Pakistan to use army courts for terror cases - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English

Pakistan has announced plans to set up special military-run courts to prosecute terrorism suspects as part of a new anti-terrorism plan following the Taliban school massacre that killed 149 people, including 132 children.

In a live televised address to the nation on Wednesday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced 25 new counter-terrorism policies, with military-run courts among the most controversial.

"Special courts, headed by the officers of armed forces, will be established for the speedy trial of terrorists," he said.

Sharif gave few details about how the courts would function, except to say they would operate for the next two years and that changes to current laws would be needed.

"The Peshawar attack has shocked the nation. We will not let the blood of our children go in vain," he said.

Sharif also mentioned plans to cutting off financial aid to "terrorists" and methods to prevent banned organisations from operating with new names.

Pakistan to use army courts for terror cases - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English

Over 120,000 pro-Assad fighters killed in Syria conflict: monitoring group

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/17/us-mideast-crisis-syria-assad-idUSKBN0JV1ZG20141217

Iraq Kurds launch Sinjar offensive after coalition air strikes

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/17/us-mideast-crisis-sinjar-idUSKBN0JV15E20141217

U.S.-led coalition conducts 67 air strikes against Islamic State: task force

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/17/us-mideast-crisis-usa-airstrikes-idUSKBN0JV2HB20141217

Isis: the inside story

Abu Ghraib was the scene of the biggest – and most damaging – breakout in 2013, with up to 500 inmates, many of them senior jihadists handed over by the departing US military, fleeing in July of that year after the prison was stormed by Islamic State forces, who launched a simultaneous, and equally successful, raid on nearby Taji prison.
Iraq’s government closed Abu Ghraib in April 2014 and it now stands empty, 15 miles from Baghdad’s western outskirts, near the frontline between Isis and Iraq’s security forces, who seem perennially under-prepared as they stare into the heat haze shimmering over the highway that leads towards the badlands of Falluja and Ramadi.
Parts of both cities have become a no-go zone for Iraq’s beleaguered troops, who have been battered and humiliated by Isis, a group of marauders unparalleled in Mesopotamia since the time of the Mongols. When I visited the abandoned prison late this summer, a group of disinterested Iraqi forces sat at a checkpoint on the main road to Baghdad, eating watermelon as the distant rumble of shellfire sounded in the distance. The imposing walls of Abu Ghraib were behind them, and their jihadist enemies were staked out further down the road.
The revelation of abuses at Abu Ghraib had a radicalising effect on many Iraqis, who saw the purported civility of American occupation as little improvement on the tyranny of Saddam. While Bucca had few abuse complaints prior to its closure in 2009, it was seen by Iraqis as a potent symbol of an unjust policy, which swept up husbands, fathers, and sons – some of them non-combatants – in regular neighbourhood raids, and sent them away to prison for months or years.
At the time, the US military countered that its detention operations were valid, and that similar practices had been deployed by other forces against insurgencies – such as the British in Northern Ireland, the Israelis in Gaza and the West Bank, and the Syrian and Egyptian regimes.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/11/-sp-isis-the-inside-story

'Truth commission' to begin in Israel - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

'On Wednesday, International Human Rights Day, the Israeli non-profit Zochrot will host the country's first unofficial "public truth commission", modelled on South Africa's post-apartheid truth and reconciliation process. 

Israelis who served in the Negev Desert during the country's War of Independence and Palestinian refugees uprooted from the area between 1947 and 1949, will share testimonies before an expert panel of human rights lawyers, scholars and civil society activists in Beersheba, Israel.

Truth commission' to begin in Israel - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

US court: Chimpanzees have no human rights - Americas - Al Jazeera English

"Needless to say, unlike human beings, chimpanzees cannot bear any legal duties, submit to societal responsibilities or be held legally accountable for their actions," Presiding Justice Karen Peters wrote.

US court: Chimpanzees have no human rights - Americas - Al Jazeera English

Syria says U.S.-led strikes have not weakened Islamic State

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/29/us-mideast-crisis-syria-minister-idUSKCN0JD01A20141129

Australia intercepts Sri Lankan asylum seekers, turns back most

Australia received 16,000 applications for asylum last year, just under 0.5 percent of the 3.6 million lodged worldwide, UN figures show.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/29/us-australia-asylum-idUSKCN0JD02F20141129 

Pakistan media mogul gets 26 years' jail for blasphemy

 Pakistan's blasphemy law allows anyone to file a complaint alleging
their religious feelings have been hurt for any reason. The punishment
for blasphemy is death.





Pakistan media mogul gets 26 years' jail for blasphemy - World Israel News | Haaretz

Security Council Resolution 2178 (2014): The “Foreign Terrorist Fighter” as an International Legal Person, Part I

At a summit meeting of 24 September in which over 50 government representatives were heard, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2178 (2014) which foresees measures to contain the travel of and support for persons intending to participate in terror acts, notably against the background of the rise of the group “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant” (ISIL) and the Al-Nusra front and other affiliates of Al-Qaida.

Resolution 2178 “reaffirms” what previous resolutions since 9/11 had found, namely that “terrorism [normally committed by natural persons] … constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security” (preamble first indent; see previously, e.g., UNSC res. 1368 (2001)). In preamble indent 12, the Council defines a “new threat”, namely the “foreign terrorist fighter threat” which “includes, among others, individuals supporting acts or activities of Al-Qaida and its cells”.

Most paragraphs of the res. 2178 are, in their structure, not novel. They oblige states to adopt measures, and “ensure in their domestic laws” (para. 6) to suppress, combat, prosecute, and penalise the recruiting, organising, transporting, and equipping of individuals travelling for the purpose of perpetrating terrorist acts, e.g. in paras 2, 5, 6, 8. The obligations to criminalise certain behaviour seem, however, quite far reaching as also pointed out by Kai Ambos.

One interesting feature of res. 2178 is that it directly addresses individuals: Operative para. 1 “demands that all foreign terrorist fighters disarm and cease all terrorist acts and participation in the conflict”. The three interrelated questions discussed in this post are whether res. 2178, firstly, creates binding international legal obligations for individuals themselves; secondly, whether (some of) the resolution’s provisions are directly applicable in the domestic order of the UN Member states; and thirdly, whether the non-observance of these individual obligations constitute a crime by virtue of the resolution itself.

International individual obligations flowing from Res. 2178?

The question is whether Res. 2178 is able to impose legally binding international obligations on the individuals addressed. Is the resolution itself the legal basis for an obligation of “foreign terrorist fighters” to desist from forging identity papers, to desist from travelling to the combat field of ISIS, to recruit volunteers, and of course to refrain from committing terrorist acts, and the like?
http://www.ejiltalk.org/security-council-resolution-2178-2014-the-foreign-terrorist-fighter-as-an-international-legal-person-part-i/

Res. 2178 is no basis for criminal sanctions

Resolution 2178 is not in itself the basis for criminalising the behaviour it seeks to suppress. On the contrary, it resembles the classic suppression conventions, i.e. international treaties imposing the obligation on contracting parties to prohibit individual forms of conduct in their national law and, where applicable, to criminalise and punish them.

