to them and they did not feel they should negotiate, even if China did. Kaag added that a 1962 trade law allowing protection for U.S. producers on national security grounds that Donald Trump has invoked belongs to a different era. Ross also denied claims that U.S. tariffs would harm its own steel-consuming industries. The price of a can of soup would rise just a fraction of a cent and car prices would go up by less than 1 percent, he said. "The sky has not fallen on the United States since we put the tariffs on. It hasn't fallen and it won't," he said, adding that about 20 steel or aluminium facilities had opened or reopened since the tariffs were first announced. Ross also took aim at the World Trade Organization, where Washington has blocked appointments to its appeals chamber, effectively engineering a crisis in the system of settling global disputes. Any dispute mechanism that takes multiple years to settle cases is "no good", he said, labelling a 14-year case over subsidies for aircraft Airbus "a joke". Talk of just tweaking the WTO, as EU countries have suggested, is wrong, he said. "The problem is that people have begun in many multilateral organisations to substitute conversation for action. We don't think just raising issues is adequate," Ross said. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. |||||
• The Trump administration started imposing tariffs on European, Canadian, and Mexican steel and aluminum on Friday morning.
• Canada called it an “affront”, the UK said it was “patently absurd”, and the French compared it to a cowboy shoot-out. US allies have been responding furiously to the Trump administration’s decision to impose steep tariffs on their steel and aluminum exports as part of an escalating trade war. Starting Friday, steel imports from those countries will be hit with a 25% tariff, while aluminum imports will be hit with a 10% tariff. Tariffs are essentially taxes on foreign goods coming into a country – (you can read more about how that works here). The Trump administration’s move is meant to be a show of support to the US steel and aluminum industries from foreign producers that undercut domestic prices. The White House previously said that protecting those industries was a matter of national security, although many experts have questioned that justification. Here’s how European nations, Canada, and Mexico, have reacted to Trump’s latest move. UK Trade Secretary Liam Fox on Friday slammed the tariffs as a “patently absurd” move, and that UK government is considering counter-measures. Barry Gardiner, a trade spokesman for the opposition Labour party, said: “We will not be cowed, we will not be bullied by the President. The President has said he believes he could win a trade war. We think a trade war is in nobody’s interests. It’s not in our interests, it’s not in the EU’s interests, and it’s not in the interest of American workers.” The EU handles trade policy for its 28 member states, many of which also responded separately, including Brit ian, Germany, and France. Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has threatened to hit back at the US with EU tariffs on equal value, telling reporters on Thursday: “It’s totally unacceptable that a country is imposing unilateral measures when it comes to world trade.” The EU previously released a list of US products that would be subject to tariffs in the event the metal restrictions went into effect. It included blue jeans, motorcycles, boats, bourbon whiskey, rice, playing cards, and steel. France: This is like the OK Corral Bruno Le Maire, France’s finance minister, echoed Juncker’s warnings by saying: “Our US friends must know that if they were to take aggressive actions against Europe, Europe would not be without reaction.” Le Maire added: “World trade is not like the settling of accounts at the OK Corral,” referring to a 30-second shootout between a law-and-order gang and a group of cowboys in Tombstone, Arizona, in 1881. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the move as “totally unacceptable” and an “affront to the thousands of Canadians who have fought and died alongside their American brothers in arms.” He also described the tariff impositions as “illegal and counterproductive” under NAFTA and WTO rules, and that Trump’s national security justification was “simply ridiculous.” Trudeau added that Canada would impose “dollar for dollar tariffs” on US products, including steel and aluminum from July 1, which would remain in place until the US lifted its own tariffs. Other US consumer products that could be hit include maple syrup, pizza, and toilet paper. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters that Canada’s retaliatory tariffs were “strongest action by Canada in the post-War era.” Mexico: Let’s keep it in proportion. Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo described the new landscape as a “clearly defined battlefield,” but not a trade war. He also vowed that the country would take revenge proportionally. He told Mexican radio on Thursday, as cited by Reuters: “A trade war is when there is an escalation of conflict. In this case, it is simply a response to a first action. “We should stick to the clearly defined battlefield, where the response is appropriate and proportional.” In a separate statement on Thursday, the Mexican government also called Trump’s new tariffs “measures that affect and distort international commerce in goods,” and that they were “neither adequate nor justified,” according to The Hill. It said it would “impose equivalent measures” on US goods including foil, lamps, pork legs and shoulders, apples, and cheese. Germany: No insults, but trying to fix it. The country’s economic minister, Peter Altmaier, said his country would stand with the EU and even work “more closely” with Mexico and Canada, who were also hit by the trade war. Altmaier told German TV on Friday, according to Reuters: “We tried to do it through negotiation and we will now do it by standing together and formulating a common European answer, possibly working more closely with Mexico and Canada.” What the US says US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who announced the tariffs, said on Thursday that there was “nothing weird” about the countries’ reactions, and that they “will get over that in due course.” ||||| The European Union will impose counter measures after the United States decided to no longer exempt it from steel and aluminium tariffs, the head of the bloc's executive Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday. The United States said it was moving ahead with tariffs on aluminium and steel imports from Canada, Mexico and the EU, ending a two-month exemption and potentially setting the stage for a trade war with some of America's top allies. "This is a bad day for world trade," Juncker said in a speech in Brussels. "So we will immediately introduce a settlement dispute with the WTO and will announce counter balancing measures in the coming hours." "It is totally unacceptable that a country is imposing unilateral measures when it comes to world trade." Responding to the announcement, a spokesman for the UK government said: "We are deeply disappointed that the US has decided to apply tariffs to steel and aluminium imports from the EU on national security grounds. "The UK and other European Union countries are close allies of the US and should be permanently and fully exempted from the American measures on steel and aluminium." ||||| FILE PHOTO: U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross prepares to testify before a Senate Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a hearing on the FY2019 funding request and budget justification for the Commerce Department on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 10, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Any retaliation by European nations or any other countries over U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs are unlikely to have much impact on the American economy, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told CNBC in an interview on Thursday. Ross, speaking from Paris after announcing that the United States was proceeding with metals tariffs on the European Union, Canada and Mexico, also said he believes there will not be a long-term impact on relations with affected countries and that they “will get over this in due course.” ||||| PARIS (Reuters) - The United States and the European Union could still discuss opening up their markets more even if Washington applied import tariffs on EU steel and aluminum, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Wednesday. EU leaders agreed earlier this month to offer the prospect of trade discussions with the United States, but only if Washington removes its threat to impose tariffs. The bloc has a temporary exemption from those tariffs, which expires on Friday. “There can be negotiations with or without tariffs in place. There are plenty of tariffs the EU has on us. It’s not that we can’t talk just because there’s tariffs,” Ross told a panel at the OECD. ||||| One of the European Commission’s team passed him a note as he praised self-acclaimed good work as the EU’s most senior official. Interrupting his speech, Mr Juncker told the audience the note “proves just how serious my job is” and brushed off the news as “expected”. He remained calm but this comes as a huge blow to Brussels, who have already had diplomats warning European firms to “prepare for the worst” as negotiators struggled to reach an agreement with their American counterparts. The Commission President has vowed to hit back at Mr Trump’s trade tariff as he signalled the start of a trade war between Brussels and Washington with retaliatory tariffs within hours. He said: “This is a bad day for world trade. “What they can do, we’re able to do exactly the same.” In a seperate statement, Mr Juncker said: “I am concerned by this decision. The EU believes these unilateral US tariffs are unjustified and at odds with World Trade Organisation rules. “This is protectionism, pure and simple. Over the past months we have continuously engaged with the US at all possible levels to jointly address the problem of overcapacity in the steel sector. Overcapacity remains at the heart of the problem and the EU is not the source of but on the contrary equally hurt by it. “That is why we are determined to work towards structural solutions together with our partners. We have also consistently indicated our openness to discussing ways to improve bilateral trade relations with the US but have made it clear that the EU will not negotiate under threat." The UK Government has puts its special relationship with the US on the line and vowed to side with Brussels in a bid to reinstate the tariff exempton. A Government spokesman said: "We are deeply disappointed that the US has decided to apply tariffs to steel and aluminium imports from the EU on national security grounds. "The UK and other European Union countries are close allies of the US and should be permanently and fully exempted from the American measures on steel and aluminium. “We have made clear to the US Government at the highest levels the importance of UK steel and aluminium to its businesses and defence projects. "We will continue to work closely with the EU and US Administration to achieve a permanent exemption, and to ensure that UK workers are protected and safeguarded.” In March, the US President imposed a 25 percent tariff on steel and 10 percent on aluminium on steel exports into the United States as he vowed to protect his country’s ailing industries. However, after early negotiations the EU was able to negotiate a temporary exemption until June 1. Igniting a trade war between Brussels and Washington, Mr Trump has ignored EU pleas and threats for the exemption to be made permanent. The US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told reporters trade tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminium will be enforced as of June 1. In recent days, the EU’s trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom has remained pessimistic about possibility of striking a deal with her American counterpart. Even if she had, it was widely believed Mr Trump would ignore his trade envoy. The EU backlash has already started with the bloc promising to retaliate with its own tariffs which would strike at the heart of American popular culture. Products could include Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Levi jeans and bourbon whiskey. However, French President Emmanuel Macron, on Wednesday, warned against the dangers of starting a trade war. He said: “Unilateral responses and threats over trade war will solve nothing of the serious imbalances in the world trade. Nothing. “These solutions might bring symbolic satisfaction in the short term. One can think about making voters happy by saying: I have a victory, I’ll change the rules, you’ll see.”
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President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker vows "counterbalancing measures" from the EU soon. The EU is expected to respond with tariffs on a little more than US$3 billion worth of American goods including motorcycles, bourbon, and blue jeans. Juncker also says that the EU will proceed with a case against the US in the World Trade Organization. US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross replies that the EU measures are "unlikely" to have much impact on the US economy.
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VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuania and Romania hosted secret CIA prisons a decade ago and their authorities were aware that detainees were held there illegally, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Thursday. A view shows the courtroom of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, January 24, 2018. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler Washington’s so-called rendition program is still shrouded in secrecy, around a decade after it ended. Washington has acknowledged it held al Qaeda suspects in jails outside U.S. jurisdiction, but it has not provided a full list of locations. The ECHR ruled four years ago that the CIA ran a secret jail in Poland. It has since been holding hearings about similar sites in Romania and Lithuania, neither of which has publicly acknowledged letting the U.S. agency hold prisoners on its soil. The Strasburg-based court said Lithuania hosted a CIA jail between February 2005 and March 2006 and Romania between September 2003 and November 2005. Both contravened the European Human Rights Convention which prohibits torture, illegal detention and the death penalty. In its ruling, the ECHR said a stateless Palestinian, Zayn Al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn, had been held in Lithuania and that authorities there “had known the CIA would subject him to treatment contrary to the Convention”. “Lithuania had also permitted him to be moved to another CIA detention site in Afghanistan, exposing him to further ill-treatment,” it said. The court said Romania had similarly violated the Convention in the case of a Saudi national, Abd Al Rahim Husseyn Muhammad Al Nashiri, who is facing the death penalty in the United States in charges over his alleged role in terrorist attacks. It said Lithuania and Romania should launch full investigations into their roles in the rendition program and punish any officials responsible. The cases were filed on behalf of detainees currently held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay. Lithuanian prime minister Saulius Skvernelis told reporters his government would consider whether to appeal the ruling. A parliamentary investigation in 2010 stated that Lithuania’s security service helped the CIA establish a detention facility, though it said there was no proof the facility was used to hold prisoners. Prosecutors reopened their investigation into the allegations in 2015. In 2015, Romania’s foreign ministry said authorities had no evidence showing there were CIA detention centers in the country. However, Ioan Talpes, a former national security adviser to Romania’s president, testified that Romania had allowed U.S. intelligence to operate a facility in Romania, though officials were unaware people were detained there. The CIA’s role in the detention and torture of prisoners in the years after the September 11, 2001 attacks was again in the headlines last month when it became the focus of confirmation hearings for the agency’s new director, Gina Haspel. ||||| In a ruling issued on Thursday, May 31, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said Romania had hosted a secret detention facility of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (the CIA) between September 2003 and November 2005. The secret jail had the code name Detention Site Black. The ruling was made in the case in which terror suspect Abd Al Rahim Husseyn Muhammad Al Nashiri, who is now being held in the Internment Facility at the United States (US) Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, said Romania let the CIA take him to the secret prison on its territory and torture him. Al Nashiri had been detained there for about 18 months. Al Nashiri was one of the so-called “high-value detainees” detained by the CIA at the beginning of the “war on terror” launched by President Bush following the September 11, 2001 attacks. He was captured in October 2002 in Dubai and taken to secret CIA detention facilities in Afghanistan and Thailand before being moved to another CIA “black site” in December 2002 in Poland. From there, Al Nashiri said he had been secretly transferred to five different CIA facilities over the course of three years, including Romania from April 2004 to October/November 2005. Al Nashiri said he was subjected to torture throughout his detention by the CIA. He also claimed Romania allowed him to be transported to other CIA-run secret detention sites, exposing him to years of further similar treatment, a flagrantly unfair trial and a risk of the death penalty. Also, he accused the lack of a prompt and thorough investigation into his allegations. Romania initiated a parliamentary inquiry in December 2005, which mainly focused on whether a secret CIA prison had existed in the country, and whether there had been illegal transfer of detainees, suspicious movements of aircraft and possible participation of the domestic authorities in the scheme. In a final 2007 report, the country gave negative answers to these questions. Meanwhile, a criminal investigation in Romania, launched in July 2012 following a complaint by Al Nashiri, is still pending. The ECHR was unable to visit Al Nashiri at Guantanamo but, based on other evidence and materials, it concluded that it had been proved that a CIA secret detention centre had operated in Romania from September 2003 to November 2005 and that Al Nashiri had been held there from April 2004 to at the latest November 2005. It also decided that Romania knew of the purpose of the CIA’s activities on its territory and had cooperated. Thus, the ECHR ruled that Romania violated several articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, including the prohibition on torture, as Al Nashiri suffered “inhuman treatment” in Romania, and held that the country was to pay EUR 100,000 in damages to Al Nashiri. Also, it recommended that Romania should clarify the circumstances in which Al Nashiri had been brought to Romania, his treatment there and his removal, and bring to a close the criminal investigation as soon as possible. The investigation should also aim to identify and, where appropriate, punish those responsible. ||||| US Senate confirms Gina Haspel as CIA director despite role in torture program The European Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday that Lithuania and Romania were complicit in a U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) program to hold terror suspects at secret detention sites on their territories. Two suspects lodged the case with the court in 2011 and 2012, saying they were illegally held at the CIA "black sites" from 2004 to 2006. In Romania, the court found authorities knew that Saudi national Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri would risk torture and the death penalty when it allowed the CIA to detain him at a facility from April 2004 to November 2005. Nashiri is accused of orchestrating a 2002 attack on the MV Limburg, a French oil tanker, and the 2000 attack against the USS Cole in Yemen that left 17 dead. Lithuania was found complicit in hosting a secret CIA prison from February 2005 to March 2006 when it illegally held a top Palestinian al-Qaida operative, Abu Zubaydah. A 2014 U.S. Senate report found that both Zubaydah and Nashiri were subject to "enhanced interrogation techniques" in CIA detention, including waterboarding. The court found that in both cases, the suspects were effectively within their national jurisdictions and therefore Lithuania and Romania were "responsible for the violation" of their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. The convention explicitly forbids torture and the death penalty. Both men were captured by the CIA in 2002 during the "war on terror" launched by then U.S. President George Bush after the September 2001 al-Qaida attacks on New York and Washington. They are currently being held in the Guantanamo Bay prison on a U.S. military base in Cuba. In the wake of the September 11 attacks the CIA took suspected al-Qaida detainees to several "black sites" around the world to escape U.S. limits on interrogations, a program that has since been judged illegal. In a similar case in 2014, the court found Poland had violated their rights over their detention there. The court also ordered Lithuania and Romania to pay 100,000 euros ($117,000) to each man. ||||| VILNIUS: Lithuania and Romania hosted secret CIA prisons a decade ago and their authorities were aware that detainees were held there illegally, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Thursday. Washington’s so-called rendition programme is still shrouded in secrecy, around a decade after it ended. Washington has acknowledged it held al Qaeda suspects in jails outside US jurisdiction, but it has not provided a full list of locations. The ECHR ruled four years ago that the CIA ran a secret jail in Poland. It has since been holding hearings about similar sites in Romania and Lithuania, neither of which has publicly acknowledged letting the US agency hold prisoners on its soil. The Strasburg-based court said Lithuania hosted a CIA jail between February 2005 and March 2006 and Romania between September 2003 and November 2005. Both contravened the European Human Rights Convention which prohibits torture, illegal detention and the death penalty. In its ruling, the ECHR said a stateless Palestinian, Zayn Al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn, had been held in Lithuania and that authorities there “had known the CIA would subject him to treatment contrary to the Convention”. “Lithuania had also permitted him to be moved to another CIA detention site in Afghanistan, exposing him to further ill-treatment,” it said. The court said Romania had similarly violated the Convention in the case of a Saudi national, Abd Al Rahim Husseyn Muhammad Al Nashiri, who is facing the death penalty in the United States in charges over his alleged role in terrorist attacks. It said Lithuania and Romania should launch full investigations into their roles in the rendition programme and punish any officials responsible. The cases were filed on behalf of detainees currently held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay. Lithuanian prime minister Saulius Skvernelis told reporters his government would consider whether to appeal the ruling. A parliamentary investigation in 2010 stated that Lithuania’s security service helped the CIA establish a detention facility, though it said there was no proof the facility was used to hold prisoners. ||||| The European Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday that Lithuania and Romania were complicit in a controversial CIA programme to hold suspects caught after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in secret detention centres on their territories. Two suspects now being detained at the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay lodged the case with the court in 2011 and 2012, alleging they were illegally held and tortured at CIA "black sites" in Romania and Lithuania from 2004 to 2006. The court said Romanian authorities knew that Saudi national Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri would risk torture and the death penalty when it allowed the CIA to hold him at an undisclosed facility in their country from April 2004 to November 2005. Nashiri is accused of orchestrating maritime terror attacks including the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen that left 17 dead. The former Soviet republic of Lithuania was found complicit in hosting a secret prison from February 2005 to March 2006, when CIA operatives held Abu Zubaydah, considered a top Palestinian operative for Al Qaeda. A 2014 US Senate report found that both Zubaydah and Nashiri -- considered "high-level detainees" -- were subject to "enhanced interrogation techniques" including waterboarding while in detention. The ECHR found that in both cases the suspects were effectively within the national jurisdictions of Lithuania and Romania, which were therefore "responsible for the violation" of their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. The convention explicitly forbids torture and the death penalty. The court ordered Lithuania and Romania to pay 100,000 euros ($117,000) to each complainant. In the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks, the CIA took suspected Al Qaeda detainees to several "black sites" around the world to escape US rules on interrogations -- a programme that has since been judged illegal. Other punishments inflicted at the sites included intense sleep deprivation, being crammed into coffin-size boxes and "rectal rehydration" to get suspects to talk. The US Senate report did not publicly identify the location of the CIA sites, but the European court had already condemned Poland in 2014 for allowing both Nashiri and Zubaydah to be held at a site there in 2002 and 2003. Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite said she would abide by the ruling, saying her country "is already tarnished". "We are committed to the European Convention on Human Rights, and that is why we must apply the court's decision," she said in a statement. Officials in Bucharest did not immediately comment, but a former adviser to Ion Iliescu, the president at the time, confirmed Thursday that the government had made a site available to the CIA. "What happened then, and I was involved, was that a location had been offered to CIA for special and secret operations," Ioan Talpes told AFP. "I didn't know what was going on there, and I didn't want to know because at the time we were negotiating NATO membership. How could I have said that we don't agree?" he said. The ECHR judges said they based their findings in large part on the US report since they could not have access to Nashiri and Zubaydah at Guantanamo. That report "spoke clearly of cooperation with the domestic authorities and of them being provided with millions of dollars for 'support' for the CIA extraordinary rendition programme," the court wrote. Aleksander Kwasniewski, the Polish president at the time, later said that former US president George W. Bush told him the CIA methods had provided "important benefits" -- a claim disputed by the Senate report. The report also prompted prosecutors in Lithuania and Romania to open inquiries. Polish leaders, for their part, vowed last year that they would no longer allow such sites in the country, responding to claims by US President Donald Trump that waterboarding and other now-banned techniques had proved effective. Trump has also said terror suspects could again be sent to Guantanamo Bay, reversing a push by his predecessor Barack Obama to shut down the highly contested facility in Cuba. But Gina Haspel, who was sworn in this month as Trump's pick to lead the CIA, has said she would not reinstate the harsh interrogation programmes, even if ordered to do so by the president. During her confirmation hearings, Haspel expressed regret over her role in detainee torture, including at a secret CIA prison in 2002, after the 9/11 attacks. ||||| (Paris) – The European Court of Human Rights on May 31, 2018, issued two key judgments that underscore the ongoing impunity for European complicity with US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) counterterrorism abuses, Human Rights Watch said today. The court ruled that Lithuania and Romania had violated their human rights obligations for their part in the rendition, secret detention, and torture and ill-treatment of two terrorism suspects. The court also highlighted the serious deficiencies in the national investigations and urged both countries to conclude their investigations into their involvement in the rendition program without delay and to identify and punish relevant officials. “The European Court’s rulings highlight that European officials have never faced the music for facilitating the CIA’s illegal torture and rendition program,” said Nadim Houry, terrorism/counterterrorism director at Human Rights Watch. “The lack of accountability, mirrored in the US with the approval of an official involved in the rendition program as the new CIA director, leaves the door open for a return to these illegal practices.” The rulings came in the cases of Abu Zubaydah v. Lithuania and Al-Nashiri v. Romania. The European Court found that both countries had hosted secret CIA prisons and that they knew the CIA was using their territory for renditions and secret detention and that “the extremely harsh [CIA] detention regime” on their territory violated the prohibition of torture. Both men are in US custody at Guantanamo Bay. Abu Zubaydah has never been charged with a crime while al-Nashiri faces charges for his alleged role in bombing a US warship off the coast of Yemen in 2000. Following the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, the CIA operated a global, state-sanctioned program in which it abducted scores of people throughout the world, held them in secret detention – sometimes for years – or “rendered” them to various countries, and tortured or otherwise ill-treated them. While the program officially ended in 2009, the cover-up and impunity for these crimes is ongoing. Neither the US or any of the numerous countries that assisted in this illegal program have adequately accounted for these abuses. Gina Haspel, the new CIA director, reportedly ran a secret CIA “black site” in Thailand – where both al-Nashiri and Abu Zubaydah were held prior to being transferred to other CIA detention centers – and facilitated the destruction of 92 videotapes of torture that occurred there. Romania and Lithuania are not the only European countries implicated in the CIA renditions program. The European Court has already condemned Poland for its role in the rendition, detention, and torture of both of these men, Macedonia for its involvement in the CIA’s abduction and illegal transfer of Khaled Al-Masri, a German citizen, and Italy for its role in the abduction of Hassan Mustapha Osama Nasr, an Egyptian cleric better known as Abu Omar, to Egypt. There is also credible evidence from the United Nations, the European Parliament, and Council of Europe that many other European countries – including Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK – were involved to various degrees. The UK recently made a formal apology to two Libyan nationals in whose rendition it was involved, and Sweden has apologized to and compensated two Egyptian nationals for its involvement in their rendition. Of these, only Italy has prosecuted anyone in relation to the program – convicting two Italians and, in absentia, 23 US agents for abducting the Egyptian cleric. The European Court gave short shrift to the investigations and related diplomatic efforts by Lithuania and Romania over its role in these cases. The Lithuanian prosecutor-general’s office opened a criminal investigation in January 2010 following a parliamentary inquiry that confirmed the existence of two black sites and that Lithuanian airports and airspace had been used for CIA-related flights. One year later, the case was abruptly closed for lack of evidence. Following the release of the US Senate summary of the still classified 6,700-page report documenting the CIA’s detention and interrogation program, the prosecutor general’s office claims to have sent a formal request for legal assistance to US authorities. In April 2015, it announced it was reopening its investigation, which remains ongoing. Romania opened a criminal investigation in 2012 following a complaint by al-Nashiri but it is still pending and no information has been made public. A parliamentary inquiry that began in December 2005 and concluded in March 2007, found no evidence of a secret CIA prison, illegal prisoner transfers, or Romanian involvement in the CIA’s program. The European Court raised concerns in paragraph 651 of its judgment that the delay in the investigation meant that crucial flight data had been erased. The European Court found that the Lithuanian and Romanian investigations had been ineffective and urged both countries to conclude their investigations without delay and to hold to account any officials identified as responsible. It also ordered Romania to seek assurances from the US government in al-Nashiri’s case that his trial in the US would not result in the death penalty. Each man was awarded 100,000 Euros in damages. “With accountability efforts stalled in the US, it is more important than ever to have a renewed push for accountability on this side of the Atlantic,” Houry said. “Ignoring the abuses of the past or procrastinating their prosecution risks making them a reality of the present.” ||||| STRASBOURG, France: The European Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday that Lithuania and Romania were complicit in a controversial CIA programme to hold terror suspects in secret detention sites on their territories. Two suspects now being held at the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay lodged the case with the court in 2011 and 2012, saying they were illegally held and tortured at CIA "black sites" in Romania and Lithuania from 2004 to 2006. The court said Romanian authorities knew that Saudi national Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri would risk torture and the death penalty when it allowed the CIA to hold him at a secret facility in their country from April 2004 to November 2005. Nashiri is accused of orchestrating maritime terror attacks including the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen that left 17 dead. The former Soviet republic of Lithuania was found complicit in hosting a secret CIA prison from February 2005 to March 2006, when it illegally held a top Palestinian operative for Al Qaeda, Abu Zubaydah. A 2014 US Senate report found that both Zubaydah and Nashiri -- considered "high-level detainees" -- were subject to "enhanced interrogation techniques" in CIA detention. These included waterboarding, or simulated drowning. The ECHR found that in both cases the suspects were effectively within the national jurisdictions of Lithuania and Romania. Both countries were therefore "responsible for the violation" of their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. The convention explicitly forbids torture and the death penalty. The court ordered Lithuania and Romania to pay 100,000 euros ($117,000) to each complainant. In the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks the CIA took suspected Al Qaeda detainees to several "black sites" around the world to escape US rules on interrogations -- a programme that has since been judged illegal. Other punishments inflicted at the CIA sites included intense sleep deprivation, being crammed into coffin-size boxes and "rectal rehydration" to get suspects to talk. The US Senate report did not publicly identify the location of the CIA sites, but the European court had already condemned Poland in 2014 for allowing both Nashiri and Zubaydah to be held at a site there in 2002 and 2003. The ECHR said they based their findings in large part on the US report since they were unable to have access to Nashiri and Zubaydah at Guantanamo. ||||| The European Court of Human Rights concluded that Lithuania and Romania were responsible for violations of rights of terrorism suspects due to their complicity in US Central Intelligence Agency "secret rendition," the Council of Europe said Thursday. The decision was made after two suspects who a currently being held at the US prison in Guantanamo lodged the case in 2011 and 2012, claiming that they were illegally held at the so called "black sites" controlled by the CIA from 2004 to 2006. The court decreed that Romanian authorities were aware of the fact that Saudi national Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri would risk torture and the death penalty when they allowed the CIA to detain him on their territory April 2004 to November 2005. Lithuania was also found complicit in hosting a secret CIA prison from February 2005 to March 2006 when it illegally held the second plaintiff, Abu Zubaydah. The court found that Lithuania and Romania were "responsible for the violation" of the suspects’ rights under the European Convention on Human Rights which explicitly forbids torture and the death penalty. In 2014 a US Senate report also determined that both suspects were subjected to the so called ‘enhanced interrogations techniques’ while in the CIA custody, including waterboarding. ||||| The European Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday that Romania and Lithuania allowed the detention and abuse of a Saudi and a Palestinian at secret U.S. prisons. The Strasbourg, France-based court said Thursday that Abd al-Rahim Al Nashiri, a Saudi national later sent to Guantanamo Bay, was detained and abused in Romania between Sept. 2003 and Oct. 2005, and urged Romania to investigate and punish perpetrators. The court concluded that Al-Nashiri was blindfolded, hooded, shackled, kept in solitary confinement, and subjected to loud noise and bright light during his detention at the CIA prison in Romania. Romania denies hosting such CIA facilities. There was no immediate reaction from the government. The court said Al Nashiri and Zubaydah were both considered "high-value detainees" taken by the CIA at the start of the U.S.-led "war on terror." Al Nashiri's lawyer, Amrit Singh, called the ruling "a sharp rebuke to Romania's shameful attempts" to conceal its hosting of a secret CIA prison.She was the lead lawyer on the case with the New York-based Open Society Justice Initiative. Singh also noted the court's decision in light of the appointment of new CIA Director Gina Haspel, who supervised a covert detention site in Thailand where terror suspects, including al-Nashiri, were waterboarded, an interrogation technique that simulates drowning. "The European court's ruling is critical for upholding standards of international law — that torture is absolutely prohibited and those involved in torture must be held to account," said Singh. "It stands in stark contrast to the United States' decision to promote Gina Haspel to CIA Director despite her role in my client's torture." The court also said that Lithuania hosted a secret CIA detention facility from February 2005 to March 2006 where Abu Zubaydah, a Palestinian suspected of being a planner for the Sept. 11 attacks, was detained. It ruled that Lithuania allowed him to be moved to another CIA detention site in Afghanistan, "exposing him to further ill-treatment." He is currently detained at Guantanamo Bay and has not been charged. Lithuanian authorities said they would consider appealing the court's decision and may also investigate the claims again. Justice Minister Elvinas Jankevicius told reporters that "we will take a decision after carefully examining," the ruling. Vytautas Bakas, the chairman of the parliamentary committee for national security and defense, said he would propose opening a new probe. Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, however, contradicted the justice minister and said in a statement that the small Baltic country's "reputation damage is done," adding that Lithuania "thus will have to execute a court judgment" and pay Zubaydah 130,000 euros ($152,000). She has regularly clashed with the Lithuanian government and forced a minister to resign after expressing her distrust. Amnesty International called the rulings "a key milestone in holding European governments accountable for their involvement in illegal CIA activities in the aftermath" of the 9/11 attacks. Roisin Pillay, director of the International Council of Jurists' Europe and Central Asia Program claimed that "many other European governments colluded with the U.S. to illegally transfer, `disappear' and torture people during rendition operations and must also be held accountable." A 2009 investigation in Lithuania concluded that the country's intelligence agency helped the CIA set up two small detention centers there, but did not determine whether the facilities were actually used in the interrogation of terrorism suspects. ||||| The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Romania and Lithuania allowed the detention and abuse of a Saudi and a Palestinian at secret US prisons. The Strasbourg-based court said Abd al-Rahim Al Nashiri, a Saudi national later sent to Guantanamo Bay, was detained and abused in Romania between September 2003 and October 2005, and urged Romania to investigate and punish perpetrators. The court said Lithuania hosted a secret CIA detention facility from February 2005 to March 2006 where Abu Zubaydah, a Palestinian suspected of being a planner for the September 11 attacks, was detained. Al Nashiri’s lawyer Amrit Singh called the ruling “a sharp rebuke to Romania’s shameful attempts” to conceal its hosting of a secret CIA prison.
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The European Court of Human Rights rules that the Romanian and Lithuanian governments each knowingly hosted CIA secret prisons around 2005. Both countries also participated in the US extraordinary rendition program: one case by each country is acknowledged. Four years ago, Poland was also condemned for running a CIA secret jail.
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This article is more than 1 year old This article is more than 1 year old Denmark has joined several other European countries in banning garments that cover the face, including Islamic veils such as the niqab and burqa, in a move condemned by human rights campaigners as “neither necessary nor proportionate”. In a 75-30 vote with 74 absentees on Thursday, Danish lawmakers approved the law presented by the centre-right governing coalition. The government said it is not aimed at any religions and does not ban headscarves, turbans or the traditional Jewish skull cap. But the law is popularly known as the “burqa ban” and is mostly seen as being directed at the dress worn by some Muslim women. Few Muslim women in Denmark wear full-face veils. Burqa bans, headscarves and veils: a timeline of legislation in the west Read more The justice minister, Søren Pape Poulsen, said it would be up to police officers to use their common sense when they see people violating the law, which comes into force on 1 August. The legislation allows people to cover their face when there is a “recognisable purpose” such as cold weather or complying with other legal requirements, for example using motorcycle helmets under Danish traffic rules. Those violating the law risk a fine of 1,000 kroner (£118). Repeat offenders could be fined up to 10,000 kroner. Austria, France and Belgium have similar laws. Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty International’s Europe director, said of the Danish decision: “All women should be free to dress as they please and to wear clothing that expresses their identity or beliefs. This ban will have a particularly negative impact on Muslim women who choose to wear the niqab or burqa. “While some specific restrictions on the wearing of full-face veils for the purposes of public safety may be legitimate, this blanket ban is neither necessary nor proportionate and violates the rights to freedom of expression and religion. “If the intention of this law was to protect women’s rights, it fails abjectly. Instead, the law criminalises women for their choice of clothing and in so doing flies in the face of those freedoms Denmark purports to uphold.” • This article was amended on 1 June 2018 to clarify that, according to Danish authorities, the penalties for repeat offending do not include a prison term. Associated Press contributed to this report ||||| Denmark on Thursday followed in the footsteps of several European countries and introduced a ban on clothes that cover the face, including Islamic veils such as the burqa and niqab. The ban, which will come into effect from August 1, was passed in the Danish Parliament in a 75-30 vote with 74 absentees, reported The Guardian. The law was presented by Denmark’s centre-right governing coalition. The government said the bill is not aimed at any religion and does not ban headscarves, turbans or the Jewish skull cap. Those violating the law will have to pay a fine of 1,000 kroner (Rs 10,595). During the weeks-long parliamentary procedure, the government removed a provision allowing prison sentences as potential punishment for breaking the law, reported The Local Denmark. “[The] Parliament has clearly stated that the burqa and niqab do not belong in Denmark,” said Danish People’s Party spokesperson Martin Henriksen. “They are incompatible with Danish culture and the foundations on which Denmark is built.” Justice Minister Soren Pape Poulsen in April said the Danish police will not forcibly remove veils from women. “If they live nearby, they will be asked to go home,” Poulsen had said. The law, popularly known as the “burqa ban”, is seen as being directed at the dress worn by some Muslim women. Few Muslim women in Denmark wear full-face veils, reported The Guardian. The burqa has become a political issue in several major European countries. France became the first country in Europe to ban the burqa in 2011, followed by Belgium. The Netherlands approved a partial burqa ban in public spaces such as hospitals and schools in 2016, whereas Austria banned the use of burqa from October last year. In 2017, the German Parliament too voted in favour of a partial burqa ban. ||||| The traditional Islamic burqa and niqab veils have been banned in Denmark after a majority vote in the country’s parliament. In a 75-30 vote with 74 absentees on Thursday, Danish lawmakers approved the law. The Danish government says it is not aimed at any religions and does not ban headscarves, turbans or the traditional Jewish skull cap, AP reports. Denmark now follows in the footsteps of several other European countries which have also banned the full-face veil, fully or partially, including France, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Belgium, Germany, and parts of Switzerland. During the weeks-long parliamentary procedure of the bill, the government removed a provision allowing prison sentences as potential punishment for breaking the new law. Financial penalties will instead be inforced against those who infringe on the new legislation. Those found violating it will receive a 1,000 Krone (£119/$166) fine which could increase to as much as £900/$1,257 for repeat offenders. Anyone forcing a person to wear garments covering the face by using force or threats can be fined or face up to two years in prison. Justice Minister Søren Pape Poulsen has previously stated that Danish police will not forcibly remove veils from women. “I do not want police officers pulling items of clothing off people – burqas or otherwise. That is not going to happen,” Poulsen told Politiken last month. “If they live nearby, they will be asked to go home,” Poulsen said at the time. A further option would be for women to be accompanied to a police station, where they would be collected by a family member, he added. Unlike the Austrian burqa ban, which prohibits all facial coverings including Halloween costumes, the Danish ban will have a limited number of exceptions including those using scarves to protect their faces from cold and people dressed up in costume. Following the Danish vote, Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty International’s Europe Director, said: “All women should be free to dress as they please and to wear clothing that expresses their identity or beliefs. This ban will have a particularly negative impact on Muslim women who choose to wear the niqab or burqa. ||||| Danish Parliament voted Thursday to ban garments covering the face in public places: effectively outlawing the burqa and niqab, coverings worn by some Muslim women. The bill was presented by Denmark's center-right governing coalition. It received 75 votes from members of parliament in favor of the ban and 30 votes in opposition. Another 74 members of parliament were absent for the vote. Once the law goes into effect on August 1, it carries a fine of 1,000 kroner ($156) for first-time offenders and up to 10,000 kroner ($1,568) by the fourth violation. An earlier version of the bill also included a provision allowing prison sentences, The Local Denmark reported. That amendment was later removed from the bill. Widely known as the "Burqa Ban," the measure is perceived by critics as targeting Muslim women who choose to cover themselves with the burqa, a head to toe garment, or the niqab, a cloth covering the face. Human rights campaigners say the law will have particularly negative consequences for Muslim women, limiting their identity and freedom. "If the intention of this law was to protect women's rights it fails abjectly. Instead, the law criminalizes women for their choice of clothing and in so doing flies in the face of those freedoms Denmark purports to uphold," Amnesty International's Europe Director Gauri van Gulik said in a statement. He added that the law is "neither necessary nor proportionate and violates the rights to freedom of expression and religion." Shadi Hamid, a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, told NPR, that the new law has wider repercussions. "It will have the affect of further polarizing society and further alienating the Muslim minority population. There is only one minority group that is affected by this — Muslims." Proponents of the ban say that the veil is a form of female oppression, obstructs communication in schools and court rooms and presents a potential security hazard. The government also says the ban is not aimed at any religion and does not ban headscarves, turbans or the traditional Jewish skull cap, the Associated Press reported. But veils have been a source of controversy in Denmark for years. Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in 2010 that "the burqa and the niqab do not have their place in the Danish society. They symbolize a conception of the woman and of the humanity to which we are fundamentally opposed and that we want to fight in the Danish society," according to the Library of Congress. Thursday's outcome was embraced by Danish politician and member of the European Parliament Anders Vistisen who tweeted, "Today, the Danish Parliament approved a law banning burqa and niqab. Congratulations Denmark!" The Danish People's Party, which had proposed prison sentences, tweeted "finally adopted!" with an image of a veiled woman with a "no symbol" across her face. Because the law allows people to cover their faces for a "recognizable purpose," such as in cold weather, Justice Minister Soeren Pape Poulsen said, police officers will have to use "common sense," according to the AP. Denmark joins the ranks of France, Austria and Belgium who have implemented similar laws. ||||| Denmark joined a list of European countries on Thursday banning garments covering the face, including Islamic full-face veils in public places. The law, which was passed with 75 votes against 30, states, “Anyone who wears a garment that hides the face in public will be punished with a fine.” The Danish government had proposed to ban the full-face veil earlier this year in February. “It is incompatible with the values in Danish society and disrespectful to the community to keep one’s face hidden when meeting each other in public spaces,” Justice Minister, Søren Pape Poulsen had said. The law is popularly known as the “burqa ban”. The Danish government cleared that the law does not ban headscarves, turbans and traditional Jewish skull cap and it has not been passed to take an aim at any religion. AP news reported that the law allows people to cover their faces for “recognisable purposes” like in biting weather or using motorcycle helmets under the Danish traffic rules. Denmark lawmakers have been mulling over the law since last year and despite fears of religious freedom, the three-party centre-right minority government, its ally the Danish People’s Party and the main opposition Social Democrats had supported the ban in 2017. Justice Minister Soeren Pape Poulsen left the decision on the “common sense” of the police officers to call out on people violating the law. The law will come into force on August 1, 2018. First-time offenders of the law would risk a fine of 1,000 kroner which would amount to US dollar 156. People violating the law more than once would risk a fine of up to 10,000 kroner, which would amount to US dollar 1600 or imprisonment up to six months. Addition to this, any person forcing or threatening another to wear a full-face veil or garments covering the face would risk two years imprisonment. Similar laws are followed by Austria, France and Belgium. In 2017, the European court of human rights upheld a Belgian ban on wearing full-face veils in public spaces. For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App ||||| Danish politicians passed a law Thursday banning clothing that covers the face, making wearing full-face Islamic veils like the burqa and niqab in public punishable with a $160 fine. While the government says the law doesn’t target any religion, the party that first suggested the law nine years ago, the anti-immigration Danish People’s Party, said it was a reflection that full-face Islamic veils were incompatible with Danish culture. The party rose to become the second-largest party in the parliament in the 2015 elections. The move follows the passage of similar laws in France, Belgium and Austria amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment, but critics in Denmark say it impinges on women’s rights to dress in accordance with their religious beliefs. “If the intention of this law was to protect women’s rights, it fails abjectly. Instead, the law criminalises women for their choice of clothing and in so doing flies in the face of those freedoms Denmark purports to uphold,” saidAmnesty International’s Europe director Gauri van Gulik. Van Gulik added it would “have a particularly negative impact on Muslim women who choose to wear the niqab or burqa.” “All women should be free to dress as they please and to wear clothing that expresses their identity or beliefs,” she said. Lawmakers voted 75-30 in favor of the law, which was held under an agreement whereby individual MPs were free to vote in accordance with their personal views. More than 70 politicians opted not to cast a vote. ||||| Denmark has joined several European countries in banning garments that cover the face, including Islamic veils such as the niqab or burqa, in a move condemned by human rights campaigners as “neither necessary nor proportionate”. In a 75-30 vote with 74 absentees on Thursday, Danish lawmakers approved the law presented by Denmark’s centre-right governing coalition. The government says it is not aimed at any religions and does not ban headscarves, turbans or the traditional Jewish skull cap. But the law is popularly known as the “burqa ban” and is mostly seen as being directed at the dress worn by some Muslim women. Few Muslim women in Denmark wear full-face veils. Those violating the law that comes into force on 1 August risk a fine of 1,000 kroner (£118). Austria, France and Belgium have similar laws. Following the Danish vote, Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty International’s Europe Director, said: “All women should be free to dress as they please and to wear clothing that expresses their identity or beliefs. This ban will have a particularly negative impact on Muslim women who choose to wear the niqab or burqa. “Whilst some specific restrictions on the wearing of full-face veils for the purposes of public safety may be legitimate, this blanket ban is neither necessary nor proportionate and violates the rights to freedom of expression and religion. “If the intention of this law was to protect women’s rights it fails abjectly. Instead, the law criminalises women for their choice of clothing and in so doing flies in the face of those freedoms Denmark purports to uphold.” Associated Press contributed to this report. ||||| Thelegislation was passed by 75 votes to 30 in the Danish parliament on Thursday and will come into force on 1 August. Those violating the ban will be forced to pay 1,000 kroner (134 euros), with fines 10 times higher for repeat offenders. Like France's 2011 law, the wording of the new ban does not specifically mention Muslim women but it specifies that "anyone who wears a garment that hides the face in public will be punished with a fine". The legislation does allow people to cover their face when there is a “recognisable purpose” such as cold weather or complying with other legal requirements, for example using motorcycle helmets under Danish traffic rules. This is not the first time the Danish parliament has tried to implement the ban. There was an initial attempt in 2009 when the government conducted thorough research on the issue to gauge public opinion. “There are probably no more than a handful of women in all of Denmark who actually wear burkas," says Margit Warburg, a professor of sociology of religion at the University of Copenhagen who was part of the original survey team into people wearing veils in Denmark. The survey discovered that only 150 women regularly wore niqabs and th did not find any women at that time wearing burkas. "What was also interesting was that half of the women who wore niqabs were actually Danish converts, which means that they were born and raised in Denmark," Warburg comments. "They made their own choice to wear veils, their fathers did not force them to, which is the key argument made by parliament for banning the veils.” There are already provisions in Danish legislation to prevent women being forced to wear anything by husbands or family members. "Denmark already has very strict leglisation in place to ensure that women are not forced to wear, for example, the niqab, and it can carry a penalty of up to four years," Dan Hindgaul, head of Policy and Communications at Amnesty Denmark/ "Our position is crystal clear: we want women to decide for themselves. It shouldn't be the state that decides and it shouldn't be their husbands." According to recent surveys, the Danish people support the ban now, with almost two-thirds of the population endorsing it. "I don't think this is so much about the Danish people being afraid of Muslims, but rather the Danish politicians being afraid of voters,"said Professor Brian Jacobsen of the University of Copenhagen. "The politicans have to show a will to marginalise Islamic practice in Danish society to demonstrate that they want to protect Danish cultural heritage. This is a way to take on the far right politics, to make some concessions." France was the first European country to ban the full-face veil in public places, passing its law in April 2011, seven years after the passing another law prohibiting conspicuous religious symbols in state schools. To read about the background to France's burka ban click here It was followed a few months later by Belgium, which outlawed any clothing that obscures a person's identity in a public place. Full or partial bans have since been passed in Austria, Bulgaria and the southern German state of Bavaria, with the Dutch parliament agreeing a ban in late 2016, pending approval from the country's higher chamber. This appears to be the first step in Denmark's targeting its small Muslim population with legislation. The next issue on the table is the possible banning of the practice of circumcision. “A large part of the Danish people want to ban circumcision.” said Jacobsen. “There will be a discussion about this in parliament next and many of the parties have said that they will not take a party line on this, so members are free to vote as they want. I expect there will be some surprises in this discussion.” ||||| Denmark has become the latest country in Europe to ban attires that cover one's face, which includes the burqa and the niqab worn by many Muslim women. While the ban was proposed in 2017, the Danish Parliament voted in its favour on Thursday, May 31. After receiving 75 votes in favour of the ban, the law will come into effect on August 1, 2018, and violations will carry a penalty of 1,000 kroner ($156) for first-time offenders and about 10,000 kroner ($1,568) by the fourth violation, reported Reuters. A niqab covers everything apart from the eyes, whereas a burqa also covers the eyes with a transparent veil. About 200 women reportedly cover their faces in Denmark and this ban is set to affect all of them. Defending its decision, the Danish government said that the ban was not aimed at a particular religion and would cover all kinds of face veils such as balaclavas. However, the ban will not affect other things such as turbans, headscarves, and Jewish skull caps. Justice minister Soeren Pape Poulsen said that the police would be entrusted with the monitoring and they would use their "common sense" and check for people violating the law. If found with a face covering at a public place, people would be asked to go home. "With a ban on covering the face, we are drawing a line in the sand and underlining that in Denmark we show each other trust and respect by meeting face to face," the Huffington Post quoted Poulsen as saying. Meanwhile, Denmark is not the only European nation to impose the restriction, which is popularly called the "burqa ban." Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Bulgaria and the German state of Bavaria imposed this ban quite some time ago. The first country to ban a Muslim veil was France and the restriction came into effect in 2011. Why have nations banned burqa and why the debate? The European nations have banned the burqa and niqab and this has been a hot topic of debate for a while now. While some believe that women should be allowed to choose what they wear – full-face coverings or not -- some believe that such coverings oppress the women and it is almost like they are not allowed to have a voice. Several countries have also said covering the face creates security issues. The Norwegian government had earlier said that veil in all the schools, nurseries and educational institutions must be banned as it obstructs "good communication" between pupils and teachers. "We do not want clothes covering the face in nurseries, schools and universities... These clothes prevent good communication, which is important for students to receive a good education," Minister of Education and Research Torbjorn Roe Isaksen had earlier said in a statement. "Clothes covering the face, like the niqab and the burqa, have no place in Norwegian schools. It is a fundamental value to be able to communicate with each other," AFP had quoted Norwegian politician Per Sandberg as saying. The French Ambassador to the United States Gerard Araud had also earlier said that burqa was not a neutral attire. "A burqa is not a neutral attire. It conveys a conception of the woman as an object of lust, a subject and not an agent of history," he had tweeted. However, University of Oxford lecturer Sundas Ali believes that the ban isn't really fair and also said that extremism has affected the way the Islamic attire is treated. "I think in public a Muslim woman, or anybody really, should be allowed to dress however they want -- so long that it doesn't disrupt society or social harmony," CNN quoted Ali as saying. Shereen El Feki, author of 'Sex and the Citadel: Intimate Life in a Changing Arab World', also told CNN that a burqa or niqab doesn't always mean oppression and a lot of time, women wear it on their own will as per their interpretation of their religion. "For some it's fashion, for others it's clearly an expression of their modesty and how they interpret Islam. And for a lot of women it's freedom," Feki added. "It's a tool of empowerment." ||||| Denmark has become the latest European country to ban the Islamic burqa and niqab by outlawing the wearing of face veils in public. A majority of lawmakers voted in favour of the ban as women wearing conservative religious clothing looked on. First-time offenders of the so-called burqa ban - which goes into effect on August 1 - will be fined 1,000 Danish crowns (about £115). The fine increases to 10,000 crowns (£11,500) after a fourth violation. But Denmark's government insists the law isn't targeting any religions. Denmark is the fifth European country to pass a 'burqa ban' in public, joining Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria and France. The Swiss canton of Tessin has outlawed the religious clothing. In the Netherlands, face veils are banned in some public places, including schools, hospitals and public transport. On Thursday, Danish lawmakers voted 75-30 in favour of the legislation proposed by the country's centre-right coalition. An additional 74 members of parliament abstained from the vote. The niqab is a veil that covers a woman's entire face except the eyes, while the one-piece burqa covers the entire face and has a transparent veil.
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Denmark's parliament votes 75–30 to ban garments that cover the face, which includes Islamic veils such as the niqāb and burqa. Those violating the law risk a fine of 1,000 kroner. Similar bans already exist in Austria, Belgium and France.
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Image caption A Sainsbury's store in Vauxhall, London, is not taking card payments Visa says its service is "close to normal" again following a system failure which left customers across Europe unable to make some purchases. The company apologised and said it had no reason to believe the hardware failure was down to "any unauthorised access or malicious event". Its statement came five hours after it had initially acknowledged the problem. Shoppers had reported being stuck in queues as Visa transactions were unable to be processed. Payment processing through Visa's systems accounts for £1 in £3 of all UK spending, the company said. Jay Curtis, from Swansea, had two cards declined in B&Q when he tried to pay for £240 worth of goods. "My card just wouldn't go through," the 32-year-old told the BBC. "I didn't have cash on me so I had to drive all the way home." Labour MP Angela Rayner seems to be among those affected, tweeting that she had to leave her local petrol station without paying. Elle Gibbs-Murray, from Bridgend, said she was stuck in traffic on the Severn Bridge for 45 minutes as drivers were unable to pay the toll by card. Image caption Adam is one of many unable to use their Visa payment card Adam, from Manchester, is a on a canal boat holiday with his girlfriend, Rach, and he was unable to use his card. The 26-year-old said: "We have spent all day boating to moor up at a riverside pub in Kidlington for a birthday meal only to find the visa payments are not working. Having only £20 between us we have had to opt for a birthday drink instead. "[There is] no cash point for miles around and no car as we are on the canal boat." In Berlin's Alexanderplatz, customers at Primark complained of having to queue for 20 minutes to pay and staff there could not explain the reasons why transactions were failing. Image copyright Deborah Elder Image caption Deborah says she was embarrassed she couldn't pay for her meal Deborah Elder, from Glasgow, was unable to pay her restaurant bill while she was waiting at Frankfurt airport to fly back to Toulouse. She said: "I was so embarrassed. I gave the waiter the 14 euros I had left. "I'm worried I won't be able to get home when I land in Toulouse as I have no cash for a taxi." Supermarket Tesco said chip and pin payments were not affected, but contactless payments were. Sainsbury's also said it had experienced problems. Consumer advocacy group Which? advised people to keep evidence of extra expenses incurred in order to claim them back in the future. "Visa and the banks need to ensure no-one is left out of pocket due to this outage," said Alex Neill, Which? managing director of home products and services. A Visa spokesman said the system failure had "impacted customers across Europe" and the company apologised for falling "well short" of its reliability goal. ||||| Credit-card networks talk of hopes for a cash-free society, but a Visa Inc. outage in Europe Friday showed that vision wasn’t quite ready for prime time. Visa V, +0.10% was experiencing a service disruption in parts of Europe on Friday as merchants and consumers tweeted about an inability to use or accept Visa-branded cards, with some businesses posting signs that advised customers to either use cash or cards offered by Mastercard Inc. MA, +2.76% or American Express Co. AXP, -0.05% “Visa is currently experiencing a service disruption,” the company told MarketWatch in a statement. “This incident is preventing some Visa transactions in Europe from being processed. We are investigating the cause and working as quickly as possible to resolve the situation.” A Visa spokesperson declined to provide more information about specific areas in Europe that were and weren’t affected by the outage. Visa and Visa Europe remained separate entities when Visa proper went public in 2008, but Visa acquired its European counterpart in 2016. The Visa Europe integration is part of the bull case for Visa’s stock, as some analysts see opportunity ahead as the combined company restructures arrangements and makes technological upgrades in Europe. Shares of Visa were up as much as 1.4% earlier in the day but are now trading down 0.1% in Friday afternoon trading, while Mastercard shares are up 2.6%. Visa’s stock has gained over 14% year-to-date, compared with a 2% gain for the S&P 500 index SPX, +1.08% . ||||| Customers across the UK and Europe have been unable to pay for some of their purchases with Visa cards because of a network failure. Shoppers reported being stuck in queues in supermarkets and petrol stations as Visa transactions could not be processed. Banks have advised customers that they can still withdraw cash from ATMs. Visa says it is working to resolve the issue. Mastercard and American Express said they were not affected. Payment processing through Visa's systems accounts for £1 in £3 of all UK spending, the company said. Paymentsense, which runs card services for small businesses, said some transactions were now starting to go through but there was a backlog. Responding to complaints on social media, HSBC said there were issues with processing Visa payments, which were intermittent, but were "slowly recovering". Jay Curtis, from Swansea, had two cards declined in B&Q when he tried to pay for £240 worth of goods. "My card just wouldn't go through," the 32-year-old told the BBC. "I didn't have cash on me so I had to drive all the way home." Labour MP Angela Rayner seems to be among those affected, tweeting that she had to leave her local petrol station without paying. Elle Gibbs-Murray, from Bridgend, said she was stuck in traffic on the Severn Bridge for 45 minutes as drivers were unable to pay the toll by card. Adam, from Manchester, is a on a canal boat holiday with his girlfriend, Rach, and he is unable to use his card. The 26-year-old said: "We have spent all day boating to moor up at a riverside pub in Kidlington for a birthday meal only to find the visa payments are not working. Having only £20 between us we have had to opt for a birthday drink instead. "[There is] no cash point for miles around and no car as we are on the canal boat." In Berlin's Alexanderplatz, customers at Primark complained of having to queue for 20 minutes to pay and staff there could not explain the reasons why transactions were failing. Deborah Elder, from Glasgow, was unable to pay her restaurant bill while she was waiting at Frankfurt airport to fly back to Toulouse. She said: "I was so embarrassed. I gave the waiter the 14 euros I had left. "I'm worried I won't be able to get home when I land in Toulouse as I have no cash for a taxi." Supermarket Tesco said chip and pin payments were not affected, but contactless payments were. Sainsbury's also said it was experiencing problems. Banks, including the Bank of Ireland, have said cash withdrawals at ATMs can still be made. Consumer advocacy group Which? advised people to keep evidence of extra expenses incurred in order to claim them back in the future. "Visa and the banks need to ensure no-one is left out of pocket due to this outage," said Alex Neill, Which? managing director of home products and services. The Bank of England, which oversees electronic payment providers such as Visa, said it was "aware of the issue" and was "working with the firm to resolve the situation". Transport for London said it expected customers to still be able to use their contactless payment cards to pay for travel on its buses, trains and Tubes. However, Paymentsense, which runs card services for small businesses, said transactions were now starting to go through but there was a backlog. Are you a Visa customer? Have your card payments been affected? You can share your experience by emailing [email protected]. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
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• Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy ||||| Visa's payment network crashed across the UK and Europe on Friday, sparking chaos as customers' transactions were failed or being denied, according to a British newspaper. The company confirmed that it was suffering an outage and investigating the cause, The Guardian reported. The scale of the outage remains unclear. Visa customers across Europe took to Twitter saying that their payments were not being accepted at shops and petrol stations. In a statement, Visa said: "Visa is currently experiencing a service disruption. This incident is preventing some Visa transactions in Europe from being processed. "We are investigating the cause and working as quickly as possible to resolve the situation." Mastercard said its payment network was functioning normally. "We are seeing nothing abnormal on our network right now," a spokesman said. Retailers also confirmed that payments were failing across the UK. Marks & Spencer said: "We are unable to accept Visa card payments currently. No retailers are able to accept Visa cards." A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: "We are aware that Visa are currently experiencing problems. We are doing our best to help our customers and apologise for any inconvenience." However, the situation left some customers abandoning their shopping and walking out of stores. ||||| What has gone wrong? Visa users are experiencing widespread problems with card payments. The problems appear to mainly be with chip and pin transactions. ATM transactions are not affected, so you can still take cash out. Mastercard and American Express are not affected. Difficulties with payment do not indicate that you have been robbed or your card has been hacked. The problems appear to have begun shortly after 2.30pm on Friday. What is causing the problem? Visa says it is investigating and will update people as soon as possible. An Asda spokesman suggested the problem was with the authorisation that is supposed to be sent to a chip and pin machine when you make a transaction. “When you try and pay something, it sends a message to Visa and then Visa have to send a message back to the chip and pin machine to say this is OK and then the banks are in between at some point. The message that is coming back to the chip and pin, that is where the fault is,” he said. Where are people being affected? Across the UK and Europe – although the problems do not appear to be consistent. Many companies in the UK have reported problems, including Sainsbury’s, rail operator GWR and pub chain Wetherspoons. How long will the problem last? Visa said it was working to resolve the issue “as quickly as possible” but did not say how long that would take. Shortly before 6pm on Friday HSBC’s UK Twitter account said “there are still intermittent issues but services are slowly recovering”. What effect is the payment failure having? Many Visa users are complaining of difficulties as a result of the outage, reporting they have been stranded while travelling, are unable to pay for groceries, or are facing large queues at cash machines. But there were no early reports of panic, or evidence that the wider card payment system was under threat. ||||| LONDON – Visa users in several European countries reported being unable to make payments with their credit and debit cards on Friday, and the company said it was experiencing a “service disruption.” The credit card firm said the incident was “preventing some Visa transactions in Europe from being processed.” READ MORE: Chase Canada getting rid of Amazon.ca, Marriott Visa cards: What you need to know “We are investigating the cause and working as quickly as possible to resolve the situation,” Visa said in a statement. Consumers in Britain, Ireland and other European countries reported having card payments declined. The bank HSBC said the “industry-wide issue” was affecting Visa payments, though ATM machines were still working. It later said on Twitter that “there are still intermittent issues but services are slowly recovering.” Payment processing company Paymentsense said late Friday afternoon that transactions were starting to go through after a period of disruption but “there is still some intermittency” because of a backlog. WATCH: Lost your Visa card? Some banks hold you fully liable ||||| Card payments are being declined as Visa cards crash across Europe. Visa has confirmed there is an ongoing technical issue with their cards which is stopping some transactions from going ahead. Customers from nearly every UK bank have reported that they cannot pay for things with their debit or credit card. Instead, shoppers have had to queue at cash machines in order to make payments. The card payments network, Visa, processes transactions for a number of banks as well millions of small and large businesses. The company said it is working towards resolving the problem. Visa users have taken to social media to complain, and it is understood the Bank of England is aware of the issue and is in touch with Visa. A Visa spokesman said: “Visa is currently experiencing a service disruption. “This incident is preventing some Visa transactions in Europe from being processed. “We are investigating the cause and working as quickly as possible to resolve the situation.” HSBC’s UK Twitter account replied to a customer query on Twitter: “We believe there may have recently been issues with Visa’s payments processing. “From what we understand there are still intermittent issues but services are slowly recovering.” Natwest told their customers: “We are aware that some customers are experiencing issues with Visa Card Payments. “This is an industry wide issue which is being investigated as a matter of urgency and we apologise for any inconvenience. ATM and MasterCard transactions are not impacted.” ||||| Visa has said that a "service disruption" had hit its payment system, leaving some businesses unable to process purchases by its cardholders. The extent and cause of the hours-long outage that began Friday afternoon was unclear, but customers across the continent filled social media with posts in which they vented frustration. British lawmaker Angela Rayner tweeted that she left a petrol station without paying. "First time I've ever left without paying for my fuel #visa fail," she wrote, adding: "Good job my local garage knows me." Many businesses in Britain posted handmade "cash only" signs on their storefronts, while grocery shoppers reported long queues and chaos at supermarkets such as Sainsbury's, Tesco and Aldi. "We are currently experiencing a service disruption which is preventing some Visa transactions in Europe from being processed," the US-based card giant said in a statement. "We are investigating the cause and working as quickly as possible to resolve the situation. We will keep you updated." Later Friday, Visa apologised for the outage and said it was "currently operating at close to normal levels." "The issue was the result of a hardware failure," it said in a statement. "We have no reason to believe this was associated with any unauthorised access or malicious event." Barclays and the Bank of Ireland told customers that they were aware of the situation and encouraged people to make withdrawals at cash machines. Santander UK said it was receiving an "extremely high volume of calls" to its customer service centre, while British lender HSBC said Visa was "working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible." Visa rivals American Express and Mastercard were not affected. ||||| “Visa is currently experiencing a service disruption,” Amanda Pires, a spokesperson for the company, said in an emailed statement. “This incident is preventing some Visa transactions in Europe from being processed. We are investigating the cause and working as quickly as possible to resolve the situation.” Visa Inc. said it’s experiencing an issue that’s preventing some transactions in Europe. Some European banks and businesses, including HSBC Holdings Plc and Bank of Ireland, acknowledged customer issues with payments through Visa on social media. Visa handles more than $10 trillion (U.S.) in payments every year. The company completed its $20 billion purchase of Visa Europe in 2016 after the two firms spent eight years as separate entities. ||||| Visa has said it is experiencing problems with its card processing systems is preventing payments being made by card in many stores across the UK. A spokesperson from Visa said: “Visa is currently experiencing a service disruption. “This incident is preventing some Visa transactions in Europe from being processed. “We are investigating the cause and working as quickly as possible to resolve the situation.” Large queues have been sen forming outside Asda in Queensferry as people draw cash from ATM’s. Dan has been in touch to say: “There is chaos at Asda Queensferry at the moment due to a problem which has seen the store stop taking card payments. There’s women leaving trollies full of frozen food at the tills and storming out on their dressing gowns” Tweets from around the UK.
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Visa card payments are disrupted throughout Europe due to a network failure. The disruption results in large queues at supermarkets and petrol stations. Mastercard and American Express say they were not affected.
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• The Spanish parliament has forced Mariano Rajoy out of office in a vote of no confidence.
• Pedro Sanchez, the leader of the opposition party, is now the Prime Minister.
• Rajoy’s no-confidence vote came after a court convicted his former aides of running a slush fund for his party’s campaign.
