Page 659 - War Conflict
India-Wiesbaden Conference to take place on April 16-17
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in cooperation with Germany and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) will host the India-Wiesbaden Conference 2018 on April 16-17 in the national capital.Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) will be the industry partner for the event.The title of the Conference is 'Securing Global Supply Chains through Government-Industry Partnerships towards Effective Implementation of UNSC Resolution 1540'.Representatives from the Government and Industry of 39 countries, as well as experts from the UNSC 1540 Committee and UN Office for Disarmament Affairs in New York, will be participating in the two-day conference.The Conference provides an opportunity to participants to share experiences on their export control systems and to identify legal and technical assistance, action plans and challenges in the national implementation of UNSC 1540.The UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) establishes legally binding ...
Russia claims Syrian chemical attack was 'staged'
Russia has claimed that it has "irrefutable" data that an apparent chemical attack in the Syrian town of Douma in eastern Ghouta was staged by special services of a foreign country."We have the irrefutable data that this [chemical attack] was staged, and special services of a country, which is now seeking to be in the first ranks of the Russophobic campaign, were involved in this staged event," TASS reported, citing Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as saying.On Saturday, at least 40 people were killed in the attack on Syria's rebel-held town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta according to volunteer first responders and activists.Russia's Foreign Ministry claims that no evidence of chemicals or deaths in the bombing area were found in its inspection.The strike is suspected to be a chemical attack, but the Syrian government denied the allegations saying it was fabricated by the rebels who were in a state of decline.U.S. officials suspect the Russia-backed Assad regime is behind the ...
UK alleges Russia spied Skirpals for at least 5 years
Britain has alleged that Russia has indulged in the espionage of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia for at least five years.In a letter written to Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Britain's National Security Adviser Sir Mark Sedwill has revealed that the Skirpals were the subject of "interest" from the Kremlin's security services since 2013, reported the Independent,Sir Mark said: "We have information indicating Russian intelligence service interest in the Skripals, dating back at least as far as 2013, when e-mail accounts belonging to Yulia Skripal were targeted by GRU cyber specialists.""We continue to judge that only Russia has the technical means, operational experience and motive for the attack on the Skripals and that it is highly likely that the Russian state was responsible. There is no plausible alternative explanation," he added.According to the report, Sergei Skripal's daughter Yulia's email accounts had been targeted by cyber specialists which ...
Improve after-sales support for Russian defence platforms: India to Russia
India has conveyed to Russia the need for improving after-sales support of Russian-origin platforms being used by the Indian armed forces. The issue figured prominently during the third India-Russia military industrial conference held here on the sidelines of the Defence Expo, officials said. They said seven MoUs were signed between the Indian private defence firms and Russian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) for the production of spares of select Russian-origin platforms which are being used by the Indian armed forces. Russia has been one of India's key suppliers of arms and ammunition. However, it has been a long-standing grievance of the armed forces that the supply of critical spares and equipment from Russia takes a long time affecting maintenance of military systems procured from that country. India has been pressing Russia to adopt a liberal approach in sharing technology for components of major defence platforms as it was critical to keep them in operational ...
Russia has to answer important questions: UK envoy on nerve agent attack
Hitting out at Russia over the nerve attack on former double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, British envoy to India Dominic Asquith said today Moscow has to answer "really very important questions". His comment came in the wake of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons report that the chemical used against Sergei and Yulia Skripal in London in March was "of high purity". The OPCW report did not mention the name of the substance. Asquith, however, did not give a direct answer to whether the UK would raise the matter during the Commonwealth Heads of the Government Meeting in London from April 16-20. Leaders of 50 Commonwealth countries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are expected to attend the meeting. "I am not going to project what over 50 heads of government agree next week. It would not be my role to say what would be in that statement," Asquith told reporters here. "It is confirmed what we have been saying and what Russians had been ...
Myanmar says ICC lacks jurisdiction to probe Rohingya crisis
Myanmar has expressed "serious concern" over an attempt at the International Criminal Court to open a probe into mass deportations of Rohingya Muslims, dismissing the claims and saying the court has no jurisdiction. Some 700,000 people from the stateless Muslim minority fled Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh following Rohingya insurgent attacks on border guard posts in August last year. Myanmar says it was defending itself from the rebel Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army but harrowing testimony from refugees in Bangladesh of rape, extrajudicial killing and arson has prompted accusations of ethnic cleansing and genocide. On Monday, the chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court in The Hague asked judges to rule whether the body has jurisdiction to open a probe into the more than 670,000 Rohingya who have been "intentionally deported across the international border into Bangladesh". Myanmar responded today in a statement from the ministry that oversees civilian leader Aung ..