So no foreign fighter-suspect could be tried and sentenced on the legal basis of Res. 2178 alone. But the reason is not, I submit, that a Security Council resolution could never – from the perspective of international law − function as a “lex” in the sense of the principle nulla poena sine lege. The reason is that the “lex” here does not in itself explicitly establish the crime, but on the contrary explicitly asks states to do to, through their domestic criminal law. Res. 2178 makes it amply clear in its wording that it does not intend to establish the criminal offence directly. It may well be that under the domestic law of some countries, the understanding of nulla poena is stricter. However, if we want to uphold a functioning system of global governance, states and scholars must develop an “internationalised” principle of legality that need not consist only in the lowest common denominator but which is informed by values of global constitutionalism.

http://www.ejiltalk.org/security-council-resolution-2178-2014-the-foreign-terrorist-fighter-as-an-international-legal-person-part-ii/ 

Bahrain holds elections as Shi'ite opposition boycotts vote

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/22/us-bahrain-elections-idUSKCN0J605R20141122

Turkey trains Kurdish peshmerga forces in fight against Islamic State

Turkish soldiers are training Kurdish peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq and will give similar assistance to a new national army unit in Baghdad as part of the struggle against Islamic State, a senior Turkish official said on Saturday.
Turkish soldiers began special forces training with Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq three weeks ago, peshmerga spokesman Brigadier General Halgurd Hikmat said. The Turkish official said similar assistance would be given to Iraq's National Guard.
"Turkey has already started training peshmerga forces in northern Iraq ... and we have agreed to train and give assistance to the National Guard," the official said.
Turkey, a NATO member with a 1,200 km border with Syria and Iraq, has refused to take a frontline military role in the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State insurgents, arguing air strikes alone will not bring lasting stability.
It has drawn criticism for letting thousands of foreign fighters cross its borders in its haste to see Syrian President Bashar al-Assad toppled, and for doing little to end the Islamic State siege of the Syrian border town of Kobani, a battle that has raged for months within sight of Turkish military positions.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/22/us-mideast-crisis-turkey-iraq-idUSKCN0J60B720141122

U.S.-led strikes have killed 910 people in Syria: monitor

Air strikes by U.S.-led forces in Syria have killed 910 people, including 52 civilians, since the start of the campaign against Islamic State and other fighters two months ago, a group monitoring the conflict said on Saturday.
The majority of the deaths, 785, were Islamic State fighters according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Islamic State, a hard-line offshoot of al Qaeda, has seized land in Syria and neighboring Iraq, where it has also been targeted by U.S.-led strikes since July.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/22/us-mideast-crisis-syria-toll-idUSKCN0J60AN20141122

Islamic State kills 25 Iraqi tribesmen near Ramadi: officials

Islamic State militants have killed 25 members of a Sunni Muslim tribe during their assault on a provincial capital west of Baghdad, local officials said on Saturday, in apparent revenge for tribal opposition to the radical Islamists.
They said the bodies of the men from the Albu Fahd tribe were discovered after the army launched a counter-offensive on Saturday against the Islamic State in a village on the eastern edge of Ramadi, capital of Anbar province.



http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/22/us-mideast-crisis-ramadi-idUSKCN0J609O20141122

China commits $45.6 billion for economic corridor with Pakistan

The Chinese government and banks will finance Chinese companies to build $45.6 billion worth of energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan over the next six years, according to new details of the deal seen by Reuters on Friday. The Chinese companies will be able to operate the projects as profit-making entities, according to the deal signed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during a visit to China earlier this month.
At the time, officials provided few details of the projects or the financing for the deal, dubbed the China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The deal further cements ties between Pakistan and China at a time when Pakistan is nervous about waning U.S. support as troops pull out of Afghanistan.
Pakistan and China, both nuclear-armed nations, consider each other close friends. Their ties are underpinned by common wariness of India and a desire to hedge against U.S. influence in South Asia.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/21/us-pakistan-china-idUSKCN0J51C120141121

Islamic State attacks Iraq provincial capital: officials

Gunmen fired from rooftops at buildings in Ramadi housing the Anbar governorate offices and police headquarters, while security forces and tribal fighters tried to prevent the militants from advancing.
"Mosques are asking anyone who can carry weapons to confront the attackers," provincial council member Hathal Fahdawi told Reuters.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/21/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-city-idUSKCN0J518R20141121

In Mali's desert French troops hunt al Qaeda well by well

If the French army and its allies are to keep al Qaeda at bay in the desert of northern Mali they must stop them seizing the biggest prizes in the sea of white sand - the wells.
So this month a column of soldiers from France, Burkina Faso and Mali, in armored vehicles and pick-up trucks, churned toward a village north of Timbuktu where herders water camels and goats.
They were looking for signs of infiltration by militants who need water as much as the locals do and aim to convert villages to their ideology.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/21/us-mali-insurgency-france-idUSKCN0J51FL20141121

Up to 80 people killed by suspected Ugandan rebels in Congo: group

Suspected Ugandan ADF-NALU rebels have killed between 50 and 80 people in attacks near the eastern Congolese town of Beni, slitting the throats of many of their victims, local sources and witnesses said on Friday.
In a statement, Civil Society of North Kivu, the province where Beni is situated, said the killings had occurred on Thursday evening about 10 km (6 miles) east of Beni airport, where U.N. peacekeepers, known as MONUSCO, are based.
"We already saw 70 bodies. The authorities are searching for other bodies," said a priest who saw the massacre site.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/21/us-congodemocratic-killings-idUSKCN0J51VN20141121

Turkey, U.S. play down differences on fight against Islamic State

Turkey and the United States played down differences in the fight against Islamic State on Friday, but Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made clear Ankara would keep pressing for a no-fly zone in Syria and President Bashar al-Assad's removal.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/21/us-mideast-crisis-usa-turkey-idUSKCN0J529H20141121 

Palestinian Authority must face U.S. trial over terror support: judge

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/20/us-palestinians-trial-usa-idUSKCN0J42CO20141120

U.S. drone strike kills six suspected militants in northwest Pakistan: officials

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/21/us-pakistan-drones-idUSKCN0J50DB20141121

Egypt closes schools in Sinai towns as area inches toward open war

Egypt has indefinitely shut schools in two border towns in northern Sinai as the army prepares to intensify a battle with Islamist militants that turned the daily trip to lessons into a "journey of death".
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/21/us-egypt-sinai-schools-idUSKCN0J50V320141121 

Islamic State targeted in 30 air strikes by U.S., allies

The 23 strikes in Iraq included six near Baiji that hit Islamic State buildings, vehicles and tactical units while buildings, vehicles, a guard post and two tactical units were destroyed near Sinjar in four air strikes, Central Command said. Similar targets were destroyed or damaged west of Kirkuk, near Mosul and Ramadi and in Tal Afar.
In Syria, six strikes near Kobani destroyed staging areas, buildings and two tactical units, while another near Ar Raqqah damaged an Islamic State barrack, Central Command said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/21/us-mideast-crisis-usa-airstrikes-idUSKCN0J51MW20141121

Torturers of Chilean President Bachelet's father sentenced to jail

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/21/us-chile-torture-idUSKCN0J51SO20141121

FARC agree to release captured general - Americas - Al Jazeera English

Rebel group and Colombian government say they have agreed terms for release of General Ruben Alzate and four others.