• Rajoy admitted defeat earlier in the day before voting started. Mariano Rajoy has been ousted as Spain’s prime minister after a parliamentary no-confidence vote forced him out of office. Out of 350 members of parliament, 180 lawmakers voted in favour of Rajoy’s ouster, 169 voted against, and one abstained. Pedro Sanchez, the leader of the opposition Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), is now Spanish Prime Minister. He tweeted on Thursday, ahead of the vote: “I propose a socialist, joint and European government that will comply with the EU and the [Spanish] Constitution.” Sanchez filed a motion for the vote of no confidence after a court convicted Rajoy’s former aides of running slush funds to help finance election campaigns for his Popular Party. Rajoy has long denied any knowledge of the funds, and said he had not taken any illicit payments. Rajoy, became prime minister in 2011, admitted defeat before the Spanish parliament began the no-confidence vote on Friday. He told the Spanish parliament: “It has been an honour to be the president of the Government of Spain, it has been an honour to leave Spain better than what I found. I wish my substitute could say the same when he comes. I wish it for the good of Spain. “I think I have fulfilled the mandate of the seat, to serve the life of the people. If anyone has felt injured in this House or beyond, I apologise. Thank you all, especially to my party. Six opposition parties of the parliament’s lower house said on Thursday that they would reject him in the vote. Rajoy did not attend Thursday’s parliamentary session and was found hiding out with a handful of close advisers in an upscale restaurant for about eight hours. His removal from Spain’s premiership triggers the second major political crisis in Europe in a week, as Italy finally cobbled together a coalition after a populist election almost brought the country to the brink of chaos. ||||| Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is poised to be ousted from office after a Basque party on Thursday gave its decisive support to a no-confidence motion over a corruption case, making it all but certain to succeed. Bar any last minute u-turns, this will be the first time since Spain transitioned back to democracy after the 1975 death of Francisco Franco that a prime minister is toppled by a vote of no-confidence. In parliament, the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) said its five lawmakers would vote against Rajoy, who was conspicuously absent from the lower house, with just a bag placed on his seat, after earlier launching a staunch defence against the motion scheduled for Friday. This gives the main opposition Socialist party, which filed the motion, the absolute majority of 176 votes needed for it to pass. It will also put paid to the 63-year-old’s rollercoaster time as prime minister that saw him come to power in 2011 and implement drastic spending cuts before winning elections again in 2015 and 2016, though without the absolute majority he had in his first term. He put Spain back onto the path of growth after a devastating economic crisis although unemployment remains sky-high, jobs precarious and many complain inequalities have risen. His term in office was also marked by a series of corruption scandals involving former members of his Popular Party (PP). That prompted the no-confidence motion, which was filed last week after a court said it had uncovered a vast system of bribes given to former PP officials in exchange for lucrative public contracts between 1999 and 2005. The National Court, which deals with major criminal cases, sentenced 29 people with links to the PP, including a former treasurer, to jail. It also ordered the party to pay back 245,000 euros ($290,000) received from the scheme to help finance election campaigns. Rajoy became Spain’s first sitting prime minister to give evidence in a trial when he was called as a witness last year, prompting calls for him to resign. In its ruling, the court said the credibility of Rajoy’s testimony “should be questioned”. Earlier on Thursday, Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez demanded Rajoy step down, arguing he had lost credibility after the court ruling, though the PP’s number two Maria Dolores de Cospedal later ruled out his resignation before the vote. “Your isolation, Mr. Rajoy, is the epitaph of a political period, yours, which is over,” the 46-year-old former economics professor said in parliament. In a bid to secure the PNV’s support, Sanchez vowed to stick to Rajoy’s 2018 budget, which included concessions to the Basque Country and an increase in pensions demanded by the tiny party. The PNV, which governs the northern Basque Country with the Socialists, gave Rajoy the crucial backing he needed to pass the budget earlier this month. The Socialists, who hold 84 of the parliament’s 350 seats, also have the support of anti-establishment party Podemos and a string of regional parties, including two Catalan separatist groupings. “The party is over,” said Joan Baldovi, a representative of tiny regional party Compromis, an ally of Podemos. Sanchez has pledged to call a fresh election if the motion succeeds but only after governing long enough to restore “institutional stability”. Bar any change, Rajoy will become the first Spanish premier to lose a no-confidence vote. There have been three other such votes since Spain returned to democracy following the death of long-time dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, including one against Rajoy last year. During Thursday’s debate, Rajoy said the corruption case “does not concern members of the government” and repeated the PP’s argument that only a tiny number of its politicians have been tainted by corruption. “The PP has had corrupt people, I acknowledge it but the PP is not a corrupt party,” he said, before accusing Sanchez of “opportunism at the service of personal ambition”. Rajoy also hit back by listing the many graft cases involving the Socialists over the years. ||||| After a bitter two-day debate in parliament, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Friday lost a no-confidence vote and was ousted from office. He will be replaced by a leader of the opposition Socialist Party. The vote was 180 to 169, with one abstention. Rajoy appeared in parliament Friday morning and in a brief speech said, “I will accept the decision.” He added: “It has been an honor to be the leader of Spain and to leave it in a better state than the one I found. I believe I have satisfied my responsibility, which is to improve the lives of Spaniards. If I have offended someone in my role, I ask forgiveness.” After navigating 25 percent youth unemployment, a territorial showdown with the restive Catalan region and a financial crisis that threatened the solvency of the euro, Rajoy was brought down by the corruption scandals that have plagued his Popular Party. Spain’s National Court handed down tough sentences last week to 29 individuals linked with the party, including elected officials and business leaders. The court ruled that the Popular Party benefited from wide-ranging, systematic use of kickbacks from contracts. The crimes ranged from fraud and tax evasion to money laundering. Rajoy had testified that there were no such slush funds. The crisis in Spain comes as populist, anti-immigrant and euro-skeptical parties in Italy struggle to cobble together a government and Britain faces a decisive round of negotiations later this month to leave the European Union. After six years in office, Rajoy is set to be replaced by the opposition Socialist Party and its leader, Pedro Sánchez. Pending publication of the no-confidence vote in the national bulletin and the formality of the king’s invitation to form a government, Sánchez could be sworn in over the weekend. Sánchez has promised to abide by the 2018 budget negotiated by Rajoy, and most observers do not forecast any abrupt or radical change in governing. The Sánchez government is likely to be a weak one, supported by two pro-independence Catalan parties, a Basque party and the populist Podemos party. Rajoy earlier charged that Sánchez and the Socialists could not win at the polls and so sought the no-confidence vote to seize power. “Everybody knows that Pedro Sánchez is never going to win elections, and this is the reason for his motion and this urgency,” Rajoy said last week. This view was echoed by a leader of Rajoy’s Popular Party in the parliament, Rafael Hernando, who charged that it was all politics. The “no-confidence” motion is brought forward by the “reckless left that doesn’t accept its defeat at the polls,” he said. Hernando reminded parliament of the successes of the outgoing government. “Thanks to the effort and the solidarity of all Spaniards, Mariano Rajoy’s government avoided the bailout and steered us through the crisis.” Rajoy won European Union support — and European money — for a “bailout lite” of Spanish banks in 2012, which stabilized the economy and helped bolster the eurozone as countries such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal were skidding into the ditch. The leader of the Socialist Party, Margarita Robles, told parliament Friday that the party was ready to handle this difficult moment in a responsible fashion. “The facts proved in the sentence show that the president didn’t tell the truth,” she said. “It’s enough of covering up corruption. We are going to start a new stage.” The no-confidence motion — which needed 176 of 350 votes to pass — made strange bedfellows of 22 widely divergent parliamentary groups, including anti-establishment left-wing national parties, the political arm of the now-defunct armed Basque separatist group ETA, and regional Catalan nationalist parties hankering to negotiate an independent Catalan republic. But the most notable party among those cobbled together to support the no-confidence vote was the right-leaning regional Basque party PNV, which just last week secured a coveted fiscal package as a prerequisite for casting the deciding votes to approve the 2018 general budget. PNV’s decision Thursday to support Sánchez’s motion to oust Rajoy sent Spain into a frenzy, as pundits and politicians realized the government was doomed to collapse. A successful no-confidence vote was unprecedented in Spain, where three previous attempts had failed to secure the necessary absolute majority. Sánchez is an unlikely prime minister. He is responsible for losing two general elections for his party in 2012 and 2016, and for securing the smallest parliamentary representation the historic party has ever held in Spain’s democracy. Though he is nicknamed “Mr. Handsome,” Sánchez heads a parliamentary bloc of only 84 in the 350-seat parliament. The vote was brought forward after the National Court handed down severe sentences last week against 29 business people and Popular Party members, including some elected officials, for money laundering, tax evasion, fraud and other crimes. The Popular Party was fined $287,000, and Rajoy’s credibility was damaged. The prime minister had testified he was unaware of the corruption in his party. On Thursday, Rajoy accused Sánchez of an opportunistic power grab and called the coalition of votes in favor of his motion a “Frankenstein government,” as opposed to what others have called Rajoy’s powerless administration: a “zombie government.” The main party withholding its support from the no-confidence vote was the business-friendly Ciudadanos, led by Albert Rivera — who presently leads polls as the most popular political leader. Rivera scolded Sánchez for capitalizing on the situation and not immediately calling elections. He also warned of dangerous alliances with political groups that openly challenge the Spanish Constitution and question territorial unity. “I don’t want a corruption-plagued zombie government but neither a Frankenstein government with those who want to break Spain apart,” Rivera said. For his part, Sánchez pledged to recover stability for the country and its institutions, address urgent issues and then call general elections. More specifically, he said he would maintain the general budget approved last week — leading to chatter about how that helped seal the crucial PNV votes. He also said he would reactivate social services and infuse new life into pensions. But most importantly, he opened the door for dialogue with Catalonia’s independence-minded parties. Both of the regional parties that form the Catalan government and have representation in the national parliament welcomed Sánchez’s statements about seeking a political solution to the Catalan crisis, a months-long stalemate between the Spanish government and the disobedient, rebellious regional administration. Spanish rappers may go to prison for insulting the king, glorifying terrorists Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news ||||| Spain's prime minister has been forced out of his job, losing a no-confidence vote triggered by a corruption scandal. Right-winger Mariano Rajoy was dramatically toppled today and replaced by socialist Pedro Sanchez. Rajoy was forced out after seven years in power following a wave of financial scandals involving his Popular Party. He announced his departure ahead of a vote of confidence in the Spanish Parliament. The motion, called by Sanchez, won 180 votes for, 169 against and 1 abstention. Sanchez is expected to take office by Monday and his cabinet appointed next week. He suggested on Thursday he would try to govern until the scheduled end of the parliamentary term in mid-2020. But it is unclear how long his administration, with only 84 Socialist deputies in the 350-member legislative assembly, can last. He has already committed to respecting a budget passed by Rajoy, and the fragmented parliament means Sanchez will find it hard to row back on structural reforms passed by his predecessor, including new labour laws and cuts in healthcare and education. Leftist Podemos, which will offer parliamentary support to Sanchez's government, is unlikely to gain big influence over the new Prime Minister, who is keen to differentiate his Socialist party from its anti-austerity ally and win back centrist voters. Rajoy had conceded defeat prior to the no-confidence vote, earlier telling deputies: "Mr Sanchez will be the head of the government and let me be the first to congratulate him." Jeremy Corbyn faces further pressure from Labour MPs and leftwing activists to soften his stance on Brexit Rajoy's position had become increasingly untenable, undermined by his status as head of a corruption-tinged minority government as well as a divisive independence drive in the wealthy region of Catalonia. The Basque Nationalist Party, whose five seats were key to Sanchez securing enough parliamentary backing, withdrew support from Rajoy after dozens of people linked to his centre-right People's Party (PP) were sentenced to decades in jail in a corruption trial. Two Catalan pro-independence parties as well as Podemos also backed Sanchez. Market-friendly Ciudadanos, leading in the national opinion polls, was the only major party that supported Rajoy. Sanchez, who is expected to be sworn in by Monday and appoint his cabinet next week, has promised to start talks with the Catalans but said he will not give them an independence referendum. ||||| Socialist Pedro Sanchez took over as Spain's prime minister, after outgoing leader Mariano Rajoy lost a parliamentary confidence vote. Picture: Reuters/Sergio Perez Madrid - Socialist Pedro Sanchez took over as Spain's prime minister on Friday, after outgoing leader Mariano Rajoy lost a parliamentary confidence vote triggered by a long-running corruption trial involving members of his centre-right party. Socialist party head Sanchez becomes Spain's seventh Prime Minister since its return to democracy in the late 1970s following the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. But Rajoy's departure after six years in office casts one of the European Union's top four economies into an uncertain political landscape, just as another - Italy - pulled back from early elections. Sanchez won Friday's no-confidence motion with 180 votes in favour, 169 against and 1 abstention. He suggested on Thursday he would try to govern until the scheduled end of the parliamentary term in mid-2020. But it is unclear how long his administration, with only 84 Socialist deputies in the 350-member legislative assembly, can last. With most Spanish parties and Sanchez himself being pro-European, investors however see less broader political risk there than in Italy. Anti-establishment parties in Rome revived coalition plans on Thursday, ending three months of turmoil by announcing a government that promises to increase spending, challenge European Union fiscal rules and crack down on immigration. "We've had a rude awakening of European political risks this week... but the situation in Spain is very different from Italy," said Michael Metcalfe, head of global macro strategy, State Street Global Markets. "The parties leading in the polls in Spain are centrists so we're not getting the proposals for fiscal extremes as we have in Italy." Many observers said Sanchez was in any case unlikely to call any vote until after European, local and regional elections take place in May next year. He has already committed to respecting a budget passed by Rajoy, and the fragmented parliament means Sanchez will find it hard to row back on structural reforms passed by his predecessor, including new labour laws and cuts in healthcare and education. Leftist Podemos, which will offer parliamentary support to Sanchez's government, is also unlikely to gain big influence over the new Prime Minister, who is keen to differentiate his Socialist party from its anti-austerity ally and win back centrist voters. Rajoy had conceded defeat prior to the no-confidence vote, earlier telling deputies: "Mr Sanchez will be the head of the government and let me be the first to congratulate him." Rajoy's position had become increasingly untenable, undermined by his status as head of a corruption-tinged minority government as well as a divisive independence drive in the wealthy region of Catalonia. The Basque Nationalist Party, whose five seats were key to Sanchez securing enough parliamentary backing, withdrew support from Rajoy after dozens of people linked to his centre-right People's Party (PP) were sentenced to decades in jail in a corruption trial. Two Catalan pro-independence parties as well as Podemos also backed Sanchez. Market-friendly Ciudadanos, leading in the national opinion polls, was the only major party that supported Rajoy. Sanchez, who is expected to be sworn in by Monday and appoint his cabinet next week, has promised to start talks with the Catalans but said he will not give them an independence referendum. ||||| Spain’s parliament on Friday ousted Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in a no-confidence vote sparked by fury over his party’s corruption woes, with his Socialist arch-rival Pedro Sanchez automatically taking over. An absolute majority of 180 lawmakers voted for the motion to loud applause and shouts of “Yes we can,” converting Rajoy into the first prime minister to be ousted by such a vote since Spain transitioned to democracy in 1977. The bespectacled 63-year-old leader got up and shook hands with Sanchez before leaving the lower house without a word. Rajoy had already admitted defeat minutes before the vote, knowing that an absolute majority of lawmakers as diverse as Catalan separatists and Basque nationalists had pledged their support for the no-confidence motion. “It’s been an honour — there is none bigger — to have been Spain’s prime minister,” he told parliament, with lawmakers from his conservative Popular Party (PP) giving him a standing ovation. Sanchez, Spain’s 46-year-old opposition leader, had instigated the no-confidence motion last week after a court revealed details of a vast system of bribes given to former PP officials in exchange for lucrative public contracts between 1999-2005. After years of anger over the scandals tainting the PP, corruption finally got the better of the party and sealed Rajoy’s downfall. “Today we are signing a new page in the history of democracy in our country,” Sanchez told parliament prior to the vote. But PP lawmaker Rafael Hernando told him he would be entering the prime minister’s office “through the back door” after failing to win 2015 and 2016 general elections. “For the first time we may get a prime minister who didn’t win elections,” he retorted. In order to push through the no-confidence motion, the Socialists, who hold just 84 of the parliament’s 350 seats, had to cosy up to parties they had previously clashed with, like Catalan separatists and the anti-establishment Podemos. As such, even if he has pledged to govern long enough to restore “institutional stability” before calling early elections, Sanchez‘s new government will likely be highly unstable. Podemos has already asked to be part of his new government. Aitor Esteban of the Basque PNV nationalist party, whose support proved decisive for the motion’s success, on Thursday warned that such a minority government would be “weak and difficult, complicated.” “This is going to be a constant bing, bang, boom.” Although Rajoy survived a similar no-confidence vote last year, Friday’s ballot draws a line under his rollercoaster time in office which began in 2011 and saw him implementing drastic spending cuts before winning re-election in 2015 and 2016. Despite winning the last two votes, he lacked the absolute majority of his first term. He put Spain back onto the path of growth after a devastating economic crisis although unemployment remains sky-high, jobs precarious and many complain inequalities have risen. But his term in office was also marred by a series of corruption scandals involving former PP members. Last week the National Court, which deals with major criminal cases, sentenced 29 people with links to the PP, including a former treasurer, to a total of 351 years in jail. It also ordered the party to pay back 245,000 euros ($290,000) received from the scheme to help finance election campaigns. Rajoy became Spain’s first sitting prime minister to give evidence at trial when he was called as a witness last year. In its ruling, the court said the credibility of Rajoy’s testimony “should be questioned”. During Thursday’s pre-vote debate, Rajoy said the corruption case “does not concern members of the government” and repeated the party’s argument that only a tiny number of its politicians have been tainted by corruption. He also hit back by listing the many graft cases involving the Socialists over the years. “Are you Mother Teresa of Calcutta? With what moral authority do you speak?” he told Sanchez. ||||| Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has been forced out in a no-confidence vote led by the country's opposition Socialist party. The motion passed by a narrow margin in the 350-seat lower house of Spain's parliament after the Socialists were able to corral enough votes from other parties. The final vote was 180 in favor, 169 against and one abstention, El Pais reports. Following the vote, Rajoy shook the hand of the leader of the Socialists, Pedro Sánchez, who is all-but-certain to become the next prime minister. Sánchez received a standing ovation in parliament as members of his party chanted "yes, we can!" The position of Rajoy, 63, became untenable after Spain's High Court found Luis Bárcenas, a former treasurer of the prime minister's People's Party, guilty of receiving bribes, money laundering and tax crimes. Bárcenas has been sentenced to 33 years in jail. In a brief farewell ahead of the vote — the first successful no-confidence motion in Spain's four decades of democracy — Rajoy said "it has been a honor to leave Spain better than I found it." "Thank you to all Spaniards and good luck," he said. Nearly a year ago, Rajoy survived a similar confidence vote, according to El Pais. Rajoy on Thursday refused to step down ahead of the vote, as Sánchez had urged. "Why should I have to resign, if for now I still have the trust of the house, and the trust awarded to me at the ballot boxes? You're the one who should be resigning around here," said Rajoy, addressing Sánchez. "Mr Sánchez said that if he gets into power he would stick to the 2018 budget negotiated by Mr Rajoy, so there will be no instant policy shifts. He says he wants to implement reforms in some areas, for example on salaries, pensions and gender equality. He has also said that he wants to re-establish a dialogue with the pro-independence government of Catalonia, which has broken down in recent years, possibly indicating a more accommodative approach to the ongoing constitutional crisis in the region. He has also said that he wants to re-establish a dialogue with the pro-independence government of Catalonia, which has broken down in recent years, possibly indicating a more accommodative approach to the ongoing constitutional crisis in the region." ||||| Socialist party leader Pedro Sanchez is set to become the new prime minister of Spain after a no-confidence vote in parliament unseated Mariano Rajoy's conservative government. Mr Sanchez, the leader of the largest opposition party, could be sworn in as early as Saturday, with Cabinet appointments taking place next week. To prevent a power vacuum after a no-confidence motion, Spanish law makes the motion's author - in this case, Mr Sanchez - the country's new leader as soon as the king swears him in. The end of Mr Rajoy's six-year reign as PM was the first removal of a serving leader by the parliament in Madrid in four decades of democracy. Mr Rajoy shook hands with Mr Sanchez after the result was announced. The reputation of Mr Rajoy's Popular Party was badly damaged by a court verdict last week which identified it as a beneficiary of a large kickbacks-for-contracts scheme. Mr Sanchez seized his opportunity and managed to muster enough support from smaller parties to send him to La Moncloa palace, the seat of government in Madrid. The 46-year-old takes the helm of the 19-country eurozone's fourth-largest economy at a time when the European Union faces numerous challenges, including the UK's departure from the bloc and migrants continuing to enter the continent from North Africa. Mr Sanchez and his party are staunch supporters of the EU and the continent's shared currency. The Madrid stock exchange was up nearly 1.6% after Mr Sanchez won the vote, earning a standing ovation from his party's MPs. Mr Sanchez, who will be Spain's seventh prime minister since the country's return to democracy in the late 1970s, arrives in power after a spectacular turnaround in his political fortunes. He was ousted by his own party's heavyweights in 2016 over back-to-back losses in general elections, and after he tried to block Mr Rajoy's bid to form a government. The former economics professor regained the Socialists' leadership last year. The incoming prime minister has outlined that his priorities will be social issues before calling elections, though he has not indicated when there might be a vote. He faces a tough time, however, catering to demands from small nationalist parties whose votes he captured in the no-confidence motion. The support of leftist and nationalist parties for ousting Mr Rajoy will not necessarily lead to parliamentary backing for Mr Sanchez's government and could produce a political stalemate. Meanwhile, Spain's centre-right Ciudadanos (Citizens') party has vowed fierce opposition to Mr Sanchez, and called for an early general election. Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera said the change of government "is not good news for Spain". Referring to Mariano Rajoy's outgoing government, Mr Rivera told reporters that "we had to censure this government, but not in this way". After Mr Sanchez won the support of Basque and Catalan nationalist parties during the parliamentary vote, Mr Rivera said his party would be "very attentive to the concessions" that are made. ||||| Mariano Rajoy faced his last hours as Spanish prime minister Friday as he braced to lose a no-confidence vote and make way for his arch-rival Pedro Sanchez, leader of the opposition. Bar any last-minute u-turn, an absolute majority of lawmakers as varied as Catalan separatists and Basque nationalists will vote the no-confidence motion filed last week by the Socialists over a string of corruption woes hitting Rajoy's conservative Popular Party (PP). "Your isolation, Mr. Rajoy, is the epitaph of a political period, yours, which is over," Sanchez, a 46-year-old former economics professor, told parliament on Thursday during an intense day of sometimes acrimonious debate. "Today we're finally sending the Popular Party home," Pablo Iglesias, leader of far-left anti-establishment party Podemos, added. In order to secure the success of the no-confidence motion, the Socialists, who hold just 84 of the parliament's 350 seats, have had to cosy up to parties as varied as Catalan separatist groupings or Podemos. Sanchez has pledged to call a fresh election if the motion succeeds but only after governing long enough to restore "institutional stability". Still, his new government will likely be unstable given the sharp divisions between those who support his motion. "The room for big economic policy shifts will be very limited, and early elections within 12 months are the most likely outcome," said Antonio Barroso, deputy research director at Teneo Intelligence. Rajoy, meanwhile, will become the first Spanish premier to lose a no-confidence vote since the country transitioned to democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. There have been three other such votes since, including one against Rajoy last year. The vote will put paid to the 63-year-old's rollercoaster time as prime minister that saw him come to power in 2011 and implement drastic spending cuts before winning elections again in 2015 and 2016, though without the absolute majority he had in his first term. He put Spain back onto the path of growth after a devastating economic crisis although unemployment remains sky-high, jobs precarious and many complain inequalities have risen. Aside from that, his term in office was also marred by a series of corruption scandals involving former members of PP. That prompted the no-confidence motion, which was filed last week after a court said it had uncovered a vast system of bribes given to former PP officials in exchange for lucrative public contracts between 1999 and 2005. The National Court, which deals with major criminal cases, sentenced 29 people with links to the PP, including a former treasurer, to jail. It also ordered the party to pay back 245,000 euros ($290,000) received from the scheme to help finance election campaigns. Rajoy became Spain's first sitting prime minister to give evidence in a trial when he was called as a witness last year. In its ruling, the court said the credibility of Rajoy's testimony "should be questioned". During Thursday's debate, Rajoy said the corruption case "does not concern members of the government" and repeated the PP's argument that only a tiny number of its politicians have been tainted by corruption. "The PP has had corrupt people, I acknowledge it but the PP is not a corrupt party," he said, before accusing Sanchez of "opportunism at the service of personal ambition". Rajoy also hit back by listing the many graft cases involving the Socialists over the years. "Are you Mother Teresa of Calcutta? With what moral authority do you speak?" he asked Sanchez. ||||| Tomorrow, a no-confidence vote could be held in the Spanish Parliament. The present situation is such that it appears that the sitting Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, could end up losing that vote, as the socialist contender, Pedro Sanchez, is already staring down the barrel of an absolute majority in backing from the members of the parliament. The absolute majority victory of 176 votes would allow Sanchez to immediately assume power, while he is presently expected to see better results than that. Should Rajoy lose this vote, as is expected, then he would become the first Spanish Prime Minister to lose a no-confidence vote. With two pro-independence parties supporting Sanchez, his victory in the parliamentary vote would put him in a position to be able to conduct constructive dialogue with the Catalonian secessionists. Between the Catalonian secession movement and the economic crisis that has gripped the Southern European nation, Rajoy’s record of failure to bring a viable solution to these issues has brought a lack of confidence in his leadership abilities, not less than issues of corruption. The Basque Nationalist Party will vote against Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in a no-confidence motion, Cadena Ser radio and La Sexta television said on Thursday, in a move that would almost certainly force him from office. Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez needs an absolute majority of 176 votes to become Spain’s new Prime Minister, and information from various parties suggested he had now secured 180. Rajoy’s departure would trigger a second political crisis in southern Europe, further unnerving financial markets already wrongfooted by failed attempts to form a government in Italy three months after a national election. It was not clear if Rajoy could resign before the vote takes place on Friday to avoid the humiliation of becoming the first Spanish Prime Minister to lose a no-confidence vote. Rajoy did not attend the afternoon session of the debate on Thursday. If he did, the motion would automatically become groundless and the government of the People’s Party would go into caretaker mode until a new prime minister is sworn in, something which could take several weeks or months. If the vote did go ahead and Rajoy lost it, then Sanchez would immediately become Prime Minister. This change of government in yet another Southern European nation is taking place almost simultaneously with the changes that are occurring in Italy, where, after three months, a Prime Minister has managed to take office with his delegation of ministers to head the country’s government. Earlier in the week, the sitting President vetoed the incoming Prime Minister’s ministerial lineup, largely over the nominated Minister of Finance, who was of a disposition hostile to the Eurozone and the common currency, thereby stoking fears that Italy could exit the common currency under such a government. Today, however, Giuseppe Conte successfully brought his revamped line up to their posts, ending months of uncertainty surrounding the political position of Italy and its participation in the bloc. Donate Gift €20 or more and we'll send you our super awesome mug absolutely FREE! Your donations allow us to hire more writers and broaden our reach to those seeking the truth. 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The Government of Mariano Rajoy is ousted after a motion of no confidence passes 180–169. Pedro Sánchez of the Socialist Workers' Party is sworn in as the new Prime Minister. This is the first time in Spanish history that a vote of no confidence has resulted in a change of government.
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Image copyright EPA Image caption Distraught relatives gathered in front of police headquarters in Caracas At least 17 people have been killed in a stampede in a nightclub in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, the Interior Minister Néstor Reverol has confirmed. The stampede was triggered when a tear-gas canister was set off during a brawl, he said. Party-goers were celebrating the end of the school year and several of the dead are reported to be minors. Seven people have been arrested over the case, the minister said. The stampede took place at the Club Los Cotorros in the El Paraíso district in western Caracas, local media reported. Some 500 party-goers rushed for the exit when the tear-gas canister was detonated during a fight in the early hours of Saturday morning, Mr Reverol told state television. Among those detained are two minors identified by witnesses along with the owner of the club for failing to implement measures to prevent weapons being brought into the premises. "The majority of the deceased... were between 16 and 20 years old," journalist Darvinson Rojas told La Patilla news website. "Some died from asphyxiation, others from injuries sustained when they tried to escape the room when the explosive was detonated." Five people injured in the incident, one seriously, are being treated in hospital, Efe news agency reports. ||||| At least 17 people were killed on Saturday in a stampede in a nightclub in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, the Interior Minister Néstor Reverol has confirmed. “The stampede was triggered when a tear-gas canister was set off during a brawl,” BBC reported quoting the Minister. Party-goers were celebrating the end of the school year and several of the dead are reported to be minors. Seven people have been arrested over the incident, the Interior Minister said. The stampede took place at the Club Los Cotorros in the El Paraíso district in western Caracas, according to the local media. ||||| At least 17 people have been killed in a stampede in a nightclub in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, the Interior Minister Néstor Reverol has confirmed. The stampede was triggered when a tear-gas canister was set off during a brawl, he said. Party-goers were celebrating the end of the school year and several of the dead are reported to be minors. Seven people have been arrested over the case, the minister said. ||||| Venezula: According to the official information given by the Interior Minister Nestor Reverol, in an incident that took place in the Venezuelan capital Caracas killed at least 17 people after a tear-gas canister was set off during the celebration. Media reported quoting the Minister, “The stampede was triggered when a tear-gas canister was set off during a brawl.” Party-goers were celebrating the end of the school year and several of the dead are reported to be minors. Seven people have been arrested over the incident, the Interior Minister said. The stampede took place at the Club Los Cotorros in the El Paraíso district in western Caracas, according to the local media. ||||| At least 17 people died Saturday when a tear-gas grenade triggered a stampede during an end-of-school-year party attended by more than 500 people in Caracas, Venezuela's interior minister said. ||||| Seventeen people were killed at a crowded nightclub in Venezuelan capital Caracas on Saturday after a tear gas device exploded during a brawl and triggered a desperate stampede among hundreds gathered for a graduation celebration. Seventeen people were killed at a crowded nightclub in Venezuelan capital Caracas on Saturday after a tear gas device exploded during a brawl and triggered a desperate stampede among hundreds gathered for a graduation celebration. Interior minister Nestor Reverol said the incident at the Los Cotorros club in the middle-class area of El Paraiso left eight minors dead and five injured. Seven people have been detained, including the individual believed to have set off the tear gas canister. “The establishment has been ordered closed and we are investigating in co-ordination with the public ministry, which is directing the criminal investigation,” he said. People wait outside police headquarters for their relatives after a nightclub stampeded (Ariana Cubillos/AP/PA) Outside the club, several mismatched shoes, including a sandal with a puckered red lip decoration, lay on the sidewalk. More than 500 people were believed to be inside the club when the fight broke out. Photos shared online from previous celebrations at the club show a dark interior with wooden tables and a stage upfront where DJs shuffled songs. Outside, a faded sign on the red brick building read, “We’ve opened!” Metal bars covered the doors and windows. Jesus Armas, an opposition councilman who lives in the area, said the Interior Ministry should explain how a civilian was able to obtain tear gas canisters that should only be utilised by state security forces. He also urged authorities to investigate whether the club had permission to hold several hundred people inside. “That’s not a big space and that should not be authorised,” he said. Barbara Barca (centre), a survivor of the stampede, is hugged by relatives (Ariana Cubillos/AP/PA) Mr Armas added that other violent incidents had taken place inside the club, which is frequently used by the Ecuadorean community for parties and political events. Police have detained the owner of the club for “not guaranteeing adequate supervision and preventing the entry of any type of weapon”. No information on the owner’s name, exact charges or current whereabouts was immediately provided. Family members who gathered outside the hospital where many victims were taken wept and embraced one another as they tried to find out what had happened. Julio Cesar Perdomo said his injured son told him the tear gas was launched from a bathroom and that the establishment then closed the doors. ||||| Venezuela's government says 17 people were killed Saturday after a nightclub brawl in the capital led to a stampede CARACAS,Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s government says 17 people were killed Saturday after a nightclub brawl in the capital led to a stampede. Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said eight minors were among those killed. Another five people were injured. He said a tear gas device exploded after the fight broke out during a graduation celebration at “Los Cotorros” club in the middle-class neighborhood of El Paraiso, triggering the stampede of more than 500 people. He also said seven people were arrested, including the owner of the club and the person who is believed to have launched the explosive device. Most of the injured were being treated at nearby hospitals, and one minor was in serious condition. ||||| Seventeen people have been killed in a Venezuelan nightclub following a stampede triggered by a tear gas canister exploding inside, said officials. Eight youngsters were among the dead in the tragedy which happened during a graduation celebration in the country's capital Caracas. Some of the victims were reported to have suffocated. More than 500 people were believed to be inside the Los Cotorros venue when a fight broke out, leading to the device being let off. Two teenagers, believed to be responsible for setting it off, have been detained along with six other people. People wait outside police headquarters following a stampede at a crowded nightclub that left 17 people dead, 16-06-2018. Image: Ariana Cubillos/AP/Press Association Images Julio Cesar Perdomo said his injured son had told him the tear gas came from inside a bathroom and partygoers tried to flee but found the club's door closed. Officials have not confirmed or denied the claim. One of those who lost their child was Nilson Guerra who told reporters: "All I know is my son is dead." Meanwhile, Haide Berrio, whose 17-year-old nephew was killed, said she had gone to try and find him after hearing about the commotion at the club and knowing that he was attending the party. Relatives of the boy found him among the dead and said he was killed by asphyxia. "I am asking for justice," she said. Local councillor, Jesus Armas, said the interior ministry should explain how a civilian was able to get hold of tear gas canisters which only security forces should have. She also urged officials to investigate whether the club had permission to hold several hundred people inside. "That's not a big space and that should not be authorised," he said. ||||| Venezuela nightclub stampede leaves at least 17 people dead, including eight minors At least 17 people have been killed in a stampede in a Caracas nightclub in Venezuela after a person activated a tear gas grenade inside, Venezuela's interior minister Nestor Reverol says. More than 500 people were at a party at the Los Cotorros club in the middle-class El Paraiso neighbourhood when the device went off at about 3:00am during a fight between several people, causing a stampede towards the exits, Mr Reverol said on state TV. Eleven people suffocated to death when the gas filled the club's confined space, said Noris Villanueva, an autopsy assistant at the local Perez Carreno Hospital, who examined their bodies. It was not clear how the other six died. Eight of those who died were younger than 18, Mr Reverol said, and five people were injured. Mr Reverol said authorities had arrested seven people and the investigation was ongoing. "The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, led by President Nicolas Maduro, deplores this unfortunate event," he said. "We send our condolences to the families." The club, a two-storey red brick building, was empty later on Saturday morning (local time) and there was no police presence outside. He only knew his 19-year-old son Luis had died because he had seen him in the morgue. Another son of his had been hospitalised. Homicide rates in Venezuela have shot up during the country's spiral into economic crisis and political meltdown and many Caracas residents refuse to go out at night due to security fears. There were almost 27,000 violent deaths last year, making Venezuela proportionally the world's second most murderous nation after El Salvador, according to a local crime monitoring group. The homicide rate in Caracas alone was 104 per 100,000 people, the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence said. Authorities say non-governmental groups inflate figures to create paranoia and tarnish Maduro's socialist Government. ||||| Venezuela’s government says 17 people were killed Saturday after a nightclub brawl led to a stampede. Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said eight minors were among those killed. Another five people were injured. He said a tear gas device exploded after the fight broke out during a graduation celebration at “Los Cotorros” club, triggering the stampede. He also said seven people were arrested, including the owner of the club and the person who is believed to have launched the explosive device.
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At least 17 people are killed in a stampede at a nightclub in Caracas, Venezuela. The stampede was reportedly triggered when a tear-gas canister was set off during a brawl. Seven people have been arrested.
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The death toll from a grenade attack on a pro-government rally in Ethiopia's capital climbed to two on Sunday, a cabinet minister said, as police announced arrests over the blast. "I'm so sorry to learn that we have lost another Ethiopian victim of yesterday's attack," health minister Amir Aman tweeted. "My sincere sympathy and condolences to the family, friends and all Ethiopians." The blast occurred in a packed public square as Ethiopia's new prime minister Abiy Ahmed was wrapping up a speech before tens of thousands of people. The ensuing chaos injured more than 150 people and marred an event meant to build public support for Abiy's ambitious reform agenda. State-run Ethiopian News Agency reported police had arrested six people suspected of involvement in the blast, but gave few details. No group has publicly claimed responsibility for the attack. Abiy took office in April after years of anti-government unrest that pushed his predecessor to resign and the government to declare a nationwide state of emergency. He's since announced plans to liberalise the economy and reconcile with neighbouring arch-enemy Eritrea. Abiy also lifted the state of emergency and released scores of jailed dissidents. Ethiopia is completely controlled by the secretive Ethiopia People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), and its unclear how much support Abiy has within the party. The 42-year-old former government minister and army officer is the first prime minister in modern Ethiopia from the country's largest ethnicity the Oromo, which spearheaded the anti-government protests. ||||| The death toll from a grenade attack on a pro-government rally in Ethiopia's capital climbed to two on Sunday, a cabinet minister said, as police announced arrests over the blast. "I'm so sorry to learn that we have lost another Ethiopian victim of yesterday's attack," health minister Amir Aman tweeted. "My sincere sympathy and condolences to the family, friends and all Ethiopians." The blast occurred in a packed public square as Ethiopia's new prime minister Abiy Ahmed was wrapping up a speech before tens of thousands of people. The ensuing chaos injured more than 150 people and marred an event meant to build public support for Abiy's ambitious reform agenda. State-run Ethiopian News Agency reported police had arrested six people suspected of involvement in the blast, but gave few details. No group has publicly claimed responsibility for the attack. Abiy took office in April after years of anti-government unrest that pushed his predecessor to resign and the government to declare a nationwide state of emergency. He's since announced plans to liberalise the economy and reconcile with neighbouring arch-enemy Eritrea. Abiy also lifted the state of emergency and released scores of jailed dissidents. Ethiopia is completely controlled by the secretive Ethiopia People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), and its unclear how much support Abiy has within the party. The 42-year-old former government minister and army officer is the first prime minister in modern Ethiopia from the country's largest ethnicity the Oromo, which spearheaded the anti-government protests. ||||| ADDIS ABABA, June 24 — The death toll from a grenade attack on a pro-government rally in Ethiopia’s capital climbed to two today, a cabinet minister said, as police announced arrests over the blast. “I’m so sorry to learn that we have lost another Ethiopian victim of yesterday’s attack,” health minister Amir Aman tweeted. “My sincere sympathy and condolences to the family, friends and all Ethiopians.” The blast occurred in a packed public square as Ethiopia’s new prime minister Abiy Ahmed was wrapping up a speech before tens of thousands of people. The ensuing chaos injured more than 150 people and marred an event meant to build public support for Abiy’s ambitious reform agenda. State-run Ethiopian News Agency reported police had arrested six people suspected of involvement in the blast, but gave few details. No group has publicly claimed responsibility for the attack. Abiy took office in April after years of anti-government unrest that pushed his predecessor to resign and the government to declare a nationwide state of emergency. He’s since announced plans to liberalise the economy and reconcile with neighbouring arch-enemy Eritrea. Abiy also lifted the state of emergency and released scores of jailed dissidents. Ethiopia is completely controlled by the secretive Ethiopia People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), and its unclear how much support Abiy has within the party. The 42-year-old former government minister and army officer is the first prime minister in modern Ethiopia from the country’s largest ethnicity the Oromo, which spearheaded the anti-government protests. — AFP ||||| The death toll from a grenade attack on a pro-government rally in Ethiopia's capital climbed to two on Sunday, a cabinet minister said, as police announced arrests over the blast. "I'm so sorry to learn that we have lost another Ethiopian victim of yesterday's attack," health minister Amir Aman tweeted. "My sincere sympathy and condolences to the family, friends and all Ethiopians." The blast occurred in a packed public square as Ethiopia's new prime minister Abiy Ahmed was wrapping up a speech before tens of thousands of people. The ensuing chaos injured more than 150 people and marred an event meant to build public support for Abiy's ambitious reform agenda. * Sign up to News24's top Africa news in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TO THE HELLO AFRICA NEWSLETTER State-run Ethiopian News Agency reported police had arrested six people suspected of involvement in the blast, but gave few details. No group has publicly claimed responsibility for the attack. Abiy took office in April after years of anti-government unrest that pushed his predecessor to resign and the government to declare a nationwide state of emergency. He's since announced plans to liberalise the economy and reconcile with neighbouring arch-enemy Eritrea. Abiy also lifted the state of emergency and released scores of jailed dissidents. Ethiopia is completely controlled by the secretive Ethiopia People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), and its unclear how much support Abiy has within the party. The 42-year-old former government minister and army officer is the first prime minister in modern Ethiopia from the country's largest ethnicity the Oromo, which spearheaded the anti-government protests. ||||| The death toll from a grenade attack on a pro-government rally in Ethiopia’s capital climbed to two on Sunday, a cabinet minister said, as police announced arrests over the blast. “I’m so sorry to learn that we have lost another Ethiopian victim of yesterday’s attack,” health minister Amir Aman tweeted. “My sincere sympathy and condolences to the family, friends and all Ethiopians.” The blast occurred in a packed public square as Ethiopia’s new prime minister Abiy Ahmed was wrapping up a speech before tens of thousands of people. The ensuing chaos injured more than 150 people and marred an event meant to build public support for Abiy’s ambitious reform agenda. State-run Ethiopian News Agency reported police had arrested six people suspected of involvement in the blast, but gave few details. Event organiser Seyoum Teshome on Saturday told AFP police grappled with someone attempting to hurl a grenade at the prime minister as he concluded his speech. The explosive detonated amid the scuffle, though most of the injuries were caused in the ensuing panic, he said. ||||| ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Twenty people appeared in court in the Ethiopian capital on Monday following a grenade attack at a rally for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in which two people were killed and scores wounded. FILE PHOTO: Ethiopia's prime minister Abiy Ahmed attends a rally during his visit to Ambo in the Oromiya region, Ethiopia April 11, 2018. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo State-affiliated media Fana said those in court included Girma Kassa, deputy police commissioner for the capital. He is among nine police officials arrested for security lapses over Saturday’s attack. The explosion raised fears of a backlash against reforms instituted since Abiy became prime minister in April. The reforms include releasing jailed dissidents, loosening the government’s grip on the economy and taking steps to improve relations with Eritrea. Abiy had just finished a speech to tens of thousands of supporters in the central square in Addis Ababa when the grenade exploded. Thirty suspects are being held over suspected links to the attack. Security officials are yet to say who is responsible. On Monday, the head of Ethiopia’s Federal Police Commission Zeinu Jemal said experts from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation were providing assistance in the capital. “The aim of their support is to help determine the perpetrators,” he told the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation. U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce Gilbert Kaplan made the offer while talking to Ethiopia’s minister of foreign affairs, Workneh Gebeyehu, on Monday, Fana added. Abiy has pledged to increase government transparency and reconcile a country torn by protests since 2015. Ethiopia has released thousands of jailed dissidents since the beginning of the year, including members of armed groups. Abiy has enacted major policy shifts including the partial privatisation of the state-run telecoms monopoly and state-owned Ethiopian Airlines. Related Coverage Twenty suspects appear in court over Ethiopia rally blast He has also announced that Ethiopia will implement a peace deal with its neighbour Eritrea that was signed in 2000 after a two-year war. For years, Addis Ababa refused to implement the deal, saying it wanted more talks. A delegation from Asmara is expected to arrive in the Ethiopian capital this week in a bid to resolve one of Africa’s most intractable military stand-offs. [nL8N1TR1GA] Ethiopia has one of Africa’s fastest growing economies but opponents of the ruling EPRDF coalition that has ruled since 1991 say its benefits have not been shared fairly between the country’s ethnic groups and regions. ||||| The death toll from a grenade attack on a pro-government rally in Ethiopia’s capital climbed to two on Sunday, a cabinet minister said, as police announced arrests over the blast. “I’m so sorry to learn that we have lost another Ethiopian victim of yesterday’s attack,” health minister Amir Aman tweeted. “My sincere sympathy and condolences to the family, friends and all Ethiopians.” The blast occurred in a packed public square as Ethiopia’s new prime minister Abiy Ahmed was wrapping up a speech before tens of thousands of people. The ensuing chaos injured more than 150 people and marred an event meant to build public support for Abiy’s ambitious reform agenda. State-run Ethiopian News Agency reported police had arrested six people suspected of involvement in the blast, but gave few details. No group has publicly claimed responsibility for the attack. Abiy took office in April after years of anti-government unrest that pushed his predecessor to resign and the government to declare a nationwide state of emergency. He’s since announced plans to liberalise the economy and reconcile with neighbouring arch-enemy Eritrea. Abiy also lifted the state of emergency and released scores of jailed dissidents. Ethiopia is completely controlled by the secretive Ethiopia People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), and its unclear how much support Abiy has within the party. The 42-year-old former government minister and army officer is the first prime minister in modern Ethiopia from the country’s largest ethnicity the Oromo, which spearheaded the anti-government protests. ||||| FBI to help probe into Ethiopia rally blast The US is sending the FBI to help investigate a grenade attack in Addis Ababa which killed two people at a rally addressed by Ethiopia’s reformist prime minister, state media said Monday. “The US government said it will send FBI experts to investigate Saturday’s bomb blast at a rally organised to support [the] reform agendas of Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed,” state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate said. A spokesman for the US embassy in Addis Ababa confirmed the FBI’s involvement. On Monday, an AFP photographer saw four people who did not appear to be Ethiopian combing the site of the blast while a US embassy vehicle was parked nearby. Thirty people have so far been arrested over the attack that took place as Abiy concluded a speech promoting his reformist policies before a crowd of hundreds of thousands in the capital’s Meskel Square. Saturday’s explosion sparked panic in the crowd, resulting in a stampede and more than 150 injuries. There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack. Rally organiser Seyoum Teshome earlier told AFP he saw police scuffle with a person attempting to hurl a grenade at the stage Abiy had spoken from. Nine officers have also been arrested for negligence, including the deputy commissioner of the Addis Ababa police. Since taking office in April, 42-year-old former cabinet minister and army officer Abiy has initiated unprecedented reforms that have been broadly welcomed but have upset the status quo. He has released jailed journalists and opponents, agreed to cede contested territory to Eritrea, admitted that security forces tortured dissidents and begun to open up the state-controlled economy. These moves have boosted his popularity among Ethiopians. But it remains unclear how much support he has within the secretive ruling Ethiopia People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition, which wields absolute power in Ethiopia. ||||| FBI investigators will help Ethiopia probe a deadly grenade attack which left two people dead at a massive rally for Ethiopia's prime minister in the capital over the weekend. More than 150 people were also injured in the blast, which appeared to target Abiy Ahmed just as he was wrapping up a speech to a cheering crowd of hundreds of thousands in the heart of Addis Ababa. "The US government said it will send FBI experts to investigate Saturday's bomb blast," State-affiliated Fana Broadcast Corporate reported, without giving further details. A spokesman for the US embassy in Addis Ababa confirmed the FBI's involvement. An AFP photographer on Monday saw four people who did not appear to be Ethiopian combing the site of the blast while a US embassy vehicle was parked nearby. Ethiopian security forces have arrested 30 people suspected of involvement in the blast, though no party has claimed responsibility. Nine police officers have also been detained for failing to prevent the attack, including the capital's deputy police commissioner. Rally organiser Seyoum Teshome earlier told AFP he saw police scuffle with a person attempting to hurl a grenade at the stage Abiy had spoken from. It then detonated in the crowd, sparking panic and a stampede that injured scores. The attack was a rare act of violence in the heavily policed capital but does not appear to have derailed the reform agenda of Abiy, who took office in April. On Monday, Fana reported that a delegation from neighbouring Eritrea was due in Addis Ababa this week, in what would be a rare diplomatic meeting between the long hostile neighbours. Eritrea and Ethiopia have been at loggerheads for years over Addis Ababa's refusal to withdraw from territory a United Nations-backed boundary commission says belongs to Eritrea. Earlier this month Abiy reversed that policy, saying Ethiopia would respect the demarcation handed down after a 1998-2000 war between the two countries that killed an estimated 80,000 people. In the past it would not have been surprising for Eritrea to be blamed for an attack such as Saturday's. Both countries have hosted rebel groups bent on overthrowing the others' government but Abiy's moves have calmed tensions. Last week the Ginbot 7 radical opposition group said it would stop attacks on Ethiopia to support Abiy's reforms, and later even issued a statement condemning the Meskel Square attack. The Eritrea rapprochement is one of several changes Abiy has made since the ruling Ethiopia People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) selected him to take over following his predecessor's surprise resignation. Abiy has since released jailed journalists and dissidents, admitted that security forces tortured people and begun to open up the state-controlled economy. These moves have boosted his popularity among Ethiopians. The 42-year-old former army officer and cabinet minister is the first prime minister in modern Ethiopia from the country's largest ethnic group the Oromo. The Oromos along with the second-largest the Amharas staged months of anti-government protests starting in late 2015 that prompted the government to declare a 10-month state of emergency in October 2016. The unrest along with disagreements within the EPRDF over how to deal with it prompted Hailemariam Desalegn to resign the prime minister's post last February. A secretive coalition of four ethnically based parties, the EPRDF controls every seat in parliament and wields unchecked control of Ethiopia's institutions. Abiy's level of support within the party leadership remains unclear. ||||| The United States will send FBI experts to Ethiopia to help investigate a grenade attack at a rally for new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, state-affiliated media said on Monday. A grenade exploded on Saturday moments after Abiy had finished addressing the crowds, who had turned out to back his push for radical political and economic reforms, including a peace deal with arch-enemy Eritrea. Thirty people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the attack that killed two and wounded 156 in Addis Ababa’s packed Meskel Square. Nine police officers have also been detained over the security lapse, officials said. “The U.S. government said it is sending FBI experts,” the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporation reported. U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce Gilbert Kaplan made the offer while talking to Ethiopia’s minister of foreign affairs, Workneh Gebeyehu, on Monday, Fana added. There was no immediate confirmation from the U.S. embassy in Addis, or from Washington. Ethiopia is one of Washington’s main allies in the region, particularly in the fight against militants in neighboring Somalia. Security officials have not said publicly who might be responsible for the attack. Abiy took office in April, pledging to bring more transparency to government and reconciliation to a country that has been wracked by political unrest since 2015. Ethiopia has released thousands of jailed dissidents since the beginning of the year. Major policy shifts include the partial privatisation of Ethiopia’s state-run telecoms monopoly and state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, loosening the government’s grip on the economy.
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The Ethiopia Federal Police Commission announces the arrests of 30 people suspected of involvement in a bombing of a rally for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The attack killed two and injured 156. The United States announces the deployment of FBI specialists to assist the probe.
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TEHRAN, Iran — Protesters in the Iranian capital swarmed its historic Grand Bazaar on Monday, news agencies reported, and forced shopkeepers to close their stalls in apparent anger over the Islamic Republic’s troubled economy, months after similar demonstrations rocked the country. The unplanned demonstration came a day after protests forced two major shopping centres for mobile phones and electronics to close in Tehran. It also signalled widespread unease beneath the surface in Iran in the wake of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers. It wasn’t immediately clear who led the protests. Iran’s semi-official news agencies Fars, ISNA and Tasnim described the protests as erupting after the Iranian rial dropped to 90,000 to the dollar on the country’s black market, despite government attempts to control the currency rate. Videos posted to social media showed protesters at the bazaar heckling shopkeepers who refused to close, shouting in Farsi: “Coward!” The head of Iran’s Chamber of Guilds, Ali Fazeli, later was quoted by Tasnim as saying the situation at the bazaar is calm. “Their demands are delivered through the chamber to the government, and these are being pursued by us,” he said. Tehran’s sprawling Grand Bazaar has long been a centre of conservatism in Iranian politics and remains an economic force within the country — despite the construction of massive malls around the city. Bazaar families opposed the Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and supported the 1979 Islamic Revolution that saw him replaced by the Shiite theocracy and elected officials. At the end of last year, similar economic protests roiled Iran and spread to some 75 cities and towns, becoming the largest demonstrations in the country since its 2009 disputed presidential election. The protests in late December and early January saw at least 25 people killed and nearly 5,000 people arrested by authorities. However, those protests largely struck Iran’s provinces as opposed to Tehran itself. Analysts believe hard-liners likely encouraged the first protest that took place in Mashhad to weaken the administration of President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate cleric within Iran’s politics. The protests then spiraled out of control, with people openly criticizing both Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Rouhani’s government has struggled with the economic problems, which have seen high unemployment. A government-set exchange rate of 42,000 rials to $1 has quickly been surpassed in the black market. On Monday, state television quoted Iranian Central Bank chief Valiollah Seif as saying the government plans to create a parallel market next week to combat the black market. Meanwhile, some hard-liners have called for new elections or for Rouhani’s civilian government to be replaced by a military-led one. The Fars news agency, believed to be close to Iran’s hard-line paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, made a point Monday to publish an article from the Sobh-e No daily newspaper describing the government as being ready to “bow down to foreign threats and sit at the negotiation table.” Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. ||||| DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Latest on developments in Iran (all times local): Videos posted on social media appear to show Iranian demonstrators confronting police officers in front of Iran's parliament in Tehran. The footage on Monday shows tear gas in the air and protesters screaming, "They attacked us with tear gas!" Another man is heard shouting: "Come back!" The protest came after demonstrators in the Iranian capital swarmed its historic Grand Bazaar earlier in the day and forced shopkeepers to close their stalls in apparent anger over the Islamic Republic's troubled economy. At the end of last year, similar economic protests roiled Iran and spread to some 75 cities and towns, becoming the largest demonstrations in the country since its 2009 disputed presidential election. The protests in late December and early January saw at least 25 people killed and nearly 5,000 people arrested by authorities. A semi-official news agency in Iran is reporting that protesters have swarmed Tehran's Grand Bazaar amid nationwide anger over the country's troubled economy. The ISNA news agency said the protesters were forcing shopkeepers to close their stalls at the market on Monday. Videos posted to social media showed protesters heckling those who refused to close, shouting in Farsi: "Coward!" The Iranian rial has dropped to 90,000 to $1 on the country's black market, despite government attempts to control the currency rate. The economic trouble also comes as international firms have pulled away from Iran after President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw America from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. ||||| Protests are now in their third day and the Iranian government has finally taken notice. Protests in Tehran are now entering their third day and cities besides Iran’s capital are now host to protests against the country’s Islamic regime — and the regime is beginning to take notice. Tuesday morning, members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard began an offensive against protesters in Tehran, sending them scattering across city parks, and in some cases subjecting demonstrators to violent beatings. – READ MORE ||||| Protests continued in Iran for a second day Tuesday amid an economic crisis that many Iranians are blaming on their government’s foreign policies, even as Tehran dismissed the protests as “foreign media propaganda.” At Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, protesters, including many local shopkeepers, urged owners to close their shops in an expanding strike following the collapse of the country’s currency amid the renewal of US sanctions over the regime’s nuclear program. Videos posted on social media showed hundreds of people taking part at the bazaar on Tuesday and hundreds more marching down streets of Tehran. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday sought to calm growing discontent at the tanking economy, assuring the public the country would be able to withstand the new sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump in the wake of the American exit from the Iran nuclear deal earlier this year. In speech broadcast live on state TV, Rouhani blamed the spontaneous demonstrations that erupted across the country a day earlier on “foreign media propaganda,” and accused the US of waging “an economic war” against Tehran. “Even in the worst case, I promise that the basic needs of Iranians will be provided. We have enough sugar, wheat, and cooking oil. We have enough foreign currency to inject into the market,” Rouhani said according to the Reuters news agency. The president accused Washington of waging a “psychological, economic and political war” on Iran, and warned it would pay a high price for exiting the 2015 accord that lifted international sanctions in exchange for a scaling back of Tehran’s atomic program. “Withdrawal was the worst decision he [Trump] could make. It was appalling. It hurt America’s global reputation,” he added. “The US cannot defeat our nation, our enemies are not able to get us to their knees.” The protests have seen unusual scenes of demonstrators chanting against continued Iranian spending of billions of dollars on regional proxy wars and support for terrorist groups, which many say has meant less investment in the struggling economy at home. In recent years, Iran has provided financial aid to Palestinian terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Shiite militias in Iraq. Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Tehran has poured a reported $6 billion into propping up president Bashar Assad’s government. Monday’s protests in Tehran and around the country — including economically hard-hit cities like Kermanshah in western Iran — included shouts of “Death to Palestine,” “No to Gaza, no to Lebanon” and “Leave Syria and think of us.” Chants of “We don’t want the ayatollahs” and “Death to the dictator” were also heard at some rallies. Police attempted to suppress the Monday protests in Tehran with tear gas, but early reports from Iran on Tuesday seem to indicate the demonstrations are only expanding. #Iran| Protests erupted in the capital #Tehran for the third straight day – activists pic.twitter.com/qTnh5iL1eI — Asharq Al-Awsat English (@aawsat_eng) June 26, 2018 Monday’s protests in Tehran began at the capital’s sprawling Grand Bazaar, which has long been a center of conservatism in Iranian politics and where the ayatollahs’ 1979 Islamic Revolution first gathered pace. Protesters there forced storekeepers to close down their shops. At the end of last year, similar economic protests roiled Iran and spread to some 75 cities and towns, becoming the largest demonstrations in the country since its 2009 disputed presidential election. The protests in late December and early January saw at least 25 people killed and nearly 5,000 arrested. #Iran, Early morning in Tehran protesters chanting “Iran has become like Palestine,why don’t you stand up people”. Yesterday protesters in Tehran and Shiraz also chanted “death to Palestine,death to Syria, death to the @bbcpersian.” A very different picture from Iran.#TehranPars pic.twitter.com/y7DydD0Xn9 — Raman Ghavami (@Raman_Ghavami) June 26, 2018 However, those protests largely struck Iran’s provinces as opposed to Tehran itself. Analysts believe conservative elements in the regime may have encouraged the first protest that took place in Mashhad to try to weaken President Hassan Rouhani, considered a moderate member of the ruling ayatollah class. The protests then spiraled out of control, with people openly criticizing both Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The slogans heard at Monday’s rallies mark a shift in Iranian street protests, where “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” are commonly heard. The protests signaled widespread unease in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw America from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers and restore sanctions on the country. According to Hadashot TV news’s veteran Middle East analyst Ehud Ya’ari, Monday’s protests marked the first time that Iranians have chanted “Death to Palestine” during anti-regime protests. In the last six months, Iran’s currency has lost almost 50 percent of its value, with the US dollar now buying around 85,000 rials on the open market. Apart from the rial’s collapse, the Iranian private sector has long been starved of investment, its banking system is crippled by bad loans and record levels of unemployment mean a third of under-30-year-olds are out of work. Rouhani’s government has struggled with the economic problems, including high unemployment. A government-set exchange rate of 42,000 rials to $1 has generated a vibrant black market. On Monday, state television quoted Iranian Central Bank chief Valiollah Seif as saying the government plans to create a parallel market next week to combat the black market. Meanwhile, some conservatives have called for new elections or for Rouhani’s civilian government to be replaced by a military-led one. The Fars news agency, believed to be close to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, made a point Monday of publishing an article from the Sobh-e No daily newspaper describing the government as being ready to “bow down to foreign threats and sit at the negotiation table.” Eshaq Jahangiri, Iran’s first vice president, was quoted Monday as saying, “We’re on the verge of an economic war by an economic terrorist,” referring to the US. “Conditions will get worse in future,” Jahangiri said, according to the pro-reform Etemad daily newspaper. “Even our friends and neighbors like Russia, China and Europeans can’t help us today.” Agencies contributed to this report. ||||| (Iranian Labor News Agency via AP). A group of protesters chant slogans at the old grand bazaar in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 25, 2018. Protesters in the Iranian capital swarmed its historic Grand Bazaar on Monday, news agencies reported, and forced sh... DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Angry protesters in Iran's capital held a third day of demonstrations on Tuesday over the country's anemic economy as President Hassan Rouhani told the nation that it faces an "economic war" with the United States following America's pullout from the nuclear deal. While online videos showed demonstrators again confronting police on Tehran's streets and alleyways, the protests looked far smaller than those on Monday, when security forces fired tear gas on crowds in front of parliament. Earlier on Monday, demonstrators forced the temporary closure of Tehran's Grand Bazaar and on Sunday, protests forced two major shopping centers for mobile phones and electronics to close in Tehran. Rage persists over the plunging of the Iranian rial to 90,000 to the dollar - double the government rate of 42,000 rials to $1 - as people watch their savings dwindle and shopkeepers hold onto some goods, uncertain of their true value. Part of the economic uncertainty comes from President Donald Trump's decision to pull America out of the nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions on Iran, even though other world powers have pledged to stand by the accord. Similar economic protests roiled Iran and spread to some 75 cities and towns at the end of last year, becoming the largest demonstrations in the country since the months-long rallies following the 2009 disputed presidential election. The protests in late December and early January saw at least 25 people killed and nearly 5,000 arrested, but took place largely in Iran's provinces rather than in the capital, Tehran. These latest protests have hit Iranian commercial areas, including the sprawling, historic warrens of Tehran's Grand Bazaar, the home of conservative merchants who backed the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution and overthrow of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. It remains unclear who is leading these protests, though analysts say hard-liners wanting to challenge Rouhani likely sparked the demonstrations at the end of last year. On Tuesday, witnesses described a noticeable presence of riot police on the capital's streets. Official reports and comments also were slim in Iran's state-controlled media, though Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said the "main provocateurs" of Monday's protests were arrested. He did not elaborate on the number of people detained. The state-run IRNA news agency euphemistically referred to one incident Tuesday in which the city's metro line was temporarily shut down near the Grand Bazaar, saying it happened "because of some people gathered there." On Tuesday morning, Rouhani addressed a meeting of judges that included the head of the country's judiciary and parliament. While a relative moderate within Iran's theocratic government, Rouhani struck a hard line himself against America. "We are fighting against the United States, it wants to make an economic war," the president said. "The U.S. cannot defeat our nation; our enemies are not able to force us to their knees." That's a far cry from the optimism shared by Rouhani and other Iranians when the 2015 nuclear deal was enacted between Iran and six world powers, including America. Iran agreed to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. But that deal came under Barack Obama's administration. Trump, who campaigned on a promise of tearing up the deal, pulled America out of the deal in May. The ensuing turmoil has seen international firms and oil companies back away from their own billion-dollar deals with Iran. Rouhani's own power within Iran's government appears to be waning, with some openly calling for military officials to lead the country. Iran also has suggested it could immediately ramp up its production of uranium in response to the U.S. pullout, potentially escalating the very situation the nuclear deal sought to avoid - having an Iran with a stockpile of highly enriched uranium that it could use to build atomic bombs. Tehran has long denied wanting to build nuclear weapons, despite fears from the West and the United Nations. Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, speaking at the same event as Rouhani, appeared to directly criticize his administration. "The government hasn't done enough to confront the economic problems," the conservative politician said, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| Angry protesters in Iran’s capital held a third day of demonstrations on Tuesday over the country’s anemic economy as President Hassan Rouhani told the nation that it faces an “economic war” with the United States following America’s pullout from the nuclear deal. While online videos showed demonstrators again confronting police on Tehran’s streets and alleyways, the protests looked far smaller than those on Monday, when security forces fired tear gas on crowds in front of parliament. Part of the economic uncertainty comes from President Donald Trump’s decision to pull America out of the nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions on Iran, even though other world powers have pledged to stand by the accord. Earlier on Monday, demonstrators forced the temporary closure of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and on Sunday, protests forced two major shopping centers for mobile phones and electronics to close in Tehran. Rage persists over the plunging of the Iranian rial to 90,000 to the dollar — double the government rate of 42,000 rials to $1 — as people watch their savings dwindle and shopkeepers hold onto some goods, uncertain of their true value. Part of the economic uncertainty comes from President Donald Trump’s decision to pull America out of the nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions on Iran, even though other world powers have pledged to stand by the accord. Similar economic protests roiled Iran and spread to some 75 cities and towns at the end of last year, becoming the largest demonstrations in the country since the months-long rallies following the 2009 disputed presidential election. The protests in late December and early January saw at least 25 people killed and nearly 5,000 arrested, but took place largely in A group of protesters chant slogans at the old grand bazaar in Tehran, Iran. Iran’s provinces rather than in the capital, Tehran. These latest protests have hit Iranian commercial areas, including the sprawling, historic warrens of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, the home of conservative merchants who backed the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution and overthrow of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. It remains unclear who is leading these protests, though analysts say hardliners wanting to challenge Rouhani likely sparked the demonstrations at the end of last year. On Tuesday, witnesses described a noticeable presence of riot police on the capital’s streets. Official reports and comments also were slim in Iran’s state-controlled media, though Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said the “main provocateurs” of Monday’s protests were arrested. He did not elaborate on the number of people detained. The state-run IRNA news agency euphemistically referred to one incident Tuesday in which the city’s metro line was temporarily shut down near the Grand Bazaar, saying it happened “because of some people gathered there. ||||| Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday his country is in a "fight" with the U.S., a day after protesters angered by Iran's tanking economy confronted police in front of parliament. In a televised speech, Rouhani blamed the U.S. for Iran's woes and said the U.S. is trying to damage the country by creating "an economic war." "The U.S. cannot defeat our nation, our enemies are not able to get us to their knees," he said. Rouhani's comments came after protesters angered by Iran's tanking economy confronted police in front of parliament Monday. It was the first such confrontation since similar demonstrations rocked the country at the start of the year. The demonstration signaled widespread unease in the wake of President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers and restore sanctions on the country. It wasn't immediately clear who led Monday's protests. Iran's semi-official news agencies, Fars, ISNA and Tasnim, described the protests at the Grand Bazaar as erupting after the Iranian rial dropped to 90,000 to the dollar on the country's black market, despite government attempts to control the currency rate. Videos posted to social media showed protesters at the bazaar heckling shopkeepers who refused to close. A short time later, about 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) from the Grand Bazaar, videos shared by Iranians on social media appeared to show a crowd confronting police at parliament. Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency reported Tuesday that authorities detained many of the rioters. Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said the "main provocateurs" who planned the protest and threatened shopkeepers to close their stores were arrested. He did not elaborate on the number of people detained. Still, semi-official ISNA news agency reported the country's parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, said Tuesday that the Rouhani administration hasn't done enough to confront the economic problems. At the end of last year, similar economic protests roiled Iran and spread to some 75 cities and towns, becoming the largest demonstrations in the country since its 2009 disputed presidential election. The protests in late December and early January saw at least 25 people killed and nearly 5,000 arrested. Iran has announced a list of 15 demands for improving relations with the United States, including a U.S. return to the 2015 nuclear accord, in response to a similar list of demands made by Washington last month. In May, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for a wholesale change in Iran's military and regional policies, threatening the "strongest sanctions in history" if it refused. The U.S. withdrew from the landmark nuclear agreement with world powers earlier that month. ||||| LONDON: President Hassan Rouhani promised Iranians on Tuesday (Jun 26) the government would be able to handle the economic pressure of new United States sanctions, a day after traders massed outside parliament to protest at a sharp fall in the value of the national currency. Fars news agency reported that parts of Tehran's Grand Bazaar were on strike for a second day, as protesters chanted slogans against the government in surrounding streets. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the report. On Monday, police patrolled the bazaar following clashes with protesters angered by the rial's collapse, which is disrupting business by driving up the cost of imports. Defending his economic record, Rouhani said the government’s income had not been affected in recent months, and the fall in the rial was the result of "foreign media propaganda". "Even in the worst case, I promise that the basic needs of Iranians will be provided. We have enough sugar, wheat, and cooking oil. We have enough foreign currency to inject into the market," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state television. Washington is to start reimposing economic penalties on Tehran in coming months after US President Donald Trump quit an agreement between major world powers and Iran in which sanctions were lifted in return for curbs on its nuclear programme. This may cut Iran's hard currency earnings from oil exports, and the prospect is triggering a panicked flight of Iranians' savings from the rial into dollars. The International Monetary Fund estimated in March that the government held US$112 billion of foreign assets and reserves, and that Iran was running a current account surplus. These figures suggested Iran might withstand the sanctions without an external payments crisis. Iran's judiciary chief warned on Tuesday that the "economic saboteurs", who he said were behind the fall of rial, would face severe punishment, including execution or 20 years in jail. "The enemy is now trying to disrupt our economy through a psychological operation. In recent days some tried to shut down the Bazaar, but their plot was thwarted by the police," Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani was quoted as saying by Fars news agency. Tehran's prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi said some protesters near the bazaar were arrested on Monday and would not be released before going to trial. The Iranian government is implementing new plans to control rising prices, including banning imports of over 1,300 products, preparing its economy to resist threatened US sanctions. Rouhani said the fresh US sanctions were part of a "psychological, economic and political war", adding that Washington would pay a high price for its actions. "Withdrawal was the worst decision he (Trump) could make. It was appalling. It hurt America's global reputation," he said. In late December, demonstrations which began over economic hardship spread to more than 80 Iranian cities and towns. At least 25 people died in the ensuing unrest, the biggest expression of public discontent in almost a decade. Demonstrators initially vented their anger over high prices and alleged corruption, but the protests took on a rare political dimension, with a growing number of people calling on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down. ||||| Iranian President Hassan Rouhani lambasted on Tuesday US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from a deal with Iran on its nuclear programme, and said Iranians will not give in to US pressure but would defend their independence and Islamic values. Rouhani, in a speech broadcast live on state television, said Trump's action on the international deal was “appalling and Illegal” and had hurt America's global reputation. Rouhani said Iran maintained the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. ||||| TEHRAN, June 26 — President Hassan Rouhani promised Iranians the government would be able to handle the economic pressure of new US sanctions, a day after traders massed outside parliament, protesting against a sharp fall in the value of the national currency. Washington is to start reimposing economic penalties on Tehran in coming months after US President Donald Trump quit an agreement between major world powers and Iran in which sanctions were lifted in return for curbs on its nuclear programme. This may cut Iran’s hard currency earnings from oil exports, and the prospect is triggering a panicked flight of Iranians’ savings from the rial into dollars. Yesterday, police patrolled Tehran’s Grand Bazaar as security forces struggled to restore normality after clashes with protesters angered by the rial’s collapse, which is disrupting business by driving up the cost of imports. Defending his economic record, Rouhani said the government’s income had not been affected in recent months, and the fall in the rial was the result of “foreign media propaganda”. “Even in the worst case, I promise that the basic needs of Iranians will be provided. We have enough sugar, wheat, and cooking oil. We have enough foreign currency to inject into the market,” Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state television. Rouhani said the fresh US sanctions were part of a “psychological, economic and political war”, adding that Washington would pay a high price for its actions. “Withdrawal was the worst decision he (Trump) could make. It was appalling. It hurt America’s global reputation,” he said. — Reuters
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Protests in Iran, particularly the capital, Tehran, enter their second day as thousands of protestors demand action following a collapse in the value of the Iranian rial. President Hassan Rouhani takes to live TV to call the protests "foreign media propaganda" and says the United States is waging "psychological, economic and political war" with Iran. Protestors blame the Iranian government for the crisis, saying billions are being wasted on expensive conflicts. Iran blames sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump.
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A van crashed through the front door of the building that houses newspaper De Telegraaf on Basisweg in Amsterdam around 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The vehicle went up in flames, causing a large amount of damage to the building, a spokesperson for the police said to NU.nl. No one was injured. "The flames came up to 14 meters high out of the van, badly damaging the building. A window in the facade was destroyed by the vehicle, the rest were blown out by the heat of the fire", the police spokesperson said. Firefighters managed to get the fire under control quickly. De Telegraaf calls the incident an "attack". According to the newspaper, a security guard was in the building at the time, but wasn't injured. "Everything points to an attack. We won't let ourselves be intimidated", chief editor Paul Jansen said in his newspaper. "There are large heavy concrete flower boxes in front of the facade. Only if you really want to, you can get to the door", deputy chief editor Wim Hoogland said. The police spokesperson could not yet tell NU.nl whether this was an attack. "For that you need a suspect and a motive", the spokesperson said. The driver of the van is still at large. The police suspect that the crash was intentional. Last week an Amsterdam building housing, among others, Panorama and Nieuwe Revu was fired at with a rocket launcher. A 41-year-old man from Woerden was arrested. He was arraigned and remanded into custody on Monday. According to NU.nl, this building is a few hundred meters away from De Telegraaf building. It is not yet clear whether these two incidents are connected. Vannacht is een bestelbusje het pand van de Telegraaf aan de Basisweg in Amsterdam binnengereden. De bus vloog in brand, wat enorme schade veroorzaakte. De krant zelf spreekt van een aanslag. https://t.co/KpxEkh1S7P pic.twitter.com/QRfsjiFR8C — Laurens Bosch (@BoschLaurens) June 26, 2018 Vannacht is er een aanslag gepleegd op het hoofdkantoor van De Telegraaf aan de Basisweg in Amsterdam. https://t.co/mvE9eYFPQF pic.twitter.com/hYr2PZVli6 — Sébas Diekstra (@sebasdiekstra) June 26, 2018 https://twitter.com/donald_smit1964/status/1011470430421516288 ||||| A police investigation is under way after a van was driven into the headquarters of a newspaper in Amsterdam. It happened at around 4am, at the offices of De Telegraaf, the Netherlands' most widely circulated daily newspaper. Images from the scene showed the van crashed into the front of the building. Surveillance footage published by the newspaper shows the van being lit on fire after the crash. The suspected driver is believed to have fled the scene in another car. Nobody is believed to have been injured in the incident. In a statement, Telegraaf editor-in-chief Paul Jansen said: "We will have to wait and see what the police investigation shows, but we will continue our work. "We will not be intimidated," he added. Dutch Prime Minister described the 'targeted action' as a "slap in the face of the free press and Dutch democracy". ||||| 'We will not be intimidated' - van crashes into building in Amsterdam A van has been rammed into the entrance of a building housing a national newspaper in Amsterdam in what looks like a deliberate attack, Dutch police said. ||||| AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A van drove into the head office of Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf early on Tuesday shattering its glass facade in what police said was a deliberate act. Authorities said they would give newspapers and other media companies in Amsterdam extra protection in the wake of the attack. Surveillance video published by the newspaper’s website show the van driving into the front of the building twice before the driver set the vehicle on fire and ran away. The building was almost empty at the time and no one was injured. De Telegraaf specializes in sports and crime and is the largest daily in the Netherlands. Last week, a rocket was launched at the office of Dutch crime magazine Panorama. No one was hurt and a 41-year-old man was arrested. “One of the scenarios is that the incidents are related to recent publications about organized crime,” said local police, prosecutors and the mayor’s office in a joint statement. Authorities said they would increase protection of the offices of the five largest national newspapers, two magazines and the local TV station in the Dutch capital, by placing extra cameras and increasing police surveillance. They said new attacks could not be excluded, although they had no indications of attacks being planned. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Twitter the attack was “a slap in the face for the free press and Dutch democracy”. Editor-in-chief Paul Jansen said the attacks on his paper and Panorama magazine were a cause of great concern. “But we will not be intimidated.” The driver of the van that hit the Telegraaf around 4 a.m. (0200 GMT) escaped in a getaway car driven by an accomplice, police said. ||||| AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The head office of the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf was hit by a delivery van in the small hours of Tuesday in what police said was a deliberate act, but no one was injured. The building was almost empty at the time. Editor-in-chief Paul Jansen said the motive was unclear. “Unfortunately, journalism has been a target for attacks more than once”, he said. “This is a cause of great concern, but we will not be intimidated.” Prime Minister Mark Rutte described the attack on Twitter as “a slap in the face for the free press and Dutch democracy”. De Telegraaf is the largest daily in the Netherlands, specializing in sports and crime. Last week, a rocket was launched at an office in the same part of Amsterdam housing several magazines, although no one was hurt. A 41-year-old man was arrested. The white van crashed into the glass facade of the Telegraaf building on the outskirts of Amsterdam around 4 a.m. (0200 GMT), where it caught fire. Police said no one was injured, as the building had been empty except for a security guard. The driver of the van escaped in a getaway car, probably driven by an accomplice, police said. Both suspects remained at large on Tuesday morning. ||||| Dutch police are investigating after a van deliberately slammed into the headquarters of one of the Netherlands' top newspapers and media groups early Tuesday, catching fire but not causing any injuries. "This morning about 4:00 am a delivery van was driven into the facade of a publishing house in Basisweg" in Amsterdam, police said in a statement. The building houses the head office of the tabloid De Telegraaf, the country's top-selling paper, which focuses on sports, crime and celebrity gossip. The police said the act was believed to be intentional, but no-one was hurt and the driver had fled the scene, most likely in a dark-coloured Audi car. They have launched a manhunt and are appealing for information. The van burst into flames on impact, and fire services were swiftly called to the scene. Television images showed fire officers dousing a huge blaze which had engulfed the white van lodged in the building's glass-fronted facade. ||||| THE HAGUE: Dutch police are investigating after a van deliberately slammed into the headquarters of one of the Netherlands’ top newspapers and media groups early Tuesday, catching fire but not causing any injuries. "This morning about 4:00 am a delivery van was driven into the facade of a publishing house in Basisweg" in Amsterdam, police said in a statement. The building houses the head office of the tabloid De Telegraaf, the country’s top-selling paper, which focuses on sports, crime, and celebrity gossip. The police said the act was believed to be intentional, but no-one was hurt and the driver had fled the scene, most likely in a dark-coloured Audi car. They have launched a manhunt and are appealing for information. The van burst into flames on impact, and fire services were swiftly called to the scene. Television images showed fire officers dousing a huge blaze which had engulfed the white van lodged in the building’s glass-fronted facade. Dawn revealed the area had been completely charred and reduced to twisted metal, and the Telegraaf said it believed it had been a deliberate attack. "We will not let ourselves be intimidated," said editor-in-chief Paul Jansen, adding it was too early to speculate who was behind the incident. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said, that while much remained unclear, the incident was a "slap in the face to the free press and to Dutch democracy". His government was "alert and vigilant," he added in a tweet. De Telegraaf added the van had not been able to penetrate into the building as the front windows were made of special safety glass. But the Dutch news agency reported that a concrete block had recently been removed from the front to allow a construction work, which may have allowed the van to hurtle into the building. Amsterdam mayor Jozias van Aartsen said he had spoken to the prosecution service about possible extra security measures to protect De Telegraaf as well as other media organisations in the Dutch capital. The incident comes after a man fired an anti-tank weapon into another building in the Sloterdijk area of Amsterdam which houses media organisations, including the weekly Panorama. A 41-year-old man has been arrested over the attack last Thursday which also caused no injuries. Police identified the man as a leader of a local motorbike gang. ||||| Dutch police are investigating after a van deliberately slammed into the headquarters of one of the Netherlands' top newspapers and media groups early Tuesday, catching fire but not causing any injuries. "This morning about 4:00 am a delivery van was driven into the facade of a publishing house in Basisweg" in Amsterdam, police said in a tweet. The building houses the head office of De Telegraaf, a popular Dutch daily tabloid, which focuses on sports, crime and gossip around celebrities. The police said the act was believed to be intentional, but no-one was hurt and the driver had fled the scene. They have launched a manhunt and are appealing for information. The van burst into flames on impact, and fire services were swiftly called to the scene. Television images showed fire officers dousing huge flames leaping around the white van lodged in the building's glass-fronted facade. Dawn revealed the area had been completely charred and reduced to twisted metal, and the Telegraaf said it believed it had been a deliberate attack. "We will not let ourselves be intimidated," said editor-in-chief Paul Jansen, adding it was too early to speculate who was behind the incident. The paper added that the van had not been able to penetrate into the building as the front windows were made of special safety glass. The incident comes after a man fired an anti-tank weapon into another building in the Sloterdijk area of Amsterdam which houses media organisations. A 41-year-old man has been arrested for the attack last Thursday which also caused no injuries. Police identified the man in a statement as a leader of a local motorbike gang. ||||| Amsterdam: A van drove into the head office of Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf early on Tuesday shattering its glass facade in what police said was a deliberate act. Authorities said they would give newspapers and other media companies in Amsterdam extra protection in the wake of the attack. Surveillance video published by the newspaper's website show the van driving into the front of the building twice before the driver set the vehicle on fire and ran away. The building was almost empty at the time and no one was injured. De Telegraaf specialises in sports and crime and is the largest daily in the Netherlands. Last week, a rocket was launched at the office of Dutch crime magazine Panorama. No one was hurt and a 41-year-old man was arrested. ||||| A van has been rammed into the entrance of a building housing a national newspaper in Amsterdam in what looks like a deliberate attack, Dutch police said. No-one was injured in the pre-dawn incident, which sparked a fire. Chief editor of the De Telegraaf newspaper Paul Jansen said "we will not be intimidated" and that "it is clear that we don't have friends everywhere". Private news outlet NOS cited a police spokesman as saying that surrounding roads and the vehicle's trajectory indicated that the driver hit the building intentionally. The driver is reported to have fled with an accomplice in a separate vehicle, a dark Audi. The fire was quickly brought under control.
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A van is driven into the headquarters of De Telegraaf in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The building is severely damaged in an ensuing fire. Terrorism has not been ruled out.
