Page 308 - War Conflict
Sudan: 8 killed in agitation over bread, fuel price hike
Agitation resulting from soaring prices of bread and fuel claimed the lives of eight people across Sudan, local media reported on Thursday (local time).Emergency was imposed in the city of Gadarif, where six people were reportedly killed in clashes with the police. Furthermore, in Atbara city in eastern Sudan, two protesters died after police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the mob.A curfew was also imposed in the national capital after demonstrators reportedly burnt the headquarters of the National Congress Party (NCP) of Sudan and called for President Omar al-Bashir's ouster, Al Jazeera reported.However, a spokesperson from the government told Sudan News Agency that authorities did not resort to any kind of 'repression or opposition' of agitators.The Sudanese government, earlier this week, had increased the price of bread from one ($0.02) to three Sudanese pounds ($0.063). Moreover, prices of fuel were reportedly doubled, which led to widespread agitation.
US considering reduction of troops in Afghanistan
The Donald Trump-led US administration is considering a substantial reduction of US troops in Afghanistan, the media reported.
Decision made for 'significant' troop withdrawal from Afghanistan: US official
President Donald Trump has decided to pull a significant number of troops from Afghanistan, a US official has told AFP, a day after he announced a withdrawal from Syria. "That decision has been made. There will be a significant withdrawal," the official told AFP on Thursday on condition of anonymity. Currently, the United States has about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan working either with a NATO mission to support Afghan forces or in separate counter-terrorism operations. Trump made his decision Tuesday, the same time he told the Pentagon he wanted to pull all US forces out of Syria. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis quit earlier Thursday, saying his views were no longer reconcilable with Trump's. The president's twin foreign policy decisions on Syria and Afghanistan are nothing less than epic, and could begin to unspool a series of cascading and unpredictable events across the Middle East and in Afghanistan. Mattis and other top military advisors last year persuaded Trump to commit ...
N Korea to denuclearise after US eliminates 'nuclear threat'
North Korea will not give up nuclear weapons until the United States eliminates its own "nuclear threat."CNN cited North Korean state-owned news agency KCNA which published a commentary stating, "The proper definition of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is completely eliminating the American nuclear threat to North Korea before eliminating our nuclear capability."The two nations have been in a deadlock over the negotiation of the denuclearisation of Korean peninsula.The piece published in KCNA also hinted at a possible hindrance in the talks which is the US military assets based in South Korea and the protection of South Korea under the US nuclear umbrella.During the first-ever summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump at Singapore in June, the two leaders had agreed to work towards the denuclearisation of the communist country.However, negotiations have gone off track since then owing to Pyongyang's apparent continuation of nuclear tests, ...
Palestinian man killed by Israeli army fire
A Palestinian man in the West Bank was killed by Israeli army fire late Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry said. An Israeli army spokesman confirmed to AFP that "soldiers opened fire in the direction of a vehicle which was attempting to break through a military barrier in the Ramallah region, killing one of the occupants". Earlier the army reported another incident in the same area in which Palestinian gunmen opened fire towards a bus station, without causing any injuries. The two incidents took place in the north of Ramallah where Palestinians attacks on December 9 and December 13 left three people dead - two Israeli soldiers and a baby born prematurely after its mother was badly injured. Israeli forces are hunting for those behind the earlier attacks, which shattered months of relative calm in the West Bank.
Security reinforced at airports in western Germany: police
Security was reinforced at several airports in western Germany, police said, amid some unconfirmed media reports of a terrorist threat. Heavily armed police were patrolling late Thursday in several airports, including Stuttgart, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Friedrichshafen, and Mannheim, according to a federal police spokesman. The reinforced presence of police will remain in place until further notice, the spokesman added. At the same time there has been no disruption to flights, a spokeswoman for the airports said. Some German media have speculated as an explanation for the beefed-up security the spotting of four men, including a radical Islamist, allegedly suspected of planning an attack, which police did not confirm. Several days ago, the men were filmed by a surveillance camera at Stuttgart airport, the daily Tagesspiegel reported. They remained near the metal detectors without taking a flight and without baggage. And Suedwestrundfunk, a media group in western Germany, reported that ..
