Page 519 - War Conflict
Army commando killed in Kashmir gunfight, civilian in clash (Intro Roundup)
An Indian Army commando was killed and another injured in a gunfight with militants in a forested area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on Wednesday, while a civilian there was killed when security forces opened fire in a clash with protesters, officials said.
Trump and Merkel clash at fraught NATO summit
US President Donald Trump traded barbs with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a tense NATO summit today after he accused Berlin of being "captive" to Russia and demanded it immediately step up defence spending. The two-day meet in Brussels is shaping up as the alliance's most difficult in years, with Europe and the US engaged in a bitter trade spat and Trump demanding that NATO allies "reimburse" Washington for defending the continent. Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany, shot back that she knew what it meant to be under Kremlin domination and Germany had the right to make its own policy choices. European alliance members were braced for criticism from Trump on defence spending, but his blistering attack on Germany at a breakfast meeting with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg took the summit by surprise. "Germany is a captive of Russia because it is getting so much of its energy from Russia," Trump said, taking particular aim at the proposed Nord Stream II gas pipeline, which he .
Civilian killed in army firing in J&K
A civilian was killed on Wednesday in clashes between protesters and an army patrol in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, police said.
Rajnath institutes five Police Medals
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday instituted five Police Medals to promote professionalism and excellence in service and give recognition to those security personnel doing good work in stressful environment and in difficult areas.
Holocaust memorial vandalised in Greece
A Holocaust memorial was vandalised in Greece's second largest city Thessaloniki, officials said today, the third anti-Semitic incident since May. Blue paint was spattered on the memorial remembering thousands of Jews deported by the Nazis during World War II, and a symbol spelling out "Christ the Victor" left on one of the monument's plaques. A police source said this symbol is popular with Greek and Serb Orthodox nationalist hardliners. The incident was reported yesterday. The monument was erected in 2014 on the grounds of Aristotle University to highlight that the university was built on the city's Jewish cemetery after it was razed by the Nazis -- a fact largely forgotten by most Greeks today. The cemetery had originally been created during the Roman era. In June, unknown assailants had thrown red paint at Thessaloniki's main Holocaust memorial in the city centre, after a nationalist protest. A month earlier, vandals had also smashed headstones in the Jewish section of a cemetery .
Army commando killed in Kashmir gunfight (Roundup)
An Indian Army commando was killed and another injured in a gunfight with militants in a forested area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, army officials said.
Top secular leader among 20 killed in suicide blast at election rally in Pak
A senior secular leader of the Awami National Party (ANP) and 19 others were killed when a Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up in an election rally in Pakistan's northwestern Peshawar city, the second terrorist attack on a political rally ahead of the July 25 general elections. The powerful blast, which also injured 66 people, took place shortly before midnight last night when ANP leader Haroon Bilour, who was contesting elections from PK-78 constituency in Peshawar city, along with other party workers had gathered for a corner meeting in the congested Yakatoot area. The blast occurred near Bilour's vehicle. Bilour was the son of the late ANP leader Bashir Bilour, who was also killed in a similar suicide attack when a Taliban bomber blew himself up at a party meet in Peshawar in 2012. The death toll was initially reported at 13 but it rose to 20 overnight, Lady Reading Hospital's spokesperson Zulfiqar Ali Baba Khel said. The attack was claimed by banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan ...
Media activists fear for their lives in southwestern Syria
Several media activists and citizen journalists based in southwestern Syria appealed today for help so that they can leave the region as it is on the verge of falling into the hands of government forces The appeal came as the Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement saying that at least 70 Syrian journalists are "trapped" in the country's southwest, where government forces have been on the offensive for the past three weeks. The opposition media activists say they fear for their lives if captured by government troops, adding that some citizen journalists went missing after Syrian forces took the eastern suburbs of the capital, Damascus, earlier this year and that their fate remains unknown. Since July 19, government forces have captured most of southwestern Daraa province and control much of the border with Jordan. That has left most of the remaining citizen journalists trapped in nearby Quneitra province, along the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. "We want
Israeli balloon camera to be used for rath yatra surveillance
For the first time, the city police will use an Israeli helium balloon with high resolution camera to keep a vigil during the annual Lord Jagannath rath yatra procession here on July 14, a senior official said today. Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, J K Bhatt, said that a helium balloon with a high resolution camera can keep an eye on the area of around five kms, which is "much better" than camera-mounted unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), popularly known as drones. "We had used camera-mounted drones in the past during the rath yatras for air surveillance. This time, we have decided to use an Israeli helium balloon having a camera attached to it. From a height of 300 meters in the sky, this balloon camera would cover an area of five kms," Bhatt told reporters. He said the camera attached to the balloon will be very high definition and will also have night vision facility. "The live visuals captured by this powerful camera will be sent to the central control ...
