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Nitish, Left leaders meet to give shape to 'Third Force'
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Bihar
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the Left leadership on Monday had a
breakfast meeting with other leaders to discuss the formation of a
non-Congress, non-BJP formation for the next Lok Sabha polls.
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The informal meeting took place at the residence of JD (S) chief and
former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda in New Delhi on Monday in which it
was decided that leaders of 11 non-Congress non-BJP parties, who
recently came together in Parliament, will hold a formal meeting after
the extended winter session is over to give concrete shape to the "Third
Force".
The breakfast meeting was attended by CPI-M General Secretary Prakash
Karat, CPI veteran A B Bardhan and Forward Bloc general secretary
Debabrata Biswas.
Sources said that one or two common public rallies to give the message
of unity of a non-Congress, non-BJP force in the next general elections
may be held but the plans will concretise only after the meeting of
leaders of the 11 parties after the session.
"It was an informal meeting. Since the Bihar Chief Minister was in the
national capital, the leaders decided to meet over breakfast. It was
decided to evolve a strategy to forge a non-Congress, non-BJP formation
ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls.
"It was agreed that leaders of 11 such parties, who had come together on
February 5 to forge a common strategy in Parliament, will hold a
meeting in Delhi and decide the future course of action," JD (S)
Secretary General Danish Ali, who attended the meeting, said on Monday.
In indications of emergence of a Third Front in view of the Lok Sabha
elections, 11 non-Congress, non-BJP parties had on 5th February formally
joined hands as a block in Parliament to pitch for pro-people,
anti-communal and federal agenda.
The announcement was made at a joint press conference of leaders of
these parties including the four Left parties, Samajwadi Party, JD(U),
AIADMK, AGP, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha, JD(S) and BJD, which was then
described as the first step after the parties came together on 30th
October last year for a convention against communalism attended by 17
parties.
JD (U), which walked out of NDA snapping its 17-year-old ties with BJP,
hopes to play significant role in the formation of such a front, given
the fact that the erstwhile Janta Dal had always been an axis force,
whenever such a Third Force was formed in the country.
There have been indications from the party that SP, JD (U) and JD (S) will be inching closer as the polls come closer.
The breakfast meeting, according to the leaders, was informal and a
formal meeting to formulate programmes would be convened after the
Parliament session.
"It was an informal meeting of non-BJP and non-Congress parties," JD(U)
leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told reporters after the
meeting. Karat said, the leaders discussed the ways to take the Front
forward.
"We have just discussed about how to take this forward. Since Nitish
Kumar is in Delhi we got the opportunity to discuss directly with him.
We are working out about how to take it forward," he said.
Asked any rally has been planned by them in Bangalore, Karat said, "It would be discussed."
Deve Gowda said, all the 11 parties would meet after the Parliament session in Delhi to formulate other programmes.
Chandrababu Naidu meets Mamata to disucuss federal front
Telegu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu met Trinamool Congress
supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on
Monday to discuss the formation of a federal front ahead of the Lok
Sabha poll.
"Discussions are on with different political parties on the formation of
the federal front," Naidu told reporters after the meeting.
The TDP chief who met Banerjee at the new state secretariat 'Nabanna',
described the meeting as 'positive' and expressed optimism about the
federal front securing required number to form the government after the
general election.
Naidu, however, did not clarify who would be the constituents of the
federal front. Asked to comment on Telangana, he said TDP was opposed to
it.
Banerjee had given a call to all non-Congress and non-BJP regional
parties to come together and form a federal front before the Lok Sabha
polls.
Naidu's meeting with her took place on a day when Bihar Chief Minister
and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar and the Left leadership had a breakfast
meeting with other leaders in Delhi to discuss the formation of a
non-Congress, non-BJP formation for the next Lok Sabha polls.
The informal meeting took place at the residence of JD(S) chief H D Deve
Gowda in which it was decided that leaders of 11 non-Congress and
non-BJP parties, who recently came together in Parliament, will hold a
formal meeting after the extended winter session was over to give
concrete shape to the 'third force'.
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Rahul interacts with railway porters
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Rahul
Gandhi on Tuesday held interactions with railway porters as part of
Congress' outreach programme to seek their feedback for the party's
manifesto for 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
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During
the nearly two-hour interaction, Gandhi talked about the need to create
a concrete support base with "basic minimum rights" for 70 crore people
of the strata between BPL and middle class, a theme he has of late been
repeatedly talking about.