Eight killed in Sudan bread price protests
Eight demonstrators have been killed in eastern Sudan, officials said, during clashes with riot police on the second day of protests over the rising price of bread. A government decision to raise the price of bread this week from one Sudanese pound to three (from about two to six US cents) sparked protests across the country on Wednesday. The protests spread on Thursday to the Sudanese capital Khartoum, where riot police fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators near the presidential palace, witnesses said. "Six were killed and a number of people were wounded" in the eastern city of Al-Qadarif, Al-Tayeb al-Amine Tah told local broadcaster Sudania 24, without providing further details. The toll included a university student whose death during demonstrations in Al-Qadarif had been reported earlier in the day. "The situation in Al-Qadarif is out of control and the student Moayed Ahmad Mahmoud was killed," said Mubarak al-Nur, a lawmaker in the city 550 kilometres (340 miles) from ...
Israel to begin destroying Hezbollah tunnels Thursday: army
The Israeli army will begin destroying Hezbollah tunnels on Thursday night, a military spokesman said, more than two weeks after announcing their discovery on the border with Lebanon. "Tonight we will begin to neutralise and destroy the tunnels," said Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus. Since launching an operation to cut off the tunnels on December 4, the army says it has located four underground passageways infiltrating Israeli territory. It issued a warning to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group with which Israel fought a devastating war in 2006. "We have at our disposal infantry units, armoured units, stand-by aviation, naval units, all synchronised with clear orders and ready for a wide range of scenarios," said Conricus. The deployment was a "message to Hezbollah signifying that we will not tolerate any approach or attempt to interfere in our efforts to destroy these cross-border attack tunnels," he said.
US hopes for 2nd Kim-Trump summit in early 2019
Amid the apparent standstill in denuclearisation talks between North Korea and the United States, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday expressed hope that a second meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would take place early in the first half of 2019."We are hopeful that in the new year, President Trump and Chairman Kim will get together not too long after the first of the year and make even further progress on taking this threat to the United States away from us," Pompeo said in an interview with KNSS Radio.Pompeo, who has travelled to the secretive communist country four times for a breakthrough in accomplishing the dismantling of North Korea's nuclear weapon programme, asserted that the situation "undoubtedly" improved and no more missiles were being tested."No more missiles being tested, no more nuclear testing. We're in a better place today," he remarked.Last week, Trump said that the US is in "no hurry" to reach negotiations with North .
Army commander visits LoC in Poonch and Jammu districts
Lt General Ranbir Singh, the Northern Army Commander, on Tuesday advised troops deployed on forwards positions on the Line of Control to ensure safety of people living along the border during ceasefire violation by Pakistan and also effectively prevent infiltration by terrorists.
Pakistan notifies Revised Control Lists under Export Control Act
Pakistan has notified a revised list of goods, technologies, material, and equipment related to nuclear and biological weapons in a pursuit to control exports under the Export Control Act of 2004.The Act enables the government to control export, re-export, trans-shipment, and transit of goods, technologies, material and equipment related to nuclear and biological weapons and their delivery systems.As part of the regular review process, the Strategic Export Control Division (SECDIV) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revised and updated the Control Lists, in consultation with other relevant Ministries and Departments, an official statement issued on Thursday said.The revised Control Lists have been notified vide Gazette of Pakistan S.R.O. 891(I)/2018, dated July 5, 2018. It may be mentioned that the lists were originally notified in 2005 and subsequently revised in 2011, 2015 and 2016.The revised Control Lists are harmonised with the standards and lists of international export ...
LeT terrorist nabbed from J-K's Ganderbal
Police Thursday arrested a Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist, who was close associate of slain Pakistani ultra Naveed Jhutt, from Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir. "Based on credible input, a joint team of Srinagar and Ganderbal Police arrested an active terrorist of LeT from Kangan area of Ganderbal," a police spokesman said. The terrorist has been identified as Zubair Shabir Bhat, a resident of Malpora in Qazigund area of Anantnag District. Bhat was a close associate of slain terrorist commander Naveed Jhutt alias Hanzalla and Umar Rashid Wani alias Abu Haadi, the spokesman said. The ultra was wanted by law for his complicity in a series of terror crimes including several conspiracies of weapon snatching and threatening of panchayat and ULB candidates in Anantnag and Kulgam districts recently, the spokesman said. Bhat was also involved in planning attacks on the security establishments in the area including attacks on local police personnel deployed for duties inside the city, he ...
LeT terrorist arrested in J-K's Ganderbal
A joint team of Srinagar and Ganderbal Police arrested an active terrorist from Kangan area of Ganderbal.The terrorist, identified as Zubair Shabir Bhat, was affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT and was a close associate of terrorist commander Naveed Jutt alias Hanzalla and Umar Rashid Wani alias Abu Haadi.He was wanted by law for his complicity in a series of terror crimes. Zubair was involved in several conspiracies of weapon snatching and other crimes including threatening of panchayat and ULB candidates in Anantnag and Kulgam districts recently."He was also involved in planning attacks on the security establishments in the area including attacks on local police personnel deployed for duties inside city," a press statement from the police read.Huge quantity of incriminating material has been seized from Zubair and his complicity in other terror crimes is also being investigatedA case under relevant sections of law has been registered in the matter and further investigation .