FARC agree to release captured general - Americas - Al Jazeera English

Le Royaume-Uni veut empêcher le retour de djihadistes sur son territoire

« Des nouveaux pouvoirs [seront accordés] à la police des frontières pourconfisquer des passeports, empêcher les suspects de voyager et empêcher les ressortissants britanniques [djihadistes] de revenir au pays autrement qu'aux conditions » qui leur sont imposées, a-t-il expliqué. Le Royaume-Uni estime à plus de 500 le nombre de ces nationaux partis combattre auprès de l'EI en Irakou en Syrie.

Middle East Updates / Syria's Assad says UN's Aleppo cease-fire proposal is 'worth studying' - Middle East Updates Israel News | Haaretz

Iran, U.S. and EU start second day nuclear talks in Oman; Iran touts successful test of U.S. drone replica; Egyptian militant group pledges loyalty to Islamic State.

Middle East Updates / Syria's Assad says UN's Aleppo cease-fire proposal is 'worth studying' - Middle East Updates Israel News | Haaretz

Egyptian militant group pledges allegiance to ISIS - Middle East Israel News | Haaretz

Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, a jihadi organization based in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula that has carried out several attacks targeting Egyptiansecurity forces, has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Egyptian militant group pledges allegiance to ISIS - Middle East Israel News | Haaretz

The failures of Latin America's left - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

The failures of Latin America's left - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

Dempsey: Israel went to 'extraordinary length' to avoid civilians casualties in Gaza - Diplomacy and Defense Israel News | Haaretz

Dempsey was asked about the ethical implications of Israel's handling of the Gaza war, during an appearance in New York at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs.

"I actually do think that Israel went to extraordinary lengths to limit collateral damage and civilian casualties," Dempsey told the group.

"In this kind of conflict, where you are held to a standard that your enemy is not held to, you're going to be criticized for civilian casualties," he added.

Dempsey said Hamas had turned Gaza into "very nearly a subterranean society" with tunneling throughout the coastal enclave.

"That caused the IDF some significant challenges. But they did some extraordinary things to try and limit civilian casualties, to include ... making it known that they were going to destroy a particular structure," Dempsey said.

Dempsey: Israel went to 'extraordinary length' to avoid civilians casualties in Gaza - Diplomacy and Defense Israel News | Haaretz

Palestinians say term 'Temple Mount' counters international law - Diplomacy and Defense Israel News | Haaretz

The Palestine Liberation Organization has called on the international media to desist from using the term Temple Mount, saying its use doesn't "adhere to international law."



Palestinians say term 'Temple Mount' counters international law - Diplomacy and Defense Israel News | Haaretz

ICC says won't probe Israeli raid on Gaza-bound flotilla - Diplomacy and Defense Israel News | Haaretz

REUTERS - International prosecutors believe Israeli soldiers may have committed war crimes during a raid that killed nine Turkish activists in 2010, but have decided the case is beyond their remit, according to court papers seen by Reuters.

The move by lawyers at the International Criminal Court is likely to enrage Ankara which accused its erstwhile ally Israel of mass murder after the commandos abseiled onto a flotilla challenging an Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

"The information available provides a reasonable basis to believe that war crimes under the Court's jurisdiction have been committed in the context of interception and takeover of the Mavi Marmara by IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) soldiers on 31 May 2010," read the paper seen on Wednesday.

ICC says won't probe Israeli raid on Gaza-bound flotilla - Diplomacy and Defense Israel News | Haaretz

Archaeologists in Greece uncover mosaic dating back to Alexander the Great - Archaeology Israel News | Haaretz

Ancient mosaic shows chariot preceded by the god Hermes, depicted as conductor of souls to afterlife. Large circular part missing can be reconstructed from fragments, authorities say.

Archaeologists in Greece uncover mosaic dating back to Alexander the Great - Archaeology Israel News | Haaretz

3,400-year-old temple unearthed in illegal Egypt dig lands seven in jail - Archaeology Israel News | Haaretz

Seven Egyptians who discovered the remains of a 3,400-year-old temple underneath their home were arrested by the police for illegal excavation work last week.

Two of the men, residents of the Giza district near Cairo, were Palestinians, an aide to the Egyptian interior ministry said, according to the Egyptian newspaper Ahram.

The diggers found huge limestone blocks, engraved with hieroglyphs, dating to the reign of King Tuthmose III of the New Kingdom era in Egyptian history (16th-11th centuries BCE), in the Hod Zeleikha area of Al-Badrasheen district.

3,400-year-old temple unearthed in illegal Egypt dig lands seven in jail - Archaeology Israel News | Haaretz

Saudi king replaces culture minister - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Khaled al-Maeena, editor-at-large of the Saudi Gazette publication, said that Khoja was not dismissed, but left for health reasons and advancing age.

Maeena, however, said that it was time for the government to crack down on those, who are trying to incite sectarian animosity.

"The question of sectarian killings, this is the first time this has happened on that scale, and it has cause a lot of people concern," he said.

He also called for "more dialogue" among Saudi's diverse communities, and for the government to step up reforms to prevent sectarian tension.    



Saudi king replaces culture minister - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Deadly security raid in Saudi after shooting - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Two policemen and two suspected gunmen have been killed in the Saudi town of Buraida, north of the capital Riyadh, in a security operation linked to an earlier shooting in the east of the country.

Six people were also arrested on Tuesday in several other raids across the country, hours after five people were killed and nine others injured late on Monday in the Eastern Province.

An interior ministry spokesman said security forces raided several places in the cities of Riyadh, al-Ahsa, al-Khobar and throughout the Eastern Province, and apprehended those suspected of being involved in the shooting.

Referring to Monday's attack in the town of al-Dawla in the city of al-Ahsa, Major General Mansour Al-Turki said: "As a group of citizens was leaving a building ... three masked men opened fire at them with machine guns and pistols."