"In India, there are 70 crore people who do different odd jobs, they
want to go forward. They want a little help. We take everyone's voice to
the government for the betterment of their life. "We want to strengthen
the ground beneath this 70 crore people. I promise you that I will do
whatever I can to help you," Gandhi said.
During interactions, Gandhi also said coolies should have a right of
health and when they are injured in course of their job and they should
be treated by authorities.
On January 30, Gandhi had held interactions with labour representatives
from organised and unorganised sectors including street vendors.
The interaction with coolies, organised on a platform at New Delhi
Railway station today, is part of the on-going process of Congress this
time to seek feedback from cross-sections of society and will be
followed by another such elaborate exercise with farmers.
Gandhi has so far held consultations with representatives of minorities,
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, youth, women and elected
representatives of panchayats.
The interaction today saw a number of railway gangmen and porters complaining odd working hours and lack of facilities.
Congress had opened up its manifesto-making exercise and launched a website for this.
The party held five consultations with different sections in the
national capital so far, one each in Bangalore, Bhopal and Nagpur
interacting with different stakeholders.
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Spectrum auction completes 53 rounds of bidding on 8th day
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The
ongoing telecom spectrum auction has completed 53 rounds so far on the
eight day of the bidding on Tuesday that has already generated bids
worth around 86 per cent of what the government got for 3G radiowaves in
2010.
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The government had received bids worth Rs 58,332 crore from telecom
firms as of yesterday's close in the auction for 900 Mhz and 1800 Mhz
bands.
The amount is about 86 per cent of what 3G radiowaves auction fetched in
2010, although the current round has far more spectrum for the two
bands on the block. The 3G auction in 2010 had fetched the government Rs
67,718.95 crore.
"The auction of spectrum in the 1800 MHz and 900 MHz bands that began on
February 3, 2014 has completed 53 rounds as per the latest information
available on the 8th day on Tuesday. Auction re-commenced with the 50th
round today at 9 AM. Bidding is ongoing," an official statement said.
Bids worth Rs 34,743.2 crore have been received for 1800 MHz and Rs
23,589.62 crore for the 900 MHz band.
The government will now get at least Rs 17,362.66 crore in the current
fiscal from the auction in case companies opt for instalment mode. The
bidders can pay part of the money upfront and the remaining over a
maximum of 10 yearly instalments.
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India, China discuss additional CBMs
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Committing
to build trust and understanding, India and China discussed early
implementation of Border Defence Cooperation Agreement as part of
possible additional confidence-building measures at the two-day meeting
of their Special Representatives which concluded in New Delhi on
Tuesday.
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At
the 17th round of the Special Representative talks, the two sides held
elaborate discussions on ways to ensure peace and tranquility on the
border besides overall bilateral relations and international and
regional issues.
"The Special Representatives elaborated on possible additional
confidence-building measures, including the early implementation of the
Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA)," External Affairs Ministry
spokesman Syed Akbaruddin told reporters.
The Indian side was led by National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon while the Chinese delegation was headed by Yang Jiechi.
The BDCA, signed late last year, spells out a series of measures to
enhance coordination between the armies of the two countries along the
disputed 4,057 km long Line of Actual Control.
The SRs, who have been engaged addressing the boundary issue for over
eight years, are in the second of the three-phased process.
The first phase- Political Parameters and Guiding Principles -- has
already been completed and the current step of building the framework
for a settlement is considered the most difficult part.
The third and final step will be demarcation and delineation of the boundary.
Asked how long it will take to reach the settlement, the MEA spokesman
refused to hazard a guess, arguing that the issue is "complex".
However, he added that both sides are seriously working to reach a settlement.
Describing it as a "constructive" round, the MEA spokesman said the talks were held in a "candid and frank" manner.
The two sides agreed "a strong and expanding" India-China partnership
bodes well for peace and stability in the region and the world.
On the outcome, the spokesman quipped, "nothing is agreed till it is agreed."
He said the two sides welcomed the decision to have an early meeting in 2014 of the Annual Defence Dialogue.
"These measures augur well for building the habit of regular discussions
between the two sides which will enhance trust and understanding,"
Akbaruddin said.
He said the BDCA brings new synergy in the relationship between the two countries.
The Special Representatives made a positive evaluation of India-China
relations in the aftermath of the visit to India by Chinese Premier Li
Keqiang and the return visit to China by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
last year.
