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Kerry in Iraq to build support for fighting Islamic State
65 militants killed in Pak air strikes
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Pakistan ministers rally behind embattled Sharif
Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan PM
Ukraine Prez: Russia pulling forces out
British PM begs Scots: Don’t rip apart UK NRIs to play key role in Scotland vote
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Kerry in Iraq to build support for fighting Islamic State
Baghdad, September 10 Kerry said he was impressed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's plans to rebuild the Iraqi military and push broad political reforms. Abadi formed a new, more inclusive, Iraqi government on Monday in a move Washington said was vital before there could be further US action to help push back the militants who took over large parts of Iraq this year. Kerry told Abadi he was "encouraged" by his plans for "reconstituting" the military and "your commitment to broad reforms that are necessary in Iraq to bring every segment of Iraqi society to the table." Abadi appealed to the international community to help Iraq fight Islamic State, urging them "to act immediately to stop the spread of this cancer". Last week nine countries, most of them in Europe, were named as the core group of a coalition US President Barack Obama says will degrade and destroy Islamic State, which has declared a caliphate in land it took over and executed many prisoners, including two American journalists who were beheaded. Two days after Iraq formed a new government, Kerry arrived in Baghdad to "take it to the next level", as a senior US official put it, and find a way to defeat Islamic State. Abadi faces multiple crises from the need to pull Sunni Muslims back from armed revolt to persuading minority Kurds not to break away and convincing Abadi's own majority Shi'ites he can protect them from Sunni hardliners. Kerry highlighted Abadi's readiness "to move forward rapidly on the oil agreements necessary for the Kurds, (and) on the representation of Sunnis in government and participation." His visit comes hours before a speech in which Obama will try to rally Americans behind another war in a region he has long sought to leave, backed by what Washington hopes will be a coalition of NATO and Gulf Arab allies committed to a campaign that could stretch beyond the end of Obama's term in 2016. — Reuters UK providing heavy arms to Iraqi govt
London: The UK is providing heavy arms and ammunition to Iraqi government to help the military forces fight Islamic State militants, says the UK Ministry of Defence. All the equipment are worth £1.6 million pounds and transportation expenditure costs around £4,75,000, said Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. Fallon said the UK was committed to helping Kurdish forces and the Iraqi government. The donation came following a request by the Iraqi government including Kurdish regional government, said Fallon. Second British voice identified in IS video London: A second British voice has been identified in the disturbing video of an American hostage's beheading released by the Islamic State militants, according to a latest scientific analysis. The words "Death to them" and "Yeah" can be heard off camera in the recording of US journalist Steven Sotloff's last moments, a study by The Times claims. A leading audio expert said he was certain that the background voice did not belong to the main militant, dressed in all black and wielding a knife and appears on camera with the kidnapped journalist. Obama to unveil strategy on IS
President Barack Obama will announce his plan to defeat Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria in a speech to Americans that the White House said will discuss direct US military action as well as support for forces fighting the group in both countries. The White House, in a statement ahead of the speech, said the United States "will pursue a comprehensive strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy" the Islamic organization. The speech will be carefully watched for indications of how much Obama is prepared to intervene directly into Syria, driven by civil war and whose leader Washington has sought to dislodge. |
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65 militants killed in Pak air strikes
Islamabad, September 10 Inter Services Public Relations, the mouthpiece of Pakistan Army, said in a statement that 30 militants were killed when their two hideouts were targeted and destroyed by the army jet fighters in Shawal area of North Waziristan. The target is restive tribal area on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where security forces have been carrying out a major armed offensive against Taliban militants since June 15. The Shawal air strike was the second of its kind in the North Waziristan region Wednesday, Xinhua reported. Earlier in the morning, 35 militants were killed when army jets pounded three militants' hideouts in Datta Khel area of North Waziristan. To date, over 900 militants have been killed in the operation that aims at wiping out the militant stronghold in the area. Talking to media earlier last month, Gen. Raheel Sharif, the country's chief of army staff, said the armed forces were determined to flush out the militants with their highly-skilled trained and professional expertise even from remote and hard areas of North Waziristan. Media reports said that around 25,000 to 30,000 troops are participating in the ongoing operation. Over one million people have fled the offensive in the area and are living in refugee camps in Bannu area of neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. — IANS
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Pakistan ministers rally behind embattled Sharif