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Italy's rejection of NGO ships carrying hundreds of migrants rescued from the Mediterranean has provoked new tensions in Europe over the handling of illegal migration. With tensions high ahead of an EU summit starting Thursday, here is a timeline of the latest standoff which started more than two weeks ago. Overnight on June 9 the rescue boat Aquarius, operated by French charity SOS Mediterranee, picks up 629 African migrants from the central Mediterranean. Among them are at least seven pregnant women, 11 under-13s and 123 unaccompanied adolescents. The Aquarius, sailing between Malta and Sicily, seeks a secure harbour to make land. But Italy, whose new populist government has vowed a tough stance on immigration, closes its ports to the ship on June 9, insisting that Malta takes it in. Valetta also refuses. On June 11, as international criticism grows, Spain's new Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says the stranded vessel can dock in the eastern port of Valencia. The French charity running Aquarius warns the ship will have to travel 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) to reach Valencia and food supplies on board will run short. SOS Mediterranee says the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre will transfer some of the migrants onto two Italian boats for the journey. The three boats set sail for Valencia on June 12 as a political storm erupts among European leaders. After several turbulent days at sea, the migrants begin disembarking in Valencia on June 17, met by a team of more than 2,000 people including 1,000 Red Cross volunteers and 470 translators On June 12 French President Emmanuel Macron accuses Italy's leaders of "cynicism and irresponsibility" in refusing the ship. The Italian government responds that it will not accept "hypocritical lessons from countries that have preferred to look the other way on immigration." Three days later, Macron meets Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in Paris on June 15 with the pair agreeing the EU should set up asylum processing centres in Africa to prevent "voyages of death". On June 13, the hardline interior ministers of Austria, Germany and Italy form an "axis of the willing" to combat illegal immigration. In Germany, hardliners in Merkel's conservative bloc on June 18 give her an ultimatum to tighten asylum rules or risk pitching the country into a political crisis that would also rattle Europe. In a bid to address the crisis, an emergency mini-summit of 16 EU leaders is called for June 24. But it is riven with divisions and snubbed by countries taking a hardline on migrant arrivals, including Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. On June 21, Italy threatens to seize two rescue ships -- the Lifeline and the Seefuchs, both from German NGOs -- on suspicion they may be "illegally" flying the Dutch flag. Italy and Malta also refuse to allow the Lifeline, carrying more than 230 people including pregnant women and children, to dock, and it is stranded in the Mediterranean. Valetta, where the Seefuchs is moored, delivers humanitarian aid to the Lifeline. On June 24, Italy's hardline Interior Minister Matteo Salvini tells foreign charities to stop rescuing migrants off Libya. Spanish NGO Proactiva accuses Rome of preventing its ship, Open Arms, from rescuing 1,000 migrants. A day later, Salvini heads to Tripoli where he calls for processing centres to be set up south of Libya's borders as a way to block migrants bent on crossing the Mediterranean. A container ship belonging to Denmark's Maersk, which is carrying 108 rescued migrants, says it is stuck off Sicily and waiting for instructions from Italian authorities. ||||| BERLIN — The Latest on Europe’s migrant crisis (all times local): Spain’s prime minister says his country is prepared to be part of a European response to the plight of a German-operated migrant aid ship, but isn’t specifying whether it will allow the vessel to dock. Earlier this month, Spain took in 630 migrants from the French aid ship Aquarius after Malta and Italy refused it access. A similar situation has now arisen with a ship operated by the German aid group Mission Lifeline, which has been stuck off Malta since Thursday with 234 migrants aboard. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was asked during a visit to Berlin Tuesday whether Spain would offer safe harbour. He replied that “Spain will be in the common answer that we give, in this case, to the Lifeline ship but it has to be common, it has to be European, it has to be from various countries.” The leader of Malta says his island nation is working to solve the case of a German-run rescue ship stuck in international waters with 234 migrants on board. In a statement Tuesday, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said Malta aims “to prevent escalation into humanitarian crisis” by sharing the responsibility with other fellow EU nations. No details were given, and the statement did not say whether Malta would allow the vessel to dock. The statement also said that Malta planned to investigate the captain of the Lifeline, run by a German non-governmental agency, nothing that he had ignored instructions. The ship has been stranded for days since Italy’s populist interior minister refused to allow it access to ports, echoing the case of the Aquarius that was refused entry to Italy and Malta, only to be taken in by Spain, 1500 kilometres (900 miles) away. Fearful of a domino effect if Germany closes its borders, Austria has conducted a high-profile training exercise to show how it could deal with an influx of migrants along its frontier with Slovenia. Hundreds of police and soldiers staged a dry run Tuesday near Spielfeld, 175 kilometres (110 miles) south of Vienna. The town was a major crossing point for migrants in the summer and fall of 2015. Thousands of migrants poured through Europe’s open borders daily three years ago, triggering a humanitarian and political crisis that has left deep divisions on the continent. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is under pressure from conservative allies in Bavaria to turn migrants back at the border, a move that could prompt others to do the same. Hardly any migrants have been arriving in Spielfeld recently. ||||| A humanitarian rescue ship blocked at sea for nearly a week as European nations argued over its fate has arrived in Malta to disembark 234 migrants. A humanitarian rescue ship blocked at sea for nearly a week as European nations argued over its fate has arrived in Malta to disembark 234 migrants. Rescue ship docks in Malta after seven countries agree to take refugees Malta’s prime minister Joseph Muscat announced earlier that the ship would be allowed to reach safe haven in Malta after seven other countries also agreed to take in those deemed eligible for refugee status. He also said that the ship operated by a German aid group would be immediately impounded and the crew placed under investigation for allegedly operating illegally, including violating rescue orders and operating without proper registration. On the ship’s approach, migrants crowded the deck wearing orange life jackets, many waving, as it entered the main port in Valletta under escort by a Malta patrol boat. The commander of the ship operated by the German aid group Mission Lifeline sounded the boat’s horn with two long blasts to salute the migrants after their shared journey, and raised a yellow flag to signal permission to authorities to board. One by one, the migrants were escorted off by officials and medical personnel in white overalls and gloves. A girl in pink shorts no more than five years old — one of five children on the ship — was cradled gingerly by an official. One man walked unsteadily, leaning on a helper, while another wearing shorts and a white polo shirt was barefoot and wrapped in a red blanket. While Mr Muscat emphasised that the Lifeline case was unique because of the alleged violations of the crew, the refusal by Italy and Malta to open their ports to the ship – and the haggling among EU states over how to distribute the migrants – showed a hardening of positions as EU leaders head into a summit where migration policies are expected to be debated. Earlier this month, Italy and Malta both refused port to French humanitarian ship the Aquarius, forcing some 630 migrants to travel an additional 900 miles to Spain. The fate of the ship operated by the German group had appeared resolved a day earlier when Italy announced it would take some of the migrants and Malta would open its ports. But Malta later said the ship was not welcome until it had a deal for all of the migrants on board. On Wednesday, Malta allowed the ship to enter its waters to seek shelter from rough sea conditions, before announcing it could dock. Lifeline said that along with the worsening weather, some migrants were in fragile health. Manuel Sarrazin, an MP with the German Green party who is in regular contact with the crew and its supporters, said the situation on board the Lifeline was deteriorating. He said: “Last night they were close to calling emergencies to evacuate two people. “Doctors on board were able to stabilise them so the evacuation, which would have been very dangerous, didn’t have to take place.” Mr Sarrazin added that the passengers are suffering from severe sea sickness due to rough seas. “They are at risk of dehydration. It’s been clear for days that the situation could get worse. There needs to be a solution soon.” The stand-off came ahead of an EU summit at which Italy will propose a new system for distributing migrants more evenly among EU countries along with ways to discourage economic migrants from leaving Africa. Italy and Greece have borne the brunt of the arrivals in recent years as people make the dangerous sea journey to seek a better life in Europe, often fleeing war and oppression. ||||| Brussels, June 27 - Italy is ready to block the conclusions of the upcoming EU summit on migrants, sources said Wednesday. It is ready to do so, they said, unless the final text includes the concept of shared responsibility on sea rescues. The sources said this was the 'red line' for Rome. Italy is asking that there should be support from the other EU countries in the docking of of ships carrying out activities of search and rescue in the Mediterranean, and in the redistribution of migrants, the sources said. In essence, that would mean overcoming the Dublin Regulation and the country of entry's responsibility for migrant registration. If the concept of shared responsibility is accepted, the sources said, and a recognition of the need to work on arrivals, Rome is willing to collaborate on secondary movements, a delicate issue for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is vying with hawkish Interior Minister Horts Seehofer on this at a domestic level. As well, Italy will agree to having closed centres for migrants if other countresi do so at the request of France and Spain. Earlier Premier Giuseppe Conte said that the European Union must overhaul the Dublin Regulation on asylum. "The Dublin Regulation should be surpassed because there is no doubt that it is inadequate for the management of migratory flows," Conte said as he reported to the Lower House ahead of this week's summit. The regulation states that the country where an asylum seeker first arrives in the EU must handle the relative asylum request. This means that the burden of migrant flows from North Africa has fallen almost entirely upon Italy due to its geographic position. Italy is seeking to make this week's summit a turning point for the bloc, Conte said. "Italy's contribution can make the European Council a watershed," he said. "We must make it possible to design the Europe that we want". Conte stressed that his government "speaks with only one, firm and resolute, voice in Europe". "Italy is a net contributor to the EU budget, we think we deserve more attention" he added. The Lower House on Wednesday approved a resolution presented by the ruling majority, the League and the 5-Star Movement (M5S), on Conte's report to parliament ahead of this week's European summit. The resolution, which was approved with 320 votes in favour, 119 against and 126 abstentions, called for the government to pursue a strategy seeking to introduce migrant-reception centres in the countries of origin and transit, among other things. Conte will make a official visit to Washington for a bilateral meeting with United States President Donald Trump on July 30, sources said Wednesday. Earlier this month Trump told Fox News that Conte was "fantastic" and that "it seems being tough on immigration now pays". Meanwhile Maltese Premier Joseph Muscat said Wednesday that the Lifeline will be given permission to dock in Malta later in the day, adding that the migrant-rescue ship is set to be impounded. The ship, which is at the centre of an international wrangle, was given permission to enter Maltese waters to shelter from bad weather conditions earlier on Wednesday but did not get the green light to dock. "The Lifeline will be sequestered for the launch of an investigation," Muscat told a news conference. "The captain of the vessel ignored international laws". The NGO ship has been stranded for days in the Mediterranean after picking up the migrants in distress off the Libyan coast. The Italian government had threatened to impound the Lifeline if it came to Italy, saying the rescue was illegal. Italian Premier Conte said Tuesday that Malta had agreed to allow it to land there as part of a deal under which Italy and other EU countries would receive quotas of the migrants on board. However, the spokesman for the NGO, Axel Steier, told ANSA that German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer had stopped Germany from taking part in the agreement to take in a share of the 233 migrants onboard. Steier said Seehofer was "Germany's Salvini". Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has spearheaded the tough stance on migrants of the new League/5-Star Movement (M5S) government that saw another NGO-run migrant-rescue ship, the Aquarius, have to travel to Valencia after it was denied permission to dock in an Italian port. Salvini continued his spat with French President Emmanuel Macron in an interview released by CNN on Wednesday. "Macron talks about values, but he doesn't recognize the values itself, and therefore they have no lessons to give to Italy," Salvini told CNN after the French leader criticised his tough stance on migrants. "With nice words we never obtained anything. In this month of government with our actions, we managed to be listened to - the Spanish intervened, Malta must intervene, and so do the French, the German, the Dutch ... it's clear that we need a different kind of politics. "We need to revisit the Dublin rules (on asylum), we need to invest in Africa. But I think we obtained more in this month than in the previous six years of chatter". (Speaking outside the Italian parliament, Salvin added that Macron is "acting up" and criticising the Italian government because his ratings have slumped to a new low. The deputy premier said "France must clear things up with the Italians and with itself: Macron is acting up because his popularity is at an all-time low in his country". Salvini added that Macron's caress for Pope Francis at an audience in the Vatican Tuesday was "something that has never been seen before".) Salvini also told CNN that being called a populist was a "compliment for me". The deputy premier said "the term populist is used as an insult but it's a compliment for me". He said "listening to people, being a minister who goes around cities, squares, stations and hospitals is a duty and a pleasure for me". (Salvini also said trade tariffs, floated by coalition partner and Industry Minister Luigi Di Maio Tuesday, could defend Italians' jobs and health. Asked if he agreed with Di Maio, Salvini said "I will support all government proposals to defend the jobs and health of the Italians". He said "outlawed products, agricultural and commercial, are arriving which are a danger to health. "All protection also means commercial protections," he said.) ||||| MILAN (AP) - A German aid ship carrying more than 200 migrants headed toward Malta after Italy agreed Tuesday to take in some of the passengers, ending Europe's second impasse this month over the people rescued off Libya's coast by private humanitarian groups. Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte said after a phone call with the Maltese prime minister that the boat operated by Mission Lifeline would disembark in Malta and its legal standing would be investigated. "Italy will do its part to accept a quota of migrants aboard the Lifeline, with the hope that also other European countries would do the same, as some have previously indicated," Conte said in a statement. The Lifeline has been blocked in the Mediterranean Sea since last week, when both Italy and Malta refused to grant it access to their ports. The impasse was similar to another this month over the Aquarius, a rescue ship operated by French aid groups. The ship carrying 630 migrants had its journey to land extended by a week after Malta and Italy would not grant docking rights. Spain ultimately agreed to accept the passengers, and the Aquarius traveled an additional 1,500-kilometers (900-miles) to get there. Italy's Sky TG24, which visited the Lifeline on Monday, said it was about four times over passenger capacity and running low on fuel. According to Sky, it had on board 224 migrants, including eight children, and 10 crew members. Italy's new hard-line interior minister, Matteo Salvini, has made clear he doesn't want rescue ships run by non-governmental agencies to ferry migrants to Italy any more. Conte is pressing is European peers to take on more of the migrant burden when they meet at a summit later this week. In a tweet about the Lifeline, Salvini said the "illegal ship will finally be seized" when it arrives in Malta, adding, "For women and children truly fleeing war, the ports are open, for all the others, no." Salvini has likened the ships run by private aid groups under non-Italian flags to taxi services that are serving migrant smugglers. Italy hasn't taken the same position with other ships. It allowed the Danish-flagged container ship Alexander Maersk to dock and disembark 108 migrants in Sicily on Tuesday after days at sea. Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat earlier pressed other EU nations to take on a share of the migrants. He also said that Malta intended to investigate the actions of the ship's captain, who ignored instructions from Italian authorities coordinating the rescue. Authorities have also questioned the legality of the ship, which has a Dutch flag but is run by a German group. In his proposals for dealing with migration, Conte has emphasized that migrants arriving in Italy are arriving in Europe, and responsibility for them should be shared by all the member states. "The obligation of rescue cannot become an obligation to process all the requests on behalf of everyone," the proposal reads, asserting that only 7 percent of migrants arriving in Europe qualify as refugees. ||||| ROME: Malta will let the rescue ship Lifeline dock after Italy refused it entry, ending the vessel’s near week-long wait in the Mediterranean with more than 230 migrants on board, Italy’s prime minister said on Tuesday. The offer resolved a standoff with Rome, where a new populist government, co-led by the anti-immigrant League party, has shaken European migration policy by announcing it will no longer let in ships operated by charities that rescue migrants. The dangerous sea route to Italy has been the main route into Europe for asylum seekers from Africa, many thousands of whom have died at sea over the past few years. Lifeline said overnight one person had to be evacuated for medical reasons and that general conditions onboard were worsening. Mission Lifeline, the aid group that runs the ship, welcomed Malta’s offer but said on Twitter “we now need EU countries to welcome the people.” Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said his Maltese counterpart Joseph Muscat told him about his decision in a phone call. The Lifeline has already spent five days stuck in international waters. After reaching Malta, the migrants will be divided up among European Union members who are willing to take them in, Conte said. He did not say when it would arrive. Conte said the ship would then be impounded and its captain investigated over reports that he ignored instructions to let the Libyan coastguard pick up the migrants. Malta has yet to confirm, but issued a statement earlier saying it had been participating in discussions with Brussels to find a diplomatic solution that involved “the sharing of responsibility by a number of member states”. Immigration has become an urgent political issue across Europe in recent weeks, since the new government took power in Italy and German Prime Minister Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition split over the issue. Europe took in more than a million migrants, mainly asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa, in 2015. Since then, the numbers have fallen sharply. One main route, from Turkey to Greece, was largely shut in 2016, and numbers have fallen to tens of thousands so far this year, a 77 per cent decline on 2017, when almost 120,000 came to Italy. But the issue still sharply divides European governments and has led to a surge in anti-immigrant and far right political movements across the continent. Countries that have taken in large numbers of asylum seekers want other EU countries to share the burden. Eastern European states, which have taken in among the smallest numbers so far, refuse to accept more and have turned the issue into a central focus for nationalist governments. — Reuters ||||| After a week-long standoff, an aid ship carrying 234 migrants docked Wednesday in Malta, as seven fellow European Union countries have agreed to share acceptance of the refugees with the tiny island nation. Malta, along with Italy, Ireland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal reached an agreement to split the refugees amongst them. The ship rescued the refugees of the coast of Libya this past Thursday, before becoming stranded Friday in the Mediterranean Sea as negotiations over accepting the refugees stalled. The ship, known as the Lifeline, was operated by German aid group Mission Lifeline. It had earlier been shut out of Italian ports; Matteo Salvini, Italian interior minister and member of the far-right Liga party, had previously told his E.U. colleagues he would not let the country be a “refugee camp.” According to the Associated Press, Salvini said further private rescue vessels would no longer be welcome, as they “cannot dictate Italy’s immigration policy.” Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said Wednesday the country would vet the migrants to determine if they are refugees or economic migrants — the former group to be resettled, the latter group to be returned to their home countries, Muscat said. Muscat said the captain of the ship also would be questioned, alleging that he had ignored instructions from the Italian government. A spokesperson for Sea Watch, an organization helping coordinate the Lifeline mission, disputed Muscat’s claim. Absent from the agreement was E.U. heavyweight Germany. Immigration has become a divisive issue in the nation; a million refugees have entered the country since 2015, the Associated Press reported. Longtime Chancellor Angela Merkel has seen her ruling coalition at risk of collapse over the issue in recent months. German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, a member of the conservative Christian Social Union, has broken with Merkel on her open-door refugee policy, having advocated to turn away refugees. Merkel is a member of the more center-right Christian Democratic Party, currently in control of the German government in coalition with the CSU and the Social Democratic Party. On Thursday and Friday, E.U. leaders will participate in a summit in Brussels to discuss further management of migration. Members of the CSU have warned that if Merkel does not come out of the summit with a concrete solution, the coalition could fracture. “I do not understand talking about possible future solutions for Europe while not being prepared to do what Germany can do now,” said Alexander Dobrindt, the CSU’s parliamentary leader, according to Politico. “We need to act now.” ||||| The Latest: No decisions at 'frank and open' migration talks BRUSSELS (AP) — The Latest on immigration into Europe (all times local): Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says emergency talks European leaders held on migration didn't yield any decisions but that the participants agreed they need to work together on the politically fraught issue. Sanchez told reporters that Sunday's meeting involving the heads of at least 16 EU countries were "frank and open," but "we don't have any concrete consequences or conclusions." He says: "Everyone agreed on the need to have a European vision; a common position on a common challenge." As the meeting got started, several countries threw their weight behind the idea of setting up migrant reception centers in Africa to screen asylum-seekers before they depart for Europe. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says a summit of 16 European Union countries has created "a lot of goodwill" to discuss EU disagreements on migration. Merkel and 15 other European leaders met in Brussels on Sunday to tackle the immigration policies that have divided the bloc since more than 1 million migrants arrived in 2015. The German chancellor said the summit participants agreed that Europe's outer borders need to be better protected to keep people from entering illegally and that "all countries should share all the burdens" related to migration. Merkel says the countries that most migrants reach first shouldn't be left alone to deal with the influx and that it also shouldn't be up to newcomers to decide in which European country they get to apply for asylum. Italy's coast guard is responding to a Spanish aid group's criticism of having its offer to help rescue some 1,000 migrants from the Mediterranean Sea declined, saying the responsibility for coordinating the rescue has been handed off to Libya. Italian coast guard officials said they received distress calls from six different migrant boats Sunday that were in Libya's search-and-rescue territory. The Italians said they alerted ships in the area and formally advised the Libyan coast guard, which officially took over the rescue. Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms complained that Italy's coast guard declined its offer of help. Italy's hard-line new government has refused to let aid groups' rescue ships dock, arguing that they are serving as taxi services for Libyan-based human traffickers. Italy has also sought to bolster the Libyan coast guard's patrol capacity, but human rights organizations say Libya isn't a safe place for migrants. The Italian government's proposal for revamping how Europe manages migration calls for creating "international protection centers" that would screen asylum requests in common countries of transit. The 10-point plan Premier Giuseppe Conte presented at an emergency meeting in Brussels on Sunday also seeks more European Union support to help the Libyan coast guard better patrol its coasts for departing migrant boats. The plan argues that existing European asylum rules are obsolete and "paradoxical." The regulation effectively means migrants can only apply for asylum in the European country where they first arrive, usually Italy or Greece. The Italian proposal says other European countries must create welcome centers for asylum-seekers so the burden is dispersed. It also calls for EU investment in migrants' home countries, presumably as a way to persuade them to stay. Italy's firebrand interior minister is defending Italy's decision to ask the Libyan coast guard to rescue an estimated 1,000 migrants without the help of aid groups. Matteo Salvini was responding to the alarm raised by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms, which said Italian coast guard authorities had declined their offer to come to the migrants' rescue. In a tweet Sunday, Salvini said: "It's right that the Libyan authorities intervene, as they've been doing for days, without having the NGOs interrupt them and disturb them." Barcelona Mayor Ada Colao, who previously offered Barcelona as a port when Italy refused entry to another aid group's rescue ship, repeated her willingness to take in the migrants and urged Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to intervene to allow Proactiva's ship to "save lives." She said: "Italy wants to leave the migrants in the hands of Libya, where they torture, rape and enslave" migrants. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is urging his European Union partners to help Spain deal with the arrival of thousands of migrants from Africa across the Mediterranean Sea. Sanchez said Sunday that he will request "the support of our comrades, of our state members, in order to control better the flow that we are suffering nowadays from the western Mediterranean." Spain has seen a sharp rise in migrant arrivals. The U.N.'s refugee agency says around 40,000 people have arrived in Europe by sea so far this year, some 16,000 in Italy, 12,000 in Greece and 12,000 in Spain. Tensions between Italy and Malta are flaring anew over the fate of a German rescue ship with 234 migrants aboard that has been denied a port to disembark them. Malta's home affairs minister, Michael Farrugia, and Italy's transport minister, Danilo Toninelli, engaged in a Twitter war of words Sunday over which country was being more "inhuman" about the fate of the Lifeline and its passengers. Italy has demanded Malta let the Lifeline dock since it's currently in Maltese waters. Farrugia tweeted Sunday "Why weren't they allowed to dock immediately in Italy, like Italy is now asking Malta? That's the true inhumanity." Maltese Premier Joseph Muscat sought to lower the rhetoric as he arrived Sunday in Brussels for a migration meeting, saying now was not the time for a "blame game." For its part, the Lifeline issued a tweet to Italy's hard-line interior minister: "Dear Matteo Salvini, we have no meat on board, but humans. We cordially invite you to convince yourself that it is people we have saved from drowning." French President Emmanuel Macron is saying that any solution to immigration should be based on the human rights and solidarity principles that the European Union stands for. Speaking as he came into the EU's informal mini-summit Sunday on migration, Macron said if no deal could be found among all 28 EU nations, a smaller group of them could push ahead to deal with the issue. Migration across the Mediterranean Sea is down sharply from last year but it is dominating Europe's political agenda. As such, he echoed German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was also calling for bi- and trilateral agreements among member states to make progress now. The core of any agreement though, he said, must be the steadfast respect of human rights. "The values of Europe are the respect for human rights and individuals, the respect for nations and their integrity. It is the solidarity that holds us together," he said. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has accused Italy's new populist government of being "anti-European" in its immigration policies by putting national self-interests ahead of efforts to forge a united front in the European Union. But he also notes that other EU countries have failed to help Italy cope with the arrivals of large numbers of migrants across the Mediterranean Sea. Sanchez tells the El Pais newspaper the EU's biggest challenge at the moment is "europhobia," as some EU members shrink from agreeing on common policies. His comments come as EU leaders gather in Brussels to discuss a more unified approach to migration. Spain's new center-left government is taking a more open stance on migration, including extending public health care to undocumented foreigners. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is downplaying expectations that the EU summit next Thursday will be able to come to a full agreement on how to deal with migration. Merkel instead is pushing for bilateral and trilateral deals to cope with the immediate emergencies with migrants coming into Europe. Merkel, speaking as she entered Sunday's mini-summit of 16 of 28 EU nations in Brussels, says EU nations have to see "how can we help each other without always having to wait for all 28, but by thinking what's important to whom." Instead of difficult overall deals among all member states, she says "it is also about bi and trilateral agreements for mutual benefit." Italy is presenting what it says is a radical new proposal for Europe to handle migration that it says should replace the existing regulation that determines how asylum claims are handled. Premier Giuseppe Conte is unveiling his strategy for migration at a meeting Sunday in Brussels with 15 other EU countries. He said the plan represents a "paradigm change" in the divisive issue. Without giving details, Conte said the Italian plan is "efficient and sustainable." He said it would replace the Dublin regulation on asylum — that migrants must ask for asylum in the EU nation where they land — which he said was negotiated as an emergency solution. He said the Italian plan seeks to "confront the problem in a structural way." Conte has previously said the Italian proposal calls for creating "hotspots" in the most common homelands for migrants and in transit nations to identify asylum candidates. A Spanish aid group that has rescued thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea says there are seven boats with about 1,000 migrants aboard in need of rescue off Libya's coast, but that Italy has declined its offer of help. Proactiva Open Arms says in a tweet Sunday that Italian coast guard authorities who coordinate rescues sent out advisories to all ships in the area but told Proactiva: "We don't need your help." Proactiva says Italy is seeking to have the Libyan coast guard conduct the rescues and bring the migrants back to North Africa. Under its new anti-migrant government, Italy has refused to let aid groups dock in Italian ports, arguing they are encouraging smugglers. Up until Sunday, Italy's rescue coordination center had still engaged with the groups at sea during actual rescues. There was no answer Sunday at the Italian coast guard. Italy's populist 5-Star Movement is demanding that European countries step up and actually take action to deal with hundreds of thousands of migrants on the continent, warning that the future of Europe is at stake. The 5-Stars, who are in a ruling coalition with the anti-migrant League party, penned a blog Sunday titled "The migrant hypocrisy sinks Europe" as EU leaders met in Brussels on migration. The post complained that few countries even came close to accepting the redistributed migrants they pledged to under a failed 2015 EU plan to ease the burden on Italy and Greece. The post said: "It's time for Europe to find itself again in the principles that everyone preaches, but few sincerely practice," saying what is at stake is "the future of Europe as a political community and its values." The leaders of Germany, France and about a dozen other European Union nations are converging on Brussels for an afternoon of informal talks on differences over migration ahead of a full EU summit that starts next Thursday. Facing a domestic political crisis in Germany over the topic, Chancellor Angela Merkel will be seeking to get EU leaders to forge a joint approach to manage the influx of migrants and refugees, a divisive issue which is now back at the heart of the EU too. There are deep divisions over who should take responsibility for arriving migrants, how long they should be required to accommodate them, and what should be done to help those EU countries hardest hit like Italy and Greece. Looking for common ground among a few key nations, the informal mini-summit now involves about 16 member states, as others demanded to take part. To further complicate matters, four eastern EU countries— the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia —refused to attend and reject taking in migrants in general. ||||| A rescue boat stranded for nearly a week in the Mediterranean with over 200 migrants docked in Malta Wednesday, after a deal was struck between a group of EU states to take them in. Lifeline, a vessel for the German charity Mission Lifeline, has been waiting to be allocated a port for six days after rescuing 234 migrants off the coast of Libya last Thursday. The migrants on board will be distributed among eight EU nations who have agreed to take them in, Maltese Prime minister Joseph Muscat said Wednesday. So far Malta, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Ireland, Belgium and France have agreed to welcome some of the migrants. Muscat said that after the migrants had disembarked, the Lifeline ship would be impounded in order to carry out an investigation into its legal status and actions on the night of the rescue. However, Muscat warned that the situation was "unique" and could not be considered a blueprint for handling future rescues. Mission Lifeline has come under fire from EU leaders who accuse it of contravening international law by rescuing the migrants when the Libyan coastguard was already intervening. Belgium and Luxembourg said they would each take 15 of the Lifeline migrants. The Netherlands will take 20. Theo Francken, Belgian minster for asylum and migration, tweeted that Belgium would help Malta but that it must be one-off operation. Many passengers were suffering from seasickness and three were in the ship's hospital facility, according to Lifeline. One passenger has been evacuated, leaving 233 currently on board. The eight EU nations agreed to take in a share of those on board after days of bickering over the migrants' fate. The NGO's co-founder Axel Steier blamed Germany's failure to participate in the deal on the country's hardline Interior Minister Horst Seehofer. Seehofer has taken a strong stance on immigration and given German Chancellor Angela Merkel an ultimatum to curb arrivals to Germany. Mission Lifeline has hit back at criticism levelled at it by EU leaders. On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the charity had contravened "all the rules" by rescuing the migrants when the Libya coastguard was already intervening. Macron accused Mission Lifeline of "playing into the hands of smugglers". But the charity denied breaking the law in a statement on Wednesday. "There have been a number of false accusations that Lifeline ignores orders by different MRCCs (maritime rescue coordination centres)," said Steier. Lifeline argued the migrants would not be safe in Libya, where they have faced abuse and rape in holding centres, and that returning them there would breach international refugee law. "The only order the ship denied was to hand over people to the so-called Libyan coastguard, as this would have been not in line with the Geneva Refugee Convention and therefore criminal." The vessel's fate had been hanging in the balance since last week as bloc members remained at loggerheads over how to handle the influx of people trying to reach the continent. Malta and Italy initially refused to take in the migrants, but on Tuesday Valletta agreed to let the ship dock when other EU states confirmed they would help. Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini had hailed the news that a second migrant ship he had turned away was being taken in elsewhere. Earlier this month, Rome rejected the Aquarius ship carrying 630 migrants, forcing it to eventually dock in Spain. "For women and children really fleeing the war the doors are open, for everyone else they are not!" Salvini tweeted. The decision by Italy's new hardline government to turn away rescue vessels has plunged Europe into a political crisis over how to collectively handle the huge numbers of people migrating from Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Italy and Malta say they are unfairly bearing the brunt of the new arrivals, while other European countries are urging more forceful policies to block their entry. Sixteen EU leaders held emergency talks in Brussels on Sunday in a bid to break the longstanding deadlock over who should take in the migrants. A full EU summit is scheduled for Thursday and Friday. ||||| The Latest: No decisions at 'frank and open' migration talks BRUSSELS (AP) — The Latest on immigration into Europe (all times local): Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says emergency talks European leaders held on migration didn't yield any decisions but that the participants agreed they need to work together on the politically fraught issue. Sanchez told reporters that Sunday's meeting involving the heads of at least 16 EU countries were "frank and open," but "we don't have any concrete consequences or conclusions." He says: "Everyone agreed on the need to have a European vision; a common position on a common challenge." As the meeting got started, several countries threw their weight behind the idea of setting up migrant reception centers in Africa to screen asylum-seekers before they depart for Europe. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says a summit of 16 European Union countries has created "a lot of goodwill" to discuss EU disagreements on migration. Merkel and 15 other European leaders met in Brussels on Sunday to tackle the immigration policies that have divided the bloc since more than 1 million migrants arrived in 2015. The German chancellor said the summit participants agreed that Europe's outer borders need to be better protected to keep people from entering illegally and that "all countries should share all the burdens" related to migration. Merkel says the countries that most migrants reach first shouldn't be left alone to deal with the influx and that it also shouldn't be up to newcomers to decide in which European country they get to apply for asylum. Italy's coast guard is responding to a Spanish aid group's criticism of having its offer to help rescue some 1,000 migrants from the Mediterranean Sea declined, saying the responsibility for coordinating the rescue has been handed off to Libya. Italian coast guard officials said they received distress calls from six different migrant boats Sunday that were in Libya's search-and-rescue territory. The Italians said they alerted ships in the area and formally advised the Libyan coast guard, which officially took over the rescue. Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms complained that Italy's coast guard declined its offer of help. Italy's hard-line new government has refused to let aid groups' rescue ships dock, arguing that they are serving as taxi services for Libyan-based human traffickers. Italy has also sought to bolster the Libyan coast guard's patrol capacity, but human rights organizations say Libya isn't a safe place for migrants. The Italian government's proposal for revamping how Europe manages migration calls for creating "international protection centers" that would screen asylum requests in common countries of transit. The 10-point plan Premier Giuseppe Conte presented at an emergency meeting in Brussels on Sunday also seeks more European Union support to help the Libyan coast guard better patrol its coasts for departing migrant boats. The plan argues that existing European asylum rules are obsolete and "paradoxical." The regulation effectively means migrants can only apply for asylum in the European country where they first arrive, usually Italy or Greece. The Italian proposal says other European countries must create welcome centers for asylum-seekers so the burden is dispersed. It also calls for EU investment in migrants' home countries, presumably as a way to persuade them to stay. Italy's firebrand interior minister is defending Italy's decision to ask the Libyan coast guard to rescue an estimated 1,000 migrants without the help of aid groups. Matteo Salvini was responding to the alarm raised by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms, which said Italian coast guard authorities had declined their offer to come to the migrants' rescue. In a tweet Sunday, Salvini said: "It's right that the Libyan authorities intervene, as they've been doing for days, without having the NGOs interrupt them and disturb them." Barcelona Mayor Ada Colao, who previously offered Barcelona as a port when Italy refused entry to another aid group's rescue ship, repeated her willingness to take in the migrants and urged Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to intervene to allow Proactiva's ship to "save lives." She said: "Italy wants to leave the migrants in the hands of Libya, where they torture, rape and enslave" migrants. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is urging his European Union partners to help Spain deal with the arrival of thousands of migrants from Africa across the Mediterranean Sea. Sanchez said Sunday that he will request "the support of our comrades, of our state members, in order to control better the flow that we are suffering nowadays from the western Mediterranean." Spain has seen a sharp rise in migrant arrivals. The U.N.'s refugee agency says around 40,000 people have arrived in Europe by sea so far this year, some 16,000 in Italy, 12,000 in Greece and 12,000 in Spain. Tensions between Italy and Malta are flaring anew over the fate of a German rescue ship with 234 migrants aboard that has been denied a port to disembark them. Malta's home affairs minister, Michael Farrugia, and Italy's transport minister, Danilo Toninelli, engaged in a Twitter war of words Sunday over which country was being more "inhuman" about the fate of the Lifeline and its passengers. Italy has demanded Malta let the Lifeline dock since it's currently in Maltese waters. Farrugia tweeted Sunday "Why weren't they allowed to dock immediately in Italy, like Italy is now asking Malta? That's the true inhumanity." Maltese Premier Joseph Muscat sought to lower the rhetoric as he arrived Sunday in Brussels for a migration meeting, saying now was not the time for a "blame game." For its part, the Lifeline issued a tweet to Italy's hard-line interior minister: "Dear Matteo Salvini, we have no meat on board, but humans. We cordially invite you to convince yourself that it is people we have saved from drowning." French President Emmanuel Macron is saying that any solution to immigration should be based on the human rights and solidarity principles that the European Union stands for. Speaking as he came into the EU's informal mini-summit Sunday on migration, Macron said if no deal could be found among all 28 EU nations, a smaller group of them could push ahead to deal with the issue. Migration across the Mediterranean Sea is down sharply from last year but it is dominating Europe's political agenda. As such, he echoed German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was also calling for bi- and trilateral agreements among member states to make progress now. The core of any agreement though, he said, must be the steadfast respect of human rights. "The values of Europe are the respect for human rights and individuals, the respect for nations and their integrity. It is the solidarity that holds us together," he said. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has accused Italy's new populist government of being "anti-European" in its immigration policies by putting national self-interests ahead of efforts to forge a united front in the European Union. But he also notes that other EU countries have failed to help Italy cope with the arrivals of large numbers of migrants across the Mediterranean Sea. Sanchez tells the El Pais newspaper the EU's biggest challenge at the moment is "europhobia," as some EU members shrink from agreeing on common policies. His comments come as EU leaders gather in Brussels to discuss a more unified approach to migration. Spain's new center-left government is taking a more open stance on migration, including extending public health care to undocumented foreigners. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is downplaying expectations that the EU summit next Thursday will be able to come to a full agreement on how to deal with migration. Merkel instead is pushing for bilateral and trilateral deals to cope with the immediate emergencies with migrants coming into Europe. Merkel, speaking as she entered Sunday's mini-summit of 16 of 28 EU nations in Brussels, says EU nations have to see "how can we help each other without always having to wait for all 28, but by thinking what's important to whom." Instead of difficult overall deals among all member states, she says "it is also about bi and trilateral agreements for mutual benefit." Italy is presenting what it says is a radical new proposal for Europe to handle migration that it says should replace the existing regulation that determines how asylum claims are handled. Premier Giuseppe Conte is unveiling his strategy for migration at a meeting Sunday in Brussels with 15 other EU countries. He said the plan represents a "paradigm change" in the divisive issue. Without giving details, Conte said the Italian plan is "efficient and sustainable." He said it would replace the Dublin regulation on asylum — that migrants must ask for asylum in the EU nation where they land — which he said was negotiated as an emergency solution. He said the Italian plan seeks to "confront the problem in a structural way." Conte has previously said the Italian proposal calls for creating "hotspots" in the most common homelands for migrants and in transit nations to identify asylum candidates. A Spanish aid group that has rescued thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea says there are seven boats with about 1,000 migrants aboard in need of rescue off Libya's coast, but that Italy has declined its offer of help. Proactiva Open Arms says in a tweet Sunday that Italian coast guard authorities who coordinate rescues sent out advisories to all ships in the area but told Proactiva: "We don't need your help." Proactiva says Italy is seeking to have the Libyan coast guard conduct the rescues and bring the migrants back to North Africa. Under its new anti-migrant government, Italy has refused to let aid groups dock in Italian ports, arguing they are encouraging smugglers. Up until Sunday, Italy's rescue coordination center had still engaged with the groups at sea during actual rescues. There was no answer Sunday at the Italian coast guard. Italy's populist 5-Star Movement is demanding that European countries step up and actually take action to deal with hundreds of thousands of migrants on the continent, warning that the future of Europe is at stake. The 5-Stars, who are in a ruling coalition with the anti-migrant League party, penned a blog Sunday titled "The migrant hypocrisy sinks Europe" as EU leaders met in Brussels on migration. The post complained that few countries even came close to accepting the redistributed migrants they pledged to under a failed 2015 EU plan to ease the burden on Italy and Greece. The post said: "It's time for Europe to find itself again in the principles that everyone preaches, but few sincerely practice," saying what is at stake is "the future of Europe as a political community and its values." The leaders of Germany, France and about a dozen other European Union nations are converging on Brussels for an afternoon of informal talks on differences over migration ahead of a full EU summit that starts next Thursday. Facing a domestic political crisis in Germany over the topic, Chancellor Angela Merkel will be seeking to get EU leaders to forge a joint approach to manage the influx of migrants and refugees, a divisive issue which is now back at the heart of the EU too. There are deep divisions over who should take responsibility for arriving migrants, how long they should be required to accommodate them, and what should be done to help those EU countries hardest hit like Italy and Greece. Looking for common ground among a few key nations, the informal mini-summit now involves about 16 member states, as others demanded to take part. To further complicate matters, four eastern EU countries— the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia —refused to attend and reject taking in migrants in general.
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Container ship MV Alexander Maersk is allowed by Italian authorities to dock in Pozzallo, Sicily, after several days. There, it discharges over 100 rescued migrants. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte says German migrant rescue ship MV Lifeline will be permitted to dock in Malta in a deal that will see some of the migrants on board come to Italy.
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Exhausted firefighters will be helped by 100 soldiers as they tackle a vast moorland blaze in Greater Manchester, which fire chiefs fear will last for several weeks as the scorching weather continues. The troops from the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, on Thursday joined more than 100 firefighters who have been working rolling 12-hour shifts to tackle the seven square miles of Saddleworth Moor, smouldering with pockets of fire since Sunday. An RAF Chinook is also on stand-by should Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) request helicopter help to airlift heavy equipment to high ground on the tinder-dry moors. Problems faced included frequent changes in wind direction, the peat-embedded terrain that requires large quantities of water to extinguish flames and the searing temperatures. Fire chiefs revealed on Thursday morning that the operation could last for weeks, amid fears that a change in wind direction could draw flames closer towards residential areas. ||||| As hundreds of soldiers were deployed to help battle the blaze, the fire crew warned that a lack of rain could mean the flames are not extinguished for weeks. Tony Hunter, of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said in an early morning press conference that he is “extremely pleased” that troops have been dispatched to help firefighters. He said the military will provide "effective support and additional resources" and an RAF helicopter is also available. But he warned that the extremely dry conditions meant the moorland peat had been transformed into vast swathes of fuel which would burn easily without any significant rain. “We have no indication of rain forecast,” he told reporters. “So as a result we can see this being prolonged for days if not weeks.” He said that, currently, wind is drawing the fire away from the centre of the moorland but added: “We only need a change in the wind direction to blow it back into the centre of the moor to a greater source of fuel [and] we could see a dramatic change.” He said for rain to dampen the conditions it would need to be a “significant downpour” because it is so dry after days of scorching weather across the UK. About 100 soldiers and an RAF Chinook helicopter are due to arrive in Greater Manchester today to help tackle the moorland blaze. Some 55 firefighters were still trying to quell multiple pockets of flames spanning seven square miles. **Saddleworth Moor fire map: Where has Saddleworth Moor fire spread? What is it famous for?** “We can see this being prolonged for days if not weeks” Mr Hunter conceded that the fire was the biggest in one location that his force had tackled in living memory. Horrific photographs reveal the extent of the damage with a scorched lamb tragically found stranded on the burning landscape. Helicopters have been pictured dropping gallons of water onto the flames in a bid to halt their spread, amid suggestions from locals that off-road motorcyclists riding the moorlands on Sunday ignited the blaze. The smoke engulfing homes has been described as dangerous with health officials forcing families to wear dust masks and to stay indoors. The inferno has raged across four miles of the Pennines beauty spot near Greater Manchester, decimating the moorlands in its wake. A major incident was declared yesterday morning as the blaze worsened, with 34 homes evacuated. A public health warning has now been issued about pollution in the air. The task now facing crews is frequently shifting as changes in wind directions create fresh problem areas amid the ongoing heatwave, with temperatures reaching around 94F (33C) in the sun. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “I pay tribute to our armed forces' professionalism, dedication and sense of duty. “They are proving once again that Britain can always depend on our troops to protect us no matter the time, no matter the place, and no matter the problem.” Daily Star Online yesterday revealed the blaze could destroy any hope of finding the final resting place of one of the Moors Murders victims. ||||| An “unprecedented” moorland fire has been raging for five days near Manchester. Extended hot and dry conditions created a tinderbox effect at Saddleworth Moor in the north of the Peak District. The British Army have been called in to support firefighters in dealing with the widespread flames. Spanning seven miles, it has been described as the biggest moorland fire in living memory. You can see the sheer scale of the blaze in the video above. Advice has been issued on how you can help prevent the “human error” causes of fires in rural Northumberland. A Northumberland Wildlife Trust spokeswoman has urged people to be “careful and vigilant”. She said: “Everything is already dry and it is just going to get dryer because this weather is going to continue. “Just be very careful and vigilant about what you do and the impact it can have. “Fires this serious are usually caused by human error by things just being left. If you see discarded items like glass bottles or cigarette ends please pick them up.” Areas such as Whitelee Moor in Northumberland are at risk because areas of dense heather become very dry. Top layers of peat, with its high carbon content, also work as a fuel to keep the fires burning. What has happened near Manchester shows how quickly the fires can spread, helped by the wind. Temperatures are expected to cool off slightly over the next week, but the forecast also includes a low chance of rain. When did the Saddleworth Moor fire start? Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service was first called out to the moorland in Tameside on Sunday night. Crews spent hours trying to extinguish the initial blaze, but such was the heat it reignited the following morning. From there it has continued to expand. By Tuesday night the fire had been labelled a “major incident” by Greater Manchester Police. Stalybridge MP Jonathan Reynolds said “nothing has happened in living memory on the scale of this” and it was “almost an apocalyptic scene”. How is it being tackled? GMFRS have more than 100 firefighters working throughout the day at the scene. Assistant chief fire officer Tony Hunter said: “The fire is contained at the moment, but we only need a change of wind direction to see the fire increase. “We are working hard to keep on top of the blaze.” Assistant chief fire officer Leon Parkes added: “Our fire crews have been working in tremendously difficult circumstances and I would like to thank all of our firefighters, partners, volunteers and the public for their support and hard work throughout this incident.” Helicopters are being used to pick up water from reservoirs and drop it onto the edges of the flames. Soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 SCOTS) arrived to help out fire crews on Thursday. This has allowed GMFRS to free up resources to answer other emergency calls. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “I pay tribute to our Armed Forces’ professionalism, dedication and sense of duty. “They are proving once again that Britain can always depend on our troops to protect us no matter the time, no matter the place, and no matter the problem.” What has the environmental impact been? More than 30 homes in Carrbrook near Stalybridge had to be evacuated because of the fire. A cloud of smoke shrouded the village leading Public Health England to advise residents to keep windows and doors closed. They added: “Motorists who have to travel through the smoke should keep windows closed, turn off air condition and keep air vents closed. “Anyone with respiratory conditions may be susceptible to smoke from the fire so is advised to carry and use medication.” Some schools have had to shut. Cars, gardens and homes have been left covered in ash. Hugh Coe, professor of atmospheric composition at the University of Manchester, said plume peak concentrations were “very high” and air quality close to the fire was “very poor”. Pollution has been even detected, and smelled, in the centre of Manchester. The cloud has even been visible on satellite images taken from space. GMP’s Saddleworth Division said an estimated 2,000 acres of moorland had been destroyed by the fire. They added the blaze had been “unprecedented in recent times and devastating to the moorland and wildlife that live there.” Controlled burning will often take place in areas of heathland for the purposes of protecting grouse, but not on this scale. LIVE updates from our sister site, the Manchester Evening News, as soldiers arrive on Saddleworth Moor to help firefighters ||||| As hundreds of soldiers were deployed to help battle the blaze, the fire crew warned that a lack of rain could mean the flames are not extinguished for weeks. Tony Hunter, of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said in an early morning press conference that he is “extremely pleased” that troops have been dispatched to help firefighters. He said the military will provide "effective support and additional resources" and an RAF helicopter is also available. But he warned that the extremely dry conditions meant the moorland peat had been transformed into vast swathes of fuel which would burn easily without any significant rain. “We have no indication of rain forecast,” he told reporters. “So as a result we can see this being prolonged for days if not weeks.” He said that, currently, wind is drawing the fire away from the centre of the moorland but added: “We only need a change in the wind direction to blow it back into the centre of the moor to a greater source of fuel [and] we could see a dramatic change.” He said for rain to dampen the conditions it would need to be a “significant downpour” because it is so dry after days of scorching weather across the UK. About 100 soldiers and an RAF Chinook helicopter are due to arrive in Greater Manchester today to help tackle the moorland blaze. Some 55 firefighters were still trying to quell multiple pockets of flames spanning seven square miles. **Saddleworth Moor fire map: Where has Saddleworth Moor fire spread? What is it famous for?** “We can see this being prolonged for days if not weeks” Mr Hunter conceded that the fire was the biggest in one location that his force had tackled in living memory. Horrific photographs reveal the extent of the damage with a scorched lamb tragically found stranded on the burning landscape. Helicopters have been pictured dropping gallons of water onto the flames in a bid to halt their spread, amid suggestions from locals that off-road motorcyclists riding the moorlands on Sunday ignited the blaze. The smoke engulfing homes has been described as dangerous with health officials forcing families to wear dust masks and to stay indoors. The inferno has raged across four miles of the Pennines beauty spot near Greater Manchester, decimating the moorlands in its wake. A major incident was declared yesterday morning as the blaze worsened, with 34 homes evacuated. A public health warning has now been issued about pollution in the air. The task now facing crews is frequently shifting as changes in wind directions create fresh problem areas amid the ongoing heatwave, with temperatures reaching around 94F (33C) in the sun. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “I pay tribute to our armed forces' professionalism, dedication and sense of duty. “They are proving once again that Britain can always depend on our troops to protect us no matter the time, no matter the place, and no matter the problem.” Daily Star Online yesterday revealed the blaze could destroy any hope of finding the final resting place of one of the Moors Murders victims. ||||| About 100 soldiers and an RAF Chinook helicopter are due to arrive in Greater Manchester to help tackle a vast moorland blaze. The troops from the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, were being sent overnight to join firefighters across Tameside, on the edge of Saddleworth Moor. Some 55 firefighters were still trying to quell multiple pockets of flames spanning up to 3.7 miles (6km) on Wednesday night. The soldiers were heading from their barracks in Catterick and will operate out of an Army training centre to control the fire by managing water lines and fire beating, among other means of support. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said it is a display of British troops protecting the UK “no matter the time, no matter the place, and no matter the problem”. The troops were answering a call for assistance from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS). The Chinook, which will fly out of RAF Odiham, Hampshire, on Thursday morning, will move high-volume pump equipment by air to help douse the flames in difficult to access areas. Dave Keelan, director of emergency response at GMFRS, had also suggested it could be used to transport firefighters. He said firefighters were working “extremely hard in really hot conditions” but morale was high, adding: “It’s more of a task to get them down here to rest.” Problems faced included frequent changes in wind direction, the peat-embedded terrain which requires large quantities of water to extinguish flames and the searing temperatures. As of Wednesday lunchtime there were seven separate fire incidents ongoing on areas of the moors, including Calico Crescent, Intake Cottage, Intake Lane, Caste Farm, Dovestones, Higher Swineshaw and Chew Road. Firefighters used beaters and specialist wildfire equipment to tackle the flames. In addition, Greater Manchester Police deployed a helicopter to assess the scene and United Utilities provided a helicopter that can be used to drop water on to remote areas. The blaze had been brought under control having started on Sunday, but it reignited the next day and has continued in one of the worst moorland fires to hit the region. The impact could even be seen from space as Nasa satellites picked up the plumes of smoke. Some 34 households were evacuated in Calico Crescent in the village of Carrbrook, Stalybridge, on Tuesday night but residents were allowed to return after air quality assessments. Air quality levels in the area are being monitored regularly in different locations with people in affected areas urged to follow advice from Public Health England and keep their windows and doors closed. Experts warned that high levels of pollutants generated from the blaze could have a significant effect on people’s health. Hugh Coe, professor of atmospheric composition at the University of Manchester, said plume peak concentrations were “very high” and air quality close to the fire was “very poor”. He said pollution plumes have been detected in the centre of Manchester. Four local schools decided to close on Wednesday for the safety of their pupils but one – Mossley Hollins High – will be open on Thursday as normal. ||||| About 100 soldiers and an RAF Chinook helicopter are due to arrive in Greater Manchester to help tackle a vast moorland blaze. The troops from the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, were being sent overnight to join firefighters across Tameside, on the edge of Saddleworth Moor. Some 55 firefighters were still trying to quell multiple pockets of flames spanning up to 3.7 miles (6km) last night. An RAF Chinook helicopter will be used to aid the firefighting effort (Owen Humphries/PA) The soldiers were heading from their barracks in Catterick and will operate out of an Army training centre to control the fire by managing water lines and fire beating, among other means of support. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said it is a display of British troops protecting the UK “no matter the time, no matter the place, and no matter the problem”. The troops were answering a call for assistance from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS). The Chinook, which will fly out of RAF Odiham, Hampshire, on Thursday morning, will move high-volume pump equipment by air to help douse the flames in difficult to access areas. Dave Keelan, director of emergency response at GMFRS, had also suggested it could be used to transport firefighters. He said firefighters were working “extremely hard in really hot conditions” but morale was high, adding: “It’s more of a task to get them down here to rest.” The fire is covering an area of 3.7 miles (PA Graphics) Problems faced included frequent changes in wind direction, the peat-embedded terrain which requires large quantities of water to extinguish flames and the searing temperatures. As of Wednesday lunchtime there were seven separate fire incidents ongoing on areas of the moors, including Calico Crescent, Intake Cottage, Intake Lane, Caste Farm, Dovestones, Higher Swineshaw and Chew Road. Firefighters used beaters and specialist wildfire equipment to tackle the flames. In addition, Greater Manchester Police deployed a helicopter to assess the scene and United Utilities provided a helicopter that can be used to drop water on to remote areas. The blaze had been brought under control having started on Sunday, but it reignited the next day and has continued in one of the worst moorland fires to hit the region. The impact could even be seen from space as Nasa satellites picked up the plumes of smoke. Some 34 households were evacuated in Calico Crescent in the village of Carrbrook, Stalybridge, on Tuesday night but residents were allowed to return after air quality assessments. Air quality levels in the area are being monitored regularly in different locations with people in affected areas urged to follow advice from Public Health England and keep their windows and doors closed. Experts warned that high levels of pollutants generated from the blaze could have a significant effect on people’s health. Hugh Coe, professor of atmospheric composition at the University of Manchester, said plume peak concentrations were “very high” and air quality close to the fire was “very poor”. He said pollution plumes have been detected in the centre of Manchester. Four local schools decided to close on Wednesday for the safety of their pupils but one – Mossley Hollins High – will be open on Thursday as normal. A helicopter drops water as firefighters tackle the wildfire on Saddleworth Moor (Peter Byrne/PA) “The situation in the building and valley has improved,” the school said. No rain is forecast for Tameside for the rest of the week at least. The cause of the original seat of the fire – thought to be at Buckton Hill, which is land above Buckton Vale, Carrbrook – has not been established but fire chiefs said a detailed investigation would be launched at the appropriate time. One possible line of inquiry could focus on the frequent gathering of off-road bikers – many not displaying registered plates – at a nearby large quarry. ||||| Farmers whose sheep burned to death in the Saddleworth Moor fire say it was started by cigarette butts discarded by “brainless idiots”. James Crowther, 30, who farms 5,000 acres, said five motorbike riders were seen on the moors on Sunday afternoon. He said: “Two hours later the land was ablaze with 20-foot flames. "When the fire moved on, it left behind something that looked liked a scorched desert. “That’s when we found fag ends absolutely everywhere. What sort of brainless idiot throws a fag end down in the grass on the hottest day of the year?” More than 100 firefighters have been tackling the blaze, east of Manchester, and yesterday 60 soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland arrived to help. Tony Hunter, of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said “significant improvements” had been made. But he warned the fire could flare up again and a good downpour was needed to dampen down the vegetation. No rain is forecast as the heatwave continues. The fire destroyed four square miles of moorland and blanketed a vast area in smoke. Residents evacuated from their homes on Tuesday have all now returned, but some have reported bleeding noses, eye irritation and chest problems. Dr Richard Bircher, of Lockside Medical Centre in Stalybridge, said: “Thankfully, the smoke is getting less, but the advice is to try to avoid it.” Mr Crowther said he was suffering chest problems after spending almost 48 hours trying to tackle the blaze. He said: “I’m shattered and my chest feels terrible, we didn’t have any specialist equipment, we just covered our faces with cloths.” His sister Claire, 26, who helps run Upperwood Farm, said: “James and my other brother, Chris, have been working around the clock to try to protect their animals and land. "We’ve found some dead sheep that were trapped by the blaze, but there’s a lot more missing. “Everything has gone, all the wildlife, the land has been stripped bare. "It’s going to take a lot of help and cash to sort out.” Firefighters are also battling a second moorland blaze at Winter Hill near Bolton, 20 miles from Saddleworth. ||||| Firefighters in Greater Manchester are continuing to battle a huge fire on Saddleworth Moor after working through the night to try to control the 6km-long blaze. Thirty-four homes were evacuated on Tuesday night in Carrbrook, Stalybridge, close to the fire, which has been raging since Sunday between Dovestones reservoir and Buckton Vale. Power to 250 properties in the area was cut overnight “for safety reasons”, according to Electricity North West, but has since been restored. Two schools nearby have been closed on Wednesday as a safety precaution, Tameside council said. Q&A Tell us: how have you been affected? Show Hide Whether you live in the area, are visiting or work as a firefighter, police officer or emergency services worker we’d like to hear from you. You can share your experiences by filling in this encrypted form – anonymously if you wish - or via WhatsApp by adding the contact +44(0)7867825056. One of our journalists may be in touch and we will consider some of your responses in our reporting. You can read terms of service here. Though we’d like to hear from you, your safety and security is most important. When responding please make sure you put your safety and the safety of others first. Extreme weather events can be very unpredictable and carry very real risks. Ten fire engines and 50 firefighters were working overnight to contain the blaze, some walking several miles with heavy equipment, said Leon Parkes, the assistant chief fire officer with Greater Manchester fire and rescue service. “The area is really, really large – it’s a really difficult fire situation because of the size of it.Some of the feedback we’ve received is that it’s over 6km,” he said on Wednesday. “Clearly the challenges are enormous. We have firefighters working in really hot conditions. They’re doing everything they can to control that fire. As you can appreciate, firefighters will have fire kit on which is heavy, thick, warm – the ground is hot, the smoke coming off the fire is thick. “The scenes of fire are not where we can access. Some of them are two miles away (from where we can park).” The fire service planned a “heavy attack” on the fire on Wednesday, he added. “The plan today is to try and put some resource on the scene, and put a heavy attack on this fire – if that needs military assistance, that’s what we’ll consider,” he said. He said it had not been established what might have caused the fire. Play Video 0:31 Firefighters tackle Manchester moorland fire – video The police have declared the blaze a major incident and said the army was on standby to step in. The force tweeted: “We are in contact with the army and they are on standby to help if we need them.” Greater Manchester police declared a major incident as flames crept close to the city’s eastern suburbs, having already devastated surrounding areas of countryside. Jonny Reynolds, the MP for Stalybridge, described the scenes as “apocalyptic” and “looking like Mordor from Lord of the Rings”. He said: “It’s pretty worrying stuff. They’re talking about the affected area being 6km wide, which puts it on a scale much beyond what we have seen in the past. We do get moorland fires pretty regularly in Saddleworth – most years there is at least one, but this is much worse. Most people are saying it’s the worst moorland fire we’ve had in living memory. I don’t ever remember schools being closed as a result of a fire. “Last night it looked apocalyptic with the full moon rising below the hills on fire. It looked like Mordor from Lord of the Rings, really frightening for people.” The MP warned that the army may need to be deployed soon, particularly if the wind picked up. “If this doesn’t get turned around today we might genuinely be looking at some sort of military resources being deployed to the area,” he said. “You can’t relax because the weather could reverse the progress the firefighters are making. On Monday, the fire had pretty much gone out but then it reignited in these hot temperatures.” All residents evacuated on Tuesday night found beds with friends and family, he said. Should more people have to leave their homes and have nowhere to go, emergency shelters would open up, he added. He praised local people for offering help. Tameside Rocks, a community children’s group that paints rocks and hides them around the borough, has painted a batch to thank the firefighters, while Tesco in Stalybridge has given its entire supply of bottled water to the emergency services, he said. Health officials had earlier issued advice to people in the Tameside area to stay inside their homes and keep their doors and windows closed in order to deal with the smoke coming from the moor. Triangle News (@TriangleNewsUK) Incredible timelapse footage of the forest fire in Saddleworth, Manchester has been captured by amateur photographer Tristan Manchester. pic.twitter.com/3Aef8qOcBE Firefighters were forced to undertake “physically draining” work as a heatwave gripped much of Britain on Tuesday, Greater Manchester fire and rescue service said. They were “faced with very difficult circumstances, intense heat” and were “working on challenging terrain”, added the group manager for Tameside and Stockport, Phil Nelson. Greater Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, paid tribute to the firefighters. Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) Huge thanks to the GM firefighters working flat out to contain this worrying situation. If you live in the area, please follow the advice. https://t.co/3Bc1FSLDLl G M Police (@gmpolice) Dawn over the moors has revealed what we're dealing with... This morning's view from @gmpolice HQ Our thoughts are with those affected and @manchesterfire who have worked bravely through the night. It is going to be a long, hot, smoky day. #Staysafe out there#Moorefires pic.twitter.com/jXH2aATFfE The fire started late on Sunday evening on land near to Buckton Vale, to the north of Stalybridge. While firefighters were soon able to put it out, “due to the heat, the fire reignited on Tuesday morning”. Firefighters said the blaze had “devastated a portion of the area near to Buckton Vale”, with about 2 sq km of moorland on fire. They added a “significant amount of low lying smoke has been discharged in the local area”. G M Police (@gmpolice) We are in contact with the army and they are on standby to help if we need them. Right now support is being given from @CheshireFire and @DerbyshireFRS #Moorlandfires Public Health England’s north-west office advised motorists who had to travel through the smoke to keep their windows closed, turn off their air conditioning and keep their air vents closed. It said: “If people need to be outdoors, they are advised to avoid areas affected by any smoke or ash, or to limit the time that they spend in them.” Huge plumes of smoke stretching along moorland could be seen in pictures and footage from near the scenes. Derbyshire firefighters were also called in to help tackle the blaze on Saddleworth Moor and were seen beating down moorland in images released by the fire service on Monday. The force described it as “hard, hot and exhausting work”, and warned people to be careful while enjoying the outdoors. Derbyshire FRS (@DerbyshireFRS) A few pictures showing firefighters hard at work using beaters to fight the fire at Tintwistle. It’s hard, hot exhausting work! Please take extra care when out in the countryside - a stray cigarette, a discarded glass bottle, or a spark from a BBQ can all cause untold devastation pic.twitter.com/Tb44M8qctI Dozens of firefighters had to also tackle a blaze on moorland in Rivington, Lancashire. The region’s deputy chief fire officer, Justin Johnston, said: “We’ve been aware that this might occur given the long dry spell. Fortunately, crews are well trained and well equipped with special wildfire procedures.” ||||| About 100 soldiers and an RAF Chinook helicopter are due to arrive in Greater Manchester to help tackle a vast moorland blaze. The troops from the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, were being sent overnight to join firefighters across Tameside, on the edge of Saddleworth Moor. Some 55 firefighters were still trying to quell multiple pockets of flames spanning up to 3.7 miles (6km) on Wednesday night. The soldiers were heading from their barracks in Catterick and will operate out of an Army training centre to control the fire by managing water lines and fire beating, among other means of support. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said it is a display of British troops protecting the UK "no matter the time, no matter the place, and no matter the problem". The troops were answering a call for assistance from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS). The Chinook, which will fly out of RAF Odiham, Hampshire, on Thursday morning, will move high-volume pump equipment by air to help douse the flames in difficult to access areas. Dave Keelan, director of emergency response at GMFRS, had also suggested it could be used to transport firefighters. He said firefighters were working "extremely hard in really hot conditions" but morale was high, adding: "It's more of a task to get them down here to rest." Problems faced included frequent changes in wind direction, the peat-embedded terrain which requires large quantities of water to extinguish flames and the searing temperatures. As of Wednesday lunchtime there were seven separate fire incidents ongoing on areas of the moors, including Calico Crescent, Intake Cottage, Intake Lane, Caste Farm, Dovestones, Higher Swineshaw and Chew Road. GALLERY: The photos which show the devastation caused by the Saddleworth Moor fire Firefighters used beaters and specialist wildfire equipment to tackle the flames. In addition, Greater Manchester Police deployed a helicopter to assess the scene and United Utilities provided a helicopter that can be used to drop water on to remote areas. The blaze had been brought under control having started on Sunday, but it reignited the next day and has continued in one of the worst moorland fires to hit the region. The impact could even be seen from space as Nasa satellites picked up the plumes of smoke. Some 34 households were evacuated in Calico Crescent in the village of Carrbrook, Stalybridge, on Tuesday night but residents were allowed to return after air quality assessments. Air quality levels in the area are being monitored regularly in different locations with people in affected areas urged to follow advice from Public Health England and keep their windows and doors closed. Experts warned that high levels of pollutants generated from the blaze could have a significant effect on people's health. Hugh Coe, professor of atmospheric composition at the University of Manchester, said plume peak concentrations were "very high" and air quality close to the fire was "very poor". He said pollution plumes have been detected in the centre of Manchester. Four local schools decided to close on Wednesday for the safety of their pupils but one - Mossley Hollins High - will be open on Thursday as normal. "The situation in the building and valley has improved," the school said. No rain is forecast for Tameside for the rest of the week at least. The cause of the original seat of the fire - thought to be at Buckton Hill, which is land above Buckton Vale, Carrbrook - has not been established but fire chiefs said a detailed investigation would be launched at the appropriate time. One possible line of inquiry could focus on the frequent gathering of off-road bikers - many not displaying registered plates - at a nearby large quarry. ||||| About 100 soldiers and an RAF Chinook helicopter are due to arrive in Greater Manchester to help tackle a vast moorland blaze. The troops from the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, were being sent overnight to join firefighters across Tameside, on the edge of Saddleworth Moor. Some 55 firefighters were still trying to quell multiple pockets of flames spanning up to 3.7 miles (6km) on Wednesday night. The soldiers were heading from their barracks in Catterick and will operate out of an Army training centre to control the fire by managing water lines and fire beating, among other means of support. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said it is a display of British troops protecting the UK “no matter the time, no matter the place, and no matter the problem”. The troops were answering a call for assistance from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS). The Chinook, which will fly out of RAF Odiham, Hampshire, on Thursday morning, will move high-volume pump equipment by air to help douse the flames in difficult to access areas. Dave Keelan, director of emergency response at GMFRS, had also suggested it could be used to transport firefighters. He said firefighters were working “extremely hard in really hot conditions” but morale was high, adding: “It’s more of a task to get them down here to rest.” Problems faced included frequent changes in wind direction, the peat-embedded terrain which requires large quantities of water to extinguish flames and the searing temperatures. As of Wednesday lunchtime there were seven separate fire incidents ongoing on areas of the moors, including Calico Crescent, Intake Cottage, Intake Lane, Caste Farm, Dovestones, Higher Swineshaw and Chew Road. Firefighters used beaters and specialist wildfire equipment to tackle the flames. In addition, Greater Manchester Police deployed a helicopter to assess the scene and United Utilities provided a helicopter that can be used to drop water on to remote areas. The blaze had been brought under control having started on Sunday, but it reignited the next day and has continued in one of the worst moorland fires to hit the region. The impact could even be seen from space as Nasa satellites picked up the plumes of smoke. Some 34 households were evacuated in Calico Crescent in the village of Carrbrook, Stalybridge, on Tuesday night but residents were allowed to return after air quality assessments. Air quality levels in the area are being monitored regularly in different locations with people in affected areas urged to follow advice from Public Health England and keep their windows and doors closed. Experts warned that high levels of pollutants generated from the blaze could have a significant effect on people’s health. Hugh Coe, professor of atmospheric composition at the University of Manchester, said plume peak concentrations were “very high” and air quality close to the fire was “very poor”. He said pollution plumes have been detected in the centre of Manchester. Four local schools decided to close on Wednesday for the safety of their pupils but one – Mossley Hollins High – will be open on Thursday as normal.
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Greater Manchester Police declares a major incident as a wildfire continues to spread on Saddleworth Moor, forcing nearby homes to be evacuated. The fire is described as the "biggest in living memory" in the United Kingdom. Army assistance is granted to tackle the blaze.
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Image copyright EPA Image caption Rebel Wilson won a defamation lawsuit against Bauer Media last year An Australian court has ordered actress Rebel Wilson to repay the majority of her record defamation payout from a magazine publisher. Wilson had received A$4.7m (£2.6m; $3.5m) in damages and interest from Bauer Media over articles that she said portrayed her as a serial liar. But a court reduced the sum to A$600,000 earlier this month following an appeal by the publisher. On Wednesday, Wilson was ordered to pay back A$4.1m and A$60,000 in interest. She will also have to cover 80% of what Bauer spent on its appeal. Wilson, an Australian star of Hollywood films including Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids, has vowed to give all of her compensation to charity. In its original finding, the Supreme Court of Victoria awarded her A$650,000 in general damages and $A3.9m for film roles she had lost out on. She was later paid A$180,000 in interest. However the size of the payout, Australia's largest for a defamation case, was reduced significantly on appeal. Ahead of the appeal case - which Wilson did not attend in person - the actress was keen to point out that the court was not reconsidering whether she had won her case, but merely the amount paid out. The Victorian Court of Appeal ruled that Wilson had failed to prove that Bauer was responsible for her missing out on film roles. The actress wrote on Twitter at the time: "That's now $4 million less going to less fortunate Australians and leaves a billionaire corporation, proven guilty of malicious defamation, being able to get away with their seriously harmful acts for a very low pay day." The size of the original payout also generated discussion in Australia over whether it could stifle future journalism in the public interest. ||||| Wilson has been ordered to return most of the payout from what was the largest defamation payout in Australian legal history (AFP Photo/Robyn Beck ) Hollywood actress Rebel Wilson was ordered to return almost $3.1 million with interest to an Australian publisher Wednesday after a defamation payout was slashed on appeal. The "Pitch Perfect" star was awarded Aus$4.5 million ($3.3 million) in damages against Bauer Media last September over articles claiming she lied about her age and background to further her career. It was the largest defamation win in Australian legal history and Bauer appealed, arguing the size of the settlement set a dangerous precedent and there were errors of law in the judgement. The Victorian Court of Appeal agreed and cut the payout to just Aus$600,000 earlier this month in a decision the actress called "absolutely flippant". Bauer had already handed over the money and the Court of Appeal on Wednesday ordered Wilson to repay nearly Aus$4.2 million, including costs and more than Aus$60,000 in interest. The star did not dispute that the money needed to be returned, but argued the interest should be charged at the prevailing Reserve Bank cash rate of 1.5 percent, rather than the two percent sought by Bauer. The appeal court disagreed and ordered interest be paid at the higher rate. Wilson vowed after the initial judgement to give any payout to charity and the Australian film industry. It is not clear whether she has already done so. She had claimed a series of articles in Woman's Day, Australian Women's Weekly and OK Magazine in 2015 had portrayed her as a serial liar and damaged her reputation. The Sydney-born actress told the trial she was sacked from DreamWorks animated feature films "Trolls" and "Kung Fu Panda 3" following the stories. But the Court of Appeal said there was no basis for her to receive financial damages for the potential loss of roles. It found that the previous judge had relied on evidence from Wilson and two Hollywood agents to draw the conclusion that she had lost job opportunities. ||||| Australian actress Rebel Wilson has been ordered to repay £2.3 million to a magazine publisher after a court overturned her record defamation payout over stories in which it was claimed she invented her backstory to boost her career. Despite winning the defamation case against Bauer Media last year, the Victorian Court of Appeal has ordered Wilson, who appeared in the Pitch Perfect series and Bridesmaids, to repay the bulk of her initial £2.6 million in damages, plus £34,000 in interest. She will also have to pay 80 per cent of the publisher's appeal costs. Wilson sued Bauer Media over a series of articles published in its magazines in 2015 which claimed the 38-year-old lied about her name, age and being related to Walt Disney. A jury found that she had been defamed and a judge then granted her a record payout, accepting her claim that the articles damaged her career and cost her roles in the films Kung Fu Panda 3 and Trolls. But the appeal court slashed the damages amount, saying it had “no basis in the evidence”. ||||| Actress Rebel Wilson has been ordered to repay $4.1 million she received from Bauer Media in a defamation payout that was later reduced on appeal to $600,000. Victoria's Court of Appeal on Wednesday ordered Wilson pay Bauer Media $4,183,071.45 - including $60,316.45 in interest. The original judgment awarding her a record $4.7 million was set aside on appeal earlier in June. Wilson was awarded the landmark payout in September 2017 following a defamation trial over a series of articles that made her out to be a liar. An appeal later found she was not entitled to $3.9 million in economic damages relating to a loss of income. Wilson took to social media after the appeal, slamming the decision as unfair and saying she plans to challenge the outcome. 'Somehow the Court of Appeal have been absolutely flippant with regards to my economic loss, not to mention my overall hurt and distress at having to stand up to these bullies,' she wrote to her almost 3million followers on Twitter on June 14. 'That's now $4 million less going to less fortunate Australians and leaves a billionaire corporation, proven guilty of malicious defamation, being able to get away with their seriously harmful acts for a very low pay day! 'Clearly not fair. Come on Australia.' Wilson was awarded the largest defamation payout in Australian legal history after claiming she lost film roles as a result of the defamatory articles. Bauer had been quick to handover the original $4,749,920.60 payout, making a transfer to Wilson within three weeks of the September 13 judgment. The star said she planned to distribute the money to charity and the Australian film industry. On appeal Wilson did not dispute that the $4.1 million should be repaid, but argued the interest should be charged at the prevailing Reserve Bank cash rate of 1.5 per cent, rather than the two per cent sought by Bauer. The appeal court disagreed and ordered interest be paid at the higher rate. Wilson was also ordered to pay 80 per cent of Bauer's appeal costs. Wilson will appear in the upcoming Hollywood film Isn't it Romantic, starring alongside fellow Australian actor Liam Hemsworth. ||||| Actor Rebel Wilson will be left with less than 12% of the record $4.7m defamation payout she was originally awarded, after being ordered to hand back the majority of funds. And the Hollywood star still needs to deduct some legal fees from what’s left. Wilson was awarded a landmark payout in September 2017 after a defamation trial over a series of articles that made her out to be a liar. But an appeal in early June found she was not entitled to $3.9m in economic damages relating to a loss of income, which made up a portion of the damages. The Court of Appeal on Wednesday ordered Wilson repay Bauer Media $4,183,071.45 – including $60,316.45 in interest – after the original judgment was set aside. Bauer had been quick to handover the original $4,749,920.60 payout, making a transfer to Wilson within three weeks of the 13 September judgment. The star said she planned to distribute the money to charity and the Australian film industry. But on appeal Wilson did not dispute that the $4.1m should be repaid. She argued, however, the interest should be charged at the prevailing Reserve Bank cash rate of 1.5%, rather than the 2% sought by Bauer. The appeal court disagreed and ordered interest be paid at the higher rate. Wilson was also ordered to pay 80% of Bauer’s appeal costs. ||||| Actress Rebel Wilson has been ordered to pay $4.1 million back to Bauer Media after the magazine publisher won its appeal to overturn her record defamation payout. The Court of Appeal said Ms Wilson must repay the money, plus $60,316 in interest to Bauer Media. She must also pay 80 per cent of the publisher's appeal court costs. Ms Wilson was awarded more than $4.7 million in damages last year after a jury found Bauer Media had defamed Ms Wilson in a series of magazine articles published in May 2015. The court found she had missed out on film roles because of the articles, which claimed Ms Wilson had lied about her age, real name and childhood. But Ms Wilson's payout was overturned in May after the Court of Appeal found "there was no basis in the evidence for making any award of damages for economic loss". It found the trial judge had relied on evidence from Ms Wilson and Hollywood agents to draw the conclusion that the actress had lost job opportunities due to the articles. The Court of Appeal said that in awarding compensation for economic losses, Justice John Dixon "relied also upon his assessment of the trajectory of Ms Wilson's career". In its appeal against the decision, Bauer Media argued that the $4.7 million payout was excessive and should be set aside due to errors in fact and law. Ms Wilson will keep a remaining $627,165 in damages from Bauer Media. The initial payout sum would have been the largest defamation payment ever ordered by an Australian court. Several media organisations questioned whether the decision set a new precedent for defamation payments. Earlier this month, Ms Wilson said on Twitter that she would fight the decision to reduce her payout. ||||| Due to crappy lawyers and not much of a case, Rebel Wilson’s 2017 win in court has turned into a 2018 loss – at least as far as public perception is concerned. Warning: A tale of deception, lies, triumph, struggle, vanity, stupidity, boringness, and a one-note comedian awaits, so if you have literally anything better to do, do it. Anything. In 2014 a woman named Caroline Overington interviewed Rebel Wilson for Australian Women’s Weekly, but after the interview published, she realized that Wilson had lied about her age (she wasn’t really twenty-nine,) name (Wilson claimed her real name was Rebel and provided an elaborate story about her mother’s ideation of the name. Her actual name is Melanie,) and other statements – including the non fact that Wilson reaps whimsical benefits from being related to Walt Disney. Via The Guardian: In 2015 Overington published a followup piece calling Wilson out on her lies. Wilson claims that the piece made her a pariah in Hollywood, and that she lost lucrative movie deals thanks to her new reputation as a serial liar. Wilson sued the parent company of Australian Women’s Weekly, Bauer Media, with her agent Sharon Jackson explaining the impetus for the charges of lost wages and defamation: What could be keeping Wilson from nabbing leading Hollywood rolls? I mean roles. JK I’m body positive now. Anyway, moving a tale as old as Rebel Wilson along, in 2017 she received a whopping $4.5 million payout ($650,000 in general damages and $3.9 million compensation) from Bauer to much fanfare, but just this week was officially ordered to pay back over $4.1 million of the cash after a court appeal from Bauer revealed that Wilson could not in fact prove that she would have banked millions of dollars had it not been for Overington’s article. To sum things up, Wilson basically snatched global embarrassment out of the jaws of what should have been a win. And the Australian court system is a three-ring circus. But Wilson’s not the only one who lost out. Just imagine a world in which Wilson scored the leading roles of the decade. Twirling alongside Ryan Gosling in La La Land instead of Emma Stone. Saving the galaxy in Star Wars: The Force Awakens instead of stupid old Daisy Ridley. It would be like seeing John Candy in Spaceballs, and movies would have finally been funny again. ||||| Rebel Wilson's fortunes turn, Ten's Pointless remake, Buffet dumps papers, and other media tidbits of the day. Rebel Wilson to pay back millions. Actor Rebel Wilson has been ordered to pay back the damages she was awarded for defamation by Bauer Media. The record damages payout of $4.5 million was reduced on appeal, and yesterday a court ruled she needed to pay back $4.1 million including interest -- it had been handed over within weeks of the original court ruling. Wilson was also ordered to pay 80% of Bauer's legal costs for the appeal. Wilson has commentated much of the appeal process through her Twitter account, but hasn't commented on the latest orders other than to retweet a fan called Allan Allstar (who has 28 followers), who said the decision was a "proper injustice". ||||| Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids star Rebel Wilson has been ordered to pay back almost all of the multi-million dollar award to Bauer Media that she had won from them in a defamation lawsuit. The 38 year old star saw her award of A$4.6m (£2.7m) – a then-record amount in Australian legal history for a defamation case - slashed to A$600,000 (£338,000) on appeal two weeks ago after a judge ruled that the sum was too punitive on Bauer Media. The media conglomeration was found to have defamed Wilson in the case last September, after they printed a series of articles in publications they owned in 2015 claiming that the actress had lied about her age and childhood in order to further her career. Rebel Wilson has been ordered to pay back the award from the defamation case on appeal The Sydney-born star claimed that features in Woman's Day, Australian Women's Weekly and OK Magazine had portrayed her as a serial liar and damaged her reputation, telling the court she was sacked from DreamWorks’ animated feature films Trolls and Kung Fu Panda 3 following the stories. More: Rebel Wilson refuses to shoot nude scenes in her films Leading up to the trial two weeks ago, Wilson had tweeted: “everybody knows I lost money after those maliciously defamatory articles were printed about me by @BauerMedia in 2015. The learned trial judge and Australian jury on the case who heard all the evidence clearly agreed. But somehow the Court of Appeal have been absolutely flippant with regards to my economic loss, not to mention my overall hurt and distress at having to stand up to these bullies.” Victoria State’s Court of Appeal in Melbourne ruled, however, that there was no basis for Bauer Media to be held liable for the potential loss of roles, finding that the judge in the original case had relied solely on the testimony of Wilson herself and two Hollywood agents that she had lost work. The same judge upheld the ruling on Wednesday (June 27th), ordering her to pay back the original award with interest. Wilson, who pledged to donate any sums she received to charity, tweeted after the case: “less going to less fortunate Australians and leaves a billionaire corporation, proven guilty of malicious defamation, being able to get away with their seriously harmful acts for a very low pay day.” ||||| Pitch Perfect star Rebel Wilson has been told she must pay back the millions of dollars she was awarded in a defamation court case last year. The actress had her record AUS$4.6m (£2.7m) payment slashed to $600,000 (£338,000) on appeal two weeks ago after a judge ruled it was too much. The same judge at the Victorian Court of Appeal in Melbourne has now said she will now have to repay AUS$4.2m (£2.4m) with interest. The Hollywood star won her case against Bauer Media last year over articles from 2015 claiming she had lied about her age and background to further her career. She had claimed a series of articles in Bauer-owned Woman's Day, Australian Women's Weekly and OK Magazine had portrayed her as a serial liar and damaged her reputation. The Sydney-born actress told the trial she was sacked from DreamWorks animated feature films "Trolls" and "Kung Fu Panda 3" following the stories. Earlier this month, she tweeted: "Everybody knows I lost money after those maliciously defamatory articles were printed about me by @BauerMedia in 2015. The learned trial judge and Australian jury on the case who heard all the evidence clearly agreed." "But somehow the Court of Appeal have been absolutely flippant with regards to my economic loss, not to mention my overall hurt and distress at having to stand up to these bullies," she wrote. The Court of Appeal said there was no basis for her to receive financial damages for the potential loss of roles and found the previous judge had relied on evidence from Wilson and two Hollywood agents to conclude that she had lost work. Following the payout last year, Bauer appealed against what was the largest defamation payout in Australian legal history, claiming the figure set a dangerous precedent. The judge in the Victorian Court of Appeal agreed and slashed the payment. Wilson said after the initial judgement last year that she planned to give any payout to charity and the Australian film industry. It is not clear whether she did so. Lamenting the decision earlier this month, she said: "Less going to less fortunate Australians and leaves a billionaire corporation, proven guilty of malicious defamation, being able to get away with their seriously harmful acts for a very low pay day." "Clearly not fair. Come on Australia." In the latest hearing this week, Wilson did not dispute that the £2.4m needed to be returned, but failed to convince judges she should pay less interest.