US envoy doubts Afghan Taliban's desire for peace
US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad raised doubts Thursday about the Taliban's desire to end the 17-year war, after the militants refused to meet with a Kabul-backed negotiating team. While he was certain the Afghan government wanted to stop the conflict, Khalilzad told Ariana News that he questioned whether the Taliban were "genuinely seeking peace". "We have to wait and see their forthcoming steps," Khalilzad said according to a translation of the interview provided by the US embassy in Kabul. Khalilzad's remarks to Afghan media following his latest face-to-face meeting with the Taliban echoed those expressed privately by some Western diplomats in the capital. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan also attended the talks in Abu Dhabi earlier this week, which the United Arab Emirates hailed as "positive for all parties concerned". But the Taliban would not meet with a 12-person Afghan delegation, Khalilzad said, describing the decision as "wrong". "If the Taliban are really seeking peace, they have .
LeT militant arrested in Ganderbal
A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant was arrested on Thursday in a joint operation by Srinagar and Ganderbal district police in Jammu and Kashmir.
Army commander visits LoC in J-K, reviews operational preparedness
A top Army commander Thursday visited forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Akhnoor sectors and reviewed the operational preparedness of the personnel and the prevailing security situation, a defence spokesperson said. General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh exhorted all ranks to remain vigilant to counter the nefarious designs of the enemy and anti-national elements, he said. Accompanied by White Knight Corps Commander Lt Gen Paramjit Singh, the Northern Army commander was briefed on the prevailing security situation and the preparedness of the formations. He was also briefed on the actions taken to ensure a robust counter-infiltration and counter-terrorist grid to maintain peace and stability in the region, the spokesman said. He said the commander interacted with the soldiers and complimented them for their unwavering dedication to duty and high standard of professionalism. The commander was appreciative ..
US Syria pullout could hurt fight against IS: Germany
Germany warned Thursday that US President Donald Trump's decision to pull troops out of Syria could endanger a battle against Islamic State militants and jeopardise achievements on the front. "The IS has been pushed back, but the threat is not over. There is a danger that the consequences of (Trump's) decision could hurt the fight against the IS and endanger what has been achieved," said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in a statement. The battle against the Islamist militants would be "decided in the long run -- militarily and with civilian means", said Maas. The foreign minister stressed the need for a political process under the auspices of the United Nations, in order to bring lasting stability back to war-torn Syria.
Egypt says it killed 8 militants who planned holiday attacks
Egypt says security forces have killed eight militants and detained four more who planned attacks on minority Christians during the upcoming holiday season. In a Thursday statement, the Interior Ministry says the 12 belonged to "Hasm," which it says is an armed faction of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group removed from power in 2013. It said two of the eight killed were separately shot dead after they opened fire on security forces storming two residences in Cairo. The remaining six were killed in a shootout as they tried to flee Cairo. The Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, did not say when the events took place. The Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president, was overthrown by the military after his yearlong rule inspired mass protests.
Pakistan issues export control list of goods, technologies related to nuclear, biological weapons
Pakistan on Thursday issued the revised lists of goods, technologies and equipment related to nuclear and biological weapons that needed official permission for exports. The list was issued under the Export Control Act of 2004, which enables the government to control export, re-export, trans-shipment and transit of goods, technologies, material and equipment related to nuclear and biological weapons and their delivery systems, the Foreign Office said in a statement. Pursuant to the export control on goods, technologies, material and equipment related to Nuclear and Biological Weapons and their Delivery systems Act 2004, the Government of Pakistan has notified revised control lists of goods, technologies, material and equipment that are subject to SECDIV license for export, the statement said.. The FO also said that as part of regular review process, the Strategic Export Control Division (SECDIV) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revised and updated the control lists, in consultation .
At least 4 civilians killed in Herat explosion
At least four civilians have been killed, while three others injured in a blast in Herat province of Afghanistan on Thursday, local media reported, citing Afghan officials.According to the TOLOnews broadcaster, the explosion took place in Chesht district of Afghanistan's province of Herat in the morning. Details of the incident are not yet specified.Afghanistan has long been suffering from unstable political, social and security issues due to the activity of the Islamic State terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) and the Taliban. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces are currently conducting joint offensive operations to combat terrorism across the country.