Deadly security raid in Saudi after shooting - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/middle-east-updates/1.624475

"Abandoning Aleppo would condemn 300,000 men, women and children to a terrible choice: the murderous siege of the regime's bombs or the barbarity of the Islamic State terrorists," Fabius wrote.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/middle-east-updates/1.624475

Sri Lankans 'ignored landslide warnings' - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English

Blaming the victims :



Sri Lankans 'ignored landslide warnings' - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English

Bangladesh party chief to hang for war crimes

Court upholds death penalty for Mohammad Kamaruzzaman for atrocities committed during war of independence from Pakistan.

Bangladesh party chief to hang for war crimes - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English

Dozens killed in Pakistan-India border blast - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English

The Indian government requested the flag-lowering ceremony, which attracts spectators of people on both sides of the border, be suspended for at least three days.

When the bomber saw that there was very strict checking at the security checkpoint, he decided to detonate his explosives as he began to pass through it. Tahir Khan, Director General of the Punjab Rangers

Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said that eight members of the same family had been killed in the explosion.  

"The ceremony normally has a very festive atmosphere and it seems that there were larger crowds than normal because it was a Sunday. We have been told the death toll is likely to rise," he added.

Dozens killed in Pakistan-India border blast - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English

ISIL 'kills scores' in Iraqi province

Women and children were said to be among those executed over the past 10 days in western Iraq's Anbar province which has been largely overrun by ISIL.

Accounts varied as to the number and timings of the executions in Anbar, but all sources spoke of more than 200 people murdered in recent days.

Police Colonel Shaaban al-Obaidi told the AFP news agency that more than 200 people were killed, while Faleh al-Essawi, deputy head of Anbar provincial council, put the toll at 258.

Canada joins campaign 

News of the killings came as Canada conducted air strikes on ISIL positions in Iraq for the first time on Sunday.

"Today's strike demonstrates our government's firm resolve to tackle the threat of terrorism and to stand with our allies against ISIL's atrocities against innocent women, children and men," Canadian Defence Minister Rob Nicholson said in a statement.

ISIL 'kills scores' in Iraqi province - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Algeria turns 'deaf ear' to border dispute

The border between Morocco and Algeria, which runs for about 1,600km, is one of the longest closed frontiers in the world. Algeria shut its land border with Morocco in 1994 after Rabat imposed visa regulations on Algerian visitors in the wake of a terrorist attack on the Atlas Asni Hotel in Marrakech. At the time,Morocco suspected Algiers was behind the bombing.

"Rabat expected Algiers to slap visa requirements on Moroccans, but the kingdom could not imagine that Algeria would also retaliate by closing the border crossings," Abdelaziz Rahabi, who served as the Algerian ambassador in Spain at the time, told Al Jazeera. "Algeria reacted firmly as the country was going through a rough patch. Actually, 1994 was one of the bloodiest years of the black decade [when a civil war raged between the government and armed groups]." 

Since then, checkpoints, on both sides of the border, have been closed and controls tightened. The two countries marked the 20th anniversary of the closure of their common border this year by building a barbed-wire fence, starting from the beach, under the pretext of fighting both terrorism and trafficking. "It is expected to separate the entire frontier," a young guard, posted in Marsa Ben M'hdi beach, told Al Jazeera in an interview last month. So far, the fence stretches about 40km along the border.



Algeria turns 'deaf ear' to border dispute - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

China may scrap death penalty for nine crimes - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

Crimes that would be exempt from capital punishment under the amendment include: "smuggling weapons, ammunition, nuclear materials or counterfeit currencies; counterfeiting currencies; raising funds by means of fraud; and arranging for or forcing another person to engage in prostitution."



China may scrap death penalty for nine crimes - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

Malaysia court hears Anwar sodomy appeal

Sodomy, even consensual, is a crime in Muslim-majority Malaysia and is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Anwar would also be banned from running for office for five years from the day he is released from jail.



Malaysia court hears Anwar sodomy appeal - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

Tunisia's Ennahda 'faces defeat' in elections

By voting for Nidaa Tounes, Tunisians appeared to prefer the country’s long-established elites over Ennahda, with some hoping for a return of what was a more orderly time before the revolution.

Tunisia's Ennahda 'faces defeat' in elections - Africa - Al Jazeera English

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/1.622668

The Italian constitutional court overruled a 2012 UN court decision that private individuals could not sue a foreign state.

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/1.622668

Mixed reactions over Iraq appointments

 Key ministers appointment will facilitate the flow of much needed military assistance for Iraqi troops fighting ISIL.

Mixed reactions over Iraq appointments - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Turkey to let Iraqi Kurds join Kobane battle

Turkey has said it will allow Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters to
cross its borders and join Syrian Kurdish forces battling the Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the embattled Syrian town of
Kobane.


"We are assisting Peshmerga forces to cross into Kobane," Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara on Monday,
adding that talks on the issue were ongoing but without giving further
details.



Turkey to let Iraqi Kurds join Kobane battle - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Turkey OKs use of bases against Islamic State militants, U.S. says - Middle East Israel News | Haaretz

Turkey will let U.S. and coalition forces use its bases, including a
key installation within 100 miles of the Syrian border, for operations
against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq, American defense
officials said Sunday.






But progress in negotiations with Turkey — including Ankara's agreement
to train several thousand Syrian moderate rebels — may not be enough to
stop the massacre of civilians in Syria's border town of Kobani, where
intense fighting continues.






The Obama administration had been pressing Ankara to play a larger role
against the extremists, who have taken control of large swaths of Syria
and Iraq, including territory on Turkey's border, and sent refugees
fleeing into Turkey.






U.S. officials confirmed Saturday that Ankara had agreed to train
Syrian moderate forces on Turkish soil. A Turkish government official
said Sunday that Turkey put the number at 4,000 opposition fighters and
said they would be screened by Turkish intelligence.






Also Sunday, officials confirmed that Turkey agreed to let U.S. and
coalition fighter aircraft launch operations against Islamic State
militants in Iraq and Syria from Turkish bases, including Incirlik Air
Base in the south. U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who has been
traveling in South America, has said the U.S. wanted access to the
Turkish bases.