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At appeal, Australian actress Rebel Wilson is ordered to pay back A$4.7m that she won in damages and interest from Bauer Media Group in what was Australia's largest ever libel payout. Wilson is also ordered to pay 80% of the group's appeal costs. The case stemmed from allegations that libelous articles portraying her as a serial liar had resulted in her losing acting jobs. The Victorian Court of Appeal finds that Wilson has not proved a connection between the libel and any failure to land roles. The case prompted national discussion over potential chilling effects on legitimate journalism.
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U.S. Ambassador to Estonia Resigns in Disgust After Trump Anti-Europe Rants The U.S. ambassador to Estonia, James D. Melville Jr., a career diplomat and member of the senior foreign service ranks, announced to friends Friday that he was resigning amid a string of controversial comments President Donald Trump made about U.S. allies in Europe. Melville, who has served as a diplomat for 33 years and as ambassador to Estonia since 2015, was due to retire soon but said in a private Facebook post announcing his retirement that Trump’s behavior and comments accelerated his decision. “A Foreign Service Officer’s DNA is programmed to support policy and we’re schooled right from the start, that if there ever comes a point where one can no longer do so, particularly if one is in a position of leadership, the honorable course is to resign. Having served under six presidents and 11 secretaries of state, I never really thought it would reach that point for me,” he wrote in the post, which was obtained by Foreign Policy. “For the President to say the EU was ‘set up to take advantage of the United States, to attack our piggy bank,’ or that ‘NATO is as bad as NAFTA’ is not only factually wrong, but proves to me that it’s time to go,” he wrote, citing Trump’s reported comments in recent weeks that have unnerved U.S. allies. The post surprised several State Department officials who worked with Melville, describing him as a consummate professional who never let domestic politics impact his job. The resignation comes ahead of a pivotal NATO summit, where the United States’ closest historic allies fear that Trump will lambast them and further isolate Washington from its allies after heated disputes over trade, defense spending issues, and the U.S. exit from the Iran nuclear deal. Allies fear that the optics of Trump trashing allies in Brussels, followed by a meeting in Finland with Russian President Vladimir Putin, will undercut an already anemic trans-Atlantic partnership. [NATO is bracing for impact with Trump’s upcoming visit to Brussels — and Trump isn’t backing down from the fight over European defense spending.] Melville said he believed in the U.S. support for the European Union and NATO to his “marrow.” “I leave willingly and with deep gratitude for being able to serve my nation with integrity for many years, and with great confidence that America, which is and has always been, great, will someday return to being right,” he added. He said his last day on the job would be July 29, even though the Trump administration has yet to name a replacement. (Trump last month quietly withdrew the name of Edward Masso to be ambassador, though did not explain why.) The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Melville is one of many senior U.S. diplomats who have resigned — some quietly, some not — because of Trump’s policies. In December 2017, for example, the U.S. ambassador to Panama, John Feeley, resigned and several months later wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post slamming the president and his foreign-policy stances. Elizabeth Shackelford, a rising star in the diplomatic corps in Africa, quit with a scathing resignation letter, also obtained by FP, deriding Trump and former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for what she saw as their disdain of U.S. diplomacy. [One diplomat’s stinging resignation letter offers a glimpse into declining morale at the State Department under Trump.] “It means a lot when someone whose had it all in their career just says, ‘I can’t do this any longer,’” one senior State Department official said of Melville’s retirement. “I just wonder who’s next.” ||||| Donald Trump appears to be attempting to destabilize post-WWII global alliances, experts say, as meeting with Vladimir Putin looms Recent remarks by Donald Trump made to the leaders of other major Western democracies, suggesting that France pull out of the European Union and comparing the post-World War II military alliance NATO to the NAFTA trade agreement that Trump hates, appear to indicate that Trump is attempting to destabilize alliances among Western nations that have existed for more than 70 years, according to foreign policy experts such as Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin. “As (Trump) heads to Europe next month for the NATO summit and then a historic meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, his personal attacks on the European Union and other pillars of the Western order are overshadowing his own administration’s attempts to reassure allies that the United States still believes in the transatlantic project it has led since the 1940s,” Rogin wrote in a Thursday column. In the same column, as The Hill noted, Rogin also revealed a startling comment made by Trump to French President Emmanuel Macron during Macron’s state visit to the White House in April. “At one point, (Trump) asked Macron, ‘Why don’t you leave the E.U.?’ and said that if France exited the union, Trump would offer it a bilateral trade deal with better terms than the E.U. as a whole gets from the United States,” Rogin wrote, adding that two European officials confirmed that Trump made the comment and White House press officials did not dispute the account. The report of the comment, in which Trump offered financial incentives to France to split from the European Union which was founded in 1945, came on the same day that another Trump remark that alarmed leaders of United States allies leaked to the press. In a scoop by the political site Axios, a comment by Trump seemed to hint that he wants to pull the U.S. out of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance which was founded after World War II largely to counter expansionism by the Soviet Union, of which Russia was then a part. “NATO is as bad as NAFTA,” Trump told the other G7 leaders at the Canada summit. “It’s much too costly for the U.S.” Axios reporter Jonathan Swan wrote that he heard the comment read by an official directly from transcribed notes of the private conversations among the G7 leaders. With the exception of Japan, all of the G7 nations are also key members of NATO. Trump has repeatedly said that he believes the U.S. should pull out of the NAFTA trade deal, as Vox has reported, which would indicate that he holds similar beliefs about NATO, based on his reported comment at the G7. The reports of Trump’s comments came one day after the White House announced that Trump would hold his first one-on-one “summit” meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 16 in Helsinki, Finland, as the Washington Post reported. Trump made a third comment that worried leaders both in the United States and in allied nations, posting to his Twitter feed on Thursday a message that appeared to accept Russia’s denial of 2016 election meddling, as the Inquisitr reported. Trump’s comments, especially coming so close to his unsupervised meeting with Putin, have alarmed European leaders, according to The Guardian, because they seem to align closely with what experts say are Putin’s efforts to undermine Western democracies, and allied institutions such as NATO and the E.U. “Just at the moment when the West requires unity, it’s disintegrating,” wrote Politico magazine Russia expert James Kirchick. “Unlike any American president of the postwar age, Trump’s 19th century worldview seems to accord with a Russian sphere of interest in Europe. For the next four years at least, it is an open question whether there will be any American leadership to corral Europeans together against Russian aggression and subversion.” ||||| US President Donald Trump told fellow western leaders at the recent G7 summit that the NATO alliance is "as bad as NAFTA" -- a North American trade deal that he has threatened to tear up. The comment, which will increase concerns that the Atlantic allies are headed for a bust up at their summit next month, was reported Thursday by US news site Axios and confirmed by a European diplomat. The G7 summit in Quebec earlier this month was already known to have been a frosty affair, with Trump facing off alone against the leaders of the world's next six richest democracies over trade. But his barbed aside underlines that the US leader's hostility to multilateral agreement extends to the NATO alliance, the cornerstone of Western security for decades. News of his remark came just as the White House and the Kremlin announced that Trump and NATO's great foe President Vladimir Putin of Russia will meet in Finland straight after the alliance's summit. The NATO allies are due to meet on July 11-12 in Brussels for a summit that will be clouded by Trump's angry claims that Europe is exploiting the United States by underspending on defense. ||||| US President Donald Trump told fellow western leaders at the recent G7 summit that the NATO alliance is "as bad as NAFTA" -- a North American trade deal that he has threatened to tear up. The comment, which will increase concerns that the Atlantic allies are headed for a bust up at their summit next month, was reported Thursday by US news site Axios and confirmed by a European diplomat. The G7 summit in Quebec earlier this month was already known to have been a frosty affair, with Trump facing off alone against the leaders of the world's next six richest democracies over trade. But his barbed aside underlines that the US leader's hostility to multilateral agreement extends to the NATO alliance, the cornerstone of Western security for decades. News of his remark came just as the White House and the Kremlin announced that Trump and NATO's great foe President Vladimir Putin of Russia will meet in Finland straight after the alliance's summit. The NATO allies are due to meet on July 11-12 in Brussels for a summit that will be clouded by Trump's angry claims that Europe is exploiting the United States by underspending on defense. ||||| Image copyright Getty Images Image caption James D Melville is a career diplomat who has held senior posts in several European countries The US ambassador to Estonia is resigning, reportedly in frustration at remarks made by President Donald Trump about America's European allies. James D Melville said Mr Trump's comments on Nato and the EU had brought forward his decision to retire, Foreign Policy magazine reports. The magazine was quoting from a private Facebook post by the envoy. Mr Trump accuses Europeans of unfairly expecting America to shoulder the costs of the Nato alliance. He has also imposed trade tariffs on some EU industries. Other US diplomats left their posts early in recent months: In January, US ambassador to Panama John Feeley resigned saying he was no longer able to serve under President Trump. A month earlier, Elizabeth Shackelford resigned from her post in Nairobi where she had worked for the US mission to Somalia, saying she was quitting because the US had abandoned human rights as a priority, Foreign Policy reports In the private Facebook post seen by Foreign Policy, Mr Melville reportedly told friends: "For the president to say the EU was 'set up to take advantage of the United States, to attack our piggy bank', or that 'Nato is as bad as Nafta [the North American Free Trade Agreement]' is not only factually wrong, but proves to me that it's time to go." Mr Melville is a career diplomat and took up his position as ambassador in Estonia in 2015 after being nominated by then President Barack Obama. He had previously held senior diplomatic posts in several European countries and speaks Russian, German and French, according to his biography on the US state department website. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Nato has stepped up exercises in the Baltic states in recent years A state department spokesperson confirmed Mr Melville's intention to resign on 29 July. President Trump reiterated his criticism of fellow Nato members on Friday while on a flight from Washington to his private golf club in New Jersey. He told reporters on board Air Force One that countries including Germany, Spain and France had to increase their financial contributions to the bloc. "It's not fair what they've done to the United States," he said. "The United States is paying much more disproportionately to anyone else." His remarks come less than two weeks before a Nato summit in Brussels. ||||| Donald Trump Jr. was in Chicago Thursday to discuss potential uses for Trump Tower.Trump Jr. and other representatives from Trump Tower met with Alderman Brendan Reilly of the 42nd Ward at City Hall to discuss the 65,000 square foot space.Reilly said there was no discussion of politics at the meeting. The meeting was set up two weeks ago when Trump officials reached out to Reilly and the White House did not play a role in the meeting."We kept it strictly to business. The Trump family knows how I feel about President Trump," Reilly said. "I disagree with almost all of his policies, but in these meetings I divorce policies from business."Reilly said the Trump Tower representatives wanted to understand the parameters that had been set for the property, including the possibility of food and beverage service along the riverfront and flexible workspace in the building. ||||| The U.S. ambassador to Estonia has announced his resignation, saying he is taking the “honorable course” in the wake of President Donald Trump’s “inaccurate” slams against the European Union, Foreign Policy reported Friday. “For the president to say the EU was ‘set up to take advantage of the United States, to attack our piggy bank,’ or that ‘NATO is as bad as NAFTA’ is not only factually wrong, but proves to me that it’s time to go,” James D. Melville Jr. wrote in a private Facebook post obtained by Foreign Policy. Pres. Trump: "We love the countries of the European Union. But the European Union, of course, was set up to take advantage of the United States." https://t.co/WY5hUuaonz pic.twitter.com/KI2nyWTymU — ABC News (@ABC) June 28, 2018 Melville has worked as a diplomat for 33 years and been in Estonia since 2015. He has served under six presidents. Melville said he was already planning to retire, but will cut short his service and step down at the end of July over Trump’s comments. He said in his post that a foreign service officer is “programmed to support policy,” and that if there “comes a point when one can no longer do so ... the honorable course is to resign.” Melville said he leaves with “deep gratitude for being able to serve my nation with integrity for many years, and with great confidence that America, which is and has always been, great, will someday return to being right.” “We love the countries of the European Union,” Trump said. “But the European Union, of course, was set up to take advantage of the United States, to attack our piggy bank.” Melville’s announcement comes less than two weeks before a critical NATO summit in Brussels and Trump’s planned meeting in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Fears are mounting that the president will repeat his performance at the Group of Seven summit and exacerbate tensions with long-time American allies. The White House has not yet commented on Melville’s resignation or his Facebook message. ||||| James Melville, the U.S. ambassador to Estonia, announced in a private Facebook post that he was resigning after Trump's comment about Europe, NATO. In a private Facebook post obtained by Foreign Policy, the U.S. ambassador to Estonia, James Melville, announced his resignation. A career diplomat whose career began 33 years ago, Melville has served as ambassador to Estonia since 2015. Although he was due to retire soon, Melville decided to end his career early, following President Donald Trump’s comments about Europe and NATO. Explaining his early resignation, the ambassador wrote the following. “A Foreign Service Officer’s DNA is programmed to support policy and we’re schooled right from the start, that if there ever comes a point where one can no longer do so, particularly if one is in a position of leadership, the honorable course is to resign. Having served under six presidents and 11 secretaries of state, I never really thought it would reach that point for me.” Melville then went on to criticize the president, slamming his relationship with European allies and NATO. In a final jab at Trump, the U.S. ambassador to Estonia referenced the president’s famous slogan, “Make America Great Again,” writing the following. Several State Department officials talked to Foreign Policy under the condition of anonymity, describing James Melville as a professional, typically unfazed by domestic politics. “I just wonder who’s next,” state department officials told the magazine, after stressing how surprising Melville’s decision was, considering the now former U.S. ambassador to Estonia “had it all” in his diplomatic career. As Foreign Policy notes, Melville is not the first U.S. diplomat to resign because of Trump. Many of them have done so, some quietly, and some not. For instance, the U.S. ambassador to Panama, John Feeley, resigned and then published a column in the Washington Post, titled “Why I could no longer serve this president.” In the op-ed, Feeley cited Trump’s refusal to condemn white supremacists and neo-Nazis as the main reason for his resignation, adding that Trump’s travel ban, border wall, DREAMers policy, as well as the withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and the Trans-Pacific Partnership had, along with tariffs, accelerated his decision. Similarly, Elizabeth Shackelford, “a rising star in the diplomatic corps in Africa,” as Foreign Policy put it, quit due to Donald Trump and former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s “disdain” of American diplomacy. Many have criticized the way the president has treated Europe, NATO, Canada, and ally countries. For instance, Centre for Policy Studies’ Capx called Donald Trump’s treatment of allies a “geopolitical disaster,” claiming that Trump is signaling that he is impressed by autocrats and exercise of arbitrary power, yet hostile toward democracies. Tensions between the Trump administration, therefore the United States, and the European Union have been escalating for quite some time. As the Inquisitr recently reported, the European Commission authored a special report on Donald Trump’s 20 percent tariff on all U.S. imports of European Union-assembled cars, warning that the tariffs could jeopardize the U.S., apart from negatively impacting European economies. ||||| The U.S. ambassador to Estonia says he has resigned over frustrations with President Donald Trump's comments about the European Union and the treatment of Washington's European allies. In a private Facebook message posted Friday, James D. Melville wrote: "For the President to say EU was 'set up to take advantage of the United States, to attack our piggy bank,' or that 'NATO is as bad as NAFTA' is not only factually wrong, but proves to me that it's time to go." Melville is a senior U.S. career diplomat who has served as the American ambassador in the Baltic nation and NATO member of Estonia since 2015. He has served the State Department for 33 years. The U.S. Embassy in Tallinn did not immediately comment. ||||| The U.S. ambassador to Estonia has resigned over frustrations with President Donald Trump's comments about the European Union and his treatment of Washington's European allies. In a private Facebook message posted Friday, James D. Melville wrote: "For the President to say EU was 'set up to take advantage of the United States, to attack our piggy bank,' or that 'NATO is as bad as NAFTA' is not only factually wrong, but proves to me that it's time to go." Melville was referring to Trump's recent comments at news conferences and on social media. Melville stressed that a U.S. foreign service officer's "DNA is programmed to support policy and we're schooled right from the start, that if there ever comes a point where one can no longer do so, particularly if one is in a position of leadership, the honorable course is to resign." Melville is a senior U.S. career diplomat who has served as the American ambassador in the Baltic nation and NATO member of Estonia since 2015. He has served at U.S. Embassies in Berlin, London and Moscow, among other postings. "Having served under six presidents and 11 secretaries of state, I never really thought it would reach that point for me," he wrote, referring to a career with the State Department that started in the mid-1980s. The U.S. Embassy in Tallinn confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday that Melville "announced his intent to retire from the Foreign Service effective July 29 after 33 years of public service." It did not elaborate. Foreign Policy magazine said Melville is one of the many senior U.S. diplomats who have resigned because of Trump's policies.
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The U.S. Ambassador to Estonia, James D. Melville Jr., announces his resignation from that post because of U.S. President Donald Trump's comments about NATO and the European Union. He was appointed to the post in December 2015.
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Image copyright IBO/SIPA/REX/Shutterstock Image caption This is the second prison break pulled off by Redoine Faid (pictured in 2010) A notorious gangster is on the run after escaping by helicopter from a prison in the Paris region. Redoine Faid was helped by three heavily-armed men with assault rifles. Two gunmen in balaclavas used smoke bombs and angle-grinders to break into the visitors' room where Faid was talking to his brother. A third man in the prison courtyard guarded the helicopter and its pilot - a flying instructor whom the men had taken hostage. The helicopter flew to the nearby Gonesse area, where it was found by local police. Faid, 46, has been serving a 25-year sentence for a failed robbery during which a police officer was killed. This is the armed robber's second prison break: in 2013, he escaped after seizing four guards as human shields and blowing several doors off with dynamite. He staged that escape less than half an hour after arriving at a prison in northern France, and spent six weeks on the run. Image copyright EPA Image caption The escape helicopter was found in Gonesse, north of Paris Image copyright AFP Image caption Faid escaped from the Sud-Francilien prison outside Paris Nearly 3,000 French police have been drafted into the manhunt, a police source told AFP. "Everything is being done to locate the fugitive," an interior ministry official said. 'A spectacular escape' France's Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet, who travelled to the Sud-Francilien prison in Réau on Sunday evening, called it "a spectacular escape". "It was an extremely well-prepared commando unit that may have used drones to survey the area beforehand," she said. The prison courtyard where the helicopter landed was the only area not protected by anti-aircraft netting. Prison union representative Martial Delabroye said that was because inmates do not use it, "except to leave the prison". Nobody was injured during the jailbreak, which happened at around 11:20 (09:20 GMT) on Sunday. The captured pilot was released, and later taken to hospital suffering from shock. Faid's accomplices had taken the flying instructor hostage at a small flying club in Fontenay-Trésigny, where he was waiting for a student, and ordered him to fly to the prison. Faid initially got out of the helicopter and into a black Renault Megane which was seen heading for the A1 motorway. That getaway car was later found burnt out at a shopping centre car park in Aulnay-sous-Bois, a Paris suburb. Early on Sunday afternoon, the fugitive was said to have swapped to a white van. Gangster inspired by Hollywood crime Born in 1972, Faid grew up in a notoriously rough part of Paris. In the 1990s, he ran a gang involved in armed robbery and extortion in the French capital. He has said his lifestyle was inspired by Hollywood gangster films, including the Al Pacino thriller Scarface. He is devoted to US director Michael Mann's stylised crime thrillers, especially 1995 gangster film Heat. He once approached Mann at a Paris film festival and told him: "You were my technical adviser." Faid claimed to have watched the film dozens of times to hone his skills as a bank robber. Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption Forensic police investigate the black car abandoned by Redoine Faid at a shopping centre car park In 2009, Faid wrote a book about his experiences of growing up in Paris's crime-ridden suburbs and graduating into a life of law-breaking. He claimed to have turned his back on criminality, but a year later was involved in the failed robbery which earned him a prison stretch in Réau, in the Seine-et-Marne region. French police have nicknamed the gangster "L'Écrivain" - "the writer" - in a nod to his autobiography and subsequent media tour. One of Faid's most recent prison supervisors said he was never in conflict with guards, but that "we must always be wary". "In the corner of his mind, he never lost the idea of escaping. Behind all his manners - he is very polite - he always hid his game," the supervisor said. Timeline of a jailbreaker Faid's cycle of imprisonment and escape began with his arrest in 1998 on multiple counts of armed robbery and bank theft. In 2009 he was freed on parole, swearing that he was a changed man - but by 2011, he had breached his terms of release and was back behind bars. In 2017, Faid was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for his 2013 jailbreak from Séquedin prison, outside Lille. He was also given 18 years for masterminding a 2010 robbery in which a young policewoman, Aurélie Fouquet, was killed. Faid mounted a failed appeal, and in April 2018 was given a heavier sentence of 25 years for the botched robbery. He was serving that term at the time of his latest escape. The fugitive is not the first to escape a French jail by helicopter. In 2001, three armed robbers fled a prison in Draguignan, southern France, after an accomplice hijacked a helicopter from an airfield in nearby St Tropez. Two years later, inmates accused of running an international drugs ring escaped a remand centre near Aix-en-Provence by similar means. ||||| Three accomplices, who reportedly had Kalashnikovs, extracted Redoine Faïd from the Seine-et-Marne prison on Sunday. According to sources, the gunmen arrived at the entrance of the prison to create a diversion. Simultaneously, a helicopter landed in the prison courtyard, which was not covered by any nets. Gunmen then took Faid from the visiting room and fled in the helicopter. The helicopter was found burnt out in Gonesse, a northeastern suburb in Paris. Police later found a burnt out black Renault, suspected of being the getaway car, in Aulnay-sous-Bois, another suburb of the French capital. The 46-year-old is serving a 25-year sentence for a failed cash-transport van robbery in 2010 during which a police officer was killed. Jean-François Forget, secretary general of the country's Penitentiary Union, said the prisoner “was in an isolation ward that had no special surveillance measures.” This is Faïd's second prison break — in 2013 he escaped less than half an hour before arriving at a prison in northern France. In that escape, he took four prison wardens hostage and blasted a number of doors with explosives before fleeing in two getaway cars. He was on the run for six weeks before police captured him in a hotel with an accomplice. In 2009 Faïd wrote a book about his past and rise as a criminal in Paris' suburbs. Faïd said he was inspired by American films such as Scarface and Heat. ||||| For obvious reasons, not a lot is publicly broadcast about the security measures in place at the Sud Francilien Penitentiary Center in Reau, France, about 25 miles southeast of Paris. An old brochure for the facility, published before it was constructed in 2011, boasted of an “exceptional” penitentiary that would feature diverse landscaping: There would be meadows, embankments, ditches to retain water. About 200 trees and 9,000 plants and shrubs would be planted on the campus. Two facilities would house more than 500 male and female prisoners. The brochure included no mention of a courtyard — large enough for a light utility helicopter such as, say, an Aerospatiale Alouette II — that would, notably, be the only part of the prison not covered by “anti-helicopter netting,” according to the Associated Press. Less than a decade later, on a warm Sunday morning, a small white helicopter would fly over the prison's plentiful foliage and land in the aforementioned courtyard. The passenger it sought was a 46-year-old gangster named Rédoine Faïd, who had been serving a 25-year sentence at the prison for armed robbery and murder. Soon, Faïd reportedly appeared in the courtyard, escorted by armed accomplices who had freed him from the prison visiting room, and boarded the aircraft, Reuters reported. Moments later, the convict disappeared into the sky and out of captivity — all in broad daylight. The actual prison break took “a few minutes,” according to France's Justice Ministry, but the plans had been unfolding all morning. Earlier Sunday, Faïd's associates had taken a helicopter pilot hostage at a nearby flight school, forcing him to fly to the prison, the BBC reported. Afterward, three armed men created a diversion at the prison entrance as the hijacked helicopter touched down in the courtyard, according to the news site. Faïd's escape spurred a massive manhunt across greater Paris. Not long after the prison break, the helicopter was found abandoned in a field in Gonesse, a suburb just northeast of Paris, photos of the scene showed. Faïd allegedly then got into a black escape vehicle, which also was found abandoned in Aulnay-sous-Bois, another Paris suburb, the BBC reported. The French National Police said Sunday that it had mobilized its forces and urged people to notify authorities with any pertinent information. Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet visited the prison to evaluate security measures, according to her agency's Twitter account. She is set to appear on a French news program at 7:20 a.m. Monday, local time, to discuss the prison break. Sunday's escape was not the first time that Faïd had pulled off a dramatic prison break. In 2013, he managed to escape from a prison in Lille, France, by taking four guards hostage and then detonating explosives hidden in a tissue box to blow out the prison gates, local outlets reported. He was recaptured six weeks later at a hotel in suburban Paris — but not before he briefly claimed the title of France's “public enemy number one,” the Independent reported. As John Lichfield wrote for the Independent after the widely reported 2013 escape, Faïd was inspired by the crime bosses and schemes depicted in old Hollywood films: As a young delinquent in a troubled suburb north of Paris, Faïd took his inspiration, and modus operandi, from American gangster movies. “Take away the [lessons taught by] cinema and you would have 50 per cent less crime,” he once told Michael Mann, the director of Heat (1995), his favourite film. In a raid on a security truck in 1997, Faïd and his associates wore ice-hockey masks like the hero-villains of Heat. Three years ago, when he envisaged giving up crime for a career in the movies, he boasted: “I see everything in CinemaScope.” Faïd’s other hero is Jacques Mesrine, the most celebrated French criminal of modern times. Mesrine also turned his life into a kind of movie script, with interviews and letters to newspapers, before he died in a police ambush on the northern outskirts of Paris in 1979. Faïd has a violent criminal record dating to at least the 1990s, when he organized the robberies of banks, shops and armored vehicles. He took families, couples and once a police officer hostage, according to the Telegraph. He spent years as an international fugitive before his capture and a decade in prison, then wrote an autobiography after his release on parole in 2009. In it, he claimed to have been inspired by the U.S. gangster film “Scarface,” the Telegraph wrote, but said his life of crime was behind him. The same year the book came out, the Telegraph wrote, Faïd was suspected of masterminding a botched armed robbery, in which a police officer was killed in a shootout. He received an eight-year prison sentence in 2011 — interrupted by the 2013 breakout. A French jogger accidentally crossed into the U.S. from Canada and was detained for two weeks The G-7 summit, summed up in one photo What World War II’s ‘Operation Pied Piper’ taught us about the trauma of family separations ||||| France's Justice Ministry: French criminal convicted of murder has escaped from prison via a helicopter PARIS (AP) — France's Justice Ministry: French criminal convicted of murder has escaped from prison via a helicopter. ||||| One of France's most notorious criminals busted out of a prison on Sunday in an elaborately orchestrated escape in which heavily armed commandos landed a hijacked helicopter on the grounds of the lockup near Paris, overwhelmed guards and whisked him to freedom in just a "few minutes," officials said. A massive manhunt was underway for Redoine Faid, who broke out the Reau Prison south of Paris. It marked the second time in less than five years that Faid has absconded from a maximum-security penitentiary. “It was a spectacular escape. It was certainly a very well-prepared [prison break]," French Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet said during a news conference Sunday outside the prison. Belloubet said three armed accomplices wearing masks and dressed all in black hijacked the helicopter with its flight instructor and forced him at gunpoint to land in the prison courtyard about 11:30 a.m. local time. "Two commandos entered the prison to look for Redoine Faid as the third man was staying with the helicopter instructor," Belloubet said. "The two men used a grinding machine to open the door to the visiting room where Faid was and picked him up and left." The commandos also used smoke bombs to shield their movements from surveillance cameras, Belloubet said. Faid, 46, was serving a 25-year sentence for a botched 2010 armed robbery in which 26-year-old French police officer Aurélie Fouquet was killed during a gun battle. Belloubet said Faid was in a room visiting with his brother, Brahim, when the commandos burst in, grabbed Faid and hustled him to the waiting whirlybird. The justice minister said the escape took only "a few minutes" and that no one was injured. Guards at the prison, who were unarmed, told officials they were overwhelmed by the heavily armed men and could do nothing to stop Faid from bolting, officials said. The helicopter was found abandoned and torched in Garges-les-Gonesse, a town in the suburbs north of Paris. Police believe Faid was transferred to a waiting getaway car, which was also found ditched. The hijacked pilot, a member of a flying club near Paris, was released unharmed, Belloubet said. Belloubet said the prison break likely took months to plan and that authorities suspect Faid's accomplices had thoroughly staked out the prison and possibly used drones to determine the best spot to land the helicopter. Belloubet said the commandos put the helicopter down in the only place in the prison that was not covered by anti-helicopter netting. "A few months ago, the prison’s staff said they saw drones flying over the prison," Belloubet said. Faid's brother, Brahim, was detained by authorities for questioning. The prison break came a little over five years after Faid broke out of the Sequedin prison on April 13, 2013. In that escape, Faid used explosives smuggled in to him to blast through five prison doors, took four guards hostage and used them as human shields while making his way to a getaway car and fleeing. He was captured on May 29, 2013 when authorities found him hiding out at a hotel in Pontault-Combault, east of Paris. Faid is something of a celebrity criminal in France, having embarked on a life of crime in the 1990s when he and his gang pulled off a series of bank- and armored-car heists. He was arrested in 1998 following a global manhunt that tracked him to Switzerland and Israel. After completing a 10-year prison sentence, Faid wrote a book in 2009 about his life in crime. Faid is not the first prisoner to escape in a helicopter. His prison break marked the 12th time since 1986 that an inmate in France has used a helicopter to flee prison walls. The most famous helicopter escape in France occurred in 1986 when bank robber Michel Vaujour's wife, Nadine Bourgain, landed a chopper at the La Sante Prison on the Left Bank of Paris, plucked up her husband and flew away. Authorities later learned that Bourgain spent months before the escape teaching herself how to fly a helicopter. ||||| A notorious thief who was once France’s most-wanted man pulled off a jailbreak on Sunday, fleeing a prison in the Paris area by helicopter, officials said. Rédoine Faïd, 46, broke out of the prison in Réau in the capital’s southeastern suburbs within minutes, helped by several heavily-armed men, sources close to the case said. He fled with three accomplices and the helicopter was later found in a northeastern suburb of Paris, the sources said. A police search has been launched across the region. It was the second time Faïd has pulled off a jailbreak – in 2013 he blasted his way out of a prison in northern France using dynamite but was found six weeks later. Prior to this, he was released after a decade behind bars after convincing parole officials that he regretted his criminal past and was determined to start afresh. An appeals court sentenced Faïd to 25 years in April for masterminding an armed robbery in May 2010 that turned into a gunfight, in which a policewoman was killed. Faïd, who grew up in tough Paris suburbs, has made several television appearances and co-authored two books about his delinquent youth and rise as a criminal. He said his life of crime was inspired by American films such as “Scarface” and “Heat”. ||||| PARIS — A jailbreak of the kind usually dreamed up for Hollywood screenplays unfolded in real life Sunday in France when a helicopter landed in a prison courtyard and masked men leapt out and spirited away a well-known criminal. A manhunt was still underway Sunday evening for the inmate, Rédoine Faïd, 46, who was serving 25 years for his part in a 2010 robbery that resulted in the death of a young police officer. Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet said the commando team that rescued Faïd from the Réau Prison on the outskirts of Paris had been "very well prepared and without a doubt had scoped out the place using drones." She added, in comments broadcast by the French television station BFMTV, that the staff had spotted drones over the prison several months ago. It was not the first time Faïd had escaped from prison. In 2013, he took four prison guards hostage while using plastic explosives to blast his way through five sets of prison doors, before meeting an accomplice who was waiting in a car. Faïd was recaptured several weeks later. On this occasion, Faïd was in the prison visitors' room when three armed men clad in black landed a small helicopter in the facility's central courtyard, jumped out and set off smoke bombs, according to Martial Delabroye, an official at a local prison workers' union. Two of the men, wearing balaclavas and police armbands, ran inside, used a grinding machine to cut through the doors to the visiting area and, with Faïd in tow, raced back to the helicopter, Delabroye said. They flew to the northeastern side of Paris — about 25 miles from the prison — before landing in the suburb of Gonesse, in a neighborhood with warehouses, small office buildings and roadways surrounded by tall leafy bushes — typically a quiet area on a Sunday morning. Belloubet, who called the jailbreak "completely out of the ordinary," said the three-person commando team had carried it out by taking a flight instructor hostage and forcing him to take them to the prison. She said drone surveillance might have helped them avoid other courtyards that were covered with netting; they chose the only courtyard where they could have landed. After landing it at Gonesse, the group got into a car and drove away, later dumping that vehicle in the parking lot of a shopping mall in another Paris suburb, according to French news reports. ||||| France's most wanted gangster is on the run after pulling off a daring escape from prison this morning using a helicopter that landed in the prison grounds. Redoine Faid, 46, was serving a long-term sentence at Réau prison south of Paris for armed robbery and the murder of a policewoman in 2010 after a heist that went wrong. He is one of country's most famous gangsters with a long career as a thief which he has said was inspired by Hollywood blockbuster movies such as "Scarface" and "Heat". According to the sources, three armed gunmen arrived at the entrance of the prison demanding Faid's release to create a diversion. Simultaneously, a helicopter landed in the prison courtyard, which was not covered by any nets. Gunmen then took Faid from the visiting room and fled in the helicopter. Nobody was injured. The helicopter, whose pilot may have been taken hostage, was found burnt out north of Paris near Charles de Gaulle Airport. The gangster - who was previously named France's most wanted criminal - and his accomplices are thought to have left the area via car. Faïd was reportedly the only inmate who escaped from the facility. Yoan Karar, of the FO prison union, described the robber's unidentified accomplices as expertly trained, professional and heavily armed. They knew where they were going, Mr Karar said. Cops have launched a huge hunt to track down Faïd. "Everything is being done to locate the fugitive," an official at the interior ministry said. Faid had already previously escaped from jail. In 2013, he took four prison guards hostage before using dynamite to blow his way out of Sequedin Prison and fleeing in a waiting getaway car. He was on the run for six weeks before police captured him in a hotel with an accomplice. An Interpol red notice at the time, the closest instrument to an international arrest warrant, described Faid as dangerous. Following a decade in prison, he was released under conditions in 2009 after convincing his parole officers that he had changed. His fame has increased since then following appearances in several television shows and authoring books recounting his past and rise as a criminal in Paris' toughsuburbs. Last year, he was handed a 25-year prison term by an appeals court for a failed armed robbery seven years earlier. ||||| A notorious gangster has escaped by helicopter from a prison in the Paris region, French authorities say. Redoine Faid escaped after three heavily armed accomplices landed the helicopter in the prison courtyard. Faid, 46, has been serving a 25-year sentence for a failed robbery during which a police officer was killed. This is his second prison break: in 2013, he escaped after taking four guards hostage as human shields and destroying a number of doors. He staged that escape less than half an hour after arriving at a prison in northern France. In 2009 he wrote a book about his experiences of growing up in Paris's crime-ridden suburbs and graduating into a life of crime. He claimed to have turned his back on crime, but a year later he was involved in the failed robbery for which he was imprisoned at the Seine-et-Marne prison. Faid and his accomplices escaped from the prison courtyard - which was not protected by a net - without injuring anyone, French news website Europe 1 reports. The helicopter then flew to the nearby Gonesse area. It was then found burnt out by local police. ||||| A jailed gangster in France has escaped prison after being picked up by helicopter, according to local media. A jailed gangster in France has escaped prison after being picked up by helicopter, according to local media. Jail break: Notorious French gangster escapes by helicopter with help of three armed accomplices Three armed accomplices extracted Redoine Faid from the Seine-et-Marne prison, near Paris, late on Sunday morning, Le Parisien reported. They landed in Gonesse, a northeastern suburb of the French capital, before reportedly continuing their escape by car. Authorities later found a burnt out black Renault suspected of being the getaway car in Aulnay-sous-Bois, another suburb of Paris. The assailants are thought to have changed vehicles, continuing their escape in a van, according to Le Parisien. Jean-François Forget, secretary general of the country's Penitentiary Union, said the detainee “was in an isolation ward, but had no special surveillance measures”. He added the helicopter was registered in Belgium. Faid has previously launched an audacious jail break in April 2013, using explosives to blast through five prison doors, taking four prison wardens hostage, and escaping in two getaway cars. He was re-arrested on a European warrant the following month after being found hiding in a B&B. Last year, he was sentenced on appeal to 25 years in prison for masterminding a failed 2010 robbery, which claimed the life of a policewoman.
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Three heavily armed gunmen who hijacked a helicopter help Rédoine Faïd, one of France's most notorious gangsters, escape from a prison in Réau, Île-de-France. Police later discovered the abandoned helicopter in Gonesse. Faïd previously escaped prison in 2013 and was briefly France's most wanted criminal.
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JAVA, July 4 — At least 29 people died after a ferry sank near Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, officials said today, as rescue teams searched for dozens of missing passengers a day after the country’s latest ferry disaster. Yesterday’s sinking came a few weeks after an overcrowded ferry sank on Lake Toba, one of the world’s deepest volcanic lakes, claiming more than 200 lives. The regional disaster mitigation agency said 29 people were confirmed dead in yesterday’s accident and 41 remained missing. Another 69 passengers had been rescued. The ferry, KM Lestari Maju, was carrying an unknown number of vehicles when it began to fill with water and sink. The vessel was close to shore and the captain ran it onto a reef in a bid to help the rescue effort, a transport ministry official told Reuters. Television images yesterday showed dozens of passengers hanging on to the keeling vessel or bobbing in the water wearing life jackets. Indonesia suffers frequent boat sinkings, with basic safety rules often flouted and vessels overloaded. After last month’s sinking, one of the deadliest in nearly a decade, a two-week search and rescue effort located the vessel at a depth of 450m with victims trapped inside, but technical and logistical challenges forced the recovery to be called off. — Reuters ||||| Grieving relatives prayed and cast flower petals into the volcanic lake where a ferry sank last month in one of Indonesia’s worst maritime accidents, as the search for more than 160 missing passengers was called off Tuesday. The vessel was believed to be operating illegally with no manifest and not enough life jackets when it disappeared into the depths of Lake Toba, a picturesque tourist spot in Sumatra. ADVERTISEMENT Just three passengers have been confirmed dead, with 21 survivors. There are 164 others — including children — listed as missing. Some people lost whole families when the doomed vessel went down and hundreds of mourners have spent the past two weeks keeping vigil by the shore. On Tuesday, tearful relatives gathered to lay wreaths and attend a groundbreaking ceremony for a new memorial as the search was wrapped up. Others prayed or boarded rescue boats to toss petals into the crater lake, but the decision to end the search was painful for many. “We lost our two very dear children — both have left us,” Soleh, who uses only one name, said after laying a stone in memory of his kids at the groundbreaking ceremony. Authorities have pinpointed the boat at some 420 metres (1,475 feet) below the surface of the lake by using remotely operated underwater vehicles. But Toba’s vast depths pose a massive challenge to rescuers who do not have the necessary equipment to recover the boat or the many bodies thought to be trapped inside. “Even if it was possible, it would take a very long time with high risks,” said Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Indonesia’s coordinating minister for maritime affairs. Officials met with the families to explain that the search was going to be called off. ADVERTISEMENT Lake Toba, which fills the crater of a supervolcano that exploded in a massive eruption tens of thousands of years ago, is one of the world’s deepest lakes, plunging to around 500 metres in places. The traditional wooden boat could have been carrying five times the number of passengers it was built to hold, along with dozens of motorcycles, officials have said. Five suspects have been named, including the boat’s captain, as well as local port and transportation officials. In a separate incident Tuesday, at least a dozen people died in a ferry accident off the coast of Indonesia near Sulawesi island. Maritime accidents are common in Indonesia, where many people depend on boats to get around the 17,000 island archipelago nation. /vvp Read Next LATEST STORIES MOST READ ||||| Relatives of missing passengers of a ferry that sank cry while throwing flowers into Lake Toba in Simalungun, North Sumatra, Indonesia. JAKARTA - Indonesia said on Monday it was calling off a two-week operation to retrieve the bodies of nearly 200 passengers thought to have drowned in one of the world's deepest volcanic lakes. The overcrowded wooden ferry capsized during a storm on June 18 in Lake Toba, which is around 450 meters (1,500 feet) deep, as travellers were heading home after the Eid holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting season. Eighteen passengers survived, three were confirmed dead and nearly 200 are missing. The operation to find the ferry and retrieve the victims has faced numerous technical and logistical hurdles - dangerous currents and cold, murky water far deeper than any scuba diver can go - in a lake that has never been completely surveyed. Video footage taken last week using a remotely operated underwater vehicle showed human remains, motorcycles and ropes from the ferry at a depth of 450 meters. Rescue spokesman Muhammad Yusuf Latif confirmed that the search operation would end, adding that an official statement would likely be made on Tuesday. "We've already had face-to-face discussions with the families of the victims (on) the difficulties faced in the field (and) reasons why we won't continue; why we want to end it," Latif said by telephone. "They understand why we're stopping." According to Muhammad Ilyas, head of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, the wreckage was found on Saturday, but the remotely operated underwater vehicle used to find it had also become stuck in ropes connected to the ferry. "We have proven 100 per cent" that the ferry is there, Ilyas said, adding that the submersible was later retrieved but needed to be repaired as its cable had broken. Rescuers earlier said they were considering borrowing a heavier vehicle from Singapore to retrieve the victims and the vessel, but that plan was cancelled as it would take more than three weeks and was "high cost", Latif said. Craig Chesner, a geologist from Eastern Illinois University who conducted a survey of Toba in 2012, said the ferry had sunk "in the deepest part of the entire lake". According to media reports, a monument will be erected by the government in memory of victims. Also read: Indonesia names captain, 3 officials as suspects in deadly ferry disaster ||||| Indonesia has ended a search of one of the world’s deepest lakes for the bodies of dozens of victims of a ferry sinking two weeks ago. Indonesia has ended a search of one of the world’s deepest lakes for the bodies of dozens of victims of a ferry sinking two weeks ago. The day, dreaded by families of the missing, was marked with prayers and a groundbreaking ceremony for a monument that will be inscribed with the names of victims. The wooden ferry, five times above its passenger limit and also carrying dozens of motorcycles, sank in the volcanic crater lake on Sumatra in rough weather on June 18. The full scale of the tragedy took days to unfold as the boat did not have a passenger manifest. Officials at one point said more than 190 people were missing. Their official toll on Tuesday was 21 survivors, including the boat’s captain, three bodies found and 164 people missing, presumed drowned. Sonar has pinpointed the ferry at a depth of 450 metres (1,476 feet). A remotely operated underwater vehicle last week captured images of bodies and motorcycles on the lake bed. But Indonesia lacks the sophisticated equipment needed to seriously attempt a salvage effort. Officials had said many bodies were likely inside the boat. “To lift from a depth of 450 metres at the bottom of the lake is not an easy task because it requires advanced technology which we do not have,” Indonesia’s maritime minister, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, told reporters. “Even if it can be done, it will take time and involve huge risks.” The head of North Sumatra province’s Search and Rescue agency, Budiawan, who uses one name, said the decision to call off the search was made after “intense” discussions with the families of victims. “After all this ended, we’ll all go home even though we are disappointed,” said Murni Sihombing, a grieving relative. “We had hoped that there would be help from the international community.” Police in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province, said they were finalising criminal charges against five people, including the captain, and four transport officials. “They knew the capacity of the ferry Sinar Bangun was only about 40,” North Sumatra police chief Paulus Waterpau said on Monday. “Moreover, as a wooden boat, it should not have been allowed to carry motorcycles.” Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, with weak enforcement of safety regulations often to blame. On Tuesday, at least 12 people were killed and a frantic rescue operation was under way off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi for dozens of passengers of a sinking passenger ferry run aground by its captain in a desperate bid to save lives. The Lake Toba sinking was the worst in about a decade. ||||| Retrieval of bodies from sunken Indonesian ferry called off SIMALUNGUN, Indonesia: The retrieval of scores of bodies from an Indonesian ferry that sunk into the depths of one of the world’s deepest lakes is being called off, a rescue official said on Monday. The vessel was believed to be operating illegally with no manifest and an insufficient number of life jackets when it went down nearly two weeks ago on Lake Toba, a picturesque tourist destination in Sumatra. Authorities have said they pinpointed the boat by using remotely operated underwater vehicles at some 420 metres below the surface of the lake. But the lake’s vast depths posed a massive challenge to rescuers trying to recover the boat and more than 160 missing passengers. Hundreds of people -- relatives and friends of the victims -- have kept a vigil by the shore as they waited for news about their loved ones. Officials met with the families to explain that the search was going to be officially called off on Tuesday. "Most of the victims’ relatives agreed but some others asked that the search be extended," Riadil Lubis, head of the North Sumatra disaster agency, told AFP. Grainy video and photo footage from the underwater vehicles showed several bodies and motorcycles, which the boat had been carrying, on the lake bed. Just three passengers had earlier been confirmed dead in the accident, with 21 survivors. Official estimates list 164 others -- including children -- as missing. They are presumed dead, with many bodies thought to be trapped inside the sunken ferry. Lake Toba, which fills the crater of a supervolcano that exploded in a massive eruption tens of thousands of years ago, is one of the world’s deepest lakes, plunging to around 500 metres in places. The traditional wooden boat could have been carrying five times the number of passengers it was built to hold, along with dozens of motorcycles, officials have said. Five suspects have been named, including the boat’s captain, as well as local port and transportation officials. ||||| Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) JAKARTA: Indonesia said yesterday it was calling off a two-week operation to retrieve the bodies of nearly 200 passengers thought to have drowned in one of the world’s deepest volcanic lakes. The overcrowded wooden ferry capsized during a storm on June 18 in Lake Toba, which is around 450 metres deep, as travellers were heading home after the Eid holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting season. Eighteen passengers survived, three were confirmed dead and nearly 200 are missing. The operation to find the ferry and retrieve the victims has faced numerous technical and logistical hurdles – dangerous currents and cold, murky water far deeper than any scuba diver can go – in a lake that has never been completely surveyed. Video footage taken last week using a remotely operated underwater vehicle showed human remains, motorcycles and ropes from the ferry at a depth of 450 metres. Rescue spokesman Muhammad Yusuf Latif confirmed that the search operation would end. “We’ve already had face-to-face discussions with the families of the victims (on) the difficulties faced in the field (and) reasons why we won’t continue; why we want to end it,” Latif said by telephone. According to Muhammad Ilyas, head of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, the wreckage was found on Saturday, but the remotely operated underwater vehicle used to find it had also become stuck in ropes connected to the ferry. “We have proven 100 per cent” that the ferry is there, Ilyas said, adding that the submersible was later retrieved but needed to be repaired as its cable had broken. Rescuers earlier said they were considering borrowing a heavier vehicle from Singapore to retrieve the victims and the vessel, but that plan was cancelled as it would take more than three weeks and was “high cost”, Latif said. Craig Chesner, a geologist from Eastern Illinois University who conducted a survey of Toba in 2012, said the ferry had sunk “in the deepest part of the entire lake”. — Reuters ||||| Indonesia has ended searching one of the world's deepest lakes for the bodies of dozens of victims after a ferry capsized in rough weather two weeks ago. Search and rescue officials say after "intense" discussions with victims' families the end of the search was being marked on Tuesday with prayers and the scattering of flowers on Lake Toba. The overcrowded wooden ferry sank in the volcanic crater lake on June 18. The full scale of the tragedy took days to unfold as the boat didn't have a passenger manifest. Officials at one point said more than 190 people were missing. The official toll on Tuesday was 21 survivors, 3 bodies found and 164 people missing, presumed drowned. ||||| MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say the bodies of a man and his nephew have been recovered from a North Carolina lake several days after thy disappeared while on a boating trip. News outlets report the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission identified the men as 38-year-old Fredrick Martin and 48-year-old Earnest Norris Jr. Their bodies were found by civilians on Sunday. According to officials, the men were reported missing last Friday after they didn't return, and their boat was found capsized in Lake Norman on Saturday, when the search was suspended. ||||| Indonesian authorities on Tuesday called off search efforts to find the 164 people, who were missing after a ferry had overturned in Lake Toba on the Sumatra island in Indonesia. The ferry had ran into rough weather on Jun. 18 and capsized as it was crossing a 6-kilometer (3.7 mile) stretch between Tigaras town and Samosir island. ||||| At least 70 people are dead or missing after a ferry ran aground off the coast of Indonesia, according to an updated official toll Wednesday (July 4), the latest deadly maritime accident in the South-east Asian archipelago. The KM Lestari was carrying about 140 passengers and dozens of vehicles when the accident happened Tuesday afternoon about 300 metres from shore near Sulawesi island, north of Indonesia's most populous island Java. Images from the scene showed terrified passengers clinging to the side of the tipped over ferry, while others floated in the sea awaiting help. Waves swamped the boat's deck, taking trucks and other vehicles into the sea, as rescuers battled high winds and rough seas to pluck victims from the water. Indonesia's disaster agency said 29 people died in the accident while another 41 are still missing. Nearly 70 people have been rescued, it added. The deadly incident came on the same day authorities officially called off the search for more than 160 people missing after another ferry sank on a volcanic lake in Sumatra two weeks ago. Avoid fake news! Subscribe to the Standard SMS service and receive factual, verified breaking news as it happens. Text the word 'NEWS' to 22840 The vessel was believed to be operating illegally with no manifest and not enough life jackets when it disappeared into the depths of Lake Toba, a picturesque tourist spot in Sumatra. While some bodies have been recovered, many are believed to be trapped inside the sunken vessel at the bottom of one of the world's deepest lakes, which plunges 500 metres in spots. In the latest accident, a fleet of smaller boats, including local fishing vessels, worked to save passengers as bad weather prevented larger craft from approaching the stricken ferry, the transportation ministry said earlier. It added that most passengers had been wearing life jackets. ALSO READ: 128 missing as overloaded ferry sinks in Indonesian lake The 48-metre vessel was sailing from Sulawesi to nearby Selayar Island when it ran into strong winds and high waves. Deadly maritime accidents are not uncommon in Indonesia, where many people depend on boats to get around the 17,000 island nation despite lax safety standards. More than 300 people are estimated to have drowned in 2009 when a ferry sank between Sulawesi and Borneo islands.
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Authorities call off the search for 164 missing after the ferry sank in Lake Toba. Only three bodies have been recovered after the disaster. Although the wreck has been located, rescuers lack the equipment to raise it or attempt to retrieve any bodies inside.
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Image copyright Prashant Nanaware Image caption The bridge collapse has disrupted train services A railway bridge collapse due to heavy monsoon rains in India's financial capital Mumbai has stranded thousands of commuters in the city. The collapse at Andheri station - one of the busiest of the city's western railway line - has also injured five people who have been sent to hospital. Services on the western line have been partially disrupted with railway stations getting increasingly crowded. Police have arrived at the scene and repair work has begun. BBC Marathi's Janhavee Moole, who is at the scene, said the disruption to the rail service has caused severe congestion on the roads. Image copyright Prashant Nanaware Image caption Traffic infrastructure has been severely affected, causing traffic jams Chandrashekhar Sawant, a train driver who had been pulling into Andheri station in the morning, told BBC Marathi that he saw the bridge collapse at around 07:30 local time (0200 GMT). He had immediately pulled the emergency brake, prompting the train to grind to a halt just 200ft away from the wreckage. Officials say his quick action potentially saved many lives. Officials from India's National Disaster Response Force have arrived at the site and are monitoring the situation. Image copyright BBC Marathi Image caption Local train driver Chandrashekhar Sawant helped save lives Local trains are the transport lifeline for Mumbai's residents. With a population of 22 million, it is the world's fourth most populated city. The city is no stranger to monsoon chaos and the city's largely creaky infrastructure is often heavily tested during this time of year. Last year, a stampede on a footbridge at the city's Elphinstone station amid heavy rains left 22 people dead and injured more than 30. Rains also caused severe flooding, stranding tens of thousands of residents as roads literally turned into rivers. A few days later, a residential building collapsed, killing more than 30 people. Heavy rains killed a further 20. Mumbai's train system, according to a 2010 estimate by the World Bank, suffers from some of the most severe overcrowding in the world, carrying 4,500 passengers in trains with a rated capacity of just 1,700. Image copyright Prashant Nanaware Image caption Mumbai is no stranger to monsoon chaos ||||| MUMBAI, India (AP) — Part of a pedestrian bridge has collapsed at a Mumbai train station during heavy rains, and at least two people were reportedly injured. A fire official says rescue work was in progress Tuesday morning at the Andheri station of the local train network in Mumbai, India's financial capital. Debris fell onto train tracks, and area train service was disrupted. Aaj Tak television news channel says the bridge was more than 50 years old. Other details were not immediately available. Every day, millions of commuters use the sprawling train network in Mumbai and its suburbs. ||||| Part of a pedestrian bridge collapsed Tuesday morning at a Mumbai train station during heavy rains, and at least two people were reportedly injured. A fire official said rescue work was in progress at the Andheri station of the local train network in Mumbai, India's financial capital. Area train service was disrupted. Debris fell onto the tracks, but railroad spokesman Ravinder Bhakar said no trains were passing in the area at the time of the collapse around 7:30 a.m. Aaj Tak television news channel says the bridge was more than 50 years old. Bhakar said the incessant rains seemed to have caused cracks in the bridge, resulting in the collapse. Every day, millions of commuters use the sprawling train network in Mumbai and its suburbs. ||||| MUMBAI, India — Part of a pedestrian bridge at a Mumbai train station collapsed Tuesday morning during heavy rains, and at least two people were reportedly injured. A fire official said rescue work was in progress at Andheri station in Mumbai, India’s financial capital. Officials said heavy rains were hampering rescue and relief operations. Area train service was disrupted. Debris fell onto the tracks, but railroad spokesman Ravinder Bhakar said no trains were passing in the area at the time of the collapse around 7:30 a.m. He said authorities were assessing the damage and co-ordinating rescue work. India today TV broadcast quoted an eyewitness saying that he heard shouts of someone at the bridge collapse site calling out to be saved. Another witness said some people were trapped under the concrete debris. Aaj Tak television news channel says the bridge was more than 50 years old. Bhakar said incessant rains seemed to have caused cracks in the bridge, resulting in the collapse. Every day, millions of commuters use the sprawling train network in Mumbai and its suburbs. Last year, at least 22 people died in a stampede triggered by a rumour that a pedestrian overpass had collapsed after concrete chunks fell at another railway station. ||||| Mumbai fire brigade officials said that they are at the spot and trying to check if some people are trapped under the debris. The incident has also damaged the overhead cables of the railway tracks bringing the trains' movement on western line to a halt. (Photo: Twitter/@MumbaiPolice) Mumbai: Train services have been disrupted after the pedestrian portion of Gokhale road over bridge that connects Andheri East to West collapsed on the railway track on Tuesday morning following heavy rains. Five people have suffered injuries in the mishap. The part of the bridge caved in at around 7:30 am and damaged the overhead cables of the railway tracks bringing the trains' movement on all lines to a halt. Four fire brigade vehicles were rushed to the spot. news agency ANI reported. Mumbai fire brigade officials said that they are trying to check if some people are trapped under the debris. However, Railway Protection Force (RPF) has denied anyone being trapped. "Five injured have been sent to the hospital. Do not think anyone is trapped under debris. Railway administration, RPF, GRP and Mumbai police are present and clearance of debris underway. Railway will probably start operations in next 4 hours," R Kudvalkar, Railway Protection Force, told ANI. Officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Fire Brigade as well as Railway Police Force have been deputed at the spot. Traffic above and below the bridge has been stopped for now. A team of the National Disaster Response Force also reached the spot. Reports have also suggested a traffic jam in the area. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has spoken to Mumbai Police Commissioner and BMC commissioner about the incident. The chief minister asked the police commissioner to ensure smooth traffic movement and also asked BMC commissioner to increase the frequency of BEST buses for the convenience of commuters. Harbour line passengers affected between Andheri and Bandra are allowed to travel via Ghatkopar on Central Railway towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) Railway Station. Crowd management machinery has been strengthened on Central Railway at all major stations from Ghatkopar onwards. Harbour line passengers have been allowed to travel freely on Central Railway, Central railway said. Mumbai police have also issued advisories for the commuters. It has been raining heavily in Mumbai since Monday with parts of the city waterlogged. The met department has predicted heavy rain in the next 48 hours. ||||| 4 fire brigade vehicles have been rushed to the spot. The Mumbai fire brigade is trying to check if someone is missing or trapped under debris. As per reports, two people have been injured A section of a foot overbridge here caved in over the Western Railway (WR) tracks during Tuesday morning's peak hours following incessant rain, leaving five persons injured, and creating a scare among the commuters, an official said. The crash has affected Mumbai's lifeline -- the suburban train services, which ferries around eight million commuters daily. The injured, who include one woman, have been admitted to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's R.N. Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle, a BMC official said. One of them is critical. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Heavy overnight rains and waterlogging in many areas is suspected to be the cause of the crash of the structure, known as the Gokhale Bridge, on S.V. Road, which connects Andheri East and Andheri West. There were no immediate confirmation whether the injured were commuters or pedestrians. Rescue operations continued to save those believed to be trapped under the debris. Work was also on to remove the debris from the WR tracks which blocked services in both directions, hitting hard the Mumbai commuters bound for their offices. According to WR spokesperson C.N.K. David, the portion of the bridge crashed at around 7.30 a.m. on the the southern-end of the Andheri platform numbers 7-8. The falling bridge damaged a portion of the platform roof, blocked the railway lines and damaged the high-tension electric wires and overhead power equipments, he added. "The restoration work is in full swing and we hope to resume normal train services in the next few hours," David said. The WR said trains were being operated between Goregaon-Virar on the northern side and Bandra-Churchgate in the southern direction, besides Harbour Line from Bandra-CST, and several long-distance trains were rescheduled. The Commissioner of Railway Safety will investigate the incident which has triggered a blame-game between the WR and the BMC. While the WR said the bridge belongs to the BMC, the latter said the crash took place on the railway portion which was the WR's responsibility for repairs and maintenance. With several lakhs of commuters stranded all over the network, the civic transport body BEST deployed 40 additional bus services between Goregaon-Bandra to clear the rush. The cascading effect was also seen on the Western Express Highway, the main S.V. Road, Link Road and other arterial roads with traffic jams all over. As a precautionary measure, Mumbai police have stopped all traffic above and below the bridge till the green signal from the railway authorities. Dabbawalas, who supply Tiffin boxes to the working professionals, have also expressed their inability to work today, as the all the four lines of the Western Railway suburban services have come to halt. Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates ||||| MUMBAI, India (AP) — Part of a pedestrian bridge at a Mumbai train station collapsed Tuesday morning during heavy rains, trapping at least one person and injuring five. The concrete slab fell onto empty train tracks, damaging part of the platform roof and high-tension electric wires. Rescuers were cutting through the concrete and iron of the fallen slab, while engineers were working to restore power and train services. The continuing rains were hampering rescue and relief operations at the Andheri station in Mumbai, India's financial capital. The overpass connects the eastern and western portions of the Andheri railways station, and the collapse stranded passengers during the morning rush. Railroad spokesman Ravinder Bhakar said no trains were passing in the area at the time of the collapse around 7:30 a.m. He said the incessant rains seemed to have caused cracks in the bridge, resulting in the collapse. Aaj Tak television news channel says the bridge was more than 50 years old. Police official Yaibhav Nigade said at least five people were injured and have been hospitalized. He said at least one person was still trapped in the debris. India today TV broadcast quoted an eyewitness saying that he heard someone calling out to be saved. Another witness said some people were trapped under the concrete debris. India's railway minister Piyush Goyal ordered an investigation. In a tweet, Goyal "directed officials to speed up repair work and rapidly restore traffic in close coordination with other departments." Every day, millions of commuters use the sprawling train network in Mumbai and its suburbs. Last year, at least 22 people died and 32 others suffered injuries in a stampede triggered by a rumor that a pedestrian overpass had collapsed after concrete chunks fell at another railway station. ||||| MUMBAI, India (AP) — At least five people were injured Tuesday when part of a pedestrian bridge at a Mumbai train station collapsed during morning rush hour amid heavy rains, officials said, as authorities struggled to restore the busy station. Hours after the incident, a platform at another rail station in Mumbai, India's financial capital, caught fire due to a short circuit, police said. No casualties were immediately reported. In the first mishap, a concrete slab fell onto empty train tracks at the Andheri station, damaging part of the platform roof and high-tension electric wires. Rescuers cut through the concrete and iron of the fallen slab, while engineers worked to restore power and train services. Continuing rains hampered rescue and relief operations. The overpass connects the eastern and western portions of the railway station, and the collapse stranded passengers during the morning rush. Railroad spokesman Ravinder Bhakar said no trains were passing in the area at the time of the collapse. He said the incessant rains seemed to have caused cracks in the bridge, resulting in the collapse. Aaj Tak television news channel said the bridge was more than 50 years old. However, a train driver said he saw a part of the bridge collapsing as he neared Andheri station and applied emergency brakes in to stop his train close to the site, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. Driver Chandrashekhar B Sawant said he saved human lives as well as any damage to the train. India's Railways Minister Piyush Goyal announced a cash reward of 500,000 Indian rupees ($7,350) for him. Police official Yaibhav Nigade said at least five people who were walking on the bridge were injured and hospitalized. He said all the people trapped in the debris had been rescued, but rescue teams using sniffer dogs were still searching the debris. Nigade did not say how many people had been trapped. India Today TV quoted an eyewitness saying he heard someone calling out to be saved. Goyal ordered an investigation. In a tweet, Goyal "directed officials to speed up repair work and rapidly restore traffic in close coordination with other departments." Many streets and roads were waterlogged in Mumbai as monsoon rains continued lashing the city. Weather officials forecast heavy rains in the coming days. In the second incident, a short circuit caused a fire at a platform of another rail station, where maintenance work was ongoing. Indian broadcasters showed images of some people running for cover as the fire engulfed the platform. Every day, millions of commuters use the sprawling train network in Mumbai and its suburbs. Last year, at least 22 people died and 32 others suffered injuries in a stampede triggered by a rumor that a pedestrian overpass had collapsed after concrete chunks fell at another railway station. ||||| MUMBAI, India - Part of a pedestrian bridge at a Mumbai train station collapsed Tuesday morning during heavy rains, and at least five people were injured. A fire official said rescue work was in progress at Andheri station in Mumbai, India's financial capital. Officials said heavy rains were hampering rescue and relief operations. Area train service was disrupted. Debris fell onto the tracks, but railroad spokesman Ravinder Bhakar said no trains were passing in the area at the time of the collapse around 7:30 a.m. He said authorities were assessing the damage and co-ordinating rescue work. Police official Yaibhav Nigade said at least five people were injured and have been hospitalized. He said at least one person was still trapped in the debris. The overhead pass connects eastern and western portions of the Andheri railways station, and the incident stranded hundreds of passengers during morning rush hour. India today TV broadcast quoted an eyewitness saying that he heard shouts of someone at the bridge collapse site calling out to be saved. Another witness said some people were trapped under the concrete debris. Aaj Tak television news channel says the bridge was more than 50 years old. Bhakar said incessant rains seemed to have caused cracks in the bridge, resulting in the collapse. In a tweet, Goyal "directed officials to speed up repair work and rapidly restore traffic in close co-ordination with other departments." Every day, millions of commuters use the sprawling train network in Mumbai and its suburbs. Last year, at least 22 people died and 32 others suffered injuries in a stampede triggered by a rumour that a pedestrian overpass had collapsed after concrete chunks fell at another railway station. ||||| MUMBAI, India (AP) — At least five people were injured on Tuesday when part of a pedestrian bridge at a Mumbai train station collapsed during morning rush hour amid heavy rains, officials said, as authorities struggled to restore the busy station. The concrete slab fell onto empty train tracks, damaging part of the platform roof and high-tension electric wires. Rescuers were cutting through the concrete and iron of the fallen slab, while engineers were working to restore power and train services. The continuing rains were hampering rescue and relief operations at the Andheri station in Mumbai, India's financial capital. The overpass connects the eastern and western portions of the Andheri railways station, and the collapse stranded passengers during the morning rush. Railroad spokesman Ravinder Bhakar said no trains were passing in the area at the time of the collapse around 7:30 a.m. He said the incessant rains seemed to have caused cracks in the bridge, resulting in the collapse. Aaj Tak television news channel said the bridge was more than 50 years old. Police official Yaibhav Nigade said at least five people who were walking on the bridge were injured and hospitalized. He said all the people trapped in the debris had been rescued, but that rescue teams using sniffer dogs were still searching the debris. Nigade did not say how many people had been trapped. India Today TV quoted an eyewitness saying he heard someone calling out to be saved. Another witness said some people were trapped under the concrete debris. India's railway minister, Piyush Goyal, ordered an investigation. In a tweet, Goyal "directed officials to speed up repair work and rapidly restore traffic in close coordination with other departments." Many streets and roads were waterlogged in Mumbai as monsoon rains continued lashing the city. Weather officials forecast heavy rains in the coming days. Every day, millions of commuters use the sprawling train network in Mumbai and its suburbs. Last year, at least 22 people died and 32 others suffered injuries in a stampede triggered by a rumor that a pedestrian overpass had collapsed after concrete chunks fell at another railway station.
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A pedestrian bridge collapses onto railway lines in Mumbai, injuring five. An approaching train is able to perform an emergency stop before colliding with the wreckage. Thousands of commuters are left stranded throughout the city.
