Page 24 - War Conflict
Damaged tankers reach safe waters after Gulf attacks
Two damaged tankers arrived safely Sunday to locations off the Emirati coast after they were rocked by explosions in Gulf waters, in an incident Saudi Arabia blamed on its regional arch-rival Iran. The Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous was carrying highly flammable methanol through the Gulf of Oman on Thursday when it came under attack along with the Norwegian-operated Front Altair -- the second assault in a month in the strategic shipping lane. US President Donald Trump has said the operation had Iran "written all over it" -- rejecting Tehran's vehement denial -- and its key Gulf ally Saudi Arabia has also lashed out against Tehran. In his first public comments since the attacks, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in remarks published Sunday that he would not hesitate to tackle any threats to the oil-rich kingdom. "We do not want a war in the region... But we won't hesitate to deal with any threat to our people, our sovereignty, our territorial integrity and our vital ...
Guj govt to recruit over 10,000 police personnel: Minister
The Gujarat government will recruit over 10,000 police personnel in the state, a minister said on Sunday. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has cleared a proposal to this effect, Gujarat Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja said. He was speaking after reviewing the passing-out-parade of the Lokrakshak Dal jawans at the Police Training School here. "About 50,000 police personnel were recruited in the state over the last 10 years. But the Gujarat police department requires more personnel and CM Vijay Rupani has given his consent to a proposal for recruitment of over10,000 personnel," Jadeja said. According to the minister, the efficiency and functioning of the state police department has gone up in the past several years due to the induction of educated personnel. "Efforts are being made for accurate investigations and increasing rate of detection of crimes in the state, for which the police training schools are being equipped with modern weaponry and latest ...
JK Police smashes 'governance infrastructure' of militants inside jails
The Jammu and Kashmir Police has busted 'Shuara-e-Zindan' (supreme council for jail), a term used by militants for governance inside prisons, and restored the prison manual completely, officials said here. After the escape of Naveed Jhatt, a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, last February, the Jammu and Kashmir prison department under the leadership of Dilbagh Singh took a series of measures to sanitise prisons, including shifting all hardcore terrorists from the Srinagar Central Jail. "A complete analysis of the prisoners was carried out and the message was loud and clear that the hold of terrorists inside the prison needs to be broken and rule of law needs to be implemented," says Singh, who recently relinquished the post of Director General of Prisons, said. However, he did not elaborate further on the measures carried out and said "we have only ensured that hardened terrorists and separatists are segregated from those who are first-timers and have a scope of improvement." However, the ...
NIA search operation in Madurai for IS sympathisers
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team carried out searches in Tamil Nadu's Madurai on Sunday following information about suspected IS supporters, officials said.
Massive demonstration chokes Hong Kong as extradition anger boils
Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in central Hong Kong Sunday against a reviled extradition law, the latest huge demonstration to pile pressure on the city's embattled leader, despite her weekend climbdown. The enormous show of force saw protesters chanting "Scrap the evil law!" as they marched through the streets calling for the resignation of chief executive Carrie Lam, who paused work on the hugely divisive bill Saturday after days of mounting pressure, saying she had misjudged the public mood. Throngs of black-clad protesters snaked their way through the city's streets in dense crowds heading to the city's parliament -- a repeat of a record-breaking demonstration a week earlier that organisers said more than a million people attended. Critics fear the Beijing-backed law will entangle people in China's notoriously opaque and politicised courts and damage the city's reputation as a safe business hub. Although Lam, a pro-Beijing appointee, offered a rare concession on Saturday,
UN praises Indian peacekeepers in S Sudan for humanitarian aid, critical work
Indian peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan have been commended by the world body and local communities for their vital help in repairing roads and providing solar lamps to a hospital. Indian military engineers serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), along with peacekeepers from Bangladesh, China, Thailand and South Korea repaired over 2500 kilometers of roads to support economic growth in conflict-affected country, efforts that will go a long way in helping build a peaceful and prosperous future for the African country. The peacekeepers spent six months working intensively levelling and grading roads as well as repairing supporting infrastructure, such as culverts and bridges. They have focused on major routes from Juba to Bentiu (940km), Juba-Bor-Pibor (400km) and Malakal (200km), UNMISS said in a statement. "I would like to thank the countries that have sent their engineers to serve the people of South Sudan. Their efforts are improving people's ...