Plans to carry out terror strikes in New Delhi thwarted by security agencies after infiltrating into IS module
A plan hatched by the Islamic State to carry out terror strikes in New Delhi was thwarted by the security agencies after infiltrating into a module of the dreaded terror group, officials said today. The IS terror plot was foiled following the arrest of an Afghan suicide bomber, who had been under the surveillance of security agencies for long, in late 2017. The counter-intelligence operation included an Indian "plant" supplying the IS operative with explosives without triggers and even arranging for his accommodation in the capital's Lajpat Nagar, an official said. The Afghan IS operative, who enrolled himself in an engineering college on Delhi's outskirts, was flown to Afghanistan days after his arrest and is said to be now under the custody of the US military in Afghanistan. He had also helped the US military in its fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan, the official said. The IS plans to target New Delhi was detected following more than a year of surveillance in Afghanistan, ..
Merkel calls her policies 'independent', dismisses Trump's criticism
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday reacted to a statement made hours earlier by US President Donald Trump here accusing Germany of becoming "a captive to Russia".
11 killed in attack on Afghan education office: officials
At least 11 people were killed after gunmen stormed an education department compound in eastern Afghanistan today, officials said, sparking an hours-long battle with security forces in the latest attack in the restive region. Ten others, mostly employees, were wounded in the second attack in Jalalabad city in as many days, Nangarhar provincial governor spokesman Attaullah Khogyani said in a statement. Many of the workers were trapped inside the building during the gun battle between security forces and militants, which has ended. Twenty staff members were rescued. The 11 dead were all employees of the education department branch and included the director, Khogyani said. At least two attackers were involved in the raid and both were killed. The sound of gunfire followed by a "big explosion" that shattered windows alerted Qari Samiullah to the fact that an attack was under way near his shop. "I left my shop and ran when I heard a second explosion," Samiullah told AFP. "Smoke came out of
Saudi-based Islamic organization calls for Afghan cease-fire
A summit of religious scholars organized by the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has called for a new cease-fire in Afghanistan, a request already dismissed out of hand by the Taliban. The summit held by the 57-nation organisation ended today. Participants issued a communique asking all sides in the conflict to put down their arms and begin "direct Afghan negotiations" to end the country's nearly 17-year war. The government of President Ashraf Ghani had welcomed the conference, which came after a cease-fire for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. The Taliban accepted a three-day truce, but rejected Ghani's offer to extend it. The Taliban dismissed the Saudi summit before it began, saying they only want direct talks with the United States on the withdrawal of all American troops.