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MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine soldiers backed by armoured vehicles have retaken a southern town held for 12 hours by pro-Islamic State militants, the army said on Wednesday, with four rebels killed in urban clashes reminiscent of a five-month siege last year. A soldier from the the Philippines Army's 2nd Mechanized Infantry Division peeks on a scope of rifle during clashes with members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) militants during clashes in Maguindanao, Philippines July 4, 2018. Picture taken July 4, 2018. Sgt Christian Santos/33rd IB/6th IB/Armed Forces of the Philippines/Handout via REUTERS The clashes followed warnings by President Rodrigo Duterte that remnants of pro-Islamic State militant groups had been recruiting and still planning attacks on several southern cities to set up an independent and separate Islamic state. Troops pursued militants from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) group, who fled to the hills after trying to occupy a marshland town, Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Cabunoc, an army battalion commander, said in a statement. The military will continue to “disrupt the BIFF’s plan to sow terror in communities” in the troubled south, Cabunoc said. There was no immediate comment from the Islamist militants’ group. Hundreds of residents have remained in shelter areas and not been allowed to return home after troops retrieved improvised explosive devices and other booby traps in the town of Datu Paglas. Cabunoc said four Islamist militants were killed and two others were wounded. A soldier and a local militia official were also wounded. The army said the Datu Paglas attack could be a test case, since the area was near the militants’ marshland base. Since March, the military has shifted its combat operations from Marawi, a battered lakeside town in Mindanao embroiled in last year’s five-month conflict, to the island’s marshes where other pro-Islamic State militants operate. More than 40 BIFF militants have been killed in the last four months by troops in air and ground assaults the military described as preemptive moves to thwart militant attacks on cities. [nL3N1RO2ZK] ||||| - Philippine soldiers backed by armoured vehicles have retaken a southern town held for 12 hours by pro-Islamic State (IS) militants, the army said on July 4.Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Cabunoc, commander of the army’s 33rd Infantry Battalion, said troops pursued militants from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) group, who retreated to the hills after trying to occupy the town of Datu Paglas in Maguindanao province.He added that the military will continue to “disrupt the BIFF's plan to sow terror into communities” in the south.The clashes followed warnings by President Rodrigo Duterte that remnants of pro-Islamic State militant groups had been still recruiting and planning attacks on several southern cities to set up an independent and separate Islamic state.Two weeks ago, the Philippine army launched offensives against BIFF in Liguasan Marsh in North Cotabato and Maguindanao on Midanao Island, southern Philippines.BIFF is a splinter group of the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front and has up to 400 members. It is among the several militant groups in Mindanao that pledged allegiance to the self-proclaimed Islamic State a few years ago. They are active in the central Mindanao area, especially in Cotabato city, as well as the provinces of Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat.-VNA ||||| A soldier from the the Philippines Army's 2nd Mechanized Infantry Division fires a rocket launcher towards the positions of members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) militants during clashes in Maguindanao, Philippines July 4, 2018. Source: Reuters SECURITY Forces in the Philippines on Wednesday said they thwarted an attempt by pro-Islamic State militates to occupy a town in the southern province of Maguindanao. The 12-hour siege left four rebels dead in urban clashes reminiscent of the five-month confrontation in Marawi last year. The clashes followed warnings by President Rodrigo Duterte that remnants of pro-Islamic State militant groups had been recruiting and still planning attacks on several southern cities to set up an independent and separate Islamic state. SEE ALSO: Preventing other ‘Marawis’: Battle for hearts and minds of Philippine Muslims Troops pursued militants from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) group, who fled to the hills after trying to occupy a marshland town Datu Paglas, Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Cabunoc, an army battalion commander, said in a statement. Cabunoc said the military will continue to “disrupt the BIFF’s plan to sow terror in communities” in the troubled south, “We confronted enemy snipers and improvised bombs as we seized the areas that were previously occupied by the terrorists. We also wanted to contain the fighting outside of the highly populated area some 500 meters away,” he said, as quoted by the Manila Times. There was no immediate comment from the Islamist militants’ group. Hundreds of residents have remained in shelter areas and not been allowed to return home after troops retrieved improvised explosive devices and other booby traps in the town of Datu Paglas. Cabunoc said four Islamist militants were killed and two others were wounded. A soldier and a local militia official were also wounded. SEE ALSO: Philippines govt under fire for delay in Marawi ground zero rehabilitation The army said the Datu Paglas attack could be a test case, since the area was near the militants’ marshland base. Since March, the military has shifted its combat operations from Marawi, a battered lakeside town in Mindanao embroiled in last year’s five-month conflict, to the island’s marshes where other pro-Islamic State militants operate. More than 40 BIFF militants have been killed in the last four months by troops in air and ground assaults the military described as preemptive moves to thwart militant attacks on cities. ||||| Philippine security forces launched fresh assaults against pro-Islamic State militants Tuesday, leaving four enemies dead and two soldiers wounded in heavy clashes on the southern island of Mindanao. The military offensives took place after militants belonging to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) overran a town hall in Datu Paglas in the southern province of Maguindanao, local military spokesman Capt. Arvin John Encinas told BenarNews. Soldiers repulsed the gunmen, he said. “We used our air assets since Sunday. Four were killed on the enemy side,” he said. The gunmen had been massing up in the area since Sunday, Encinas said, adding that the militants began moving to evade pursuing troops. Thong Paglas, the town’s vice mayor, said that before the clashes, local officials had spoken with Abu Solaiman, leader of a BIFF unit, who rejected their demand to pull out. “They ignored us, so the military started their assault,” he said, adding that more than 50 families have been forced to abandon their homes. Local reports said the gunmen also took five civilian hostages and were using them as “human shields.” The military assault began at the weekend, supposedly targeting BIFF leader Abu Turaipe, whose faction has pledged allegiance to the IS. But he was believed to have escaped the offensive yet again. “Our soldiers overran Turaipe’s house (but) he managed to escape,” Encinas said. He said two soldiers were wounded in the gun battles. The BIFF is a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country’s main separatist group, which signed a peace deal with Manila in 2014. The BIFF had vowed to push on with the separatist fight, attracting younger, more hardline members of the MILF. Turaipe’s forces number in the dozens and have been engaged in hit-and-run attacks with the military. The group had publicly expressed support for last year’s attack by another pro-IS group on the city of Marawi, also in the south, but did not send fighters. At least 1,200 people, mostly militants, were killed in five months of vicious fighting in Marawi. The Initiatives for International Dialogue, a group advocating peace, called on government troops as well as local government officials on Tuesday to ensure the public’s safety as troops go after the militants. "We are seriously alarmed and bothered by the possible extent of civilian casualties – most of whom are women and children – if this conflict will continue,” Gus Miclat, the group’s executive director, told BenarNews. He said the hostilities broke out just as the central government in Manila was hammering out the final details of a proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law that would give minority Muslims expanded autonomy in the south. Congress had passed the BBL earlier, and President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to sign it into law when he delivers his annual “state of the nation” address in July. “We invoke the state’s responsibility to protect and fulfill the rights of internally displaced persons during evacuation until their safe and dignified return to their places of origin,” Miclat said. He warned that a watered-down BBL could lead to further trouble in the south. The BBL was envisioned to outline the basic structure of a proposed autonomy in Mindanao. Under the deal, the government had promised to pass the BBL, which would spell out the boundaries of the autonomous government. Mark Navales in Cotabato City contributed to this report. ||||| The military says it foiled an attempt of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters to occupy the town hall of Datu Paglas town after a 9-hour operation that included air strikes on Tuesday, July 3 MANILA, Philippines – Clashes between government troops and the separatist Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) reached a town center in Maguindanao on Tuesday, July 3, as the military continues aggressive operations to hunt down groups linked with the Islamic State (ISIS). The military said it foiled an attempt to occupy the town hall of Datu Paglas town after a 9-hour operation on Tuesday, July 3, that deployed air force assets for air strikes. Three soldiers were “slightly wounded” due to shrapnel and bullet wounds, the military said. “Combined Army and police forces had blocked the attempt of ISIS-inspired terrorist group in occupying the seat of the municipal government here on Tuesday,” said Lieutenant Colonel Harold M Cabunoc, commanding officer of the 33rd Infantry Battalion that led the operation. Cabunoc said clashes with the group of BIFF sub-leader Sulaiman Tudon erupted at 5 am on Tuesday. “The troops attacked the enemy-held cluster of concrete houses in Sitio Mopac of Barangay Poblacion, an area that is about 500 meters from the municipal hall. Supported by armored vehicles and infantry mortars, the house-to-house close quarter battle lasted about 9 hours in an area that is located in the middle of a rice field,” Cabunoc said. “We confronted enemy snipers and improvised bombs as we seized the areas that are previously occupied by the terrorists. We also wanted to contain the fighting outside of the highly populated area some 500 meters away,” Cabunoc said. Leaders of the BIFF, a breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), have pledged allegiance to ISIS, based on their video releases. The group is one of the threats that the government cited when it asked Congress to extend martial law in Mindanao until the end of 2018. (READ: End martial law? Lorenzana warns vs another Marawi) – Rappler.com ||||| MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine government forces have foiled an attempt by a few dozen Muslim militants aligned with the Islamic State group to attack a small southern town in fighting that left four gunmen dead, an army official said Wednesday. Army Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said troops clashed with 30-40 militants Tuesday and drove them away from the small farming community of Mopac where they planned to launch an attack on the town center of Datu Paglas about a half kilometer (quarter mile) away. The militants from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters led by Solaiman Tudon occupied several abandoned houses in Mopac, where he used to live, over the weekend but his family and other villagers asked the gunmen to leave. "They took sniper positions and placed some bombs in the community and that alarmed the villagers," Cabunoc said. Troops backed by artillery fire later arrived and clashed with the militants, who fled and were being pursued by government forces, Cabunoc said, adding that villagers started returning to their homes in Mopac on Wednesday. Tudon's group is one of several small armed militant factions that have expressed support to the Islamic State group. Clashes have erupted this week in a number of rural villages in Maguindanao province, where Datu Paglas is located, as troops pressed sporadic offensives to prevent a repeat of last year's siege of southern Marawi city by hundreds of Islamic State group-aligned militants. The five-month fighting in Marawi left more than 1,000 combatants and civilians dead and displaced hundreds of thousands of villagers. ||||| Airstrikes were launched against a faction of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in the marshy areas of the municipalities of Datu Montawal, Pagalungan, Gen. SK Pendatun, and Sultan sa Barongis in the province of Maguindanao, as well as in the municipality of Pikit in the province of North Cotabato on 10 June 2018. This incident was part of an ongoing operation by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against the BIFF faction led by Esmail Abubakar (aka Commander Bungos), whose group had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS). The operation was coordinated with the MILF ceasefire panel. However, due to time constraints, no pre-emptive evacuation was organized. A BIFF bomb factory in the southern parts of Liguasan Marsh was reportedly destroyed as a result of this operation. In addition, 15 members of the BIFF faction were killed and 8 were wounded, according to reports. This information was, however, denied by the leadership of the BIFF. Residents of these areas who were, at that time, taking their preobservance of the Islamic month of Ramadhan were forced to evacuate to safer locations. Based on the most recent report provided by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office of Maguindanao as of 19 June 2018, 5,136 families (23,465 individuals) have been displaced. Most of the displaced are staying with host families, while the rest have settled in designated evacuation sites, such as schools, gyms, and in other community structures. IDPs who are home-based, particularly those in the remote areas, are at risk of being excluded from registration processes. The government of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) through the ARMM Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team (ARMM-HEART), DSWD ARMM, and DSWD Region XII are presently working in close coordination with the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils of the affected municipalities within their respective jurisdiction, which have conducted assessments to different displacement sites, to address the displacement. The displaced population perceive that their displacement may take longer than expected. They have expressed that they will not return until Government troops have pulled out from the area, because they fear that they may be caught in the crossfire. An undetermined number of civilians residing in the area known as the Salbu, Pagatin, Mamasapano and Shariff Aguak (SPMS) Box and in neighboring towns have also pre-emptively evacuated to nearby villages because of fear of a possible escalation of conflict in their areas, triggered by the increasing presence of the military. There is an advice from the authorities that the IDPs can safely return to their respective residences. However, IDPs have chosen to stay away from their places of origin because of the continued military operations. There are evacuation centers that are vacated, but only because the IDPs have just transferred to other temporary displacement locations. ||||| MANILA, Philippines (AP) - A Philippine army commander says government forces have foiled an attempt by a few dozen Muslim militants aligned with the Islamic State group to attack a small southern town in fighting that left four gunmen dead. Army Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc says troops clashed with 30 to 40 militants Tuesday and drove them away from the small farming community of Mopac where they planned to launch an attack on the town hall of Datu Paglas town about a half kilometer (quarter mile) away. Cabunoc said Wednesday the militants from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters led by Solaiman Tudon occupied several abandoned houses in Mopac, where he used to live, over the weekend but his family and other villagers asked the gunmen to leave. Troops later clashed with the militants. ||||| MANILA, July 4 (Reuters) - Philippine soldiers backed by armoured vehicles have retaken a southern town held for 12 hours by pro-Islamic State militants, the army said on Wednesday, with four rebels killed in urban clashes reminiscent of a five-month siege last year. The clashes followed warnings by President Rodrigo Duterte that remnants of pro-Islamic State militant groups had been recruiting and still planning attacks on several southern cities to set up an independent and separate Islamic state. Troops pursued militants from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) group, who fled to the hills after trying to occupy a marshland town, Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Cabunoc, an army battalion commander, said in a statement. The military will continue to "disrupt the BIFF's plan to sow terror in communities" in the troubled south, Cabunoc said. There was no immediate comment from the Islamist militants' group. Hundreds of residents have remained in shelter areas and not been allowed to return home after troops retrieved improvised explosive devices and other booby traps in the town of Datu Paglas. Cabunoc said four Islamist militants were killed and two others were wounded. A soldier and a local militia official were also wounded. The army said the Datu Paglas attack could be a test case, since the area was near the militants' marshland base. Since March, the military has shifted its combat operations from Marawi, a battered lakeside town in Mindanao embroiled in last year's five-month conflict, to the island´s marshes where other pro-Islamic State militants operate. More than 40 BIFF militants have been killed in the last four months by troops in air and ground assaults the military described as preemptive moves to thwart militant attacks on cities. (Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) ||||| KUALA LUMPUR: At least 13 militants from the Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), including one of its commanders, have been killed in military operations in Central Mindanao, according to the Armed Forces of Philippines. The military operations comprising land and air strikes started on Jul 1. “A total of 13 (BIFF militants) are killed, while on the government side, 14 were wounded and two were killed during encounters,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Gerry Besana, a spokesman for Western Mindanao Command. “Among those killed is BIFF Commander Marrox, a known bomber and one of the prime suspects in the Mamasapano clash,” said Besana, referring to the 44 members of the Philippine police's Special Action Force who died in the January 2015 operation. The Mamasapano clash occurred during an operation against the militant BIFF in 2015 that went awry, resulting in one of the biggest casualties suffered by Philippine police in a single incident. According to Besana, Marrox was also behind a string of attacks against the military in central Mindanao in recent years. “Marrox spearheaded the ambush to the troops of the 40th Infantry Battalion a year ago. His followers include escapees during the North Cotabato jail break,” said Besana. As of press time, military operations are still on-going in Central Mindanao. “We are gaining ground and so we are taking advantage of it,” said Brigadier-General Cirilito Sobejana, who is leading the Joint Taskforce Central military operations.
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Philippine soldiers clash with militants from the ISIL-affiliated Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), in the southern province of Maguindanao. The fighting began when BIFF militants attempted to occupy a town center, and lasted for 12 hours until the BIFF militants withdrew to the hills. Four militants were killed, while two militants, a Philippine soldier and a local militiaman were wounded.
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The accountability court on Friday announced the verdict in the Avenfield properties corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), handing ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif 10 years as jail time for owning assets beyond known income and 1 year for not cooperating with NAB. The sentences will run concurrently which means the former prime minister will serve 10 years in jail. His daughter Maryam was given 7 years for abetment after she was found "instrumental in concealment of the properties of her father" and 1 year for non-cooperation with the bureau. These sentences will also run concurrently; she will serve 7 years in total. According to the verdict, she "aided, assisted, abetted, attempted and acted in conspiracy with her father". "The trust deeds produced by the accused Maryam Nawaz were also found bogus," read the judgement. Related: We asked the creator of Calibri to weigh in on the JIT debate Nawaz's son-in-law retired Captain Safdar has been given 1 year jail time — for not cooperating with NAB, and aiding and abeting Nawaz and Maryam. The non-cooperation punishment for all three has been given under Serial 2 of the schedule of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999: "Refuses to answer questions, or to provide information to any member of the NAB or any other agency when required to do so." Nawaz was convicted under NAO 1999 9(a)(v): "A holder of a public office, or any other person, is said to commit or to have committed the offence of corruption and corrupt practices [...] if he or any of his dependents or benamidar owns, possesses, or has acquired right or title in any assets or holds irrevocable power of attorney in respect of any assets or pecuniary resources disproportionate to his known sources of income, which he cannot reasonably account for or maintains a standard of living beyond that which is commensurate with his sources of income." The abetment conviction for Maryam and Safdar falls under NAO 1999 9(a)(v)(xii), which states: "Is said to commit or to have committed the offence of corruption and corrupt practices [...] if he aids, assists, abets, attempts or acts in conspiracy with a person or a holder of public office accused of an offence." The counsel for Nawaz Sharif briefs journalists outside the court. — AP As the 9-month-long trial concluded, Nawaz was handed a fine of £8 million and Maryam £2 million. The money will go into the state treasury. According to AFP, prosecution lawyer Sardar Muzaffar Abbas said that the court had ordered the properties, in London's exclusive Mayfair, be confiscated by the federal government. The sons, Hasan and Hussain Nawaz, also accused in the case, are "absconding therefore, they are declared as proclaimed offenders. Non bailable perpetual warrants of arrest shall be issued against them". Maryam and Capt Safdar can no longer contest the upcoming general elections. "The [...] accused shall be disqualified to contest election or to hold public office for a period of 10 years to be reckoned from the date he [sic] is released after serving the sentence," ruled the court. They, however, have the right to appeal against the verdict. NAB had filed the reference regarding the high-end properties in London, along with two others, on the Supreme Court's directives in the landmark Panamagate verdict last year which deseated Nawaz as the prime minister. Four members of the Sharif family ─ Nawaz, Maryam, Hassan and Hussain ─ are in London, while Captain Safdar is in Pakistan, but was not present in court. Soon after the verdict, Maryam took to Twitter to share this message: "This is a very small punishment for firmly standing in front of unseen forces. The morale to fight against oppression has increased today." Read: Maryam asks workers not to 'feel nervous' ahead of Avenfield verdict پاکستان میں 70 سال سے سرگرم نادیدہ قووتوں کے سامنے ڈٹ جانے کی یہ سزا بہت چھوٹی ہے۔ آج ظلم کے خلاف لڑنے کا حوصلہ اور بلند ہو گیا۔ — Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 6, 2018 NAB will now wait for a certain time period for all three convicts to surrender. If they fail to do so, NAB will initiate the procedure to bring Maryam and Nawaz back, and arrest Safdar. Read the complete judgement Day of the verdict According to DawnNewsTV, the Sharif family, along with former finance minister Ishaq Dar, gathered at the Avenfield flats in London to watch the verdict. The verdict, which was scheduled for Friday morning, was delayed five times, finally being announced a little after 4:30pm. The counsel for the family had submitted an application to the accountability court on Thursday, seeking a seven-day postponement in the announcement of the verdict. The plea, however, was rejected in the morning. Read more: Want to hear judgement while standing in courtroom, amidst my people: Nawaz The atmosphere outside the court in Islamabad — where the fate of the Sharif family members was announced — was thick with tension and buzzing with media and security personnel. Both the capital police force and Rangers were deployed in riot gear outside the court. Security personnel have been deployed at the accountability court today. ─ DawnNewsTV Moreover, Section 144 was imposed in the capital and police in the garrison city were on high alert. City Police Officer (CPO) Abbas Ahsan told Dawn earlier that although "strong retaliation" is not expected after the decision, they are taking precautionary measures to maintain peace in the city. Explore: Questions after the judgement Lawyers' arguments for/against delay in verdict After Judge Bashir reached the accountability court on Friday morning, Additional Deputy Prosecutor General NAB Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi had opposed Nawaz and Maryam's application, saying: "At a stage when the court concludes the trial and fixes a date for the final announcement, the accused cannot file application for any relief." He pointed out that "when the court concludes the arguments, the accused is put on notice and under the law he should be brought to court, or the court orders the accused to ensure attendance." In a rebuttal, the defence counsel, Advocate Amjad Pervez, argued that "there is a legal requirement that the accused person should be summoned at the time of announcement of judgement, and in this case Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz both are ready to attend proceedings, but because of Kulsoom Nawaz's illness, they requested that the judgement may be postponed for a few days." The judge, after an hour-long break, had ruled against the delay. The Avenfield reference The Avenfield reference ─ which pertains to the purchase of four flats in Avenfield House, Park Lane, London ─ was among the three cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the former premier and his children on the Supreme Court's orders in its landmark July 28 Panamagate verdict. In detail: Full text of Supreme Court order in Panama Papers case Besides Nawaz, Maryam and her husband Captain Safdar, NAB had also nominated Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz — Sharif's sons — as accused in all three SC-ordered corruption references. The NAB prosecutor had stated before the accountability court that Nawaz Sharif had acquired the four flats. Sharif family had insisted that they had purchased the apartments through ‘legitimate’ financial resources. They, however, remained unable to disclose those resources before the accountability court or the Supreme Court. The apex court had directed the accountability court to conclude proceedings within six months and appointed Justice Ijazul Ahsan — who was a member of the bench that heard Panama Papers case — as a “supervisory judge” for the trial. Read more: Iqama — the missing link with Panama? The proceeding in the Avenfield reference commenced in September and the accountability court indicted Nawaz, Maryam and Safdar on October 19. According to the JIT report submitted in the Panamagate case, the Sharifs have given contradictory statements about their London flats and found that the flats actually belonged to them since 1993. The home of Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is pictured in central London on July 6, 2018. —AFP The report said Hassan Nawaz had contradicted the statement of his brother Hussain Nawaz about the Avenfield apartments, who had earlier stated that only apartment No 17 was in his possession in 1994. Contrarily, Hassan confirmed that three Avenfield apartments (No 16, 16A and 17) were already in possession of Hussain when he had arrived in London in 1994, while they got the possession of the fourth apartment (17A) in the next six months. Analysis: What next for Nawaz Sharif? The JIT observed that either one or both brothers had lied to hide some facts and hence they could not be given the benefit of doubt. It said Nawaz Sharif had distanced himself from the apartments and could not explain the time frame and procedure adopted for obtaining the possession of Avenfield apartments by his sons, and was even uncertain about which son claimed the ownership of the flats now. But Nawaz told the JIT that he usually stayed in apartment No 16 (Avenfield) whenever he visited London. The prosecution produced 21 witnesses in the Avenfield reference, including star witness Wajid Zia, the head of the joint investigation team (JIT) which probed the Panamgate case, Director General NAB Zahir Shah, British forensic expert Robert William Radley and solicitor Akhtar Riaz Raja, who is Zia's cousin, among others. In May this year, Nawaz, his daughter and son-in-law recorded their statements under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) after which the court invited final arguments from the prosecution and the defence counsel. The lead defence counsel Khawaja Haris initially withdrew from Sharif's defence over the court beginning the final arguments since he was of the view that the accountability court instead of calling for final arguments should first conclude testimony of prosecution witnesses in other two references – Al Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment. However, he rejoined the legal team after Nawaz left for the United Kingdom in mid-June where his spouse Kulsoom Nawaz is undergoing medical treatment. Haris took seven days to conclude the final arguments after which the counsel of Maryam and Safdar started his final arguments. During the course of arguments, the defence counsel cited a number of judgements of the superior courts to prove that the case against the former prime minister and his family was devoid of evidence. Nawaz and Maryam have appeared before the court around 100 times, according to media reports. ||||| In a major blow to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), the Accountability Court on Sunday convicted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to 10 years of imprisonment and slapped a fine worth €8 million, while daughter Maryam Nawaz was handed seven years of jail term in the Avenfield reference corruption case. The verdict was part of the Avenfield properties reference case filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Alongwith Sharif, his son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar was given a one year sentence. After the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif as Pakistan’s prime minister in the Panama case in July 2017, the NAB, filed three corruption references against the Sharif family. The Avenfield reference pertains to the purchase of four flats in Avenfield House, Park Lane, London. Along with the former Pakistani premiere, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt Safdar was also named in the case. According to Dawn, the NAB prosecutor had stated before the accountability court that Nawaz Sharif had acquired the four flats. However, the Sharif family insisted that the flats were purchased through legitimately. Nawaz Sharif conviction LIVE updates The Sharif family, however, failed to declare the financial resources with which they claimed to have purchased the flats. According to the JIT report submitted in the Panamagate case, the Sharifs have given contradictory statements about their London flats and found that the flats actually belonged to them since 1993. The report said Hassan Nawaz had contradicted the statement of his brother Hussain Nawaz about the Avenfield apartments, who had earlier stated that only apartment No 17 was in his possession in 1994. Contrarily, Hassan confirmed that three Avenfield apartments (No 16, 16A and 17) were already in possession of Hussain when he had arrived in London in 1994, while they got the possession of the fourth apartment (17A) in the next six months, Dawn reported. The JIT in its observation concluded that either one or both the brothers were lying in the matter. With the conviction of both Maryam Nawaz and Capt Safdar in the case, they stand debarred from contesting the upcoming Parliamentary elections in Pakistan which will dampen the hopes of PMLN which was planning to make a comeback to power. For all the latest What Is News, download Indian Express App ||||| The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court on Friday convicted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to 10 years of prison and a financial penalty of worth €8 million, while his daughter Maryam Nawaz was handed 7 years of imprisonment and a fine of £2 million, his son-in-law Safdar Awan was given 1 year sentence for not co-operating in the Avenfield reference corruption case. The case pertains to a number of properties against the Sharif family in Avenfield House, Park Lane, London. In 2015 Panama Papers leak revealed that Nawaz Sharif’s children had links with foreign companies, that were being used to channel funds and buy foreign flats, including these flats in Avenfield in UK. Sharif was disqualified as Pakistan’s prime minister in 2017 by the Supreme Court in regard to the Panama paper case. After the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif, the NAB had filed 3 corruption cases related to these flats in Avenfield reference. The Sharif family failed to declare the financial resources with which they claimed to have bought these disputed flats. According to the Joint Investigating Team (JIT) report submitted in Panamagate case, the sharifs gave contradictory statements about the London flats that actually belonged to them since 1993. The JIT concluded that Sharifs were lying in the matter. However, the Sharifs insist that they legitimately acquired the 4 disputed properties. The NAB court has also asked the federal government to confiscate the properties. There has been much apprehension regarding the delay in the verdict. However, the judge said that delay was because of the need to photocopy the judgement, which is more than 100 pages long for both the defence and the prosecution. ||||| Ousted prime minister and his daughter found guilty of failing to disclose ownership of Avenfield apartments An Accountability Court in Islamabad on Friday rendered it verdict in the Avenfield corruption reference against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s family, sentencing the ousted PMLN leader to 10 years’ imprisonment. The judgment also sentences Sharif’s daughter Maryam to 7 years’ imprisonment and her husband, Muhammad Safdar, to 1 year in jail. The verdict, announced to media by the prosecution’s lawyer, has also announced fines in addition to the jail terms. Nawaz Sharif has been fined GBP8 million, while Maryam has been fined GBP2 million. These funds will be disbursed to the federal government, according to the judgment. In addition, the government has been ordered to confiscate the property. Maryam Nawaz Sharif also stands disqualified from contesting the 2018 general elections after the verdict. Judge Mohammad Bashir announced the judgment after earlier rejecting a plea by Sharif and his daughter Maryam to reserve it for seven days to allow them to return home from London, where they are currently visiting Kulsoom Nawaz, who is a cancer patient and is reportedly in critical condition. Of the accused, only Captain Safdar is currently in Pakistan; Nawaz and his children are all in London with their ailing mother. Addressing a press conference after the verdict, PMLN President Shahbaz Sharif said his party and the “entire nation” had rejected it. “Nawaz Sharif’s name never even appeared in the Panama reference,” he said, adding that there was no solid evidence to implicate his elder brother. He also questioned NAB’s expedited procedure in the Sharif case, noting that there were cases with far greater alleged corruption that had been pending for years. The Avenfield reference revolves around the purchase of four flats in Avenfield House, Park Lane, London and is one of a number of corruption cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau against Nawaz Sharif and his children following the premier’s ouster from office by the Supreme Court through its Panamagate verdict. In addition to Nawaz, Maryam, and her husband Captain Muhammad Safdar, NAB also nominated Sharif’s sons Hussain and Hassan as co-accused in the corruption references. According to NAB, the Sharif family had failed to disclose the resources used to purchase the apartments despite claiming they had all been acquired through legitimate sources. A JIT report used to establish NAB’s case had also alleged that the Sharif family had given contradictory reports about when they had purchased the apartments, adding that records showed they had owned them since 1993. ||||| Pakistan former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to 10 years in jail in Avenfield corruption case by an anti-corruption court on Friday while his daughter Maryam Sharif was sentenced to 7 years in the Avenfield corruption case. Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law Safdar was given a year sentence. The anti-corruption court has also imposed a fine of 8 million pounds on Nawaz Sharif while Maryam Sharif received a fine of two million pounds. Now, Maryam Sharif who is a Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader can’t contest elections. Reacting to the court’s judgement, Punjab province Chief Minister and current president of PML(N) Shahbaz Sharif said that they will take all legal and constitutional routes to fight for justice. Nawaz Sharif has always fought bravely, he added. Experts believe that it is a very significant political development as general elections in Pakistan will be held this month. It is a major setback for Nawaz Sharif’s party which is contesting the election on all parliamentary seats. Further speaking on the matter, brother of convict Nawaz Sharif said that all PML(N) candidates are going to contest in upcoming elections and during their campaign, they will make people aware about the injustice that was done to us and our disappointment in the decision. ||||| Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for corruption, while his daughter Maryam Sharif has been given seven years. The verdict was delivered by an accountability court in Pakistan in one of the four cases of corruption against Nawaz Sharif - the Avenfield corruption case, which is related to the ownership of four flats in the posh Avenfield House in London. "(Nawaz Sharif) has been awarded 10 years imprisonment" over the purchase of high-end properties in London, defence lawyer Mohammad Aurangzeb told news agency AFP. Prosecution lawyer Sardar Muzaffar Abbas also said that the court had ordered the properties be confiscated. The verdict comes three weeks before general elections in Pakistan on July 25. Both Nawaz Sharif and Maryam are in London, attending to the former PM's wife, Kulsoom Nawaz, who was diagnosed with throat cancer last year and shifted to the UK for treatment. Since then, Maryam and Nawaz Sharif have made several trips back and forth from London to attend the hearings and attend to Kulsoom. Nawaz Sharif wanted the announcement of the verdict delayed by a week, but that request was dismissed by the court today. Mr Sharif had said he wanted to hear the judgement of the case while standing in the courtroom where he "endured more than 100 hearings" with his daughter. Nawaz Sharif and Maryam were also fined heavily by the court. While Nawaz Sharif will have to pay $10 million, his daughter has been fined $2.6 million. The Avenfield case was among the four corruption cases filed against the former PM and his children by the NAB on the Supreme Court's orders in the Panama Papers case which disqualified Nawaz Sharif. Nawaz Sharif, a three-time prime minister, resigned from the post last year after Pakistan's Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office and ruled that graft cases be filed against him and his children over the Panama Papers scandal. ||||| Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said on Saturday that she and her father will return to Pakistan on July 13. This came a day after Sharif was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of eight million pounds in the Avenfield reference case, while his daughter was sentenced to 7 years of jail and fined two million pounds by the accountability court. Speaking to media in London, Maryam said that due process will be adopted while challenging the verdict, adding that legal consultations are underway. She also said that the lawyers are exploring the case through all legal angles, Geo TV reported. Asked on approaching the UK government on the matter, Maryam said that no illegality was carried out. She further underscored that the Pakistani authorities should “use red warrants to bring back dictators”, who violated the country’s constitution. Meanwhile, free online encyclopaedia Wikipedia has locked Maryam’s profile page for one year after “abusive edits” were seen on the page. Saqib Qayyum of Wikipedia’s Help Desk told The Express Tribune on Saturday, “This is not the first time her page has been locked. However, her page has not been locked for this long before. People added criminal multiple times in the lead section and tried to change her birth year from 1973 to 1960. The information present in the lead section appears in the Google knowledge graph, next to the search result.” “Maryam’s Wikipedia profile has been getting 1,000 unique hits since January. We received around 15,000 unique hits yesterday,” he added. Maryam is barred from contesting the general elections slated to be held on July 25. Her husband Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar was also sentenced to one year of imprisonment. The accountability court also issued permanent arrest warrants of Sharif’s sons – Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz respectively. Sharif and Maryam are in London since June 14 visiting the former’s wife, Kulsoom Nawaz, who is undergoing cancer treatment there. ||||| Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was on Friday sentenced to 10 years in prison by the accountability court in a corruption case. Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz was sentenced to seven years in prison while her husband Captain (retd) Safdar was given a year in jail in the case filed by the National Accountability Bureau, Dawn reported. The Sharif family has been charged with corruption in three cases. Accountability court Judge Mohammad Bashir announced the verdict after several delays since morning. The court ruled that the Sharif family's Avenfield apartments in London shall be seized by the federal government. The former Prime Minister and his daughter were not present in the country while Sharif's son-in-law was missing from the court. Maryam Nawaz and her husband stand barred from contesting the July 25 election from Lahore and Mansehra respectively. The father-daughter duo had earlier sought a seven-day exemption, stating they wanted to be in court when the judgment was announced. However, the plea was dismissed and the verdict was announced in their absence. ||||| Pakistan’s deposed premier Nawaz Sharif was today sentenced in absentia to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment by an anti-graft court in one of the three corruption cases against him in the Panama Papers scandal, dealing a huge blow to his party ahead of the elections on July 25. Sharif’s 44-year-old daughter and co-accused Maryam was given seven years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of two million pounds, while her husband Capt (Retd) Muhammad Safdar was jailed for one year for not cooperating with the anti-graft authorities. Amid tight security, the court delivered the much-anticipated verdict after postponing it for five times during the day in the Avenfield corruption case — pertaining to the ownership of four flats in the posh Avenfield House in London. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the case, along with two others, on the Supreme Court’s directives in the landmark Panamagate verdict last year which disqualified Sharif, the three-time prime minister. Sharif, 68, is currently in London attending to his wife Kulsoom Nawaz who was diagnosed with throat cancer last year. The ruling came weeks before the general elections in Pakistan on July 25 and analysts say it could adversely hit the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the party headed by Sharif. After the verdict, Maryam and Safdar were disqualified from contesting elections. NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi said the accused have 10 days to file an appeal against the verdict. Soon after the verdict, Maryam, considered to be Sharif’s heir apparent, took to Twitter to share this message: “This is a very small punishment for firmly standing in front of unseen forces. The moral to fight against oppression has increased today.” Islamabad-based accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir pronounced the verdict behind closed doors. Earlier, he had rejected the application of the Sharif family seeking a seven-day postponement in the announcement of the verdict. “The court sentenced Sharif to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and fined eight million pounds (over USD 10 million). Maryam was given seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed two million pounds (over USD 2.6 million) and her husband Muhammad Safdar was awarded one-year rigorous imprisonment,” the NAB prosecution team chief Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi told media outside the court. The court also ordered confiscation of Avenfield apartments in favour of Pakistan. The fine money will go into the state treasury. “I congratulate my all prosecution team… It is a victory of the NAB prosecution,” Abbasi said. He also said that the verdict showed that Avenfield apartments were purchased with corruption money and were in the ownership of Sharif family since 1993. According to media reports, Sharif and Maryam were in their apartment in the Avenfield building in London when the decision was announced. Besides Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Safdar, his sons Hassan and Hussain were also co-accused. The two sons never appeared before the court and were declared as absconders. Sharif resigned as Pakistan prime minister last year after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office and ruled that graft cases be filed against the beleaguered leader and his children over the Panama Papers scandal. The Avenfield case hearing lasted for more than nine months and both Sharif and his daughter attended dozens of hearings. During the trial, the NAB presented around 21 witnessed to prove that Sharif family cannot justify the money trail to buy four apartments in Avenfield House, Park Lane, London. It is alleged that the properties were allegedly bought with grant money in 1990s when he served twice as the prime minister. Sharif rejected any wrongdoing and insisted they were bought with the legitimate money. After the conviction, it was not sure if Sharif and Maryam would come back to face rigorous imprisonment. Analysts believe that if they return, it might boost the chances of good showing in elections by the PML-N due to the sympathy vote. Sharif’s nemesis Imran Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) said even before the verdict that Sharif will be sent to jail due to his corruption, as he accused him of using illness of his wife Kulsoom as “emotional blackmail”. “Sharif did not remember his wife while she was under treatment in London and he was holding public meetings across the country,” the cricketer-turned-politician said. ||||| ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—A Pakistani court found former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif guilty of corruption in a verdict that will likely affect the country’s election, a campaign in which his party had been the front-runner. Mr. Sharif, who was prime minister until last year, was sentenced on Friday to 10 years in prison, while his daughter and political heir, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, received a sentence of seven years.
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In the Avenfield corruption case, the court announced a 10 year sentence and 8 million pound fine for the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. His daughter and political heir, Maryam Nawaz, was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment and a 2 million pound fine. Sharif's son-in-law, Muhammad Safdar Awan, received a one-year sentence.
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Official: 54 released from Taliban prison in Afghanistan KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — At least 54 people, including security personnel and civilians, were released from a Taliban prison in southern Helmand province, a provincial official said Tuesday. Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor, said the prisoners were freed after a commando unit raided the prison late Monday night in Musa Qala district. Zwak said there were 32 civilians, 16 police, four soldiers and two military doctors who had been locked up by the insurgents. He said security forces were still securing the area. The Taliban did not immediately comment on the raid, but the insurgents are in control of the majority of the districts in Helmand, where they have increased their attacks against provincial officials and security forces. The Taliban have long refused direct talks with the Afghan government, demanding instead to negotiate with the U.S. The militants maintained that position despite Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's unilateral extension of a holiday cease-fire last month in hopes of encouraging the militants to come to the bargaining table. When the Taliban continued to mount deadly attacks, Ghani ordered government forces to resume military operations this month. Trump administration officials said Monday for the first time that the U.S. would be open to holding direct talks with the Taliban to encourage negotiations between the militant group and the Afghan government to end 17 years of war. They said that Afghan-to-Afghan negotiations remain the goal of any engagement with the militants, however. That marks a tactical shift by the administration, which previously only appeared willing to participate in discussions with the Taliban if those talks also involved the Afghan government. The officials were not authorized to speak to media and requested anonymity. The unprecedented, three-day cease-fire by both sides had offered a rare glimpse of peace for Afghans during which militants fraternized with security force members. The U.S. invaded Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and ousted the Taliban government that had hosted al-Qaida. It still has about 15,000 troops in Afghanistan, mostly for training government forces. ||||| WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is open to holding direct talks with the Taliban to encourage negotiations between the militant group and the Afghan government to end 17 years of war, U.S. officials said Monday. That marks a tactical shift by the Trump administration, which has previously only appeared willing to participate in discussions with the Taliban if those talks also involve the Afghan government. The U.S. officials said that Afghan-to-Afghan negotiation remains the goal of any engagement with the militants. The officials were not authorized to speak to media and requested anonymity. The Taliban have long refused direct talks with the Afghan government, demanding instead to negotiate with Washington. The militants have persisted in that stance despite Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's unilateral extension of a holiday cease-fire last month in hopes of encouraging the militants to come to the bargaining table. With the Taliban continuing to mount deadly attacks, Ghani ordered government forces to resume military operations this month. The unprecedented, three-day cease-fire by both sides had offered a rare glimpse of peace for Afghans during which militants fraternized with security force members. A Taliban official in the small Gulf Arab nation of Qatar told The Associated Press on Monday that no American official or intermediary has been in touch with them to start direct talks, and it had only heard of it in the media. The administration's willingness to hold direct talks with the Taliban was first reported by The New York Times on Sunday. The Taliban official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was authorized to speak to journalists, said, "We wait for them to officially inform us." But he added that if the U.S. is interested in talks, it should take steps to get Taliban leaders off a sanctions blacklist and support the formal opening of the Taliban office in Qatar where its political representatives reside. The official reiterated the Taliban's call for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. Asked if the U.S. was willing to hold direct talks with the Taliban, the State Department said Monday, the United States "is exploring all avenues to advance a peace process in close consultation with the Afghan government." The department added that "any negotiations over the political future of Afghanistan will be between the Taliban and Afghan government." Last August, President Donald Trump launched an Afghanistan strategy that centered on boosting the capabilities of Afghan security forces and aiming — with help from Pakistan and other interested nations — to compel the militants to negotiate. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Afghanistan last week to reinforce its support for talks. "The United States will support, facilitate, and participate in these peace discussions, but peace must be decided by the Afghans and settled among them. We expect that these peace talks will include a discussion of the role of international actors and forces," Pompeo said after meeting Ghani in Kabul on July 9. The U.S. invaded Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and ousted the Taliban government that had hosted al-Qaida. It has about 15,000 troops in Afghanistan, mostly for training government forces. The conflict appears stalemated, with insurgents controlling or contesting more than 40 percent of the country. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said Sunday that 1,692 civilians were killed in violence in the first six months of this year, the highest six-month death toll since the systematic documentation of civilian casualties started in 2009. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is open to holding direct talks with the Taliban to encourage negotiations between the militant group and the Afghan government to end 17 years of war, U.S. officials said. That marks a tactical shift by the Trump administration, which has previously only appeared willing to participate in discussions with the Taliban if those talks also involve the Afghan government. The U.S. officials said Monday that Afghan-to-Afghan negotiation remains the goal of any engagement with the militants. The officials were not authorized to speak to media and requested anonymity. The Taliban have long refused direct talks with the Afghan government, demanding instead to negotiate with Washington. The militants have persisted in that stance despite Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s unilateral extension of a holiday cease-fire last month in hopes of encouraging the militants to come to the bargaining table. With the Taliban continuing to mount deadly attacks, Ghani ordered government forces to resume military operations this month. The unprecedented, three-day cease-fire by both sides had offered a rare glimpse of peace for Afghans during which militants fraternized with security force members. A Taliban official in the small Gulf Arab nation of Qatar told The Associated Press on Monday that no American official or intermediary has been in touch with them to start direct talks, and it had only heard of it in the media. The administration’s willingness to hold direct talks with the Taliban was first reported by The New York Times on Sunday. The Taliban official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was authorized to speak to journalists, said, “We wait for them to officially inform us.” But he added that if the U.S. is interested in talks, it should take steps to get Taliban leaders off a sanctions blacklist and support the formal opening of the Taliban office in Qatar where its political representatives reside. The official reiterated the Taliban’s call for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. Asked if the U.S. was willing to hold direct talks with the Taliban, the State Department said Monday, the United States “is exploring all avenues to advance a peace process in close consultation with the Afghan government.” The department added that “any negotiations over the political future of Afghanistan will be between the Taliban and Afghan government.” Last August, President Donald Trump launched an Afghanistan strategy that centered on boosting the capabilities of Afghan security forces and aiming — with help from Pakistan and other interested nations — to compel the militants to negotiate. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Afghanistan last week to reinforce its support for talks. “The United States will support, facilitate, and participate in these peace discussions, but peace must be decided by the Afghans and settled among them. We expect that these peace talks will include a discussion of the role of international actors and forces,” Pompeo said after meeting Ghani in Kabul on July 9. The U.S. invaded Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and ousted the Taliban government that had hosted al-Qaida. It has about 15,000 troops in Afghanistan, mostly for training government forces. The conflict appears stalemated, with insurgents controlling or contesting more than 40 percent of the country. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said Sunday that 1,692 civilians were killed in violence in the first six months of this year, the highest six-month death toll since the systematic documentation of civilian casualties started in 2009. ||||| KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Latest on developments (all times local): An Afghan official says Taliban insurgents attacked police checkpoints in southern Kandahar province, killing nine police. Daud Ahmadi, spokesman for the provincial governor in Kandahar, says Tuesday that seven other police were wounded late Monday in the attack in Arghistan district. Zia Durrani, provincial police spokesmen, says 25 Taliban were killed and 15 others wounded in the battle. Arghistan is one of the violate districts of Kandahar close to Pakistani border. An Afghan official says an Islamic State suicide bomber has killed 20 people in northern Afghanistan, including a Taliban commander. Abdul Qayuom Baqizoi, provincial chief police of northern Sar-i-Pul province, said the attack Tuesday took place as village elders met with Taliban officials in the area. In northern Afghanistan, Taliban and the Islamic State group have been waging bitter battles in recent days. As many as 100 insurgents from both the Taliban and Islamic State have perished in recent battles, said Baqizoi. Provincial council chief Mohammed Noor Rahman said the explosion occurred in a mosque as a funeral was taking place. The area is remote and it was impossible to reconcile the differing accounts. An Afghan official says at least 54 people, including security personnel and civilians, have been released from a Taliban prison in southern Helmand province. Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor, said Tuesday the prisoners were freed after a commando unit raided the prison late Monday night in Musa Qala district. Zwak said there were 32 civilians, 16 police, four soldiers and two military doctors who had been locked up by the insurgents. He said security forces were still securing the area. The Taliban did not immediately comment on the raid, but the insurgents are in control of the majority of the districts in Helmand, where they have increased their attacks against provincial officials and security forces. ||||| The Latest: Afghan official says Taliban kill 9 in Kandahar KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Latest on developments (all times local): An Afghan official says Taliban insurgents attacked police checkpoints in southern Kandahar province, killing nine police. Daud Ahmadi, spokesman for the provincial governor in Kandahar, says Tuesday that seven other police were wounded late Monday in the attack in Arghistan district. Zia Durrani, provincial police spokesmen, says 25 Taliban were killed and 15 others wounded in the battle. Arghistan is one of the violate districts of Kandahar close to Pakistani border. An Afghan official says an Islamic State suicide bomber has killed 20 people in northern Afghanistan, including a Taliban commander. Abdul Qayuom Baqizoi, provincial chief police of northern Sar-i-Pul province, said the attack Tuesday took place as village elders met with Taliban officials in the area. In northern Afghanistan, Taliban and the Islamic State group have been waging bitter battles in recent days. As many as 100 insurgents from both the Taliban and Islamic State have perished in recent battles, said Baqizoi. Provincial council chief Mohammed Noor Rahman said the explosion occurred in a mosque as a funeral was taking place. The area is remote and it was impossible to reconcile the differing accounts. An Afghan official says at least 54 people, including security personnel and civilians, have been released from a Taliban prison in southern Helmand province. Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor, said Tuesday the prisoners were freed after a commando unit raided the prison late Monday night in Musa Qala district. Zwak said there were 32 civilians, 16 police, four soldiers and two military doctors who had been locked up by the insurgents. He said security forces were still securing the area. The Taliban did not immediately comment on the raid, but the insurgents are in control of the majority of the districts in Helmand, where they have increased their attacks against provincial officials and security forces. ||||| A National Army soldier stands guard near a deadly attack outside the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, July 15, 2018. An Afghan official said several people were killed and others wounded when a suicide bomber detonated his suicide vest in the country's capital. less A National Army soldier stands guard near a deadly attack outside the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, July 15, 2018. An Afghan official said several people were ... more Security personnel patrol near the site of a deadly attack outside the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, July 15, 2018. An Afghan official said several people were killed and others wounded when a suicide bomber detonated his suicide vest in the country's capital. less Security personnel patrol near the site of a deadly attack outside the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, July 15, 2018. An Afghan official said several people were ... more KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban stormed a police checkpoint in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province and killed seven policemen, a provincial official said Monday. The attack took place the previous night in the district of Ghani Kahil, said the provincial police chief, Ghulam Sanayee Stanikzai. Five Taliban fighters were killed in the attack, he said. Stanikzai also said that in Khogyani district, also in Nangarhar province, a government airstrike on Sunday night left 20 Taliban fighters dead. There was no statement from the Taliban on either the Ghani Kahil attack or the airstrike. Earlier on Sunday, a suicide bomber on foot struck outside the building of the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry in the capital, Kabul, killing seven people and wounding 15. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement Monday on its Aamaq news agency, saying it targeted government employees and warning their attacks will reach "all who help the Crusaders," a term militants use to refer to foreign forces. Last month, a suicide bombing near the same ministry killed 12 people and wounded 31 others, mostly government employees. On Monday, a would-be suicide attacker was shot and killed by police in Kabul before he was able to get close to a gathering of supporters of the country's first vice president, Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, according to police spokesman Hashmat Stanekzai. Dostum is currently in Turkey. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both Taliban and the Islamic State group have stepped up their attacks in Kabul. Meanwhile, intense week-long battles have been underway between the Taliban and IS in northern Jawzjan province, according to Gen. Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani, the provincial police chief. Jawzjani said on Monday that around 70 Islamic State fighters and 54 Taliban insurgents may have been killed in the fighting in districts of Darzab and Qushtipa. The information, which came from the rival sides, could not be immediately verified by the security forces, Jawzjani also said. "Both sides are using small arms against each other, with their battles mainly taking place in the villages of both districts," he added. A statement from the Taliban said that along with killing 70 IS fighters, including five top leaders in Darzab, 21 others were captured in battle. There was no immediate comment from IS. Associated Press writer Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report. ||||| US open to direct talks with Taliban, officials say WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is open to holding direct talks with the Taliban to encourage negotiations between the militant group and the Afghan government to end 17 years of war, U.S. officials said Monday. That marks a tactical shift by the Trump administration, which has previously only appeared willing to participate in discussions with the Taliban if those talks also involve the Afghan government. The U.S. officials said that Afghan-to-Afghan negotiation remains the goal of any engagement with the militants. The officials were not authorized to speak to media and requested anonymity. The Taliban have long refused direct talks with the Afghan government, demanding instead to negotiate with Washington. The militants have persisted in that stance despite Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's unilateral extension of a holiday cease-fire last month in hopes of encouraging the militants to come to the bargaining table. With the Taliban continuing to mount deadly attacks, Ghani ordered government forces to resume military operations this month. The unprecedented, three-day cease-fire by both sides had offered a rare glimpse of peace for Afghans during which militants fraternized with security force members. A Taliban official in the small Gulf Arab nation of Qatar told The Associated Press on Monday that no American official or intermediary has been in touch with them to start direct talks, and it had only heard of it in the media. The administration's willingness to hold direct talks with the Taliban was first reported by The New York Times on Sunday. The Taliban official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was authorized to speak to journalists, said, "We wait for them to officially inform us." But he added that if the U.S. is interested in talks, it should take steps to get Taliban leaders off a sanctions blacklist and support the formal opening of the Taliban office in Qatar where its political representatives reside. The official reiterated the Taliban's call for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. Asked if the U.S. was willing to hold direct talks with the Taliban, the State Department said Monday, the United States "is exploring all avenues to advance a peace process in close consultation with the Afghan government." The department added that "any negotiations over the political future of Afghanistan will be between the Taliban and Afghan government." Last August, President Donald Trump launched an Afghanistan strategy that centered on boosting the capabilities of Afghan security forces and aiming — with help from Pakistan and other interested nations — to compel the militants to negotiate. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Afghanistan last week to reinforce its support for talks. "The United States will support, facilitate, and participate in these peace discussions, but peace must be decided by the Afghans and settled among them. We expect that these peace talks will include a discussion of the role of international actors and forces," Pompeo said after meeting Ghani in Kabul on July 9. The U.S. invaded Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and ousted the Taliban government that had hosted al-Qaida. It has about 15,000 troops in Afghanistan, mostly for training government forces. The conflict appears stalemated, with insurgents controlling or contesting more than 40 percent of the country. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said Sunday that 1,692 civilians were killed in violence in the first six months of this year, the highest six-month death toll since the systematic documentation of civilian casualties started in 2009. ||||| Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanekzai said a suicide bomber on foot struck outside the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry. The shift to prioritise initial US talks with the Taliban over what has proved a futile "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" process stems from a realisation by both Afghan and American officials that President Donald Trump's new Afghanistan strategy is not making a fundamental difference in rolling back Taliban gains. While no date for any talks has been set, and the effort could still be derailed, the willingness of the US to pursue direct talks is an indication of the sense of urgency in the administration to break the stalemate in Afghanistan. An Afghan man carries an empty coffin in the hospital following a deadly attack outside the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday. Not long after he took office, Trump reluctantly agreed to provide more resources to his field commanders fighting the Taliban, adding a few thousand troops to bring the US total to about 15,000. But a year later the insurgent group continues to threaten Afghan districts and cities and inflict heavy casualties on the country's security forces. The government controls or influences 229 of Afghanistan's 407 districts, and the Taliban 59. The remaining 119 districts are contested, according the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, which was created by Congress to monitor progress in the country. Providing more authority to U.S. diplomats, a move that was decided on last month by Trump's national security aides, is seen as part of a wider push to inject new momentum into efforts to end the war. Those efforts include a rare ceasefire last month, increased US pressure on Pakistan to stop providing sanctuary to Taliban leaders and a rallying of Islamic nations against the insurgency's ideology. Grassroots peace movements in the region have also increased pressure on all sides. Taliban fighters ride in their vehicle in Surkhroad district of Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday. Over the past few weeks senior American officials have flown to Afghanistan and Pakistan to lay the groundwork for direct US-Taliban talks. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo briefly visited the Afghan capital, Kabul, last week, and Alice G. Wells, the top diplomat for the region, spent several days holding talks with major players in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Efforts have particularly focused on trying to persuade the Afghan leadership that such talks are not a replacement for negotiations with the country's coalition government, but are meant to break the ice and pave the way for those. Because the previous Afghan government felt left out of peace efforts during the Obama administration, it resisted direct talks, which was one reason peace efforts at that time collapsed. Neither the State Department nor a Taliban spokesman would comment on the shift of policy toward engaging the Taliban directly. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives at Camp Alvarado in Kabul, Afghanistan after meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on July 9. Wells, during her trip to Kabul, reported a new "energy and impulse for everyone to renew their efforts to find a negotiated settlement," largely as a result of the ceasefire. Days earlier, Pompeo, in a statement, said that there would be no precondition for talks — and that everything, including the presence of US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, was up for discussion. President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan said last month at a news conference that the peace process would be a complicated, layered effort rolled out in phases that were still in the preparatory stage. He left open the possibility of a more direct US role in the early efforts. "Various ideas, creative ideas are floating on how to break this logjam and get started," Ghani said. A near-consensus has grown among American and Afghan officials involved in earlier and current efforts to fire up a peace process that the only way out of the war is for the United States to take a more direct role in negotiations. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, right, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, hug following a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 9. That realisation rests on several facts: that the Taliban are a stubborn insurgency, that they have not budged on their demand to talk directly with the Americans, and that the Afghan government, mired in infighting and marred by political opposition, would struggle to lead a cohesive peace agenda without American help. Officials have been moving with a sense of urgency because Trump has expressed his frustration with the war and is desperate to see its end, said a senior US official. During last week's NATO summit meeting in Brussels, Trump expressed agreement with a reporter's question that contained the notion that "people are fed up" with the Afghan war. "Yeah," Trump said on Thursday. "I agree with that. I very much agree. It's been going on for a long time. We've made a lot of progress, but it's been going on for a long time." An important distinguishing factor of the recent push, according to officials involved in previous efforts, is that the US military seems very much on board. In 2011, when the Obama administration first shifted to a policy of ending the war through negotiations, military commanders still believed they could defeat the Taliban. Now, they define their goal more modestly: keeping the Taliban from victory until a political settlement is reached. Even if talks do begin again, many observers point to how difficult they will be. ||||| KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan official says the Taliban stormed a police checkpoint in eastern Nangarhar province, killing seven policemen. Provincial police chief Ghulam Sanayee Stanikzai said Monday that the attack took place the previous night in the district of Ghani Kahil. He says that five Taliban fighters were killed in the attack. Stanikzai says that in Khogyani district, also in Nangarhar province, a government airstrike on Sunday night left 20 Taliban fighters dead. There was no statement from the Taliban on either the Ghani Kahil attack or the airstrike. Earlier on Sunday, a suicide bomber on foot struck outside a ministry building in the capital, Kabul, killing seven people and wounding 15. Last month, a suicide bombing near the same ministry killed 12 people and wounding 31 others, mostly government employees. ||||| KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan official says the Taliban stormed a police checkpoint in eastern Nangarhar province, killing seven policemen. Provincial police chief Ghulam Sanayee Stanikzai said Monday that the attack took place the previous night in the district of Ghani Kahil. He says that five Taliban fighters were killed in the attack. Stanikzai says that in Khogyani district, also in Nangarhar province, a government airstrike on Sunday night left 20 Taliban fighters dead. There was no statement from the Taliban on either the Ghani Kahil attack or the airstrike. Earlier on Sunday, a suicide bomber on foot struck outside a ministry building in the capital, Kabul, killing seven people and wounding 15. Last month, a suicide bombing near the same ministry killed 12 people and wounding 31 others, mostly government employees.
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An ISIL suicide bomber killed 20 people in northern Afghanistan on Tuesday, including a Taliban commander. In southern Kandahar province, the Taliban attacked a police checkpoint in Arghistan district late on Monday night, killing nine policemen and wounding seven. 25 Taliban fighters were killed and 15 were wounded in the ensuing battle.
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Charred remains of a flatbread baked about 14,500 years ago in a stone fireplace at a site in northeastern Jordan have given researchers a delectable surprise: people began making bread, a vital staple food, millennia before they developed agriculture. Amaia Arranz-Otaegui, a University of Copenhagen postdoctoral researcher in archaeobotany, and Ali Shakaiteer, a local assistant to researchers working at an archeological site in the Black Desert in northeastern Jordan, are seen collecting wheat in this image provided July 16, 2018. Joe Roe/Handout via REUTERS No matter how you slice it, the discovery detailed on Monday shows that hunter-gatherers in the Eastern Mediterranean achieved the cultural milestone of bread-making far earlier than previously known, more than 4,000 years before plant cultivation took root. The flatbread, likely unleavened and somewhat resembling pita bread, was fashioned from wild cereals such as barley, einkorn or oats, as well as tubers from an aquatic papyrus relative, that had been ground into flour. It was made by a culture called the Natufians, who had begun to embrace a sedentary rather than nomadic lifestyle, and was found at a Black Desert archeological site. “The presence of bread at a site of this age is exceptional,” said Amaia Arranz-Otaegui, a University of Copenhagen postdoctoral researcher in archaeobotany and lead author of the research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Arranz-Otaegui said until now the origins of bread had been associated with early farming societies that cultivated cereals and legumes. The previous oldest evidence of bread came from a 9,100-year-old site in Turkey. “We now have to assess whether there was a relationship between bread production and the origins of agriculture,” Arranz-Otaegui said. “It is possible that bread may have provided an incentive for people to take up plant cultivation and farming, if it became a desirable or much-sought-after food.” University of Copenhagen archeologist and study co-author Tobias Richter pointed to the nutritional implications of adding bread to the diet. “Bread provides us with an important source of carbohydrates and nutrients, including B vitamins, iron and magnesium, as well as fiber,” Richter said. Abundant evidence from the site indicated the Natufians had a meat- and plant-based diet. The round floor fireplaces, made from flat basalt stones and measuring about a yard (meter) in diameter, were located in the middle of huts. Arranz-Otaegui said the researchers have begun the process of trying to reproduce the bread, and succeeded in making flour from the type of tubers used in the prehistoric recipe. But it might have been an acquired taste. “The taste of the tubers,” Arranz-Otaegui said, “is quite gritty and salty. But it is a bit sweet as well.” ||||| Historians and archaeologists have traditionally linked bread to the dawn of agriculture, when people domesticated plants such as wheat, cultivated them and ground them into flour. But a new discovery of blackened crumbs at an ancient stone building in the Middle East indicates that people were baking bread thousands of years earlier. Based on the radiocarbon dates of charred plants in nearby fireplaces, the food scraps are about 14,400 years old. That's about 4,000 years before agriculture emerged, according to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “Our work shows that bread was not a product of settled, complex societies but a Paleolithic hunter-gatherer society,” said study author Amaia Arranz Otaegui, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Copenhagen. Bread is an important food. Just look at a few of its many associations. We attach the word "bread" to the words "board," "basket," "crumb" and "winner." Bread gave English speakers the word “lord,” from the Old English word "hlafweard," which can be translated to "loaf-ward" (or, if you like, “keeper of the bread”). Despite its few ingredients — flour, water and dry heat — bread is very nutritious. The finer the plant matter, the easier it is to digest and absorb nutrients, said Dolores Piperno, a Smithsonian Institution archaeobotanist who was not affiliated with this research. Some ground and baked foods such as bread have become carbohydrate villains in modern diet advice books, including "paleo" diets that claim to mimic what our ancestors ate. But hunter-gatherers would have welcomed bread's ability to boost blood sugar. The people who built the ancient structure, members of what's called the Natufian culture, struggled in a “hostile environment to gain more energy from their food,” said Ehud Weiss, an archaeobotanist at Bar-Ilan University in Israel who was not involved with the study. Archaeologists found the bread remains in sediment samples at a site named Shubayqa 1 in Jordan. The structure was oval with a fireplace in the center, and its builders carefully laid stones into the ground. Arranz Otaegui said she did not know whether the building was a dwelling or had other, perhaps ceremonial, purposes. Sifting through the sediment, Arranz Otaegui noticed samples she couldn't place at first; they were not seeds, nuts or charred wood. Instead, they looked just like the crumbs that accumulate at the bottom of a toaster. Study author and University College London graduate student Lara Gonzalez Carretero, using Natufian technology, has been experimentally re-creating the flour and dough. Pores in the samples mimicked the bubbles that appeared in the re-created bread. “The main criteria on the identification of bread is its porous texture,” Arranz Otaegui said. “If we take other foodstuffs like porridge or gruel, we will see pieces of grain but not all these micro-pores.” She said the closest common bread to these crumbs might be a pita, but she also said the Natufian bread was probably unleavened, like matzoh or tortillas. Archaeologists knew that hunter-gatherers in this region could grind and bake food, according to Weiss. “The Shubayqa breadlike find is, however, the first of its kind,” he said. Cereal plants are high in calories. The traditional view was that early farmers domesticated those plants first, and then bakers began to turn cereals into bread. Study author Dorian Fuller, a professor of archaeobotany at University College London, said the discovery made him question “whether domestication was really driven by caloric necessity,” as has been claimed. The Natufian people collected wild wheat and barley. An analysis of the starch in the crumbs revealed the presence of oats. But these ancient hunter-gatherers also ground a tuber called "club rush" into their bread. The tubers are “quite gritty and salty,” Arranz Otaegui said, but in experiments they were ground nicely into flour. Piperno said that Arranz Otaegui and her colleagues were “justifiably cautious” in ascribing any sort of importance to this bread. It was unclear to the study authors whether these breads were regularly eaten or occasional meals, or perhaps even luxury foods; other researchers have suggested that bread and beer were consumed during Natufian feasts. From beer to bread and back again to solve ‘the world’s dumbest problem’ Another problem with cannibalism: Humans actually aren’t very filling ||||| The world's oldest known bread was unearthed in Jordan recently, according to The Jerusalem Post. Made from wild grains such as barley, einkorn or oats, and also tubers from an aquatic papyrus relative, the ingredients were ground into flour and made into a bread that was probably unleavened, a flatbread resembling modern-day pita bread. What's important about this discovery is that the remains of the charred bread are more than 5,000 years older than the bread that last held the oldest-bread-ever-discovered title, found on a site in Turkey. That ancient bread was about 9,100 years old. The bread found in Jordan is about 14,500 years old. The recently discovered bread made by a group called the Natufians was baked more than 4,000 years before cultures starting cultivating plants. A nomadic lifestyle doesn't lend itself to farming, but the Natufians seem to be one of the first to live a stay-in-one-place life. This discovery poses some questions about the origins of agriculture. It was previously believed that bread came after people started cultivating plants. Now, it's more of a chicken-or-egg type question. Which came first, bread making or agriculture? Did farming lead to bread making? Or, did some culture, perhaps the Natufians, figure out how to make bread and upon the first bite feel the same way about bread that Oprah does? Did the joy of bread inspire them to stay put and farm? As anthropologists, archeologists, historians and food scientists try to figure out that answer, one thing is probably for sure. Someone is going to decide that since this is the oldest bread known to man, it's the purest, cleanest, most ancient form of eating. So, get ready for the Aquatic Papyrus Tuber Diet. Just wait and see. ||||| LONDON-Scientists have discovered the earliest known evidence of bread-making, from a 14,000-year-old dig site. The bake would have looked like a flatbread and tasted a bit like today’s multi-grain varieties, they say. Our ancestors may have used the bread as a wrap for roasted meat. Thus, as well as being the oldest bread, it may also have been the oldest sandwich. The find, from the Black Desert in Jordan, pushes back the first evidence for bread by more than 5,000 years. The stone age bread-makers took flour made from wild wheat and barley, mix it with the pulverised roots of plants, added water, and then baked it. The product would have looked like a flatbread and tasted a bit like today’s multi-grain bread, they say. “This is the earliest evidence we have for what we could really call a cuisine, in that it’s a mixed food product,” Prof Dorian Fuller of University College London told BBC News. “They’ve got flatbreads, and they’ve got roasted gazelle and so forth, and that’s something they are then using to make a meal.” Bread has long been part of our staple diet. But little is known about the origins of bread-making. Until now, the oldest evidence of bread came from Turkey; those finds are 9,000 years old. Scientists uncovered two buildings, each containing a large circular stone fireplace within which charred bread crumbs were found. Analysed under the microscope, the bread samples showed tell-tale signs of grinding, sieving and kneading. Dr Amaia Arranz-Otaegui of the University of Copenhagen, who discovered the remains of the bread, said it was the last thing they expected to find at the site. “Bread is a powerful link between our past and present food cultures,” she said. “It connects us with our prehistoric ancestors.” The bread would have been made in several stages, including “grinding cereals and club-rush tubers to obtain fine flour, mixing of flour with water to produce dough, and baking the dough in the hot ashes of a fireplace or in a hot flat-stone”, she explained. The people living in the area at the time were hunter gatherers. They would have hunted gazelle and trapped smaller animals such as hares and birds. They also foraged for plant foods such as nuts, fruits and wild cereals. The researchers think the bread was made when people gathered together for a celebration or feast. This happened before the advent of farming, when people started growing cereal crops and keeping animals. This raises the intriguing possibility that growing cereals for bread may have been the driving force behind farming. “The significance of this bread is that it shows investment of extra effort into making food that has mixed ingredients,” said Prof Fuller. “So, making some sort of a recipe, and that implies that bread played a special role for special occasions. “That in turn suggests one of the possible motivations as to why people later chose to cultivate and domesticate wheat and barley, because wheat and barley were species that already had a special place in terms of special foods.” The bread was unleavened and would have resembled a wrap, pitta bread or chapatti. Researchers have tried to reconstruct the recipe in the lab. They say the mixed grains gave the bread a nutty flavour, much like today’s multi-grain loaves. Lara González Carretero, from the UCL Institute of Archaeology, who is an expert on prehistoric bread, examined the 24 crumbs under an electron microscope. “This would be a bread made of wild wheat and wild barley flour, mixed with water, and cooked on a hearth on a fireplace,” she said. “There’s also the addition of wild tuber flour into it which gives a slightly nutty, bitter flavour to it.” ||||| Dear Reader, As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analyses from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. WASHINGTON - Charred remains of a flatbread baked about 14,500 years ago in a stone fireplace at a site in northeastern Jordan have given researchers a delectable surprise: people began making bread, a vital staple food, millennia before they developed agriculture. No matter how you slice it, the discovery detailed on Monday shows that hunter-gatherers in the Eastern Mediterranean achieved the cultural milestone of bread-making far earlier than previously known, more than 4,000 years before plant cultivation took root. The flatbread, likely unleavened and somewhat resembling pita bread, was fashioned from wild cereals such as barley, einkorn or oats, as well as tubers from an aquatic papyrus relative, that had been ground into flour.It was made by a culture called the Natufians, who had begun to embrace a sedentary rather than nomadic lifestyle, and was found at a Black Desert archeological site."The presence of bread at a site of this age is exceptional," said Amaia Arranz-Otaegui, a University of Copenhagen postdoctoral researcher in archaeobotany and lead author of the research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Arranz-Otaegui said until now the origins of bread had been associated with early farming societies that cultivated cereals and legumes. The previous oldest evidence of bread came from a 9,100-year-old site in Turkey."We now have to assess whether there was a relationship between bread production and the origins of agriculture," Arranz-Otaegui said. "It is possible that bread may have provided an incentive for people to take up plant cultivation and farming, if it became a desirable or much-sought-after food."University of Copenhagen archeologist and study co-author Tobias Richter pointed to the nutritional implications of adding bread to the diet. "Bread provides us with an important source of carbohydrates and nutrients, including B vitamins, iron and magnesium, as well as fiber," Richter said.Abundant evidence from the site indicated the Natufians had a meat and plant-based diet. The round floor fireplaces, made from flat basalt stones and measuring about a meter in diameter, were located in the middle of huts.Arranz-Otaegui said the researchers have begun the process of trying to reproduce the bread, and succeeded in making flour from the type of tubers used in the prehistoric recipe. But it might have been an acquired taste."The taste of the tubers," Arranz-Otaegui said, "is quite gritty and salty. But it is a bit sweet as well." ||||| Archaeologists have discovered the burnt remains of a bread baked 14,400 years ago, more than 4,000 years before the advent of agriculture. The findings, excavated in northeastern Jordan’s Black Desert, reveal the oldest direct evidence of bread and are discussed Monday in the journal PNAS. Twenty-four bread-like discoveries were found in two fireplaces in a Natufian hunter-gatherer site known as Shubayqa 1. “The presence of hundreds of charred food remains in the fireplaces from Shubayqa 1 is an exceptional find, and it has given us the chance to characterize 14,000-year-old food practices,” said University of Copenhagen archaeobotanist Amaia Arranz Otaegui, the first author of the report, who is now on a dig in Iran. “So now we know that bread-like products were produced long before the development of farming,” Otaegui said, adding that the bread production could have contributed to the agricultural revolution of the Neolithic period. The Epipaleolithic period bread was made of domesticated cereals and club-rush tubers, according to the study. Otaegui said she tasted the tubers they used, and “they were a little sweet and a bit salty and had a gritty texture, but maybe that’s because we didn’t clean them well enough.” Previously, evidence of bread production was found in late Neolithic sites in Turkey and the Netherlands. The charred remains in Jordan are the first direct evidence that bread production preceded agriculture. “Natufian hunter-gatherers are of particular interest to us because they lived through a transitional period when people became more sedentary and their diet began to change,” said University of Copenhagen archaeologist Tobias Richter, who led the excavations. The authors of the report noted that cereal-based foodstuffs were difficult to make. Hunter-gatherers may have considered them luxury foods “employed to impress invited guests and secure prestige for the hosts.” “It is quite interesting,” said food technologist Antonella Pasqualone, who did not work on this study but as a professor at the University of Bari specializes in cereal science and technology, and who has written several studies on bread. “Flat bread presents numerous advantages over ‘high’ and voluminous bread loaves, and in my opinion, a plausible hypothesis is that this kind of bread could be a perfect bridge between hunter-gatherers and stable farmers,” Pasqualone said. Flat bread doesn’t need a large oven, but it “could be baked simply by covering by sand and embers or by laying down the dough on a metal or a terracotta plate placed on the fire,” she said. “Finally, flat breads could be easily transported with little encumbrance by stacking them on top of each other.” “I think this offers a whole new perspective about the possibility of bread in this time period. The evidence is quite convincing,” said Patrick McGovern, scientific director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Laboratory for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages, and Health at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia. McGovern, who was not involved in the study, also suspects that researchers might be seeing some evidence of beer making, but there would need to be more evidence. He’s written extensively about the art of ancient beer making in the books “Uncorking the Past” and “Ancient Brews: Rediscovered and Re-created.” He thinks it’s powerful to be able to look at the ancient past and see connections to today. “They are very similar people to us, but they don’t have the modern tools we do and may have been more in touch with the natural world,” McGovern said. “If you think about it, if you are only living to 20, you will be looking to your environment for anything that will extend your life, help your diet or cure disease. All these carbohydrate resources and herbs become very important.” Otaegui said she hopes to work with some modern chefs to try to make the ancient recipe. “Bread is such an important staple, but it also has this additional powerful place in contemporary culture with links to religion and important ceremonies. Finding this link for us to the past and our ancestors was the last thing we expected to find, but it was a good surprise for sure.” ||||| For the dilettante, laypeople who aren't obsessed with the science of baking, bread is pretty boring. But as the oldest bread discovered in the history of humanity attests, bread can be pretty fascinating when its unearthed from a hole in the ground after being buried for 14,000 years. In fact, the remnants of this very old bread discovered in northeastern Jordan, predate the advent of the "Neolithic agricultural way of life," according to researchers, who published their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Scientists didn't dig up whole loaves of bread, but rather charred crumbs that were used to make "flatbread-like products" millennia ago. University of Copenhagen archaeobotanist Amaia Arranz Otaegui told CNN the crumbs were a momentous find: "So now we know that bread-like products were produced long before the development of farming," she said. In total, "Twenty-four bread-like discoveries were found in two fireplaces in a Natufian hunter-gatherer site known as Shubayqa 1," per CNN's report. ||||| The scraps are believed to be about 14,400 years old — some 4,000 years before agriculture emerged, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The breadcrumbs were discovered at the Black Desert archeological site in north-eastern Jordan. It is believed a fireplace was used to bake the bread. Amaia Arranz-Otaegui, a University of Copenhagen postdoctoral researcher in archaeology and lead author of the research, told Euronews the discovery "changes many things... we always believed bread was not a product of hunter-gatherers" Historians have traditionally linked bread to the dawn of agriculture when people cultivated plants such as wheat and ground them into flour. Arranz-Otaegu made the unexpected discovery in the lab while looking through her soil samples. She says she found the charred crumbs but could not tell what they were. Her colleague then looked at the samples and said: "It looks like bread." They were both shocked as they realised they were holding evidence of oldest bread in the world. The bread is believed to be made by a culture called the Natufians. The hunter-gatherers embraced a sedentary rather than nomadic lifestyle. "We already knew the Natufians were complex, they started building with stone and made artistic manifestations. The production of bread adds to that, they started doing lots of things that were the start of everything really," Arranz-Otaegu said. The bread would have resembled a flatbread such as a pitta and was made out of wild cereals such as barley, einkorn or oats, as well as tubers from an aquatic papyrus relative, that had been ground into flour. Arranz-Otaegu said there are now many more questions to ask, such as if the bread was a staple or specialty. She believes the latter. Researchers have tried to reconstruct the recipe. "We don't really know what it would have tasted like" but "the texture was gritty, a little bit salty, and a little sweet," Arranz-Otaegu said. "I think it is something you could eat if you were open-minded." ||||| Archaeologists have found the charred remains of bread crumbs in Jordan's Black Desert that are believed to be the oldest evidence of bread ever discovered. The crumbs were found in two fireplaces. Through radiocarbon-dating, archaeologists concluded that the fireplaces were used over 14,000 years ago. "Our finds provide empirical data to demonstrate that the preparation and consumption of bread-like products predated the emergence of agriculture by at least 4,000 years," the study's authors — Amaia Arranz-Otaegui, Lara Gonzalez Carretero, Monica N. Ramsey, Dorian Q. Fuller, and Tobias Richter — said. "Bread has been seen as a product of agriculturist, settled societies, but our evidence from Jordan now basically predates the onset of plant cultivation ... by at least 3,000 years," said Richter, from the University of Copenhagen, noting that fully-fledged agriculture in the Levant is believed to have emerged around 8,000 BC, according to The Guardian. "So bread was being made by hunter-gatherers before they started to cultivate any plants." Prior to the discovery of the burnt crumbs, the oldest known evidence of bread was unearthed in Turkey. Those remnants of ancient bread were said to be 9,000 years old at the time they were found. Some of the food remains from Jordan were made of wheat, rye, millets, oat, and barley. Some included noncereal components. Professor Dorian Fuller of the University College London told the BBC that the bread crumbs found in Jordan double as the "earliest evidence we have for what we could really call a cuisine, in that it's a mixed food product." The archaeologists believe that the bread would resemble the flatbreads that are widely eaten today. The process of making the bread was said to have involved grinding up cereals and club-rush tubers first so that the bakers would have flour to use. They would have then taken the flour and mixed it together with water to create the dough, and the final stage of the bread-making process would have involved cooking the bread in hot ashes or on a flat stone placed inside the oven. The ancient bread also could have tasted a bit nutty because of its multigrain composition, while the usage of the club-rush tubers would have imparted a slight, salty flavor, said Richter. The archaeologists believe that the bread baked in the Jordan ovens was consumed during feasts or special rituals and they may have been eaten alongside different types of meat as well. ||||| JORDAN — Archeologists have discovered the burnt remains of a flatbread baked 14,400 years ago, more than 4,000 years before the advent of agriculture. The findings, excavated in northeastern Jordan’s Black Desert, reveal the oldest direct evidence of bread. Twenty four bread-like discoveries were found at two fireplaces in a Natufian hunter-gatherer site known as Shubayqa 1. “The presence of hundreds of charred food remains in the fireplaces from Shubayqa 1 is an exceptional find, and it has given us the chance to characterize 14,000-year-old food practices,” said University of Copenhagen archeobotanist Amaia Arranz Otaegui, the first author of the report. “So now we know that bread-like products were produced long before the development of farming,” said Otaegui, who added that the bread production could have contributed to the agricultural revolution of the Neolithic period. The Neolithic flatbread — known nowadays as pita or Arabic bread — was made of domesticated cereals and club-rush tubers, according to the study released on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal. Prior to these findings, evidence of bread production was found in late Neolithic sites in Turkey and the Netherlands. The charred remains in Jordan are the first direct evidence that bread production preceded agriculture. “Natufian hunter-gatherers are of particular interest to us because they lived through a transitional period when people became more sedentary and their diet began to change,” said University of Copenhagen archeologist Tobias Richter, who led the excavations. The authors of the report noted that cereal-based foodstuffs were difficult to make. Hunter-gatherers may have considered them luxury foods “employed to impress invited guests and secure prestige for the hosts.”
