Page 144 - War Conflict
Julian Assange: Transparency icon or enemy of the state?
A heroic campaigner for openness, or an enemy of the US state trying to avoid justice: after a decade in the limelight, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange remains a polarising figure. The 47-year-old Australian was on Thursday arrested by British police at Ecuador's embassy in London, his home since 2012, after it withdrew his asylum status. Assange lived in a small apartment in the embassy where he sought refuge while facing investigation for sexual assault and rape in Sweden, claims which were later dropped. He denied the allegations, saying they were politically motivated and expressing fears of a plot to ultimately extradite him to the United States. At the time, he was famous as the frontman of WikiLeaks as the whistleblowing website exposed government secrets worldwide. He was applauded by transparency and anti-war campaigners for revealing the death of civilians, torture and clandestine military operations with the release of 500,000 US documents on the Iraq and Afghan wars. But .
41.73 % voting till 3 pm in Bihar first phase
Around 41.73 per cent votes were cast by 3 pm in the four Lok Sabha seats in Bihar where polling is on in the first phase on Thursday. As per the poll percentage figure released by the Bihar chief electoral officer, Gaya recorded the highest turnout at 44 per cent, followed by Nawada at 43 per cent, Jamui at 41.34 per cent and Aurangabad at 38.50 per cent. The voting percentage for Nawada assembly bypoll, which was also held during the day was 43 per cent. There were few incidents of poll boycott at Jamui and Nawada constituencies and police recovered three bombs, including a cane bomb from a polling station in Aurangabad. The voting began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm. Out of 24 assembly constituencies spread in four Lok Sabha constituencies where polls are being held, 15 will have voting till 4 pm as they are considered "sensitive" in view of them being naxal affected area. The sensitive assembly segments are Kutumba, Rafiganj, Gurua, Imamganj and Tekari (of Aurangabad ...
Protesters storm security buildings in east Sudan: Witnesses
Sudanese protesters Thursday stormed buildings of the powerful intelligence services in two eastern cities after officers refused to release political prisoners, witnesses said. The official SUNA news agency had announced that the National Intelligence and Security Service was releasing all political detainees across the country. But protesters in the eastern cities of Kasala and Port Sudan took matters into their own hands when the releases failed to materialise. "Protesters stormed the building and looted all the equipment that was there," a witness from Kasala told AFP by telephone.
Sudan protesters storm eastern security building: Witnesses
Sudanese protesters Thursday stormed a building of the powerful intelligence services in the eastern town of Kasala after the officers refused to release the detainees there, witnesses said. "Protesters stormed the building and looted all the equipment that was there," a witness from Kasala told AFP by telephone. It came the official SUNA news agency said all political detainees across the country were being freed.
Voting for party of 'naamdars' will be a sin: Modi
In a scathing attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that it will be a "sin" to vote for the party of "naamdars" (dynasts), which was contesting polls by looting money meant for the poor.
UN chief urges ceasefire to avert 'bloody battle' for Tripoli
The UN chief warned Libya is on the brink of "a very dangerous situation" as forces loyal to the internationally recognised government and a rival strongman battle for control of the capital. Thousands of people have fled heavy fighting on the outskirts of Tripoli that has left dozens dead and prompted mounting global alarm. UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday appealed for a halt to hostilities to prevent the situation spiralling out of control. "It's still time to stop," he told reporters after briefing the UN Security Council in a closed session in New York. "It's still time for a ceasefire to take place, for a cessation of hostilities to take place, and to avoid the worst, which would be a dramatic, bloody battle for Tripoli." Nearly a week of fighting on the city's doorstep has already killed 56 people and wounded 266, the World Health Organization said. "Thousands of people have fled their homes, while others are trapped in conflict areas. Hospitals inside and outside ...