Islamabad, September 10 Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said all political parties in Parliament stand united against the demand for the prime minister's resignation raised by Imran's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Qadri's Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT). Dar said in Parliament that the government has already agreed to five demands presented by the protesting parties but has told them that the sixth point was non-negotiable referring to the demand for Sharif to quit, the News reported. He then presented the details about 12 rounds of the dialogue process held so far and said that the PTI presented the first draft of demands to the government on August 30 while the government prepared its response after consulting all the political parties on September 4, and the first meeting was held on September 5. He also said that PTI's allegation that the government has backed off from its commitments is false. Railways Minister Saad Rafique said that the actions of Khan and Qadri during the past few weeks may even merit a trial for high treason against them under Article 6 of the Constitution, the Dawn reported. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said the politics of Imran and Qadri was based on hatred and their targets were the country's democratic forces. — PTI
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Ukraine Prez: Russia pulling forces out
Kiev, September 10 Moscow denies sending troops into eastern Ukraine to support pro-Russian rebels battling Ukrainian forces, despite what Kiev and its Western backers say is overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Moscow also denies arming the separatists. President Petro Poroshenko told a televised cabinet meeting Ukraine would remain a sovereign, united country under the terms of a peace roadmap approved last Friday, but said parts of the east under rebel control would get special status. "According to the latest information I have received from our intelligence, 70 per cent of Russian troops have been moved back across the border," he said. However, Poroshenko said the ceasefire was not proving easy to maintain because "terrorists" were constantly trying to provoke Kiev's forces. Putin underlines need for nuclear deterrence
President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia must maintain its nuclear deterrence because of what he said were a growing number of possible security threats. With ties between Moscow and the West tense over the crisis in Ukraine, Putin signed a decree that gives him more control over a commission that oversees the defence industry and made a new call for Russia to become less reliant on Western parts. Shortly before he spoke, Russia carried out a successful test of its new submarine-launched Bulava intercontinental missile, which can carry a nuclear warhead. — Reuters Both sides committed war crimes: Amnesty
Amnesty International said on Wednesday it had documented evidence of war crimes by both sides in the conflict between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. The human rights group's secretary-general, Salil Shetty, said some separatists, backed by Russian troops, and Ukraine's Aidar battalion had committed human rights abuses in the five-month-old conflict. Citing satellite imagery as well as witnesses' accounts, Shetty said Russia's involvement in the violence in eastern Ukraine made it a side in the conflict which could make it liable if war crimes are established.
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British PM begs Scots: Don’t rip apart UK London, September 10 In a sign of new panic in the British ruling elite over the fate of the 307-year-old union, Cameron and opposition leader Ed Miliband scrapped their weekly question-and-answer session in parliament to speak at separate events in Scotland. “We do not want this family of nations to be ripped apart,” Cameron, 47, said in an opinion piece published in the Daily Mail newspaper. “The United Kingdom is a precious and special country.” But Cameron, whose job may be on the line if he loses Scotland, tempered the emotion with a clear warning: “If the UK breaks apart, it breaks apart forever.” Cameron has until now been largely absent from the debate after conceding that his privileged background and centre-right politics mean he is not the best person to win over Scots, who returned just one Conservative lawmaker out of 59 in 2010. Given the unpopularity of the Conservatives in Scotland, Cameron’s trip is fraught with danger: if Scots vote for independence, Cameron will be blamed just as Britain prepares for a national election planned for May 2015. Cameron, Miliband and third party Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg - all English born - will visit Scotland in what nationalist leader Alex Salmond said was a sign of panic that would only help the secessionist cause. Salmond said Cameron was the most unpopular Conservative leader ever among Scots, and Miliband the most distrusted Labour leader. “If the UK lost Scotland, it would be diminished,” said John Major, who served as Britain’s premier from 1990 to 1997. “We face a constitutional revolution.” — Reuters Scotland to decide its fate on Sept 18
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NRIs to play key role in Scotland vote NRIs could play a key role in deciding whether Scotland becomes an independent nation. Latest opinion polls before next week’s referendum indicate a 50-50 finely balanced vote, which means the views of NRIs living north of the English border could be of crucial significance. Nearly 10,000 NRIs on the electoral roll will be playing close attention to the pro- and anti- independence arguments being played out across the UK. Every vote will count in deciding whether Britain remains a UK, or a collection of rump states of ever declining significance. Analysts say if Scotland decides to opt out, Wales is almost certain to follow. Those backing the ‘No’ campaign against independence include Niranjan Singh, a member of the Central Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Glasgow. He said, “The majority don’t want independence, but the problem is that there in investment in Scotland – that’s the key issue. Singh, a 64-year-old builder and originally from Phagwara, added, “If you look at the history of Scotland, they care for the Queen, they are very loyal to the Union. In spite of everything else, they know the security is here.”
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Ukraine responsible for MH17 crash: Russian minister Murdoch hints at dumping Page 3 girls from The Sun Gates Foundation pledges $50 mn to fight Ebola Out of paper, Venezuela newspaper to stop printing
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Islamabad, September 10
Kiev, September 10
If Scotland votes for separation that would have to be respected by the rest of the United Kingdom. And as Prime Minister of the UK I would have to make that happen. It would be a heartbreaking job to have to do, to break up this family of nations that has been such a
success.