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Archeologists in Jordan find baked flatbread dating to 12,500 BC, making it the oldest surviving bread ever discovered, surpassing a Turkish loaf which was estimated to be 9,100 years old. The bread was found in a stone oven which was apparently built during the formative years of the Natufian culture. The bread is also notable for predating the Neolithic Revolution by 4,000 years.
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Trump's EPA rolls back Obama-era coal ash regulations Environmental groups say drinking water could be affected by new Trump administration rules on coal waste. A court challenge was being weighed. ||||| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday it has eased Obama-era standards on the disposal of toxic coal ash, a move expected to be the agency’s first revision of the standards and one that was slammed by environmentalists. The 2015 rule established minimum national standards for the disposal of coal ash, a byproduct of coal-fired power plants that contains materials such as arsenic and lead. The EPA said the revision would give flexibility to utility companies and states, which had fought against the standards calling them unduly burdensome, and save $28 million to $31 million per year in regulatory costs. “Our actions mark a significant departure from the one-size-fits-all policies of the past and save tens of millions of dollars in regulatory costs,” said Andrew Wheeler, the acting head of the agency. Wheeler took over last week after Scott Pruitt, who was facing more than a dozen probes into ethics issues, stepped down. It was the first rule that Wheeler, a Washington insider who in recent years worked as a lobbyist for coal and other companies, signed in his new position. Under the new rule, state and EPA officials will be able to suspend groundwater monitoring requirements at coal ash sites if it is determined there is no potential for pollutants to move into certain aquifers. The rule also extends the life of some coal ash ponds from early 2019 to late 2020. Coal ash is stored at hundreds of power plants throughout the country. Spills in Tennessee and North Carolina leached sludge containing toxic materials into rivers in those states over the last decade. Environmentalists said the signing of the rule showed that the EPA’s direction of slashing regulations since Republican President Donald Trump took office will not change under Wheeler. “This indefensible gutting of our nation’s first-ever coal ash pollution control rule cements the shameful environmental legacy of the Trump Administration,” said Lisa Hallowell, a lawyer with the Environmental Integrity Project, a group co-founded by a former director of the agency’s office of civil enforcement. Revisions to the standards open the door “for weakened monitoring and cleanup standards, which means ... that the public and the environment on which we all depend will be in harm’s way.” The EPA said on Wednesday it plans to propose other changes to the 2015 coal ash rule later this year. ||||| Canonsburg, PA — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler visited Western Pennsylvania to meet with environmental and industry stakeholders. This visit marked Administrator Wheeler’s first state visit since being sworn in as head of EPA. “Thanks to the success of President Trump’s agenda, including EPA’s regulatory reform efforts, Western Pennsylvania is experiencing an economic revival,” said Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “It’s vitally important that we continue to meet with stakeholders in the states – industry and environmental groups alike – to solicit their input and provide them certainty and clarity with respect to EPA’s actions.” Administrator Wheeler began his trip in Canonsburg, Penn. where he toured Range Resources, a petroleum and natural gas exploration company, and held a roundtable with company employees. At the roundtable, the Administrator heard firsthand from employees about the importance of maintaining a robust energy presence in the region to help keep energy prices low and stimulate the local economy. Following his tour of Range Resources, Administrator Wheeler attended a Washington County Chamber of Commerce roundtable hosted by AccuTrex, a local manufacturer that employs over 150 workers. Administrator Wheeler was joined by Washington County Chamber of Commerce President Jeff Kotula, AccuTrex CEO Martin Beichner, and other county business leaders. They discussed a variety of topics, including how EPA can provide more certainty to businesses while promoting positive environmental outcomes. “Range Resources appreciates Administrator Wheeler and his staff taking time to see the great work our employees and contractors are doing on a daily basis, and we look forward to continually working with the regulatory community to safely develop oil and gas. Range, along with many of our peers, is implementing best-in-class emissions management technologies and practices on our natural gas well sites. Not only is the Marcellus the largest natural gas field in the country, but it is also a leading hub for engineering solutions and technological advancement within the industry, which we were proud to show the Administrator and his team today,” said Range Resources Sr. Vice President of Operations Dennis Degner. “The Washington County Chamber of Commerce was pleased to host Acting Administrator Wheeler today in Washington County, PA. We had a great discussion with him concerning balancing economic development, job creation and business growth with our continuing responsibilities to the environment. In Washington County, we have been at the forefront of these efforts and were proud to relay our experiences to Mr. Wheeler and look forward to working with him in his new role,” said Washington County Chamber of Commerce President Jeff Kotula. “We appreciate Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler visiting our region and seeing firsthand industry’s commitment to employing the latest environmental technologies that ensure the safe production of American natural gas. The Marcellus and Utica Shale formations represent enormous opportunity for our nation’s economic and national security, particularly as it relates to rebuilding our domestic manufacturing base for generations to come, and we are deeply committed to environmental sustainability. Acting administrator Wheeler’s agenda – focused on commonsense policies and smart regulations that encourage the responsible natural gas development – will help ensure that the United States continues to emerge as a dominant global energy leader,” said Marcellus Shale Coalition President David Spigelmyer. After holding a roundtable with local business leaders, Acting Administrator Wheeler visited the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in Pittsburgh with President and CEO Tom Saunders and staff to hear about their work to restore and preserve the region’s clean water supply, forests, and wildlife. The focus of the meeting was on the organization’s work throughout the state, particularly in regard to abandoned mine lands and watershed conservation. “The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is appreciative of the opportunity to discuss its conservation priorities with the acting administrator during his initial set of stakeholder-outreach meetings. The EPA has been an important conservation partner supporting many Conservancy-related projects over the years, including watershed restoration efforts, abandoned mine drainage work, and habitat studies,” said Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Spokesperson Carmen Bray. Administrator Wheeler concluded his trip sitting down with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Editorial Board and took questions on his vision for the Agency. ||||| But environmental groups say the rollback of coal ash storage regulations established by the Obama administration in 2015 could affect drinking water near dozens of sites. Dalal Aboulhosn, Sierra Club's deputy legislative director for land and water, said legal action was being considered. "We are pouring through the rule change see what our next steps might be," she said The coal industry petitioned the Trump administration for the roll back, announced by Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler — aformer lobbyist for the coal industry. "It's not like EPA has granted us free pass here," said James Roewer, executive director of the Utility Solid Waste Advisory Group, an industry organization that had pushed for the changes. "It just gives us additional time to operate those facilities and better synch them up" with the upcoming wastewater guidelines. The EPA states that the relaxed rules will save affected utility companies $28 to $31 million a year in regulatory costs. "These amendments provide states and utilities much-needed flexibility in the management of coal ash, while ensuring human health and the environment are protected," Wheeler said in a statement. "Our actions mark a significant departure from the one-size-fits-all policies of the past and save tens of millions of dollars in regulatory costs." The EPA extended the time by 18 months that the industry can use unlined coal ash ponds and groundwater-adjacent sites for dumping. The Obama administration sought to phase out those sites by April 2019. The unlined ponds are considered by environmentalists to be the worst offenders for polluting groundwater that sometimes is tapped for drinking. "The Trump administration is turing a blind eye to damage done to our drinking water," said Lisa Evans, senior counsel for environmental group Earthjustice. "This is aimed at saving industry money instead of protecting the public." Testing standards for the amount of lead, cobalt, lithium and molybdenum in adjacent waters were also weakened under the rule change. Coal ash is often doused with water for quick cooling and dumping, but the sludge is highly toxic and can seep into aquifers. It can include arsenic, lead, mercury and chromium, experts say. The EPA states there are 663 active ponds serving 321 plants and 286 active coal landfills serving 204 power plants. There are 111 additional "inactive ponds" that no longer accept waste. About a half dozen of the ponds are Superfunds sites, Evans said; several others are equivalently polluted but are permitted because they're in active use. The states most affected by the regulation change include Texas, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana and New Mexico, she said. The roll back marks the first major policy initiative by Wheeler, who has temporarily replaced Scott Pruitt following the later's July 5 resignation over his lavish spending. The original, Obama-era coal ash regulations, adopted in 2015, came in response to a massive 2008 coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee. A containment dike burst at a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant and released 5.4 million cubic yards of ash. The accident dumped waste into two nearby rivers, destroyed homes and brought national attention to the issue. ||||| The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it is relaxing rules for the disposal of spent coal used to fuel hundreds of power plants nationwide. But environmental groups say the rollback of coal ash storage regulations established by the Obama administration in 2015 could affect drinking water near dozens of sites. Dalal Aboulhosn, Sierra Club’s deputy legislative director for land and water, said legal action was being considered. "We are pouring through the rule change see what our next steps might be," she said The coal industry petitioned the Trump administration for the roll back, announced by Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler — a former lobbyist for the coal industry. "It's not like EPA has granted us free pass here," said James Roewer, executive director of the Utility Solid Waste Advisory Group, an industry organization that had pushed for the changes. "It just gives us additional time to operate those facilities and better synch them up" with the upcoming wastewater guidelines. The EPA states that the relaxed rules will save affected utility companies $28 to $31 million a year in regulatory costs. "These amendments provide states and utilities much-needed flexibility in the management of coal ash, while ensuring human health and the environment are protected," Wheeler said in a statement. "Our actions mark a significant departure from the one-size-fits-all policies of the past and save tens of millions of dollars in regulatory costs." The EPA extended the time by 18 months that the industry can use unlined coal ash ponds and groundwater-adjacent sites for dumping. The Obama administration sought to phase out those sites by April 2019. The unlined ponds are considered by environmentalists to be the worst offenders for polluting groundwater that sometimes is tapped for drinking. "The Trump administration is turing a blind eye to damage done to our drinking water," said Lisa Evans, senior counsel for environmental group Earthjustice. "This is aimed at saving industry money instead of protecting the public." ||||| The Trump administration is easing rules for handling toxic coal ash from more than 400 coal-fired power plants across the U.S. after utilities objected to regulations adopted under former President Barack Obama. Environmental Protection Agency acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said Wednesday the changes will save utilities roughly $30 million annually. Documents show most savings come from extending by 18 months the deadline for utilities to close ash dumps that don't meet water protection standards. The EPA also is giving state regulators the power to suspend water monitoring requirements for the dumps. The original Obama-era rule came in response to a massive 2008 coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee. Environmentalists say the administration has caved to the industry's wishes and is endangering the health of people living near power plants. ||||| FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2012 file photo, TVA contract workers remove coal ash from the edge of the Emory River next to the Kingston Fossil Plant in Kingston, Tenn. as part of the cleanup from a December 2008 spill. The Trump administration is easing rules for handling toxic coal ash from more than 400 coal-fired power plants across the U.S. after utilities objected to regulations adopted under former President Barack Obama. Environmental Protection Agency acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said Wednesday, July 18, 2018, the changes will save utilities roughly $30 million annually. (Michael Patrick/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP, File) less FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2012 file photo, TVA contract workers remove coal ash from the edge of the Emory River next to the Kingston Fossil Plant in Kingston, Tenn. as part of the cleanup from a December 2008 ... more FILE - In this May 1, 2018 file photo, the Richmond city skyline can be seen on the horizon behind the coal ash ponds along the James River near Dominion Energy's Chesterfield Power Station in Chester, Va. The Trump administration is easing rules for handling toxic coal ash from more than 400 coal-fired power plants across the U.S. after utilities objected to regulations adopted under former President Barack Obama. Environmental Protection Agency acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said Wednesday, July 18, 2018, the changes will save utilities roughly $30 million annually. less FILE - In this May 1, 2018 file photo, the Richmond city skyline can be seen on the horizon behind the coal ash ponds along the James River near Dominion Energy's Chesterfield Power Station in Chester, Va. The ... more DENVER (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday eased rules for handling toxic coal ash from more than 400 U.S. coal-fired power plants after utilities pushed back against regulations adopted under former President Barack Obama. Environmental Protection Agency acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the changes would save utilities roughly $30 million annually. The move represents the latest action by Trump's EPA to boost the struggling coal industry by rolling back environmental and public health protections enacted under his predecessor. It pushes back the deadline to close problematic ash dumps and gives state regulators flexibility in how they deal with the massive waste piles that result from burning coal for electricity. Environmentalists argued the administration is endangering the health of people living near power plants and ash storage sites, while industry representatives welcomed the announcement. U.S. coal plants produce about 100 million tons annually of ash and other waste, much of which ends up in unlined disposal ponds prone to leak. Some have been in use for decades. Data released by utilities in March under an EPA mandate showed widespread evidence of groundwater contamination at coal plants. Heightened levels of pollutants — including arsenic and radium in some cases — were documented at plants in numerous states, from Virginia to Alaska. EPA documents show most savings for utilities from the new rules will come from extending by 18 months the deadline to close ash dumps that don't meet water protection standards. The new deadline is Oct. 31, 2020. The utility industry said the changes give "regulatory certainty" for ash dump operators. That's in part because it aligns the closure requirements with upcoming guidelines limiting the levels of toxic metals in wastewater discharged from power plants. The changes also give state regulators the power to suspend monitoring requirements for dumps that don't meet water quality standards. "It's not like EPA has granted us free pass here. It just gives us additional time to operate those facilities and better synch them up" with the upcoming wastewater guidelines, said James Roewer, executive director of the Utility Solid Waste Advisory Group, an industry organization that had pushed for the changes. The original, Obama-era rule, adopted in 2015, came in response to a massive 2008 coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee. A containment dike burst at a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant and released 5.4 million cubic yards of ash. The accident dumped waste into two nearby rivers, destroyed homes and brought national attention to the issue. Attorney Larissa Liebmann with the Waterkeeper Alliance said the costs saved by utilities won't simply go away. Instead, she said, they'll be borne by communities that are forced to deal with contaminated water. "We think it's fundamentally unfair, Liebmann said. "The rules that were created in 2015 were already very much to the bare minimum." ||||| DENVER — The Trump administration on Wednesday eased rules for handling toxic coal ash from more than 400 U.S. coal-fired power plants after utilities pushed back against regulations adopted under former President Barack Obama. Environmental Protection Agency acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the changes would save utilities roughly $30 million annually. The move represents the latest action by Trump’s EPA to boost the struggling coal industry by rolling back environmental and public health protections enacted under his predecessor. It pushes back the deadline to close problematic ash dumps and gives state regulators flexibility in how they deal with the massive waste piles that result from burning coal for electricity. Environmentalists argued the administration is endangering the health of people living near power plants and ash storage sites, while industry representatives welcomed the announcement. U.S. coal plants produce about 100 million tons annually of ash and other waste, much of which ends up in unlined disposal ponds prone to leak. Some have been in use for decades. FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2012 file photo, TVA contract workers remove coal ash from the edge of the Emory River next to the Kingston Fossil Plant in Kingston, Tenn. as part of the cleanup from a December 2008 spill. The Trump administration is easing rules for handling toxic coal ash from more than 400 coal-fired power plants across the U.S. after utilities objected to regulations adopted under former President Barack Obama. Environmental Protection Agency acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said Wednesday, July 18, 2018, the changes will save utilities roughly $30 million annually. (Michael Patrick/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP, File) (Associated Press) Data released by utilities in March under an EPA mandate showed widespread evidence of groundwater contamination at coal plants. Heightened levels of pollutants — including arsenic and radium in some cases — were documented at plants in numerous states, from Virginia to Alaska. EPA documents show most savings for utilities from the new rules will come from extending by 18 months the deadline to close ash dumps that don’t meet water protection standards. The new deadline is Oct. 31, 2020. The utility industry said the changes give “regulatory certainty” for ash dump operators. That’s in part because it aligns the closure requirements with upcoming guidelines limiting the levels of toxic metals in wastewater discharged from power plants. The changes also give state regulators the power to suspend monitoring requirements for dumps that don’t meet water quality standards. “It’s not like EPA has granted us free pass here. It just gives us additional time to operate those facilities and better synch them up” with the upcoming wastewater guidelines, said James Roewer, executive director of the Utility Solid Waste Advisory Group, an industry organization that had pushed for the changes. The original, Obama-era rule, adopted in 2015, came in response to a massive 2008 coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee. A containment dike burst at a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant and released 5.4 million cubic yards of ash. The accident dumped waste into two nearby rivers, destroyed homes and brought national attention to the issue. Attorney Larissa Liebmann with the Waterkeeper Alliance said the costs saved by utilities won’t simply go away. Instead, she said, they’ll be borne by communities that are forced to deal with contaminated water. “We think it’s fundamentally unfair, Liebmann said. “The rules that were created in 2015 were already very much to the bare minimum.” Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| DENVER — The Trump administration on Wednesday eased rules for handling toxic coal ash from more than 400 U.S. coal-fired power plants after utilities pushed back against regulations adopted under former President Barack Obama. Environmental Protection Agency acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the changes would save utilities roughly $30 million annually. The move represents the latest action by Trump’s EPA to boost the struggling coal industry by rolling back environmental and public health protections enacted under his predecessor. It pushes back the deadline to close problematic ash dumps and gives state regulators flexibility in how they deal with the massive waste piles that result from burning coal for electricity. Wheeler, a former coal industry lobbyist, signed the order a week after taking the helm of the agency following the resignation of former administrator Scott Pruitt amid ethics investigations. Environmentalists argue the administration is endangering the health of people living near power plants and ash storage sites, while industry representatives welcomed the announcement. U.S. coal plants produce about 100 million tons annually of ash and other waste, much of which ends up in unlined disposal ponds prone to leak. Some have been in use for decades. Data released by utilities in March under an EPA mandate showed widespread evidence of groundwater contamination at coal plants. Heightened levels of pollutants — including arsenic and radium in some cases — were documented at plants in numerous states, from Virginia to Alaska. EPA documents show most savings for utilities from the new rules will come from extending by 18 months the deadline to close ash dumps that don’t meet water protection standards. The new deadline is Oct. 31, 2020. The utility industry said the changes give “regulatory certainty” for ash dump operators. That’s in part because it aligns the closure requirements with upcoming guidelines limiting the levels of toxic metals in wastewater discharged from power plants. The changes also give state regulators the power to suspend monitoring requirements for dumps that don’t meet water quality standards. “It’s not like EPA has granted us free pass here. It just gives us additional time to operate those facilities and better synch them up” with the upcoming wastewater guidelines, said James Roewer, executive director of the Utility Solid Waste Advisory Group, an industry organization that had pushed for the changes. The original, Obama-era rule, adopted in 2015, came in response to a massive 2008 coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee. A containment dike burst at a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant and released 5.4 million cubic yards of ash. The accident dumped waste into two nearby rivers, destroyed homes and brought national attention to the issue. Attorney Larissa Liebmann with the Waterkeeper Alliance said the costs saved by utilities won’t simply go away. Instead, she said, they’ll be borne by communities that are forced to deal with contaminated water. “We think it’s fundamentally unfair, Liebmann said. “The rules that were created in 2015 were already very much to the bare minimum.” ||||| Our boy Andrew Wheeler has wasted no time during his takeover at the Environmental Protection Agency. Scott Pruitt may be out, but that doesn’t mean propping up the fossil fuel industry is. First on Acting Administrator Wheeler’s checklist? Easing restrictions on coal ash. Coal ash is what’s left behind after a power plant is done burning the coal itself. In 2015, former President Barack Obama put out a rule to help regulate it. A final version of the Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities rule, aka the CCR rule, took effect in 2016, but once President Donald Trump took office, coal ash companies began petitioning the EPA to do away with it. Now, they’ve scored $28-31 million in savings through a revision that removes key elements of the rule that helped protect communities. Per the Washington Post, Wheeler’s EPA has revised the Obama rule to extend the life of some existing coal ash ponds (where coal ash is mixed with water and stored) from April 2019 to October 2020, give states more power over deciding whether a facility is meeting the federal standard, and suspend some requirements on groundwater monitoring. “Our actions mark a significant departure from the one-size-fits-all policies of the past and save tens of millions of dollars in regulatory costs,” said Wheeler, in a press release announcing the revision on Wednesday. It’s true the Obama-era rule cost industry more money. But that’s because it put basic safeguards in place to keep people safe from their waste. Coal ash can contain heavy metals like lead, arsenic, mercury, and boron—all of which can leach into the groundwater if not stored properly after removed from a power plant. If people inhale or drink this stuff, they can suffer from cancer, heart damage, and kidney disease (among other things). It’s no secret that communities of color and low-income families bear a disproportionate burden from this. After analyzing industry data on coal ash earlier this year, environmental groups found groundwater contamination throughout Oklahoma—the same state Pruitt approved just last month to regulate its own coal ash. And Oklahoma’s not alone: In Puerto Rico, a study in March uncovered that a major coal ash dump was contaminating groundwater in Guayama. The rollback of this rule will impact people there, too. “[This rollback] is a menace to public health,” said Ruth Santiago, an attorney with the Environmental Dialogue Committee in Puerto Rico who lives in the area, to Earther. “It’s certainly a huge concern for communities like Guayama and Salinas who have all this exposure to the coal combustion, this waste.” Wheeler’s sign-off on the revision shouldn’t come as a surprise: The man is a former coal lobbyist, after all. This is just his first move, which the EPA has dubbed “Phase One, Part One.” What’ll Phase Two hold? Santiago back in Puerto Rico isn’t sure, but she and her colleagues are working diligently to prepare a response. People’s lives are depending on it.
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Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew R. Wheeler announces coal-burning power plants may dispose of fly ash in unlined ponds for another 18 months beyond a previously-set April 2019 deadline. Testing standards for hazardous elements in adjacent waters are also weakened. While the move would theoretically save an estimated $28-31 million annually in regulatory costs, there are concerns drinking water could be affected.
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An Iranian-born man with a knife injured 10 people in an attack aboard a bus in northern Germany before being overpowered by passengers and arrested by police, the local prosecutor said. The authorities on July 20 said there was no information on the motive for the attack on a local bus in the northern city of Luebeck. They added they had no immediate indication the suspect had any links to terrorism or had been radicalized. Officials originally said 14 people had been injured but later reduced the number. At least three were listed in serious condition. A spokeswoman for the Luebeck prosecutor's office said the 34-year-old suspect was born in Iran but that he was a longtime Luebeck resident with German citizenship. Authorities in Germany generally do not release the names of criminal suspects. The man has refused to speak to investigators and is scheduled to appear in court on July 21, officials said. The prosecutor’s office said the incident began when the attacker set fire to a backpack on the bus. The driver said he stopped the bus after seeing smoke and was attacked by the suspect. As the assailant left the bus, he stabbed several people with a 13-centimeter kitchen knife, the driver said. Passengers then overpowered the man outside the bus and held him for police. Investigators said flammable liquid was found in the backpack but no explosives. Luebeck is near the Baltic coast and northeast of Hamburg. Based on reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AFP ||||| A man apparently armed with a knife attacked passengers on a busy bus in the northern German city of Luebeck on Friday before being overpowered and arrested, authorities said, and nine people were reportedly injured. Authorities had no immediate information on the assailant's motive for the attack on a city bus in Luebeck, which is near the Baltic coast northeast of Hamburg. Local newspaper Luebecker Nachrichten, which said the attacker appeared to be in his mid-30s, quoted a witness as saying: "One of the victims had just given up his place to an older woman, when the attacker stabbed him in the chest." Firefighters attend to passengers injured during the attack. At least one person sustained serious injuries. (TNN/dpa/The Associated Press) Earlier, police in Schleswig-Holstein, the state where Luebeck is located, tweeted there was a major police deployment underway. An area around a bus stop in the Luebeck neighbourhood of Kuecknitz was sealed off by police, spokesperson Dierk Duerbook told German newspaper Bild. A spokesperson for prosecutors, Ulla Hingst, told n-tv television that the bus driver stopped the vehicle and let the passengers out after the attack. She said the weapon that the assailant apparently used was a knife, but that is still under investigation. Hingst told Bild the attack took place at 1.47 p.m. local time. Experts were also examining a backpack on the bus as a precaution. Hingst said it wasn't clear whether it belonged to the suspect, but said there had been reports of smoke coming out of the backpack. Police and prosecutors later said in a joint statement that investigators found a flammable substance in the backpack, but no explosives. Suspect identified They said that the suspect was identified as a 34-year-old German citizen who lives in Luebeck. His name wasn't released, in line with German privacy rules. "There are no indications that the man was politically radicalized," the statement added. "There are also no indications at present of a terrorist background." Passengers get onto a replacement bus after the attack, which took place on a busy bus in the Kuecknitz district of Luebeck. (Felix Koenig/EPA) Schleswig-Holstein's state interior minister, Hans-Joachim Grote, said his information was that nine people were injured — six with the knife, two passengers who fell and the driver, who was punched. Police said in a statement released at the same time that one of the injured was seriously hurt, but said the total number of injured wasn't initially clear. The bus was travelling from Luebeck to the neighbouring seaside resort of Travemuende, where an annual regatta, the Travemuender Woche, was opening later Friday. Grote said authorities believe security for the regatta is sufficient. ||||| Image copyright AFP Image caption A bus sits at the side of the road in Lübeck after a knife attack A man armed with a knife has attacked passengers on a bus in the northern German city of Lübeck, wounding several people, one seriously, police say. A 34-year-old local man was arrested and taken into custody. Police said there was no indication the suspect had been politically radicalised. They said on Twitter that 10 people were known to have been hurt. Local media reports put the number at 14. An area around a bus stop in the city's Kücknitz neighbourhood was sealed off. Police said a smoking backpack was found in the bus, containing a "fire accelerant" but no explosives. Image caption Police declared a "major operation" "The exact number of injured is still unclear. There were no dead," police said in a statement. "The background to the crime is still unclear and is the subject of the ongoing investigation." The statement added: "The identity of the perpetrator has been clarified: a 34-year-old German citizen resident in Lübeck. There are currently no indications the man was political radicalised and no signs of a terrorist background." The attack took place at 13:47 local time (11:47 GMT). An eyewitness told the local Lübecker Nachrichten newspaper that a passenger had just given up his seat for an older woman, when the attacker stabbed him in the chest. The bus driver pulled over to the side of the road and passengers fled. Police said the suspect was overpowered by officers at the scene. In April, a man drove a camper van into a group of people outside a restaurant in the German city of Münster, killing two people before shooting himself dead. Police said there was no link to terrorism in that case. In Berlin in December 2016, a Tunisian who had links to Islamist militants hijacked a truck and ploughed into a Christmas marketplace, killing 12 people. ||||| Eight people are reported to have been injured after a man armed with a knife attacked passengers on a bus in the northern German city of Luebeck. Eight people are reported to have been injured after a man armed with a knife attacked passengers on a bus in the northern German city of Luebeck. Man arrested after eight hurt in knife attack on bus in northern Germany The suspect was overpowered and arrested after the incident on the busy service north-east of Hamburg, near the Baltic coast. Details of what exactly happened are sketchy, and authorities had no immediate information on the assailant’s motive. A spokeswoman for prosecutors, Ulla Hingst, told n-tv television that the bus driver stopped the vehicle and let the passengers out after the attack. She said the weapon that the assailant apparently used was a knife, although that is still under investigation. Experts were also examining a backpack on the bus as a precaution. Ms Hingst said it was not clear whether the luggage belonged to the suspect, but said there had been reports of smoke coming out of the backpack. She said the identity of the suspect, who was being questioned by police, has yet to be confirmed. “The background to this act is completely unclear,” she said. “We are investigating in all directions. We cannot currently rule anything out.” German news agency dpa quoted police as saying that three people received “medium-serious” injuries in the incident, while five others received minor injuries. Ms Hingst said the total number of injuries was not clear, but said there was one serious injury. ||||| At least eight people have reportedly been wounded, two of them seriously, in a knife attack on a bus in Germany. At least eight people have reportedly been wounded, two of them seriously, in a knife attack on a bus in Germany. At least eight injured in knife attack on bus in Germany A suspect - believed to be in his mid-30s - was arrested after the stabbings in the northern city of Luebeck on Friday afternoon. The motive is unclear. The packed bus was heading in the direction of Travemuende, a popular beach, when a man pulled a weapon on passengers, according to local media. The bus driver immediately stopped the vehicle, allowing passengers to escape, local newspaper Luebecker Nachrichten reported. A police crew that happened to be nearby was able to get to the scene quickly, allowing officers to detain the suspect. "The passengers jumped out of the bus and were screaming," said Lothar H, a witness who lives close to the scene. "It was terrible. Then the injured were brought out. The perpetrator had a kitchen knife." Police spokesman Duerk Duerbrook said the attack happened in the Kuecknitz district of Luebeck - around 40 miles northeast of Hamburg. He said authorities were still trying to determine the circumstances of the attack. The force described it as a "major police deployment", adding that there had been no fatalities. "There is currently a major police deployment in Luebeck," the police force wrote on Twitter. We are examining the situation and will give more information later." While the motive has not been established, Germany has been on high alert after several deadly Islamist extremist attacks. ||||| BERLIN >> A man armed with a kitchen knife attacked passengers today on a crowded city bus in northern Germany before being overpowered and arrested, authorities said. Ten people were injured, three of them seriously. ||||| A man armed with a kitchen knife attacked passengers Friday on a crowded city bus in northern Germany before being overpowered and arrested, authorities said. Ten people were injured, three of them seriously. Authorities had no immediate information on the assailant’s motive for the afternoon attack on a city bus in Luebeck, near the Baltic coast northeast of Hamburg, but said they had no indication that he was politically radicalized or had any terrorist background. Investigators found a flammable substance in a backpack aboard the bus, but no explosives. The incident started when the assailant set fire to the backpack, prosecutor Ulla Hingst said at a Friday evening news conference in Luebeck. The driver told investigators that he stopped the bus and opened all the doors to let passengers out after noticing the fire in his rear-view mirror. He then walked back to find out what was going on and was hit by the assailant, Hingst said. As the suspect left the bus, he stabbed people around him with a 13-centimeter (5-inch) kitchen knife. The attacker was overpowered by passengers outside the vehicle, then quickly arrested by police nearby. Five of the victims were still hospitalized Friday evening. The suspect is a 34-year-old man who lives locally. Hingst said he is a longtime German citizen who was born in Iran. “There are no indications that the man was in any way politically radicalized,” Hingst said. “For that reason we have, as the investigation currently stands, no indications that there was a terrorist background to this act.” She added the motive is “still open” and “we are investigating in all directions.” Prosecutors will seek to have the man kept in custody pending possible charges of bodily harm and attempted arson, Hingst said. The bus was traveling from Luebeck to the neighboring seaside resort of Travemuende, where an annual regatta, the Travemuender Woche, was opening later Friday. Schleswig-Holstein’s state interior minister, Hans-Joachim Grote, said there was no reason to believe that there was an increased risk to the regatta but police presence there was stepped up as a precaution. ||||| File: A knife attacker on Germany bus arrested and several people were injured. Photo: Pixabay BERLIN – Several people were injured Friday in an attack by a man wielding a knife on a bus in northern Germany, officials said Friday, although his motive remained unclear. The packed bus was heading in the direction of Travemuende, a popular beach destination close to the city of Luebeck, when a man pulled a weapon on passengers, local media Luebecker Nachrichten reported, quoting an unnamed witness. The bus driver immediately stopped the vehicle, allowing passengers to escape, the daily said on its website. "The passengers jumped out of the bus and were screaming. It was terrible. Then the injured were brought out. The perpetrator had a kitchen knife," a witness who lives close to the scene, Lothar H., told the daily. An unnamed female passenger on the bus said one of those injured had only just given up his seat to an elderly woman, "when the perpetrator stabbed him in the chest." A police car which happened to be close by arrived at the scene quickly, allowing officers to detain the assailant, added the report. Confirming that a man went at fellow passengers on the bus with a knife, Luebeck chief prosecutor Ursula Hingst added: "We will not release information on the identity of the man nor the motive of the act." Police from the state of Schleswig-Holstein meanwhile said on Twitter that "people were injured. No one was killed. The perpetrator was overpowered and is now in police custody." According to Luebecker Nachrichten, an attacker is an Iranian man in his mid-30s. While neither the motive nor full identity of the perpetrator have been established, Germany has been on high alert after several deadly Islamist extremist attacks. ||||| Confirming that a man went at fellow passengers on the bus with a knife, Luebeck chief prosecutor Ursula Hingst adds: 'We will not release information on the identity of the man nor the motive of the act' BERLIN, Germany – Several people were injured on Friday, July 20, in an attack by a man wielding a knife on a bus in northern Germany, officials said, although his motive remained unclear. The packed bus was heading in the direction of Travemuende, a popular beach destination close to the city of Luebeck, when a man pulled a weapon on passengers, local media Luebecker Nachrichten reported, quoting an unnamed witness. The bus driver immediately stopped the vehicle, allowing passengers to escape, the daily said on its website. "The passengers jumped out of the bus and were screaming. It was terrible. Then the injured were brought out. The perpetrator had a kitchen knife," a witness who lives close to the scene, Lothar H., told the daily. An unnamed female passenger on the bus said one of those injured had only just given up his seat to an elderly woman, "when the perpetrator stabbed him in the chest." A police car which happened to be close by arrived at the scene quickly, allowing officers to detain the assailant, added the report. Confirming that a man went at fellow passengers on the bus with a knife, Luebeck chief prosecutor Ursula Hingst added: "We will not release information on the identity of the man nor the motive of the act." Police from the state of Schleswig-Holstein meanwhile said on Twitter that "people were injured. No one was killed. The perpetrator was overpowered and is now in police custody." According to Luebecker Nachrichten, the attacker is an Iranian man in his mid-30s. While neither the motive nor full identity of the perpetrator have been established, Germany has been on high alert after several deadly Islamist extremist attacks. It had long warned of the threat of more violence after several attacks claimed by the Islamic State group (ISIS), the bloodiest of which was a truck rampage through a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016 that left 12 people dead. The attacker, Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri, hijacked a truck and murdered its Polish driver before killing another 11 people and wounding dozens more by ploughing the heavy vehicle through the festive market in central Berlin. He was shot dead by Italian police in Milan four days later while on the run. Germany has since been targeted again in attacks with radical Islamist motives. In July 2017, a 26-year-old Palestinian asylum seeker wielding a knife stormed into a supermarket in the northern port city of Hamburg, killing one person and wounding six others before being detained by passers-by. German prosecutors said the man likely had a "radical Islamist" motive. ISIS also claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in 2016, including the murder of a teenager in Hamburg, a suicide bombing in the southern city of Ansbach that wounded 15, and an axe attack on a train in Bavaria that left five injured. In June, German police said they foiled what would have been the first biological attack with the arrest of a Tunisian suspected jihadist in possession of the deal poison ricin and bomb-making material. Germany remains a target for jihadist groups, in particular because of its involvement in the coalition fighting IS in Iraq and Syria, and its deployment in Afghanistan since 2001. Security services estimate there are around 11,000 Islamic radicals in Germany, some 980 who are deemed particularly dangerous and capable of using violence. A hundred and fifty of these potentially dangerous individuals have been detained for various offences. Chancellor Angela Merkel has allowed in more than one million asylum seekers since 2015 – a decision that has driven the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which charges that the influx spells a heightened security risk. – Rappler.com ||||| Several people were injured Friday in an attack by a man wielding a knife on a bus in northern Germany, officials said Friday, although his motive remained unclear. The bus driver immediately stopped the vehicle, allowing passengers to escape, the daily said on its website. "The passengers jumped out of the bus and were screaming. It was terrible. Then the injured were brought out. The perpetrator had a kitchen knife," a witness who lives close to the scene, Lothar H., told the daily. An unnamed female passenger on the bus said one of those injured had only just given up his seat to an elderly woman, "when the perpetrator stabbed him in the chest." A police car which happened to be close by arrived at the scene quickly, allowing officers to detain the assailant, added the report. Confirming that a man went at fellow passengers on the bus with a knife, Luebeck chief prosecutor Ursula Hingst added: "We will not release information on the identity of the man nor the motive of the act." Police from the state of Schleswig-Holstein meanwhile said on Twitter that "people were injured. No one was killed. The perpetrator was overpowered and is now in police custody." According to Luebecker Nachrichten, the attacker is an Iranian man in his mid-30s. While neither the motive nor full identity of the perpetrator have been established, Germany has been on high alert after several deadly extremist attacks.
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A man attacks people on a bus in Lübeck, Germany, prompting an evacuation of the vehicle. Six people are hurt by a knife, one is punched and two fall down; three are critically wounded. Police find a smoldering non-explosive backpack at the scene. The Iranian-born suspect is arrested.
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Politics Canada to accept up to 250 Syrian White Helmet volunteers, family after dramatic escape Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by Email Rescue operation came about after requests from leaders including Trudeau, Israeli PM says A member of the White Helmets carries a child after airstrikes hit a school in Syria's Daraa province, in an image made from video on June 14, 2017. Hundreds of people, volunteers belonging to the rescue organization and their families, were extracted late Saturday from the southwestern part of the country. (Syria Civil Defence via Associated Press) Canada is among three Western nations that will take in nearly a hundred volunteer emergency workers and their families that Israeli forces plucked from Syria under the cover of darkness in a dramatic international rescue, CBC News has learned. Several hundred people — volunteers and their families — belonging to the rescue organization known as the White Helmets were extracted late Saturday from the southwestern portion of the war-torn country that's being overrun by forces loyal to leader Bashar al-Assad. The Israeli military said Sunday it was responsible for rescuing members of the Syrian volunteer organization from the volatile frontier area and evacuated them to a third country — the first such Israeli intervention in Syria's lengthy civil war. ADVERTISEMENT Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on Sunday saying the rescue came about as a result of recent requests by U.S. President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "and others." "These are people who have saved lives and whose lives were in danger," Netanyahu said of the White Helmets. "Therefore, I approved their passage through Israel to additional countries as an important humanitarian gesture." The notion the White Helmets would be targeted for retribution has long been a fear of the human rights community. (Abdalrhman Ismail/Reuters) James Le Mesurier, who is considered the group's founder, said Sunday that 422 people were rescued, including 98 White Helmets. However, as many as 800 others have been unable to leave Syria, according to Canadian government sources. Three groups were supposed to be lifted out of the country but only one made it out successfully. The White Helmets and their families have been trapped in what had been — until recently — rebel-held territory. The area has for more than a week been the focus of a furious assault by Russian-backed Syrian government forces. ADVERTISEMENT 'We care about telling our people's story:' White Helmets head to the Oscars for Last Men in Aleppo Trump's travel ban hurts White Helmets documentary's subjects, say filmmakers The volunteers were spirited out of Syria in a highly secret international operation that involved the U.K., France, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada, multiple sources told CBC News. Canada was not involved militarily in the evacuation, but helped lead the effort to bring them out of Syria and into Jordan. 'Impassioned plea' Canadian officials are expected to immediately begin working with United Nations officials to help process families that will make their way to Canada in the coming weeks, possibly months. The Liberal government has agreed to accept up to 50 of the White Helmet volunteers and their families, which could mean up to 250 people, according to senior officials who could not speak on the record because of the sensitive nature of the operation. The number, officials said, could change. The plight of the White Helmets, who claim to have nearly 3,000 volunteers in total, was the subject of intense debate among foreign ministers at the recent NATO conference, the sources said. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland made 'an impassioned plea' to her NATO colleagues, according to several sources. (Patrick Doyle/Canadian Press) Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland made "an impassioned plea" to her colleagues, according to several sources. The families would follow in the footsteps of thousands of other Syrian refugees who were resettled early in the Liberal government's mandate. Britain and Germany have also stepped forward, but the sources said other countries are expected to join the effort and offers to resettle them are expected to exceed the number of evacuees by a large margin. The German government said in a statement Sunday it will take in eight White Helmets rescue workers. The White Helmets are known for rescuing people from war-torn Aleppo. (Sultan Kitaz/Reuters) Foreign Minister Heiko Maas was quoted as saying that "the efforts of the White Helmets deserve admiration and respect." Maas noted that the group has saved more than 100,000 lives since the start of the Syrian conflict. German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said giving the rescue workers shelter "is a humanitarian obligation. Germany has provided the group with 12 million euros ($18.5 million Cdn) in funding since 2016. At the moment, there are no plans for the United States to take any of the White Helmets, whose rescue efforts and documentation of civilian atrocities date back to 2013. Those volunteer efforts have drawn international praise as well as condemnation. At one point, they were thought to be favoured for the Nobel Peace Prize. Russia, Syria pose threats Russia and the Syrian regime, however, have labelled the organization, officially known as the Syria Civil Defence group, as terrorists and purveyors of fake news. Ibrahim Olabi, executive director of the Syrian Legal Development Program, said those two governments have been trying to erode the group's credibility "because the White Helmets have done an incredible job documenting the crimes particularly of the Syrian regime and of Russia." Show more An extraordinary rescue team of Syrian civilians called The White Helmets run toward the scene of an attack to try to save lives. The team has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for saving tens of thousands of lives during Syria's civil war. 15:05 There are fears that the volunteers will be killed once forces loyal to Assad retake southwest Syria. "Sensitive" international negotiations to arrange their extraction have been underway since the NATO leaders summit in Brussels. Both Freeland and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke at length with their alliance counterparts to galvanize support. Negotiations between the international community and the White Helmets have been more delicate, an official close to the discussions told CBC News. Syria Civil Defence group, better known as the White Helmets, risk their lives scouring through rubble in Syria after bombings to find survivors. (Khalil Ashawi/Reuters) An important part of those talks has involved how many of the volunteers' family members can be brought with them and the fear anyone left behind might be killed, said the sources. The Russians have made it clear they want to "interrogate" the White Helmets on the way out of Syria, said a senior diplomatic official. Borders shut The U.S. has taken a hands-off approach to the unfolding drama in southwest Syria. The territory under assault had been designated as a U.S.-protected safe zone, but the Trump administration has not made a move to enforce that as government forces tighten their grip on the region. An evacuation of rebel-held territory has been underway since last weekend, but neighbouring countries have shut their borders to refugees. A tweet by the White Helmets on Tuesday showed video of them helping people flee the city of Daraa, located about 13 kilometres from the border with Jordan. The region is known as the cradle of the rebellion against the Assad regime, the place where some of the first Arab Spring protests originated. The notion the White Helmets would be targeted for retribution has long been a fear of the human rights community. The group's website says it has nearly 3,000 volunteers in total. Watch: White Helmets in action Show more Syria Civil Defence group, better known as the White Helmets, scour through rubble after bombings to find survivors 0:44 Members of the White Helmets run toward the site of an attack in Aleppo, Syria, in an image made from video posted online by the group on April 24, 2016. (Syria Civil Defence via Associated Press) ABOUT THE AUTHOR Murray Brewster Defence and security Murray Brewster is senior defence writer for CBC News, based in Ottawa. He has covered the Canadian military and foreign policy from Parliament Hill for over a decade. Among other assignments, he spent a total of 15 months on the ground covering the Afghan war for The Canadian Press. Prior to that, he covered defence issues and politics for CP in Nova Scotia for 11 years and was bureau chief for Standard Broadcast News in Ottawa. With files from The Associated Press ||||| The Jordanian government accepts the Syrian White Helmets rescuers and their families from Israel and plans to transfer them to Britain, Germany, and Canada AMMAN, Jordan – Israel has evacuated 800 White Helmets rescuers and their family members threatened by advancing Syrian regime forces to Jordan for resettlement in Britain, Canada and Germany, the kingdom said Sunday, July 22. An Israeli government source confirmed Israel's military had rescued 800 people who were taken to Jordan. "Upon request of the US, Canada and European states Israel has completed a humanitarian effort to rescue members of a Syrian civil organization ("White Helmets") and families," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon tweeted. Founded in 2013, the Syria Civil Defence, or White Helmets, is a network of first responders which rescues wounded in the aftermath of air strikes, shelling or blasts in rebel-held territory. Jordan said on Sunday that it had taken in 800 White Helmets rescuers and their families from Israel and plans to transfer them to the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany. "The Jordanian government said it had authorized the United Nations to organize the passage of 800 Syrian citizens through Jordan to be resettled in western countries," the kingdom said. "The government gave the permission after Britain, Germany and Canada made a legally binding undertaking to resettle them within a specified period of time due to 'a risk to their lives'," it said in an English-language statement. "These Syrian citizens who were working in the civil defense, had fled the areas controlled by the Syrian opposition after the Syrian army's attack in those areas." Canadian foreign minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement that "Canada, working in close partnership with the United Kingdom and Germany, has been leading an international effort to ensure the safety of White Helmets and their families." "At a meeting of foreign ministers on the occasion of the NATO leaders' summit in Brussels a week ago, I called for global leadership to support and help these heroes." The White Helmets have rescued thousands of civilians trapped under the rubble or caught up in fighting in battered opposition-held zones along various fronts of Syria's conflict. Since its formation, when Syria's conflict was nearing its 3rd year, more than 200 of its volunteers have died and another 500 have been wounded. The group's motto – "To save one life is to save all of humanity" – is drawn from a verse in the Koran, although the White Helmets insist they treat all victims, regardless of religion. Some members have received training abroad, including in Turkey, returning to instruct colleagues on search-and-rescue techniques. The Israeli army said it evacuated the White Helmets at the request of the United States and European countries, in what it called "an exceptional humanitarian gesture.” "Following an Israeli government directive and at the request of the United States and additional European countries, the IDF recently completed a humanitarian effort to rescue members of a Syrian civil organization and their families," the army said. "The civilians were evacuated from the war zone in southern Syria due to an immediate threat to their lives.” "The civilians were subsequently transferred to a neighboring country," it said without elaborating. "Israel continues to maintain a non-intervention policy regarding the Syrian conflict and continues to hold the Syrian regime accountable for all activities in Syrian territory." Israel has been sending medical aid to civilians who have fled fighting in the Syrian-controlled part of the Golan Heights. Israel seized 1,200 square kilometers (460 square miles) of the Golan area from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, in a move never recognized internationally. – Rappler.com ||||| The White Helmets act as first responders in war-hit areas of Syria - Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets Israel has evacuated 800 White Helmets rescuers and their family members threatened by advancing Syrian regime forces to Jordan for resettlement in Britain, Canada and Germany, Amman said Sunday. Founded in 2013, the Syria Civil Defence, or White Helmets, is a network of first responders which rescues wounded in the aftermath of air strikes, shelling or explosions in rebel-held territory. Jordan "authorised the United Nations to organise the passage of 800 Syrian citizens through Jordan to be resettled in western countries," the kingdom said. "The government gave the permission after Britain, Germany and Canada made a legally binding undertaking to resettle them within a specified period of time due to 'a risk to their lives'." An Israeli government source confirmed Israel's military had rescued 800 people who were taken to Jordan. "Upon request of the US, Canada and European states Israel has completed a humanitarian effort to rescue members of a Syrian civil organisation ('White Helmets') and families," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon tweeted. White Helmets head Raed Saleh said the evacuees had arrived in Jordan after being "surrounded in a dangerous region". They were encircled in the provinces of Daraa and Quneitra, he said, including a number trapped between the border with the Golan Heights and advancing Russia-backed regime troops, he told AFP. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said she "called for global leadership to support and help these heroes" during a meeting of foreign ministers at the NATO leaders' summit in Brussels a week ago. The White Helmets have rescued thousands of civilians trapped under the rubble or caught up in fighting in battered opposition-held zones along various fronts of Syria's seven-year conflict. Since its formation, when Syria's conflict was nearing its third year, more than 200 of its volunteers have died and another 500 have been wounded. The group's motto - "To save one life is to save all of humanity" - is drawn from a verse in the Koran, although the White Helmets insist they treat all victims, regardless of religion. Some members have received training abroad, including in Turkey, returning to instruct colleagues on search-and-rescue techniques. The group receives funding from a number of governments, including Britain, Germany and the United States, but also solicits individual donations to purchase equipment such as its signature hard hats. Last year, a Netflix production called "The White Helmets" won an Academy Award for best short documentary. A second film on the group, named "Last Men in Aleppo," was nominated for an Oscar in 2018. The Israeli army said it evacuated the White Helmets overnight at the request of the United States and European countries, in what it called "an exceptional humanitarian gesture". "The civilians were evacuated from the war zone in southern Syria due to an immediate threat to their lives. "The civilians were subsequently transferred to a neighbouring country," it said without elaborating. Israel has been sending medical aid to civilians who have fled fighting in the Syrian-controlled part of the Golan Heights. Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, in a move never recognised internationally. On June 19, forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad launched an Russia-backed offensive to retake Daraa and Quneitra provinces. Just a month later, government institutions look set to return to most of these two provinces through a combination of deadly bombardment and Moscow-brokered surrender deals. These deals provide for rebels to hand over their heavy weapons and those who disagree with a regime takeover to be bussed with family members towards opposition-held areas in the north of the country. Jihadists are not party to these deals, and Russian planes bombarded a holdout of the Islamic State group in Daraa province overnight, a Britain-based war monitor said. More than 20,000 civilians have fled bombardment on the IS-held corner on the border with Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan in the past 24 hours, fleeing into regime-held areas, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. ||||| Jordan said on Sunday that it has taken in 800 Syrian White Helmets rescuers and their families from Israel and plans to transfer them to the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany. "The Jordanian government said it had authorised the United Nations to organise the passage of 800 Syrian citizens through Jordan to be resettled in western countries," the kingdom said. "The government gave the permission after Britain, Germany and Canada made a legally binding undertaking to resettle them within a specified period of time due to 'a risk to their lives'," it said in an English-language statement. "These Syrian citizens who were working in the civil defence, had fled the areas controlled by the Syrian opposition after the Syrian army's attack in those areas." Founded in 2013, the Syria Civil Defence, or White Helmets, is a network of first responders who rescue wounded in the aftermath of air strikes, shelling or blasts in rebel-held territory. Foreign ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Kayed said the kingdom had accepted the members of the Syrian rescue organisation for "purely humanitarian reasons" as their lives had been at risk. Kayed said those evacuated would stay in "a restricted area" of Jordan until they are transferred to the three countries within three months. More than 650,000 Syrian refugees are registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Jordan but the kingdom says it hosts 1.3 million Syrian refugees. ||||| JERUSALEM (Reuters) - About 800 members of Syria’s White Helmets civil defense group and their families were evacuated via Israel to Jordan on Sunday from southwest Syria, where a Russian-backed Syrian government offensive is under way, media said. In a statement, the Israeli military said it had completed “a humanitarian effort to rescue members of a Syrian civil organization and their families ... due to an immediate threat to their lives”. It said they were transferred to a neighboring country, which it did not identify, and that the evacuation came at the request of the United States and several European countries. Israeli media identified the Syrians as belonging to the White Helmets organization. Officially called the Syrian Civil Defense but known by their distinctive white helmets, the group has operated a rescue service in rebel-held parts of Syria. Jordan’s official Petra news agency said on its website the kingdom “authorized the United Nations to organize the passage of about 800 Syrian citizens through Jordan for resettlement in Western countries”. The agency identified the Syrians as civil defense workers who fled areas controlled by the Syrian opposition after attacks there by the Syrian army. Petra said they would remain in a closed area in Jordan and that Britain, Germany and Canada had agreed to resettle them within three months. The Syrian military, backed by a Russian air campaign, has been pushing into the edges of Quneitra province following an offensive last month that routed rebels in adjoining Deraa province who were once backed by Washington, Jordan and Gulf states. The offensive has restored Syrian government control over a swathe of the southwest, strategic territory at the borders with Jordan and Israel. ||||| A file picture taken on March 7, 2018 shows a member of the Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, carrying a wounded man, during reported regime shelling on a rebel-held area outside the capital Damascus (AFP Photo/Abdulmonam EASSA) Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel evacuated 800 White Helmets rescuers and their families from Syria to Jordan overnight at the request of the United States and European countries, army radio said on Sunday. The request came as the volunteer rescuers were threatened by advancing forces of the Syrian regime in the south of the war-ravaged country, the radio station reported. Jordan said it would transfer the Syrians to Britain, Canada and Germany. Founded in 2013, the Syria Civil Defence, or White Helmets, are a network of first responders who rescue wounded in the aftermath of air strikes, shelling or blasts in rebel-held territory. "Following an Israeli government directive and at the request of the United States and additional European countries, the IDF recently completed a humanitarian effort to rescue members of a Syrian civil organisation and their families," said the Israel Defence Forces. "The civilians were evacuated from the war zone in southern Syria due to an immediate threat to their lives," the IDF said on its Twitter account, describing the move as "an exceptional humanitarian gesture". "The civilians were subsequently transferred to a neighbouring country," it said without elaborating. "Israel continues to maintain a non-intervention policy regarding the Syrian conflict and continues to hold the Syrian regime accountable for all activities in Syrian territory." Israel has been sending medical aid to civilians who have fled fighting in the Syrian-controlled part of the Golan Heights. Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan area from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, in a move never recognised internationally. ||||| In this file photo taken on February 25, 2017, a member of the White Helmets carries a wounded girl amid the rubble following reported government airstrike on the rebel-held town of Douma (AFP Photo/Sameer Al-Doumy) Amman (AFP) - Israel has evacuated 800 White Helmets rescuers and their family members threatened by advancing Syrian regime forces to Jordan for resettlement in Britain, Canada and Germany, Amman said Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the operation an "important humanitarian step" and said he ordered it after requests from US President Donald Trump and Canadian premier Justin Trudeau. Founded in 2013, the Syria Civil Defence, or White Helmets, is a network of first responders which rescues the wounded in the aftermath of air strikes, shelling or explosions in rebel-held territory. Jordan "authorised the United Nations to organise the passage of 800 Syrian citizens through Jordan to be resettled in western countries," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Kayed said. "The government gave the permission after Britain, Germany and Canada made a legally binding undertaking to resettle them within a specified period of time due to 'a risk to their lives'." The Israeli military said it had transferred the rescue workers and their families to a neighbouring country, adding the operation was "exceptional" and that Israel would continue its "non-intervention policy" in the Syrian conflict. "A few days ago President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and others approached me with the request to help extract from Syria hundreds of White Helmets," Netanyahu said in a statement. "These are people who save lives and now find themselves in deadly danger, therefore I approved bringing them through Israel to another country as an important humanitarian step." White Helmets head Raed Saleh said the evacuees had arrived in Jordan after being "surrounded in a dangerous region". They had been encircled in the Syrian provinces of Daraa and Quneitra, which respectively border Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, he told AFP. Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan from Syria in 1967, in a move never recognised internationally. Britain's Foreign Office said it had helped facilitate the overnight evacuations. "White Helmets have been the target of attacks and, due to their high profile, we judged that, in these particular circumstances, the volunteers required immediate protection," it said. German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told Bild newspaper that Germany would take in eight White Helmets members and their families. The move was "an expression of my stance of ensuring humanity and order in migration policy," he said. Canada will take in up to 50 White Helmets volunteers and their families, totalling up to 250 people, the country's public broadcaster CBC said citing senior officials. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said she had "called for global leadership to support and help these heroes" at last week's NATO summit. Israel's Haaretz daily said the evacuees also included orphans who had been injured in the Syrian fighting. It was unclear how many White Helmet volunteers remained in both the Daraa and Quneitra provinces after the evacuations. But a volunteer in Daraa city, who asked to remain anonymous, said he had decided to stay despite being given the choice to leave. "It's our country and we have a right to live in it in safety," he told AFP, however adding he was among a minority who wished to remain. "We are first and foremost a humanitarian organisation, not a military one, or a terrorist one as the regime alleges." The White Helmets have rescued thousands of civilians trapped under the rubble or caught up in fighting in opposition-held zones along various fronts of Syria's seven-year conflict. Since its formation, when Syria's conflict was nearing its third year, more than 250 of its volunteers have been killed. The group's motto -- "To save one life is to save all of humanity" -- is drawn from a verse in the Koran, although the White Helmets insist they treat all victims, regardless of religion. Some members have received training abroad, including in Turkey, returning to instruct colleagues on search-and-rescue techniques. The group receives funding from a number of governments, including Britain, Germany and the United States, but also solicits individual donations to purchase equipment such as its signature hard hats. ||||| JERUSALEM — The Israeli military in coordination with its U.S. and European allies evacuated hundreds of Syrian rescue workers known as the White Helmets from near its volatile frontier with Syria, in a complex and first-of-a-kind operation. The evacuees, who were hemmed in from one side by advancing hostile Syrian troops and from another by militants affiliated with the Islamic State group, were transported to Jordan, from where they are expected to be resettled in Europe and Canada in the coming weeks. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said 422 White Helmets volunteers were evacuated, instead of the initial 800 cleared for the operation. Israel's military said the overnight operation was "an exceptional humanitarian gesture" at the request of the United States and European allies due to an "immediate threat to the [Syrians'] lives." Britain said the operation was possible due to the joint diplomatic efforts, hailing the efforts of the White Helmets volunteers to save lives in opposition areas. Jeremy Hunt, U.K's foreign secretary, called the successful evacuation "fantastic news," and thanked Israel and Jordan in a tweet for acting quickly following the request. The White Helmets, he said, "are the bravest of the brave and in a desperate situation this is at least one ray of hope." The members of the White Helmets and their families had been stranded along the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights following the Syrian government offensive in southwestern Syria that began in June. Raed Saleh, head of the White Helmets, which are also known as the Syrian Civil Defense, said a number of volunteers and their families were evacuated from a dangerous, besieged area. He did not provide exact figures. This was the first such Israeli intervention in Syria's lengthy civil war, now in its eighth year. Although it has sent aid into Syria and has provided medical treatment to thousands of Syrians who reached the Golan Heights frontier, the Israeli military said its actions did not reflect a change to Israel's nonintervention policy in Syria's war, where all the warring parties are considered hostile. It was an unprecedented operation to provide protection and asylum to allies of Western nations in Syria's complex battlefield. The White Helmets have enjoyed backing and received finances and training from the United States and other Western nations for years. Because of their work in opposition areas, where they were almost exclusively the only ones to offer rescue services in the face of the government military advances, they were considered public enemy No. 1 by the Syrian government. They offered services where state institutions and services are nonexistent. Their facilities were targeted, and their volunteers hit in what became known as "double tap" attacks that drew the volunteers to areas of bombings only to hit them once on site. The Syrian government, and its ally Russia, have called the White Helmets "terrorists," accused them of being foreign powers' "agents," and of cooperating with radical insurgent groups. Both Moscow and Damascus have accused the White Helmets of staging rescue missions and chemical attacks to blame on the government. On Sunday, state media kept up its campaign against the group, pointing out that Israel, with which Syria is formally at war, which facilitated the evacuation, citing it as evidence that the group was collaborating with an enemy power. Syrian state TV al-Ikhbariya called the evacuation a "scandal." The State News Agency SANA said "the secret" of the group had been revealed and their "role as an agent ended." Syrian lawmaker Khaled Abboud said that "foreign powers are pulling their agents out of the battlefield" because of the Syrian military victories that have quashed the "aggression" against Syria. In a quick offensive, Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air forces, have been advancing from the east on areas held by the opposition in the strategic southwestern region that straddles the Jordanian border and the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel in 1967. They first seized the border with Jordan, squeezing the opposition in the center and progressively chipping away at areas the rebels held for years. For the first time since the war began in 2011, government forces regained positions along the disengagement line following a cease-fire deal with Israel in 1974. This left the rebels and the White Helmets besieged by the government from one side, the sealed frontier with Israel, and by the group affiliated with the Islamic State group from the south. Surrender deals were reached with the armed groups, allowing thousands to evacuate to the northern province of Idlib, where the opposition still holds sway. But one civil defense official, declining to be identified by name for his safety, said the Russians — allies of the Syrian government and who were mediating the surrender deals — refused to allow the White Helmets to be evacuated to the north. The Associated Press first reported on Friday that U.S. officials were finalizing plans to evacuate several hundred Syrian civil defense workers and their families from southwest Syria as Russian-backed government forces closed in on the area along the Golan Heights frontier. Evacuation plans were accelerated after last week's NATO summit in Brussels. On Sunday, the British International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt and Foreign Secretary Hunt said the volunteers and their families "have been able to leave Syria for safety" following a joint diplomatic effort by Britain and its international partners. They said due to the risk the volunteers faced and their high profile, necessary steps were taken to afford protection to "as many volunteers and their families" as possible. The evacuees are being assisted by the UN Refugee agency in Jordan pending international resettlement, the secretaries said. Jordanian Foreign Ministry's spokesman Mohammed al-Kayed said the Syrians would remain in a closed area in Jordan for three months. Safadi, Jordan's foreign minister, said in a tweet that his government approved the evacuation after a pledge from Britain, Germany and Canada that the evacuees will be resettled in three months. Since the offensive began, Jordan said it will not open its borders to the newly displaced Syrians. Jordan hosts at least 650,000 registered Syrian refugees, according to the UN, but Amman says a similar number of undocumented Syrians are also in the kingdom. About 300,000 have been displaced by the fighting, with only a few thousands opting for evacuation to Idlib, which is expected to be the target of the next government offensive. Aron Lund, a Syria expert with the Century Foundation, said after funding and promoting the White Helmets for years, the evacuation should not be a surprise. "It seems like simple moral math to me that when the uprising fails, they should try to get their guys out alive, with their families," he told The Associated Press in an email. "Had the international community done this much earlier and also offered safe haven to the rebel leaders they've been backing, they could have helped get irreconcilables out of the equation and reduce the amount of killing and destruction." "All sides benefit from giving the losing team a safe exit," he said. ||||| The United States and Russia hailed the evacuation by the Israeli military of a Syrian volunteer civil organization from a volatile border area near the Golan Heights, although the two powers saw the operation in a sharply differing manner. The U.S. State Department on July 22 issued a statement saying it “welcomes the safe evacuation of more than 400 members of the Syrian Civil Defense” -- also known as the White Helmets. “We are glad that these brave volunteers, who have saved thousands of lives, are now out of harm's way.” “We renew our call on the [Syria] regime and Russia to abide by their commitments, end the violence, and protect all Syrian civilians, including humanitarians such as the White Helmets, in areas formerly part of the southwest de-escalation zone and throughout Syria,” it added. Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in the Netherlands welcomed the departure of the “notorious” White Helmets. "Definitely there will be less chances of new so-called #CW (chemical weapon) attacks in Syria after forced evacuation by the collective West of the notorious #WhiteHelmets," it wrote on Twitter. The White Helmets work exclusively in rebel-held areas and receive donations from several Western governments, including Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. Its members say they are neutral, but Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government and his Russian ally accuse the White Helmets of being tools of their international donors. Western powers have accused Syria of attacking rebel-held areas with illegal chemical weapons. Syria and Russia claim the Western-backed rebels and their supportershave staged the attacks in an attempt to frame Assad’s government. The evacuation of the White Helmet members and their families came overnight on July 21-22 as they fled advancing Syrian government forces and slipped over the border into Jordan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement on July 22 that he aided the evacuation at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders based on fearsthe volunteer workers' lives were in danger. "A few days ago, President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and others approached me with the request to help extract from Syria hundreds of White Helmets," Netanyahu said. Reuters quoted a Jordanian government source as saying that 422 people had been brought from Syria over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and into Jordan. Earlier reports had said some 800 people had been evacuated. Those rescued will be kept in a "closed" location in Jordan before being resettled in Britain, Germany, and Canada within three months, the source told Reuters. The U.S. statement said that “we deeply appreciate Israel's role in facilitating the transit of the White Helmets and their family members. We commend Jordan's generosity in supporting their processing by UNHCR and the commitment of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany to provide the White Helmets and their families with permanent homes.” Russia and Iran back Assad's government in Syria's seven-year civil war, while the United States supports antigovernment rebels. Islamic State (IS) and other militant groups have also been involved in the fighting but have mainly been driven from their strongholds. With reporting by Reuters and AFP ||||| The Israeli military has evacuated hundreds of rescue workers known as White Helmets from the Syrian border and transported them to Jordan. The Israeli military has evacuated hundreds of rescue workers known as White Helmets from the Syrian border and transported them to Jordan. The volunteers were rescued from the volatile frontier area on the Golan Heights following a request by the United States and its European allies, according to officials. It was the first such Israeli intervention in Syria’s civil war, now in its eight year. Jordan confirmed the Syrian citizens entered its territory to be resettled in Western countries in weeks. Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the total number of evacuees was 422, even though the initial request was to evacuate 800. It was unclear what happened to the remainder. Mr Safadi later tweeted that Jordan approved the evacuations after a pledge from the UK, Germany and Canada that the Syrian evacuees would be resettled in three months. The White Helmets and their families had been stranded along the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights following the Syrian government offensive in southwestern Syria which began in June. The group, which operates in opposition-held areas, is often targeted in Syrian government attacks on its members and facilities. The Syrian government considers the group a “terrorist” organisation because it works in areas controlled by its opponents, where state institutions and services are non-existent. The Israeli military said the overnight operation was an “exceptional humanitarian gesture” done at the request of the United States and its European allies due to “an immediate threat to the (Syrians’) lives”. The military said its actions did not reflect a change to Israel’s non-intervention policy in Syria’s war, where all the warring parties are considered hostile. Jordanian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Mohammed al-Kayed said the Syrians would remain in a closed area in Jordan for three months before moving on to the UK, Germany and Canada. Raed Saleh, head of the Syrian Civil Defence as the White Helmets are also known, said a number of volunteers and their families were evacuated from a dangerous, besieged area and had reached Jordan.
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Israel Defense Forces extract 98 White Helmets and 324 others from recently recaptured southwestern Syrian territory into Jordan, at the request of Canada and the United States. Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany offer refuge to some of them. Two other groups intended for rescue, comprising about 800 people, do not escape.