Afghan official says Taliban attack kills 7 policemen
An Afghan official says a Taliban attack on a security outpost has killed seven policemen in central Ghazni province. Arif Noor, the provincial governor's spokesman, said the hours-long gunbattle also wounded two policemen early Thursday morning in Waghaz district. A Taliban spokesman later claimed responsibility for the attack. In a separate incident, at least 15 policemen have surrendered to the Taliban in the northwestern province of Badghis, according to provincial council member Mohammad Naser Nazari. Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces come under near daily attacks by Taliban. The insurgents have continued their onslaught against the country's security forces while at the same time continuing peace talks with the U.S. The first round of intra-Afghan dialogue that will also include the Afghan government is set to take place later this month.
UN urges government action over Boko Haram displaced
Up to 10,000 civilians have been forcibly relocated because of a military operation against Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria, the UN said on Thursday, calling for better protection. At least 2,000 people were initially said to have been moved the 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Jakana to the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, on Tuesday. But the UN said five times as many were forced to flee. "The military ordered the immediate departure and forced the relocation of up to 10,000 civilians in the middle of the night, without prior warning," it said in a statement. "The entire town of Jakana was emptied, and people were forced to move to Maiduguri with very little time to collect personal belongings," added UN humanitarian coordinator Edward Kallon. "Some people said they arrived in Maiduguri with nothing, not even with shoes on their feet." The jihadists have in the last few weeks been hit by intensive air and ground offensives from coalition forces involving Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon ...
Report: Myanmar rebels kidnap civilians from police base
Myanmar state media report three people were killed and seven civilians abducted in an attack on a police installation that authorities blame on the Arakan Army rebel group. A report in the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper says about 200 insurgents, who claim to represent the Rakhine ethnic minority in the western state of Rakhine, attacked a security police headquarters in Mrauk-U town on Tuesday night. Rakhine is best known for a brutal counterinsurgency campaign by the military against the Muslim Rohingya minority, which caused more than 700,000 to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. Thursday's report says the attackers abducted four women and three children and that one officer's family member was killed, while two policemen died and seven were reported missing.
US warship cruises disputed sea in Philippine war games
A US warship laden with hi-tech fighter planes took centre stage at key war games in the Philippines Thursday, brandishing military might as fresh tensions bubble in the contentious South China Sea. The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, with at least 10 F-35B stealth jets on deck, stood guard as amphibious tanks rolled onto a Philippine beach located a short sail from islands also claimed by China. The vessel was in the area for long-running US-Philippine military drills, which come as Manila pushes back against the recent presence of hundreds of Chinese ships near its Pag-asa (Thitu) island. "We can't disclose the official movements of the USS Wasp for security reasons, but they have been operating in the South China Sea region... as part of the exercise," US spokeswoman Second Lieutenant Tori Sharpe told reporters. President Rodrigo Duterte had largely set aside the once-tense dispute over China's expansive claims to the resource-rich waterway, but told Beijing last week to back off
Angelina Jolie says women must be included in Afghan talks
American actor and United Nations special envoy Angelina Jolie has called for women to have a central role in ongoing Afghanistan peace talks, warning their exclusion would hamper any chance of lasting stability. Women negotiators must be included in "significant" numbers in talks with the Taliban, the Islamist extremists that came to power in the 1990s and crushed women's rights, Jolie said in an opinion column published in TIME magazine Wednesday. "Afghan women must be able to speak for themselves," Jolie wrote. "This means including female negotiators in significant numbers as part of any Afghan government delegation and ensuring formal participation for women's groups representing civil society." The US has held several rounds of talks with the Taliban in a bid to bring an end to the war against the insurgents that started in late 2001. Separately, Afghan politicians also have met with the Taliban in Moscow. The talks to date have faced fierce criticism for their lack of female ...
Mock security drill at RBI HQ sends onlookers in a tizzy
Security agencies Thursday carried out a mock drill at the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) headquarters here, which involved a helicopter hovering over the 25-storey building in south Mumbai. A video shot from the street below shows a helicopter coming over the RBI building's terrace and a few security men slithering down. As part of the mock drill, the security establishment created a "hostage situation" where people had to be evacuated from a particular floor in the RBI building, sources said. The entire operation, involving multiple agencies, was planned to the last detail, they said. There are various kinds of security and fire drills that are conducted on a regular basis and this was a specific one which involved the use of helicopters. It can be recalled that during the November 2008 terror attacks, commandos from the National Security Guard (NSG) had slithered down on the Chhabad House, one of the three sites of attack, and neutralised the terrorists holed in. As ...