Undertaking a holistic review of bilateral relations, the Special
Representatives expressed satisfaction that 2014 would be marked as the
Year of Friendly Exchanges with a series of economic, cultural and
social events in both countries.
They stressed the need for continuing the momentum of high-level exchanges and enhancing people-to-people ties.
They encouraged the holding of regular dialogue between the two
governments on all bilateral issues, including on counter-terrorism,
disarmament & international security and maritime affairs on
schedule.
The discussions also focused on regional and international issues of
mutual interest including cooperation in the East Asia Summit process as
well as developments in West Asia and Afghanistan. They agreed to
expand India-China consultations on such subjects.
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Third chemical weapons shipment leaves Syria
A third shipment of Syrian chemical weapons material has left the
country aboard a Norwegian ship accompanied by a naval escort from
China, Denmark, Norway, and Russia, according to the UN. The
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said in a
statement that some chemical materials were also destroyed inside Syria.
Under a UN resolution, Syria vowed to surrender and destroy its 1,300
tons of declared chemical weapons by mid-2014.
20:03
Four ICRC workers missing in Mali
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says four workers
are missing in Mali, raising speculations of a possible kidnapping.
"We can confirm that the ICRC lost contact with one of its vehicles, with five people on board," ICRC
spokesman Alexis Heeb told AFP. The four members and an employee of
another aid organization, as well as their vehicle, went missing on
Saturday en route between the towns of Kidal and Gao.
"We don't know the reason for the vehicle going missing. It could be anything," Heeb said, pointing out that all individuals are Malian citizens.
"It's important not to speculate about what might have happened, although no possibility has been ruled out," he added.
Syria parties agree to 3-day extension of Homs humanitarian pause
UN humanitarian affairs chief Valerie Amos has said that the Syrian
government and the opposition will extend the ‘humanitarian pause’ in
hostilities after aid workers fell under fire in the besieged,
rebel-held city of Homs.
“I welcome the news that the parties to the
conflict have agreed to extend the humanitarian pause in Old Homs City,
for a further three days,” Amos said in a statement released Monday.
“UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid workers were deliberately targeted”
as they were attempting to help people, she added. The agreement to
facilitate the evacuation of civilians was reached on Feb. 7.
Yemen grants south autonomy, rather than independence
Yemen’s president approved the conversion of the country into a federal
state on Monday, granting the south autonomy amid its planned
transition to democracy. Yemen will be split into six regions under the
move. However, a large proportion of more radical southerners have been
pushing for a separate state, fuelling fears that the country could
descend further into instability and violence, as separatists continue
to press for a restoration of the state that merged with North Yemen in
1990.
EU ministers approve launch of C. African Republic military mission
EU foreign ministers on Monday approved the launch of a military
mission in the Central African Republic, Itar-Tass reported. The
decision will be a judicial basis for the EUFOR RCA mission and is the
next step for its quick deployment, according to a document signed in
Brussels. The mission is the bloc's first full military land operation
in six years. About 1,600 French troops deployed in the country in
December have been trying to stem violence between Christian militias
and largely Muslim Seleka rebels, who ousted President Francois Bozize
last March.
Iraq speaker escapes militants’ attack in Mosul
Iraq's parliament speaker, Osama al-Nujaifi, narrowly escaped an attack
in his hometown on Monday, AFP reported. A convoy carrying the speaker,
Iraq's most senior Sunni Arab politician, was hit by a roadside bomb in
the main northern city of Mosul, according to his office. Nujaifi
escaped unharmed, but one of bodyguards was wounded, sources say. Mosul
and surrounding Nineveh province, where Nujaifi's brother Atheel is
governor, is one of Iraq's most violent areas.
2 NATO contractors killed by car bomb in Kabul
A suicide attacker rammed a car bomb into a NATO convoy in the Afghan
capital on Monday, killing two foreign civilian contractors, AP
reported, citing authorities. The Islamic militant group, Hizb-i-Islami,
claimed responsibility for the attack in eastern Kabul. The attacker
struck the convoy near the capital's Pul-i-Charkhi prison, and at least
seven Afghan civilians were wounded, including a child.
Germany to contribute troops to EU training mission in Somali capital
Germany will send troops to an EU training mission in Mogadishu,
Reuters reported. The move comes less than a year after security
concerns led Berlin to abandon a similar training operation, when it
relocated from Uganda to the Somali capital. The decision to pull out
had been taken by the previous government, a foreign office spokesman
said on Monday, adding that the situation in Somalia had since improved.