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KABUL—Afghanistan’s vice president escaped unhurt from a suicide bombing Sunday at a police checkpoint near the Kabul airport. Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, the powerful former warlord, who has been accused of human rights violations, was returning home after more than a year of exile in Turkey. The explosion killed 19 people and left 60 others... ||||| The U.S. State Department once referred to General Dostum as a 'quintessential warlord.' He is accused of numerous wartime atrocities. Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum returned home on Saturday to cheering supporters and high-ranking officials and escaped possible harm from a suicide bomber by minutes. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack outside the Kabul airport where Dostum landed. The blast killed at least 14 and injured at least 50 more, according to Reuters. His arrival marked the end of his exile to Turkey over a year ago for accusations that he issued orders for the kidnapping and rape of a political rival, which he denies. Hashmat Estankzai, of the Kabul police, told reporters that the suicide bomber had positioned himself outside the airport’s gate. Reports vary as to whether Dostum had already departed or was in the process of departing when the blast went off. BBC reports that the abuse of Dostum’s former ally, Ahmad Eshchi, is one example of the atrocities for which the vice president is believed to be responsible. Esnchi has described beatings that stretched across days, as well as violent sexual assaults that were ordered by Dostum. Ten men and his former friend participated in the abuse that allegedly took place at Dostum’s home in late 2016. The Afghan vice president denies the charges and has blamed Afghanistan’s intelligence service for Eshchi’s experience. The U.S. State Department once referred to Dostum as a “quintessential warlord.” Among the allegations against him are charges that he killed Taliban prisoners by locking them in cargo containers without air. He has also denied those accusations. He has also denied that he was exiled to Turkey, claiming that he, instead, was there for medical attention. General Dostum left the airport in an armored vehicle and traveled to his office compound to speak to a crowd of supporters who had been waiting hours for his arrival. In his speech, he briefly mentioned the attack at the Kabul airport. Among the subjects he spoke about was his support for peace talks with the Taliban and a plea for elections free of “fraud.” During his time in Turkey, he found two new allies who joined him in Kabul on Saturday. Atta Mohammad Noor is a powerful figure among ethnic Tajiks, and Mohammad Mohaqiq is a leader of the Hazara minority. He described their alliance as one intended to build “common support for the system.” It’s believed that President Ashfar Ghani arranged for the return of the exiled leader. He said Saturday that the charges against Dostum would be dealt with through independent legal means. ||||| Kabul: An explosion near Kabul's international airport killed 11 people, injured 14 on Sunday, officials said, shortly after Afghan vice-president Abdul Rashid Dostum returned to the country after more than a year in exile. Scores of senior government officials, political leaders and supporters had gathered at the airport to greet the powerful ethnic Uzbek leader and former warlord, clad in a Western suit and sunglasses. An explosion was heard as the convoy of vehicles was departing. But Dostum, who was travelling in an armoured vehicle, was unharmed, said his spokesman Bashir Ahmad Tayanj. "The blast was probably caused by a suicide bomber," said interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish, adding there were an unknown number of casualties. Dostum, who is linked to a catalogue of human rights abuses in Afghanistan, was mobbed like a celebrity as he left the chartered plane from Turkey where he has lived since May 2017. His return, which has been the subject of much speculation, comes amid violent protests in several provinces across northern Afghanistan, his traditional power base. Thousands of Dostum's supporters have taken to the streets in recent weeks, shuttering election and government offices and blocking sections of highways to demand the release of a pro-government militia leader and call for Dostum's return. Expectations of the return did little to quell the unrest, with protesters vowing today to continue demonstrating until the burly leader of the Uzbek ethnic minority tells them otherwise. "We don't trust the government. We will continue our protests unless General Dostum tells us to stop," Ehsanullah Qowanch, a protest leader in Faryab province, told AFP. Qowanch also repeated calls for the release of Nezamuddin Qaisari — a district police chief and Dostum's provincial representative in Faryab — whose arrest earlier this month ignited the protests. Another protester, Massoud Khan, said: "We have been on the streets for 20 days now. We are not going to stop our protests unless our demands are met." Observers say President Ashraf Ghani, an ethnic Pashtun, gave the green light for Dostum to come home to stabilise the north and secure Uzbek support before next year's presidential election, which he is widely expected to contest. Dostum left Afghanistan in May 2017 after he was accused of organising the rape and torture of a political rival. He had denied the allegations and said his departure was for medical check-ups and family reasons. Ghani in 2009 described Dostum as a "known killer". Yet he chose him as his running mate in the 2014 presidential election, underlining the sometimes uncomfortable ethnic realities of Afghan politics. Presidential spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri said Saturday that Dostum had been "treated" and would resume his duties upon his return. Seven of Dostum's bodyguards have been convicted of the sexual assault and illegal imprisonment of Ahmad Ishchi, a former governor of the northern province of Jowzjan, in 2016. Dostum allegedly had Ishchi abducted in Jowzjan and then kept him hostage in his private compound for several days, where the captive was said to have been tortured and sodomised. Chakhansuri deflected questions about whether Dostum would face charges over the incident, saying "the judiciary is an independent body, the government does not interfere in their decisions". Dostum is one of several controversial figures whom Kabul has sought to reintegrate into mainstream politics since the US-led invasion in 2001. His heroic status in the north belies the barbarities for which he is known. Dostum, who helped the United States oust the Taliban regime in 2001, allegedly allowed hundreds of Taliban prisoners to be suffocated in shipping containers. ||||| Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum narrowly escaped a deadly suicide bombing at Kabul airport as he returned home from more than a year in exile in Turkey over allegations of torturing and abusing a political rival. Afghan officials said Dostum, a powerful former warlord, had left the airport in a motorcade only minutes before the blast struck at the entrance of the airport on July 22, killing at least 11 people. Dostum was unharmed, said his spokesman, Bashir Ahmad Tayanj. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both the Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) extremist group are active in the Afghan capital. Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanekzai said at least 11 people had been killed and 14 wounded, including both civilians and members of the security forces. He did not give a breakdown. “The blast happened right after Dostum’s convoy left the airport,” said Stanekzai. Mohib Zeer, an official from the public health ministry, also confirmed that 11 people were killed in the attack. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said the explosion was “caused by a suicide attacker on foot.” Hundreds of Dostum’s supporters had gathered at the entrance of Kabul airport to welcome home the ethnic Uzbek leader from exile. Dostum returned to Kabul after more than a year in self-imposed exile in Turkey amid claims that he had ordered his men to abduct, beat, and rape a political rival in 2017. Dostum had been undergoing medical treatment in Turkey, was now well, and would resume work, presidential spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri said. Dostum left the country in 2017, after the attorney general’s office opened an investigation into allegations that his followers had tortured and sexually abused Ahmad Ischi, a former political ally from Dostum’s Junbesh party. Dostum had denied the allegations and said his departure was for medical checkups and family reasons. It was not clear whether Dostum will face charges. A deputy government spokesman told RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan on July 21 that “legal matters will be pursued according to the law.” Dostum is a controversial figure who has been accused of serious human rights violations, including the deaths of hundreds of Taliban prisoners in 2001 in the custody of his militia forces. With reporting by Radio Free Afghanistan, Reuters, AP, AFP, and ToloNews Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036. ||||| Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum narrowly escaped a suicide bomb attack at Kabul airport as he returned home on Sunday from more than a year in exile in Turkey over allegations of torturing and abusing a political rival. Dostum, who left Afghanistan last year after heavy pressure from Western donors including the United States, drove away from the airport in a motorcade only minutes before the explosion, which police said killed at least 14 people and wounded more than 50. He was unharmed in the blast, which was claimed by Islamic State, and made only brief mention of it when he met cheering supporters who had been waiting for hours to give him a red carpet reception at a rally at his office compound. However, the incident underlined the increasingly volatile and unstable political climate in Kabul ahead of parliamentary elections in October that are seen as a dry run for more important presidential elections early next year. Dostum backed calls for peace talks with the Taliban and thanked Afghanistan’s international partners for their help while calling on Afghans to register for the elections. “Any fraud in this election will lead the country to a serious and dangerous crisis,” he said. Dostum’s triumphant return was in stark contrast to the outrage he faced after reports in 2016 that his guards had seized political rival Ahmad Eshchi and subjected him to beatings, torture and violent sexual abuse. He denied Eshchi’s accusations but, amid international demands that he face justice to show that powerful political leaders were not above the law, he left the country in May last year, saying he needed to seek medical treatment in Turkey. Even in exile, he remained a powerful figure with wide support among his fellow ethnic Uzbeks in northern Afghanistan. While in Turkey, he also formed an alliance with two other powerful leaders, Atta Mohammad Noor, a major force among ethnic Tajiks and Mohammad Mohaqiq, a leader of the Hazara minority, both of whom joined him in Kabul on Sunday. “Of course, the aim of this coalition was never an anti-government move or against the system. On the contrary, it was aimed at building common support for the system,” he said. President Ashraf Ghani now faces the challenge of reintegrating Dostum, an ally in the disputed 2014 election who helped deliver the ethnic Uzbek vote but a volatile and unpredictable partner ever since. On Saturday, Ghani’s spokesman said accusations against Dostum would be dealt with by independent legal authorities. Dostum’s return followed more than two weeks of sometimes violent demonstrations by supporters demanding the release of one of his militia commanders who was arrested following a dispute with officers in the regular security forces. In remarks to his supporters, he made a brief reference to the commander, Nizamuddin Qaisari, who remains in custody pending an investigation. But Dostum also called on protesters who had blocked roads and government offices in northern Afghanistan to end their demonstrations. Once referred to as a “quintessential warlord” by the U.S. State Department, Dostum has long been accused of serious human rights abuses. Shortly after the U.S.-led campaign in 2001, he was accused of killing Taliban prisoners by leaving them locked in airless cargo containers. He has denied the accusations. ||||| KABUL, July 22 (Reuters) - Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum narrowly escaped a suicide bomb attack at Kabul airport as he returned home on Sunday from more than a year in exile in Turkey over allegations of torturing and abusing a political rival. Dostum, who left Afghanistan last year after heavy pressure from Western donors including the United States, had exited the airport in a motorcade only minutes before the explosion, which police said killed at least 14 people and wounded more than 50. He was unharmed in the blast. A little over a mile from where the attack took place, cheering supporters who had been waiting for hours gave him a red carpet reception at a rally at his office compound. However, the incident underlined the increasingly volatile and unstable political climate in Kabul ahead of parliamentary elections in October that are seen as a dry run for more important presidential elections early next year. Dostum's triumphant return was in stark contrast to the outrage he faced after reports in 2016 that his guards had seized political rival Ahmad Eshchi and subjected him to beatings, torture and violent sexual abuse. He denied Eshchi's accusations but, amid international demands that he face justice to show that powerful political leaders were not above the law, he left the country in May last year, ostensibly to seek medical treatment in Turkey. Even in exile, he remained a powerful figure with wide support among his fellow ethnic Uzbeks in northern Afghanistan. While in Turkey, he also formed an alliance with two other powerful leaders, Atta Mohammad Noor, a major force among ethnic Tajiks and Mohammad Mohaqiq, a leader of the Hazara minority both of whom joined him in Kabul on Sunday. President Ashraf Ghani now faces the challenge of reintegrating Dostum, an ally in the disputed 2014 election who helped deliver the ethnic Uzbek vote but a volatile and unpredictable partner. Dostum's return followed more than two weeks of sometimes violent demonstrations by supporters demanding the release of one of his militia commanders who was arrested following a dispute with officers in the regular security forces. In remarks to his supporters, he made a brief reference to the commander, Nizamuddin Qaisari, who remains in custody pending an investigation. But Dostum also called on protesters who had blocked roads and government offices in northern Afghanistan to end their demonstrations. Once referred to as a "quintessential warlord" by the U.S. State Department, Dostum has long been accused of serious human rights abuses. Shortly after the U.S.-led campaign in 2001, he was accused of killing Taliban prisoners by leaving them locked in airless cargo containers. He has denied the accusations. (Writing by James Mackenzie Editing by Dale Hudson and David Goodman) ||||| KABUL, Afghanistan -- Fourteen people were killed when a suicide bomber carried out an attack near Kabul's airport in Afghanistan on Sunday, authorities said. They said the blast narrowly missed the country's vice president who was returning home after living in Turkey for more than a year. Najib Danish, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the blast occurred near Kabul International Airport shortly after the convoy of the controversial vice president had just left the airport. Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, a former Uzbek warlord, and his entourage were unharmed, said Danish. Fourteen people, including both civilians and military forces, were killed in the attack and 50 others wounded, police said. The Islamic States of Iraq and Syria's (ISIS) local affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack on its Amaaq News Agency website, claiming it had killed and wounded over 115 people. The attacker set off his explosives just outside the airport's gate, police spokesperson Hashmat Stanikzai told BBC News. In a statement from the presidential palace, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani strongly condemned the attack. Dostum had been undergoing medical treatment in Turkey, and is now well and ready to resume work, said presidential spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri. Dostum left Afghanistan in 2017 after the attorney-general's office launched an investigation into allegations that his followers had tortured and sexually abused a former ally turned political rival. He has since reportedly been barred by the government from returning to Afghanistan. It was not immediately clear whether Dostum will now face any charges. "The judiciary in Afghanistan is an independent body and will carry out its duties and responsibilities as it deems appropriate," said an official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the issue. Dostum, accused of war crimes committed after the fall of the Taliban government in 2001, has also been criticized by the United States for human rights abuses. ||||| At least 14 people have been killed and more than 40 wounded in a suicide bomb blast near Kabul’s international airport that struck minutes after Afghan Vice President Rashid Dostum returned to the country from more than a year in exile, police said. Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanekzai said the blast on Sunday went off near the main airport entrance, where supporters had been waiting to greet Dostum as his motorcade passed on its way to the city centre. Dostum, who was travelling in an armoured vehicle, was unharmed in the blast, which was claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group. “The blast happened right after Dostum’s convoy left the airport,” said Stanekzai. Civilians, including a child, and security force members were among the casualties, according to Najib Danish, interior ministry spokesman. He added that the suicide bomber was identified by police but he detonated his explosive vest before he could be safely apprehended. Dostum’s return Dostum, who is linked to a number of of human rights abuses in Afghanistan, was mobbed like a celebrity as he left the chartered plane from Turkey where he has lived since May 2017. Dostum’s triumphant return was in stark contrast to the outrage he faced after reports in 2016 that his guards had seized political rival Ahmad Eshchi and subjected him to beatings, torture and violent sexual abuse. He denied Eshchi’s accusations but, amid international demands that he face justice to show that powerful political leaders were not above the law, he left the country in May last year, saying he needed to seek medical treatment in Turkey. On Saturday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s spokesman said accusations against Dostum would be dealt with by independent legal authorities. Once referred to as a “quintessential warlord” by the US State Department, Dostum has long been accused of serious human rights abuses. Shortly after the US-led campaign in 2001, he was accused of killing Taliban prisoners by leaving them locked in airless cargo containers. He has denied the accusations. Even in exile, Dostum remained a powerful figure with wide support among his fellow ethnic Uzbeks in northern Afghanistan. Ghani now faces the challenge of reintegrating Dostum, an ally in the disputed 2014 election who helped deliver the ethnic Uzbek vote but a volatile and unpredictable partner ever since. “I think the rehabilitation of General Dostum is a traditional part of the Afghan election season,” Jarrett Blanc, senior fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC, told Al Jazeera. “It happened prior to the 2009 election and of cause it famously happened when President Ghani selected him to be first vice-president in 2013 and it’s happening again this year. “By being the one bold enough to ask General Dostum to be his first vice-president, he was able to signal to all the power brokers in Afghanistan that he was somebody to be reckoned with and to launch himself to the second round and then into the presidency,” Blanc said. Dostum’s return followed more than two weeks of demonstrations by supporters demanding the release of one of his militia commanders who was arrested following a dispute with officers in the regular security forces. In remarks to his supporters, he made a brief reference to the commander, Nizamuddin Qaisari, who remains in custody pending an investigation. But Dostum also called on protesters who had blocked roads and government offices in northern Afghanistan to end their demonstrations. ||||| Afghan security forces help an injured colleague after a suicide attack in Kabul on July 22, 2018. KABUL - A suicide bomber killed at least 14 people and wounded 60 at the entrance to Kabul international airport on Sunday (July 22) , officials said, as scores gathered to welcome home Afghan Vice-President Abdul Rashid Dostum from exile. Senior government officials, political leaders and supporters were leaving the airport after greeting the powerful ethnic Uzbek leader and former warlord when the explosion happened. "This is the first time I have seen a suicide attack," one witness told AFP. "People were collecting human flesh with their hands," he said, shaking as he spoke. "What is going on in Afghanistan?" Dostum, clad in a Western suit and sunglasses and travelling in an armoured vehicle, was unharmed, his spokesman Bashir Ahmad Tayanj said. Kabul Police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai said 14 people had been killed and 60 others wounded, adding that nine members of the security forces and traffic police were among the dead. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group claimed responsibility for the attack through its official Amaq news agency late Saturday, according to the SITE intelligence monitoring group. The suicide bomber was on foot, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said, adding that civilians, including a child, and security force members were among the casualties. Dostum, who is linked to a catalogue of human rights abuses in Afghanistan, was mobbed like a celebrity as he left the chartered plane from Turkey, where he has lived since May 2017. His return, which has been the subject of much speculation, comes amid violent protests in several provinces across northern Afghanistan, his traditional power base. Thousands of Dostum's supporters have taken to the streets in recent weeks, shuttering election and government offices and blocking sections of highways to demand the release of a pro-government militia leader and to call for Dostum's return. Expectations of the return did little to quell the unrest, with protesters vowing Sunday to continue demonstrating until the burly leader of the Uzbek ethnic minority tells them otherwise. "We don't trust the government. We will continue our protests unless General Dostum tells us to stop," Ehsanullah Qowanch, a protest leader in Faryab province, told AFP. Qowanch also repeated calls for the release of Nezamuddin Qaisari - a district police chief and Dostum's provincial representative in Faryab - whose arrest earlier this month ignited the protests. Another protester, Massoud Khan, said: "We have been on the streets for 20 days now. We are not going to stop our protests unless our demands are met." . Observers say President Ashraf Ghani, an ethnic Pashtun, gave the green light for Dostum to come home to stabilise the north and secure Uzbek support before next year's presidential election, which he is widely expected to contest. Dostum left Afghanistan in May 2017 after he was accused of organising the rape and torture of a political rival. He had denied the allegations and said his departure was for medical check-ups and family reasons. Ghani in 2009 described Dostum as a "known killer", yet he chose him as his running mate in the 2014 presidential election, underlining the sometimes uncomfortable ethnic realities of Afghan politics. Presidential spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri said Saturday that Dostum had been "treated" and would resume his duties upon his return. Seven of Dostum's bodyguards have been convicted of the sexual assault and illegal imprisonment of Ahmad Ishchi, a former governor of the northern province of Jowzjan, in 2016. Dostum allegedly had Ishchi abducted in Jowzjan and then kept him hostage in his private compound for several days, where the captive was said to have been tortured and sodomised. Chakhansuri deflected questions about whether Dostum would face charges over the incident, saying "the judiciary is an independent body, the government does not interfere in their decisions". Dostum is one of several controversial figures whom Kabul has sought to reintegrate into mainstream politics since the US-led invasion in 2001. His heroic status in the north belies the barbarities for which he is known. Dostum, who helped the United States oust the Taliban regime in 2001, allegedly allowed hundreds of Taliban prisoners to be suffocated in shipping containers. ||||| The Latest on developments in Afghanistan (all times local): Hashmat Stanekzai, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said that 11 people, including both civilians and military forces, have been killed in the suicide attack near Kabul's airport shortly after the country's controversial first vice president landed on his return from abroad. Mohib Zeer, an official form the public health ministry, also confirmed that 11 people were killed in the attack and 48 others wounded. Vice President Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, the likely the target of the attack, escaped unharmed. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion, but both Taliban and the Islamic State group are active in the Afghan capital. An Afghan spokesman says there has been a large explosion near the Kabul airport shortly after the country's controversial first vice president landed on his return from abroad. Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum and members of his entourage were unharmed in the explosion on Sunday, which took place as his convoy had already left the airport. The Interior Ministry's spokesman, Najib Danish, says the explosion took place outside of the airport. It was unclear what had caused it. Danish says that Dostum was likely the target of the attack. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion, but both Taliban and the Islamic State group are active in the Afghan capital. An Afghan spokesman says the country's first vice president, a former Uzbek warlord, is returning home after more than a year of living in Turkey. Presidential spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri says Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum is expected to return to Kabul on Sunday afternoon. He says Dostum had been undergoing medical treatment in Turkey, was now well and would resume work. Dostum left the country under controversial circumstances in 2017, after the attorney-general's office opened an investigation into allegations that his followers had tortured and sexually abused a former ally turned political rival. Dostum had since reportedly been prevented by the government from returning to Afghanistan. Dostum, accused of war crimes committed after the collapse of the Taliban in 2001, has been criticized by the United States for human rights abuses.
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An ISIL suicide bomber kills 14 people and wounds over 60 others at a police checkpoint near Hamid Karzai International Airport. The attack coincides with Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum returning to Afghanistan after more than a year in exile in Turkey. Dostum and his entourage are unwounded.
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One person is dead and 13 people are injured after a gunman opened fire in the middle of the street late Sunday in Toronto. The shooter is also dead, gunned down following the shooting spree, according to Toronto police.Toronto police said one innocent bystander, a "young lady," was killed in the exchange of gunfire. Another girl, of 8 or 9 years old, is in critical condition.The other 12 people are being treated at the hospital -- all victims were struck by gunfire.The shooting took place near Danforth Street and Logan Avenue, which is in the city's Greektown neighborhood, often referred to as The Danforth.Police confirmed they responded quickly and engaged in a shootout with the suspect, who used a handgun.The incident began at about 10 p.m., police said."I'm not calling it random," said Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders. "I don't know why he did what he did; he won't be able to tell us because he is deceased."It's unclear how many shots were fired, but a person in the neighborhood posted a video on Twitter in which at least five shots can be heard. The user tweeted, "So scary!! The gun violence in Toronto is crazy."Toronto police said they have no motive for the shooting, and asked any eyewitnesses to come forward or anyone with video to provide it to police.When asked about the suspect, Saunders said they knew "nothing at this point in time."Saunders said he could not confirm whether the shooting was an incident of terrorism, but police were investigating all possibilities."I'm keeping everything open, I'm looking at every possible motive," he said. "I certainly don't want to speculate, too."Toronto's mayor also spoke at a press conference overnight, reaffirming previous comments about Toronto's problems with gun violence."We still live in a great city, but we have to be ever more vigilant about these kind of things," Mayor John Tory said. ||||| Police investigate a car at the scene of a shooting in Toronto, on Monday, July 23, 2018. Police were trying Monday to determine what prompted a man to go on a shooting rampage in a popular Toronto neighborhood on Sunday. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP) Police investigate a car at the scene of a shooting in Toronto, on Monday, July 23, 2018. Police were trying Monday to determine what prompted a man to go on a shooting rampage in a popular Toronto neighborhood on Sunday. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP) TORONTO (AP) — The latest on the mass shooting in Toronto (all times local): 6:10 p.m. The family of the suspect in the deadly Toronto mass shooting says he suffered from severe mental health problems, but relatives “could never imagine that this would be his devastating and destructive end.” Faisal Hussain’s family expressed condolences in a statement Monday. It said the family was “utterly devastated by the incomprehensible news” that the 29-year-old was responsible for the rampage. The attacker fired into restaurants and cafes in a lively neighborhood late Sunday, killing a 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman and wounding 13 other people. He died in an exchange of gunfire with police. Hussain’s family says he struggled with psychosis and depression throughout his life, and medications and therapy didn’t work to treat him. The relatives say their “hearts are in pieces for the victims.” ___ 5:50 p.m. Police have identified the suspect in a deadly mass shooting in Toronto as 29-year-old Faisal Hussain. The Ontario police Special Investigations Unit released his name Monday evening. He died after an exchange of gunfire with police Sunday night. The attacker fired a handgun into restaurants and cafes in a lively Toronto neighborhood late Sunday, killing a 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman and wounding 13 other people. Police haven’t disclosed his motive. Police chief Mark Saunders said earlier Monday that investigators didn’t know it yet. Contact information for his family couldn’t immediately be found. The rampage came just three months after a van struck and killed 10 people in Toronto in an apparent attack directed toward women. ___ 5:30 p.m. Flags will be lowered to half-staff at a Toronto high school and administrative buildings in memory of a graduate who was killed in a shooting rampage weeks after commencement. Toronto District School Board Education Director John Malloy says 18-year-old Reese Fallon was “an engaging student” who “was highly regarded by staff and loved by her friends.” She graduated in late June from Malvern Collegiate Institute. Its website shows she had been on its honor roll. McMaster University said she planned to start studying there in the fall. Fallon and a 10-year-old girl were killed Sunday when a man fired a handgun into restaurants and cafes in the lively Greektown neighborhood. Thirteen other people were wounded. The 29-year-old gunman died after an exchange of gunfire with police. 4:20 p.m. The Toronto International Film Festival is canceling an event to announce its planned film slate due to the deadly mass shooting in the city. Festival organizers said Monday that out of respect for those affected by the attack, the film slate will be announced in a press release instead. Two people were killed and 13 wounded when a man clad in black fired a handgun into restaurants and cafes in Toronto’s Greektown neighborhood Sunday night. He died after an exchange of gunfire with police. The Toronto International Film Festival runs Sept. 6-16. The festival is a launching pad for Hollywood’s awards season and the first showcase for many Academy Award hopefuls. ___ 3:30 p.m. A Canadian member of Parliament who knew the 18-year-old killed in the Toronto mass shooting is identifying her as Reese Fallon. Nathaniel Erskine-Smith told CP24 television he has so many wonderful things to say about the young woman he knew, but says the family is grieving and has asked for privacy. He says they are devastated. An online Facebook profile for Fallon shows her as a student of McMaster University. ___ 3:15 p.m. Canadian officials say a man with a knife has been arrested during the changing of the guard on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. It’s unclear if the incident is related to the mass shooting in Toronto. The Canadian military said in a statement that the incident took place Monday morning on the lawns of Parliament Hill. The statement says that a “potential threat” was neutralized due to the quick reaction of soldiers, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Parliamentary Protective Services. No one was injured. Ottawa Police are investigating and the military gave no further details. ___ 1 p.m. Toronto police spokeswoman Meaghan Gray says victims of Sunday’s mass shooting include eight women and girls, and seven men. Two victims and the gunman died. Police chief Mark Saunders says a 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman were killed in the rampage in the city’s Greektown neighborhood. The 29-year-old attacker died after an exchange of gunfire with police. He walked along a street firing a handgun into restaurants and cafes. Saunders declined to release his name and said authorities don’t yet know his motive. Saunders said 13 other victims have injuries ranging from minor to serious. They range in age from 10 to 59. ___ 12:30 p.m. Toronto’s police chief says a 10 year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman were killed in the mass shooting in the city’s Greektown neighborhood. Police chief Mark Saunders said 13 other victims have injuries ranging from minor to serious. They range in age from 10 to 59. The 29-year-old gunman died after an exchange of gunfire with police. Saunders declined to release his name and said authorities “do not know why this has happened yet.” ___ Noon A hospital says five of the 14 people shot by a gunman who went on a deadly rampage on a Toronto street are in serious or critical, but stable, condition. St. Michael’s Hospital trauma surgeon Dr. Najma Ahmed says three of those people underwent immediate operations to save their lives. The hospital isn’t releasing the patients’ ages, genders or other details. Two people were killed in Sunday’s shootings. Other injured victims were taken to other hospitals, and their condition isn’t immediately available. The 29-year-old gunman was killed after an exchange of gunfire with police. Authorities haven’t released his name or disclosed his possible motivation. ___ 7:00 a.m. Ontario’s police watchdog says a second person is dead after gunman shot 14 people in Toronto’s Greektown neighborhood. A spokeswoman for the province’s Special Investigations Unit, Monica Hudon, says three people are dead including the gunman in the Danforth Street attack. No further details were given on the second victim. Police confirmed one victim died Sunday night and a young girl was in critical condition. The unit says police located the 29-year-old suspect about three blocks away from the scene and exchanged fire. It said the man fled, then was found dead back on Danforth. It was not immediately clear whether the man killed himself or died of injuries after being shot by police. The Special Investigations Unit will determine how the man died and whether there was any police wrongdoing. The unit is automatically called in to investigate all deaths and serious injuries where police are involved. ___ 12:30 a.m. Toronto police are seeking video and photos from people and businesses in the area where a gunman killed a woman and shot 13 other people in the Greektown neighborhood. A video from one witness shows a man dressed in black firing three shots from the sidewalk into at least one shop or restaurant late Sunday. Witnesses said they heard 20 to 30 shots. Police Chief Mark Saunders said terrorism had not been ruled out. Toronto police tweeted the shooting occurred in the Danforth and Logan avenues area of the Greektown neighborhood, a busy residential area with restaurants and cafes. A woman was killed and a young girl was critically wounded. Saunders said the gunman died after exchanging gunfire with police. ___ 11:50 p.m. Police say a gunman and one victim is dead after a man shot 14 people, including a young girl, in the Toronto neighborhood known as Greektown. Toronto police chief Mark Saunders says a young woman was killed in the shooting Sunday night. He also says a young girl is in critical condition. Police spokesman Mark Pugash says the condition of the other victims is not known yet. He says it’s too early to say whether the shooting is terrorism. Following the shooting, police, paramedics and other first responders descended on the scene, while area residents, some in their pajamas, emerged from their homes to see what was happening. Over the weekend, Toronto police deployed dozens of additional officers to deal with a recent spike in gun violence in the city. ___ 10:35 p.m. Canadian police and emergency personnel services are responding to a shooting that reportedly involves multiple victims in the downtown Toronto neighborhood known as Greektown. Police have yet to release any confirmed details of the late Sunday shooting. But local television station CP24 is showing images of multiple ambulances and other first responders at the scene, with several people being treated by paramedics. ||||| The shooter is dead after at least nine people were shot in Toronto around 10 p.m. Sunday, according to a tweet from Toronto Police Services. At this time, the conditions of the victims are unknown and a young girl is among those who were shot, police said on Twitter. Witnesses are being transported by buses to multiple offices to speak with investigators, Toronto Police Sgt. Glenn Russell tells CNN. There are several shooting scenes detectives are processing. Multiple people were shot outside of a Toronto, Canada, restaurant around 10 p.m. Sunday, Toronto police Sgt. Glenn Russell tells CNN. The victims have been sent to trauma centers throughout the city, Russell says. Eight people have been transported to various hospitals — six to trauma hospitals, one to a pediatric trauma center and one to a local hospital, Toronto Paramedic Services told CNN partner CTV. Two more people were to be transported from the scene to a local hospital — making it a total of 10 patients so far, the Canadian station reported. A witness who was standing near the scene told CTV that he heard about 20 shots and the sound of the weapon being reloaded repeatedly. “And then, I saw the carnage as I ran down the street here to kind of follow the gunfire,” the man told the station, who described the scene as “pretty crazy.” “I saw at least four people shot,” he said. Officials are expecting to issue a press release in the coming hours, according to police. Stay With KDKA.com For More Details ||||| OTTAWA — The new federal minister responsible for tackling gun violence says he has been in touch with Toronto's mayor and police chief to discuss Sunday's deadly shooting in the city and how Ottawa can support efforts to stop a growing wave of incidents rattling Torontonians. Bill Blair, minister of border security and organized crime reduction, made the comments on Twitter as other federal politicians tweeted their thoughts and support to victims of the shooting in Toronto's Greektown area. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the shooting as a terrible tragedy, but added that the people of Toronto are strong, resilient and brave, and Canadians will be there to support them at this difficult time. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh says his heart goes out to all those affected by the shooting, including emergency personnel who were the first to respond. ||||| A gunman opened fire on the streets of Toronto, killing two people -- a 10-year-old girl and 18-year-old girl -- wounding 13 others and sparking an outpouring of grief for the Canadian city.The suspected gunman, just now identified as 29-year-old Faisal Hussain, is also dead, and much about the Sunday night shooting, including the motive, remains unknown.The 18-year-old victim has now been identified as Reese Fallon, Toronto police said Monday evening."It's way too early to rule out anything," Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders said.The 13 injured, ranging in ages from 10 to 59, suffered minor to "life-changing" injuries, officials said Monday afternoon.The shooting unfolded quickly at about 10 p.m. near Danforth Street and Logan Avenue, which is in the city's Greektown neighborhood, often referred to as The Danforth.There was an exchange of gunfire between police and the suspect, who was armed with a handgun, authorities said. The suspect fled on foot and was found dead nearby.A weapon has been recovered in the wake of what police called a "disturbing incident."The family of the man identified as the gunman released a statement saying Hussain suffered from mental health problems."We are at a terrible loss for words but we must speak out to express our deepest condolences to the families who are now suffering on account of our son's horrific actions. We are utterly devastated by the incomprehensible news that our son was responsible for the senseless violence and loss of life that took place on the Danforth. Our son had severe mental health challenges, struggling with psychosis and depression his entire life. The interventions of professionals was unsuccessful. Medications and therapy were unable to treat him. While we did our best to seek help for him throughout his life of struggle and pain, we could never imagine that this would be his devastating and destructive end. Our hearts are in pieces for the victims and for our city as we all come to grips with this terrible tragedy. We will mourn those who were lost for the rest of our lives," the statement read.The shooting has left Toronto in mourning."My thoughts are with everyone affected by the terrible tragedy on the Danforth last night in Toronto, and may the injured make a full recovery," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted Monday morning. "The people of Toronto are strong, resilient and brave - and we'll be there to support you through this difficult time."Choking back tears, Toronto Councillor Mary Fragedakis said to the city council Monday morning, "This is so heartbreaking. The victims and their loved ones are in my thoughts and prayers. I cannot imagine what they are going through, the pain, the loss."The area has always part of her home and her life, she said."As we mourn, cherishing and caring for those in our lives may help with the pain," she said, overcome with emotion.Toronto Mayor John Tory, speaking at the overnight news conference, acknowledged the Canadian city's problems with gun violence."We still live in a great city," he said, "but we have to be ever more vigilant about this kind of things." ||||| Police say a gunman and one victim are dead after a man shot 14 people in Toronto's Greektown neighborhood. Toronto police chief Mark Saunders says a young woman was killed in the shooting Sunday night. A young girl is in critical condition. (July 23) AP ||||| TORONTO — A man clad in black fired a handgun into restaurants and cafes in a lively Toronto neighborhood, killing a 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman and wounding 13 others in an attack that has shaken the confidence of many in the normally safe city. Authorities identified the suspect as Faisal Hussain, 29, of Toronto, who died after an exchange of gunfire with police. It was not immediately clear whether he killed himself or was killed by police. The mass shooting late Sunday in Toronto's Greektown district came just three months after a van struck and killed 10 people in an apparent attack directed toward women. Police Chief Mark Saunders said he would not speculate on a motive but did not rule out terrorism. "It's almost inconceivable that these things can happen," said Mayor John Tory. "We were so used to living in a city where these things didn't happen and as we saw them going on in the world around us (we) thought they couldn't happen here." "This is an attack against innocent families and our entire city." The slain 18-year-old was identified as Reese Fallon, a recent high school graduate who volunteered for Canada's Liberal party and was due to attend McMaster University in the fall. Her family said in a statement they were devastated. "She was ... smart, passionate and full of energy. It is a huge loss," said Canadian Member of Parliament Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, who knew Fallon. Flags at Toronto City Hall as well as at Fallon's former high school, Malvern CI, and at school board buildings were lowered to half-staff. " An engaging student, Reese Fallon graduated from Malvern CI just last month and was highly regarded by staff and loved by her friends," the school board said in a statement, adding that support was being offered to students. The 13 wounded ranged in age from 10 to 59, and suffered injuries ranging from serious to minor, Saunders said. He did not name the victims, who included eight women and girls, and seven men. Dr. Najma Ahmed of St. Michael's Hospital said five patients had been admitted in serious or critical condition and that three of the five underwent immediate lifesaving operations. A video taken by a witness showed a man dressed all in black walking quickly down a sidewalk and firing three shots into at least one shop or restaurant in Toronto's Greektown, a residential area crowded with Greek restaurants and cafes. Witnesses heard many shots and described the suspect walking past restaurants and cafes and patios on both sides of the street and firing into them. Ontario's police watchdog said there was an exchange of gunfire between the assailant and two officers on a side street before the gunman was found dead near Danforth Avenue where the shootings occurred.. A spokeswoman for the Special Investigations Unit, Monica Hudon, said an autopsy would be performed Tuesday on the suspect. Det.-Sgt. Terry Browne said police had sought a search warrant for an address related to the suspect but didn't say where. Tanya Wilson was closing her tattoo shop on the street when she heard gunshots and a mother and her son ran into her store with gunshot wounds to their legs "They said they were walking and a man told them to get the hell out his way and he just shot them," Wilson said. Wilson said she tied and elevated their wounds and tried to keep them calm while they waited for paramedics. She locked the door and shut off the lights, not knowing what was happening outside. Jody Steinhauer was celebrating her birthday with family at Christina's restaurant on Danforth Avenue when they heard 10 to 15 shots. They ran to the back to the restaurant and hid under a table. "We heard a woman yell, 'Help!' My partner went outside the restaurant and the woman was right there. She had been shot," she said. Her boyfriend and a doctor who was in the restaurant attended to the woman who was shot in the thigh. "She was screaming and yelling and in shock. Nobody was with her. That was the scary part," Steinhauer said. Police, paramedics and other first responders descended on the scene, while people, some in their pajamas, emerged from their homes to see what was happening. Though mass shootings are rare in Canada's largest city, Toronto police had deployed dozens of additional officers over the weekend to deal with a recent rise in gun violence in the city, which has seen 23 gun homicides so far this year, compared to 16 fatal shootings in the first half of 2017. Toronto Councilor Paula Fletcher said the attack was "not gang related" and that the gunman shot "indiscriminately" into restaurants and into a park. "I know we always say, 'That can't happen here,' when we see those gunmen in the States doing the same thing and it has happened here now," Fletcher said. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the confidence that Toronto is a safe city had been shaken. Toronto has long prided itself as being one of the safest big cities in the world. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: "The people of Toronto are strong, resilient and brave — and we'll be there to support you through this difficult time." In April, the driver of a van plowed into pedestrians on a Toronto sidewalk, killing 10 people and injuring 14. Authorities have not disclosed a motive, but said the arrested driver, Alek Minassian, posted a message on social media referencing a misogynistic online community before the attack. A now-deleted Facebook post indicated anger toward women and saluted Elliot Rodger, a community college student who killed six people and wounded 13 in shooting and stabbing attacks near the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2014. "The Incel Rebellion has already begun!" read the post, using the term incel to refer to "involuntarily celibate." Meanwhile, Ottawa police arrested a 24-year-old man with a knife on Monday during the Changing of the Guard on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. No one was injured. It was unclear if the incident was related to the mass shooting in Toronto. Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz in in New York contributed to this report. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| TORONTO (AP) — The Latest on a mass shooting in Toronto (all times local): Police say a gunman and one victim is dead after a man shot 14 people, including a young girl, in the Toronto neighborhood known as Greektown. Toronto police chief Mark Saunders says a young woman was killed in the shooting Sunday night. He also says a young girl is critical condition. Police spokesman Mark Pugash says the condition of the other victims is not known yet. He says it’s too early to say whether the shooting is terrorism. Following the shooting, police, paramedics and other first responders descended on the scene, while area residents, some in their pajamas, emerged from their homes to see what was happening. Over the weekend, Toronto police deployed dozens of additional officers to deal with a recent spike in gun violence in the city. Canadian police and emergency personnel services are responding to a shooting that reportedly involves multiple victims in the downtown Toronto neighborhood known as Greektown. Police have yet to release any confirmed details of the late Sunday shooting. But local television station CP24 is showing images of multiple ambulances and other first responders at the scene, with several people being treated by paramedics. ||||| TORONTO — The Latest on a mass shooting in Toronto (all times local): Police say a gunman and one victim is dead after a man shot 14 people, including a young girl, in the Toronto neighbourhood known as Greektown. Toronto police chief Mark Saunders says a young woman was killed in the shooting Sunday night. He also says a young girl is critical condition. Police spokesman Mark Pugash says the condition of the other victims is not known yet. He says it's too early to say whether the shooting is terrorism. Following the shooting, police, paramedics and other first responders descended on the scene, while area residents, some in their pyjamas, emerged from their homes to see what was happening. Over the weekend, Toronto police deployed dozens of additional officers to deal with a recent spike in gun violence in the city. Canadian police and emergency personnel services are responding to a shooting that reportedly involves multiple victims in the downtown Toronto neighbourhood known as Greektown. ||||| "Our hearts are in pieces for the victims and for our city as we all come to grips with this terrible tragedy. We will mourn those who were lost for the rest of our lives." Police Chief Mark Saunders earlier said he would not speculate on a motive but did not rule out terrorism. "It's almost inconceivable that these things can happen," said Mayor John Tory. "We were so used to living in a city where these things didn't happen and as we saw them going on in the world around us (we) thought they couldn't happen here." "This is an attack against innocent families and our entire city." The slain 18-year-old was identified as Reese Fallon, a recent high school graduate who volunteered for Canada's Liberal party and was due to attend McMaster University in the fall. Her family said in a statement they were devastated. "She was ... smart, passionate and full of energy. It is a huge loss," said Canadian Member of Parliament Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, who knew Fallon. Police escort civilians away from the scene of a shooting. Flags at Toronto City Hall as well as at Fallon's former high school, Malvern CI, and at school board buildings were lowered to half-staff. "An engaging student, Reese Fallon graduated from Malvern CI just last month and was highly regarded by staff and loved by her friends," the school board said in a statement, adding that support was being offered to students. The 13 wounded ranged in age from 10 to 59, and suffered injuries ranging from serious to minor, Saunders said. He did not name the victims, who included eight women and girls, and seven men. Dr Najma Ahmed of St Michael's Hospital said five patients had been admitted in serious or critical condition and that three of the five underwent immediate lifesaving operations. A video taken by a witness showed a man dressed all in black walking quickly down a sidewalk and firing three shots into at least one shop or restaurant in Toronto's Greektown, a residential area crowded with Greek restaurants and cafes. Witnesses heard many shots and described the suspect walking past restaurants and cafes and patios on both sides of the street and firing into them. Ontario's police watchdog said there was an exchange of gunfire between the assailant and two officers on a side street before the gunman was found dead near Danforth Avenue where the shootings occurred.. A spokeswoman for the Special Investigations Unit, Monica Hudon, said an autopsy would be performed Tuesday on the suspect. Detective Sergeant Terry Browne said police had sought a search warrant for an address related to the suspect but didn't say where. Tanya Wilson was closing her tattoo shop on the street when she heard gunshots and a mother and her son ran into her store with gunshot wounds to their legs "They said they were walking and a man told them to get the hell out his way and he just shot them," Wilson said. Wilson said she tied and elevated their wounds and tried to keep them calm while they waited for paramedics. She locked the door and shut off the lights, not knowing what was happening outside. Jody Steinhauer was celebrating her birthday with family at Christina's restaurant on Danforth Avenue when they heard 10 to 15 shots. They ran to the back to the restaurant and hid under a table. "We heard a woman yell, 'Help!' My partner went outside the restaurant and the woman was right there. She had been shot," she said. Her boyfriend and a doctor who was in the restaurant attended to the woman who was shot in the thigh. "She was screaming and yelling and in shock. Nobody was with her. That was the scary part," Steinhauer said. Police, paramedics and other first responders descended on the scene, while people, some in their pajamas, emerged from their homes to see what was happening. Though mass shootings are rare in Canada's largest city, Toronto police had deployed dozens of additional officers over the weekend to deal with a recent rise in gun violence in the city, which has seen 23 gun homicides so far this year, compared to 16 fatal shootings in the first half of 2017. Toronto Councilor Paula Fletcher said the attack was "not gang related" and that the gunman shot "indiscriminately" into restaurants and into a park. "I know we always say, 'That can't happen here,' when we see those gunmen in the States doing the same thing and it has happened here now," Fletcher said. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the confidence that Toronto is a safe city had been shaken. Toronto has long prided itself as being one of the safest big cities in the world. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: "The people of Toronto are strong, resilient and brave - and we'll be there to support you through this difficult time." In April, the driver of a van plowed into pedestrians on a Toronto sidewalk, killing 10 people and injuring 14. Authorities have not disclosed a motive, but said the arrested driver, Alek Minassian, posted a message on social media referencing a misogynistic online community before the attack.
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A mass shooting in Toronto, Canada occurs. Three people are killed and 13 are injured. The shooter is found dead nearby after exchanging gunfire with police and fleeing.
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Civilians are escorted from the scene of a shooting in Toronto on Sunday. A second shooting victim died Monday following a gunman's rampage in a Toronto neighborhood that left another dozen people wounded and chaos on a thoroughfare crowded with bars and restaurants. The 29-year-old suspect died after an exchange of gunfire with responding police officers a few blocks from the carnage, authorities said. Police Chief Mark Saunders said the shooting, in the Greektown neighborhood, was not random and that he did not rule out terrorism as a motive. He said the suspect used a handgun. Saunders said officers exchanged gunfire but it wasn't clear how the man died, and that no police officers were injured, Canadian broadcaster CBC reported. “I heard ‘pop, pop’ and then I turned because I thought it was fireworks … and then the mother of a friend of mine goes, ‘They’re shooting at us — run inside!’” Stavy Karnouskou, who was standing outside a bar with friends when the gunfire began, told the Toronto Star. A video from one witness shows a man dressed in black walking quickly and firing three shots from the sidewalk into at least one shop or restaurant. Police were seeking video and photos of the attack from bystanders and businesses John Tulloch said he and his brother had just gotten out of their car when he heard about 20 to 30 gunshots. “We just ran. We saw people starting to run so we just ran,” he said. Toronto Councillor Paula Fletcher told the CP24 TV station she heard that the gunman was emotionally disturbed. “It’s not gang related. It looks like someone who is very disturbed,” Fletcher said. “We were so use to living in a city where these things didn’t happen,” Toronto Mayor John Tory said. “But there are things that happen nowadays and they are just unspeakable.” Toronto police have deployed dozens of additional officers to deal with a recent spike in gun violence in the city. Tory said the city has a gun problem. “Guns are too readily available to too many people,” Tory said. ||||| Toronto Faisal Hussain ID'd as gunman in deadly Danforth shooting spree Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by Email Family of 29-year-old shooter says he had severe mental health problems Ontario's Special Investigations Unit has identified Faisal Hussain as the gunman in the Danforth Avenue attack. (Twitter) Faisal Hussain, the man identified as the assailant in Sunday's deadly shooting rampage on Toronto's Danforth Avenue, had severe mental health problems, according to his family. Ontario's police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), released Hussain's identity on Monday evening, hours after investigators say the 29-year-old Toronto resident opened fire on a number of Danforth Avenue restaurants in an attack that has left the city in shock. ADVERTISEMENT Witnesses captured several chilling images and videos of the attack, which took place around 10 p.m. ET on Sunday and left a 10-year-old girl and 18-year-old Reese Fallon dead. More shooting victims remain in hospital, with some having undergone multiple life-saving surgeries, according to doctors. Hussain died of a gunshot wound after exchanging fire with Toronto police. The SIU is looking into whether he was shot by police, or himself. Family condemns 'horrific actions' Hussain's family emailed a statement to CBC Toronto saying they are devastated by what happened and that their son was struggling with "severe mental health challenges," including psychosis and depression. "We are at a terrible loss for words but we must speak out to express our deepest condolences to the families who are now suffering on account of our son's horrific actions," the family's statement said. LIVE BLOG RECAP Toronto's Greektown shooting: Latest updates on the aftermath ADVERTISEMENT "While we did our best to seek help for him throughout his life of struggle and pain, we could never imagine that this would be his devastating and destructive end." Earlier Monday, police searched Hussain's residence in the city's Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood, but have yet to release a potential motive for the shooting. On Tuesday, the federal public safety minister's office said local police will continue to lead the investigation into Hussain's background. "There is no national security nexus at this time," communications officer Hilary Peirce said in an email to CBC. Several friends and neighbours who spoke with CBC News described Hussain as quiet and shy, and some were aware of his mental health problems. Aamir Sukhera ran a public-speaking club, Toastmasters, that Hussain attended. He said Hussain told him he had psychosis and depression and was seeing a psychiatrist. Show more Warning: This video contains some graphic content. Witness captured man, believed to be the shooter, fire several gunshots into a Greektown eatery. 0:25 "I thought [Toastmasters] would be a good idea for him — it might help him open up and speak," he said. "And through the process, I discovered he had some sort of mental illness and that he was seeking help for it." Sukhera said Hussain was polite, humble and reserved and that he wasn't violent. During the attack, the gunman, dressed all in black with a black baseball cap covering part of his face, calmly walked down the Danforth Avenue sidewalk before turning and firing a black handgun into a restaurant. Another image, captured by a store owner's surveillance system, appears to show him walking with the gun hanging by his side. A store owner's surveillance camera recorded this image of the gunman. (CBC) Other witnesses said he zig-zagged across the popular street — the heart of Toronto's Greektown — just to pick off targets. Hussain died shortly after exchanging gunfire with Toronto police officers on Bowden Street, not far from the strip of restaurants where the attacks took place. At an afternoon news conference, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders said the motive for the attack is still unclear, and he urged the public to provide any information they can about the incident. Saunders said no officers were injured during the firefight. The SIU investigates all cases of death or serious injury involving police. The SIU says a post-mortem will be conducted on Hussain on Tuesday. Here is the entire statement from Hussain's family: "We are at a terrible loss for words but we must speak out to express our deepest condolences to the families who are now suffering on account of our son's horrific actions. "We are utterly devastated by the incomprehensible news that our son was responsible for the senseless violence and loss of life that took place on the Danforth. "Our son had severe mental health challenges, struggling with psychosis and depression his entire life. The interventions of professionals were unsuccessful. Medications and therapy were unable to treat him. While we did our best to seek help for him throughout his life of struggle and pain, we could never imagine that this would be his devastating and destructive end. "Our hearts are in pieces for the victims and for our city as we all come to grips with this terrible tragedy. We will mourn those who were lost for the rest of our lives." With files from Shanifa Nasser ||||| Sign up for one of our email newsletters. TORONTO — A man whose family said he suffered from psychosis and depression fired a handgun into restaurants and cafes in a lively Toronto neighborhood, killing a 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman and wounding 13 others in an attack that has shaken the confidence of many in the normally safe city. Authorities on Monday evening identified the suspect as Faisal Hussain, 29, of Toronto, who died in an exchange of gunfire with police. It was not immediately clear whether he killed himself or was killed by police. The mass shooting in Toronto’s Greektown district Sunday night occurred just three months after a van struck and killed 10 people in an apparent attack directed at women. A statement from the family of Hussain said their son had severe mental health challenges that the struggled with psychosis and depression. They said medications did not help him and the interventions of professionals were unsuccessful. “While we did our best to seek help for him throughout his life of struggle and pain, we could never imagine that this would be his devastating and destructive end,” the Hussain family said. “Our hearts are in pieces for the victims and for our city as we all come to grips with this terrible tragedy. We will mourn those who were lost for the rest of our lives.” Police Chief Mark Saunders earlier said he would not speculate on a motive but did not rule out terrorism. “It’s almost inconceivable that these things can happen,” said Mayor John Tory. “We were so used to living in a city where these things didn’t happen and as we saw them going on in the world around us (we) thought they couldn’t happen here.” “This is an attack against innocent families and our entire city.” The slain 18-year-old was identified as Reese Fallon, a recent high school graduate who volunteered for Canada’s Liberal party and was due to attend McMaster University in the fall. Her family said in a statement they were devastated. “She was … smart, passionate and full of energy. It is a huge loss,” said Canadian Member of Parliament Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, who knew Fallon. Flags at Toronto City Hall as well as at Fallon’s former high school, Malvern CI, and at school board buildings were lowered to half-staff. ” An engaging student, Reese Fallon graduated from Malvern CI just last month and was highly regarded by staff and loved by her friends,” the school board said in a statement, adding that support was being offered to students. The 13 wounded ranged in age from 10 to 59, and suffered injuries ranging from serious to minor, Saunders said. He did not name the victims, who included eight women and girls, and seven men. Dr. Najma Ahmed of St. Michael’s Hospital said five patients had been admitted in serious or critical condition and that three of the five underwent immediate lifesaving operations. A video taken by a witness showed a man dressed all in black walking quickly down a sidewalk and firing three shots into at least one shop or restaurant in Toronto’s Greektown, a residential area crowded with Greek restaurants and cafes. Witnesses heard many shots and described the suspect walking past restaurants and cafes and patios on both sides of the street and firing into them. Ontario’s police watchdog said there was an exchange of gunfire between the assailant and two officers on a side street before the gunman was found dead near Danforth Avenue where the shootings occurred.. A spokeswoman for the Special Investigations Unit, Monica Hudon, said an autopsy would be performed Tuesday on the suspect. Det.-Sgt. Terry Browne said police had sought a search warrant for an address related to the suspect but didn’t say where. Tanya Wilson was closing her tattoo shop on the street when she heard gunshots and a mother and her son ran into her store with gunshot wounds to their legs “They said they were walking and a man told them to get the hell out his way and he just shot them,” Wilson said. Wilson said she tied and elevated their wounds and tried to keep them calm while they waited for paramedics. She locked the door and shut off the lights, not knowing what was happening outside. Jody Steinhauer was celebrating her birthday with family at Christina’s restaurant on Danforth Avenue when they heard 10 to 15 shots. They ran to the back to the restaurant and hid under a table. “We heard a woman yell, ‘Help!’ My partner went outside the restaurant and the woman was right there. She had been shot,” she said. Her boyfriend and a doctor who was in the restaurant attended to the woman who was shot in the thigh. “She was screaming and yelling and in shock. Nobody was with her. That was the scary part,” Steinhauer said. Police, paramedics and other first responders descended on the scene, while people, some in their pajamas, emerged from their homes to see what was happening. Though mass shootings are rare in Canada’s largest city, Toronto police had deployed dozens of additional officers over the weekend to deal with a recent rise in gun violence in the city, which has seen 23 gun homicides so far this year, compared to 16 fatal shootings in the first half of 2017. Toronto Councilor Paula Fletcher said the attack was “not gang related” and that the gunman shot “indiscriminately” into restaurants and into a park. “I know we always say, ‘That can’t happen here,’ when we see those gunmen in the States doing the same thing and it has happened here now,” Fletcher said. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the confidence that Toronto is a safe city had been shaken. Toronto has long prided itself as being one of the safest big cities in the world. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: “The people of Toronto are strong, resilient and brave — and we’ll be there to support you through this difficult time.” In April, the driver of a van plowed into pedestrians on a Toronto sidewalk, killing 10 people and injuring 14. Authorities have not disclosed a motive, but said the arrested driver, Alek Minassian, posted a message on social media referencing a misogynistic online community before the attack. A now-deleted Facebook post indicated anger toward women and saluted Elliot Rodger, a community college student who killed six people and wounded 13 in shooting and stabbing attacks near the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2014. “The Incel Rebellion has already begun!” read the post, using the term incel to refer to “involuntarily celibate.” Meanwhile, Ottawa police arrested a 24-year-old man with a knife on Monday during the Changing of the Guard on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. No one was injured. It was unclear if the incident was related to the mass shooting in Toronto. ||||| Canadian officials identify suspect in Toronto mass shooting as Faisal Hussain of Toronto. TORONTO (AP) — Canadian officials identify suspect in Toronto mass shooting as Faisal Hussain of Toronto. ||||| TORONTO — Two people were killed and 12 others were injured when a man armed with a handgun fired into restaurants and patios in a popular Toronto neighbourhood on a warm Sunday night, authorities said Monday. Police said the suspected gunman exchanged fire with officers and was later found dead in the area. There was no immediate word on a motive. The incident began around 10 p.m. in the city's Greektown, an area home to dozens of restaurants, small businesses and family homes. Ontario's police watchdog said the 29-year-old suspected gunman, whose identity has not been released, moved down Danforth Avenue, spraying bullets along the way. The Special Investigations Unit said the man later exchanged gunfire with police officers and was eventually found dead in the area. The arm's-length agency that probes incidents involving police in which someone is killed said it has opened an investigation into the alleged gunman's death. Several blocks in the heart of Greektown were surrounded by yellow police tape Monday morning, and nearly all local businesses were closed. No information had yet been released about the two shooting victims. Police Chief Mark Saunders previously said a woman was killed and a girl, aged eight or nine, was in critical condition. Witnesses posted many photos and videos online, including a clip that appears to show a man, clad in black and carrying a satchel, walk a few steps before lifting his arms in front of him as gunshots ring out. That video was posted late Sunday night by Instagram user @arilanise, who appears to have since deleted her account. Neighbourhood residents visiting the scene of the shooting said they're struggling to process the deadly incident. "There's a lot of good people here," said Gord Cheong who lives blocks away. "There's a lot of people who come to the Danforth, to Greektown, but it's generally quite quiet. So this is unusual, and disturbing." ||||| Civilians are escorted from the scene of a shooting in Toronto on Sunday. A second shooting victim died Monday following a gunman's rampage in a Toronto neighborhood that left another dozen people wounded and chaos on a thoroughfare crowded with bars and restaurants. The 29-year-old suspect died after an exchange of gunfire with responding police officers a few blocks from Sunday's carnage, authorities said. Police Chief Mark Saunders said the shooting, in the Greektown neighborhood, was not random and he did not rule out terrorism as a motive. He said the suspect used a handgun. Saunders said officers exchanged gunfire but it wasn't clear how the man died, and that no police officers were injured, Canadian broadcaster CBC reported. “I heard ‘pop, pop’ and then I turned because I thought it was fireworks … and then the mother of a friend of mine goes, ‘They’re shooting at us — run inside!’” Stavy Karnouskou, who was standing outside a bar with friends when the gunfire began, told the Toronto Star. More: After Toronto van attack, Canadians mourn and ask simple question: Why? More: 1 year after carnage on London bridge, survivors pay tribute The attack in Canada’s largest city came three months after a 25-year-old man in a rented Ryder truck mowed down pedestrians along iconic Yonge Street, killing 10 and injuring 15. “We were so use to living in a city where these things didn’t happen,” Toronto Mayor John Tory said. “But there are things that happen nowadays and they are just unspeakable.” A video from one witness of Sunday's shooting spree shows a man dressed in black walking quickly and firing three shots from the sidewalk into at least one shop or restaurant. Police were seeking video and photos of the attack from bystanders and businesses John Tulloch said he and his brother had just gotten out of their car when he heard about 20 to 30 gunshots. “We just ran. We saw people starting to run so we just ran,” he said. Toronto Councillor Paula Fletcher told the CP24 TV station she heard that the gunman was emotionally disturbed. “It’s not gang related. It looks like someone who is very disturbed,” Fletcher said. Toronto police have deployed dozens of additional officers to deal with a recent spike in gun violence in the city. Tory said the city has a gun problem. “Guns are too readily available to too many people,” Tory said. ||||| Police work the scene of a shooting in Toronto on Sunday, July 22, 2018. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) A 29-year-old man who went on a deadly shooting spree in the heart of Toronto’s vibrant Greektown, killing an aspiring nurse and a 10-year-old girl, had a life-long struggle with severe mental illness, his family said Monday. Faisal Hussain’s relatives said they were devastated by their son’s “senseless violence” and the loss of life that resulted from it. Hussain was found dead, with a gunshot wound, after exchanging fire with officers during the incident on Danforth Avenue on Sunday night. “Our son had severe mental health challenges, struggling with psychosis and depression his entire life,” the family said in a statement issued moments after their son was identified as the shooter by Ontario’s police watchdog. “The interventions of professionals were unsuccessful. Medications and therapy were unable to treat him,” they said. “While we did our best to seek help for him throughout his life of struggle and pain, we could never imagine that this would be his devastating and destructive end.” Police have revealed next to no information about Hussain or his motives, but said they are investigating the case from all angles. Meanwhile, family and friends of an 18-year-old Toronto woman who died in the shooting identified her as Reese Fallon. Facebook posts from a man who appeared to be Fallon’s father indicated she had just graduated from high school and was about to begin studying nursing at Hamilton’s McMaster University in September. The university issued a statement confirming a new enrolled student died in the attack and extending condolences on her death. One friend described Fallon as a “very happy” person. “Reese gave the warmest of hugs. She was always so kind, ” said Frank Hong. “Everyone … wanted to be around her.” One of Fallon’s friends was also injured in Sunday’s attack, Hong said. Police said six women and seven men ranging in age from 10 to 59 were injured in the shooting. The attack took place along a stretch of Danforth Avenue, a street packed with independent businesses and surrounded by family homes and parks. On Monday, the area was largely deserted as police combed through the neighbourhood, though some locals came to the scene in a bid to come to terms with the tragedy. “It’s like a small village for us,” said Valia Dsaliou, who works at a Greek-language radio station in the area. “This is something that we couldn’t even imagine would happen, but it happened. But we don’t know why or what all this is supposed to mean to us.” Those answers did not immediately come from Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders, who declined to comment on what prompted the attack. “We do not know why this happened yet,” he said. “The investigation itself is very fluid, it is very new, it’s going to take some time.” The shooting began around 10 p.m. on Sunday and only ended after two police officers exchanged gunfire with the shooter on a sidestreet near the site of the carnage, authorities said. Laurie Gutmann was with family at a restaurant waiting for his partner’s birthday cake to be served when the shots rang out. “It was very quick – boom boom boom boom – and then we realized it was gunshots. There was a pause, and then there were more gunshots,” he said. Gutmann said he heard screaming from the restaurant’s patio and saw a woman who had been shot in the thigh and was bleeding on the ground. Servers and fellow patrons provided first aid and held her hand until paramedics arrived, he said. Lenny Graf, who was dining at another restaurant, was watching his nine-year-old son and a friend play around a nearby fountain when gunfire erupted. “My first instinct was to try and find Jason and I saw him crouched behind the fountain and I noticed that the gunman had finished shooting there and was walking away,” he said. “I grabbed Jason and I took him into the alleyway. We ran to the back of restaurant to see that Jason’s friend was in there safe and so was my wife.” Other witnesses posted photos and videos online, including a clip that appears to show a man, clad in black and carrying a satchel, walk a few steps before lifting his arms in front of him as gunshots ring out. That video was posted late Sunday by Instagram user @arilanise, who appears to have since deleted her account. Tina Papachristos, who has called the neighbourhood home since childhood, said she’s struggling to process what happened. Her children visit the area nearly every night, she said, adding she’s grieving for the families of those killed. “I can imagine the devastation of any mother … that had to lose a loved one,” she said. “I was up until about five in the morning just devastated.” Toronto Mayor John Tory called the shooting an “unspeakable” act and said the time had come to confront the rising prevalence of guns in the city, which has experienced a spike in shootings in recent weeks. “Why does anyone in this city need to have a gun at all?” he said. “I know answering questions like this won’t fully eliminate tragedies like this, but even if we can prevent one of these incidents, then in my view it is a discussion worth having and having very soon.” At Ontario’s legislature, politicians held a moment of silence and paid tribute to the shooting victims. Premier Doug Ford called Sunday night’s incident the most “brazen” in the city to date. “As a lifelong Toronto resident I have always been proud to speak up for and to defend this city,” he said. “Unlike so many other places, we’ve always been confident that this is a safe city. Today for too many, this confidence is shaken.” The Greektown shooting spree comes nearly three months to the day after 10 people died in a van attack in a north Toronto neighbourhood. Alek Minassian, 25, of Richmond Hill, Ont., faces 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder in connection with the April 23 incident. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. ||||| The gunman who shot dead a 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman in an attack on a restaurant in Toronto on Sunday suffered from psychosis and depression, his family have said. Faisal Hussain, 29, died in an exchange of gunfire with police after he had shot at diners in a lively neighbourhood in the Canadian city on Sunday evening. It was not immediately clear whether he killed himself or was killed by police. The shooting has shaken the confidence of many in Canada’s biggest city and comes three months after a van struck and killed 10 people in an apparent attack directed at women. A statement from Hussain’s family said their son had severe mental health challenges and struggled with psychosis and depression. They said medication did not help him and the interventions of professionals were unsuccessful. “While we did our best to seek help for him throughout his life of struggle and pain, we could never imagine that this would be his devastating and destructive end,” the Hussain family said. “Our hearts are in pieces for the victims and for our city as we all come to grips with this terrible tragedy. We will mourn those who were lost for the rest of our lives.” “It’s almost inconceivable that these things can happen,” said the city’s mayor John Tory. “We were so used to living in a city where these things didn’t happen and as we saw them going on in the world around us [we] thought they couldn’t happen here. “This is an attack against innocent families and our entire city.” The 18-year-old woman killed in the atack was identified as Reese Fallon, a recent high school graduate who volunteered for Canada’s Liberal party and was due to attend McMaster University in Toronto later this year. Her family said in a statement they were devastated. “She was ... smart, passionate and full of energy. It is a huge loss,” said Canadian MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, who knew Fallon. The 10-year-old girl has not yet been named. The 13 wounded ranged in age from 10 to 59, and suffered injuries ranging from serious to minor, the city’s police chief Mark Saunders said. The victims comprised of eight women and girls, and seven men. A video taken by a witness showed a man dressed all in black walking quickly down a sidewalk and firing three shots into at least one shop or restaurant. Witnesses heard many shots and described the suspect walking past restaurants and cafes and patios on both sides of the street and firing into them. Ontario’s police watchdog said there was an exchange of gunfire between the assailant and two officers on a side street before the gunman was found dead near Danforth Avenue where the shootings occurred. An autopsy would be performed on the suspect on Tuesday. Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, said the confidence that Toronto is a safe city had been shaken. It has long prided itself as being one of the safest big cities in the world. The Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: “The people of Toronto are strong, resilient and brave and we’ll be there to support you through this difficult time.” ||||| A 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman died after a gunman opened fire on a busy avenue in Canada’s biggest city. Canada’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) released the killer’s name in a press statement due to "to the exceptional circumstances of this tragic incident". The statement read: “Yesterday, the SIU commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a 29-year-old man in Toronto. "A short time ago, after speaking with a member of the deceased’s immediate family and a family representative, the SIU was able to confirm the man’s identity. "Due to the exceptional circumstances of this tragic incident and the public interest in knowing the man’s identity, the SIU is identifying the man as Faisal Hussain of Toronto." In a statement released to various media outlets, Hussain’s family expressed their “deepest condolences” to the victims and their families for their son’s “horrific actions”. They also said their son suffered from serious mental health challenges and had struggled with untreatable psychosis and depression most of his life. The statement added: "Our hearts are in pieces for the victims and for our city as we all come to grips with this terrible tragedy.” Hussain was tracked by officers to Bowden Street during the shooting. The incident took place on Sunday evening shortly after 10pm local time (2.00am GMT Monday). An exchange of fire took place before the man fled. He was found dead 100m (328ft) away on Danforth Avenue and local media have reported it was due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. ||||| TORONTO — A man whose family said he suffered from psychosis and depression fired a handgun into restaurants and cafes in a lively Toronto neighborhood, killing a 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman and wounding 13 others in an attack that has shaken the confidence of many in the normally safe city. Authorities on Monday evening identified the suspect as Faisal Hussain, 29, of Toronto, who died in an exchange of gunfire with police. It was not immediately clear whether he killed himself or was killed by police. The mass shooting in Toronto’s Greektown district Sunday night came just three months after a van struck and killed 10 people in an apparent attack directed at women. A statement from the family of Hussain said their son had severe mental health challenges that the struggled with psychosis and depression. They said medications did not help him and the interventions of professionals were unsuccessful. “While we did our best to seek help for him throughout his life of struggle and pain, we could never imagine that this would be his devastating and destructive end,” the Hussain family said. “Our hearts are in pieces for the victims and for our city as we all come to grips with this terrible tragedy. We will mourn those who were lost for the rest of our lives.” Police Chief Mark Saunders earlier said he would not speculate on a motive but did not rule out terrorism. “It’s almost inconceivable that these things can happen,” said Mayor John Tory. “We were so used to living in a city where these things didn’t happen and as we saw them going on in the world around us (we) thought they couldn’t happen here.” “This is an attack against innocent families and our entire city.” The slain 18-year-old was identified as Reese Fallon, a recent high school graduate who volunteered for Canada’s Liberal party and was due to attend McMaster University in the fall. Her family said in a statement they were devastated. “She was ... smart, passionate and full of energy. It is a huge loss,” said Canadian Member of Parliament Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, who knew Fallon. Flags at Toronto City Hall as well as at Fallon’s former high school, Malvern CI, were lowered to half-staff. “An engaging student, Reese Fallon graduated from Malvern CI just last month and was highly regarded by staff and loved by her friends,” the school board said in a statement, adding that support was being offered to students. The 13 wounded ranged in age from 10 to 59, and suffered injuries ranging from serious to minor, Saunders said. He did not name the victims, who included eight women and girls, and seven men. Dr. Najma Ahmed of St. Michael’s Hospital said five patients had been admitted in serious or critical condition and that three of the five underwent immediate lifesaving operations. A video taken by a witness showed a man dressed all in black walking quickly down a sidewalk and firing three shots into at least one shop or restaurant in Toronto’s Greektown, a residential area crowded with Greek restaurants and cafes. Witnesses heard many shots and described the suspect walking past restaurants and cafes and patios on both sides of the street and firing into them. At the corner of Danforth and Logan, where some of the shots were fired, about 50 people milled about on a small square Monday evening, talking in several languages. They expressed shock at a shooting in such a neighborhood, which is graced with parks, pretty two-story brick homes and street cafes. Some hugged, others wept. Others were somber, wondering both why someone would want to hurt people in their neighborhood — and how he obtained a gun in a country with far stricter gun laws than in the neighboring U.S. Bouquets of flowers lay near a plaque commemorating the city, while a few steps away people signed a makeshift memorial made of plywood. “we are Danforth strong,” it says, referring to the neighborhood’s main street, The Danforth. “I’m out of my mind just thinking about it,” said 66-year-old Augustino Speciale, who paused to smell a bouquet of white lilies attached to a lamppost. “It’s Toronto.” Ontario’s police watchdog said there was an exchange of gunfire between the assailant and two officers on a side street before the gunman was found dead near Danforth Avenue where the shootings occurred. Tanya Wilson was closing her tattoo shop on the street when she heard gunshots and a mother and her son ran into her store with gunshot wounds to their legs “They said they were walking and a man told them to get the hell out his way and he just shot them,” Wilson said. Wilson said she tied and elevated their wounds and tried to keep them calm while they waited for paramedics. She locked the door and shut off the lights, not knowing what was happening outside. Jody Steinhauer was celebrating her birthday with family at Christina’s restaurant on Danforth Avenue when they heard 10 to 15 shots. They ran to the back to the restaurant and hid under a table. “We heard a woman yell, ‘Help!’ My partner went outside the restaurant and the woman was right there. She had been shot,” she said. Her boyfriend and a doctor who was in the restaurant attended to the woman who was shot in the thigh. “She was screaming and yelling and in shock. Nobody was with her. That was the scary part,” Steinhauer said. Though mass shootings are rare in Canada’s largest city, Toronto police had deployed dozens of additional officers over the weekend to deal with a recent rise in gun violence in the city, which has seen 23 gun homicides so far this year, compared to 16 fatal shootings in the first half of 2017. Toronto Councilor Paula Fletcher said the attack was “not gang related” and that the gunman shot “indiscriminately” into restaurants and into a park. “I know we always say, ‘That can’t happen here,’ when we see those gunmen in the States doing the same thing and it has happened here now,” Fletcher said. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the confidence that Toronto is a safe city had been shaken. Toronto has long prided itself as being one of the safest big cities in the world. In April, the driver of a van plowed into pedestrians on a Toronto sidewalk, killing 10 people and injuring 14. Authorities have not disclosed a motive, but said the arrested driver, Alek Minassian, posted a message on social media referencing a misogynistic online community before the attack. Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed to this report. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Police identify the gunman in a deadly shooting in Toronto, Canada. Investigators are still determining a motive. His family claims he had severe mental health problems.
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About 800 people have tried to enter Europe by storming a border fence that separates Morocco from Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta, according to Spanish police. The incident on Thursday morning followed renewed warnings about Spain’s ability to cope with the rising number of migrants and refugees who have been arriving on its southern coast. It also came just hours before the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, was to meet the French president, Emmanuel Macron, to discuss the EU’s response to the migration crisis. Spain’s Guardia Civil said 800 people from sub-Saharan Africa rushed the fence at Ceuta at 6.35am, using shears and hammers to smash the high, razor wire-topped barriers, and attacked officers. “In an attempt to stop the Guardia Civil getting close to the break-in area, the migrants … [pelted] officers with plastic containers of excrement and quicklime, sticks and stones, as well as using aerosols as flame-throwers,” it said. The force said 602 people had succeeded in reaching Ceuta, of whom 586 had been taken to a temporary reception centre, while 16 were being treated in hospital. Fifteen police officers were also hurt, it added. Although Spain has been praised for taking in the 630 people onboard the rescue ship Aquarius after it was turned away by Italy and Malta, it is finding it much harder to deal with the thousands of people crossing from north Africa. According to the International Organization for Migration, 19,586 people have arrived in Spain by sea so far this year, more than in Italy (17,981) or Greece (15,351). Facebook Twitter Pinterest Police help people down from the the border fence between Morocco and Ceuta, Spain. Photograph: Reuters Tv/Reuters Town councils, police unions and NGOs in southern Spain have complained that they simply do not have the resources to deal with the number of people arriving. The mayor of Algeciras, José Ignacio Landaluce, said the port city was having to divert funds and act as a humanitarian stopgap. He also said the Spanish government and the EU needed to step in to stop the area becoming “the new Lampedusa” as more and more people landed on the coast. “I hope the EU is working on a global policy on this: it may be our problem initially, but tomorrow, or in a week’s time, or a month’s, it’ll be at the heart of Europe,” he said. “We’ve never, ever, ever had 1,000 migrants arriving in Spain each weekend. And all this could just be for starters: there’s a lot of the summer left and there are thousands and thousands of migrants arriving on the coasts of north Africa and thousands and thousands more who have been waiting to cross for months or years.” Carmen Velayos, the secretary general of the United Police union in Cádiz, said the region’s infrastructure had been “overwhelmed” by the rise in arrivals. Facebook Twitter Pinterest People rescued off Gibraltar prepare to spend the night onboard a Spanish rescue boat at the port of Algeciras, Spain. Photograph: Marcos Moreno/AP “Migrants are sleeping wherever they can: the police stations are full, the converted sports centres are full and the reception centres are full,” she said. “There’s a reception centre for minors in La Línea de la Concepción that’s meant for 30 people. Right now there are 200 little kids there, sleeping on the floor. You’ve even got people sleeping on the decks of maritime rescue boats because there’s nowhere else for them.” Velayos called for an annual action plan to anticipate the migrant flow and for increased human and material resources: “At the moment, we’re just patching over things.” Others point out that large-scale arrivals are hardly a new phenomenon on Spain’s southern shores. In 2017, almost 22,000 migrants and refugees arrived by sea – almost four times as many as arrived the previous year. “This has been going on for more than a decade,” said Carlos Arce, migration co-ordinator for the Andalusian Association for Human Rights. “It’s when more people arrive than usual that you see the defects and failings of the system.” Arce said the Spanish authorities needed to stop looking at the issue as a policing or border problem and see it instead as a humanitarian imperative. The Aquarius, he said, should serve as an example of what could be achieved with the necessary political focus and resources. “That’s the paradox: the new government has shown there are other ways of doing things if it wants to.” Sánchez’s recently formed socialist government has blamed its conservative predecessor for failing to act on the problem, but said it was committed to improving the situation. “We’re working on an emergency plan to reinforce the system and give more help to the NGOs working on arrivals,” Magdalena Valerio, the minister for work, migration and social security, said on Thursday morning. “I know this is a problem and that the apparatus is being overwhelmed.” ||||| Hundreds of migrants armed with sticks and homemade flamethrowers broke through the border fence in Ceuta, according to the Spanish Civil Guard. Over 100 migrants and 15 border agents were injured in the fight. “Over 700 sub-Saharans” attempted to storm the border fence, the Civil Guard said in a statement, adding that “at least 602” of them managed to cross the barriers. Volunteers and the local branch of the Red Cross said that 132 migrants sustained injuries, while 11 had to be taken to a local hospital. Some of them were cut with barbed wire while trying to climb the border fence, and others sustained broken bones. The scuffles also led to 15 border agents receiving injuries. Some agents were burnt as the migrants attacked them with homemade flamethrowers while trying to avoid arrest. Migrants were also reportedly fighting off the border agents with sticks, quicklime and sprays containing fouls odor. The migrants appeared over the fence and “all of a sudden,”, some of them were pelting police with “plastic containers full of excrements and quicklime… stones and sticks”, the Civil Guard said. Spanish media cited police who say the recent incident is one of “the most violent and numerous entries” of asylum seekers in recent months. Ceuta is one of two Spanish territories in North Africa, along with Melilla. The city is a hub for African migrants trying to reach Europe.Over 19,000 people have landed on in Spain in 2018 so far, according to the data from the International Organization for Migration. Back in June, newly appointed Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced his desire to remove the fence. “I’m going to do everything possible to see that these razor wire fences at Ceuta and Melilla are removed,” he said. Responding to the Thursday incident in Ceuta, the Guardia Civil’s AEGC union called upon the Spanish authorities to clarify its “plan B” to maintain security if the wire was removed. “We’re one of the main entry points from the third world into Europe and none of those in charge at the interior ministry have wanted to see or resolve the problems this is causing,” it said. According to the police union, migrants breaking through the fence “demonstrated that these problems are going to worsen if more Guardia Civil, and anti-riot and protection equipment, fail to arrive when the barbed wire is removed.” Asylum seekers have repeatedly tried to force their way into the Spanish exclave by storming a wired border fence. The attempted incursions often resulted in injures both among asylum seekers and police officers. In January 2017, crowds of migrants approached the 6-meter-high barbed wire border fence which police called a “well organized and violent” attempt. In February 2017, hundreds successfully crossed into Ceuta, kissing the ground and shouting “Viva Espana!” ||||| Hundreds of migrants have stormed border fences separating Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in a bid to get into Europe. Spanish police said 602 migrants made it on to Spanish soil in a massive assault on high, barbed-wire fences shortly after dawn. Migrants cut holes in the fences and threw faeces and quick lime, a skin irritant, at police officers trying to hold them back, the Guardia Civil said. They also threw stones at police vehicles, breaking windows, and hurled makeshift flamethrowers at officers. Police said 16 migrants were taken to hospital while five of 15 police who were injured needed hospital treatment. The Spanish Red Cross said that 132 migrants were hurt in the mass charge. Sub-Saharan Africans living illegally in Morocco try to get to Europe each year by climbing rows of 20ft high fences surrounding Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s other North African enclave. Those who make it across head for crowded, temporary migrant accommodation centres. They are eventually repatriated or let go. Thursday’s assault added to pressure on Spanish authorities from a recent wave of migration, mostly migrants crossing the Mediterranean on unsafe boats. The International Organisation for Migration says so far this year more than 22,700 migrants have arrived in Spain – three times more than in the same period last year. Almost 20,000 of them arrived by sea, as good weather allowed more crossings on the short route across the Strait of Gibraltar and a recent crackdown by Libyan authorities had led migrants to choose other routes. NB. Photo is from a previous event where migrants stormed the fence in Ceuta last year. ||||| BLOODIED: Some of those who made it into Spain cut themselves on the barbed wire-topped border fence. MORE than 700 African migrants have stormed a border fence in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Many are believed to have made it onto Spanish soil in the wake of the early morning raid, and some reportedly attacked police officers with homemade flame-throwers, human faeces and quicklime as they scaled the six-metre high barbed wire-topped double barrier. One large group reportedly used secateurs and circular saws to slice open parts of the fence before pouring through as Moroccan police and Guardia Civil officers battled to stop the onslaught for over an hour. Ceuta Red Cross has reported more than 130 injuries, including 22 policemen, with at least 11 people hospitalised after the fence almost collapsed due to the weight of the people atop it. Many of the immigrants who successfully crossed the border could be seen screaming with joy or kissing the floor as they roamed the streets of the North African territory. Others headed straight to the Temporary Migrant Centre, which currently houses 600 people despite its official capacity of 520. The overcrowding of the centre has sparked chaos in the enclave, with groups of immigrants forced to sleep in the open or makeshift tents, while 1,300 people have been rescued while trying to cross the Strait of Gibraltar since Monday. Local media said the surprise offensive, which saw a section of the border notorious for blind spots due to a lack of security cameras targeted, could be the biggest yet seen after Moroccan police confirmed they made “hundreds” of arrests on their side of the fence. It comes after former Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido last year told Spanish parliament that nine similar swoops on frontiers in Ceuta and Melilla - Spain’s other African enclave – in 2017 had seen 8,956 people enter Spain illegally, compared to just 613 in 2016. And the International Organisation for Migration says that 22,700 migrants have arrived to Spain so far this year, a year-on-year increase of 300 per cent. ||||| Is this or is this not an invasion? Ceuta is a Spanish city on the North African coast, one of two Spanish territories in North Africa (Melilla is the other). Ceuta is a hub for African migrants trying to reach Europe. The city has a border fence of parallel 20 ft. wire fences topped with barbed wire, which forms part of the Morocco–Spain border. Constructed by Spain, the fence’s purpose is to stop illegal immigration and smuggling. On July 26, 2018, some 800 “sub-Saharan” African migrants, armed with sticks and homemade flamethrowers, broke through the Ceuta border fence. The Spanish Civil Guard reported that the “migrants” used electric radials, shears and mallets to cut the border’s outer and inner protection mesh. The “migrants” also wielded “defensive material” such as flamethrowers, iron hooks, stones, sticks, and Molotov cocktails. They also hurled plastic containers of excrement and quicklime. 602 migrants broke through the border and entered Ceuta. They threw stones at border agents and official vehicles. As a result of the migrants’ violence, 15 civil guards were wounded, five of whom had to be treated in Ceuta’s University Hospital. The Spanish Red Cross tweeted that 132 migrants were injured, 11 of whom had fractures. Over 19,000 “migrants” have entered Spain in 2018 so far, according to the data from the International Organization for Migration. But in June 2018, newly appointed Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced his desire to remove the Ceuta fence: “I’m going to do everything possible to see that these razor wire fences at Ceuta and Melilla are removed.” After the Ceuta border violence, the Spanish Civil Guard’s AEGC union asked the Spanish government to clarify its “plan B” to maintain security if the wire was removed. The union said: “We’re one of the main entry points from the third world into Europe and none of those in charge at the interior ministry have wanted to see or resolve the problems this is causing.”