Opposition spreading fear about reservation: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the opposition parties of spreading "fear and lies" that if he returns to power reservations will be tempered with.
8 policemen among 15 killed in Afghan clash
Eight policemen and seven militants were killed in a fighting in Afghanistan's Kunduz province on Thursday, officials said.
New Zealand's new gun laws get final assent to take effect
New Zealand's governor general on Thursday formally signed into effect sweeping gun laws outlawing military style weapons, less than a month after a man used such guns to kill 50 people and wound dozens at two mosques in Christchurch. Governor General Patsy Reddy signed the bill as police said a gun buyback program will be announced to collect the now-banned weapons. The weapons will be illegal starting at midnight, but police said a brief amnesty program will be in effect until details of the buyback are announced. "For people who find themselves now in possession of a prohibited firearm, we ask you to please notify us," Police Deputy Commissioner Michael Clement said. "The collection of firearms will occur at a later stage. " He added that "for now, there is an amnesty in place and we ask people to please notify us," he added. Anyone who retains such a weapon now faces a penalty of up to five years in prison. Exemptions allow heirloom weapons held by collectors or weapons used for ..
Sudan army to make 'important' announcement after weeks of protests
The Sudanese army was Thursday planning to make "an important announcement", state media said, after weeks of protests against longtime leader President Omar al-Bashir. "The Sudanese army will issue an important statement soon. Wait for it," a television anchor said, without giving further details. The protests, which erupted in December, have become the biggest challenge yet to Bashir's three decades of iron-fisted rule. Thursday marked the sixth day of a defiant sit-in outside the military's headquarters, which also houses Bashir's official residence and the defence ministry. Crowds of demonstrators have spent five nights thronging the sprawling complex, singing and dancing to the tunes of revolutionary songs. Several military vehicles carrying troops entered the army compound in the early hours of Thursday, witnesses said. And witnesses said many army vehicles carrying troops were deploying in the centre of Khartoum early Thursday. "People are coming in droves," said an onlooker at
Sudan army to make an 'important statement soon': state media
The Sudanese army will make an "important statement soon," state television and radio announced Thursday, as thousands of protesters camped outside the military headquarters in Khartoum demanding the resignation of President Omar al-Bashir. "The Sudanese army will issue an important statement soon. Wait for it," a television anchor said. State media offered no further details, as the rally outside the army complex entered its sixth day. Several military vehicles carrying troops entered the army compound in the early hours of Thursday, witnesses told AFP. The compound also houses Bashir's official residence and the defence ministry.
C'garh: Amid polling, Naxals trigger IED blast; none hurt
Naxals triggered an IED blast on Thursday morning in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district in Bastar Lok Sabha constituency where voting is underway, a senior police official said. No casualty was reported in the incident, he said. Narayanpur comes under the Bastar Lok Sabha seat. "The explosion took place around 4.15 am in Farasgaon area on Narayanpur-Dandwan road when a team of security men was escorting polling personnel to their booth," the official said. Naxals had planted the explosive underground and were waiting for the security forces to arrive. "However, when the rebels realised that security personnel had changed their route and were zeroing-in on them through a forest, they triggered the IED (improvised explosive device) blast in panic and fled the spot," he said. "No harm was caused to the security and polling personnel in the explosion," he added. A thick security blanket, comprising around 80,000 state and paramilitary personnel, was thrown across the Bastar Lok Sabha ...
10% polling in one hour in Uttarakhand
Nearly 10 per cent of 78.56 lakh voters cast their votes in the first hour as voting began on Thursday for five seats from Uttarakhand in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, a poll officer said.
Polling begins in Uttarakhand
Polling began in Uttarakhand on Thursday to elect five members of the Lok Sabha in the first phase of the general election 2019.