Tributes paid on Jallianwala Bagh massacre's 99th anniversary
Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Samiti today paid floral tribute to those killed in the 1999 Jallianwala Bagh massacre here. The family members of Sukhdev and Chandra Shekhar Azad were also present in the 99th anniversary of the massacre which in which thousands of people were killed. Addressing the gathering, Amit Azad, nephew of martyr Chandra Shekhar Azad said, "we worship great leaders but we also need to learn from their great character which should be adopted by each one in order to make nation as per dreams of our revolutionaries who scarified their lives for the freedom." Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Nayyar, the grandson of martyr Sukdev, said Punjab is a land of freedom fighters and brave people. "We all have to follow the footsteps of such personalities to root out all the evils of caste and creed to make the nation healthier, stronger and happier," he said.
Fresh protests erupt along Gaza border for 3rd week
Thousands of Palestinians protested along Gaza's border with Israel on Friday as part of the so-called Great March of Return demonstration for the third consecutive week.
Indian Companies and Russian OEMs Sign 7 MoUs for Defense Hardware
In order to improve after sales support of Russian Origin Defense Equipment in use with the Indian Armed Forces and to promote indigenous manufacturing of certain identified components/ spares by Indian companies in collaboration with Russian OEMs, two rounds of India. Russia Military Industrial Conferences were held in past, first one in March 2017 in New Delhi and second one in August 2017 in Moscow.
25 dead in attack at Iraq funeral of anti-IS fighters
At least 25 people were killed and 18 injured in bomb attack on funerals for Iraqi fighters killed by jihadists, according to a new toll from police and medics. "Two bombs exploded as the funeral procession was entering the cemetery" in Asdira yesterday, village mayor Salaheddin Shaalan told AFP. The Sunni village is south of Sharqat, one of the last bastions of the Islamic State group in the country's north to be retaken by Iraqi forces. "In total, 25 people were killed and 18 injured, four of whom are still in critical condition," a police officer told AFP on Friday, on condition of anonymity, revising an earlier death toll. Medical sources confirmed the new figures. It was the deadliest attack in Iraq since a January 16 double suicide bombing in Baghdad claimed 31 lives. Yesterday's attack took place during a funeral for five members of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary units killed Wednesday night in the same village, 250 kilometres (150 miles) north of Baghdad. The mostly Shiite .
Mahindra Telephonics showcases M-SPS platform at DefExpo
Mahindra Telephonics, part of the diversified business conglomerate - Mahindra Group, has developed a platform - an indigenous all-weather, Mobile Surveillance and Protection System. The M-SPS facility can be operated independently and is ideal for border protection and surveillance by military and para-military forces, Mahindra Telephonics said. The first such product was unveiled by Mahindra Group, Aerospace and Defence, President, S P Shukla at the ongoing DefExpo, organised by Ministry of Defence at Thiruvidanthai about 40kms from here. Depending upon the customer requirements, the M-SPS can be configured and support launch and control of drones equipped with optical payloads. "This is part of our efforts to offer state-of-the-art, cost-effective solutions for global and Indian customers and address the Make in India initiatives of the government," Shukla, also Chairman, Mahindra Telephonics said. The M-SPS facility can also be used for critical infrastructure and ...
'I will arrest you' Philippines' Duterte tells ICC prosecutor
President Rodrigo Duterte threatened today to arrest the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, who is probing his deadly drug war, telling her to stay away from the Philippines. Fatou Bensouda launched a preliminary investigation in February into allegations that Filipino police were murdering thousands of drug suspects, prompting Manila last month to withdraw from the Hague-based tribunal. "What is your authority now? If we are not members of the treaty... you cannot exercise any proceedings here without basis," Duterte told a news conference in his southern home city of Davao. "That is illegal and I will arrest you," he added, according to official transcripts. Philippine police say they have killed roughly 4,000 drug suspects who fought back during arrest. Rights groups claim the actual number is three times higher, accusing authorities of murder. In the face of widespread international criticism of its drugs war, Manila has described its withdrawal from the ICC as a ...
Ten Afghan Police personnel dead
At least ten soldiers of the Afghan National Police (ANP) forces have been martyred in a coordinated Taliban attack in Afghanistan's western Herat province in Shindand district.The attack was launched shortly after a roadisde bomb targeted a vehicle of the ANP forces as they were travelling through Larzanak area. The ANP forces came under heavy fire as they were attempting to support their comrades who were hurt in the roadside explosion, reported Khaama Press, citing, District administrative chief of Shindand Shukrullah Shakir, as saying.According to the report, two soldiers have been wounded while two have been missing.However, the report mentions one official speaking on the condition of anonymity that over ten ANP soldiers have been martyred, but, refrained from elaborating the figures any further.Herat is among the relatively calm provinces in the West which has witnessed fewer terror-related incidents since the Taliban regime fell.