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• ‘Migrants’ repay Italian rescuers by threatening to decapitate them ||||| Spanish authorities say about 400 migrants have stormed barbed-wire fences separating Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. Hundreds of migrants may have made it onto Spanish soil in the charge, made shortly after dawn today, according to Spanish news agency Europa Press, quoting Ceuta police. Sub-Saharan Africans living illegally in Morocco try to get to Europe each year by climbing rows of 6m-high (20-foot-high) barbed-wire fences surrounding Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other North African enclave. This morning's mass charge added to pressure on Spanish authorities from a recent wave of migration. The International Organization for Migration says so far this year that more than 22,700 migrants have arrived in Spain - three times more than in the same period last year. Almost 20,000 of them arrived by sea. Several policemen keep watch over some of the 400 migrants that managed to jump off the border fence between Spain and Morocco, in Ceuta, Spanish enclave in northern Africa ||||| MADRID -- Around 800 migrants stormed border fences separating Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco to get into Europe, police said Thursday. The Guardia Civil said 602 migrants made it onto Spanish soil in a massive assault on high, barbed-wire fences shortly after dawn. Migrants cut holes in the fences and threw feces and quicklime, a skin irritant, at police officers trying to hold them back, the Guardia Civil said in a statement. They also threw stones at police vehicles, breaking windows, and hurled makeshift flamethrowers at police officers. The police statement said 16 migrants were taken to the hospital, while five of 15 police hurt were also hospitalized.
• None After Trump's tweet, how is immigration really affecting Europe? The Spanish Red Cross said in a tweet that 132 migrants were hurt in the mass charge, including 11 who were hospitalized with broken bones and other injuries. Sub-Saharan Africans living illegally in Morocco try to get to Europe each year by climbing rows of 20-feet high fences surrounding Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other North African enclave. Those who make it across head for crowded, temporary migrant accommodation centers. They are eventually repatriated or let go. Thursday's assault added to pressure on Spanish authorities from a recent wave of migration, mostly migrants crossing the Mediterranean on unsafe boats. The International Organization for Migration says so far this year more than 22,700 migrants have arrived in Spain -- three times more than in the same period last year. Almost 20,000 of them arrived by sea, as good weather allowed more crossings on the short route across the Strait of Gibraltar and a recent crackdown by Libyan authorities had led migrants to choose other routes. ||||| At least 602 migrants charged and managed to climb over the border fence separating Morocco and Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta on Thursday, the regional interior ministry said. The Civil Guard branch of the police said the mass border breach took place at around 7am at an area of the fence considered a blind spot due to its lack of cameras, while the city's Red Cross said it had scrambled many emergency rapid response units. ||||| Spanish authorities say hundreds of migrants have stormed border fences separating Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. Spanish news agency Europa Press quotes Ceuta police saying as many as 400 migrants may have made it onto Spanish soil in the assault, shortly after dawn Thursday. Sub-Saharan Africans living illegally in Morocco try to get to Europe each year by climbing rows of 6-meter-high (20-foot-high) barbed-wire fences surrounding Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other North African enclave. Thursday's mass charge added to pressure on Spanish authorities from a recent wave of migration. The International Organization for Migration says so far this year more than 22,700 migrants have arrived in Spain — three times more than in the same period last year. Almost 20,000 of them arrived by sea. ||||| A migrant in this still image from video climbs the border from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, Spain, 26 July 2018. Photo: FARO TV/REUTERS TV/via REUTERS MADRID - More than 600 African migrants reached the Spanish territory of Ceuta on Thursday after storming a double border fence with Morocco and attacking police with caustic quicklime and excrements. The scramble over the barbed wire-decked barrier is the biggest in Ceuta since February 2017, when more than 850 migrants entered the overseas territory over four days. The incident further increases pressure on Spain, which has now surpassed Italy as the number one destination for migrants crossing the Mediterranean by boat. More than 19,580 people have landed on Spanish shores so far this year, according to the International Organization for Migration. A spokesman for the Guardia Civil police force in Ceuta told AFP close to 800 migrants had stormed the double barrier, which is also covered in small blades, early on Thursday morning from Morocco. Moroccan police stopped around 100 of them, while 602 managed to climb over into Spain. Some were caught by Spanish police between the double barrier or stuck on top and returned to Morocco. Spain's new Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said last month he would "do everything possible" to remove barbed wire from border fences that surround Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish territory on Morocco's northern border. Both territories have the European Union's only land borders with Africa, drawing migrants trying to reach the bloc. The migrants scrambled over the fence "all of a sudden", some pelting officers with "plastic containers full of excrements and quicklime... stones and sticks", the Guardia Civil police said. They also set spray cans on fire, using them as "flame-throwers." Fifteen police officers were injured in the violence, some sustaining burns to their face and arms. Red Cross spokeswoman Isabel Brasero said 30 migrants also needed medical treatment, many of them cutting their hands and legs as they scrambled over the barbed wire. While 16 were taken to the hospital, the rest were sent to a migrant arrival centre, the Guardia Civil said. Local television footage showed some migrants straddling the top of the barrier. One of them was seen stuck in barbed wire, with Spanish police using cutters to release him before helping him down. The Guardia Civil's AEGC union on Thursday called on the government to clarify its "plan B" to maintain security if the barbed wire was removed. "We're one of the main entry points from the third world into Europe and none of those in charge at the interior ministry has wanted to see or resolve the problems this is causing," the union said in a statement. "Today demonstrated that these problems are going to worsen if more Guardia Civil and anti-riot and protection equipment fail to arrive when the barbed wire is removed." Italy used to be the first entry point for migrants taking boats from Libya, an unstable country where armed factions vie for power and human traffickers proliferate. But new far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has taken a tough stance on migration and denied entry to NGO ships rescuing migrants at sea. He insists the country is overwhelmed even if arrivals have dropped by 80 percent compared to the height of the migration crisis, which erupted in 2015. Spain's Foreign Minister Josep Borrell on Wednesday criticised Italy for closing that migration route in a "questionable manner". He warned that more migrants would take the western Mediterranean route to Spain as a result of Rome's actions, calling on Europe to draw up a viable, long-term action plan or be faced with "very serious problems."
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Hundreds of Sub-Saharan African migrants storm a border fence in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, using home-made flamethrowers and other improvised weapons. The Spanish Civil Guard reports that 602 people succeeded in reaching Ceuta, of whom 586 were taken to a temporary reception centre, while 16 others are being treated in a hospital. Fifteen border guards were also hurt.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Moment the quake struck caught on camera About 20,000 people have lost their homes and many moved to unaffected areas of the Indonesian island of Lombok after a powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake left nearly 100 people dead. Boats were sent to evacuate about 2,000 tourists from the nearby Gili islands. Witnesses spoke of chaos and terror during Sunday's quake, with thousands of buildings damaged, and power and communication lines cut. Aid agencies said the priority was to provide shelter for residents. Many are said to be too scared to return to their homes. The agencies said the impact was far bigger than another quake that hit Lombok last week, killing 16 people. President Joko Widodo urged the speedy evacuation of casualties, calling for more flights to be sent to the affected areas. What's the latest on Lombok? Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the Indonesian Disaster Management Agency, said that the northern area of Lombok had suffered massive damage. Three C-130 Hercules transporter aircraft and two helicopters have been deployed to deliver tents and medical aid, but the earthquake has brought down roads and bridges, making areas difficult to reach. Electricity supply in the worst-affected areas has been cut off and telecommunication networks are not working. Image copyright AFP Image caption Staff take patients outside as a safety measure at a hospital in Mataram The death toll stands at 98, all Indonesians, but Mr Sutopo said that number would "definitely increase". At least another 230 people have been injured. He pointed to the situation at a collapsed mosque in the village of Lading-Lading in north Lombok, where a lack of heavy lifting equipment had made it difficult to locate victims. One official said 80% of north Lombok had suffered damage. The main city of Mataram was also badly affected, with medical staff struggling to cope with the injured at the damaged hospitals. What about the Gili islands? Situated off the north-west of Lombok and popular with backpackers and divers, they were badly hit, with a number of hotels damaged. Video and still images showed hundreds of tourists flocking to the beach to be evacuated. There have been reports of deaths on the islands but these have not been confirmed. British tourist Mike Bennett told the BBC that thousands of tourists had been taken off by boat, but not everyone had been evacuated by the time night fell on Monday. "We're here with maybe about 100 people, it's getting dark now. There's no power, there's no water," he said. "We're just going to hold out and see what happens tomorrow." Image copyright Laura Milne Image caption Tourists await evacuation on Gili Trawangan "We cannot evacuate all of them all at once because we don't have enough capacity on the boats," Muhammad Faozal, of West Nusa Tenggara's tourism agency, told AFP. "It's understandable they want to leave the Gilis, they are panicking." The UK Foreign Office said it was working with Indonesian authorities to help British people affected, and that extra flights were being added for people who wished to leave Lombok. What have victims and witnesses been saying? Helen Milne told the BBC that her daughter, Laura, from Oxfordshire in the UK, was on the island of Gili Trawangan. She said: "They are stuck on the island and are reporting rioting, fighting, and people can't get on boats. There's no water, no food, the shops have been ransacked. It's a rapidly deteriorating situation out there for them." Another Briton on Gili Trawangan, James Kelsall, told the Press Association the subsequent tsunami warning was the most terrifying part. "All the locals were frantically running and screaming, putting on life jackets. We followed them up to higher ground, which was a steep, uneven climb to the top of a hill in darkness." The tsunami warning was lifted after a few hours. Margret Helgadottir, from Iceland, told Agence France-Presse people screamed as the roof of her hotel on Gili Air collapsed. "We just froze, thankfully we were outside. Everything went black, it was terrible." Phillipa Hodge told the BBC she was eating at the Katamaran Hotel Sengiggi just north of Mataram, with friends. "The lights went out... that's when it became chaotic. People were falling over each other trying to get out, and glass was shattering. We felt debris fall on to us. "I couldn't see my partner and I was shouting his name. Finally we found each other and he had blood all over his face and shirt." And the aid agencies? Dini Widiastuti, executive director of Plan International Indonesia, told the BBC that the top priority was to provide shelter. "Thousands of people, including children, are still just out in the fields, not properly protected. The impact is very widespread in Lombok and actually this is bigger than the first earthquake last week, so it is difficult." Meili Narti, from Oxfam, said the government was trying to set up centres to which people could safely evacuate, but colleagues were saying some people did not have sufficient food, water or shelter. What about Bali? At least one death has been reported unofficially but it has not been confirmed. The airport has suffered some damage but is operating. The quake was felt for several seconds. One worker in Denpasar described the scene to the BBC. "They were initially just little shocks but then they started to get bigger and bigger and people started to shout 'earthquake', then all the staff panicked and rushed out of the building," he said. Model and presenter Chrissy Teigen, who is on holiday in Bali, described 15 seconds of a tremor, followed by "so many aftershocks". Gary Barlow, best known as lead singer of Take That, said he had been in seven quakes and this was the worst: What are the quake details? The earthquake was of magnitude 6.9, according to the US Geological Survey. It struck at 19:46 local time (11:46 GMT) on Sunday at a fairly shallow depth of 31km (19 miles). There have been more than 130 aftershocks since the quake hit. Lombok is a roughly 4,500 sq km (1,700 sq miles) island east of the slightly larger island of Bali. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because it lies on the Ring of Fire - the line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim. More than half of the world's active volcanoes above sea level are part of the ring. ||||| A magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked Indonesia's popular tourist island of Lombok on Sunday, according to the United States Geological Survey.The quake struck at a depth of 10.5 kilometers off the north coast of Lombok, a little over a mile from Loloan village, the USGS said.Indonesia's agency for meteorology, climatology and geophysics issued a tsunami warning just minutes after the earthquake hit.Many people in the area took to Twitter to say they felt shaking and trembling, including American model Chrissy Teigen.Teigen has been vacationing in neighboring Bali with her husband, musician John Legend, and their two young children, Luna and Miles."Bali. Trembling. So long," Teigen tweeted Sunday."So many aftershocks," she tweeted again.Earthquakes are common in Indonesia, which is situated on the "Ring of Fire" seismically active hotspot encircling the Pacific Ocean. In late 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off the island of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands of people in various nations around the Indian Ocean. ||||| A major earthquake rocked Indonesia's Lombok island today, just a week after a quake had killed 17 people on the holiday island, sending people running from their homes and triggering a tsunami alert. The latest quake had a magnitude of seven and struck just 10 km underground according to the US Geological Survey. Officials issued a tsunami warning and urged people to move away from the ocean. "Please go to a place with higher ground, while remaining calm and not panicking," Dwikorita Karnawati, head of the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics, told local TV. Residents in Lombok's main city Mataram described a strong jolt that sent people scrambling out of buildings. "Everyone immediately ran out of their homes, everyone is panicking," Iman, a local resident in Mataram, told AFP. The tremor came a week after a shallow 6.4-magnitude quake hit the island, killing 17 people and damaging hundreds of buildings. It triggered landslides that briefly trapped trekkers on popular mountain hiking routes. Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide and many of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. In 2004 a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia. ||||| Indonesian authorities lift tsunami warning that was issued after strong earthquake struck Lombok island JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities lift tsunami warning that was issued after strong earthquake struck Lombok island. ||||| The catastrophic tremor was even more powerful than the quake that hit a week ago, devastating the island and leaving 17 people dead. As a result, a tsunami warning has been issued for the earthquake that shook the island and surrounding nations at a depth of 9.3 miles. The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency BMKG put out the warning in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, which also shook Bali more than 800 miles away. It was also felt in East Java. Dwikorita Karnawati, head of the agency for meteorology, climatology and geophysics, said: “Please go to a place with higher ground, while remaining calm and not panicking.” Nikky French said: “This is what we just experienced now, I never seen buildings moving like this, was terrifying. “Another one happened but we’re okay, just keep away from ocean cuz there is a risk of tsunami.” Michelle Lindsay said: “All the hotel guests were running so I did too. People filled the streets. “A lot of officials were urging people not to panic.” Moments after the second quake hit, social media users took to Twitter to share their devastating pictures. One Twitter user said: “Earthquake from Lombok has also been felt in Bali. Its impacted the building of the mall was failing apart. Im still shaking this is so scary #PrayForLombok. Another said: “GUYS PLS KEEP INDONESIA IN YOUR PRAYERS! There was an earthquake in Lombok AGAIN but much more bigger, even people in Surabaya can feel it. “Please keep us in your prayers, hopefully things will get better soon. Thanks so much.” Images show the side of an entire shopping mall in Bali which collapsed. Another shocking photo showed a car with a smashed windscreen after debris from the earthquake fell onto it. Today’s earthquake hit at 11.46pm local time and is the second the island has suffered in a week. Last Sunday’s quake was recorded at a magnitude of 6.4. ||||| A policeman gestures as he walks next to damaged bikes and debris at a mall in Bali's capital Denpasar on Aug. 5, 2018 after a major earthquake rocked neighbouring Lombok island. (Sonny Tumbelaka via Getty Images) JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A strong earthquake struck Indonesia’s popular tourist island of Lombok on Sunday, killing at least three people, one week after another quake in the same area killed more than a dozen. The latest quake, which triggered a brief tsunami warning, also shook neighboring Bali island. Authorities said the quake may have caused some damage. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 7.0 quake struck early Sunday evening at a depth of 6 miles. Its epicenter was about 1 mile east-southeast of Loloan. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency issued a tsunami warning after the quake struck, saying small waves were possible. The agency’s head, Dwikorita Karnawati, later told MetroTV that the tsunami warning had ended. She said the warning was for the lowest level of tsunami, and that small waves just 6 inches high were detected in three villages. Najmul Akhyar, district chief of North Lombok, told MetroTV that there was an electrical blackout so he was unable to assess the entire situation, but that at least three people had been killed. National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Kompas TV that the quake strongly jolted Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara province, and may have caused damage there. He said the quake was also felt in parts of neighboring Bali island. Video aired by Kompas TV showed patients being evacuated from a hospital in Bali’s Tabanan district. Iwan Asmara, an official from the local Disaster Mitigation Agency, said people poured out from their houses in panic to move to higher ground, particularly in Mataram and North Lombok. Like Bali, Lombok is known for pristine beaches and mountains. Hotels and other buildings in both locations are not allowed to exceed the height of coconut trees. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries. This article will be updated as information warrants, and follow KPIX 5 on Twitter at @CBSSF or KCBS Radio on Twitter at @KCBSNews for updates on breaking news anytime. Strong earthquakes with an epicenter off the coast can trigger tsunamis, depending on the size and type of the fault movement. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center tracks earthquake data for the West Coast. © Copyright 2018 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed ||||| US Geological Survey says magnitude 7 quake strikes Indonesia's Lombok island; Indonesian officials say tsunami possible JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — US Geological Survey says magnitude 7 quake strikes Indonesia's Lombok island; Indonesian officials say tsunami possible. ||||| Authorities in Indonesia lifted a tsunami warning on Sunday after a strong earthquake rocked the popular tourist mecca of Bali, leaving at least 39 people dead a week after another quake in the same region killed more than a dozen people. The head of the disaster management agency in Indonesia’s West Nusa Tenggara province, Muhammad Rum, told Indonesian TV the death toll from the earthquake that hit the tourist island of Lombok has risen to 39. The United States Geological Survey said the quake, initially listed as a magnitude 7.0 earthquake but later downgraded to a magnitude 6.9, was reported around 7:46 a.m. ET off the country’s Lombok Island, located next to Bali. The quake was about 19 miles deep and had an epicenter about a mile east-southeast of Loloan, according to the USGS. Dwikorita Karnawati, head of Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, told MetroTV that the tsunami warning has ended, adding that the warning was for the lowest level of tsunami, and that small waves just 6 inches high were detected in three villages. Indonesia’s Disaster Mitigation Agency promptly issued an alert, saying that there was the “potential” for a tsunami to take place. The Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics later said on Twitter that “tsunami aftermath” was detected in Carik and Badas. A video posted to social media shows a tourist running through the hallway of a hotel as the building shakes. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but a set of photos posted to Twitter show damage in Bali. National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told KompasTV that the quake strongly jolted Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara province, and may have caused damage there. He said the quake was also felt in parts of neighboring Bali island, where video aired by Kompas TV showed patients being evacuated from a hospital in Bali’s Tabanan district. Model and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen, who is currently on vacation in Bali with husband John Legend and their two children, said on Twitter it was a “massive” earthquake. “oh my god,” she wrote on Twitter. “Bali. Trembling. So long.” Teigen also reported there were “so many aftershocks.” Australian actress Teresa Palmer is also in Bali, and posted to Twitter she was in a treehouse that was “SWAYING.” “It was very scary and we are in Bali, I can’t imagine how it must’ve felt to those closer to Lombok. Thinking of everyone affected,” she wrote. Just last week, a magnitude 6.4 quake hit Lombok, located just east of Bali, on July 29, killing 16 people. Hundreds of tourists were stranded on Mount Rinjani after the quake triggered a landslide, and more than 1,400 houses were damaged. Like Bali, Lombok is known for pristine beaches and mountains. Hotels and other buildings in both locations are not allowed to exceed the height of coconut trees. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Ocean. In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ||||| Indonesia is in the grips of a second massive tremor, just a week following a major earthquake which killed 17 people. Both Bali and Lombok were issued warnings in the wake of the disaster, which saw panic among both holiday makers and residents. The highly popular island resorts remain a first choice for many British tourists, and many could soon be under threat from a tsunami. Large scale evacuations last week saw a volcano popular with hikers abandoned as the tremors hit. Indonesian authorities have issued a tsunami warning for the city, as the earthquake struck with 7.0 magnitude. The massive quake struck at a depth of 10.5km, just off the north coast of Lombok, prime conditions for a tsunami to take form. So far, there have been no casualty reports, but these are likely to change as the situation develops. The United States Geological survey has issued a yellow warning in the wake of the earthquake. This means that possible loss to life and economy are likely. The warning states: “Yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. “Some casualties and damage are possible and the impact should be relatively localised. Can you still travel to Bali? The tremors fro the massive quake were apparently felt as far away as Bali, which startled many holidaymakers at the resort. East and north Bali felt tremors, but so far there have been no travel restrictions put own by the Foreign Office. Bali officials have advised that people should move away from the ocean as the tsunami warning is laid down. Head of the agency for meteorology, climatology and geophysica Dwikorita Karnawati, advised residents via TV. She said: “Please go to a place with higher ground, while remaining calm and not panicking.” The Foreign Office warns that Bali is prone to natural disasters, and put out a travel warning for Moung Agung in east Bali after recent volcanic activity. The warning said: “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel within 4 kilometres of the Mount Agung crater in east Bali and within 7 kilometres of the Mount Sinabung crater in Kalo Regency, North Sumatra due to ongoing volcanic activity.” This is still in effect as of August 5, so a further warning advising against travel as a result of the quake could be incoming. ||||| JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities lift tsunami warning that was issued after strong earthquake struck Lombok island. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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A 7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes Lombok, Indonesia. A tsunami warning is issued. At least 131 people are killed and more than 238 are injured.
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Facebook, Google and Apple have each taken steps to remove conspiracy theorist Alex Jones from their platforms, marking a significant shift in the approach taken by big tech companies to the radio host. Facebook on Monday announced that it had unpublished four pages belonging to Alex Jones for repeatedly violating the company's standards with inflammatory posts about transgender people, Muslims and immigrants, among other infractions. Facebook said in a blog post that pages belonging to Jones have continued to post content that went against its community standards. Facebook unpublished the Alex Jones Channel Page, the Alex Jones Page, the Infowars Page and the Infowars Nightly News Page. Jones and Infowars had a combined total of more than 2.5 million followers on Facebook across their pages. "Upon review, we have taken it down for glorifying violence, which violates our graphic violence policy, and using dehumanizing language to describe people who are transgender, Muslims and immigrants, which violates our hate speech policies," the statement said in part. YouTube, the other platform on which Jones had a sizable following, followed suit on Monday, terminating Jones' main account, which had 2.4 million subscribers. "All users agree to comply with our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines when they sign up to use YouTube," a YouTube spokesperson said in an email. "When users violate these policies repeatedly, like our policies against hate speech and harassment or our terms prohibiting circumvention of our enforcement measures, we terminate their accounts." Earlier, Apple and Spotify both removed Jones' podcasts from their respective platforms. Infowars' apps are still available for download in Apple's App Store. Jones confirmed on Twitter that he had been banned by Facebook, Apple and Spotify. "What conservative news outlet will be next?" he tweeted. Twitter remains one of the last major platforms to take action against Jones. A spokesperson for Twitter said Infowars is not in violation of Twitter and Periscope rules and noted that replies to Jones are often filled with people rebutting what he is saying in real-time. Infowars did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Paul Joseph Watson, an editor-at-large for Infowars, said on Twitter that Facebook's move was "political censorship" and "a culture war." Facebook and other tech giants have been under growing pressure to crack down on the spread of misinformation across their platforms. Facebook in particular chose to give a boost to mainstream publishers and take action against some people and pages that repeatedly violated its rules. At the same time, Facebook has been criticized by conservatives for what they perceive as a liberal bias against conservative outlets. Infowars emerged as a flashpoint in the debate with some journalists and activists pushing for Facebook to take action. Facebook resisted, with John Hegeman, the head of Facebook’s News Feed, telling journalists in early July that the company would be leaving Infowars to its own devices, according to New York Magazine. Jones has the ability to appeal Facebook's decision, according to the blog post. However, if Jones doesn't appeal or his appeal fails, his page will be permanently removed from the site. Jones had been warned that repeated violations of Facebook's community standards would result in having his pages unpublished. Last week, Facebook removed four videos on four of Jones' pages for violating its hate speech and bullying policies, according to a statement put out by the media platform. It also banned Jones' profile from posting to the social network for 30 days. Facebook uses a "strike" system to determine if a page should be removed from its site altogether, according to the statement. It said when a page "surpasses a certain threshold of strikes, the whole Page is unpublished." Facebook does not disclose how many strikes will result in a page being unpublished. The move by Facebook is the latest crackdown on Jones, who has recently had content removed from other platforms. Last week, YouTube removed four videos posted by Jones and issued a warning that more violations could result in a ban from the video platform. Jones is known for falsely claiming the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was staged by actors. Those claims have resulted in harassment directed at Sandy Hook families and supporters. Families of Sandy Hook victims have filed lawsuits against Jones for defamation. Spotify had also recently come under pressure for hosting Jones' podcasts. “We take reports of hate content seriously and review any podcast episode or song that is flagged by our community," a Spotify spokesperson told NBC News in an email. "Due to repeated violations of Spotify’s prohibited content policies, The Alex Jones Show has lost access to the Spotify platform." ||||| Apple, Facebook and Spotify have responded to the growing backlash against Alex Jones, the right-wing conspiracy theorist behind InfoWars, by removing his podcasts and pages from their platforms. Apple’s removal of five of six InfoWars podcasts was first reported by BuzzFeed Sunday night. Monday morning, Facebook announced that it, too, had unpublished four pages related to Jones and InfoWars. And a Spotify spokesman confirmed Monday that “The Alex Jones Show has lost access to the Spotify platform.” Jones is perhaps most famous for spreading the conspiracy theory that the 2012 mass school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was a hoax. He is facing defamation lawsuits by parents of the children who were killed in that shooting. More recent theories presented by Jones and Infowars include a supposed upcoming civil war started by liberals, and accusing special counsel Robert Mueller of being involved in a child sex ring. Both Facebook and Spotify had removed selected videos and podcast episodes from InfoWars, respectively, last week. In a blog post Monday, Facebook said it has unpublished the Alex Jones Channel Page, the Alex Jones Page, the InfoWars Page and the Infowars Nightly News Page for “repeated violations of Community Standards and accumulating too many strikes.” It took further action beyond last week’s removal of videos from each of the four pages after more reports about the content on those pages, the company said. “We have taken it down for glorifying violence, which violates our graphic violence policy, and using dehumanizing language to describe people who are transgender, Muslims and immigrants, which violates our hate speech policies,” Facebook said. At Facebook, unpublishing is the first step toward removing a page; it gives pages a chance to appeal while the page is unavailable on the platform. Apple told BuzzFeed: “Apple does not tolerate hate speech, and we have clear guidelines that creators and developers must follow to ensure we provide a safe environment for all of our users.” The company has not responded to a request for comment Monday about why one InfoWars podcast, “RealNews with David Knight,” remains on iTunes. The decisions by Apple, Facebook and Spotify will put a big dent in the reach of Jones and InfoWars. As of the first quarter of 2018, 54 percent of the U.S. podcast audience of more than 23 million adults used Apple’s iOS, according to a report by Nielsen. Facebook has more than 2 billion users, 240 million of them in the United States. And Spotify has 180 million users worldwide. Facebook’s move follows its recent controversial stance that it would not ban InfoWars because of fake news, saying it didn’t want to violate the site’s right to free speech. In its blog post Monday, Facebook emphasized that its removal of the Jones and InfoWars pages were removed because of violations of its community standards, and were not related to false news. Jones tweeted Monday: “We’ve been banned completely on Facebook, Apple, & Spotify. What conservative news outlet will be next?” He urged his followers to retweet the link to InfoWars’ own site, saying they’d be helping InfoWars fight censorship. He also retweeted an InfoWars editor’s claims of “coordinated big tech censorship.” While Apple, Facebook and Spotify have limited Jones’ reach for now, he still has 826,000 followers and is verified on Twitter. A couple of weeks ago, YouTube removed four videos by Jones, but his YouTube channel, which has more than 2.4 million subscribers, remains on the site. ||||| Facebook has unpublished four pages belonging to conspiracy theorist and far-right radio host Alex Jones for "repeatedly posting content over the past several days" that violated the social media platform's community standards. The company announced the move in a blog post published Monday morning, explaining that pages belonging to Jones have continued to post content that went against its community standards. Facebook unpublished the Alex Jones Channel Page, the Alex Jones Page, the Infowars Page and the Infowars Nightly News Page. "Upon review, we have taken it down for glorifying violence, which violates our graphic violence policy, and using dehumanizing language to describe people who are transgender, Muslims and immigrants, which violates our hate speech policies," the statement said in part. Facebook's ban comes shortly after Apple and Spotify both removed Jones' podcasts from their platforms. Infowars did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Paul Joseph Watson, an editor-at-large for Infowars, said on Twitter that Facebook's move was "political censorship" and "a culture war." Facebook and other tech giants have been under growing pressure to crack down on the spread of misinformation across their platforms. Facebook in particular chose to give a boost to mainstream publishers and take action against some people and pages that repeatedly violated its rules. At the same time, Facebook has been criticized by conservatives for what they perceive as a liberal bias against conservative outlets. Infowars emerged as a flashpoint in the debate with some journalists and activists pushing for Facebook to take action. Facebook resisted, with John Hegeman, the head of Facebook’s News Feed, telling journalists in early July that the company would be leaving Infowars to its own devices, according to New York Magazine. Jones has the ability to appeal Facebook's decision, according to the blog post. However, if Jones doesn't appeal or his appeal fails, his page will be permanently removed from the site. Jones and Infowars had a combined total of more than 2.5 million followers on Facebook across their pages. Jones had been warned that repeated violations of Facebook's community standards would result in having his pages unpublished. Last week, Facebook removed four videos on four of Jones' pages for violating its hate speech and bullying policies, according to a statement put out by the media platform. It also banned Jones' profile from posting to the social network for 30 days. Facebook uses a "strike" system to determine if a page should be removed from its site altogether, according to the statement. It said when a page "surpasses a certain threshold of strikes, the whole Page is unpublished." Facebook does not disclose how many strikes will result in a page being unpublished. The move by Facebook is the latest crackdown on Jones, who has recently had content removed from other platforms. Last week, YouTube removed four videos posted by Jones and issued a warning that more violations could result in a ban from the video platform. Jones is known for falsely claiming the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was staged by actors. Those claims have resulted in harassment directed at Sandy Hook families and supporters. Families of Sandy Hook victims have filed lawsuits against Jones for defamation. Spotify had also recently come under pressure for hosting Jones' podcasts. “We take reports of hate content seriously and review any podcast episode or song that is flagged by our community," a Spotify spokesperson told NBC News in an email. "Due to repeated violations of Spotify’s prohibited content policies, The Alex Jones Show has lost access to the Spotify platform." ||||| "The Alex Jones Show" and other content produced by the far-right site Infowars has been removed from Apple, Facebook and Spotify. Facebook said on Monday that four pages belonging to Jones were removed for violating the social network's policy against hate speech. Also on Monday, the entirety of hundreds of episodes of "The Alex Jones Show" had been removed from music streaming service Spotify. Those takedowns came just hours after Apple late Sunday removed all episodes of the show hosted by Jones and four other Infowars-related podcasts from Apple's iTunes and Podcast apps. The cumulative actions represent the largest efforts yet against Jones, a conspiracy theorist who most famously promoted the idea the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting never happened and was staged. Several families affected by the shooting, and an FBI agent who responded to the attack, have sued Jones for defamation. He is seeking to have the cases dismissed.\ However, Jones has lately been on the radar of social media and streaming services. Spotify removed several episodes of 'The Alex Jones Show' last week, citing violations of its policy against hateful speech. Online sentiment had been building against Spotify for days after subscribers found the episodes' listing on the service. Earlier this month, Facebook faced criticism for Infowars' remaining on the social network, despite its crackdown on the spread of fabricated news. And, two weeks ago, YouTube removed four of Jones' videos from his channel on the video sharing site and suspended him from broadcasting live for 90 days saying the channel violated the company's graphic content policy. Apple's move Sunday to remove five of six Infowars-related podcasts including "The Alex Jones Show" and "War Room" from its directories -- first reported by Buzzfeed News -- seemed to serve as a domino effect. "Apple does not tolerate hate speech, and we have clear guidelines that creators and developers must follow to ensure we provide a safe environment for all of our users," the company said in a statement. "Podcasts that violate these guidelines are removed from our directory making them no longer searchable or available for download or streaming," Apple's statement said. "We believe in representing a wide range of views, so long as people are respectful to those with differing opinions.” Links to "RealNews with David Knight" by Infowars remains on Apple's podcast apps. Similarly, Facebook said it removed four of Jones' page for repeatedly posting content that included "hate speech that attacks or dehumanizes others," the network said in a post on its website. After removing four videos, one each on four of Jones' pages -- the Alex Jones Channel Page, the Alex Jones Page, the InfoWars Page and the Infowars Nightly News Page -- violating "our hate speech and bullying policies, Facebook continued to get reports from users," it says. Those pages were ultimately taken down for "glorifying violence, which violates our graphic violence policy, and using dehumanizing language to describe people who are transgender, Muslims and immigrants, which violates our hate speech policies," Facebook says. Jones was placed on a 30-day block "for his role in posting violating content to these pages," the company said. Facebook said none of its actions were due to false news found on Infowars-related sites. The cumulative actions by the tech companies was hailed by Infowars' detractors with one person hailing "a little courage shown by our tech titans. ... Its good to see companies step up when people so flagrantly propagate falsehoods." Infowars has so far declined comment on the situation. But during his commentary show Monday morning on Infowars, host David Knight talked about the situation, saying, "So the censorship continues and it escalates." And one of the site's editors Paul Joseph Watson addressed the action taken by Facebook in a post on Twitter saying, "this sets a chilling precedent for free speech. To all other conservative news outlets — you are next." Also commenting on the situation was Wikileaks, which tweeted this comment that Wikileaks called Facebook’s “the ability of Facebook to censor rival publishers is a global anti-trust problem, which along with San Francisco cultural imperialism reduces political diversity.” ||||| After drawing criticism for promoting hate, Apple, Facebook and YouTube are among the major tech companies which have initiated action against right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. The 44-year-old has come under fire for his right-wing propaganda and hate speeches. Jones is the founder of InfoWars, a platform he uses to promote his content. Jones has reacted to his “censorship” on Twitter, the only platform which has not taken action against him. In response to being banned on the internet, he said, “All I can say is that we’ve been shadowbanned and quite frankly it’s only made us stronger.” “The truth will set you free. That’s why they hate Infowars. They don’t want you to be free. Understand this: The censorship of Infowars just vindicates everything we’ve been saying. Now, who will stand against Tyranny and who will stand for free speech? We’re all Alex Jones now,” he added. Alex Jones, 44, created the media platform Infowars in Austin, Texas in 1999. The channel, which airs programmes on the radio and on social media platforms, promotes conspiracy theories and unverified news. It has a reach of about 10 million monthly listeners. Jones hosts a programme called ‘The Alex Jones Show’ on the platform. Other hosts are Owen Shroyer, Anthony Cumia, Mike Cernovich, Roger Stone, Paul Joseph Watson, David L. Knight, Gerald Celente, Lionel, and Telly Blackwood. Jones has promulgated several conspiracy theories that have riled the public, including one on how the 9/11 twin tower attacks were carried out by the US government and the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting being a “hoax”. He has been criticised for spreading false information to make money. There are several cases against Jones, including defamation and copyright infringement, as well as allegations of sexual harassment. Social media platforms have come under fire for hosting Infowars content. Despite years of users flagging its programmes, it is unclear why action has been initiated now. Facebook has taken down four of Jones’ pages and two of his Infowars shows. The company said it violated its standards of hate speech that attacks or dehumanizes others, reported The Associated Press. Apple has deleted Infowars’ podcasts from its platform. “We take reports of hate content seriously and review any podcast episode or song that is flagged by our community,” a spokesperson was quoted as saying by Reuters. YouTube, meanwhile, responded to the controversy saying it terminates accounts that violate its policies against hate speech and harassment. The other companies that have withdrawn access to his programmes are Pinterest and Spotify. Twitter has not commented on these developments. For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App ||||| Talk about a rough Monday morning. Pundit Alex Jones found his radio and video show, and other content produced by the far-right site Infowars, expunged from Apple, Facebook, Spotify and YouTube. The cumulative actions represent the largest efforts yet against Jones, a conspiracy theorist who most famously promoted the idea that the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting never happened and was staged. Several families affected by the shooting, and an FBI agent who responded to the attack, have sued Jones for defamation. He is seeking to have the cases dismissed. Facebook said on Monday that four pages belonging to Jones were removed for violating the social network's policy against hate speech. Also on Monday, the entirety of hundreds of episodes of "The Alex Jones Show" had been removed from music streaming service Spotify. Those takedowns came just hours after Apple late Sunday removed all episodes of the show hosted by Jones and four other Infowars-related podcasts from Apple's iTunes and Podcast apps. And later Monday, YouTube removed Jones and Infowars' channels from the video sharing service, with some pages labeled with the declaration the account was terminated for violations of community guidelines. Jones has lately been on the radar of social media and streaming services. Spotify removed several episodes of 'The Alex Jones Show' last week, citing violations of its policy against hateful speech. Online sentiment had been building against Spotify for days after subscribers found the episodes' listing on the service. Earlier this month, Facebook faced criticism for Infowars' remaining on the social network, despite its crackdown on the spread of fabricated news. Prior to its action Monday, YouTube removed four of Jones' videos from his channel two weeks ago and suspended him from broadcasting live for 90 days saying the channel violated the company's graphic content policy. Apple's move Sunday to remove five of six Infowars-related podcasts including "The Alex Jones Show" and "War Room" from its directories -- first reported by Buzzfeed News -- seemed to initiate a domino effect. "Apple does not tolerate hate speech, and we have clear guidelines that creators and developers must follow to ensure we provide a safe environment for all of our users," the company said in a statement. "Podcasts that violate these guidelines are removed from our directory making them no longer searchable or available for download or streaming," Apple's statement said. "We believe in representing a wide range of views, so long as people are respectful to those with differing opinions.” Links to "RealNews with David Knight" by Infowars remains on Apple's podcast apps. Similarly, Facebook said it removed four of Jones' page for repeatedly posting content that included "hate speech that attacks or dehumanizes others," the network said in a post on its website. After removing four videos, one each on four of Jones' pages -- the Alex Jones Channel Page, the Alex Jones Page, the InfoWars Page and the Infowars Nightly News Page -- violating "our hate speech and bullying policies, Facebook continued to get reports from users," it says. Those pages were ultimately taken down for "glorifying violence, which violates our graphic violence policy, and using dehumanizing language to describe people who are transgender, Muslims and immigrants, which violates our hate speech policies," Facebook says. Jones was placed on a 30-day block "for his role in posting violating content to these pages," the company said. Facebook said none of its actions was due to false news found on Infowars-related sites. When asked why YouTube took action because Jones and Infowars, the site sent this statement to USA TODAY: "When users violate these policies repeatedly, like our policies against hate speech and harassment or our terms prohibiting circumvention of our enforcement measures, we terminate their accounts." The cumulative actions by the tech companies were hailed by Infowars' detractors with one person applauding "a little courage shown by our tech titans. ... Its good to see companies step up when people so flagrantly propagate falsehoods." Jones, during his show on Infowars.com, said he would have to remove the site's links to social media because Infowars' content there "is all gone. They blew it all away in the middle of the night." Also on the site, a preview of the Monday "Alex Jones Show' topics said: "Facebook permanently banned Infowars while Apple removed entire Infowars libraries from iTunes under the guise of 'hate speech'," he said. "The war on your mind is in full swing as globalists remove outlets of liberty and truth, starting with the tip of the spear: Alex Jones." Jones posted a separate note on Twitter asking, "What conservative news outlet will be next?" Also commenting on the situation was Wikileaks, which posted a pair of tweets, at first critiquing Facebook's action as a power play, tweeting that “the ability of Facebook to censor rival publishers is a global anti-trust problem, which along with San Francisco cultural imperialism reduces political diversity.” After YouTube's action, Wikileaks blasted all four companies saying, "The empire strikes back: Apple, Spotify, Facebook and Google/Youtube all purge Infowars/Alex Jones." The international, non-profit organization, well-known for the July 2016 release of a trove of Democratic National Committee emails, questioned whether the takedowns were the right move. "Yes, Infowars has frequent nonsense, but also a state power critique. Which publisher in the world with millions of subscribers is next to be wiped out for cultural transgression?" Some commenters on Twitter posted concerns about the potential harm of squelching voices, even if Jones' and Infowars had in the past fueled conspiracy theories such as Pizzagate -- a far-fetched falsehood that Hillary Clinton operated a child sex ring at a Washington D.C. pizza restaurant, where in December 2016 a man fired his weapon off inside the pizza shop. Jones last year apologized to the restaurant owner. "I don’t support Alex Jones and what InfoWars produces. He’s not a conservative. However, banning him and his outlet is wrong," said Brent Bozell, founder and president of the Media Research Center, a non-profit conservative group that monitors liberal trends in the media. "It’s just the beginning," Bozell said in a statement. "We are rapidly approaching a point where censorship of opposing voices is the norm. That’s dangerous.” ||||| "The Alex Jones Show" and other content produced by the far-right site Infowars has been removed from Apple, Facebook and Spotify. Facebook said on Monday that four pages belonging to Jones were removed for violating the social network's policy against hate speech. Also on Monday, the entirety of hundreds of episodes of "The Alex Jones Show" had been removed from music streaming service Spotify. Those takedowns came just hours after Apple late Sunday removed all episodes of the show hosted by Jones and four other Infowars-related podcasts from Apple's iTunes and Podcast apps. And later Monday, YouTube removed Jones and Infowars' channels from the video sharing service, with some pages labeled with the declaration the account was terminated for violations of community guidelines. The cumulative actions represent the largest efforts yet against Jones, a conspiracy theorist who most famously promoted the idea that the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting never happened and was staged. Several families affected by the shooting, and an FBI agent who responded to the attack, have sued Jones for defamation. He is seeking to have the cases dismissed. However, Jones has lately been on the radar of social media and streaming services. Spotify removed several episodes of 'The Alex Jones Show' last week, citing violations of its policy against hateful speech. Online sentiment had been building against Spotify for days after subscribers found the episodes' listing on the service. Earlier this month, Facebook faced criticism for Infowars' remaining on the social network, despite its crackdown on the spread of fabricated news. Prior to its action Monday, YouTube removed four of Jones' videos from his channel two weeks ago and suspended him from broadcasting live for 90 days saying the channel violated the company's graphic content policy. Apple's move Sunday to remove five of six Infowars-related podcasts including "The Alex Jones Show" and "War Room" from its directories -- first reported by Buzzfeed News -- seemed to initiate a domino effect. "Apple does not tolerate hate speech, and we have clear guidelines that creators and developers must follow to ensure we provide a safe environment for all of our users," the company said in a statement. "Podcasts that violate these guidelines are removed from our directory making them no longer searchable or available for download or streaming," Apple's statement said. "We believe in representing a wide range of views, so long as people are respectful to those with differing opinions.” Links to "RealNews with David Knight" by Infowars remains on Apple's podcast apps. Similarly, Facebook said it removed four of Jones' page for repeatedly posting content that included "hate speech that attacks or dehumanizes others," the network said in a post on its website. After removing four videos, one each on four of Jones' pages -- the Alex Jones Channel Page, the Alex Jones Page, the InfoWars Page and the Infowars Nightly News Page -- violating "our hate speech and bullying policies, Facebook continued to get reports from users," it says. Those pages were ultimately taken down for "glorifying violence, which violates our graphic violence policy, and using dehumanizing language to describe people who are transgender, Muslims and immigrants, which violates our hate speech policies," Facebook says. Jones was placed on a 30-day block "for his role in posting violating content to these pages," the company said. Facebook said none of its actions was due to false news found on Infowars-related sites. The cumulative actions by the tech companies were hailed by Infowars' detractors with one person applauding "a little courage shown by our tech titans. ... Its good to see companies step up when people so flagrantly propagate falsehoods." Jones, during his show on Infowars.com, said he would have to remove the site's links to social media because Infowars' content there "is all gone. They blew it all away in the middle of the night." Also on the site, a preview of the Monday "Alex Jones Show' topics said: "Facebook permanently banned Infowars while Apple removed entire Infowars libraries from iTunes under the guise of 'hate speech'," he said. "The war on your mind is in full swing as globalists remove outlets of liberty and truth, starting with the tip of the spear: Alex Jones." Jones posted a separate note on Twitter asking, "What conservative news outlet will be next?" Also commenting on the situation was Wikileaks, tweeting that “the ability of Facebook to censor rival publishers is a global anti-trust problem, which along with San Francisco cultural imperialism reduces political diversity.” ||||| Talk about a rough Monday morning. Pundit Alex Jones found his radio and video show, and other content produced by the far-right site Infowars, removed from Apple, Facebook, Spotify and YouTube. The cumulative actions represent the largest efforts yet against Jones, a conspiracy theorist who most famously promoted the idea that the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting never happened and was staged. Several families affected by the shooting, and an FBI agent who responded to the attack, have sued Jones for defamation. He is seeking to have the cases dismissed. Facebook said on Monday that four pages belonging to Jones were removed for violating the social network's policy against hate speech. Also on Monday, the entirety of hundreds of episodes of "The Alex Jones Show" had been removed from music streaming service Spotify. Those takedowns came just hours after Apple late Sunday removed all episodes of the show hosted by Jones and four other Infowars-related podcasts from Apple's iTunes and Podcast apps. And later Monday, YouTube removed Jones and Infowars' channels from the video sharing service, with some pages labeled with the declaration the account was terminated for violations of community guidelines. Until Monday, the major tech companies had been slow to remove Jones' content, despite a stated aim of halting the spread of fabricated news, as they tried to stave off claims that they were censoring political voices. Facebook -- facing criticism for Infowars' presence on the site -- detailed a policy of pushing down disputed posts so fewer users would see them while removing content for violating policies on hate speech and harassment. Spreading false news wasn't reason enough to boot a user from the site, its executives said. Instead, tech companies have pointed to a breach of policies against hate speech, rather than misinformation, for removing Jones. Spotify removed several episodes of 'The Alex Jones Show' last week, citing violations of its policy against hateful speech. Online sentiment had been building against Spotify for days after subscribers found the episodes' listing on the service. Prior to its action Monday, YouTube removed four of Jones' videos from his channel two weeks ago and suspended him from broadcasting live for 90 days saying the channel violated the company's graphic content policy. Apple's move Sunday to remove five of six Infowars-related podcasts including "The Alex Jones Show" and "War Room" from its directories -- first reported by Buzzfeed News -- seemed to initiate a domino effect. "Apple does not tolerate hate speech, and we have clear guidelines that creators and developers must follow to ensure we provide a safe environment for all of our users," the company said in a statement. "Podcasts that violate these guidelines are removed from our directory making them no longer searchable or available for download or streaming," Apple's statement said. "We believe in representing a wide range of views, so long as people are respectful to those with differing opinions.” Links to "RealNews with David Knight" by Infowars remains on Apple's podcast apps. Similarly, Facebook said it removed four of Jones' page for repeatedly posting content that included "hate speech that attacks or dehumanizes others," the network said in a post on its website. After removing four videos, one each on four of Jones' pages -- the Alex Jones Channel Page, the Alex Jones Page, the InfoWars Page and the Infowars Nightly News Page -- for violating "our hate speech and bullying policies," Facebook continued to get reports from users, it says. Those pages were ultimately taken down Monday for "glorifying violence, which violates our graphic violence policy, and using dehumanizing language to describe people who are transgender, Muslims and immigrants, which violates our hate speech policies," Facebook says. Jones had already been placed on a 30-day block "for his role in posting violating content to these pages," the company said. Facebook said none of its actions was due to false news found on Infowars-related sites. When asked why YouTube took action because Jones and Infowars, the site sent this statement to USA TODAY: "When users violate these policies repeatedly, like our policies against hate speech and harassment or our terms prohibiting circumvention of our enforcement measures, we terminate their accounts." The cumulative actions by the tech companies were hailed by Infowars' detractors with one person applauding "a little courage shown by our tech titans. ... Its good to see companies step up when people so flagrantly propagate falsehoods." Jones, during his show on Infowars.com, said he would have to remove the site's links to social media because Infowars' content there "is all gone. They blew it all away in the middle of the night." Some commenters on Twitter posted concerns about the potential harm of squelching voices, even if Jones' and Infowars had in the past fueled conspiracy theories such as Pizzagate -- a far-fetched falsehood that Hillary Clinton operated a child sex ring at a Washington D.C. pizza restaurant, where in December 2016 a man fired his weapon off inside the pizza shop. Jones last year apologized to the restaurant owner. "I don’t support Alex Jones and what InfoWars produces. He’s not a conservative. However, banning him and his outlet is wrong," said Brent Bozell, founder and president of the Media Research Center, a non-profit conservative group that monitors liberal trends in the media. "It’s just the beginning," Bozell said in a statement. "We are rapidly approaching a point where censorship of opposing voices is the norm. That’s dangerous.” Similarly, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, recently questioned whether Facebook should be removing publishers from their massive social network at all. After seeing a July 27 story reported by Mashable about Jones' 30-day ban, Cruz tweeted: "Am no fan of Jones — among other things he has a habit of repeatedly slandering my Dad by falsely and absurdly accusing him of killing JFK — but who the hell made Facebook the arbiter of political speech? Free speech includes views you disagree with." But the constitutional protection of free speech is meant to prevent the government -- not businesses or organizations -- from censoring citizens. "As private companies, Apple, Facebook and Spotify can decide what content appears on their platforms, so I wouldn't call (the tech sites' actions) a violation of speech," said Lata Nott, executive director of the First Amendment Center. ||||| Apple, Facebook, and Spotify have removed the work of Alex Jones from their platforms in a sweeping crackdown on the popular conspiracy theorist. Apple was first to take action against Jones, with BuzzFeed reporting that it had scrubbed the entire library for five of Infowars' six podcasts from iTunes and its Podcast app. As of Sunday, just one Infowars show remained: "RealNews with David Knight." Apple pointed Business Insider to the statement it provided BuzzFeed, in which it said it notified Jones of its plans to pull the podcasts under its hate-speech guidelines. "Apple does not tolerate hate speech, and we have clear guidelines that creators and developers must follow to ensure we provide a safe environment for all of our users," an Apple representative said. "Podcasts that violate these guidelines are removed from our directory making them no longer searchable or available for download or streaming. We believe in representing a wide range of views, so long as people are respectful to those with differing opinions." Soon after Apple shut down Jones, Facebook published a blog announcing it had removed four pages belonging to the presenter. Facebook said he had repeatedly posted content in recent days that broke its community standards. The company took down four of Jones' videos last month. "We have taken it down for glorifying violence, which violates our graphic-violence policy, and using dehumanizing language to describe people who are transgender, Muslims, and immigrants, which violates our hate-speech policies," Facebook said on Monday. It added that none of the violations were related to "false news." Spotify also removed the "Alex Jones Show" from its podcast directory for violations of its content policy. "I can confirm that Spotify has removed the 'Alex Jones Show' - Infowars," a spokeswoman said. Spotify took down several episodes of the show last week. Jones remains on YouTube, where he has nearly 2.5 million subscribers. Google's video-sharing site took down four of his posts last month. Sleeping Giants, an activist organization that vows to "make bigotry and sexism less profitable," has been lobbying Apple to take action against Jones. Writing on Twitter, it welcomed the company's decision. Jones is facing defamation lawsuits from the families of some children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School over his claims that the 2012 school shooting was a hoax. ||||| It’s been a rough day for Alex Jones and InfoWars. Hot on the heels of bans from Apple and Facebook, the conspiracy theory media empire has been banned on YouTube. It’s not yet clear if the video platform’s ban is permanent, but it appears that all InfoWars videos have been deleted. If you attempt to visit InfoWars videos on YouTube you’ll be greeted with the message, “this video is no longer available because the YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated.” Clips of Alex Jones saying unhinged things can still be found on the site if they were posted by other news organizations. Apple got the ball rolling when it pulled all of Alex Jones’ podcasts from Apple’s platforms late yesterday. And Facebook followed up with a pseudo-ban this morning that it’s referred to as “unpublishing.” Facebook has said InfoWars can appeal the decision and become reinstated. YouTube has not directly addressed the ban on InfoWars, but released a generic statement to Gizmodo today about its community guidelines. “All users agree to comply with our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines when they sign up to use YouTube. When users violate these policies repeatedly, like our policies against hate speech and harassment or our terms prohibiting circumvention of our enforcement measures, we terminate their accounts,” a YouTube spokesperson told Gizmodo over email. Facebook and Apple both cited “hate speech” when asked about their own decisions to ban InfoWars channels and pages. InfoWars has been in hot water recently over Jones’ claims that the Sandy Hook massacre that killed 6 adults and 20 children was completely fake. Jones said that the shooting was staged by the government, which has led to family members of those killed being harassed. There are currently three defamation lawsuits against Jones by family members of the victims, though Jones has counter-sued for legal fees. Twitter is in an extremely awkward position as the lone large social media company that still hosts Alex Jones. Twitter, long a hub for neo-Nazis, seems like it would be hesitant to ban Jones from the site, but never say never. Gizmodo has reached out to YouTube to ask about any other bans that may be on the horizon and to confirm if the InfoWars ban in permanent. We’ll update this article when YouTube, which is owned by Google, gets us more information.
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Facebook removes several InfoWars-related pages from its platform, for what it describes as glorification of violence and dehumanizing language. YouTube deletes Alex Jones's main account for repeated Terms of Service violations. Apple and Spotify pull Jones's podcasts. Editor Paul Joseph Watson calls Facebook's move "political censorship" on Twitter.
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Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The couple's sexual exploitation case shocked Germany (faces blurred for legal reasons) A woman who sold her son to paedophiles on the dark net has been jailed for 12 years and six months by a court in southern Germany. The Freiburg court also jailed her partner, the boy's stepfather, for 12 years. The boy was nine when the trial began in June. The German nationals, 48 and 39 years old, had sexually abused the boy themselves for at least two years. The dark net is an internet area beyond the reach of mainstream search engines. On Monday, the court jailed a Spanish man for 10 years for sexually abusing the boy repeatedly. Five other men have also been prosecuted in connection with the abuse. The couple were found guilty of rape, aggravated sexual assault of children, forced prostitution and distribution of child pornography. The boy is now living with foster parents. The couple must now pay €42,500 (£38,000; $49,200) in damages to the boy and to a three-year-old girl, who was also abused by them. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The defendants (L and C): Faces are not shown because of strict German privacy law What happened to the boy, who is now aged 10, shocked even experienced investigators, reports the BBC's Jenny Hill in Berlin. Prosecutors say the boy was subjected to more than 60 serious sex attacks, many of which were filmed. The case has horrified Germany, not least because the authorities - who knew that the mother's partner was a convicted paedophile - missed opportunities to rescue the boy, our correspondent says. On Tuesday the judge told the boy's mother that she had carried out one of the most brutal sexual attacks. The trial has also raised concerns that officials might sometimes wrongly presume that a woman is incapable of abusing her own child. Authorities criticised German media report that child welfare authorities in Baden-Württemberg state have been heavily criticised for failing to stop the couple's abuse. The boy had been removed from the couple temporarily by social workers, but was then handed back to them. Spiegel news website reports that welfare officers had not exchanged information about the case that could have led them to the couple's crimes. According to case psychiatrist Hartmut Pleines, quoted by Spiegel, the mother's claim that she was in thrall to her partner when she committed the abuse was false. She did not explain her actions, but her partner did speak a lot in court during the two-month trial, Spiegel reported. ||||| The couple had been prostituting their son for years on the dark corners of the internet. A German couple who sold their underage son to pedophiles on the Dark Web have been given prison sentences, The Guardian is reporting. Meanwhile, Germans are wondering how the abuse escaped the notice of authorities for so long. The 48-year-old woman and her 39-year-old partner have not been identified by name and are referred to in the media only as “Berrin T” (the woman) and “Christian L” (the man). Their faces have also been obscured in photographs from the court proceedings. The pair essentially operated a pedophile ring from their home in the city of Staufen, in the far southwestern corner of Germany, near the Swiss border. Using the so-called “Dark Web,” the pair sold the boy, now 10, to buyers who paid €10,000 (about $11,600) at a time to abuse the boy. The Dark Web, for those not familiar, is a collection of websites and other services that are largely hidden from law enforcement and is only accessible via special software. One man believed that the fee he paid entitled him to kill the boy, but he was stopped by Berrin. Judge Stefan Bürgelin said that Berrin began selling the boy on the Dark Web because she feared Christian would leave her if she didn’t. However, after a while, says the judge, the woman got used to the money and continued selling the boy for abuse. The woman threatened the boy with being sent to foster care if he said anything. In addition to selling the boy for sex online, the couple also repeatedly raped and abused the boy themselves. Additionally, according to BBC News, they abused a 3-year-old girl, although it is not clear if the girl was also sold online. Berrin T was sentenced to 12 years, while Christian L was also sentenced to 12 years, plus a “preventative detention order,” which means that he will be in prison for the rest of his life. The couple were convicted of forced prostitution, rape, sexual and physical abuse, humiliation, and bondage in almost 60 separate identified acts. The couple’s trial coincides with the trials of six other men also involved in the pedophile ring. They include a Spanish man, a Swiss citizen, and three German men; they’ve all been sentenced to between eight and 10 years. The boy is now living in foster care. Meanwhile, some Germans believe this case highlights failures in the country’s child welfare apparatus, who somehow failed to recognized signs of sexual abuse going on for years. ||||| A German mother and her partner have been sentenced to prison for selling the woman's son, now ten years old, to pedophiles on the internet in a case that has horrified the nation. (Thomas Kienzle/AFP/Getty Images) (CNN) — A German mother and her partner have been sentenced to prison for selling the woman’s son, now ten years old, to pedophiles on the internet in a case that has horrified the nation. The couple were accused of repeatedly raping and abusing the boy from May 2015, and selling him online to other men for sex since 2016, a court in southern Germany said in a statement Tuesday. The abuse was filmed, and police were alerted to the case and arrested the pair in 2017. The 48-year-old woman was sentenced Tuesday by Freiburg state court to 12-and-a-half years prison, and her 39-year-old partner sentenced to 12 years. The court ruled that after serving his sentence, the man must also remain in preventive custody. Several men, believed to be pedophile “clients” of the couple, have also been prosecuted in connection with the case. A Spanish man was also convicted. The couple also sexually abused a three-year-old girl in 2015. The girl, who had mental health issues, had on several occasions been given to the 48-year-old woman by her mother to care for her. The couple have been ordered to pay the boy 30,000 euros ($35,000) in compensation, and 12,500 euros ($14,500) to the girl. ||||| A German couple have been jailed for selling their 9-year-old son to paedophiles for sex on the dark web. The 48-year-old woman and her 39-year-old partner were also convicted of repeatedly raping the boy, now 10, and filming the abuse. They were both sentenced to 12 years in prison in a case that has horrified the country. The sickening abuse lasted for more than two years, the Freiburg state court heard this week. A 33-year-old Spanish man who was offered the boy for sex by his mother was found guilty of repeatedly raping him. The man, whose name wasn’t released for German privacy reasons, was sentenced to ten years in prison and fined €18,000 euros (£16,080). He admitted paying the woman and her partner €10,000 euros (£8,930) to rape the boy multiple times in the town of Staufen in southern Germany. Police arrested the couple last year after being tipped off by an anonymous person. Three German men and one Swiss citizen have already been convicted in separate trials. The Freiburg state court ruled that the 39-year-old man must remain in preventive custody after serving his sentence. ||||| A German woman and her partner have been convicted and sentenced to years in prison for repeatedly raping the woman’s young son and selling him for sex on the dark net. The woman was sentenced to 12 and a half years for rape, sexual abuse and forced prostitution after selling her son to pedophiles. The court Freiburg also jailed her partner, the boy’s stepfather and convicted pedophile, for 12 years along with a preventative detention order. The boy was nine years old when the trial began in June in a case that has horrified the country and raised questions about its child protection services in Germany. The shocking details of the case, the worst of its kind in German criminal history, have triggered calls for an overhaul of Germany’s child welfare facilities. Questions need answering like why there no attempt made to prevent the boy from living in the same house as a convicted pedophile. BBC reports: The German nationals, 48 and 39 years old, had sexually abused the boy themselves for at least two years. The dark net is an internet area beyond the reach of mainstream search engines. On Monday, the court jailed a Spanish man for 10 years for sexually abusing the boy repeatedly. Five other men have also been prosecuted in connection with the abuse. The couple were found guilty of rape, aggravated sexual assault of children, forced prostitution and distribution of child pornography. The boy is now living with foster parents. The couple must now pay €42,500 (£38,000; $49,200) in damages to the boy and to a three-year-old girl, who was also abused by them. What happened to the boy, who is now aged 10, shocked even experienced investigators, reports the BBC’s Jenny Hill in Berlin. Prosecutors say the boy was subjected to more than 60 serious sex attacks, many of which were filmed. The case has horrified Germany, not least because the authorities – who knew that the mother’s partner was a convicted paedophile – missed opportunities to rescue the boy, our correspondent says. On Tuesday the judge told the boy’s mother that she had carried out one of the most brutal sexual attacks. The trial has also raised concerns that officials might sometimes wrongly presume that a woman is incapable of abusing her own child. ||||| German couple jailed for repeatedly raping young son and selling him for sex (SKY NEWS) – A German mother and her partner have been jailed for repeatedly raping the woman’s young son and selling him for sex online. The woman, 48, who has been identified only as Berrin T, was sentenced to 12 years for rape, sexual abuse and forced prostitution at the Freiburg state court in southwestern Germany. Her partner, Christian L, 39, was also sentenced to 12 years. The court ruled that the man, who had a previous conviction for child abuse, must remain in preventive custody after serving his sentence. The pair were accused of repeatedly abusing and raping the boy, who is now 10, and selling him to other men on the dark net for more than two years. The couple and six others were arrested last year. Several men have already been convicted in separate trials. The couple has also been ordered to pay a total €42,500 (£38,000) in compensation to the boy and another victim, a young girl. Local authorities have been accused of failing to protect the boy, who now lives with a foster family, as the mother’s partner was supposed to be banned from having contact with children. Officials took the boy out of the family in March last year, but a local court sent him back weeks later. ||||| A woman who sold her son to paedophiles on the dark net for sex has been jailed for 12 years and six months by a court in southern Germany. The Freiburg court also jailed her partner, the boy's stepfather, for 12 years. The boy was nine when the trial began in June. Berrin T, 48, and Christian L, 39, are both German nationals, living in Staufen near Freiburg. The dark net is an internet area beyond the reach of mainstream search engines. On Monday the court jailed a Spanish man for 10 years for sexually abusing the boy repeatedly. Five other men have also been prosecuted in connection with the abuse. The couple were found guilty of rape, aggravated sexual assault of children, forced prostitution and distribution of child pornography. During the trial it emerged that the couple had sexually abused the boy themselves for at least two years. The boy is now living with foster parents. The couple must now pay €42,500 (£38,000; $49,200) in damages to the boy and to a three-year-old girl, who was also abused by them. German media report that the child welfare authorities in Baden-Württemberg state have been heavily criticised for failing to stop the couple's abuse. The boy had been removed from the couple temporarily by social workers, but had then been handed back to them. Spiegel news website reports that welfare officers had not exchanged information about the case that could have led them to the couple's crimes. ||||| Christian L, one half of the couple accused in the case, is led away by justice officers at his trial in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, on June 11. Getty Images pixelated the photo for legal reasons. Thomas Lohnes/Getty
• A German couple was jailed for raping the woman's son, and selling him to pedophiles for a two-year period on the dark net.
• They were found guilty of charges including rape and forced prostitution of the boy on Wednesday.
• Abuse of the boy was filmed, with footage showing him tied up and verbally abused.
• Several other men have been convicted in separate trials for sexually abusing the boy.
• The boy, now 10, was nine years old when the trial began earlier this year. Warning: This post contains disturbing and graphic details. A woman and her boyfriend have been convicted for the repeated rape of the woman's young son and for selling him for sex over the internet. The German couple was accused of allowing multiple men they found on the dark net to rape and abuse the boy in exchange for thousands of euros over the period of two years, Deutsche Welle reported . The dark net is an anonymous part of the internet that cannot be found with mainstream search engines. They were also charged with more than 60 acts done toward the boy, which included extreme humiliation, physical bondage and rape. Some of the abuse was filmed, with footage showing the boy tied up and verbally abused. A court in Freiburg, southwest Germany, found the pair guilty of rape, aggravated sexual assault of children, forced prostitution, and distribution of child pornography on Tuesday. The boy, now 10, was nine years old when the trial began in June. Defendants Berrin T, far left, and Christian L, far right, six with their lawyers in court on August 7. Pixelation done by Getty in accordance with court orders. Ronald Wittek - Pool/Getty The boy's mother, identified as 48-year-old Berrin T, was jailed for 12 years and six months, while her partner, 39-year-old Christian L, was jailed for 12 years. German media typically refrains from revealing full names of people involved in ongoing criminal cases. They were also ordered to pay €42,500 ($49,100) in compensation to the boy and another victim, a young girl. The pair confessed to abusing the boy themselves as well as selling him to men online, Deutsche Welle said. Christian told the court in June, when the trial started, that the boy's mother was the "driving force" behind the crimes, according to German news agency DPA. He denied the accusation that he had put pressure on his partner to allow her son to be raped. Christian also has a previous conviction for child abuse, and must remain in preventative custody after his sentence. Inside the courtroom that jailed the couple on Tuesday. Patrick Seeger/dpa via AP The couple was arrested last year alongside six others. Several other men have been convicted in separate trials, including a 33-year-old Spanish man who was jailed on Monday for repeatedly sexually abusing the boy after he faced trial in the same court, the Associated Press reported. Officials removed the boy from the family in March 2017, but a local court sent him back weeks later, even though the mother was supposed to be prevented from having contact with children. The boy is now living with foster parents. ||||| BERLIN – A German mother and her partner were convicted and jailed Tuesday for repeatedly raping the woman’s young son and selling him to pedophiles on the internet, abusing him for more than two years in a case that has horrified the country. The Freiburg state court in southwestern Germany convicted the couple of serious sexual abuse of children, 21 counts in his case and 19 in hers. They also were convicted of rape, human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, forced prostitution and producing child pornography, among other offences. READ MORE: Sacha Baron Cohen gives fake ‘pedophile detector’ test to Roy Moore The 48-year-old woman, who has been identified only as Berrin T. in line with German privacy rules, was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison. Her partner, Christian L., was sentenced to 12 years. The court ruled that the man, who had a previous conviction for child sex offences, must remain in preventive custody after serving his sentence. The pair were convicted of repeatedly abusing and raping the boy, now 10, and selling him to men on the darknet, an area of the internet that can be visited only by using special software. Some of the abuse was filmed. The pair and six others were arrested last September. Several men have already been convicted in separate trials. READ MORE: 750 cases of sexual abuse in schools, says Canadian Centre for Child Protection The court said the pair met at a food bank in Staufen, near Freiburg, in late 2014. It said the mother was aware from the start of the man’s pedophile tendencies and previous conviction. In the following months, the court said, the woman organized assaults on a 2-year-old girl she occasionally looked after. In May 2015, the couple started abusing the woman’s son, with the man at first offering the child cash. The couple allowed four other men to sexually abuse the boy – among them a German soldier, a Swiss man and a Spaniard who admitted paying the couple 10,000 euros ($11,560) to rape the boy multiple times and was convicted in a separate trial Monday. The mother was often near the scene of the abuse by other men “to exert a calming influence on her child,” and in the case of one client participated herself, the court said. The verdict was based on confessions by the pair and the videos of the abuse. In Tuesday’s verdict, the couple was ordered to pay a total 30,000 euros (US$34,650) in compensation to the boy and 12,500 euros to the girl they abused previously. Local authorities have been accused of failing to protect the boy, who now lives with a foster family. Officials took the boy away from his mother in March last year following vague indications from police that he might be at risk, but a local court sent him back weeks later on condition that she not allow any contact between the child and her partner. Police started investigating after receiving an anonymous tip in 2017. ||||| BERLIN -- A German mother and her partner were convicted Tuesday over the repeated rape of the woman's young son and for selling him for sex on the internet. They were sentenced to prison in a case that has horrified the country. News agency dpa reported that the Freiburg state court in southwestern Germany sentenced the woman, who has been identified only as Berrin T. in line with German privacy rules, to 12½ years in prison for rape, sexual abuse and forced prostitution. Her partner, Christian L., was sentenced to 12 years. The court ruled that the man, who had a previous conviction for child abuse, must remain in preventive custody after serving his sentence. The 48-year-old woman and 39-year-old man were accused of repeatedly abusing and raping the boy, now 10, and selling him to other men on the darknet, an area of the internet that can be visited only by using special software, for more than two years. The abuse was filmed. The pair and six others were arrested last fall. Several men have already been convicted in separate trials. In Tuesday's verdict, the couple was ordered to pay a total 42,500 euros ($49,100) in compensation to the boy and another victim, a young girl. Local authorities have been accused of failing to protect the boy, who now lives with a foster family. The mother's partner was supposed to be banned from having contact with children. Officials took the boy out of the family in March last year, but a local court sent him back weeks later.
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A German couple is jailed for twelve years each for selling the woman's son to a Spanish pedophile on the dark web, who repeatedly abused him. The couple themselves previously abused the boy and a three-year-old girl, whom they are ordered to pay €42,500 in compensation. The Spaniard is sentenced to ten years.
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