The new German government, which took office last December, has
promised a more robust foreign and security policy.
HRW calls on Spain, Morocco to end abuse of sub-Saharan immigrants
Human Rights Watch on Monday called on Morocco and Spain to end the
abusive treatment of sub-Saharan immigrants. The call came after nine
migrants drowned trying to reach the Spanish territory of Ceuta, AFP
reported. The security forces “commonly beat, otherwise abuse and
sometimes steal” from sub-Saharan migrants, HRW said. Rabat launched an
operation in January to regularize the migrants’ situation. The rights
group also criticized Spanish security forces for using “excessive force
when they summarily expel migrants” from their north African
territories of Ceuta and Melilla.
At least 21 militants killed by own car bomb in Iraq
A car bomb mistakenly went off in a militant compound in the Jilam area
south of Samarra, north of Baghdad Monday, killing at least 21
insurgents, AFP said. The group were allegedly filming a propaganda
video of the would-be suicide attacker when a technical glitch set the
car bomb off, said Majeed Ali, the head of the Sahwa militia force in
the city. Jilam, just south of the mostly-Sunni city of Samarra, has
long been an insurgent stronghold.
Magnitude 5.8 quake hits Azerbaijan
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit 130km from Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku,
at 16:06 local time (12:06 GMT), Itar-Tass reported. The country’s
seismology service said the epicenter was in the Gadzhigabulsky
District. The depth of the quake, felt in Baku and other regions, was
30km. No damage has been reported.
At least 51 people perished in flooding, landslides in Burundi capital
A night of torrential rain in the Burundi capital killed at least 51
people, swept away hundreds of homes and cut off roads and power,
officials said Monday. The toll was the highest in living memory from a
disaster caused by freak weather, with more than 100 people also
injured, AFP reported.
“The rain that fell in torrents overnight on the capital caused a disaster,” Security
Minister Gabriel Nizigama said. Several hundred homes were destroyed
and more than 100 people injured in Bujumbura, on the northeastern shore
of Lake Tanganyika.
Russian police kill 4 suspected militants in Dagestan
Russian police killed four suspected militants in a shootout at a house
in the North Caucasus Republic of Dagestan, Reuters reported, citing
law enforcement agencies. The gun fight broke out on Saturday after
police surrounded a private house used by militants in the region some
600km from Sochi, at the other end of the Caucasus Mountain chain. Sochi
is hosting the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. The clash was reportedly not
connected with the Games.
Brahimi to hold separate meetings with Syria sides
International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi will keep meeting the two sides
of the Syrian conflict separately for the next few days as negotiations
resumed in Geneva on Monday. The talks will tackle the issues of
stopping violence, setting up a transitional governing body, and plans
for national institutions and reconciliation, Brahimi told the two sides
in a document obtained by Reuters. The second session is expected to
last a week.
China condemns Japan's UN bid for kamikaze pilot letters
China condemned on Monday plans by a Japanese city to ask the UN world
heritage organization to register letters by World War Two kamikaze
suicide pilots, Reuters reported. The southern Japanese city of Minami
Kyushu asked UNESCO last week to register the wills and farewell letters
of the pilots who had carried out attacks on allied ships, alongside
documents that include the diaries of Anne Frank and the Magna Carta, to
highlight the importance of world peace.
“The design… is very clear, which is to try and beautify the Japanese militarist history of invasion,” China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
Syria govt delegation arrives in Geneva for new round of peace talks
Syria's government delegation has arrived in Geneva for a second round
of peace talks with opposition representatives, state television
announced. The delegation, which arrived on Sunday, is headed by Foreign
Minister Walid Muallem. The talks with the opposition delegation start
on Monday. The previous round ended 10 days ago, with no concrete
agreement reached on conflict in Syria.
Russia's major satellite provider drops independent Dozhd TV channel
Tricolor TV, Russia’s biggest satellite television provider, stopped
broadcasting independent Dozhd TV channel on Monday, RIA Novosti
reported. The provider said earlier its board of directors had decided
to exclude the Dozhd channel from all its packages because of its
editorial policy. The move followed a
scandal over
a WWII poll published on Dozhd’s website. The society for the defense
of customers’ rights on Monday filed suits against several TV providers
over the cancelation of Dozhd’s broadcasts.