Mass protest staged in HK over extradition bill
A mass protest was staged in Hong Kong on Sunday calling for the complete withdrawal of the government's extradition bill and the resignation of Chief Executive Carrie Lam, a day after she announced the suspension of the controversial legislation.
Huge Hong Kong rally kicks off as public anger boils
Tens of thousands of people rallied in central Hong Kong on Sunday as public anger seethed following unprecedented clashes between protesters and police over an extradition law, despite a climbdown by the city's embattled leader. Protesters chanted "Scrap the evil law!" as they marched through the streets to pile more pressure on chief executive Carrie Lam, who paused work on the hugely divisive bill Saturday after days of mounting pressure, saying she had misjudged the public mood. Crowds of black-clad protesters were marching from a park on the main island to the city's parliament -- a repeat of a massive demonstration a week earlier that organisers said more than a million people attended. Critics fear the Beijing-backed law will tangle-up people in China's notoriously opaque and politicised courts and damage the city's reputation as a safe business hub. "Carrie Lam's response is very insincere. Knowing that the government won't withdraw the bill, I decided to come out today," said
Huge Hong Kong rally kicks off as public anger boils
Tens of thousands of people rallied in central Hong Kong on Sunday as public anger seethed following unprecedented clashes between protesters and police over an extradition law, despite a climbdown by the city's embattled leader. Protesters chanted "Scrap the evil law!" as they marched through the streets to pile more pressure on chief executive Carrie Lam, who paused work on the hugely divisive bill Saturday after days of mounting pressure, saying she had misjudged the public mood. Crowds of black-clad protesters were marching from a park on the main island to the city's parliament -- a repeat of a massive demonstration a week earlier that organisers said more than a million people attended. Critics fear the Beijing-backed law will tangle-up people in China's notoriously opaque and politicised courts and damage the city's reputation as a safe business hub. "Carrie Lam's response is very insincere. Knowing that the government won't withdraw the bill, I decided to come out today," said
7th round of US-Taliban peace talks next week in Doha
The seventh round of peace talks between US negotiators and Taliban members will take place next week in Doha, sources said, adding that this time, the two sides are likely to agree on one or two of the four key issues under debate, the media reported.
High alert in J&K after Pak inputs on probable terror attack
An intelligence input about a major terror strike in Kashmir, reportedly shared by Pakistan, has prompted a high alert in the valley, a top security official said here on Sunday.
Armies of India, Myanmar target NE militants in coordinated operation
The armies of India and Myanmar carried out a three-week-long coordinated operation from May 16 in their respective border areas, targeting several militant groups operating in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam, defence sources said on Sunday. The first phase of "Operation Sunrise" was conducted three months ago along the Indo-Myanmar border, during which a number of camps of north-east-based militant groups were busted. Myanmar is one of the strategic neighbours of India and shares a 1,640-km border with a number of north-eastern states, including the militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur. India has been pushing for a deeper coordination between the armies of the two countries while guarding the border. Sources said during "Operation Sunrise 2", the armies coordinated with each other to bust camps of militant outfits, including the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), the NSCN (Khaplang), the United Liberation Front of Assam (I) and the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB). They ...
4 injured in clash between two groups in UP village
Four men were injured in a clash between two groups of people over a dispute at Udpur village within the Jhinjhana police station limits in Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Sunday. The incident occurred on Saturday, when two persons -- identified as Shehzad and Shahid -- got into an argument over marking the boundary lines of their respective fields, the police said. Others joined the melee soon after and the verbal confrontation turned into a violent clash, in which lathis and sharp weapons were used, they added. Four persons -- Shehzad, Arif, Sharik and Shahnawaz -- were injured in the clash and shifted to a hospital, the police said, adding that a case was lodged in connection with the incident.
10 killed, several injured in Mogadishu car bombings
At least 10 people were killed and 26 others injured in two car bomb blasts in the Somali capital Mogadishu, police said.
8 killed in Somalia's car bombings
At least eight people were killed and 16 others suffered injuries after twin car bombings rattled Somalia's capital, Mogadishu on Saturday.According to Al Jazeera, the first bomb targeted a checkpoint near the presidential palace and second went off at a checkpoint on the road to the airport. While the first bombing killed eight, second did not cause any casualty.Terror group al Sahab took the responsibility of the attack.Al-Shabab, which often targets the capital, said the blasts were meant to strike the first line of security checkpoints for the airport and palace.Al-Sahab, which controlled large rural area of the country, is fighting the Somalian government since 2007.The terrorist group is responsible for a string of attacks in Somalia which have claimed the lives of scores of people. Al-Shabab was responsible for the horrific truck bombing in Mogadishu in October 2017 that killed more than 500 people.
