Page 33 - War Conflict
Lanka Tamil leader says Muslims' rights being abused, demands international probe
A top Tamil leader in Sri Lanka has called for an international investigation into the alleged injustice meted out to the minority Muslim community in the country in the aftermath of the massive Easter Sunday bombings. The fundamental rights of the Muslims are being abused using an act of terror, C V Wigneswaran, former chief minister of the Tamil-dominated Northern Province, told reporters on Sunday, referring to the difficulties faced by the minority community, which constitutes nine per cent of the population, following the deadly April 21 suicide bombings. Following the attacks that claimed 258 lives, some Muslim politicians representing the government came under criticism for their alleged support extended to the rising militancy. "Muslims are a part of the Sri Lankan community, they are being subjected to injustice in violation of the country's Constitution," Wigneswaran said in Jaffna, once the hotbed of the over three-decade long conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil ...
Syrian Army continue offensive to retake rebel-controlled areas
After recapturing Kafr Houd in the last few days, the Syrian Army is continuing its offensive to retake areas which are controlled by rebels."We are in the northern countryside of Hama in the village of Kafr Houd and we are heading to the towns of Tal Balah, Jalameh, and Jubain," a Syrian officer told Xinhua on conditions of anonymity."Our forces are advancing toward Tal Balah and Jubain to restore all areas that have been taken by the rebels over the past three days and the field situation is perfect," he said.The army is advancing to secure the road between the towns of Mhardeh and Sqailbiyeh, which was shut following a recent attack by the rebels, the officer said. The road is strategic as it is a supply route for the Syrian Army units deployed in the region.The inhabitants who fled after their towns fell to the rebels have started returning, head of Kafr Houd, Muhammad Ibrahim, told Xinhua."With the efforts of the Syrian Army, people have returned to the town of Kafr Houd and now .
Islamic State expands reach in Afghanistan, threatening West
The Islamic State group has lost its caliphate in Syria and Iraq, but in the forbidding mountains of northeastern Afghanistan the group is expanding its footprint, recruiting new fighters and plotting attacks on the United States and other Western countries, according to US and Afghan security officials. Nearly two decades after the US-led invasion, the extremist group is seen as an even greater threat than the Taliban because of its increasingly sophisticated military capabilities and its strategy of targeting civilians, both in Afghanistan and abroad. Concerns run so deep that many have come to see the Taliban, which has also clashed with IS, as a potential partner in containing it. A US intelligence official based in Afghanistan told The Associated Press that a recent wave of attacks in the capital, Kabul, is "practice runs" for even bigger attacks in Europe and the United States. "This group is the most near-term threat to our homelands from Afghanistan," the official said on ...
Hasina accuses Myanmar of being hesitant in taking back Rohingyas
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reportedly accused Myanmar of being hesitant in repatriating over a million Rohingya who fled ongoing sectarian conflict in the northern Rakhine State."The problem lies with Myanmar as they don't want to take back the Rohingyas by any means though Naypyidaw signed an agreement with Bangladesh promising to repatriate them," Dhaka Tribune quoted Hasina as saying on Sunday.The Prime Minister, at the same time, also feared that some international aid and voluntary agencies too were unwilling to resolve the crisis saying, "They never want the refugees to return to their home."She further noted that Dhaka had separately held talks with India, China, and Japan, over their stance on the Rohingya crisis. All the three countries had acknowledged Rohingyas as Myanmar nationals and agreed that they should return home, Hasina added.The Prime Minister also expressed her concerns about the security factors involving the Rohingyas as many of them were found
New Zealand plans to withdraw all Iraq troops by next June
New Zealand says it will withdraw all of its troops from Iraq by next June. The South Pacific nation has a small contingent of 95 so-called noncombat personnel deployed at the Taji Military Complex northwest of Baghdad, where they are tasked with training Iraqi security forces. The training mission is a joint operation with Australia, which has about 300 troops stationed at Taji. Australia has not made any announcement about its long-term plans at the base. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday the number of New Zealand troops will be reduced to 75 by July and then to 45 by January before all the troops all withdrawn. Ardern also announced New Zealand will reduce the number of defense force personnel it has posted in Afghanistan from 13 to 11.