Asylum seekers towed on boat to Indonesia accuse Australia Navy of abuse
Forty-five asylum seekers who slid ashore on a small island off the
Australian city of Darwin on New Year's day were forced by Australian
military personnel back onto their wooden boat and towed out to sea,
Reuters said. Five asylum seekers from Africa and the Middle East said
in interviews the journey to Indonesia was marked by physical and verbal
abuse, and the passengers were reportedly denied proper access to food,
water and medical treatment. Australian Immigration and Border
Protection Minister Scott Morrison said he did not give
“credibility to malicious and unfounded slurs.” The Navy and Customs and Border Protection Service
“act in accordance with their training and lawful orders and would only use force where necessary,” the minister said.
Russia to support Beijing bid for 2022 Winter Olympics
China has a good chance of winning a bid for 2022 Winter Olympics,
Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has said. He added that Moscow is
ready to support Beijing’s bid. If selected, the Chinese capital will be
the first city to organize both summer and winter versions of the
Games. The bid was formally announced by Chinese officials at Sochi in
Russia, where the Winter Games are currently being held. Four other
cities will compete to host the 2022 Olympics, including Almaty in
Kazakhstan, Poland's Krakow, Ukraine’s Lviv and Norway’s Oslo.
New Zealand blasts Japan for whaling ship entering economic waters
New Zealand has sharply criticized Japan for allowing a whaling ship to
enter its economic waters. Tokyo ignored requests that the Shonan Maru 2
steer clear of New Zealand's 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ), New Zealand said Monday. The ship pursued an anti-whaling vessel
operated by protest group Sea Shepherd, AP reported. Last week, a
different Japanese whaling ship and a second Sea Shepherd boat collided
in the icy seas off Antarctica. New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray
McCully described Japan's latest actions as “unhelpful and
disrespectful.”
Republicans plan to raise NC public school teachers' minimum salaries to $35,000
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory and other Republicans will propose
Monday to raise base salaries for the least experienced teachers, AP
reported. The move is intended to make those teachers more competitive
with Southern neighbors and the nation. The document says the
legislature will consider a bill to ensure all public school teachers
make at least $33,000 during the 2014-15 school year and at least
$35,000 the following year. Teachers have reportedly had only one raise
since 2008, leading to low morale.
Indonesia releases Australian woman convicted of smuggling marijuana
An Australian woman convicted of smuggling marijuana into Indonesia
walked free from jail on Monday after being given parole. Schapelle
Corby, 35, said nothing as she left Bali's Kerobokan prison Monday, AP
reported. Her release from prison was carried live on TV networks across
Australia. Corby was convicted of smuggling 4.2kg of marijuana onto
Bali in a boogie board bag in 2004 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
In 2010, she asked for clemency, citing her poor mental state. Corby
will have to stay in Bali and cannot return to Australia until 2017.
Iran steps up to cooperate with UN nuclear bomb probe
The UN’s nuclear agency revealed Sunday that Iran moved towards
cooperation in terms of allegations that it is designing atomic weapons.
The development could significantly impact upcoming negotiations in
Vienna - due to start February 18 - between Iran and the six world
powers. Iran had earlier promised to clear up
“any ambiguities” regarding its uranium enrichment program. On Saturday, Iran
resumed
talks with the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
In line with the framework, Iran is expected to take six practical
measures by this Tuesday – including an additional IAEA visit to an
unfinished heavy-water reactor at Arak and another inspection of Gachin
Mine in Bandar Abbas Port in southern Iran.
US, S. Korea to hold war games despite Pyongyang's opposition
Despite protests from North Korea, the US and its ally South Korea will
hold annual joint military drills from February 24 to April 18. "
The
United Nations Command has informed the Korean People's Army in North
Korea through their Panmunjom mission about both Key Resolve and Foal
Eagle exercise dates and the non-provocative nature of this training,"
the combined US-South Korean forces command said in a statement.
Pyongyang urged to cancel the war games, calling them a prelude to war
and warning that the move may prevent a reunion event of families
separated during the Korean War.
Syria mediator to meet US and Russian ministers on Friday – UN
International mediator for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, will meet with both
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov and US Under Secretary
Wendy Sherman on Friday in Geneva, according to a UN statement released
Monday. The news came shortly after Brahimi met separately with both the
Syrian government and opposition delegates, as the second round of
peace talks began.