Turkey OKs use of bases against Islamic State militants, U.S. says - Middle East Israel News | Haaretz

Interactive: Countries countering ISIL - Interactive - Al Jazeera English

Interactive: Countries countering ISIL - Interactive - Al Jazeera English

Frenchman's murder puts Algeria back on the shifting map of jihad

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/28/us-algeria-security-islamist-idUSKCN0HN05Z20140928

Islamic State defies air strikes by shelling Syrian Kurdish town

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/28/us-algeria-security-islamist-idUSKCN0HN05Z20140928

U.S.-led strikes pressure al Qaeda's Syria group to join with Islamic State

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/26/us-syria-crisis-nusra-insight-idUSKCN0HL11720140926

Up to 15,000 Syrian rebels needed to retake eastern Syria -U.S. military

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/26/us-mideast-crisis-usa-rebels-idUSKCN0HL24E20140926

Russia's Lavrov questions legality of U.S. airstrikes on Syria

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/26/us-syria-crisis-russia-lavrov-idUSKCN0HL21420140926

Russia at U.N. accuses U.S., allies of bossing world around

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/27/us-un-assembly-russia-idUSKCN0HM0N020140927

Libya: Send us more arms or face wider terrorism threat

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/27/us-un-assembly-libya-idUSKCN0HM0LU20140927

Islamic State defies air strikes by shelling Syrian Kurdish town

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/27/us-mideast-crisis-idUSKCN0HM06920140927

Strikes against Islamic State Terrible swift sword

http://www.economist.com/blogs/pomegranate/2014/09/strikes-against-islamic-state

Latin America’s Korean dream

http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21618785-case-modern-industrial-policy-latin-americas-korean-dream

Pax Sinica

 On September 11th and 12th the SCO held its 14th annual summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s capital. It agreed to adopt procedures for expansion, first for those countries that are already observers. India and Pakistan are likely to join in the next year. Iran is at present disqualified because it is under UN sanctions. Another observer, Mongolia, is a democracy and has long had qualms about joining what looks like a club for authoritarians. Afghanistan, the final observer, has other priorities.

 In August the SCO held its largest joint military exercises yet, an anti-terrorist drill in Inner Mongolia in China involving more than 7,000 personnel. The SCO’s boosters, however, insist it is not an alliance, like NATO, but a “partnership”, with no adversary in mind. That is not entirely true. It has always been explicitly directed against three enemies, even if they are only abstract nouns: the “three evil forces” of terrorism, separatism and extremism. China, in Xinjiang; Russia, in Chechnya; the Central Asian members, in the Ferghana Valley and on their borders with Afghanistan. All SCO members face a threat from Islamist extremism.

China itself is building all sorts of institutions: the SCO, CICA, the “BRICS” (grouping China with Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa), a Trilateral Commission (at present languishing) with South Korea and Japan and a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Their shared characteristics are that China has a big and sometimes dominant role and that the United States is not a member—and indeed was rebuffed when it sought to join the SCO as an observer. China is not just challenging the existing world order. Slowly, messily and, apparently with no clear end in view, it is building a new one.

http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21618866-china-trying-build-new-world-order-starting-asia-pax-sinica

Islamic State recruitment soaring in wake of U.S. bombing

The Islamic State jihadist organization has recruited more than 6,000
new fighters since America began targeting the group with air strikes
last month, according to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights. 



Islamic State recruitment soaring in wake of U.S. bombing - Middle East Israel News | Haaretz

U.S. and Arab partners attack Islamic State controlled oil refineries in Syria - Middle East Israel News | Haaretz

The United States was joined by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in striking modular oil refineries in eastern Syria on Wednesday, in an effort to choke off Islamic State finances, officials said.





One U.S. official told Reuters that such refineries could produce about $2 million a day in oil revenue.







U.S. and Arab partners attack Islamic State controlled oil refineries in Syria - Middle East Israel News | Haaretz

Al-Qaida may carry out attacks to prove relevancy, EU warns

 Wary of being upstaged by even more ruthless Islamic State fighters,
Al-Qaida may try to show its relevance by carrying out attacks in
Europe, the United States or Israel, the European Union's
counterterrorism coordinator said on Wednesday.



Al-Qaida may carry out attacks to prove relevancy, EU warns - Diplomacy and Defense Israel News | Haaretz

Egypt says Erdogan's UNGA speech 'full of lies and fabrications'

 The Turkish president accused Egypt's President al-Sissi of coming to power in a coup in his speech at the annual UN meet.



Egypt says Erdogan's UNGA speech 'full of lies and fabrications' - Middle East Israel News | Haaretz

US and allies strike ISIL targets in Syria

 US and Arab coalition attacks ISIL in northern Syria, as Washington conducts separate strikes on Al-Nusra Front ally.



US and allies strike ISIL targets in Syria - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Israel shoots down Syrian warplane over Golan

Israel shoots down Syrian warplane over Golan - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Yemen president warns of civil war

Yemen president warns of civil war - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Fears in Jordan over attacks on ISIL

 Jordan has confirmed it took part in air strikes launched against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) inside Syrian territory in the early hours of September 23.


Mohammad
al-Momani, the Jordanian information minister and government
spokesperson, said that his country was among four other Arab countries
that participated in the air strikes.

Fears in Jordan over attacks on ISIL - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

China firms exporting 'tools of torture'

More than 130 companies are involved in producing or trading the
equipment, typically marketed to law enforcement agencies, up from about
28 companies a decade ago, Amnesty said in a report released on
Tuesday.


The equipment encourages human rights abuses by law
enforcement authorities in African and Southeast Asian nations, the
group said.


"While some of the exports are no doubt used in legitimate law
enforcement operations, China has also exported equipment that has
inhumane effects, or poses a substantial risk of fuelling human rights
violations by foreign law enforcement agencies," it said.


One company, China Xining Import/Export Corporation, which advertises
thumb cuffs, restraint chairs and electric stun guns, said in 2012 it
had ties to more than 40 African countries, according to Amnesty. The
firm could not be reached for comment.



China firms exporting 'tools of torture' - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

Deadly blasts strike China's Xinjiang

Deadly blasts strike China's Xinjiang - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

Turkish forces fend off Kurdish protesters

 Authorities temporarily close border, blocking Kurds from returning to Syria and joining battles against ISIL.



Turkish forces fend off Kurdish protesters - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Fleeing Islamic State, 60,000 Syrian Kurds cross into Turkey

 

Fleeing Islamic State, 60,000 Syrian Kurds cross into Turkey - Middle East Israel News | Haaretz

Islamic State releases 49 Turkish hostages captured in Iraq

Islamic State releases 49 Turkish hostages captured in Iraq - Middle East Israel News | Haaretz

Hollande: France to present Israeli-Palestinian solution to UN Security Council - Diplomacy and Defense Israel News | Haaretz

President Abbas on his part called on all nations to do their part to end the conflict, the French press agency said.





“Making peace will give added legitimacy to the fight against terrorism in the region,” he added.



Hollande: France to present Israeli-Palestinian solution to UN Security Council - Diplomacy and Defense Israel News | Haaretz

Israeli drone crashes in southern Lebanon

The Skylark drone experienced a malfunction during a routine patrol
along the Israeli-Lebanese border, according to the IDF. The incident is
being investigated.





The crash, which was initially reported in the Lebanese media, took place in the Marjayoun region.





