Raqqa siege could be toughest yet in fight against ISIS
Updated 1742 GMT (0142 HKT) October 26, 2016
It has been more than a week since a coalition of Iraqi government and Kurdish Peshmerga ground troops backed by US and allied aircraft launched an offensive against ISIS forces in the Iraqi city of Mosul.
The US defense secretary Ashton Carter announced this week that the anti-ISIS coalition will move with the "same sense of urgency" to surround the other ISIS stronghold in Raqqa, located across the border in northern Syria.
Why is Raqqa likely to be tougher than Mosul?
In some respects, Raqqa could be considered a far easier military objective. It is much smaller than Mosul, with far fewer civilians at risk of being made homeless, or caught in the crossfire of a protracted urban battle.
On patrol with the Hindu vigilantes who would kill to protect India's cows
The ‘gau raksha’ gangs patrol highways and country roads at night, hunting for cattle being smuggled to Bangladesh
One of the men stood guard, a rifle slung over his shoulder, as the others went to work on the truck: banging hard on the outsides, pressing their ears against the metal, sniffing the air for a telltale whiff.
Satisfied, they moved onto the next vehicle, along a line of trucks that stretched up National Highway 1 from Panipat, three hours’ drive north of Delhi, into the hazy distance.
Drivers scowled from their cabins, but knew better than to argue against this increasingly frequent interruption to transport in Haryana state. The men inspecting their vehicles were not police, but Hindu vigilantes; their prize not drugs or weapons, but cows.
World facing first mass extinction since the dinosaurs as wildlife populations plunge by 67 per cent in 50 years
‘We ignore the decline of other species at our peril – for they are the barometer that reveals our impact on the world that sustains us’Ian Johnston Environment Correspondent
The world is hurtling towards the first mass extinction of animal life since the dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago, according to the most comprehensive survey of wildlife ever carried out.
By 2020, the populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and other vertebrate species are on course to have fallen by more than two-thirds over a period of just 50 years, the Living Planet report found.
The current rate of extinction is about 100 times faster than is considered normal – greater than during some of the previous five mass extinctions in the Earth’s history.
Burma displaces thousands of Rohingya minority in ‘security sweep’
Thousands of civilians from the Muslim Rohingya minority group have been displaced during “security sweeps” carried out by the Burmese army and security forces to find the perpetrators of recent attacks on local police. Rohingya activists accuse the security forces of carrying out extensive abuses. Our Observer tells us how he fled his village under threat of death.
On October 9, 2016, dozens of armed men attacked three police outposts in Maungdaw township in Rakhine, a volatile state on the western side of Burma that borders Bangladesh. Nine police officers were killed and the attackers managed to seize a number of weapons. The Burmese President’s Office blamed a previously unknown Rohingya group called Aqa Lul Mujahidin. This new group is reported to have links to the Organization for Rohingya Security, an armed group which was active in the 1990’s but has faded from view in the past few years. Other officials, however, have said that the government is still uncertain about the identity of the armed men.
In the wake of the attacks, security forces locked down the historically volatile state and launched a sweep to find the perpetrators. The security forces have denied both journalists and humanitarian groups access to what they are calling an “operation zone”.
Venezuela: Thousands of protestors demand end of 'dictatorship'
Demonstrators also rallied in other major cities in what opposition leaders were calling "the takeover of Venezuela."
CARACAS, VENEZUELA — Anti-government protesters jammed the streets of Venezuela's capital on Wednesday on the heels of a decision by congress to open a political trial against President Nicolas Maduro, whose allies have blocked moves for a recall election.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators shut down Caracas' main highway, and schools and shops were closed as protesters occupied other key points around the city to demand the ouster of Maduro, who many Venezuelans blame for triple-digit inflation and shortages of food, medicines and other basic goods.
Protesters also rallied in other major cities in what opposition leaders were calling "the takeover of Venezuela."
Calais 'Jungle' children with nowhere to sleep
Several hundred migrants remain inside the "Jungle" camp in Calais, say BBC reporters at the scene, despite French officials claiming the camp is now empty.
About 100 unaccompanied minors were left with nowhere to sleep overnight, aid workers say.
They are said to be becoming increasingly desperate.
Nearly 5,600 people have been moved to reception centres since Monday, the government said (in French).
This includes about 1,500 unaccompanied minors being housed in an on-site container camp, which activists say is now full.
Demolition crews are continuing to clear remaining tents and shelters from the area, which were damaged in fires reportedly set by departing migrants.
Fabienne Buccio, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, said it was "mission accomplished" for the operation.
No comments:
Post a Comment