Syria parties agree to 3-day extension of Homs humanitarian pause
UN humanitarian affairs chief Valerie Amos has said that the Syrian
government and the opposition will extend the ‘humanitarian pause’ in
hostilities after aid workers fell under fire in the besieged,
rebel-held city of Homs.
“I welcome the news that the parties to the
conflict have agreed to extend the humanitarian pause in Old Homs City,
for a further three days,” Amos said in a statement released Monday.
“UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid workers were deliberately targeted”
as they were attempting to help people, she added. The agreement to
facilitate the evacuation of civilians was reached on Feb. 7.
Third chemical weapons shipment leaves Syria
A third shipment of Syrian chemical weapons material has left the
country aboard a Norwegian ship accompanied by a naval escort from
China, Denmark, Norway, and Russia, according to the UN. The
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said in a
statement that some chemical materials were also destroyed inside Syria.
Under a UN resolution, Syria vowed to surrender and destroy its 1,300
tons of declared chemical weapons by mid-2014.
Arab Israeli jailed for 15 months for Syria training
An Arab Israeli has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after being
convicted of traveling to Syria and receiving training with the
Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front, AFP said. Abdel Kader al-Taleh, 27,
from the Arab village of Taibe in northern Israel, was convicted of
“entering an enemy territory” and “illegal training for combat.” Charges
of "contact with a foreign agent" were dropped as part of a plea
bargain. Israel's Shin Bet internal security service arrested him when
he returned from Syria in July 2013.
Syria talks ‘not making much progress,’ but hopes for breakthrough
International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said Tuesday that peace talks
between the Syrian government and opposition are not making much
progress, Reuters said.
“We are not making much progress,” he said.
“Of course for it to really take off we need cooperation from both sides here and a lot of support from the outside.”
New farm law to help feed 800,000 more people abroad - USAID
Changes to the way the US distributes food aid could help feed 800,000
more people abroad, many of them Syrian refugees, US Agency for
International Development administrator Rajiv Shah said. The changes
come in a farm law signed by President Barack Obama last week, AP
reported. The legislation will allow Washington to make a small increase
in the amount of food aid that is given out as cash or vouchers. The
Obama administration said the current approach when most food aid is
grown in the US and shipped to developing countries is inefficient.
UK union calls off Tube strike after deal reached
The TSSA labor union has suspended its 48-hour Tube strike action after
reaching a deal with London Underground (LU) over ticket office
closures, the BBC reported. Union members will now no longer take the
industrial action, which was due to start at 21:00 GMT. The RMT drivers’
union has also called off its strike, unconfirmed reports say. Talks
were held at the ACAS conciliation service following major disruption
during a 48-hour strike last week.
First case of polio diagnosed in Afghan capital since 2001
A three-year-old girl has been diagnosed with the first case of polio
since 2001 in the Afghan capital, Kabul, the Health Ministry said
Tuesday. The child was a member of the Kuchi nomadic tribe that moves
freely across most provinces in Afghanistan, and her family was living
in the Kasaba district in eastern Kabul, media said. The ministry has
launched a three-day campaign to vaccinate all children under five in
the area.
UN draft on Syria aid ‘detached from reality’ – Russian FM
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday a draft UN
resolution on aid access in Syria was “detached from reality.” The ideas
proposed by Australia, Luxembourg and Jordan last week
“were absolutely one-sided and detached from reality,” Interfax quoted Lavrov as saying. Moscow would be ready to consider a draft only if it was
“not about one-sided accusations aimed at the regime,” he said. Lavrov also called upon the Security Council to agree a resolution condemning “terrorist activity” in Syria.
10 killed in grenade attack at Pakistan cinema
At least 10 people were killed and 16 others wounded in a grenade
attack at a cinema in Pakistan's northwest city of Peshawar on Tuesday,
AFP reported. The incident happened at the Shama cinema, known for
showing pornographic films in one of its auditoriums. The attack came 11
days after a similar assault in another movie theater in the same city.
“Two blasts inside one of the halls of Shama cinema were caused by hand grenades,” senior police official Najib-ur-Rehman said.
Hundreds rally against plan to relocate Okinawa base
Several hundred people rallied Tuesday against a plan to relocate a US
military base to another site on Okinawa. The protests came ahead of US
Ambassador Caroline Kennedy's visit to the southern Japanese island, AP
said. Okinawa is home to more than half the 47,000 American troops and
their families. The ambassador will reportedly see the base relocation
site during her three-day visit. Many Okinawans feel unfairly burdened
by hosting many US military facilities on the island.