Earlier
this month, Lebanese media reported that Israel remotely detonated a
spying device planted in south Lebanon, killing a member of Hezbollah
and wounding several others in the explosion.





Hezbollah’s
Al-Manar TV said on September 6 that Hassan Ali Haidar was killed after
army intelligence spotted a “strange device” in the village of Adloun,
near Tyre. An unmanned drone remotely detonated the device following its
discovery, according to the report, killing Haidar.





On
August 28, the Arabic-language Al-Mayadin TV channel reported that an
Israeli Hermes drone crashed in the vicinity of Baghdad Airport, in
Iraq. According to Al-Mayadin, the cause of the crash is unclear.





Israeli drone crashes in southern Lebanon - Diplomacy and Defense Israel News | Haaretz

Libyan PM says Qatar sent arms to opposition - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Abdullah al-Thinni alleges planes loaded with weapons landed at Tripoli airport, which is controlled by an armed group.

Last updated: 15 Sep 2014 11:55

Libyan PM says Qatar sent arms to opposition - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Algeria's al-Qaeda defectors join IS group - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Algeria's al-Qaeda defectors join IS group - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

US: no place for Iran at Islamic State talks - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

John Kerry says Iranian role in coalition to confront Islamic State in Syria precluded by support of Damascus regime.

US: no place for Iran at Islamic State talks - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Hundreds feared dead as boat sinks off Libya - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

The officials declined to identify which countries made the offers, but said on Sunday they were under consideration as the US begins to identify roles in its coalition against fighters who control parts of Iraq and Syria.

Hundreds feared dead as boat sinks off Libya - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

US: Arab states to join air raids on IS group - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

The officials declined to identify which countries made the offers, but said on Sunday they were under consideration as the US begins to identify roles in its coalition against fighters who control parts of Iraq and Syria.

US: Arab states to join air raids on IS group - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Syrian opposition 'ready' to partner with West against Islamic State - Middle East Israel News | Haaretz

Syrian opposition 'ready' to partner with West against Islamic State - Middle East Israel News | Haaretz

Obama annonce une extension des frappes contre l'Etat islamique

http://www.lemonde.fr/ameriques/article/2014/09/11/obama-promet-des-frappes-contre-l-etat-islamique-ou-qu-il-soit_4485434_3222.html

US plunges reluctantly, but definitively, into Syria

http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Analysis-US-plunges-reluctantly-but-definitively-into-Syria-375016

US expands air campaign against IS group

The US has launched five air attacks on Islamic State fighters
threatening the Haditha dam, as Washington widened its air campaign
against the group.


The attacks on Sunday destroyed Islamic State vehicles, two of
which were carrying anti-aircraft artillery, a fighting position and a
command post, the US central command said.


"At the request of the Iraqi government and in keeping with our
mission to protect US personnel and facilities, US military planes have
begun striking ISIL terrorists near the Haditha dam," said a US
official.

US expands air campaign against IS group - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Libya accuses Sudan of arming rebels

Libya has intercepted a Sudanese military plane loaded with
ammunition in its airspace, and declared Sudan's military attache
persona non grata, amid growing accusations Khartoum was supporting
Islamist rebels in the country.


Libya's newly elected government accused Sudan on Sunday of breaching
its "national sovereignty," by flying in ammunition destined
for "terrorist groups".


Sudan confirmed it had sent a military plane but said it had only
carried equipment for a joint Libyan-Sudanese state border force.


"Sudan is interfering by supporting a terrorist group," a Libyan statement said.


"This work from the Sudanese state violates [the sovereignty] of the
State of Libya and interferes with its affairs," it said, adding that
Libya had asked the Sudanese military attache to leave the country.



Libya accuses Sudan of arming rebels - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Canada to send military advisers to help Iraq counter Islamic State

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/05/us-iraq-crisis-coalition-canada-idUSKBN0H01GR20140905

NATO agrees on goal of raising defense spending over a decade

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/05/us-ukraine-crisis-defence-idUSKBN0H01JN20140905

Nigeria sends in warplanes against Boko Haram in northeast

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/05/us-nigeria-violence-idUSKBN0H01KW20140905

Kenyan president's Hague trial halted in blow to war crimes court

The International Criminal Court case against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta collapsed on Friday as prosecutors admitted they lacked evidence, casting doubt on whether the decade-old court can hold the powerful to account.
In a court filing, prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said Kenya had not handed over the bank and telephone records that the decade-old court was demanding, leaving them without a case ahead of the scheduled October 7 start date.
The case against Kenyatta, accused of stoking lethal inter-ethnic violence after Kenya's 2007 presidential elections in which 1,200 died, had been postponed several times as prosecutors tried to gather evidence against him.
The collapse of the case is a severe blow for the Hague-baesd court, the first permanent war crimes tribunal, which was set up with the aim of ensuring that people accused of the most serious international crimes face justice.
"The accused person in this case is the head of a government that has so far failed fully to comply with its obligations to the Court," ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a filing, asking judges to adjourn the case indefinitely.
Judges could respond to the filing by throwing out the case, bringing the case against Kenyatta to an end.
But a prosecution lawyer told Reuters they hoped judges would agree to a highly unusual permanent adjournment, which would indicate the case had failed because Kenya authorities had obstructed the investigation.



http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/05/us-icc-kenya-adjournment-idUSKBN0H01LI20140905

Obama says hopeful but skeptical of Ukraine ceasefire

www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/05/us-ukraine-crisis-obama-idUSKBN0H01QO20140905

Obama says U.S. will 'take out' Islamic State leaders

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/05/us-iraq-crisis-obama-isil-idUSKBN0H01U720140905

Key allies ready to join U.S. military action in Iraq: Obama

Obama said NATO leaders were unanimous at a summit in Wales that the radical Sunni fighters posed a significant threat to the West and he had found support for U.S. actions in Iraq.
"Key NATO allies stand ready to confront this terrorist threat through military, intelligence and law enforcement as well as diplomatic efforts," Obama said after ministers of 10 nations met on the sidelines of the NATO meeting to form what Washington called a "core coalition".
"Already allies have joined us in Iraq where we have stopped ISIL's advances, we have equipped our Iraqi partners and helped them go on offense," he told a news conference.
The United States hoped a new Iraqi government would be formed next week and was confident it would have a coalition for the sustained action required to destroy ISIL.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/05/us-iraq-crisis-obama-idUSKBN0H01S820140905

Turkey may play quiet role in U.S. coalition against Islamic State

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/05/us-usa-turkey-idUSKBN0H029O20140905

Russia 'will react' if EU implements new sanctions: Foreign Ministry

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/06/us-ukraine-crisis-russia-sanctions-idUSKBN0H106I20140906

EU slaps new sanctions on Russia, may suspend them if ceasefire holds

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/06/us-ukraine-crisis-eu-sanctions-idUSKBN0H02B420140906

Syrian warplanes hit Islamic State-run bakery, training camp: monitor

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/06/us-syria-crisis-idUSKBN0H10AV20140906

Iraq air strike kills seven in hospital near Kirkuk

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/06/us-iraq-crisis-hospital-idUSKBN0H10MQ20140906

Boko Haram militants attack northeast town near Cameroon border

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/06/us-nigeria-violence-idUSKBN0H10LS20140906

NATO stages major military exercise in Latvia after Wales summit

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/06/us-nato-exercises-idUSKBN0H10KA20140906

Islamic State is our top enemy: Saudi mufti

 Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority calls group labels group apostates and says terrorism has no place in Islam.