Sudan toppled Prez to appear in court soon
Sudan's toppled President Omar al-Bashir is expected to appear in court next week to face charges of corruption, announced acting prosecutor general on Sunday."The former president will appear in court next week following charges of corruption and possessing foreign currency," Al Jazeera quoted Al Waleed Sayed Ahmed as saying.After months of mass protest, the military overthrew and arrested al-Bashir. He was charged for inciting and participating in the killing of demonstrators.Prosecutors had also ordered his interrogation on suspicion of money laundering and financing terrorism.After Bashir's departure, the army formed Transition Military Council (TMC) to transfer power to a civilian government.People, however, are still on streets protesting against the army.In the aftermath of the military crackdown, a 'civil disobedience' movement was called by the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) to demand the civilian rule in the country.Sudanese doctors have claimed that more than 118 .
Vietnam border guard opens fire on colleagues before commiting suicide
A Vietnamese border guard open fire and injured three people at his patrol station before killing himself on Saturday, state media reported in the communist country where gun violence is extremely rare. Civilians are banned from owning guns in Vietnam, a one-party state where a vast police force and soldiers are among the few officials with access to weapons. On Saturday, a border guard in southern Long An province near Cambodia opened fire at his post injuring two colleagues and a local resident, according to the official Vietnam News Agency. The shooter holed himself up at the post in Binh Hiep commune before committing suicide, VNA said, identifying him as second lieutenant Ta Quang Dat. "Dat had shown recent signs of psychological disorder and he just returned from treatment," VNA reported. Some unverified media reports said one of the injured victims later died in hospital. Roads were blocked around the crime scene and local residents were evacuated from the area. A local ...
Diplomats: Europeans weigh sanctions on Venezuela's Maduro
The Associated Press has learned that major European nations are considering imposing sanctions on Venezuela's Nicols Maduro and several top officials for their recent crackdown on political opponents. Diplomats and members of the Venezuelan opposition said the sanctions being mulled may also target top members of the armed forces and judiciary who have been instrumental in the arrest of allies of opposition leader Juan Guaid. But the main obstacle to the plan is fear that it could derail ongoing international efforts to find a negotiated exit to the country's crisis. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss deliberations. Envoys sent by Maduro and Guaid have participated in two rounds of mediation efforts by Norway, but talks have slowed.
11 killed, 25 hurt as explosions rock Somalia's capital
A pair of explosions rocked Somalia's capital and left 11 people dead, the country's police chief said Saturday, as the al-Qaida-linked extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility. Another 25 people were wounded, Gen Bashir Abdi Mohamed told reporters in Mogadishu. He said the first car bomb went off near a security checkpoint for the presidential palace and was responsible for nine deaths. The second car bomb killed the driver and his accomplice near a checkpoint on the road to the heavily fortified airport, he said. Al-Shabab, which often targets the capital, said the blasts were meant to strike the first line of security checkpoints for the airport and palace. The airport is home to a number of diplomatic offices. The palace is a frequent al-Shabab target. "I was at a short distance from the blast and I saw several people dead including two women, a passenger and two men, some of whom were elderly," witness Hussein Mohamed told the AP. "This is really very terrible." ...
TN police official tries to disperse mob, attacked
District Superintendent of Police V Baskaran was injured after a crowd threw stones him when he tried to hold peace talks and disperse them at a nearby village, police said Saturday. Baskaran suffered injuries near his eye and head and has been hospitalised, they said. Trouble began when a group people of Saruthupatti village blocked traffic on the highway here last night, demanding action against men belonging to Lakshmipuram for allegedly assaulting a man hailing from their area. When the district police chief arrived at the spot to hold peace talks and disperse the crowd, unidentified men hurled stones at him and personnel of the striking force. While Bhaskaran was injured near his eye and head, a couple of other personnel sustained similar injuries and were rushed to the medical college hospital here. The SP was shifted early today to Madurai and is now being treated at a private eye hospital, police said. Tension between the people of Saruthupatti and Lakshmipuram, ..