Summer camp for families of Delhi police personnel concludes
A two-week summer camp, organised by the Police Families Welfare Society (PFWS) of the Delhi police for the welfare and skill enhancement of the families of the police personnel, concluded on Sunday. The PFWS, which oversees the welfare activities of the Delhi police families, had organised the camps at 10 welfare centres and four sub-centres. The function was felicitated by Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik, who underlined the need and efficacy of welfare activities for the overall morale of the police families.
Over 60 militants killed in Afghanistan in 24 hours
More than 70 armed insurgents have been killed in Afghanistan's southern region over the past 24 hours, as government forces have increased pressure on the Taliban in Kandahar and the neighbouring provinces, Xinhua news agengy reported on Sunday quoting an army statement.
Violence breaks out as police try to clear Hong Kong protesters
Police fought with protesters in Hong Kong on Sunday night, using batons and pepper spray as they tried to clear demonstrators from the city's parliament after a massive demonstration against plans to allow extraditions to China. Protesters hurled bottles and used metal barricades as police moved in on a small group who had vowed to stay outside the legislature overnight, an AFP reporter on the scene said.
4 dead as Sudan police move to quell civil disobedience
Four people were killed in Sudan on Sunday as protesters launched a civil disobedience campaign against the military after a bloody crackdown on a sit-in demonstration calling for civilian rule. The campaign got underway nearly a week after the assault on demonstrators at the sit-in outside army headquarters in central Khartoum, which followed talks breaking down between protest leaders and military rulers over who should lead a new governing body -- a civilian or soldier. Following the call for the campaign of civil disobedience, protesters set about building roadblocks in Khartoum while markets and shops were closed in several other towns and cities. A doctors committee linked to the demonstrators said two people were killed on Sunday in unrest that rocked Khartoum and two others in its twin city of Omdurman, just across the Nile river. The Central Committee for Sudanese Doctors blamed forces of the ruling military council and paramilitary "militias" for the four deaths, which it ...
CWC '19: MS Dhoni seen without army insignia on wicket-keeping gloves
Indian wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni was seen without the army insignia on his wicket-keeping gloves in the ongoing match between India and Australia in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.This comes after ICC's refusal to the BCCI's request to let the player sport the Balidan dagger on his gloves."The regulations for ICC events do not permit any individual message or logo to be displayed on any items of clothing or equipment. In addition to this, the logo also breaches the regulations in relation to what is permitted on wicketkeeper gloves," said ICC in a statement on Friday.Earlier, CoA chief Vinod Rai had said that the board had written to the ICC not to remove wicket-keeper batsman Dhoni's army insignia. However, he also acknowledged if the apex cricketing body is against it, they will take the permission."We are convinced that ICC rules say it should not have any religious, military or commercial significance, any insignia worn by any player. One should conform to ICC rules," Rai ...
4 killed on first day of Sudan 'civil disobedience': doctors
Four people were killed in Sudan on Sunday on the first day of a "civil disobedience" campaign by protesters, a doctors' committee linked to demonstrators said. Two people were shot dead in the capital Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman just across the Nile river, the Central Committee for Sudanese Doctors said, adding two others died in a hospital in Omdurman after being stabbed. The committee blamed the ruling military council and paramilitary forces for the four deaths. It said a total of 118 people have been killed since a crackdown was launched on June 3 to disperse a sit-in protest outside the military headquarters in the Sudanese capital.
3 protesters killed amid civilian disobedience in Sudan
At least three civilians were killed in clashes with security forces in Omdurman and Khartoum North on Sunday, as the opposition called for civilian disobedience across Sudan, according to a Efe news report.
Air India to resume additional Delhi-Colombo flight from July 15: Civil Aviation Minister
Air India will resume its additional flight on Delhi-Colombo route from July 15, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Sunday. The national carrier had stopped operating the additional flight after the April 21 Easter Sunday terror attack in Sri Lanka that targeted churches and luxury hotels, killing total 258 people and injuring 500 others. In Colombo, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday pledged India's solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka as he visited the St Anthony's church, one of the sites of the horrific attacks, and paid tributes to the victims of the deadly terror strikes. Out of 258 people killed, 11 were Indians. Puri said in a tweet on Sunday, "Honouring the spirit of friendship & mutual cooperation between India & Sri Lanka, & to express solidarity with the people of the island nation, I am delighted to announce the resumption of additional Air India flight between New Delhi & Colombo from 15th July 2019." "Having spent several years as .
Trinamool worker hacked to death in Bengal
A Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker was hacked to death and a BJP activist injured in clashes in West Bengal, police said on Sunday.
