Six In The Morning Sunday August 17

Iraq crisis: Iraqi minority says massacre of civilians not over yet

Yazidi activist claims President Obama's statement that a military evacuation of Mount Sinjar was no longer necessary encouraged Isis militants

IAN JOHNSTON , RACHAEL PELLS

 

 

Sunday 17 August 2014

A leading Yazidi politician said yesterday that he was preparing to make a last stand in his home village in northern Iraq, as members of the religious minority warned that another massacre of civilians by the extremist militants of the Islamic State (formerly Isis) showed that the crisis was far from over. The United Nations said it was trying to confirm reports of the worst single atrocity against Yazidis since the Islamic State offensive began on 3 August, with two separate sources saying up to 400 men had been executed in the village of Kocho after refusing to convert to Islam.

Last night, Kurdish forces backed by US air strikes were attempting to retake control of the Mosul Dam, which helps power parts of northern Iraq, with some eyewitness reports claiming a ground offensive had been launched as part of the operation. Eleven fighters from Islamic State, which has controlled the dam since 7 August, were said to have been killed. The strikes came a day after Barack Obama said it was no longer necessary to carry out a military evacuation of Mount Sinjar – where tens of thousands of people had been trapped by militants earlier – since many people had managed to escape following US air strikes.

Ukraine separatists 'receive recruits trained in Russia'

A separatist leader in eastern Ukraine has claimed his own pro-Russian side is in the process of receiving hardware, as well as fighters trained in Russia. A high-level meeting on Ukraine is set to take place in Berlin.

Alexander Zakharchenko - who is prime minister of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" - said on Saturday his side was receiving new armored vehicles, as well as the Russian-trained fighters, at a crucial time in the separatists' battle with Kyiv.

In a video, Zakharchenko said his side were taking delivery of hardware, as well as welcoming fighters who were trained in Russia. The announcement about reinforcements came as separatists claimed to be making progress against government forces, reestablishing a supply line between the two regions of Donestsk and Luhansk.

"They are joining at the most crucial moment," Zakharchenko said in the video, referring to the trained militants. Although he did not specify where the vehicles came from, Zakharchenko said there were some 150 new armored vehicles, which included 30 tanks.

China promotes mixed marriages in Tibet as way to achieve 'unity'

August 17, 2014 - 1:34PM

William Wan

Beijing: During their controversial six-decade-rule of Tibet, China's Communist Party leaders have been accused by human rights groups of trying to tame the restive region by imprisoning Tibetan political prisoners, keeping in exile their leader, the Dalai Lama, and repressing Tibetan religion and culture.

Now, China has turned to interracial marriage in an apparent attempt to assimilate Tibetans and stamp out rebellious impulses.

In recent weeks, Chinese officials in charge of the Tibetan Autonomous Region have ordered a run of stories in local newspapers promoting mixed marriages. And according to newly published government reports, the government has adopted a series of policies in recent years favourable to interracial couples.

Urging officials to push mixed marriages harder, China's highest official in the Tibetan region, Chen Quanguo, recently staged a photo opportunity with 19 mixed families.

New restrictions in Kenya for travelers amid Ebola fears

By Lillian Leposo, CNN

Kenya Airways will suspend flight operations to Liberia and Sierra Leone, the latest airline to curb flights because of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The suspension is temporary, and the airline will continue operating flights to Nigeria and Ghana, Kenya Airways said.

The Kenyan government announced other restrictions, saying it is temporarily suspending entry into Kenya of passengers who have passed through Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

Health professionals and Kenyan citizens returning home from those countries will be the exceptions, but will have to undergo extensive screening and close monitoring, said James Macharia, Cabinet secretary of the Kenya Ministry of Health.

17 August 2014 Last updated at 08:32

Missouri police tear-gas protesters after Ferguson shooting

US police fired smoke bombs and tear gas at a crowd which defied an overnight curfew in Ferguson, where a black teenager was shot dead by police last week.

About 150 protesters refused to disperse before a midnight (05:00 GMT) deadline in the St Louis suburb.

A police spokesman said tear gas was a "proper response" after a police car was shot at.

Captain Ron Johnson said a man was critical in hospital after a shooting.

Speaking just before 03:00 local time (08:00 GMT) he said that the police operation through the night was not in response to the curfew but to the violence that erupted near the Red The BBQ Man restaurant in Ferguson.

Why a Belgian Chef Is Joining ISIS: 'Fighting Against Americans'

BY AMMAR CHEIKH OMAR

After two years of fighting alongside al Qaeda-backed militants in Syria, Abu Saif thought he was done with jihad and ready to return to his “normal” life as a chef in Belgium. But everything changed when Sunni militants swept through northern Iraq and brought their brand of holy war to a global audience.

The 31-year-old cut ties with his old fighting force and put in with the rivalIslamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), setting out for the militants’ stronghold of Raqqa and then, he hopes, on to Iraq.

“Fighting against the Americans and the Shiites is one of my biggest wishes,” Abu Saif, 31, told NBC News. “I would go straight to paradise.”