Bosnian Muslims to bury 35 Srebrenica massacre victims
Thousands of Bosnian Muslims gathered in Srebrenica today to mark the 23rd anniversary of Europe's worst massacre since World War II and attend the funeral for 35 recently identified victims. The remains of the men and boys slaughtered at the enclave in July 1995 were laid to rest in the town whose name has become synonymous with the brutality of the 1992-95 Bosnian war. The coffins covered in green cloth were lined up at a memorial centre and new burial pits were dug at the massive graveyard that already holds 6,575 victims found previously. Srebrenica was a UN-protected, Muslim-populated town in eastern Bosnia besieged by Serb forces throughout the war. Serb troops led by Gen Ratko Mladic overran the enclave, separated men from women and small children and executed about 8,000 men and boys within a few days. Some 30,000 people were violently displaced. Dutch UN peacekeepers were undermanned and outgunned and failed to intervene. "Srebrenica has become a global symbol for genocide, a
Bilawal Bhutto suspends Peshawar rally in wake of attack
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday announced to suspend his political activities for today in the wake of the deadly suicide attack in Peshawar which claimed at least 20 lives.He also announced to call of his 'jalsa' (rally) in Peshawar which was scheduled to take place on Thursday."In solidarity with the Bilour family & ANP I've suspended my political activities for today and Peshawar jalsa which was to be held tomorrow. Join ANP in reaffirming elections should be held on time," Bilawal tweeted.The Bhutto scion also expressed his condolences, grief and outrage at the assassination of Haroon Bilour who is the son of Bashir Bilour, the ANP politician who was killed in 2012."Lost for words to express condolences, grief and outrage at the assassination of Shaheed Haroon Bilour son of Shaheed Bashir Bilour. Never ending cycle of national tragedies must ultimately lead to the necessary consistent consensus on combating violent extremism," he wrote
India concerned over fresh use of chemical weapons
India has expressed concern over fresh allegations of use of chemical weapons in different parts of the world, according to a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in The Hague on Wednesday.
Uganda police fire teargas, bullets at social media tax protest
Ugandan police fired live bullets and tear gas today to break up a crowd of demonstrators who had gathered to protest a controversial tax on the use of social media. Since the beginning of the month access to media such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, as well as dating sites Tinder and Grindr, have been blocked unless users pay a 200-shilling (USD 0.05, 0.04 euro) daily tax. In a statement, President Yoweri Museveni justified the move saying many citizens did not pay their taxes as they were meant to, and should not "donate money to foreign companies through chatting or even lying" on social media. Today's rally was led by singer and parliamentarian Bobi Wine -- real name Robert Kyagulanyi -- whose election last year was fuelled by social media. Scores of protesters marched towards parliament, with the rally turning chaotic as a large group of market vendors and motorcycle taxi drivers faced off against police in anti-riot gear, with some lobbing stones at the officers. "Teargas ...
India deeply worried on reports of ISIS acquiring chemical weapons
India is "deeply worried" about reports of the so-called 'Islamic State' or ISIS acquiring chemical weapons and has asked the chemical weapons watchdog OPCW to closely monitor this threat. "India shares the wide-spread concern over fresh allegations on the use of chemical weapons coming from different parts of the world," Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to OPCW, Venu Rajamony, said, addressing the 88th session of the Executive Council of the Organization for Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) here yesterday. He said: "We are saddened to learn about the tragic loss of life of a UK citizen in Amesbury following the exposure to a toxic chemical. We express our deepest sympathies to all victims of chemical weapon attacks and their families. Dawn Sturgess, a 44-year-old British woman, died on July 8, days after being exposed to a "high dose" of a deadly nerve agent in Amesbury, near the town of Salisbury in south west England where a former Russian spy and his daughter .
CRPF inks MoU with IRCTC for easy rail e-ticket booking for personnel
The nearly three-lakh personnel strong country's largest paramilitary CRPF today inked a deal with the IRCTC to usher in the easy and fast e-booking of railway tickets system for its jawans and officers by replacing the age-old warrant system. CRPF Director General (DG) R R Bhatnagar signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IRCTC Chairman and Managing Director M P Mall at the forces' headquarters here, a senior official said. "The fresh e-ticketing solution will replace the earlier system of railway warrant which was cumbersome. The new system will also help in cost saving for the organisation and it is in line with the e-governance policy of the government," he said. Till now, the paramilitary personnel had to carry a paper 'warrant' (rail travel authority document) and queue up before a railway reservation counter to book tickets for their travel that was a time consuming affair, he said. The jawans and officers of the Central Reserve Police Force will now be able to book a
J-K: 1 jawan killed, 1 injured in Kupwara encounter
One security personnel has been killed while another is critically injured in the ongoing encounter between security forces and terrorists in Kupwara district's Handwara area.Security forces began search operation in Kupwara's Badi Behak and Sangal areas, in an exchange of fire between the forces and terrorists.According to the latest information, intermediate firing is underway in the area and more forces have been rushed to the spot.