Iran-backed militias 'head for Iraq's IS-held Ramadi'
- 42 minutes ago
- Middle East
The Iraqi government is reported to be sending Iran-backed Shia militias to Ramadi to recapture the city seized by Islamic State (IS) militants on Sunday.
About 500 people are reported to have died when the Iraqi military abandoned positions in the city - only 70 miles (112km) west of Baghdad.
A regional government official spoke of people fleeing Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, "in great numbers".
But the US has said it is confident the capture of Ramadi can be reversed.
Speaking in South Korea, Secretary of State John Kerry said: "I am convinced that as the forces are redeployed and as the days flow in the weeks ahead that's going to change."
Plan to reform WHO after Ebola to be unveiled by Angela Merkel
German chancellor hosts meeting to announce plan for disease-response department after World Health Organisation’s slow Ebola operation
The decision to warn the world of future global disease epidemics like Ebola would be taken out of the hands of the director general of the World Health Organisation under plans formulated by experts at a meeting hosted by Angela Merkel, the German chancellor. Instead it would be given to a new semi-autonomous body, within WHO but independent of its political currents.
Merkel will speak at the opening of the annual World Health Assembly in Geneva on Monday of the need for WHO reform to ensure there is prompt response to health emergencies that can impact on the entire world. There are two urgent issues that must be addressed in the interest of all nations, she believes – the response to the event of a pandemic and the fading powers of antibiotic drugs because of global overuse. She intends to push forward on both issues at the G7, which Germany chairs, in the summer.
The WHO’s slow response to Ebola has been universally condemned. The director general’s committee – which can declare a public health emergency – was not convened until August, eight months after the first cases and five months after public warnings from Médecins Sans Frontières, whose doctors were on the front line. Experts believe the Ebola disaster was a wake-up call and that there is now an unprecedented opportunity to make changes to WHO to ensure this never happens again.
EU to launch unprecedented military mission in the Mediterranean
Thousands have died in the past 18 months trying to seek refuge on European shores by way of the treacherous Med crossing. The EU is set to approve plans for a sweeping naval mission to stop the human trafficking.
The European Union's foreign and defense ministers were scheduled to convene in Brussels on Monday morning to finalize the new mission, which will include a formidable naval force to combat human trafficking in the Mediterranean sea after a spate of shipwrecks that killed hundreds of would-be migrants.
Beginning in June, the ambitious program will deploy surveillance aircraft and warships off the coast of Libya, where most of the ill-fated vessels have set sail.
Ahead of the meeting, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said that "the highest priority is to rescue the migrants in peril at sea," and that she expected there to be significant progress in addressing the problem after Monday's meeting.
North Korea and US 'not even close' to nuclear talks: John Kerry
May 18, 2015 - 5:17PM
Seoul: US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday North Korea has "not even come close" to taking the steps needed to rein in its nuclear weapons program to initiate talks, adding the United States was considering further sanctions.
Speaking in the South Korean capital, Mr Kerry said Washington continued to offer the isolated North the chance for an improved relationship in return for signs of a genuine willingness to end its nuclear programme.
"To date, to this moment, particularly with recent provocations, it is clear the DPRK is not even close to meeting that standard," he told a joint news conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se.
Palmyra: Will ISIS bulldoze ancient Syrian city?
Updated 0946 GMT (1646 HKT) May 18, 2015
Another world wonder is on the brink of destruction as ISIS continues its rampage through the cultural heritage of Iraq and Syria.
This time it is the ancient oasis city of Palmyra in Syria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back 2,000 years.
Syrian government troops have reportedly been fighting to contain ISIS fighters after they launched an attack Wednesday on Tadmur, the modern town near the ruins of Palmyra.
Clashes between Syrian forces and ISIS militants near the ancient city left at least 15 Syrian fighters dead Friday, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Bedouin Camels Wear Glowing Bands to Cut Down on Crashes
BY PAUL GOLDMAN
BIR HADAJA, Israel — What's the answer to a high-visibility camel problem? To one group of Bedouins, it's making the animals glow.
Large signs in Hebrew and English warn motorists passing through the Negev Desert on Israel's Highway 40 to "BEWARE OF CAMELS NEAR THE ROAD."
While the more than 6,000 camels at large in southern Israel might seem peaceful, they have proved to be a deadly foe for nighttime drivers. The animals — known as ships of the desert — have roamed the Middle East for centuries but recent accidents involving camels have prompted calls for action.
Father-of-three David Cohen hit one while driving home on December 14 and later died from his injures. His case sparked an outcry, with a regional council chief telephoning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ask for a mandate to shoot camels on sight.
No comments:
Post a Comment