Germany: 3 Syrians arrested over alleged extremist links
Three Syrian men accused of membership in Islamic extremist groups have been arrested in Germany. One of them is believed to have tried to recruit people in Germany to fight in Syria's civil war. Police and prosecutors said the men, who entered Germany as asylum-seekers in 2015, were arrested yesterday in Saarlouis, near the French border. Authorities said today a refugee home employee tipped officials off after recognising one suspect in a video that showed him in uniform with weapons. Officials accuse the 23-year-old of membership in the Ahrar al-Sham group and say he tried to recruit fighters over the internet. His alleged accomplices, 21 and 27, are accused of having belonged to the Islamic State group in Syria. Authorities say there's no evidence the three planned attacks in Europe.
Russia accuses Boris Johnson of 'distorting' OPCW findings on Skripals
Russia's Foreign Minister today accused his British counterpart of distorting the findings of the world chemical watchdog's investigation into a spy poisoning the UK blames on Moscow. "Already politicians like Boris Johnson are once again trying to distort the truth and announce that the OPCW statement supports Britain's conclusions without exception," Sergei Lavrov said. "I will underline that the OPCW confirmed only the contents of the chemical substance," he said. Yesterday, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said it confirmed "the findings of the United Kingdom relating to the identity of the toxic chemical". It did not name the substance involved which Britain says was a Novichok nerve agent of the sort first developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s. The OPCW also made no assessment of who was to blame for the March 4 attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, which also affected his daughter Yulia and a local policeman. But British Foreign Secretary ...
Clashes erupt on Israel-Gaza border on third Friday of protests: AFP
Clashes erupted along the Gaza-Israel border as thousands of protesters gathered for a third consecutive Friday, AFP journalists said. Limited clashes between stone-throwing Palestinians and Israeli soldiers began in at least two places along the border, AFP reporters said, with larger protests expected after Friday Muslim prayers. At least three Palestinians were shot and wounded, the health ministry in Gaza said.
14 idols stolen from math in Bihar
Fourteen precious idols of Hindu deities were looted early on Friday from a centuries old math in Bihar's Samastipur district, police said.
Naval chief offers prayers at Ramanathaswamy temple
Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba today offered prayers at the Sri Ramanathaswamy temple here. He also visited the INS Parundhu Naval Station. Meawhile, Vice-Admiral Karambir Singh said there was no intrusion by the Sri Lankan Navy into Indian waters. He advised Indian fishermen against crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and entering Lankan waters. Talking to newsmen here, he said patrolling by the Indian Navy would be further intensified in the wake of a Turkish national intruding into Indian territory on April 7. He said the issue was discussed with local officials, and Naval patrolling would be intensified in Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait. The naval base on this island was being expanded, he added. The Turkish national, who came here by fibreglass boat from Sri Lanka, was detained by police after he was found moving around in suspicious circumstances.
Militants kill 11 policemen in western Afghanistan
Taliban militants ambushed a checkpoint in western Afghanistan, killing at least nine policemen, officials said today, in the latest attack on the country's beleaguered security forces. Two other policemen were killed and four wounded by a roadside bomb en route to the checkpoint to provide backup during the hours-long assault that began late Thursday night, Herat provincial governor spokesman Jailani Farhad told AFP. Two armoured Humvees were destroyed in the attack in Shindand district, Farhad said. The Taliban also seized weapons and ammunition during the raid, he added. Shindand district governor Shukrullah Shakir confirmed the casualty figures. He added that the checkpoint was eight kilometres (five miles) from the district centre. The attack comes a day after Taliban fighters raided a district government compound in the southeastern province of Ghazni, killing at least seven people, including the local governor. The Taliban frequently attack Afghan security forces and steal ...
UNSC must prevent Syria spiralling out of control: UN chief
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed to the five permanent members of the Security Council to break the current deadlock on reported use of chemical weapons in Syria and prevent the situation spiralling out of control in the war-torn country. "I have also been closely following developments in the Security Council and regret that the Council has so far been unable to reach agreement on this issue, Guterres said in a statement. "Let us not forget that, ultimately, our efforts must be about ending the terrible suffering of the Syrian people," he added. Guterres said that he called the ambassadors of the five permanent Council members China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States on Wednesday to reiterate his "deep concern about the risks of the current impasse" and stressed the need to "avoid the situation spiraling out of control." On Tuesday, the 15-member body voted on three separate draft resolutions in response to recent allegations of a chemical ..