Islamic State is our top enemy: Saudi mufti - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Saudi unveils 900km fence on Iraq border

Saudi unveils 900km fence on Iraq border - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Islamic State 'kills second Lebanese captive'

 The incursion in to Arsal marked the most serious spillover to date
of the Syrian civil war into Lebanon and triggered five days of battles
with the Lebanese army.



Islamic State 'kills second Lebanese captive' - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

France's Hollande says would join alliance to fight Islamic State

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/05/us-iraq-crisis-france-idUSKBN0H01NK20140905

Survivors demand justice after Iraq massacre

No one disputes the horrific outcome: Iraqi military recruits were led off their base unarmed and murdered in their hundreds, machine gunned in mass graves by the Islamic State, whose fighters boasted proudly of the killings on the Internet.
The massacre of the Iraqi army detachment at Camp Speicher in June was unprecedented even by the standards of Iraq's decade of sectarian war. It sent panic through Iraq and announced to the world that the Sunni militants of Islamic State were a new kind of foe, determined not only to seize and hold territory but to exterminate sectarian enemies who fell into their hands.
For the survivors and the families of victims, the killers themselves are not the only villains in the story. They blame the government and local tribespeople in the surrounding Salahuddin province, who they say promised the recruits safe passage and allowed them to be led to their deaths.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/05/us-iraq-crisis-massacre-idUSKBN0H021L20140905

The story of an Islamic State massacre survivor

Eight hundred Iraqi soldiers were divided into lines of ten men, given rushed interrogations by Islamic State fighters and shot dead, the survivor said. By dawn, he was one of only 20 left alive.
Mohammed Majul Hamoud, a 24-year-old survivor who spoke to Reuters in his home town of Diwaniya, south of Baghdad, said he was spared because he pretended to be a Sunni Muslim Bedouin.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/05/us-iraq-crisis-escape-idUSKBN0H025G20140905

Islamic State guides Egyptian militants, expanding its influence

Islamic State, fighting to redraw the map of the Middle East, has been coaching Egypt's most dangerous militant group, complicating efforts to stabilize the biggest Arab nation.
Confirmation that Islamic Sate, currently the most successful of the region's jihadi groups, is extending its influence to Egypt will sound alarm bells in Cairo, where the authorities are already facing a security challenge from home-grown militants.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/05/us-egypt-islamicstate-idUSKBN0H018F20140905

NATO alliance: the moment of truth? - Inside Story - Al Jazeera English

To call it a "historic failure" may be is to forget Libya failure, the failure to help turkey, to intevene to punish and prevent the use of chemical weapon in Syria, and their "contribution" to Afhanistan peace and security.





Speaking at the summit in Wales, British prime minister David Cameron
outlined a three-point plan to take the organisation forward.

He
called for a multi-national rapid response force to be restored, a
commitment by NATO members to spend two percent of GDP on defence, and a
more effective global security network.

But will it mark a defining moment for the military alliance? Or a historic failure?


NATO alliance: the moment of truth? - Inside Story - Al Jazeera English

US confirms al-Shabab leader's death

The United States has confirmed that Ahmed Abdi Godane, a founder of
Somalia's al-Shabab group, was killed in a US air strike this week.


"We have confirmed that Ahmed Godane, the co-founder of al-Shabab, has been killed," the Pentagon press secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said in a statement on Friday.

Ahmed Abdi Godane

On Tuesday at least six people were killed as the US hit a convoy of senior al-Shabab leaders. Since then the US was assessing the results to see who died
US confirms al-Shabab leader's death - Africa - Al Jazeera English

US announces coalition to fight Islamic State

 This is so irresponsible to insist in a strategy that NEVER works, give arms to "friendly" groups is not going to solve any crisis, it will only mean more weapon available to IS. And all this talk about cutting found is meaninless for a group that doesnt rely on foreign money, it may help them, but their power and motivation are enough to reach their goals, since there are so much weapon available in the region, not safguarded by anyone that west powers may trust.



Obama says new Nato-led coalition will confront group, cut its funding, and support those opposed to "savage nihilism".

US announces coalition to fight Islamic State - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Al-Qaida claims to have expanded into India - Middle East Israel News | Haaretz

Al-Qaida claims to have expanded into India - Middle East Israel News | Haaretz

Middle East Updates / NATO to consider Iraqi request for assistance against Islamic State - Middle East Updates Israel News | Haaretz

Middle East Updates / NATO to consider Iraqi request for assistance against Islamic State - Middle East Updates Israel News | Haaretz

Somalia offers amnesty to al-Shabab fighters - Africa - Al Jazeera English

Somalia offers amnesty to al-Shabab fighters - Africa - Al Jazeera English

NATO summit to highlight unity against Russia - Europe - Al Jazeera English

NATO summit to highlight unity against Russia - Europe - Al Jazeera English

Al-Qaeda leader announces India wing - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English

Al-Qaeda leader announces India wing - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English

Putin seeks 'statehood' talks on east Ukraine

 Russian president raises stakes in Ukraine conflict, calling for talks on secession of pro-Moscow regions.



Putin seeks 'statehood' talks on east Ukraine - Europe - Al Jazeera English

Libyan militia storm US embassy in Tripoli

Evacuated embassy compound in the capital raided as fighting rages among rival militias in the North African country.

Libyan militia storm US embassy in Tripoli - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Iraq's Sunnis ready to fight IS group

"Ramadi is a strategic city for us, but we do not have enough elite
troops to achieve a victory there. So we withdrew a third of the troops
from there and redeployed them around Baghdad," the adviser said. The
adviser told Al Jazeera that maintaining control over Ramadi is a
"non-urgent" priority for the Iraqi government at this time.


The Islamic State group has swept through northern Iraq since it took
control of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, in June. Islamic State
fighters routed Kurdish Peshmerga troops from towns that bordered the
northern Kurdish autonomous region, and at least 500,000 people have been displaced.



Iraq's Sunnis ready to fight IS group - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Jordan King given further exclusive powers - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Royal decree allowing King Abdullah to choose army and security chiefs raises fears in delay of democratisation efforts.