Hollywood star Shirley Temple dies aged 85
Hollywood star Shirley Temple Black has died at the age of 85, the BBC
reported. Her family said she died on Monday at home in Woodside,
California, from natural causes. The actress found fame as a child star
in the 1930s in films like Bright Eyes, Stand Up and Cheer and Curly
Top. She went on to become US ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.
There is also a non-alcoholic cocktail named after her.
Nuke program ‘forever’ for Iran – Rouhani
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani pledged on Tuesday that Tehran would
press on “forever” with what he called peaceful atomic research, Reuters
said. In a speech marking the 35th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic
Revolution, Rouhani hit out at Western assertions that a military
solution to a nuclear dispute remained an option. He also described
economic sanctions imposed by the West as
“brutal, illegal and wrong.” Countries in the region have nothing to fear from Iran, Rouhani said.
15 Iraq soldiers killed in pre-dawn attack – officials
A pre-dawn assault Tuesday on an army camp guarding an oil pipeline in
northern Iraq left 15 soldiers dead, AFP reported, citing officials. The
attack came near Hamam al-Alil, in the northern province of Nineveh.
The style of the assault mirrored that of a similar attack in the
northern town of Tuz Khurmatu on Sunday, in which six policemen were
killed.
Egypt militants blow up gas pipeline in Sinai
Suspected Al-Qaeda-linked militants have blown up a natural gas
pipeline in the restive Sinai Peninsula, Egyptian security officials
said. The explosion took place early Tuesday in a desert area south of
el-Arish, the provincial capital of North Sinai, AP reported. The
pipeline carries natural gas to Jordan and feeds factories in central
Sinai. Technicians were forced to shut off the flow of gas. A
Sinai-based militant group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, has claimed
responsibility for several similar bombings at pipelines.
Pyongyang, Seoul to hold meeting of high-ranking officials
North and South Korea will hold a rare meeting of high-ranking
officials on Wednesday, Reuters reported. They are expected to discuss
issues including planned reunions of separated families, South Korea's
Unification Ministry announced Tuesday. A group of defense and security
officials will be led by South Korean President Park Geun-hye's deputy
national security advisor. The meeting will take place at the truce
village of Panmunjom, in the demilitarized zone between North and South
Korea.
Israel hits Gaza after rocket attack
The Israeli military has struck two targets in the Gaza Strip in
response to rocket fire coming from the territory, AP said. Aircraft hit
an underground rocket launcher and a "terror site" in separate parts of
the coastal area early on Tuesday, according to the military. No
injuries were reported. More than 30 rockets have been launched toward
Israel since the beginning of the year.
China, Taiwan hold highest-level talks since 1949 split
Representatives of China and Taiwan met Tuesday in Nanjing for their
highest-level talks since their split in 1949, AP reported. The meeting
is seen as a landmark step despite Beijing's refusal to recognize the
self-governing island's sovereignty. Nanjing was the capital of Chiang
Kai-shek's Nationalist government during the war against Mao Zedong's
communists. The agenda is likely to be heavily focused on trade as
Beijing wants Taiwan to ratify a trade services agreement. This would
allow the sides to open a wide range of businesses in each other's
territory.
16 killed as truck, 2 jeeps collide in India
All 16 occupants of two jeeps returning from a wedding were killed in a
head-on collision with a speeding truck on a highway in eastern India,
AP reported. The victims in the jeeps were returning home early Tuesday
after attending a wedding at Sahapur, a village nearly 400km north of
Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state. Police arrested the truck
driver.
Former US Navy cryptologist gets 30 years in prison for attempted espionage
Former US Navy sailor Robert Hoffman, 40, was sentenced Monday to 30
years in prison for attempted espionage. A federal court in Virginia
said Hoffman, a former cryptologist technician on US submarines, passed
secret information to undercover FBI agents he thought were Russian
spies. Hoffman believed he was passing along secret files about tracking
ships, prosecutors said.
“Hoffman attempted to spy on behalf of the
Russian Federation and betrayed the trust this country placed in him.
He was willing to place American lives at risk for personal gain,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente. Hoffman was arrested in December 2012 and found guilty in August 2013.Media agencies
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