Naxal husband-wife duo surrender in Chhattisgarh
A Naxal couple surrendered on Saturday in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, police said. Vetti Hurra, a "militia commander" and his wife Kalmu Huye, an activist with Maoist front organisation Krantikari Adivasi Mahila Sangthan (KAMS), carried rewards of Rs 1 lakh each on their heads, Superintendent of Police Shalabh Sinha said. Vetti was involved in a deadly attack on the Central Reserve Police Force personnel on April 24, 2017 in Burkapal area of Sukma, in which 25 troopers were killed and seven injured, the SP said. The surrendered Naxals have told police they were disappointed with the Maoist ideology, the SP said.
PM Modi meets top Lankan leadership; describes terrorism as 'joint threat'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said he had an "immensely fruitful" meetings with Sri Lanka's top leadership, including President Maithripala Sirisena, during which the two sides agreed that terrorism is a "joint threat" that needs collective and focussed action, weeks after the island nation witnessed the worst jihadi attack. Modi, the first foreign leader to visit Sri Lanka after the deadly Easter terror attacks on April 21, was accorded a red carpet welcome. His visit is considered as a sign of India's affirmation of solidarity with Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the attacks, the worst in the history of the island nation that killed 258 people, including 11 Indians. "Met President @MaithripalaS, our second meeting in 10 days. President Sirisena and I agreed that terrorism is a joint threat that needs collective and focussed action. Reiterated India's commitment to partner with Sri Lanka for a shared, secure and prosperous future," Modi tweeted after his talks with President ...
US army vehicle damaged in mine explosion in Niger
A US army vehicle was damaged in a mine explosion in western Niger, but there were no fatalities, and the US military was investigating whether the incident was hostile, embassy and local security forces said on Sunday. The incident occurred in Ouallam in the Tillaberi region, not far from the border with Mali, where four US soldiers and five Niger soldiers were killed in an ambush in 2017, according to the sources. "A US mine-resistant, ambush-protected all-terrain vehicle was damaged in Niger" on Saturday, the US embassy in Niamey said in a statement. Ouallam is located about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Niamey and is home to a major training camp of the Nigerien army where soldiers are trained to participate in the UN Mission in Mali, known as Minusma. "The incident occurred outside a weapons range, so it is possible that non-hostile factors were the cause of the damage," it said. "We're still looking to confirm that element." The US mission in Niger has been heavily scrutinised .
PM Modi makes unscheduled visit to Colombo's bombed church; pays tribute to victims
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday pledged India's solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka as he made an unscheduled visit to the St Anthony's church, one of the sites of the horrific Easter Sunday attacks, and paid tributes to the victims of the deadly terror strikes that killed 258 people, including 11 Indians. Prime Minister Modi's entourage made a detour to the Catholic church in Colombo on their way to the Presidential Secretariat for official engagements. "I am confident Sri Lanka will rise again. Cowardly acts of terror cannot defeat the spirit of Sri Lanka. India stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka," said Modi, the first foreign leader to visit Sri Lanka after the Easter attacks on April 21. "My heart goes out to the families of the victims and the injured," Modi added. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through St Anthony's Church in Colombo, St Sebastian's Church in the western coastal town of ...
Neighbourhood First: Modi wraps up 2-nation visit to Maldives, Sri Lanka
Highlighting the importance India attaches to its neighbourhood, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday wrapped up his first overseas bilateral trip to Maldives and Sri Lanka after assuming office for a second term.He visited the two island nations within 24 hours, taking part in 15 engagements in total, according to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar."24 hours - 2 countries - 15 engagements. PM @narendramodi emplanes for Delhi after a successful visit to Maldives and Sri Lanka, demonstrating our priority to #NeighbourhoodFirst. Seen off by Sri Lankan PM @RW_UNP," Kumar tweeted on June 9.Starting off his first two-nation overseas trip after assuming office for a second term, Modi arrived in Maldives to a grand ceremonial welcome on June 8.The Prime Minister was conferred with the Nishan Izzudeen medal - the highest honour accorded to foreign dignitaries by Maldives - by the island nation's President, Ibrahim Solih, during a ceremony in Male.Receiving the award, ...
Dozens arrested during election protests in Kazakhstan
Dozens of people were arrested on Sunday in the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan and the southern metropolis Almaty during rallies that called for a boycott of presidential elections being held across the Central Asian republic, media reported.