Jordan King given further exclusive powers - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

UN soldiers escape siege by Syria rebels - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

UN soldiers escape siege by Syria rebels - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Somali and AU forces in al-Shabab offensive - Africa - Al Jazeera English

Somali and African Union forces launch "Operation Indian Ocean" to capture remaining ports held by armed group.

Somali and AU forces in al-Shabab offensive - Africa - Al Jazeera English

Iraqi minority vows death before IS capture - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Shia Turkmen in Amerli, besieged by the Islamic State group, vow to kill their families before seeing their subjugation.

Iraqi minority vows death before IS capture - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

US jets target IS positions in Iraq - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Warplanes attack fighters in besieged northern town of Amerli and airdrop humanitarian aid to civilians trapped there.

US jets target IS positions in Iraq - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Islamic State strengthens control in Syria

The seizure of the Tabqa airbase highlights the Islamic State's consolidation of power in eastern Syria, analysts say.

Islamic State strengthens control in Syria - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

The battle for Africa - People & Power - Al Jazeera English

People and Power investigates the effects of China's increasing influence in Africa.

The battle for Africa - People & Power - Al Jazeera English

Islamic State group 'executes 700' in Syria

The Islamic State group has executed 700 members of a tribe it has
been battling in eastern Syria during the past two weeks, the majority
of them civilians, a monitoring group said.


The killing spree happened in several villages inhabited by the
al-Sheitat tribe in Deir Ezzor province, where the tribe are from, the
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday.  

The silence of the international community is unbelievable. There is no excuse for them to keep a blind eye on what is happening in Syria.  Hadi al-Bahra,   Syrian National Coalition leader

The Observatory said many of the victims, who were Sheitat tribesmen,
were beheaded after they were captured by the Islamic State group.



Islamic State group 'executes 700' in Syria - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Obama admits 'no strategy' on IS in Syria

Obama admits 'no strategy' on IS in Syria - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

UN soldiers seized by rebels in Golan Heights

US blames Nusra Front fighters for capture of 43 Fijians serving in UN observer force in Israeli-occupied area.

UN soldiers seized by rebels in Golan Heights - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Arab Nations Strike in Libya, Surprising U.S.

CAIRO — Twice in the last seven days, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have secretly launched airstrikes against Islamist-allied militias battling for control of Tripoli, Libya, four senior American officials said, in a major escalation of a regional power struggle set off by Arab Spring revolts.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/26/world/africa/egypt-and-united-arab-emirates-said-to-have-secretly-carried-out-libya-airstrikes.html?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z_sma=WO_ANS_20140825&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1388552400000&bicmet=1420088400000&_r=1#1

Obama 'authorises spy flights over Syria'

 Sources say surveillance aircraft would be used by Washington to gather intelligence on the Islamic State group.

Obama 'authorises spy flights over Syria' - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

US conducted ground operation in Syria, failed to rescue Islamic State hostages

http://www.jpost.com/International/US-conducts-ground-operation-in-Syria-failing-to-rescue-Islamic-State-hostages-371729

The Economist explains The Christians of Iraq and Syria

http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/08/economist-explains-13?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/bl/ee/christiansiraqsyria

U.S. spending millions to blow up captured U.S. materiel in Iraq

 U.S. could not blame Saddam for Al-Qaeda support, now they have a group they label as "Al-Qaeda-ISIL" using U.S. weapons to build a new middle east!

http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2014/08/18/how-much-it-costs-the-u-s-to-blow-up-captured-u-s-military-hardware-in-iraq/?utm_source=Facebook

Kenya: Killings, Disappearances by Anti-Terror Police

http://m.hrw.org/news/2014/08/18/kenya-killings-disappearances-anti-terror-police

Egyptian security forces 'planned massacre,' says HRW

 

The killings of at least 817 people by Egyptian security forces last year probably amount to a crime against humanity, Human Rights Watch says.

A report by the US-based group says 1,000 or more people probably died in one day around Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque.
The deaths came during demonstrations broken up by Egyptian security forces.
Executive director Kenneth Roth said the deaths were "one of the world's largest killings of demonstrators in a single day in recent history".
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28746899

Novos imigrantes mudam o cenário do Rio Grande do Sul

 

http://zh.clicrbs.com.br/rs/noticias/noticia/2014/08/novos-imigrantes-mudam-o-cenario-do-rio-grande-do-sul-4576728.html

US air strikes aid Kurdish push on Mosul dam

US air strikes aid Kurdish push on Mosul dam - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Syrian jets hammer Islamic State stronghold

 Islamic State-controlled city of Raqqa comes under intense air bombardment, ending an undeclared truce between sides.

Syrian jets hammer Islamic State stronghold - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Kurdish rivals unite to fight Islamic State - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

 PKK forces have joined the fighting in Iraq, a move some say could boost tension between Turkey and Iraqi Kurds.

Kurdish rivals unite to fight Islamic State - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Khaled Meshaal: 'Not a war of choice' - Talk to Al Jazeera - Al Jazeera English

Although he is not on location, neither in Gaza nor in Cairo, Khaled
Meshaal, Hamas' political leader, is a central protagonist in this
dreadful drama.


He says: "This is a battle that we have not chosen to fight, it was
forced upon us. It was the Israeli occupation that started the
aggression. It brought the events that happened two months ago in the
West Bank to Gaza for its own domestic calculations. It wanted to take
revenge on Hamas and the Palestinian people in Gaza. We have defended
ourselves.


"This is not the first time there is a ceasefire .... We do not wish
to play the game of keeping the calm with the aim of wasting time. We
want serious negotiations that lead to an end of the aggression on Gaza
and granting the Palestinian demands. We want our people in Gaza to feel
that the siege has been actually lifted after eight years of
intolerable suffering."



Khaled Meshaal: 'Not a war of choice' - Talk to Al Jazeera - Al Jazeera English

Making choices over Syria and Iraq? - Inside Syria - Al Jazeera English

 The Syrian Coalition accuses the international community of 'double standards' as the US intervenes in Iraq.

Making choices over Syria and Iraq? - Inside Syria - Al Jazeera English

Islamic State group 'executes 700' in Syria

 Activists say the killings of Sheitat tribesmen, many by beheading, happened over the last two weeks.

Islamic State group 'executes 700' in Syria - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Maliki gives up Iraq PM job to rival - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Nouri al-Maliki ends bid to hold on to power and endorses Haider al-Abadi's appointment as his successor.

Maliki gives up Iraq PM job to rival - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Hamas: Peace deal must meet people's demands - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

People demands have any connection with the way Hamas manages its budget? Why investing so much in missile industry and expensive tunnels that have only one purpose "military" (no distinction between israeli citizens and soldiers, but don't call it "terror"). 



Hamas: Peace deal must meet people's demands - Middle East - Al Jazeera English